Listening 39–40 Discussion — what came before + matching detail

Listening · Hard

Item 39 is high difficulty

A discussion is a discourse in which a host and an expert exchange views on a social phenomenon or issue. The defining feature of this type is that item 39 asks you to infer 'what content likely came before this discourse.' Because the discourse itself starts in the middle of a conversation, opening expressions like '그래서 말씀하신 대로' ("so, as you were saying") or '그러니까 ~라는 거군요' ("so what you mean is ~") serve as clues that summarize the preceding content. A recurring structure follows: the host opens by summing up the earlier conversation, the expert confirms or adds further explanation, and at the end the host sums up the point once more. For item 39, the option that directly rephrases this opening summary sentence is often the correct answer. For the matching item 40, the answer hinges on specific evidence (statistics, examples) that appears in the middle of the discussion onward. A common trick is to plant, as a wrong answer, a statement that the original text explicitly denies — so you must not miss the original's negative expressions.

Discussion — what came before + matching detail

• 그래서 말씀하신 대로 — An expression that opens by summarizing the preceding content when a discussion starts mid-conversation. This sentence itself is 'the content before the discourse.'
• -다는 거군요 — An expression the host uses to sum up while reconfirming what the other person said. It carries the gist of the preceding content as is.
• -다고 들었습니다만 — An expression the host uses to open a further question by mentioning information they've heard. The expert's confirmation or additional explanation follows.
• 오히려 — An adverb that emphasizes a fact contrary to expectation. A signal word that often appears in the correct sentence for matching items.
• -기 때문이죠 — A closing expression the expert uses in spoken style to explain a reason. It carries a tone that pins down the cause.
• 그러다 보니 — A connective expression showing that the preceding situation naturally leads to the next result. Used where cause connects to effect.
• -다는 조사 결과도 있습니다 — An expression the expert uses to present evidence (statistics, surveys) backing up a claim. It becomes the evidence sentence for matching items.
• 결국 -는 말씀이시군요 — An expression the host uses to give a final summary of the expert's explanation. The core conclusion of the latter part of the discourse is contained here.
• 맞습니다 — A response the expert uses to agree with or confirm the host's statement. Additional explanation or evidence follows this.
• -ㄹ 필요가 있다고 봅니다 — An expression the expert uses to gently state their own opinion or suggestion. It often appears near the close of the discourse.

• An opening summary expression such as '그래서 말씀하신 대로' or '그러니까 ~라는 거군요'
• Specific evidence (statistics, examples) the expert adds
• A statement the original text explicitly denies, such as '~는 것은 아니다'

• Find the sentence in the host's opening line that summarizes the preceding content
• Compare that summary sentence against item 39's options
• Note down the specific evidence the expert adds
• Among item 40's options, first eliminate any statement the original explicitly denies

• Missing the opening and guessing at item 39 based only on the middle portion
• Mistaking a wrong answer that flips the original's negative statement into a positive one for a match

Item 39 is one of the hardest items in the entire listening section. If you haven't trained to catch the opening summary expression, it's fine to focus mainly on item 40 instead.