ABLE Listening Comprehension 5

Question 1

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?

Accepted Answer

The speaker is about to deliver unwelcome information

Answer

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

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Retaining and recalling information from a single listening

Answer

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

Question 3

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?

Accepted Answer

B has no strong preference and defers to A

Answer

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

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Chronological sequence

Answer

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

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

The results did not produce a clear answer

Answer

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

(ABLE) Assessment Board for Language Examinations Practice Test