提高托福听力段子题的做题方法和技巧与小对话题的有很大区别，下面将考生可以用到的主要技巧分述如下：
听到什么选什么原则
这是托福听力段子题总的做题原则，
托福考试听力答题技巧
。一般来讲，只要你听见了，并且在选项里面也看见了，这个选项就极有可能是正确选项。记住，听见什么词选什么词，听见什么意思选什么意思，甚至是听见什么声音选什么声音。这个原则听起来好像很玄，但在实际答题中非常管用。举个例子来说（这种例子很多，几乎每个段子都能说明问题，这里仅举一例。同时由于篇幅有限，例子有所删节）：Wee to the Forewinds historical farm where traditions of the past are preserved for visitors like you. Today our master thatchers will begin giving this barn behind me a sturdy thatched roof able to withstand heavy wind and last 100 years. How do they do it? Well, in a nutshell, thatching involves covering the beams or rafters, the wooden skeleton of the roof, with reedsorstraw. ... It's a real shame that most people today don't realize how strong and long-lasting a thatched roof is. In Ireland where thatching is still practiced, the roof can survive winds up to 110 miles per hour. That'sbecause straw and reeds are so flexible they bend but don't break in the wind like othermaterials can...这个段子中的两个问题，我们可以通过此原则轻松做题。
1． What are thatched roofs made of?
2． According to the speaker, why does thatch survive strong winds?
第一题的答案你一定是听见了，因为非常明显。请注意段子中的黑体部分。reeds 以及reeds and straw出现过总共四遍，当然会听得见，因此，就把它选出来，于是你就得到了正确答案。第二题的答案也是原词：It bends without breaking. 主要内容原则
如果说听到什么选什么是最基本的技巧原则，那主要内容原则就应该是最重要的实力原则了。同学们在听段子的时候，永远要想着说话人想通过这个段子传达什么样的信息或者阐明什么样的观点，事实上，这也就是段子的主要内容。不要去想什么词没有听见，什么句子没有听懂。永远去想他／她想说明的主要观点以及你听懂的他／她说的那句话跟主要观点的关系。抓住这一点，段子题的得分率就会大大提高。抓住主要内容，我们不仅可以做对topic题，还可以做对其他一些题。任何一个做题原则，其重要性都不可能超过主要内容原则。
强调原则前面提到，托福听力段子最重要的考试原则就是主要内容原则。因此，考生在听的时候要尽可能地去抓主要内容。怎么抓呢？因为是主要内容，所以在段子中就会被强调，所以考生一定要熟悉各种各样的强调方式。熟悉了这些强调方式，主要内容也就能抓住了。一起来看下面的段子：
Thank you all foring today to hear about the new recycling program on campus. ... Instead of seeing the usual brown trash cans all over the campus, from now on you'll see four different colors of trash cans. Pinktrash cans are for paper, green cans are for glass, maroon ones are for metal and white ones are for other wastes. Just remember, pink: paper; green: glass;maroon: metal; white: waste. After the trash is sorted, they need to be collected and them distributed to the correct recycling facilities. That'swhere all of youe in... And again, your job is to collect the sorted trash and take it to different centers for eachtype of trash...
3. What will be the color of the trashcan for paper?
4. What will be the primary responsibilities of volunteers?
请看第3、4题，这两题的答案在段子中都得到了反复强调，《托福考试听力答题技巧》()。文中首先提到Pink trash cans are for paper, 后面再次提到时又进行了如此强调：Just remember,pink: paper.关于第4题，段子中的黑体部分是正确选项的来源。
原因在段子题中会经常成为考点，这是颠扑不破的真理。因此，当段子当中出现一些表示原因的标志词时，考生应格外注意，因为十有八九会考到。举例如下：So, uh, as Jim said, James Polk was the eleventh president. And, well, my report is about the next president Zachery Taylor. Taylor was elected in 1849, it's surprising because he was the first president who didn't have any previous political experience. Themain reasonhe was chosen as a candidatewas because hewas awar hero...
1． Why was Zachary Taylor chosen by his party as a candidate for president?
2． According to the speakers, why is it surprising that Taylor was elected president?
这个段子共有四道题，当中前三道都在考原因。事实上，托福听力段子题是经常考到原因的，这就需要同学有实力，能够辨别清楚什么地方表述原因，什么地方表述结果。因此在听的过程中，要留意表述原因的一些标志词，如because、because of、 since、 the main reason、the most important reason等等，一旦这些标志词出现了，后面的内容就是同学必须记住的内容。一起来看这几道题的选项：
1. (A) He was well known on the WestCoast.
(B) He served as James Polk's Vice President.
(C) He supported financial aid tofarmers.
(D) He was a popular war hero.
2. (A) He was not interested in political reform.
(B) He had an unusual military career.
(C) He had no political experience.
(D) He expressed many controversialideas.
选项中的黑体部分是正确答案，而段子中的黑体部分是正确选项的来源。