非「聽」不可：完全制霸托福聽力
非「聽」不可：完全制霸托福聽力

非「聽」不可：完全制霸托福聽力

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托福聽力測驗一般分為校園對話題和學術講座題兩種，通常學術講座題會是學生感到較為困難的題型，ETS設計這樣的題型，不外乎希望考生在踏進美國的學院之前，就能夠「聽得懂」美國教授在課堂上的授課內容，真正理解美國老師是如何講授一項知識，並提前讓托福的考生感受到美國學院上課的氣氛。然而長久以來，英文聽力是台灣英語教育當中的一個極大的罩門，該怎麼聽？有方法的聽，有上下文脈絡的聽，並能如何專心的聽？就是老師這篇文章想要強調的重點。

托福學術講座的脈絡

學術演講題型主題相當豐富，要聽懂托福的學術講座，幾乎可說是必須上知天文下知地理，但不論學術講座的主題為何，這些演講內容都有一個共通點：美國教授在論述一個議題時一定有一個明確的架構 (structure)。通常學術講座，都會由「學生的提問」或是「教授的自問自答」開始，娓娓道出今天講座的主旨（main idea），通常不論是在論述歷史的時間軸線或者是生物的空間曲線，教授都會有非常清晰的架構，甚至是透過語氣稍微的放緩，來明確的告訴考生這個就是接下來出題的重點。這裡老師以TPO第二回，《亞里斯多德的幸福觀》來舉例。

OK. Another ancient Greek philosopher we need to discuss is Aristotle—Aristotle’s ethical theory. What Aristotle’s ethical theory is all about is this: he’s trying to show you how to be happy—what true happiness is. Now, why is he interested in human happiness? It’s not just because it’s something that all people want to aim for. It’s more than that. But to get there we need to first make a very important distinction.

一上來教授就提到了希臘三大哲人之一亞里斯多德，並反覆追問，到底對於亞里斯多德而言，何謂幸福（happiness）？以上來的主旨題，考生千萬不能在這個節骨眼上漏聽和恍神，如果單字弱到連”ethical”都聽不懂，是非常非常吃虧的。所以同學特別要注意，當教授提到了“definition”，“a theoretical term”，或者是“the main purpose of”都是意味著教授要開始講重點，講主旨，出考題了

Let me introduce a couple of technical terms: extrinsic value and intrinsic value. To understand Aristotle’s interest in happiness, you need to understand this distinction. Some things we aim for and value, not for themselves but for what they bring about in addition to themselves. If I value something as a means to something else, then it has what we will call “extrinsic value.” Other things we desire and hold to be valuable for themselves alone. If we value something not as a means to something else, but for its own sake, let us say that it has “intrinsic value.” Exercise. There may be some people who value exercise for itself, but I don’t. I value exercise because if I exercise, I tend to stay healthier than I would if I didn’t. So I desire to engage in exercise and I value exercise extrinsically . . . not for its own sake, but as a means to something beyond it. It brings me good health. Health. Why do I value good health? Well, here it gets a little more complicated for me. Um, health is important for me because I can’t . . .do other things I want to do— play music, teach philosophy—if I’m ill. So health is important to me—has value to me—as a means to a productive life. But health is also important to me because I just kind of like to be healthy—it feels good. It’s pleasant to be healthy, unpleasant not to be. So to some degree I value health both for itself and as a means to something else: productivity. It’s got extrinsic and intrinsic value for me. Then there’s some things that are just valued for themselves. I’m a musician, not a professional musician; I just play a musical instrument for fun. Why do I value playing music? Well, like most amateur musicians, I only play because, well, I just enjoy it. It’s something that’s an end in itself. Now, something else I value is teaching. Why? Well, it brings in a modest income, but I could make more money doing other things. I’d do it even if they didn’t pay me. I just enjoy teaching. In that sense it’s an end to itself. But teaching’s not something that has intrinsic value for all people—and that’s true generally. Most things that are enjoyed in and of themselves vary from person to person. Some people value teaching intrinsically, but others don’t.

以上開始，教授開始介紹亞里斯多德對於幸福的兩種定義: intrinsic value和extrinsic value。也是從 “Let me introduce a couple of technical terms: extrinsic value and intrinsic value.” 正式進入講座的核心主題段落（body）。考試如果在這個時候分心或漏聽教授的舉例，則將嚴重影響接下來的題目會碰到的細節題和語氣題。美國的教授在抽象的理論概念的後面，通常都會用非常具體的例子，來解釋說明剛剛提到的抽象理論。值得特別注意的是，在托福的聽力上面，教授如果要舉例，通常會有幾個signal words：

such as…
Now let’s take a glimpse at
Well, what it covers including
For example/For instance

同學聽到這幾個重要的連接詞和轉折語，一定要專心聽喔。而這些例子、細節，考生務必要聽到。簡單說，托福並沒有要求考生每個句子都得字字珠璣班的聽懂，但關鍵的例子、理論則一定要聽到。教授如何用自身的例子，來印證亞里斯多德的理論，就是整篇學術講座當中的核心概念。接下來在題目當中，我們甚至看到ETS要求學生能聽懂教授的自身例子，並用複選的方式，將教授的例子和亞里士多德幸福觀的理論做一個結合。

True human happiness should be, as he puts it, complete. Complete in that it’s all we require. Well, true human happiness . . . if you had that, what else do you need? Nothing. And, second, true happiness should be something that I can obtain on my own. I shouldn’t have to rely on other people for it. Many people value fame and seek fame. Fame for them becomes the goal. But, according to Aristotle, this won’t work either, because fame depends altogether too much on other people. I can’t get it on my own, without help from other people. In the end, Aristotle says that true happiness is the exercise of reason—a life of intellectual contemplation . . . of thinking. So let’s see how he comes to that.

最後者進入講座的尾聲，教授再度提問，那對於亞里斯多德來說，「名聲」（fame）能不能被定義為幸福和快樂呢？教授的每一次的提問，教授每一次的自我回答，關鍵的轉折語but/however/nevertheless/nonetheless，背後幾乎都是出題的重點。

破解聽力的神遊太虛: 恍神退散

不論是改制前或改制後的托福聽力測驗，都跟ETS底下的多益大相逕庭。托福的聽力是事先看不到考題的，而每一篇的學術演講，往往長達5分鐘左右。ETS在這裡嚴格的要求考生，要有很好的單字基礎，而這個單字基礎，是建立在美國的基本人文和理工學科之上的。在這裡老師要鼓勵菁英的學員們，從下定決心要準備托福的第一天開始，就要開始勤背單字，並大量聽、實作TPO的聽力段子。
在托福的單字累積上面，不論是藉由托福聽力的主題式單字記憶、TPO網站上面的單字整理、或是一本紮實的托福字彙書，都是很不錯的方式。重點還是在於，考生必需大量短期的大量認字，並持續反覆的去熟悉那些本來很陌生的單字。持之以恆，會比短期的一頭熱猛衝，來的有效很多。當單字基礎還相當薄弱時，進入托福的學術聽力題組，常常感受到是在汪洋中泅泳的受難者。可是這個無助的感覺，在補習班有效率的進度、解題技巧的解析，加上同學孜孜不倦的做考題，浸泡在英文的世界當中，應該在三個月後會慢慢消失。ETS底下的多益比較強調考試技巧，但是托福是美國人設定給即將進入美國高等學位拿碩士甚至博士學位的前段考生，在亞洲人感到最脆弱的聽力上面，托福的下手是絕對不留情面的。美國就是要求考生在正式進入美國課堂前，能透過托福的聽力考試，將適應美國學院課堂節奏的過渡期減到最低最低。托福難嗎？老師這裡真的不能說他是個很簡單的考試。但透過ETS這麼具鑑別度的磨練，通過重重關卡拿到高分的考生，你不會後悔這段時間的付出的。加油！

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