OOPT Listening for Detail 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A speaker says: 'The meeting has been rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday at 3pm, not 2pm as originally planned.' What time is the meeting?
- Tuesday at 2pm
- Tuesday at 3pm
- Thursday at 2pm
- Thursday at 3pm (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Thursday at 3pm
The meeting was moved to Thursday and the time changed to 3pm (not the original 2pm).
Listening for detail requires tracking changes and corrections carefully. The speaker gives two key changes: the day (Tuesday to Thursday) and the time (2pm to 3pm). Both details must be retained simultaneously. 'Not 2pm as originally planned' signals a correction that overrides the initial detail.
Question 2: You hear: 'Take the second exit at the roundabout, turn left at the traffic lights, and the library is the third building on your right.' Where is the library?
- First building on the right after the lights
- Second building on the right after the lights
- Third building on the right after the lights (Correct answer)
- Third building on the left after the lights
Correct answer: Third building on the right after the lights
The library is the third building on the right, after turning left at the traffic lights.
Following directions requires tracking a sequence of actions: (1) second exit at roundabout, (2) turn left at traffic lights, (3) third building on the right. Each step must be retained correctly. A common error is confusing 'left' (the turning direction) with 'right' (the side the building is on).
Question 3: A radio presenter says: 'Temperatures will drop to minus three overnight, but by midday tomorrow we should see a high of twelve degrees.' What will the midday temperature be?
- -3 degrees
- 3 degrees
- 12 degrees (Correct answer)
- 15 degrees
Correct answer: 12 degrees
The midday high will be twelve degrees. Minus three is the overnight low.
The forecast gives two temperatures: minus three (overnight) and twelve degrees (midday). Listening for detail requires correctly matching each figure to its time reference. 'By midday tomorrow we should see a high of twelve degrees' clearly associates 12 degrees with midday, not the overnight figure.
Question 4: You hear: 'The flight departs at 14:45, not 14:15 as shown on the board. Passengers should be at Gate 7 by 14:20.' When should passengers be at the gate?
- 14:15
- 14:20 (Correct answer)
- 14:30
- 14:45
Correct answer: 14:20
Passengers should be at Gate 7 by 14:20. The departure time (14:45) and the board time (14:15) are separate details.
The announcement contains three times: 14:15 (wrong time on board), 14:45 (correct departure), and 14:20 (gate time). Listening for detail means distinguishing between these and not confusing corrected information with current instructions. The question asks specifically about the gate time: 14:20.
Question 5: A lecturer states: 'You need to submit Chapter 3 by Friday, not the whole assignment — that deadline is the following Monday.' What is due on Friday?
- The whole assignment
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 3 (Correct answer)
- Chapters 1 and 3
Correct answer: Chapter 3
Chapter 3 is due Friday; the whole assignment is due the following Monday.
The sentence clarifies a potentially confusing situation by explicitly contrasting: 'Chapter 3 (Friday)' vs 'the whole assignment (following Monday)'. The phrase 'not the whole assignment' signals a correction or clarification. Careful listeners must separate what is due when, not conflate the two deadlines.
Question 6: You hear a voicemail: 'Hi, it's Mark. Can you call me back on 07891 234 567? That's 07891 234 567. Thanks.' What number should you call?
- 07819 234 567
- 07891 243 567
- 07891 234 567 (Correct answer)
- 07819 243 567
Correct answer: 07891 234 567
The number is 07891 234 567, repeated twice to confirm.
In listening for detail with phone numbers, transposition errors are common — swapping adjacent digits (e.g., 891 vs 819, 234 vs 243). The speaker helpfully repeats '07891 234 567' twice. The correct number preserves the sequence 07891 (not 07819) and 234 (not 243).
OOPT Listening for Detail 2
A speaker says: 'The meeting has been rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday at 3pm, not 2pm as originally planned.' What time is the meeting?