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Section 4: Sample Listening Comprehension Questions
Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) – Spanish (190)

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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.

For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.

Listening Comprehension Section Directions

For this section of the exam, you will listen to several selections in the target language and then respond to selected-response questions related to selections. Each selection will be played twice. You will hear the selection once and then you will have time to preview the four questions before you listen to the selection a second time. You may take notes in the erasable notebooklet provided; however, only the answers selected on-screen will be scored.

The audio for each selection will begin automatically and you will not be able to pause, stop, or replay it. Therefore, listen carefully.

For each selection, you will hear the audio and then automatically advance to the next screen. You will then have 40 seconds to preview the four questions associated with the selection. When the preview time is complete, the exam will advance and the audio selection will be played a second time. You will be prompted when it is time to answer the questions. You will then see the four questions presented one at a time.

For each question, choose the response that is best, relative to the selection. You will have 20 seconds to select your answer choice before the exam advances to the next question. The clock in the upper right side of the screen will indicate how much time is remaining to answer the question. You will not be able to go back and review your answers to questions in this section of the exam, so be sure to select your answers carefully.

The entire listening comprehension section lasts approximately 50 minutes.

Please be aware that the visual enhancements color scheme and font size cannot be adjusted during this section of the exam. You must make any desired adjustments now before you select "Next" to begin the listening comprehension section. You will not be able to adjust these features again until you have completed this section of the exam.

Click the Next button when you have finished reading these directions and are ready to begin the listening comprehension section of the exam. Be sure you have your headset on before proceeding.

Select the Next button to continue.

Domain I—Listening Comprehension

Competency 001—The teacher demonstrates the ability to apply literal, inferential and interpretive listening skills to authentic materials heard in the target language that are relevant to the bilingual classroom and the school environment.

The dialogue shown below represents the recorded text you would hear on the actual exam. It is shown here for study purposes only; on the actual exam you will not see printed scripts accompanying the recordings.

Set #1

SCRIPT:

N: Escuche una conversación entre el Sr. Ramírez y la Sra. Pérez.

WA: Buenas tardes, Sr. Ramírez, adelante, tome asiento. Me alegra que haya podido venir a la escuela porque es importante que hablemos de Carlos.

MA: Gracias por recibirme, Sra. Pérez.

WA: Mire, cuando nos reunimos el mes pasado en este mismo salón, le dije que estaba preocupada por el comportamiento de Carlos.

MA: ¿Sigue tan desinteresado en las clases? ¿Se está portando mal?

WA: No, no se porta mal, y aunque no es el bromista de antes, se le ve de mejor ánimo.

MA: Me alegra mucho oír eso... mi esposa y yo estábamos tan preocupados.

WA: Claro, me imagino. Pero hay otra cosa de la que quiero hablarle.

MA: Dígame.

WA: Usted sabe que a Carlos le gusta muchísimo el dibujo, esa es su clase favorita y es un genio con los colores.

MA: Es verdad. Desde pequeño siempre le ha gustado pintar.

WA: ¿Ve el cuadro que tengo aquí en la pared de mi salón?

MA: Sí, muy lindo.

WA: Lo pintó su hijo.

MA: ¿Carlos?

WA: Sí. Y lo más importante es que cuando vino a verme el superintendente ayer, le sorprendió mucho que un muchacho tan joven lo hubiera pintado. Por eso lo llevé a la clase de dibujo y allí el maestro Lozano le enseñó otros dibujos hechos por Carlos. La cuestión es que al superintendente le gustaría hacer una exposición con los cuadros de Carlos en una sala de exposiciones que tiene su hija en Houston. Piensa que tiene muchísimo talento. ¿Qué le parece?

MA: (con entusiasmo) ¡No sé qué decir!

1. ¿Quiénes hablan en esta conversación?

  1. Un superintendente y una madre
  2. Una estudiante y su padre
  3. Un padre y una maestra
  4. Una maestra y un superintendente
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because the parent makes a reference to his wife and the fact that they both were concerned about Carlos. Furthermore, the teacher says that they met the previous month about Carlos' behavior problems in the classroom. Option A is incorrect because the female speaker in the dialogue is the teacher, not a parent, and the male speaker is a parent, not the superintendent. Option B is incorrect because the two speakers are talking about a student, but the student is not present. Option D is incorrect because the male speaker is Carlos' father and the female speaker is a teacher. There is no superintendent present in the dialogue.

2. ¿Dónde tiene lugar la conversación?

  1. En una sala de arte
  2. En un salón de clase
  3. En una oficina escolar
  4. En una escuela de arte
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the female teacher reminds the parent that the previous month they had met in the same classroom. Option A is incorrect because the two speakers are discussing art, but they are not in an art room. Option C is incorrect because the female teacher tells the parent that they met in the same classroom last month. Option D is incorrect because the two speakers are discussing art, but they are not in an art school.

3. ¿Cuál es el tema principal de esta conversación?

  1. La habilidad artística de un alumno
  2. El mal comportamiento en las clases
  3. La incorporación de talleres de arte
  4. La visita del superintendente a las clases
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the teacher has asked the parent to come to the school to discuss Carlos' artistic ability. She starts the dialogue by mentioning the fact that drawing is Carlos' favorite subject and then proceeds to tell the parent that the superintendent was very impressed by one of Carlos' drawings. Option B is incorrect because the bad behavior was the reason the parent came to the school last month. Option C is incorrect because both speakers are discussing art and drawing only in reference to Carlos. Option D is incorrect because the teacher only mentions the superintendent's visit to her classroom the day before to discuss the main topic of the dialogue.

4. Según la conversación, ¿qué es lo más probable que ocurra?

  1. Que se acepte el ofrecimiento
  2. Que el niño no quiera pintar
  3. Que todo siga como hasta ahora
  4. Que el profesor viaje a Houston
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the teacher is asking the parent for permission to have Carlos' drawings exhibited in a gallery in a major city. The parent is surprised to hear the news, but it can be inferred that he will accept as he is happily surprised and seems to be humbled by the request. Option B is incorrect because during the dialogue the parent says that Carlos has always liked drawing. Therefore, it is very unlikely that he will not want to draw anymore. Option C is incorrect because it is very unlikely that everything remains the same now that the parent is aware that Carlos not only draws well but is getting a lot of attention. Option D is incorrect because the teacher is asking the parent if it would be acceptable to exhibit Carlos' drawings in a gallery in Houston. If they accept, it is likely that Carlos and the parents go to Houston, not the teacher.

The dialogue shown below represents the recorded text you would hear on the actual exam. It is shown here for study purposes only; on the actual exam you will not see printed scripts accompanying the recordings.

Set #2

SCRIPT:

MA: La primera semilla de maíz

WA: Hace miles de años el maíz se encontraba en una cueva. Las hormigas fueron las que sacaron los granos de ahí. En el camino a una hormiga se le cayó un grano. Semanas después, la semilla germinó y fue creciendo. En ese entonces, las personas la vieron y creyeron que era una planta sagrada. Luego, la llevaron a un lugar seguro, la cuidaron y cuando descubrieron que era tan bonita fueron a donde la habían encontrado. Justo en ese momento, las hormigas estaban cargando más semillas. Los hombres siguieron su camino y así descubrieron que la semillas estaban en la cueva. La mazorca que habían encontrado primero, ya jiloteaba y se había transformado en elote. Cuando los granos estuvieron macizos los repartieron para reproducirlos con el propósito de que este grano fuera un alimento sagrado porque había salido de la cueva.

5. ¿Qué es probable que estuvieran haciendo las hormigas en la cueva?

  1. Escondiéndose de otras hormigas
  2. Intentando encontrar un lugar sagrado
  3. Buscando alimento para su hormiguero
  4. Defendiendo su hormiguero
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because the legend states that the ant dropped a seed on the way out of the cave. Therefore, it is likely that the ant was looking for food for its nest in the cave. Option A is incorrect because the ant comes out of the cave with a seed. It cannot be inferred that the ant was hiding from other ants. The ant does not act as if it was hiding from other ants. Option B is incorrect because in the legend a sacred plant is mentioned, not a sacred place. It is unlikely that the ant was looking for a sacred place. Option D is incorrect because no conflict is mentioned in the legend that could lead the reader to believe the ant was defending its nest..

6. ¿Por qué volvieron las personas al lugar donde se encontró la primera semilla de maíz?

  1. Porque querían ver trabajar a las hormigas
  2. Porque pensaban que la planta era bella
  3. Porque buscaban un lugar mejor para vivir
  4. Porque creían que era un lugar encantado
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because it is stated in the legend that because the plant was beautiful, people went back to the place where it was found. Option A is incorrect because the people did not express a desire to see the ants working. Option C is incorrect because the people in the legend are not looking for a place to live. They only wanted to see where the plant was found. Option D is incorrect because the people in the legend did not think the place where the plant was found was enchanted. They thought the plant was sacred and beautiful.

7. ¿Cómo reaccionaron los hombres de la leyenda ante la semilla de maíz?

  1. Con miedo
  2. Con júbilo
  3. Con rechazo
  4. Con respeto
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because the people in the legend believe the plant is sacred, so they take it to a secure place and they care for it while it is growing. The way they care for it shows respect. Option A is incorrect because the people in the legend are not afraid of the seed. Their actions are not a result of being afraid of it. Option B is incorrect because the people in the legend are not joyfully celebrating the seed. Instead, they care for it respectfully. Option C is incorrect because taking care of the seed while it is growing is not a sign of rejection.

8. ¿Qué se describe al final de la leyenda?

  1. El valor nutritivo del maíz
  2. La razón por la que se empezó a cultivar el maíz
  3. Los tipos de granos de maíz que existen
  4. Las especies tradicionales de la planta del maíz
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because at the end of the legend it is stated that the people in the legend decided to distribute the seeds as they knew it was a sacred food item. Option A is incorrect because the nutritional value of the corn is not mentioned in the legend. Option C is incorrect because the different types of corn are not mentioned in the legend. Option D is incorrect because the traditional species of the plant are not mentioned in the legend.

The dialogue shown below represents the recorded text you would hear on the actual exam. It is shown here for study purposes only; on the actual exam you will not see printed scripts accompanying the recordings.

Set #3

SCRIPT:

N: Escuche el siguiente informe: ¿Por qué desaparecen las abejas?

MA: Para poder reproducirse, las plantas necesitan trasladar el polen de las partes masculinas de su flor, las anteras, hasta las partes femeninas, llamadas estigmas. Este proceso puede suceder en la misma planta o entre otras que están a cierta distancia.

Para que esto ocurra, muchas especies vegetales necesitan de las abejas que buscan el néctar en las flores llevando consigo miles de gránulos de polen que se adhieren fácilmente en sus cuerpos cubiertos de pelos.

En un solo día, una abeja puede visitar miles de flores recogiendo el néctar para su colonia y esparciendo el polen por todas las flores.

Danilo Jacinto Mejía Lorío, especialista en temas de apicultura de la FAO, dice que la reproducción de las plantas depende en gran medida de ese insecto.

"Por ejemplo, en el caso de la alfalfa, que es un forraje muy utilizado para la alimentación de la vaca, del ganado, el 60% de la polinización de este forraje depende de las abejas. En el caso de árboles frutales, como la manzana, el 90% de la polinización o reproducción puede depender de las abejas, y en el caso de las almendras, es el 100%".

También la cebolla, el brócoli, el girasol, la zanahoria, el melón y la sandía dependen en un 90% de la visita de las abejas, dice el experto.

Recientemente se ha registrado un gran descenso en la población de este insecto. La desaparición de abejas ha sido tan notable en algunas colonias que el tema ha tenido repercusión mundial. Si no hay abejas, muchas plantas que también sirven de alimento para el ganado y para los seres humanos no dan fruto, lo cual altera la cadena alimenticia y el delicado equilibrio ecológico.

9. Según el informe, ¿cómo contribuyen las abejas a la reproducción de las plantas?

  1. Llevan el néctar a un gran número de flores.
  2. Transportan el polen de unas flores a otras.
  3. Impregnan las plantas con el pelo que cubre su cuerpo.
  4. Usan partes de las plantas como alimento en sus colonias.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the report indicates that bees distribute pollen when they fly from one flower to another. Option A is incorrect because the report states that bees collect nectar from flowers to take them to their colonies. Option C is incorrect because the report indicates that the pollen gets trapped in the bee's body fur. Option D is incorrect because the report states that the nectar is used as a food source in bee colonies.

10. Según la información en el informe, ¿qué industria se podría ver más afectada con la desaparición de las abejas?

  1. La industria textil
  2. La industria energética
  3. La industria ganadera
  4. La industria automovilística
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because the report mentions that one of the main forage sources for cattle is the alfalfa plant, and 60 percent of its pollination is produced by bees. Option A is incorrect because the report does not include information about the textile industry. Option B is incorrect because the report does not say anything related to the energy industry. Option D is incorrect because the report does not include any content in regard to the auto industry.

11. ¿Qué se destaca en el informe sobre el reciente descenso de la población de abejas?

  1. La reducción en la producción de miel
  2. Las consecuencias a nivel internacional
  3. La trascendencia que tiene en otros insectos
  4. Las propuestas de organizaciones ecológicas
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the report indicates that the bee population decrease is a global phenomenon. Option A is incorrect because the reduction in honey production is not mentioned in the report. Option C is incorrect because there is no information comparing bees with other insects in the report. Option D is incorrect because the report does not include proposals from ecological organizations.

12. ¿Qué recurso se usa en el informe para enfatizar la importancia del problema?

  1. Resultados de estudios científicos
  2. Crítica de las medidas adoptadas
  3. Porcentajes de proyecciones económicas
  4. Enumeración de ejemplos concretos
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because the report includes several examples of plants that depend on pollination by bees for their own existence. Option A is incorrect because there are no results from research studies mentioned in the report. Option B is incorrect because the report does not criticize any measures taken. Option C is incorrect because the report does not state any percentages based on economic forecasts.