C2 Speaking Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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?
- Litotes
- Antithesis
- Correction/Epanorthosis (Correct answer)
- Hyperbole
Correct answer: Correction/Epanorthosis
Epanorthosis involves correcting or strengthening a previous statement, here replacing 'viable alternative' with the stronger 'imperative.'
Question 2: Which strategy best demonstrates C2-level discourse management when an interviewer interrupts your complex argument?
- Stop speaking immediately and wait for a new question
- Acknowledge the interruption and signal your intent to complete the point (Correct answer)
- Repeat your argument from the beginning louder
- Apologize and abandon the incomplete argument
Correct 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.
Question 3: A speaker says: 'One could, conceivably, argue the contrary—though few would.' What function does this serve in sophisticated discourse?
- It weakens the speaker's credibility
- It preemptively acknowledges and dismisses counterarguments (Correct answer)
- It signals topic change
- It requests clarification from the listener
Correct answer: It preemptively acknowledges and dismisses counterarguments
This technique, called procatalepsis, anticipates opposing views and neutralizes them, strengthening the speaker's overall argument.
Question 4: Which prosodic feature most effectively signals irony in spoken English at C2 level?
- Uniform high pitch throughout the utterance
- Exaggerated stress on a word combined with a falling-rising tone (Correct answer)
- Faster-than-normal speech rate
- Consistent use of a monotone
Correct 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.
Question 5: At C2 level, what distinguishes 'hedged' speech from 'vague' speech?
- Hedged speech uses no qualifiers; vague speech uses many
- Hedged speech deliberately moderates certainty with purpose; vague speech lacks precision unintentionally (Correct answer)
- Both are equally acceptable in formal academic presentations
- Hedging is only appropriate in written language
Correct 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.
Question 6: During a C2 oral presentation, which transitional phrase most effectively signals a concession before a rebuttal?
- Moving on, let us consider...
- Admittedly, there is some merit to that view; nevertheless... (Correct answer)
- To summarize the foregoing points...
- In other words, what I mean is...
Correct answer: Admittedly, there is some merit to that view; nevertheless...
'Admittedly...nevertheless' is a classic concession-rebuttal frame that demonstrates C2-level logical structuring.
Question 7: A speaker pauses noticeably before answering a complex philosophical question. In a C2 context, this pause most likely signals:
- Lack of knowledge on the topic
- Deliberate processing time that adds gravitas to the response (Correct answer)
- A request for the question to be repeated
- Technical difficulty with pronunciation
Correct 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.
C2 Speaking Skills 2
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?