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Study Guide

Field 101: Chinese (Mandarin)
Listening Comprehension

Sample Test Directions

This test consists of six sections: (1) a listening comprehension section, (2) a reading section, (3) a section on language structures, (4) a section on language comparisons, (5) a section on cultural knowledge and language acquisition, and (6) a written expression section. The directions for each section appear before the section.

Sample Directions for Listening Comprehension

This section of the test contains two listening comprehension exercises that involve listening to recorded excerpts and then responding in writing to the assignments presented. The passages will be read twice. Your response may be written in either English or the target language.

If you choose to respond in English, type your response in the response box presented on-screen. If you choose to respond in the target language, your final responses must be written on the response sheets provided. Please label each response sheet with the appropriate exercise (e.g., "Listening Comprehension Assignment 1"). Your response sheets must be scanned using the scanner provided at your workstation.

Instructions for scanning your Response Sheets are available by clicking the "Scanning Help" button at the top of the screen.

You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final responses to the exercises must be typed into the on-screen response box OR written on the response sheet and scanned using the scanner provided.

Your responses will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria.

Be sure to write about the assigned topics. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review your work and make any changes you think will improve your responses.

Any time spent responding to the exercises, including scanning the response sheet(s), is part of your testing time. Monitor your time carefully. When your testing time expires, a pop-up message will appear on-screen indicating the conclusion of your test session. Only response sheets that are scanned before you end your test or before time has expired will be scored. Any response sheet that is not scanned before testing ends will NOT be scored.

Please be aware that the visual enhancements Example of the Color Scheme visual enhancement control and Example of the Font Size visual enhancement control are NOT available during this section of the test. Please DO NOT use these features until you have completed all listening items and proceeded to the remaining sections of the test.

Click the Next button when when you have finished reading these directions and are ready to begin the first listening comprehension exercise. Once the recording has begun, it cannot be stopped, nor can any part of it be replayed. Therefore, listen carefully.

Be sure you have your headset on before proceeding.

Select the Next button to continue.

Sample Listening Comprehension Exercise

This is a listening comprehension exercise. You will hear a conversation. After you have heard the conversation twice, you will respond in writing to the assignment given below. Your response may be written in either Chinese or English. Before you hear the conversation, you will be given 30 seconds to study the assignment. Begin studying the assignment now.

*(PAUSE 30 seconds)*

Write a response several sentences in length in which you:

Listen carefully to the following conversation. After you have heard it twice, respond in writing to the assignment.

*(one male and one female speaker—friends)

female: 哎，怎么最近好久没有看到你来我们家和小李下棋呢？

male: 哎呀，说来话长。我儿子从美国回来，说我连一点电脑知识也没有，就开始教我怎么上网。

female: 那可真不错呀！ 你学得怎么样啦？

male: 还好，学会了到新闻网站，也会打电子邮件了。小明还教了我在网上下棋呢！可真有意思！

female: 是吗？ 那是跟什么人下棋呢？

male: 什么人都有，都是不认识的人。有些是在南方，我们北方这儿的人也有, 还有些是在美国的华侨。我还结交了一两个棋友呢。

female: 那你还真行。我这把年纪，恐怕连打字都不行，那还敢用电脑呢？

male: 哎呀，时代不同了，我们也得跟着潮流走呀。

female: 可真辛苦呀！ 我想以后我们会很少看到你了。

male: 不会的， 等小明下个月回纽约，我就会再来跟你们下棋聊天！

(PAUSE 3 seconds)

Now it will be repeated.

(passage is repeated)

(PAUSE 3 seconds)

Now write your response to the assignment.*

Sample Response for the Listening Comprehension Exercise

[TRADITIONAL CHARACTERS]

這一男一女是鄰居，以前，男的常來女的家裏和她先生或兒子下棋，可是最近好久沒來了，因爲他兒子從美國回來，知道他不會用電腦就教他怎麽上網，打電子郵件，還教會了他在網上下棋呢。他覺得很有意思，因爲他可以跟很多不認識的人在網上下棋，這些人有住在南方的，有住在北方的，還有些是美國華僑，他還交了兩個棋友呢。女的很佩服他，但是她擔心以後會很少見到他了。男的說等下個月兒子回紐約後，他會再到女的家跟他們下棋聊天。

[SIMPLIFIED CHARACTERS]

这一男一女是邻居，以前，男的常来女的家里和她先生或儿子下棋，可是最近好久没来了，因为他儿子从美国回来，知道他不会用电脑就教他怎么上网，打电子邮件，还教会了他在网上下棋呢。他觉得很有意思，因为他可以跟很多不认识的人在网上下棋，这些人有住在南方的，有住在北方的，还有些是美国华侨，他还交了两个棋友呢。女的很佩服他，但是她担心以后会很少见到他了。男的说等下个月儿子回纽约后，他会再到女的家跟他们下棋聊天。

Performance Characteristics for the Listening Comprehension Assignments

Listening Comprehension accuracy and completeness in comprehending spoken language
Listening Inference demonstrated ability to infer information accurately from spoken language, including subtleties such as tone

Score Scale for the Listening Comprehension Assignments

Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response gives evidence of strong listening comprehension skills.
  • The candidate demonstrates thorough comprehension of literal content and understands main ideas and details.
  • The candidate accurately infers implied information and demonstrates awareness of sociocultural references, including the ability to characterize tone.
3 The "3" response gives evidence of satisfactory listening comprehension skills.
  • The candidate demonstrates adequate comprehension of literal content, although some details and sequencing may be misunderstood or missed.
  • The candidate adequately infers implied information, although some subtleties such as tone and sociocultural references may be misinterpreted or missed.
2 The "2" response gives evidence of limited listening comprehension skills.
  • The candidate demonstrates limited comprehension, discerning some ideas but not understanding main ideas and details.
  • The candidate demonstrates limited ability to infer implied information or discern subtleties such as tone and sociocultural inferences.
1 The "1" response gives evidence of weak listening comprehension skills.
  • The candidate fails to demonstrate comprehension of ideas and details, showing understanding only of isolated words and phrases.
  • The candidate fails to infer information or discern subtleties such as tone and sociocultural references.
U The response is "unscorable" because it is not on the given topic, illegible, not in the appropriate language, or too short to score.
B There is no response to the assignment.