Listen to part of a lecture in a biology class. The professor is discussing animal communication.
Professor: Today we're going to talk about how animals communicate, and specifically about a fascinating example: the waggle dance of honeybees. When a forager bee finds a good source of nectar or pollen, it returns to the hive and performs a dance on the vertical surface of the honeycomb. This dance conveys information about the direction and distance of the food source relative to the sun. The angle of the dance relative to gravity indicates the angle of the food source relative to the sun's position. The duration of the waggle phase, which is the straight run portion of the dance, is proportional to the distance. For example, a longer waggle run indicates a greater distance. Interestingly, this communication system is remarkably precise, allowing other bees to locate the food source with minimal error. However, the bees need to account for the sun's movement across the sky over time. If they wait too long, the sun's position changes, and they must adjust their interpretation. This adjustment shows a sophisticated understanding of time and celestial navigation.
❓ Question What does the waggle phase duration in a honeybee's dance indicate?
A. The quality of the food source
B. The direction of the food source relative to the sun
C. The distance to the food source
D. The number of other bees needed to collect the food
✅ Correct Answer
The distance to 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
