A Conversation about a Change in the Original Schedule
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
Female Student: I just saw Leo’s message about the volunteer event. Did you read it?
Male Student: Not yet. Did something change?
Female Student: Yeah, the community center pushed the start time back.
Male Student: Really? I thought it began at nine in the morning.
Female Student: That was the original plan. Now it starts at noon.
Male Student: That’s actually helpful. I was worried I wouldn’t make it in time.
Female Student: Why not?
Male Student: My bus from home doesn’t arrive until ten-thirty.
Female Student: Oh, then the new time works better.
Male Student: True, but Leo also said volunteers should arrive a bit early.
Female Student: Right, probably to organize the equipment.
Male Student: In that case, I’ll head there right after my bus gets in.
Female Student: Good idea. I’ll text Leo and let him know you’ll be there before noon.
Answer for Question 1
Question: What change does the female student mention?
Answer: C
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Female Student: “the community center pushed the start time back.”
- Female Student: “Now it starts at noon.”
The phrase “pushed the start time back” means the event was moved to a later time. The second line confirms the new schedule: noon instead of the original morning start. This indicates that the event will begin later than planned rather than being canceled or moved to a different location.
Answer for Question 2
Question: What concern does the male student mention?
Answer: B
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Male Student: “My bus from home doesn’t arrive until ten-thirty.”
- Male Student: “I was worried I wouldn’t make it in time.”
The male student explains that his bus arrives at 10:30. Since the event originally started at 9:00, he was concerned about arriving too late. His worry is directly tied to the bus schedule, not the location or registration.
Listening 2 (Question 3 and 4)
Transcription
Male Student: Oh, you’re already here. I thought you were coming later.
Female Student: I was supposed to. My shift at the bookstore ended early today.
Male Student: That’s lucky. By the way, did you hear about the movie night tonight?
Female Student: Yeah, it was supposed to start at eight, right?
Male Student: That was the original plan, but they moved it to nine.
Female Student: Really? Why the change?
Male Student: The equipment wasn’t ready earlier, so they needed more time to set it up.
Female Student: That actually helps me. I promised my sister I’d call her around eight.
Male Student: Perfect timing then.
Female Student: Yeah, I’ll make the call first and head to the event afterward.
Answer for Question 3
Question: Why was the event moved to a later time?
Answer: A
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Male Student: “The equipment wasn’t ready earlier, so they needed more time to set it up.”
The explanation directly states the reason for the schedule change. The equipment required additional setup time, which prevented the event from starting at the original time. As a result, the organizers delayed the start of the event.
Answer for Question 4
Question: What scheduling conflict does the female student mention?
Answer: C
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Female Student: “I promised my sister I’d call her around eight.”
This line reveals the conflict in her schedule. The event was originally scheduled to begin at eight, which would have overlapped with her planned phone call. Because the event was moved to nine, she now has enough time to make the call before attending.
