Listening Comprehension Flashcards

You hear: 'I hate to break it to you, but the flight has already departed.' What does 'I hate to break it to you' signal?

Answer: The speaker is about to deliver unwelcome information

'I hate to break it to you' is a softening phrase used before delivering bad news.

A teacher gives this instruction: 'Listen to the passage once, then answer without replaying it.' What listening skill is being tested?

Answer: Retaining and recalling information from a single listening

Single-play recall tests the ability to retain details from one listening without the aid of repetition.

You hear two speakers: 'A: Should we take the highway or the back roads? B: Either works for me.' What does B's response mean?

Answer: B has no strong preference and defers to A

'Either works for me' signals that B is indifferent between the two options and lets A decide.

A speaker describes an event: 'First the alarm went off, then the sprinklers activated, and finally everyone evacuated.' What text structure is this?

Answer: Chronological sequence

The words 'first,' 'then,' and 'finally' are time-order signal words indicating chronological sequence.

You hear: 'The results were inconclusive — we'll need to run additional tests.' What does 'inconclusive' mean in context?

Answer: The results did not produce a clear answer

'Inconclusive' means the results were not definitive enough to draw a firm conclusion.

A speaker says: 'It goes without saying that punctuality is valued here.' What does 'it goes without saying' mean?

Answer: The fact is so obvious it barely needs to be stated

'It goes without saying' is an idiom meaning the statement is so self-evident it almost doesn't need to be said.

During a listening passage, a character's voice becomes louder and their speech rate increases. What emotion does this typically convey?

Answer: Excitement or agitation

Increased volume and faster speech rate are paralinguistic cues typically associated with heightened emotion such as excitement or agitation.