TOEFL Listening Part 3: Online Course System Maintenance (Intermediate)
Announcement Format Questions
In the new TOEFL Listening section, you will hear four different types of listening materials, each followed by questions. In Part 3, you will listen to a short announcement and then answer several questions based on it.
When listening to an announcement, you should focus on taking notes about the following key information:
- Numbers (such as time, dates, deadlines, or prices)
- Place (where the announcement applies)
- Event (what is happening or being announced)
- Expected action (what the audience should do next or by a certain date)
Questions in Listening Part 3 are typically designed to test your understanding of these concrete details. For this reason, paying close attention to numerical information and clearly sta facts will help you handle this part effectively.
Practice Question
1. Why does the speaker mention seven consecutive days?
A. To describe the full duration of the access interruption
B. To explain how frequently maintenance usually occurs
C. To indicate when updated security policies begin
D. To show how long technical support hours will change
2. What happens to assignments scheduled before 6:00 a.m.?
A. They must be submitted before the system closes
B. They are canceled and replaced with new tasks
C. Their deadlines are postponed until later that day
D. They are evaluated only after technical review
3. Why are students advised to coordinate with teammates in advance?
A. Group projects require approval from instructors
B. Only one student may upload shared assignments
C. Technical support cannot assist with group work
D. Late submissions caused by timing issues are rejected
Answer, Transcript, and Explanation
Question 1. A
Question 2. C
Question 3. D
Transcript
Attention students enrolled in online courses. Starting September 15, access to the learning platform will be unavailable between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. for seven consecutive days while security upgrades are completed. During this period, assignment deadlines scheduled before 6:00 a.m. will automatically be extended until noon the same day. However, quizzes that open after 8:00 a.m. will follow their original schedules. Students planning to submit group projects should coordinate with teammates in advance, as late uploads caused by missed deadlines will not be accepted. Technical support hours will be expanded from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. through September 22, and updates will appear on the portal homepage for clarity.
Question 1: Correct Answer (A)
Key evidence from the announcement:
- “will be unavailable … for seven consecutive days”
This phrase specifies how long access to the platform will be unavailable. It does not describe frequency or policy changes. Therefore, the number is used to clarify the total length of the interruption, making option A correct.
Question 2: Correct Answer (C)
Key evidence from the announcement:
- “assignment deadlines scheduled before 6:00 a.m. will automatically be extended until noon the same day”
The announcement clearly states that early deadlines are moved later. Option C paraphrases “extended until noon the same day,” while the other choices introduce conditions not mentioned.
Question 3: Correct Answer (D)
Key evidence from the announcement:
- “late uploads caused by missed deadlines will not be accepted”
The warning explains that timing mistakes leading to late uploads will not be excused. Coordination helps avoid such issues. Option D accurately reflects this consequence using different wording
