APTIS Listening for Opinion Matching 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You hear a podcast clip in which Speaker M supports four-day work weeks 'without reservation', and Speaker N supports them 'only if productivity targets are maintained.' How should you classify their opinions for an APTIS matching task?
- Both unconditionally positive
- M unconditional positive; N conditional positive (Correct answer)
- M conditional positive; N unconditional positive
- Both negative
Correct answer: M unconditional positive; N conditional positive
'Without reservation' signals unconditional support for M; 'only if' signals a condition for N.
Question 2: In an APTIS task with five speakers on immigration policy, you need to match each speaker to 'supportive', 'opposed', or 'neutral.' A speaker says: 'I don't have a strong view either way — there are valid points on both sides.' This speaker should be labelled:
- Supportive
- Opposed
- Neutral (Correct answer)
- Conditionally supportive
Correct answer: Neutral
Explicitly stating no strong view and acknowledging both sides classifies this speaker as neutral.
Question 3: Speaker 1 says: 'I used to think social media was harmless, but recent research has changed my mind.' What does this phrase tell you about the speaker's current opinion?
- Still positive about social media
- Changed to a negative view based on evidence (Correct answer)
- Neutral and undecided
- Positively reinforced their original view
Correct answer: Changed to a negative view based on evidence
'Changed my mind' after noting the research is harmful signals a shift to a negative current opinion.
Question 4: Three speakers discuss genetically modified (GM) crops. Speaker A supports them fully; Speaker B says they need more safety testing before approval; Speaker C opposes them on ethical grounds. Which two speakers would both require further action before GM crops are accepted?
- Speakers A and B
- Speakers B and C (Correct answer)
- Speakers A and C
- None — all are satisfied
Correct answer: Speakers B and C
Speaker B demands more testing before approval and Speaker C's ethical opposition means GM crops cannot be accepted as-is by either.
Question 5: An APTIS audio clip features a debate. Speaker X argues strongly for stricter speed limits; Speaker Y argues against them. The moderator then says: 'There are clear merits to both sides.' Who expresses a balanced, non-partisan view?
- Speaker X
- Speaker Y
- The moderator (Correct answer)
- None of the participants
Correct answer: The moderator
The moderator explicitly acknowledges merits on both sides, indicating a balanced non-partisan view.
Question 6: In an opinion-matching section you hear: 'Honestly, I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, even if it's not perfect.' This opinion is best classified as:
- Wholly positive with no reservations
- Overall positive despite acknowledged flaws (Correct answer)
- Negative because flaws are mentioned
- Completely neutral
Correct answer: Overall positive despite acknowledged flaws
The speaker leans positive ('benefits outweigh') while acknowledging imperfection, making it overall positive with reservations.
Question 7: Five people comment on a new school curriculum. You note that two are enthusiastic, one is cautious, and two are critical. For a task asking which speakers share a negative opinion, you should select:
- The two enthusiastic speakers
- The one cautious speaker and one critical speaker
- The two critical speakers (Correct answer)
- All five speakers
Correct answer: The two critical speakers
Only the two critical speakers share an explicitly negative opinion; caution alone does not equal negativity.
APTIS Listening for Opinion Matching 4
You hear a podcast clip in which Speaker M supports four-day work weeks 'without reservation', and Speaker N supports them 'only if productivity targets are maintained.' How should you classify their opinions for an APTIS matching task?