相對於知識性短文而言，由於故事性短文考試&大的時間和情節的完整性，整體上難度不大。在考試中，考生只要根據短文的故事情節理清脈絡，搞懂邏輯關系即可獲得正確信息，解答所設題目。
在故事性短文聽力中，正確獲取人物和主要事件的信息顯得極為重要，因此適當記錄故事中所出現的時間及對應的重大事件便成為解決故事性短文的關鍵。此外，文章結尾往往涉及所介紹人物或事件的當前形勢和最新發展，同樣不容忽視。
故事性短文在四級考試中的測試主要集中在三類問題上：時間、對應的事件及原因(when-what-why-question)；人物及專有名詞的細節提問 (Proper Name-question)；結尾句或故事寓意的提問 (moral-question)。
1. 時間、對應的事件及原因 (when-what-why-question)
由於故事性短文其自身的特點--以故事情節介紹為主，因此在故事性短文問題的設置中數when-what-why-question最為常見，即問及故事中某壹時間和其對應的事件，有時還會涉及該事件背後考試&大的原因。該類問題是對細節的考查，經常用於此句型結構的問題有： When did …? What happened in year ...? What is the finding of …? Why … are important events in …? "hy is it difficult to …? Why do … have to keep the present jobs?等。解答此類問題的關鍵是在瀏覽所給問題的基礎上，迅速得到關鍵詞或關鍵句型，如：because， so，therefore，the reason…is that…，why…is…等。在聽短文時便可有針對性地做出筆記以記錄問題所涉及到的時間、對應的事件以及其背後的原因。
2. 人物及專有名詞的細節提問 (Proper Name-question)
故事性短文在進行故事情節敘述時不可避免地會涉及到人物、地點和壹些專有名詞，因此在故事性短文問題的設置中對專有名詞的細節考查也較為常見。經常用於此句型結構的問題有：What do we learn from the passage about …? What does the speaker tell us about Catherine Gram?等。
解答此類問題的關鍵是瀏覽題幹、圈點專有名詞後，關註文章中所出現該名詞的相關句子，並做簡單記錄。如果其相關信息不止壹點時，壹定要註意列點記錄以防遺漏。
3. 結尾句或故事寓意的提問 (moral-question)
故事性短文的結尾句通常包含該故事的寓意，我們將對文章寓意題目的設置稱為moral-question，這是對文章主旨的考查。經常用於此句型結構的問題有： What does the comment by … suggest? What can be inferred from the passage?。 解答此類問題的關鍵是在把握故事整體性的基礎上，對故事主人公做出正確評價。
Try Out
Directions: In this section, you will hear one short passage. At the end of the passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
1. What do we learn about the greenhouse?
A) It was located in a park.
B) Its owner died of a heart attack.
C) It went bankrupt all of a sudden.
D) Its potted plants were for lease only.
2. What was the speaker doing when the customer walked in one morning?
A) Planting some trees in the greenhouse.
B) Writing a want ad to a local newspaper.
C) Putting up a"Going out of Business"sign.
D) Helping a customer select some purchases.
3. What did the speaker think of when serving the office manager?
A) Opening an office in the new office park.
B) Keeping better relations with her company
C) Developing fresh business opportunities.
D) Building a big greenhouse of his own.
4. What was the speaker's hope for the future?
A) Owning the greenhouse one day.
B) Securing a job at the office park.
C) Cultivating more potted plants.
D) Finding customers out of town.
聽力原文：
In February last year, my wife lost her job. Just as suddenly, the owner of the greenhouse where I worked as manager died of a heart attack. His family announced that they were going to close the business because no one in the family wanted to run it. Things looked pretty gloomy. My wife and I read the want ads each day. Then one morning, as I was hanging out "Going out of Business" sign at the greenhouse, the door opened and in walked a customer. She was an office manager whose company has just moved into the new office park on the edge of town. She was looking for potted plants to place in the reception areas and offices. "I don't know anything about plants," she said, "I'm sure in a few weeks they'll all be dead." Why was I helping her select her purchases? My mind was racing. Perhaps as many as a dozen firms have recently opened offices in the new office park, and there were several hundred more acres with construction under way. That afternoon, I drove out to the office park. By six o'clock that evening I had signed contracts with seven companies to rent plants from me and pay me a fee to maintain them. Within a week, I had worked out an agreement to lease the greenhouse from the owner's family. Business is now increasing rapidly. And one day, we hope to be the proud owners of the greenhouse.
答案 & 解析
1. 選B）。此題屬於故事性短文中針對人物及專有名詞的細節進行提問。在瀏覽題幹圈點專有名詞greenhouse後, 迅速在文章裏聽到 "Just as suddenly, the owner of the greenhouse where I worked as manager died of a heart attack. His family announced that they were going to close the business because no one in the family wanted to run it." 可以得到關於greenhouse的兩條信息：greenhouse的主人因心臟病突然死亡； greenhouse因無人接管而即將關閉。故選B)。
2. 選C）。此題屬於故事性短文中針對時間、對應的事件及原因進行提問。解答此題的關鍵是在瀏覽所給問題的基礎上，迅速得到關鍵詞即時間狀語when the customer walked in，在聽短文時便可針對性地做出筆記以記錄所給時間對應的事件，很容易捕獲信息“… as I was hanging out 'Going out of Business' sign at the greenhouse，the door opened and in walked a customer.”故選C)。
3. 選C）。此題仍屬於故事性短文中考試&大針對時間、對應的事件及原因進行提問。得到題幹關鍵詞when serving the office manager後，在文中獲取 "Why was I helping her select her purchases? My mind was racing."故選C)。
4. 選A）。此題屬於故事性短文中針對故事的寓意進行提問。文章講了壹個立誌的創業故事，整篇文章將基調定在“奮鬥”壹詞上。再由含有寓意的結尾句 "And one day, we hope to be the proud owners of the greenhouse."很容易得出正確選項A。故選A)。