新托福听力之名师观点

本文从听力的环节入手与大家分享新托福听力的“三斑”（即：新托福听力的形式、内容和出题原则），目的只在“抛个砖，引个玉”，势未能引领大家观“全豹” 仍期望借过“抛砖泛起的水花，望穿其神秘的面纱”。在波退水平之际，你会发现：新托福听力－－道是有变却无变……
　　一、形式上
　　共六篇，平均每篇600字左右，5分钟读完。前两篇：对话（conversations）; 后四篇：课堂演讲（lectures）
　　这是新托福中变化最大的一点。不过这种形式上的变化无论是在89年或在95年都有过类似的发生。所以这种屡见不鲜的变革对于我们来说是无足轻重的。因为无论是单句变对话，还是对话加段子，事实上我们都能很快地适应并取得令ETS发指的成绩。
　　那么，这次的形式上取消了小对话，加长了长段子，增大了信息量，但无论怎样，势必会：来之、安之、定之……
　　二、内容上
　　1.对话内容（共三种）：
　　(1) instructors’ office hours
　　对话人物为教授与学生。对话地点在教授办公室。对话内容可为学术讨论或有关询问课程等问题。例如：要求教授延期交作业（此为非学术讨论）；要求教授解释讲座内容（此为学术讨论）
　　(2) service encounters
　　对话人物为学生与工作人员。对话地点在校园某办公室。对话内容为非学术的询问。例如：询问房租；怎样注册、怎样选课等
　　(3) student interactions
　　对话人物为学生甲乙。对话地点为教室以外相遇。对话内容可为学术讨论（一门专业课程内容、准备演讲）；非学术讨论（借笔记、实习感受）
　　通过查对以上新对话部分的内容，不难发现三种对话的内容都是旧托福PartB 部分的频繁测试点，无论是选课、注册、找房、借笔记、交作业等等这些都可以归结到以上三种新托福对话内容上。只是这里更系统的做了一些分类。一句话：万变不离其宗。
　　2.演讲内容：
　　演讲皆摘录于真实的课堂演示。有的是教授独白；有的是教授演讲中夹杂学生提问、教授提问。这种演讲的内容同旧托福段子PartC 的内容都是一样的。天文，地理，生物，历史等等也都是旧托福惯用的测试内容。一句话：黔驴只待技穷。
　　综上，既然在内容上对话部分和演讲部分都与旧托福如出一辙，那么我们现在备考的最有效的材料，还是来源于旧托福的段子。而需要我们格外注意的只是平时训练一些技能（主要为拓展听记的存储空间）去适应它的形式上的不同而已。
　　三、出题原则上
　　[原则一] basic comprehension（50%以上的题目）
　　此类题型要求考生理解全文主要观点（understand important main ideas）和支撑观点的具体细节（supporting details）。
　　细分为两种：
　　（1）A main idea(gist) question requires the listener to understand critical vocabulary 、phrases or facts from several points in a text and to interpret them or synthesize them to identify the key points of the text 问文章谈论的主题（gist question）。这就需要考生有基本的概括主题以及从上下文提示中概括的能力。
　　（2） Detail questions require the listener to understand and remember explicit details or facts that are important as an explanation or an example of the main idea 问文章细节(detail question)。需要考生理解并存储文中围绕主题而陈述的重要事实
　　问法举例：
　　基本问法举例（以ETS官方给出的两套样题为准）：
　　（1）what problem does the man have?(此为细节理解)
　　（2）what are the students mainly discussing?(此为主题理解)
　　（3）what is the main topic of the talk?(此为主题理解)
　　样题问法举例（以ETS官方给出的两套样题为准）
　　（一）问主题（gist question）
　　What is the lecture mainly about?
　　What is the talk mainly about?
　　What is the main topic of the lecture?
　　What is the main purpose of the lecture?
　　What is the professor mainly discussing?
　　(二) 基本理解后问细节（detail question）
　 1、According 类
　　（1）According to the professor, where might there be a conflict in an organizational structure based on both projects and function?
　　（2）According to the conversation, why are transposons sometimes called “jumping genes”?
　　（3）According to the conversation ,what are two ways in which bacteria cells get resistance genes?
　　（4）According to the professor, what information should the student include in her statement of purpose?
　　（5）Based on information in the lecture, indicate whether the statements below about human emotion reflect beliefs held by Plato.
　　（6）According to the professor, what are two problems associated with removing water from an underground system?
　　2、Why 类
　　（1） Why does the student go to see the professor?
　　（2） Why does the professor talk about Plato’s description of society?
　　（3） Why does the professor explain Bode’s Law to the class?
　　（4） Why does the man go to see his professor?
　　（5） According to the professor, why did one scientist grow a rye plant in water?
　　[原则二]Pragmatic understanding (25%左右的题目)
　　此类题型主要考察考生对语言交流的实际掌握能力。听出讲话者讲某句话的目的（purpose）;听出讲话者所呈现的态度（stance）
　　细分为两种：
　　(1)Purpose understanding tests understanding of the intended function of an utterance, that is, the speaker’s purpose. Examples of functions include such speech acts as apologizing, describing, and suggesting.
　　问目的（purpose）是从不同角度去测试考生对语言功能的实际把握能力。需要考生能直接概括出讲话人的目的，并确定讲话人的感情基调是如何强调的。
　　(2)Stance understanding tests understanding of a speaker’s attitude. There are Two kinds of stance questions: attitudinal stance and epistemic stance. Attitudinal stance (attitude) questions generally probe the student’s understanding of speaker affect, for example, like, dislike, anxiety, and amusement. Epistemic stance questions probe the student’s recognition of the degree of doubt or certainty that the speaker expresses, whether his statements are intended as fact or opinion.
　　问态度（stance）要求考生根据讲话者所言确定讲话者的态度或立场。这是在basic understanding 的基础上对字里行间的一种理解能力的考察。
　　真题举例：
　　Examples of ways that students can demonstrate understanding of the function of an utterance
　　(一)问目的（Purpose）－－Directly identify the function of the utterance, i.e, the speaker’s purpose
　　以下材料摘录于部分对话，对话双方针对房租问题展开讨论。
　　（Excerpt from a conversation between a male student and a female housing office secretary. They are discussing his dorm fees.)
　　（narrator） listen again to a part of the conversation. Then answer the question.
　　(Secretary) But let me ask you this, are you um in a single room or a double room?
　　(Student) I’m in a double
　　(Secretary) You’re rooming with someone?
　　(Student) Oh, I should’ve been？？nobody was assigned though, but yeah it’s open, it’s available.
　　(Secretary) OK, because they’re charging you for a double, I mean for a single. They’re charging for the whole room. Um
　　（narrator） Why does the secretary say this: They’re charging you for a double, I mean for a single. They’re charging you for the whole room.
　　(A) To apologize for her mistake
　　(B) To explain why the problem happened
　　(C) To warn the man about future payments
　　(D) To suggest that the man find a roommate
　　Examples of ways that students can demonstrate understanding of the speaker’s stance