TOEFL listening practice on helping at home and pandas. 8 questions with video, full script, answers, and explanations.
How to use this practice: Watch the video first, try answering the questions in your head, then expand the answer key to check. Use the transcript only after you’ve attempted the questions.
Listen carefully — you'll answer questions about each clip below.
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Item 1: Conversation — helping at home
Answer the 2 questions about this conversation.
Q1
What is the conversation mainly about?
- A. Leo's new toys
- B. Helping with chores at home
- C. Playing with friends outside
- D. What Leo wants for dinner
Q2
What does Leo need to do after cleaning his room?
- A. Go play with his friends
- B. Wash the dishes
- C. Help his mom cook dinner
- D. Read a book
🔑 Answer key — 2 questions
Q1
B. Helping with chores at home
Q2
B. Wash the dishes
Q1: The conversation is about Leo's responsibilities to help with household chores before he can play.
Common mistake: Students sometimes choose A (“Leo's new toys”) because toys are mentioned in the first line, but that's just a passing detail — the conversation is really about the chores he must do before playing.
Q2: The conversation says that after cleaning his room, Leo needs to help with the dishes.
Common mistake: Option A (“go play with his friends”) is tempting because playing is what Leo wants to do, but the question asks what he needs to do next, which is washing the dishes, not playing.
Transcript
M
Mom, can I play with my friends now?
W
Not yet, Leo. Did you remember to clean your room?
M
Oh, no! I forgot. It's still a little messy.
W
Yes, it is. And your toys are on the floor. We talked about helping around the house.
M
I know. I'll do it now. What else do I need to do?
W
After your room, can you please help me with the dishes? They are in the sink.
M
The dishes too? That's a lot of work!
W
It's important for everyone to help. When you finish, you can play.
M
Okay, Mom. First my room, then the dishes.
W
Good boy. It won't take long if you start now.
M
Alright, I'm going to clean my room first. Then the dishes.
W
Thank you, Leo. I appreciate your help.
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Item 2: Conversation — class pet
Answer the 2 questions about this conversation.
Q1
What is the conversation mainly about?
- A. How to clean a fish tank.
- B. What kind of pet to get for the class.
- C. Why hamsters are difficult pets.
- D. When to talk to Mrs. Davis.
Q2
Why does Mark think a fish would be a good choice for the class pet?
- A. Because they are very active and playful.
- B. Because watching them swim is calming.
- C. Because they are easier to hold than other pets.
- D. Because Mrs. Davis loves fish.
🔑 Answer key — 2 questions
Q1
B. What kind of pet to get for the class.
Q2
B. Because watching them swim is calming.
Q1: The script says Sarah and Mark are discussing different animals like hamsters and fish to be a class pet.
Common mistake: Choice A (“how to clean a fish tank”) pulls students in because a tank is mentioned as something needed for the fish, but that's a minor detail — the real topic is deciding which animal to choose as the class pet.
Q2: The script says Mark thinks a fish would be good because "we can watch them swim. It's calming."
Common mistake: Students often pick C (“easier to hold than other pets”) because the conversation criticizes hamsters for being hard to hold, but that criticism is about hamsters, not the stated reason Mark likes fish, which is that watching them swim is calming.
Transcript
W
Hi Mark! What do you think about a class pet?
M
Oh, that's a good idea, Sarah. What kind of animal?
W
Maybe a hamster? They are cute and small.
M
Hmm, hamsters sleep all day. And they can be hard to hold. How about a fish?
W
A fish! That's a great idea! They are quiet and easy to take care of. We just need a tank and food.
M
Yes, and we can watch them swim. It's calming. I think a fish would be perfect for our classroom.
W
I agree. We should tell Mrs. Davis tomorrow. She will like the idea, I hope.
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Item 3: Lecture — pandas
Answer the 2 questions about this lecture.
Q1
What is the talk mainly about?
- A. The colors of pandas.
- B. What pandas eat and where they live.
- C. How many pandas there are in the world.
- D. The weather in China.
Q2
According to the talk, what do pandas eat most of the time?
- A. Small animals and fruit.
- B. Bamboo.
- C. Leaves from many different trees.
- D. Only the stems of bamboo.
🔑 Answer key — 2 questions
Q1
B. What pandas eat and where they live.
Q2
B. Bamboo.
Q1: The talk is mainly about where giant pandas live and what they eat.
Common mistake: A (“the colors of pandas”) is a tempting trap because the talk opens by describing pandas' black-and-white fur, but that's just an introductory detail, not the main subject — which is where pandas live and what they eat.
Q2: The script says that bamboo is almost all pandas eat, and it is their main food.
Common mistake: Option D (“only the stems of bamboo”) is close to correct-sounding because stems are mentioned, but the script actually lists leaves, stems, and shoots together, so narrowing it to only stems misreads the detail.
Transcript
Hello everyone. Today, let's learn about a very special animal: the giant panda. Pandas are famous for their black and white fur. They are very cute! Where do pandas live? Giant pandas live in the mountains of central China. It's a cold and rainy place, but it has lots of bamboo forests. These forests are very important for pandas. Why? Because bamboo is almost all they eat! A panda eats bamboo for many hours every day. They eat the leaves, the stems, and even the shoots of bamboo. They need to eat a lot of bamboo to get enough energy. Sometimes, very rarely, a panda might eat a small animal or some fruit, but bamboo is their main food. So, pandas live in China, and they love to eat bamboo.
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Item 4: Lecture — earthquakes
Answer the 2 questions about this lecture.
Q1
What is the talk mainly about?
- A. How fast tectonic plates move.
- B. What causes earthquakes.
- C. Different types of earthquakes.
- D. How to stay safe during an earthquake.
Q2
Why does the ground shake during an earthquake?
- A. Because the Earth's outer layer is a solid piece.
- B. Because big plates suddenly slip and release energy as waves.
- C. Because the plates float on a soft, hot layer.
- D. Because pressure builds up slowly over many years.
🔑 Answer key — 2 questions
Q1
B. What causes earthquakes.
Q2
B. Because big plates suddenly slip and release energy as waves.
Q1: The script explains the process of why earthquakes happen, from tectonic plates moving to the release of energy that causes shaking.
Common mistake: A (“how fast tectonic plates move”) is a plausible-sounding distractor since plate speed is mentioned, but it's a brief aside — the lecture's real focus is explaining what causes earthquakes overall.
Q2: The script says, 'This sudden movement releases a lot of energy, and this energy travels through the ground as waves. These waves make the ground shake...'
Common mistake: Option A contradicts the passage but is tempting because it echoes the word “solid piece” from the script — students misremember that the Earth's outer layer IS one solid piece, when the lecture actually says the opposite.
Transcript
Hello everyone! Today, let's talk about earthquakes. An earthquake is when the ground shakes. But why does it shake? Well, our Earth's outer layer is not one solid piece. It's made of many large pieces, like a puzzle. We call these pieces 'tectonic plates'. These plates are always moving, but very, very slowly, just a few centimeters a year. They float on a softer, hotter layer inside the Earth. Sometimes, these big plates push against each other, or they slide past each other. When they do this, a lot of pressure builds up. It's like pushing two big rocks together. Eventually, this pressure becomes too much, and the plates suddenly slip. This sudden movement releases a lot of energy, and this energy travels through the ground as waves. These waves make the ground shake, and that's what we feel as an earthquake. So, earthquakes happen because Earth's big plates move and rub against each other.