A+Hamlet

listen [|here] Speaking Skill 16: NOTE THE MAIN POINTS AS YOU LISTEN In the second listening and speaking integrated task in the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT you will be asked to listen to an academic passage as part of the task. In this part of the integrated task, it is important for you to be able to listen to an academic passage of 2-3 minutes, and take notes on the main points of the listening passage as you listen. Look at the following example of a listening passage that is part of an integrated speaking task. Listening Passage.

.(professor) Today,I'm going to talk about certain types of political characters. One of these types of political characters is called a Hamlet, you know, after the character in the Shakespeare play. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet was a tragic figure, one who spent a lot of time anguishing over what to do in a particularly terrible situation; Hamlet learned that his uncle had murdered Hamlet's father. Hamlet considered what to do in this situation and then he considered still more. He anguished over the decision, he vacillated back and forth, and he anguished some more over the decision. In political terms, a Hamlet is someone who goes through this sort of decision-making process. A Hamlet is someone who, when faced with a decision, tends to overthink problems, to vacillate, to find it difficult to come to a decision. As you listen to the passage, you should take notes on the topic and main points of the listening passage. Look at these notes on the topic and main points of the listening passage.

TOPIC OF LISTENING PASSAGE: a type of political character known as a Hamlet details about a Hamlet:

• Hamlet in Shakespeare's play faced a difficult decision and had a

hard time coming to a decision

• a political Hamlet is someone who has a hard time coming to a difficult decision