TOEIC Listening:
Have You Studied Vocabulary Lists Too Much?

Take a break and LISTEN to our stories!  Reading vocabulary lists is great practice for reading, but it is not good practice for listening. 

Listening to words being used naturally  helps us to learn their meaning and how to use them.  Repeated listening is also very easy to do!  

When you practice toeic listening, contracts are a bit boring, but the stories about them are fun and interesting.  Then you can learn the contract related vocabulary without being bored.

All the stories on this page have words about contracts.

The first story has the words abide, determine, party, and specification.

The Renegades

1. abide: tolerate something: to find somebody or something acceptable or bearable

2. determine: end: to end something, or come to an end

3. party: one side in legal matter: a person or a group of people acting together and forming one side in an agreement, contract, dispute, or lawsuit

4. specification: intellectual property description: a detailed description of intellectual property, as required by law

Three years ago, a small party of computer programmers formed a small company in the Phillipines. It was successful until they made a contract with a big company. There was a problem in the contract. After three months of talking, the party of programmers felt they could not abide by the specifications in the contract. They could not determine how to fix it and they decided to fight the big company. Now, they are renegades in the jungle, fighting the big company.

Who formed a company in this story?

What did that company do?

Where was the problem in the contract?

What couldn’t they do? (hint: two answers)

What decision did they make?

The Saudis

1. agreement: formal contract: a contract or arrangement, either written or verbal and sometimes enforceable by law

2. engage: to hire somebody for a job or to do some work

3. provision: legal clause stating condition: a clause in a law or contract stating that a condition must be met

to listen the slower version, click below.

The two Saudi gentlemen sitting at the table are discussing a businessagreement they just made with an arabic speaking American. They need to engage him as a negotiator in their next meeting with a large American oil company. They are worried about the meeting so they are making provision for dealing withan English speaking company. With an Arabic speaking American as a negotiator, they feel there is a low chance for misunderstandings.

What are the Saudis doing?

What are they worried about?

What are they doing to make their worries less?

The Tribunal

1. agree: decide: to come to an understanding or reach a settlement regarding something

2. establish: start or set up something: to start or set up something that is intended to continue or be permanent

3. provide: require something as condition: to require something in advance as a condition or as part of a contract

4. tribunal: judging body: a body that is appointed to make a judgment or inquiry

to listen the slower version, click below.

A country in the middle east was havning difficulty with migrant workerscoming into the country illegally. The courts agreed to set up a tribunal to deal with the problem. After two weeks of meeting the tribunal established a newlaw providing that all foreign residents must carry an identification card. This card will certify that they entered the country with proper visas. The newlaw will begin next year.

What problem is the country having?

What did the country do as a result of this problem?

What did the tribunal do?

What does the new law do?

Fred's Bread

1. assurance: pledge or promise: a declaration that inspires or is intended to inspire confidence

2. obligate: compel somebody legally or morally: to compel somebody to do something as a legal or moral duty

3. resolve: settle argument: to bring a disagreement to an end

to listen the slower version, click below.

Fred runs a bakery in the Italian neighborhood. He has a problem. A contractwith a local restaurant obligates him to bake a large amount of bread, but he does not always sell it all due to the provisions in the contract. He wants to resolve the problem by re-writing the contract. He wants some assurance that he can sell all the bread he bakes. Now he is waiting to speak with the restaurant manager. He is not happy.

What is Fred's problem?

What is the problem with his contract with the restaurant?

What does Fred really want?

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