Listening Part 2: A Conversation about Printing Problems
Listening Part 2: Listen to a Conversation
As the name suggests, you will hear a conversation between two people. The topics vary widely and may include daily life, meals, social situations, education, hobbies, services, health issues, household chores, and travel.
Although the previous TOEFL also included conversation-based questions, the new TOEFL Part 2 focuses much more heavily on everyday life. Since the older version of the TOEFL was composed almost entirely of academic contexts, you may be surprised by the types of topics you hear in this section.
How to Tackle Part 2?
Before we move on to practice questions, let’s review some effective strategies for tackling Listening Section Part 2. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this section is the limited time you have to select your answer: you are given only 20 seconds for each question.
Within that short time frame, you must read all four options and choose the most appropriate one.
No Need to Take Notes
The conversation in Part 2 is very short. In fact, it usually lasts less than 30 seconds, often around 20 seconds. Because of its length, you generally don’t need to take notes. Instead, you should focus fully on understanding the audio.
Focus on the Problem Mentioned in the Conversation
In the new TOEFL Listening Section Part 2, some questions require you to identify the problem mentioned in the conversation. Therefore, if one of the speakers refers to a specific issue, make sure you clearly remember what it is.
Focus on What the Speaker Will Do Next
Many questions require you to infer what one of the speakers will do next. The key information often appears at the very end of the conversation. Therefore, do not lose focus until the audio finishes.
Limited Time Window for Selecting an Option
As mentioned above, you will have only 20 seconds to answer each question. This time includes reading the instructions and the answer choices, and then selecting the correct one.
Practice Questions
Answers and Transcriptions
Listening 1 (Question 1 and 2)
Transcription
Student: I’m here to pick up a conference poster I submitted yesterday, but the front counter said it’s not ready yet.
Staff Member: Was this the large-format poster for the undergraduate research fair?
Student: Yes. I uploaded the file before noon, so I thought it would be printed by this afternoon.
Staff Member: Normally it would be, but your order was placed on hold because the file size didn’t match the template listed on the form.
Student: Really? I used the same design I showed my professor last week.
Staff Member: The design itself may be fine, but the version you uploaded has a wider margin on the left side, so the printer would cut off part of the chart.
Student: That’s bad timing. I’m presenting tomorrow morning, and I was planning to mount the poster tonight.
Staff Member: I understand. If you send us a corrected file within the next hour, I can move it into the final print batch this evening.
Student: Would I need to submit a whole new order for that?
Staff Member: No. Just reply to the confirmation email with the updated file attached, and I’ll replace the original manually.
Student: Okay, I’ll fix the margin as soon as I get back to the lab.
Answer for Question 1
Question: What problem does the student have?
Answer: D
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Student: “…the front counter said it’s not ready yet.”
- Staff Member: “Your order was placed on hold because the file size didn’t match the template listed on the form.”
The student’s direct problem is not simply that the poster is unfinished. The staff member specifically explains that the order has been placed on hold because of a formatting issue. Therefore, the best answer is D.
Answer for Question 2
Question: What will the student probably do next?
Answer: B
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Staff Member: “If you send us a corrected file within the next hour, I can move it into the final print batch this evening.”
- Staff Member: “Just reply to the confirmation email with the updated file attached…”
- Student: “Okay, I’ll fix the margin as soon as I get back to the lab.”
The staff member tells the student to correct the file and send the updated version back. The student immediately agrees to do that. Therefore, the best answer is B.
Listening 2 (Question 3 and 4)
Transcription
Student: I came to pick up the printed booklets for my portfolio review, but the counter staff said the job is still paused.
Staff Member: Is this the order for the design department review tomorrow afternoon?
Student: Yes. I submitted everything last night, so I expected it to be finished by now.
Staff Member: I found the order. It wasn’t canceled, but it was flagged because several pages extend beyond the printable area.
Student: That’s strange. The digital version looked fine when I checked it on my laptop.
Staff Member: On screen it may look normal, but two of the image captions sit too close to the edge, so part of the text would be trimmed in the booklet version.
Student: That’s a problem. I need the copies tonight because my adviser wants to see the final version before the review.
Staff Member: We can still print it today, but only if you upload a revised PDF within the next forty minutes.
Student: Do I have to start a new order from the beginning?
Staff Member: No. Just open your original order link, replace the file there, and the system will keep the rest of your settings.
Student: All right. I’ll fix the layout and resend it as soon as I get back to the studio.
Answer for Question 3
Question: What problem does the student have?
Answer: A
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Student: “…the counter staff said the job is still paused.”
- Staff Member: “It wasn’t canceled, but it was flagged because several pages extend beyond the printable area.”
The staff member explains that the order has not been canceled, but it also is not being processed normally because of a formatting issue. So the best summary is that the order cannot proceed yet. Therefore, the best answer is A.
Answer for Question 4
Question: What will the student probably do next?
Answer: A
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Staff Member: “We can still print it today, but only if you upload a revised PDF within the next forty minutes.”
- Staff Member: “Just open your original order link, replace the file there…”
- Student: “I’ll fix the layout and resend it…”
The staff member gives the student a clear next step: revise the file and upload the corrected version using the same order. The student immediately agrees to do that. Therefore, the best answer is A.
