例1：1999年6月第10题A) She can tell Joan when she sees her at noon. B) She should tell Joan‘s brother about the reception. C) She must call on Joan after the reception. D) She may see Joan’s brother at lunch.
W： I ought to call Joan， and tell her about the reception this evening. M： Why bother? You will see her at lunch. Q： What does the man mean?
分析：答案A)。参照原文，我们不难看出，Why bother?是个口语习语，表示“何必如此呢?”而选项种B)和C)中都含有brother一词，显然是用来干扰理解bother一词，因为它们的发音接近。
例2：2000年12月第1题A) Get some change from Jane. B) Look for a pay phone. C) Use the woman's phone. D) Pay for the phone call.
M： Hi， Jane， do you have some change? I have to make a call on the pay phone. W： Pay phone? Why not use my mobile phone? Here you are. Q： What would the man most probably do?
分析：答案选C)。对话中woman的语调值得注意，她先用升调Pay phone?表示不同意man去打花钱的公用电话;接着用降调Why not use my mobile phone?肯定的语气，即愿意把自己的手机借给对方用。
(二)语调规律注意和分析单词在句中的重读规律有助于识别单词、词组并区分实词、虚词;而注意说话者的语气并分析语句的升、平、降调则有助于了解说话人的情感、态度，从而正确判断说话人之间的关系，推断说话人的意图和目的。英语中的陈述句、特殊疑问句、祈使句、感叹句多用降调。升调常表示疑问、怀疑、不解、或不确定，不但常用在一般疑问句中，也用在陈述句、特殊疑问句、婉转祈使句或反意疑问句中。
例1：2000年1月第8题A) She didn't like the books the man bought. B) There wasn't a large selection at the bookstore. C) The man bought a lot of books. D) She wanted to see what the man bought.
M： I bought a few books at the new bookstore. Would you like to have a look at them?
W： A few? It looks like you bought out the bookstore. Q： What does the woman mean?
分析：答案选C)。对话中woman说的A few? 用的是升调。正如前面所述，升调常表示疑问、怀疑、不解、或不确定，因此在这里，这一语调实际上表达了woman对man所说内容的否定，即买的不仅仅是几本书，而是很多很多。