Study Guide

Field 262: World Language: Arabic 
Interpretive Listening

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Directions for Interpretive Listening Section

This section of the test contains multiple-choice questions that involve listening to recorded excerpts. Each excerpt will be followed by one or more multiple-choice questions. Each multiple-choice question has four answer choices. After listening to an excerpt, read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the ONE best answer. Each listening excerpt will be played twice.

The first recorded excerpt will begin playing automatically once you advance to the next screen. There will be a period of silence at the beginning of each recording. During this silence, you should familiarize yourself with the test question(s) presented on the screen.

Once the audio begins, you will not be able to pause, stop, or replay it. Therefore, listen carefully, then answer the question(s). Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will NOT be penalized for guessing.

You will not be able to go back and review your answers to questions in this section of the test. Once you move to the next question, you will not be able to go back to previous questions in this section. Therefore, be sure to select your answer carefully before you move to the next question. The next recorded excerpt will not begin playing until you advance to the next question.

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 you have finished reading these directions and are ready to begin the listening section of the test. Be sure you have your headset on before proceeding.

Select the Next button to continue.

Sample Interpretive Listening Questions

[The examinee will hear an audio recording, which includes a 20-second pause at the beginning.]

Listen carefully to the dialogue between a mother and her son about going to the barber and the supermarket; then answer the questions. You will hear the dialogue twice.

[The dialogue shown below is representative of a transcript used to make an audio recording on the actual test. It is shown here for study purposes only. The examinee will not see transcripts that accompany audio recordings on the actual test.]

(one male and one female speaker)

Male: ???? ??? ??? ?? ???.

Female: ?? ?????? ???? ?????

Male: ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ???????

Female: ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ?????????

Male: ?? ???? ?????? ????. ??? ?????? ??? ???? ????.

Female: ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???? ???.

Male: ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??????. ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????????? ??? ??????? ? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ????.

Female: ??? ?? ????? ????? ?????

Male: ??? ???? ??? ??????.

Female: ????? ???? ????. ?? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ??????????? ????? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????

Now you will hear the dialogue again.

[The examinee will hear the dialogue again.]

Now answer the questions.

[The examinee will see on screen ONLY:]

Click "Next" when the recording ends to answer the questions.

[Each of the following 3 items will be presented on an individual screen on the actual test.]

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

1. ?? ?? ??????? ???????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???????

  1. ??? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ?????.
  2. ??? ???? ?????.
  3. ??? ???? ???? ?????.
  4. ??? ????? ??????.
Answer
Correct Response: C. At the end of the dialogue, the mother suggests that she and her son meet at the supermarket and shop together.

("?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ??????????? ????? ?????
?????? ???????? ?????")

A logical response from the son is that he will meet his mother there soon.


Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

2. ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ??????

  1. ?????? ??? ????????
  2. ????? ???????
  3. ?????? ??? ???????????
  4. ??? ???? ??? ??????
Answer
Correct Response: B. When her son asks for help, the mother says that she is busy working on a report. She suggests that the son go to the barber and that they meet later instead, presumably when she will be done with her work.

("??? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ?????????")


Objective 0002 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

3. ?? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?????????

  1. ????? ????? ??? ??? ??????.
  2. ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????.
  3. ??? ???? ???? ?????? ????????.
  4. ????? ????? ??????? ?????.
Answer
Correct Response: A. The son will likely walk to the barber as his mother suggested since he needs to get ready for his interview the next morning.

(?? ???? ?????? ????. ??? ?????? ??? ???? ????.)


[The examinee will hear an audio recording, which includes a 20-second pause at the beginning.]

Listen carefully to the dialogue between a guest and a hotel clerk; then answer the questions. You will hear the dialogue twice.

[The dialogue shown below is representative of a transcript used to make an audio recording on the actual test. It is shown here for study purposes only. The examinee will not see transcripts that accompany audio recordings on the actual test.]

(one male and one female speaker)

Male: ??????? ???? ? ?? ?????? ????????? ?? ??? ???

Female: ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ????????

Male: ??? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????. ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ????

Female: ???? ????? ??? ????. ?? ????? ???????

Male: ???? ???????.

Female: ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???????.

Male: ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ?????

Female: ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ?????.

Male: ?? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?????.

Female: ????? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??????.

Male: ? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ????. ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???????!

Female: ?? ??????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ??????? ????.

Now you will hear the dialogue again.

[The examinee will hear the dialogue again.]

Now answer the questions.

[The examinee will see on screen ONLY:]

Click "Next" when the recording ends to answer the questions.

[Each of the following 4 items will be presented on an individual screen on the actual test.]

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

4. ?? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?????:

  1. ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ???????.
  2. ??? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ???????.
  3. ?????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??????.
  4. ??? ?? ???? ?????? ??????.
Answer
Correct Response: A. Throughout the conversation, the guest is telling the hotel clerk that he had booked a room with an ocean view, but his room does not have one. He wants to change to a room with an ocean view.

(??? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????
??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ?????
??? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?????.
??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???????!)


Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

5. ????? ????? ?????? ? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???:

  1. ???? ?????.
  2. ???? ?? ????? ???.
  3. ???? ????.
  4. ?????? ??????? ??? ??????.
Answer
Correct Response: A. Upon reviewing the guest’s reservation file, the hotel clerk found that the guest was given a quiet room at the end of a corridor, away from the elevator, as he requested.

(?? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???????.)


Objective 0002 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

6. ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ?????????

  1. ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????.
  2. ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????.
  3. ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ?????.
  4. ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????.
Answer
Correct Response: B. At the end of the dialogue, the hotel clerk offers the guest a room overlooking the garden and a discount for the hotel restaurant that overlooks the ocean.

( ?? ??????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ??????? ????.)

The guest will most likely take that room along with the discount for the restaurant since there are no other options.


Objective 0002 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

7. ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???????

  1. ?????
  2. ??????
  3. ?????
  4. ?????
Answer
Correct Response: D. Throughout the dialogue, the hotel clerk responds politely to the guest with sensible arguments. At the end of the exchange, the clerk offers a reasonable solution to the guest's problem.