TOEIC Booster / Where are we? Look, listen and decide
In my last column (Feb. 23), we looked at the TOEFL test. This week, we turn to the TOEIC test. In particular, we will examine the Photograph Part of the exam. We will study a fairly common question type that asks test-takers to identify the location of the photograph.
Answering questions about location taps three basic skills. First, test-takers must look at the photo for clues about location. Second, they must know the vocabulary that names the location.
Finally, they must accept some uncertainty in their assessment. Let's look at how this works.
In the Photograph Part of the TOEIC test, you look at a photo and listen to four sentences. You must choose the one sentence that best describes the photograph. Let's look at a typical TOEIC photograph question.
a photo inserted here
Example 1
You will hear on the tape recording:
(A) Boxes are stacked on the dock.
(B) The boxes are in the warehouse.
(C) The vehicles are in a row.
(D) The merchandise is in the store.
The correct response to Example 1 is (B). This sentence names the boxes in the picture and requires test-takers to identify where the photograph was taken. Test-takers must figure out that this photograph was likely taken in a warehouse.
Understanding that the pictured locale is indeed a warehouse requires integration of a couple of different pieces of information. First, test-takers must know the word warehouse. Next, test-takers must be able to identify that the space in the photograph is indeed a warehouse.
What clues do we have that support this idea? First, the space itself looks like a warehouse, because the room is large and unadorned. The floor is cement, columns are visibly supporting the roof, pipes and wires can be seen running along the walls, boxes are stacked here, and low-cost lighting hangs plainly from the ceiling. These factors would indicate that the pictured scene is in a warehouse.
Looked at from another perspective, let us consider whether the photograph contains any elements that would distinctly indicate that this scene is not a warehouse. For example, carpeting on the floor, diners eating at a table, or women playing soccer in a field, would indicate a location other than a warehouse.
Considering both what we can and cannot see in this photograph, then, it is probably safe to assume that this photograph was taken in a warehouse. Still, one could argue that we don't know for sure whether it's a warehouse. Indeed, that is correct. For all we know, this may be a Hollywood set, a parking garage that's been converted temporarily to a storage area, or a factory of some sort.
However, such speculation is too complex for the TOEIC Photograph section. Instead, in identifying the location of TOEIC photographs, test-takers need only make a reasonable estimate based on what they do or don't see. In addition, they need only to identify the likely locale of the photograph, as they are not expected to identify the location with 100 percent certainty.
With these criteria in mind, let's now look quickly through the incorrect answer options to determine why they are not good choices. Answer option (A) states that the boxes are stacked on a dock. Insofar as the photograph pictures stacked boxes, this is a rather enticing answer option.
However, what evidence do we have, or what do we lack, for identifying this as a dock? If this photograph showed water, or if nearby trucks were loading from a dock, we might be able to conclude that this was a dock. In the absence of such clues, however, answer (A) is an indefensible conclusion about the picture.
Answer option (C) states that the vehicles are in a row. While there are stacked rows, the stacks are boxes, not vehicles. This answer option hinges on the possibility that test-takers will not know the word "vehicle."
Answer option (D) identifies the location of this photograph as a store. Again, test-takers should ask, what evidence do we have or do we lack for identifying this as a store? To call it a store, we would need to see merchandise arranged on display, a cashier's stand, a shopper with a cart, of some similar clue that placed the photograph in a store. Answer option (D) is additionally tricky because of the secondary meaning of "store" in reference to storage. In fact, if this answer option read, "The merchandise is in the storehouse," it would arguably be a correct response, as "storehouse" and "warehouse" are near synonyms.
To summarize what we've seen in the three incorrect answer options, we readily note that not all refer to the location of the photograph. While two rest primarily on words of location (dock, store), one plays on the rather advanced word vehicle. This mix is normal in TOEIC test questions and adds to the challenge of this section of the test.
In identifying location in photograph questions, test-takers must first understand the answer options. Next, they must look reasonably at the picture to identify clues that may confirm or negate the given answer options. While test-takers do not need 100 percent certainty in their identification, their decision about location should rest on specific features of the photo.
Following this pattern will help TOEIC-takers not only in identifying location, but also in answering other TOEIC questions that require some inference on the test-taker's part.
The next Booster column will feature the TOEFL test. If you have questions or comments about the TOEIC test or about this column, please e-mail Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz at dy-edu@yomiuri.com.
Stafford-Yilmaz is a former TOEIC test-question writer. She has taught TOEIC courses in Japan and in the United States. She is also the author of several English textbooks.