Gist
Understand the gist (main idea) questions include...
What is the subject of the passage?
What is the topic of the passage?
What is the main idea of the passage?
What is the purpose of the passage?
Why...in the passage?
What are some examples of details questions?
What is stated in the passage...?
What is indicated in the passage...?
According to the speaker,...?
What does the lecturer say...?
What do purpose questions look like?
Listen again to part of the question.
Why does the speaker say this?
What does the speaker mean?
How can you identify an attitude question?
Listen again to the part of the passage that is replayed.
Select the sentence that best expresses how the speaker feels.
What will you see on the computer screen, and what will you hear the narrator say?
You will see an organization question and four answer choices.
"How is the information in the lecture organized?"
You will see an organizational chart with YES / NO columns.
Example: Are each of these schools discussed in the lecture? This question is worth 2 points (2 points for 4 correct answers, 1 point for 3 correct answers, and 0 points for 2, 1, or 0 correct answers).
Where can you find the answer to gist (main idea) questions?
Either directly stated at the beginning of the passage OR drawn from conclusions (observations) made from information throughout the passage
Where can you find answers to details questions?
They are directly stated in the passage and tend to be found in order in the passage.
Where can you find answers to purpose questions?
The answer will be found in the excerpt of the listening passage that the speaker says will be replayed for you.
Where can you find the answer to attitude questions?
In the part of the passage that is excerpted and that the speaker indicates will be replayed or repeated for you.
What is some useful lecture language to listen for and pay attention to that could help you answer organization questions correctly?
Today, I'll be talking about...
Yesterday, we focused on..., but today we'll be taking a look at...
The theme of today's lecture is...
We'll be talking about...today.
Then quickly find in your notes the main points that correspond with the subject of the lecture.
How do you answer gist (main idea) questions?
Listen carefully to the beginning of the passage. Then listen to the rest of the passage and adjust your ideas about the gist as needed.
How do you answer details questions?
Listen carefully to details (examples or support for main ideas)
Look for answers that restate the passage information
Remove answer choices that are definitely incorrect and use logic to choose answers from the remaining choices
How can you answer purpose questions?
Listen carefully to what the speaker says in the part of the passage that is repeated or replayed.
Draw (make) a conclusion (logical observation) about why the speaker says it.
How can you answer attitude questions?
Listen carefully to what the speaker says in the part of the passage that is replayed or repeated.
Draw (make) a conclusion (logical observation) about how the speaker feels.
What other things might organization questions ask you to do?
Ask you to match descriptors with categories or names by clicking on phrases and dragging them the boxes where they belong.
Click on 3 answers from a list of 5 answers.
Drag answers into order next to numbers to show steps, chronological order, processes, etc.
What are some common gists (main ideas) in conversations?
Students talking to professors and asking them questions; students talking to campus administrators about common student concerns; students discussing university-related concerns; etc.
How many answers can you choose for details questions?
Sometimes, you will choose one answer from four. Other times, you will be asked to click on 2 answers. Pay careful attention to all instructions for each question of the listening section.
How do purpose questions look different from gist and details questions?
They come with a headphones symbol.
What are some discussion and lecture topics where you might need to draw conclusions about the speaker's attitude?
American history, meteorology, Native American studies, zoology, geography, etc.
How can you identify organization questions?
How is the information in the passage organized?
Click in the correct column...
Click in the correct box...
How many answer choices do you usually get for gist (main idea) questions?
How many times do you get to repeat pieces of the listening passage to answer details questions?
Zero. Not all of the questions give you a chance to listen to a small excerpt of the listening passage again.
How many speakers take part in the conversations and discussions, and what genders are they?
There are usually two of them, and one is female and the other is male. This is not always the case, though.
What might you have to do to make the best answer choice on attitude questions?
Listen to the tone of voice, listen to conversational or idiomatic phrases and expressions, take the context into consideration
Where can you find organization question answers AND how can you answer them?
Information is not directly stated.
You must understand the main points and draw (make) a conclusion (logical observation) based on the main points to answer the question well.
Listen carefully to each of the points in the passage.
Consider how these points are organized.
Look for the answer that shows the organization of the points.
Eliminate or remove the answers that are definitely wrong, and choose the best answers from the choices that remain.