高考英语听力话题广泛：购物、就餐、打电话、问路、看病、邀请、询问时间、谈论天气、假日活动、买票等，其内容包含新闻报道、社会生活、教育文化、风土人情、历史地理、科普知识、人物故事等。高考英语听力一般从以下几方面考查考生对口头语言的理解能力：
1. 领略主旨大意，概括话题内容
这类试题在高考听力试题中约占2小题，它要求我们对听到的内容有一个整体的把握和全面的领会，抓住说话者究竟在说什么。任何一段对话或独白都是围绕一个中心展开的，有时主旨大意较明显，有时则需要归纳、概括。常见的提问方式有：
What’s the passage mainly about?
What’s the topic of the passage?
What are the two speakers doing?
What are the two speakers talking about?
What is the dialogue/conversation about?
2. 捕捉主要细节，确认具体事实
这类试题在高考听力试题中约占8小题。它要求我们听清、听懂与话题中心相关的具体信息，准确理解具体细节，如时间、地点、人物、价钱、数量、目的、原因、结果等。同时，还要求我们对所听到的信息进行简单的处理，比如数字运算、时间顺序、比较筛选、同义转换、因果关系等。理解具体信息有助于把握话题内容，领会说话者意图，这是听力考查的重点内容。常见的提问方式有：
Where is the woman going?
How does the man pay for the tickets?
What’s wrong with the girl?
When does the woman plan to arrive?
What’s the man’s house number?
How many hours does Tom sleep a day?
Why does the man thank the woman?
Which of the following is true?
3. 推测谈话背景，辨认角色关系
这类试题在高考听力试题中约占5小题，要求我们从谈话或说话的话题和语气来推断出对话双方（或说话人）的职业身份，彼此之间（或与他人）的关系，对话发生的时间、地点或场合等。常见的提问方式有：
Where does this conversation take place?
Where is the woman speaking?
Where did the conversation most likely happen?
When does the dialogue take place?
Who do you think the woman probably is?
What’s the probable relationship between the speakers?
4. 领会弦外之音，揣摩观点意图
这类试题在高考听力试题中约占5小题，它要求我们从话语中听出其中可能有的“弦外之音”，也就是揣摩说话人的意图、观点或态度等，常见的提问方式有：
What can we learn from the conversation/speakers?
What can we know /learn about the woman?
What does the man mean?
What does the speakers want to tell us?
What is the probable result of the conversation?
