Listening: Short Dialogue
Basic5W：who what where when why。
- Read the questions first and circle the 5Ws.
- Catch keywords while listening; never chase every word.
- Write numbers (times, prices) the moment you hear them.
文體小知識：Catch key info.
§Text Passage
1Miss Lee: Good morning, children. Today we will listen to a short dialogue and practise catching key information.
2Sam: What do we need to do, Miss Lee?
3Miss Lee: Listen to my short story, then answer my questions. I will ask about who, what, where, when and why.
4Sam: Okay. Who was in the story?
5Miss Lee: A boy named Ken, his mother and his little cousin Anna.
6Sam: Where did they go?
7Miss Lee: They went to the science museum on Saturday morning.
8Sam: What did Ken see there?
9Miss Lee: He saw dinosaur bones and old coins, and he took many notes.
10Sam: When did they come home?
11Miss Lee: They came home at five in the afternoon. Ken was tired but happy.
12Sam: Why did they go there?
13Miss Lee: Because Ken was doing a history project about dinosaurs.
14Sam: Did he buy anything at the museum?
15Miss Lee: Yes, he bought a small dinosaur model for his desk.
16Sam: Thank you, Miss Lee. Now I can answer all the five W questions!
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Miss Lee: Good morning, children.
Miss Lee：早晨，同學。
Today we will listen to a short dialogue and practise catching key information.
今天我們會聽一段短對話，練習怎樣抓住重點。
Sam: What do we need to do, Miss Lee?
Sam：Miss Lee，我們要做些什麼？
Miss Lee: Listen to my short story, then answer my questions.
Miss Lee：聽我講個短故事，然後答我的問題。
I will ask about who, what, where, when and why.
我會問 who、what、where、when 同 why。
Sam: Okay.
Sam：好呀。
Who was in the story?
故事裡面有誰？
Miss Lee: A boy named Ken, his mother and his little cousin Anna.
Miss Lee：有一個叫 Ken 的男孩、他媽媽，還有他表妹 Anna。
Sam: Where did they go?
Sam：他們去了哪裡？
Miss Lee: They went to the science museum on Saturday morning.
Miss Lee：他們星期六早上去了科學館。
Sam: What did Ken see there?
Sam：Ken 在那裡見到些什麼？
Miss Lee: He saw dinosaur bones and old coins, and he took many notes.
Miss Lee：他見到恐龍骨同古錢幣，還抄了好多筆記。
Sam: When did they come home?
Sam：他們什麼時候回到家？
Miss Lee: They came home at five in the afternoon.
Miss Lee：他們下午五點回到家。
Ken was tired but happy.
Ken 好累但好開心。
Sam: Why did they go there?
Sam：他們為什麼要去那裡？
Miss Lee: Because Ken was doing a history project about dinosaurs.
Miss Lee：因為 Ken 正在做關於恐龍的歷史報告。
Sam: Did he buy anything at the museum?
Sam：他在博物館有沒有買東西？
Miss Lee: Yes, he bought a small dinosaur model for his desk.
Miss Lee：有呀，他買了個小小的恐龍模型擺在書桌上。
Sam: Thank you, Miss Lee.
Sam：謝謝你，Miss Lee。
Now I can answer all the five W questions!
現在我會答全部五個 W 問題！
1Summary 重點摘要
5W：who what where when why。
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Conversation.
Query.
Reply.
Place.
Time.
Who.
What.
Asking for a reason.
3Step by step Steps
- BeforeRead all the questions before the recording plays and work out what information each one wants. Circle the question words, such as where, when and how much, and predict whether the answer will be a place, a time or a price. This preparation tells your ears what to listen for, so the key sentence is not wasted.
- DuringWhile listening, hunt for the 5Ws: who, what, where, when and why. The opening of the dialogue usually introduces the speakers and the situation, and the middle carries most of the details. Write short notes next to the questions as you listen, because the recording normally plays only once and there is no second chance.
- AfterAs soon as the recording ends, turn your notes into complete answers in the right spaces. Check that each answer matches what the question asks: a place for where, a time for when. Watch the word limit and the spelling of tricky words such as cinema and restaurant, then read everything through once.
- TipUse abbreviations and symbols to speed up your note-taking: pm for afternoon, $10 for ten dollars, & for and. Notes are for your own eyes only, so they do not need to be full sentences; what matters is catching the facts quickly and completing them properly once the recording is over.
- Predict the answer typeDecide in advance what kind of answer each question needs. For example, if the question asks where, your ears hunt for place words such as school, park and cinema; if it asks when, listen for days, dates and clock times. With the type predicted, the right words ring an alarm bell the moment they appear.
- Write numbers at onceTimes, prices and quantities flash by, so write them down the moment you hear them instead of trusting your memory. If the speakers say at 3 pm and ten dollars each, jot down 3 pm and $10 first and complete them later. Watch out for corrections: speakers often change a price or a time, so the last version counts.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we catch the people, the place and the time from a short dialogue?
- Step 1: Read the questions before the recording starts — circle the question words such as where, when and how much, so you know whether each answer is a place, a time or a price
- Step 2: Identify the speakers at the start — tell the two voices apart and decide whether they are friends or a shop assistant and a customer, because the relationship shapes what they say
- Step 3: Catch the 5Ws as you listen — who, what, where, when and why — and mark the details that the questions ask for, one by one
- Step 4: Note numbers at once — write 3 pm and $10 the moment you hear at 3 pm and ten dollars each, then complete the answers afterwards
- Step 5: Check after listening — compare your answers with the questions to make sure every detail is caught, spelled correctly and within the word limit
- Answer: Sample answer: There are two girl voices on the recording, and they are friends talking about their weekend plan: the film they want to see is on at the cinema, they will meet at 3 pm, and the tickets cost ten dollars each. The whole process rests on three habits — read the questions first, divide your attention between the 5Ws and the numbers while listening, and check every item afterwards — and these habits will secure every mark.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Before listening?
Q2Catch?
Q3Missed?
Q4After?
Q5Common questions?
Q6Notes?
8Recap Recap
- Read the questions first and circle the 5Ws.
- Catch keywords while listening; never chase every word.
- Write numbers (times, prices) the moment you hear them.
- Identify the speakers: who talks and what their relationship is.
- Check afterwards: every question has its answer.