Stanford Achievement Test Stanford Achievement Listening Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student hears: 'The library closes at six on weekdays but stays open until nine on Fridays.' What is the library's closing time on a Tuesday?
- Six o'clock (Correct answer)
- Nine o'clock
- Eight o'clock
- Five o'clock
Correct answer: Six o'clock
Tuesday is a weekday, so the library closes at six o'clock.
Question 2: Which listening skill is being tested when a student must identify the speaker's mood from tone of voice alone?
- Inferring emotion (Correct answer)
- Recalling details
- Sequencing events
- Identifying the main idea
Correct answer: Inferring emotion
Inferring emotion from tone requires interpreting vocal cues without relying on the words alone.
Question 3: A child hears a story about a dog who digs under a fence each morning. The MOST LIKELY reason the dog digs is that it wants to—
- Explore outside the yard (Correct answer)
- Bury its food
- Hide from the owner
- Find water
Correct answer: Explore outside the yard
Dogs typically dig under fences to escape and explore, making that the most reasonable inference.
Question 4: When listening to directions, which strategy BEST helps a student remember a multi-step sequence?
- Mentally numbering each step as it is heard (Correct answer)
- Waiting until all steps are given before thinking
- Repeating only the last step heard
- Focusing on the speaker's gestures
Correct answer: Mentally numbering each step as it is heard
Mentally numbering steps as they are heard helps organize and retain sequential information.
Question 5: A student hears: 'It was so cold that the puddles turned to ice overnight.' This sentence is an example of—
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Compare and contrast
- Problem and solution
- Chronological order
Correct answer: Cause and effect
The cold temperature (cause) led to puddles freezing (effect), making this a cause-and-effect relationship.
Question 6: Which word BEST describes the structure of a passage that begins 'First… Then… Finally…'?
- Sequential (Correct answer)
- Descriptive
- Persuasive
- Comparative
Correct answer: Sequential
Signal words like 'first,' 'then,' and 'finally' indicate a sequential, time-ordered structure.
Question 7: A student listens to a weather report that says, 'Bring an umbrella—there's a 90% chance of rain.' The student should conclude that—
- Rain is very likely (Correct answer)
- It will definitely be sunny
- There is no chance of rain
- Snow is expected
Correct answer: Rain is very likely
A 90% chance of rain means precipitation is very likely, though not absolutely certain.
Stanford Achievement Test Stanford Achievement Listening Comprehension 2
A student hears: 'The library closes at six on weekdays but stays open until nine on Fridays.' What is the library's closing time on a Tuesday?