通常托福听力细节题可以分为四个共通处：同义词替换、句子改写、和主旨内容保持一致、 科学客观。而相对应的干扰项特点一般是：exactly the same 有若干词和原文一样，但整体句意不同、inconsistent 和主旨内容差别太大、incongruous 信息不同步、subjective主观极端。把握住正确选项和干扰项的大致特征对我们正确解题会大有裨益。接下来我们需要了解一下托福听力官方对细节的限定：
-important-directly or indirectly related to the main ideas-providing elaboration, examples and support-sometimes related to a long digression.
大家可以清楚的从上述定义发现，托福听力材料中的细节的作用是扩展和支撑，它的作用是通过上下文语境存在的，或是对概念的阐明和分析，或是具体事例的添加。
下面我们来看几道例题：
例1
TPO28 Lecture4 Archaeology
30/34 What points does the professor make about mound sites?
A.They are easier to excavate than other types of archaeological sites
B.They often provide information about several generations of people.
C. They often contain evidence of trade.
D. Most have been found in what are now desert areas.
上述的细节题，我们可以从选项中找到答案的线索。因为：
- 这篇lecture我们知道是分析一个遗址中的一个古老文明的存在。-
- 可以从听力内容中发现c选项是后面的内容，可以排除。
- 然后去掉一些细节的描述的选项。因此可以看得出来是b。
例2
TPO21 Lecture3 Biology
27/34. Why does the professor mention the brown tree snake?
A. To support a hypothesis about the evolution of constrictor snakes
B. To support a hypothesis that venomous snakes evolved from constrictor snakes
C. To give an example of a snake species that was never venomous
D. To give an example of a type of snake that can change its color
解题思路：
- 这个lecture的主要观点是通过解析毒液的DNA来进一步说明蛇的进化过程。
- 首先去掉过于极端的观点
- 然后排除没有提到的观点，所以答案是b。
例3
TPO29 Lecture1 Ecology
7/34 According to the professor, in what way is the soil in forested areas generally different from soil in other areas?
A. In forested areas, the soil tends to be warmer and moister.
B. In forested areas, the chemistry of the soil changes more rapidly.
C. In forested areas, there is usually more variability in soil types
D. In forested areas, there is generally more acid in the soil.
解题思路：
- 这篇lecture的主要内容是讲古老森林中土壤多样性的原因及其应用。
- 首先要去掉信息不同步的选项。
- 然后在去掉没有出现的观点。所以答案是d。
