Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and his biology professor.
Student: Professor, I wanted to ask about the research paper you mentioned in class—the one on animal communication.
Professor: Ah, yes. What's on your mind?
Student: I'm interested in studying bird songs, but I'm not sure how to narrow the topic. I've read that some birds have regional dialects—like their songs vary by location.
Professor: Exactly. That's a great angle. For example, the white-crowned sparrow has distinct dialects based on geographic populations. In fact, a classic study showed that young sparrows learn their songs from adult males in their local area, not from an innate template.
Student: So, dialects are learned, not genetic?
Professor: Mostly learned, though there may be a slight genetic bias. But the key is social learning early in life. I'd suggest focusing on how dialects affect mate selection or territory defense.
Student: That sounds promising. Do you have any recommended sources?
Professor: Yes, check out the work by Marler and Tamura from the 1960s. They did pioneering research on this. Also, recent studies on urban noise and song adaptation could add a modern twist.
Student: Great, thanks! I'll start there.
❓ Pregunta What is the main topic of the student's research paper?
A. A. The genetic basis of bird songs
B. B. Regional dialects in bird songs and their implications
C. C. The effects of urban noise on bird communication
D. D. The history of research on bird communication
✅ Respuesta correcta
B. Regional dialects in bird songs and their implications
TOEFL Listening Tips
Skim the questions first to predict the content
Watch for signal words in lectures and conversations (however, actually, in fact)
For main idea questions, focus on the beginning; for detail questions, focus on examples and data
For attitude questions, pay attention to the speaker's tone and word choice
Take notes on keywords; don't try to write down every word