Speaking Skills 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 Speaking Skills flashcards as text
In a C2-level debate, a speaker argues: 'Renewable energy is not merely a viable alternative—it is an imperative.' What rhetorical device is being used?
Answer: Correction/Epanorthosis
Epanorthosis involves correcting or strengthening a previous statement, here replacing 'viable alternative' with the stronger 'imperative.'
Which strategy best demonstrates C2-level discourse management when an interviewer interrupts your complex argument?
Answer: Acknowledge the interruption and signal your intent to complete the point
C2 speakers manage discourse gracefully by acknowledging interruptions while asserting their communicative intent.
A speaker says: 'One could, conceivably, argue the contrary—though few would.' What function does this serve in sophisticated discourse?
Answer: It preemptively acknowledges and dismisses counterarguments
This technique, called procatalepsis, anticipates opposing views and neutralizes them, strengthening the speaker's overall argument.
Which prosodic feature most effectively signals irony in spoken English at C2 level?
Answer: Exaggerated stress on a word combined with a falling-rising tone
Irony in English speech is typically conveyed through exaggerated nuclear stress paired with a fall-rise intonation pattern.
At C2 level, what distinguishes 'hedged' speech from 'vague' speech?
Answer: Hedged speech deliberately moderates certainty with purpose; vague speech lacks precision unintentionally
C2 speakers use hedges strategically to signal epistemic caution, whereas vagueness is an unintentional failure of precision.
During a C2 oral presentation, which transitional phrase most effectively signals a concession before a rebuttal?
Answer: Admittedly, there is some merit to that view; nevertheless...
'Admittedly...nevertheless' is a classic concession-rebuttal frame that demonstrates C2-level logical structuring.
A speaker pauses noticeably before answering a complex philosophical question. In a C2 context, this pause most likely signals:
Answer: Deliberate processing time that adds gravitas to the response
Strategic pausing before a complex response is a hallmark of C2 speakers who convey thoughtfulness and control.