Study Guide

Field 121: German 
Sample Interpretive Listening Questions

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Test Directions for the Interpretive Listening Questions

[ start bold Note to examinee: end bold  These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide.]

This section of the test contains selected-response questions that involve listening to an audio recording. Listen carefully to the recording. Each excerpt will be followed by one or more selected-response questions. Each selected-response question has four answer choices. After listening to an excerpt, read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer. Excerpts will vary in length. Unless otherwise indicated, each listening passage will be read twice.

The first recorded excerpt will begin playing automatically once you advance to the next screen. There will be 20 seconds of silence at the beginning of each recording. During these 20 seconds, 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) on the screen. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

 start bold You will not be able to go back and review your answers to questions in this section of the test. end bold  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 normal color scheme button and small font button are  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  available during this section of the test. Please  start uppercase DO NOT end uppercase  use these features until you have completed all listening items and proceeded to the remaining sections of the test.

Click the  start uppercase Next end uppercase  button when you have finished reading these directions and are ready to begin the listening selected-response section of the test. Be sure you have your headset on before proceeding.

[After completing the listening comprehension assignment, you will see on the screen:]

This is the end of the listening comprehension section of the test. You may now remove your headset.

Select the  start bold Next end bold  button to continue with the remainder of the test.

Sample Interpretive Listening Questions

[ start bold Note to examinee: end bold  The announcement shown below represents the recorded text you would hear on the actual test. It is shown here for study purposes only; on the actual test you will not see printed text accompanying the recordings.]

(You will hear and read:)

 start bold Hören Sie sich die Passage genau an; beantworten Sie dann die Fragen. Sie hören die Passage zweimal. end bold 

(You will hear:)

Willkommen verehrte Gäste auf unserem Spaziergang durch das unbekannte Berlin. Sind Sie begeisterte Museumsbesucher? Dann haben Sie sicherlich schon alle großen, berühmten Museen in Berlin abgehakt. Aber ich habe eine erfreuliche Nachricht für Sie: im Großraum Berlin gibt es über 170 außergewöhnliche Museen, wie zum Beispiel das Berliner Unterwelten-Museum, das Zucker-Museum, das Deutsche Currywurst Museum oder das Buchstabenmuseum. – Habe ich da jemanden stöhnen hören, als ich die 170 Museen erwähnte? Keine Angst, auf meinen Spaziergängen besuchen wir immer nur eins.

Heute möchte ich Ihnen das Museum der Dinge vorstellen. Wie der Name schon andeutet, stellt dieses Museum Dinge aus, und zwar ausschließlich solche, die seit dem Beginn des industriellen Zeitalters hergestellt wurden. Dort können wir alles Mögliche bewundern: von kunstgewerblichen Einzelstücken über industrielle Erzeugnisse bis zum absoluten Kitsch. Es gibt Objekte von berühmten Designern entworfen und gleich daneben no-name Produkte. Neben den 20.000 Exponaten gibt es im Archiv eine gute Dokumentation für kulturhistorisch, technisch, soziologisch und Design-interessierte Besucher. Das Museum ist nicht weit von hier, circa 15 Minuten zu Fuß. Natürlich werde ich Sie auf dem Weg dorthin auf architektonische und historische Besonderheiten hinweisen. Los geht's!

(You will hear and read:)

 start bold Sie hören die Passage jetzt noch einmal. end bold 

 start italics [Information is repeated]

 end italics 

(You will hear and read:)

 start bold Beantworten Sie jetzt die Fragen. end bold 

Competency 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of formal and informal spoken messages likely to be encountered in culturally authentic situations (e.g., announcements, dialogues, speeches, poetry).

1. Unmittelbar nach diesem Vortrag wird die Gruppe:

  1. nach Berlin zurückkehren, um ein berühmtes Museum zu sehen.
  2. einen kleinen Spaziergang machen, um an ihr Ziel zu gelangen.
  3. eine Ausstellung besuchen, um mehr über die Mode zu lernen.
  4. Dokumente lesen, um weitere Informationen zu bekommen.

the tour guide begins by welcoming the group to a walk through the unknown parts of berlin ("spaziergang durch das unbekannte berlin"). after mentioning that there are more than 170 unusual museums in and around berlin, the guide reassures the group that they will only be visiting one on today's walk. after describing the museum they will visit, the guide remarks that it is not far, only a fifteen-minute walk ("das museum ist nicht weit von hier, circa 15 minuten zu fuß."). the guide's speech ends with the invitation to get started ("los geht's!"), indicating that the very next action the group will take is taking a brief walk to its destination.


Competency 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of formal and informal spoken messages likely to be encountered in culturally authentic situations (e.g., announcements, dialogues, speeches, poetry).

2. Der Ausdruck „die Museen abhaken“ bedeutet, dass man:

  1. an allen Museen vorbeigelaufen ist.
  2. sich von allen Museen ferngehalten hat.
  3. sich für alle Museen begeistert hat.
  4. in alle Museen hineingegangen ist.

the verb "abhaken" is used here in a figurative sense, meaning "to check something off (of a list)." the tour guide asks the group members if they enjoy visiting museums ("sind sie begeisterte museumsbesucher?") and posits that if the answer is yes, then they have likely already been to all the big and famous museums in the city and have therefore checked them off of their list ("dann haben sie sicherlich schon alle großen, berühmten museen in berlin abgehakt"). the tour guide is implying that the group members have done what is expected by visiting those types of museums and are now ready to explore something new and different.


Competency 0002 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of formal and informal spoken messages likely to be encountered in culturally authentic situations (e.g., announcements, dialogues, speeches, poetry).

3. Wenn die Sprecherin erwähnt, sie habe jemanden stöhnen hören, so sagt sie das wahrscheinlich:

  1. um zu scherzen.
  2. um zu kritisieren.
  3. um Interesse zu erwecken.
  4. um belehrend zu klingen.

after the guide welcomes the group to what is clearly a walking tour in the city ("spaziergang durch das unbekannte berlin"), she provides the group with the good news ("erfreuliche nachricht") that there are more than 170 unusual museums to visit in greater berlin. by asking the group whether she has heard somebody sigh, she is using humor to acknowledge that the idea of visiting 170 museums on foot during a single tour is impossible. she then quickly reassures the group that her tours only include visiting one of the referenced museums ("keine angst, auf meinen spaziergängen besuchen wir immer nur eins").