Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a biology class. Professor: Today we’re talking about animal communication, and specifically about the honeybee’s famous waggle dance. You might know that honeybees perform a figure-eight dance to tell other bees where to find food. But did you know that the dance also conveys the quality of the food source? The speed and vigor of the dance, the number of repetitions, and even the sound produced during the dance all carry information. For example, a bee that finds a rich nectar source will perform a more intense, longer dance. That encourages more followers to visit that site. But here’s an interesting twist: when the food source is less profitable, the bee dances more slowly and for a shorter time, and often includes a ‘stop signal’—a brief vibrational pulse—which seems to discourage other bees from going there. This suggests that bees are not just sending a simple location message, but also evaluating and relaying the cost-benefit of the food source. So, the waggle dance is really a sophisticated decision-making tool for the colony.
❓ Question What does the professor say about the honeybee's waggle dance?
A. A. It only communicates the direction and distance of a food source.
B. B. The intensity and duration of the dance reflect the quality of the food source.
C. C. The dance is always performed at the same speed regardless of food quality.
D. D. Bees use the waggle dance only to warn others about predators.
✅ Correct Answer
B. The intensity and duration of the dance reflect the quality of the food source.
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
