Ch1. TOEIC Strategy — Mastering the Listening Section: Parts 1–4

TOEIC LC Overview

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) measures English communication ability in international business settings. The Listening Comprehension (LC) section contains 100 of the 200 total questions, scored 5–495.

LC Structure

Part	Type	Questions	Time
Part 1	Photographs	6	~5 min
Part 2	Question-Response	25	~15 min
Part 3	Conversations	39 (13 sets)	~25 min
Part 4	Talks	30 (10 sets)	~20 min
Total		100	~45 min

Key rules:

• Audio plays once — no replays
• Pre-reading questions before each set is the single most important strategy
• Parts 3 and 4 carry more points than 1 and 2
• Some sets in Parts 3 and 4 include visual information (charts, maps, coupons)

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Part 1: Photographs

Format

Look at a photo, then choose the statement (A–D) that best describes it.

Photo types: people / objects and scenes / people + objects

Core Strategy

1. Analyze the photo before the audio (5–10 seconds)

• Who is in the photo? What are they doing? Where?
• Check for people, actions, and background objects
• Note the position of prominent items

2. Know the distractor types

Distractor Type	Description	Example
Similar-sound trap	Confuses words that sound alike	writing / riding; stairs / chairs
Partially correct	Some element is right but the whole is wrong	”reading a newspaper” when they hold documents
Association trap	Related word, wrong description	”swimming in the ocean” for a beach photo
Tense error	Completed vs. in-progress confusion	”has been placed” vs. “is being placed”

High-Frequency Part 1 Patterns

People in action:

• A man is carrying boxes.
• A woman is examining documents.
• People are gathered around a table.
• He is reaching for a book on the shelf.
• She is facing the camera.
• They are seated across from each other.

Objects and scenes:

• Chairs are lined up along the wall.
• A laptop is placed on the desk.
• Trees are reflected in the water.
• The shelves are stocked with merchandise.
• The road is under construction.

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Part 2: Question-Response

Format

Hear one question or statement; choose the most natural response (A–C). No photo.

Question Type Strategies

WH questions — listen for the exact question word:

Question word	Expected response
When	Time, date, duration
Where	Place, location
Who	Person, title
What	Object, content, type
Why	Reason, cause
How	Method, means, condition
How long	Duration
How often	Frequency

Yes/No questions — the answer doesn’t have to start with “Yes” or “No”:

“Is the meeting scheduled for Monday?”
→ “I think it’s been moved to Tuesday.” ✓

Choice questions (A or B?) — a third option is also valid:

“Would you prefer coffee or tea?”
→ “Either is fine.” ✓ / “I don’t mind.” ✓

Common Traps

• Sound-alike trap: “Where is the meeting?” → “It was very exciting.” (where/were)
• Association trap: “Who ordered the supplies?” → “The office supply store is nearby.”
• Idiom misread: “Could you give me a hand?” → “I’m right-handed.” (give a hand = help)

High-Scoring Response Phrases

Agreeing / accepting:
  "Sure, no problem." / "That works for me."
  "I'd be happy to." / "Of course."

Declining / refusing:
  "I'm afraid I can't." / "That doesn't work for me."
  "I have other plans."

Uncertain / delegating:
  "I'm not sure." / "I don't know off the top of my head."
  "You might want to check with [person]."
  "I'll have to get back to you on that."

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Part 3: Short Conversations

Format

Two or three speakers; three questions per set (13 sets × 3 = 39 questions). Some sets include visual information.

Core Strategy

Step 1: Read the questions BEFORE the audio starts (most important)

Use the gap between sets to read all three questions for the next set:

• Predict who is speaking, where, and about what
• Know what information to listen for

Step 2: Understand conversation structure

Most conversations follow:

1. First turn: situation setup (problem, request, information)
2. Middle turn: reaction, question, additional detail
3. Final turn: solution, agreement, next action

Step 3: Focus on the final turn for “next action” questions

“What will the man do next?” → the answer is almost always in the last lines.

Question Types and Tactics

Question type	Key location	Watch out for
Setting / situation	First lines	Direct statement vs. inference
Speaker’s profession	Early lines	Job titles, work vocabulary
Topic	Early lines	Paraphrased wording
Request / problem	Middle	”Could you…”, “I need…”
Next action	Final turn	Focus on verbs
Visual integration	Whole conversation	Match dialogue to chart/map

High-Frequency Situations

Office / workplace:

• Scheduling a meeting
• Document request / revision
• Business trip booking
• Project status update

Service situations:

• Ordering / reservations
• Inquiry / complaint handling
• Delivery / repair request

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Part 4: Short Talks

Format

One speaker; three questions per set (10 sets × 3 = 30 questions).

Talk types: voice messages, announcements, advertisements, news reports, speeches/talks, tour guides

Talk Type Strategies

Talk type	Opening signal	Listen for
Voice message	”Hi, this is [name] from…”	Reason for call, callback request
Announcement	”Attention, please.” / “Ladies and gentlemen…”	Change, warning, instructions
Advertisement	Product/service description	Discount, CTA, contact info
News report	Headline statement	Statistics, dates, locations
Speech / talk	Speaker introduction	Key points, next steps
Tour guide	Welcome + location	Rules, facts, upcoming stops

Universal Part 4 Strategy

1. Pre-read all three questions before the talk begins
2. Focus on the first 1–2 sentences — they almost always establish the location, speaker identity, and purpose
3. “Next action” questions → focus on the final sentences

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50 High-Frequency TOEIC Expressions

Work and Office (20)

1. run a meeting — chair / conduct a meeting
2. wrap up — finish, conclude
3. follow up on — take further action on
4. touch base with — check in with someone
5. fill in for — substitute for someone
6. keep track of — monitor, record
7. take care of — handle, deal with
8. be tied up — be busy, unavailable
9. meet a deadline — complete something on time
10. ahead of schedule — earlier than planned
11. behind schedule — later than planned
12. on short notice — with little advance warning
13. get back to — contact someone later
14. bring up — raise a topic
15. sort out — resolve, organize
16. look into — investigate
17. call in sick — notify absence due to illness
18. put on hold — postpone, suspend
19. go over — review, check
20. sign off on — give official approval

Travel and Transport (10)

21. check in / check out — hotel or airline registration
22. connecting flight — transfer flight
23. carry-on luggage — cabin baggage
24. round trip — return journey
25. pick up — collect someone / something
26. drop off — leave someone / something
27. run late — be behind schedule
28. be stuck in traffic — delayed by traffic
29. make a reservation — book in advance
30. cancel a reservation — cancel a booking

Shopping and Service (10)

31. place an order — submit an order
32. out of stock — unavailable / sold out
33. in stock — available
34. exchange / refund — swap or get money back
35. on sale — at a discounted price
36. be on backorder — ordered but not yet available
37. ship / deliver — send by carrier
38. assembly required — needs to be put together
39. extended warranty — extra warranty coverage
40. customer service desk — help / information counter

General High-Frequency (10)

41. It seems like / It looks like — apparently
42. As far as I know — to my knowledge
43. I’m not sure, but — uncertain, hedging
44. In that case — given that situation
45. To be honest — frankly speaking
46. That reminds me — now that you mention it
47. I’ll take care of it — I will handle it
48. Can you do me a favor? — could you help me with something?
49. No worries — don’t be concerned
50. Let me check — I will verify

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Practice Quiz

Q1. What is the “sound-alike trap” in Part 2, and why is it dangerous?

Test-makers insert a word in the response that sounds similar to a key word in the question but is used in an unrelated way. For example, if the question uses “where,” the wrong answer might use “were” (similar sound). Because you’re listening — not reading — familiar sounds create false familiarity that tempts you to choose the wrong answer.

Q2. In a Part 3 conversation, what strategy finds the answer to “What will the man do next?”

Focus on the final turn of the conversation. Answers typically contain phrases like “I’ll…”, “I’m going to…”, or “Let me…”. Pre-reading the questions lets you know in advance that you should be listening especially carefully to the man’s final statement.

Q3. List the six talk types in Part 4.

① Voice message ② Announcement ③ Advertisement ④ News report ⑤ Speech / talk ⑥ Tour guide