Toefl exam Essentials

Question: What does Man 2’s reply suggest?
a. He plans on helping Sam fix his car.
b. He doesn’t have time to help Sam today.
c. He will help Sam, if Sam does his homework for him.
d. He is promising to help.
Choice b is correct. In speech, people often use tone rather
than words to convey meaning. A word like “sure” can have
dozens of meanings depending on the speaker’s tone. Dur-
ing the exam, listen to how someone speaks. Consider the
speaker’s attitude or mood: is he or she expressing joy, anger,
disbelief, or another emotion?
Inference questions may also ask you to draw a conclu-
sion based on what a speaker implies or assumes. Here is an
example:
Tone: a speaker’s mood or attitude expressed in speech

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