听力题的解题从步骤上来讲，一般采用“四步法”。
第一步：调整心态，轻松应战。
听力测试题不同于其它题型，不可能像其它书面题型一样遇到不明白的地方可以回过头来看前面的材料或停下来自由地思考一下。
听力测试做题速度由命题人统一掌握，录音材料瞬息即逝，无“回听”的机会或自由思考的余地。
考生临场心态对听力成绩有着极大的影响。
因此，考生必须学会调整心态，轻松应战。
①消除紧张心理。
听力测试时，要做到心情平静，心态放松，精力集中。
如感到测试前心情比较紧张，做几次深呼吸，可有效缓解紧张情绪。
②克服急躁心理。
有些同学在听力测试时，不是听材料大意，而是专注于听个别单词。
有个别词没听懂，往往停下来去思索，随即产生急躁焦虑心理，头脑一片空白，等回过神来时，录音早已放完。
③要学会暂时放弃。
要知道即使是听力很好的考生，也并不是个个单词都听得清清楚楚的。
只要掌握了大意，做出题目来一般是不成问题的。
如果犹豫不决，录音稍纵即逝，就会影响听后面的内容，导致"一处未听清，全文没听懂"，得不偿失。
④要学会自我暗示，我没听懂的地方，其它的考生未必能听懂，个别题目做不出来没什么关系。
第二步：浏览选项，做好预测。
听力部分的测试具有不可逆性，录音放完测试也就基本结束了。
同学们要答好它，就必须充分利用好考前5分钟及每题听前5-20秒钟等一切可以利用的时间，快速阅读卷面中听力部分的内容，通过对这些内容的分析、对比和综合，明确听的方向和重点，缩小注意范围，预测录音材料的内容和可能的答案，进而把握听力测试的主动权，绝不可坐等录音磁带的播放。
比如所提问题是有关时间的，就可以在听音时特别注意出现的时间，从而作出正确的选择。
请看下面的对话理解题：1. What happened in Jian Min’s town?A. Many buildings were destroyed.B. There was a big earthquake.C. The electricity is still off.2. What happened to Jian Min’s family in the earthquake?A. They were all right.B. Nothing is left in his family.C. They were in danger.3. When did the earthquake happen?A. Last nightB. The night before.C. The night before last.问题和选项中多次出现earthquake，可以猜测这个对话是有关“地震”这个话题的，这样就可以马上联想到地震发生时的情形和有关描写地震的常见词汇与句型。
在听的时候就要密切注意地震发生的时间、地点，地震中人员伤亡和财产的损失等细节。
有的考生可能还未听录音就能把第1题的答案B选出来了。
附：听力材料：A：Hello!B：Hello! Is that Jian Min?A：Yes, it’s Jian Min speaking. Who’s that?B：It’s Wang Hui. I hear a big earthquake happened in your town the night before last.A：Yes, many buildings were destroyed here, and more than 400 people were killed. And many more were hurt. The electricity is still off, and there isn’t enough water.B：How about your family?A：Luckily, nothing happened to us.B：Oh, I’m glad to hear that. But be careful!A：Yes, we will, thank you. Please don’t worry.B：If you need our help, let us know.对于听力试题最后一段独白部分，更要快速浏览问题和选项。
预测材料主要内容和大致的答案。
又例：NMET2001听力第10段听力材料所给问题和选项Who is the speaker?A.A student.B.A teacher.C.An office clerk.Why did the speaker get a parking ticket?A. His car was parked for too long.B. His car took up too much space.C. He left his car in a wrong place.Which of the following words best describes the day the speaker had?A.Exciting.B.Unlucky.C.Tiring.通过阅读卷面内容，可知该听力材料谈及的可能是the speaker一天的经历。
从the speaker得到a parking ticket（警察给违反交通规则的人的传票）可推知他这一天可能并不愉快。
其中the speaker的身份、得到警察传票的原因、对他一天经历的推断应是听的重点。
（附：第10段听力原文What happened to me that day is just unbelievable. The first thing to go wrong was that all the parking places were taken. We had to park on the grass and hoped that we would not get a parking ticket. When I got to the admission office, there was already a long line of students waiting. By the time it was my turn, two of the courses I needed were filled and I had to go back to my adviser and make out a whole new timetable. Although I did sign up for all my courses, I missed lunch. The next thing to go wrong was that the bookstore had sold out one of the textbooks required. As I was leaving, I wondered what else could possibly happen, then I saw a policeman standing beside my car, writing out a ticket.）第三步：全面倾听，做好记录在对录音材料作了大致预测的基础上，要摒弃杂念，排除干扰，有重点地认真聆听录音材料，注意从整体上把握听力材料的意思，遇到个别词句不懂或听不清应予放过，千万不要因个别词句听不懂或听不清而影响听后面的内容。
在听的过程中要用英语进行思维，切忌边听边译。
但可以边听边做一点笔记，将诸如人名、地名、日期、时刻、年龄、价码、距离等用缩写或用一些简单的、不规则的、可能只有自己看懂的符号记下来，如36’ (36 minutes)、5m(5 metres)、LJ(long jump)、VIP(very important person)等。
听对话时一定要将对话内容听完，切不可仅仅根据前面的一部分信息就匆忙作答。
听短文时要从语篇水平上去听和理解，注意抓住所听材料的中心思想和要点。
可以摘记一些东西，但要把握分寸，有记则记，记的重点应是关键信息。
如有关人物、时间、地点、起因、过程和结果这几大要素，而不是一些长句和难句。
具体来说，在这一过程中，应注意以下几个方面：1、仔细听录音，识别并抓住关键信息。
听录音时，要带着预测得出的“蛛丝马迹”，抓住所需关键信息，以提高答题的效率和准确率。
例如：NMET2001听力第18题：（听力原文见上面的第10段材料）Who is the speaker ?A.A student.B.A teacher.C. An office clerk.这是一道身份关系类判断理解题，答案为A。
从独白中的一些关键词句,如：Admission Office（招生办公室/注册处）, a long line of the students waiting , sign up for （报名参加/申请选修），all my courses（课程），textbooks等可知the speaker是一名大学生。
再如：NMET2001听力第19题（听力原文见第10段材料）Why did the speaker get a parking ticket?A．His car was parked for too long. B．His car took up too much space. C．He left his car in a wrong place.这是一道询问原因的推断题，答案为C。
只要抓住独白开头关键信息The first thing to go wrong was that all the parking spaces were taken. I had to park on the grass and hoped that I would not get a parking ticket.可推知结果正是他所担心的。
值得一提的是,在听录音时捕捉“信号词”也很重要，尤其是后说话者所使用的一些“信号词”，因为有了它们往往会话者所表达的意思就大相径庭了。
常用的信号词有几类：表示转折的词常用I’m sorry but… , I’m afraid not , I don’t think so , but, however, yet, although , though等；表示顺序的用first，second，third，then，last，after，before 等；表示原因和结果的用because, as for, as a result, thanks to , owing to , because of , due to , since , now that等。