Listening Comprehension Flashcards
7 cards from real C2 practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Listening Comprehension flashcards as text
You hear a documentary narrator say: 'The village was virtually untouched by modernization.' What does 'virtually' signal?
Answer: The village was almost entirely unaffected, with perhaps minor exceptions.
'Virtually' is an approximator meaning 'almost entirely' — it leaves room for minor exceptions rather than claiming absolute untouched status.
A speaker says: 'Her composure under pressure was nothing short of remarkable.' What is being communicated?
Answer: Her composure was impressively outstanding.
'Nothing short of remarkable' is an emphatic phrase meaning 'truly remarkable' — it intensifies the praise.
During a panel discussion you hear: 'That's a fair point, to a degree.' What is the speaker doing?
Answer: Partially agreeing while implying limitations to the point.
'To a degree' qualifies the agreement — the speaker accepts the point but only up to a certain extent.
You hear a narrator say: 'The diplomat walked a fine line between diplomacy and frankness.' What does this mean?
Answer: The diplomat balanced careful tact with honest communication.
'Walking a fine line' means carefully balancing two potentially conflicting approaches — here, tact and honesty.
A speaker says: 'The report raises more questions than it answers.' What does this imply about the report?
Answer: The report is inconclusive and generates new areas of uncertainty.
Raising more questions than answers is a standard expression for a result that is inconclusive or that opens up new uncertainties.
You hear: 'The candidate's experience speaks for itself.' What does this mean?
Answer: The candidate's experience is so strong it requires no further justification.
'Speaks for itself' means something is self-evidently compelling — no additional argument is needed.
A lecturer says: 'The distinction, while subtle, is nonetheless critical.' What is the lecturer emphasizing?
Answer: Despite being hard to notice, the distinction has major importance.
'While subtle' acknowledges difficulty in perceiving it, but 'nonetheless critical' stresses that ignoring it would be a significant error.