Identifying Speaker's Attitude Flashcards
7 cards from real DLPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Identifying Speaker's Attitude flashcards as text
In a DLPT text passage, an author writes: 'The administration's plan, while theoretically sound, faces certain practical realities that may prove insurmountable.' What is the author's attitude?
Answer: Skepticism about feasibility
Calling a plan 'theoretically sound' while warning of 'insurmountable' practical realities signals underlying skepticism about its success.
A DLPT speaker uses the phrase 'with all due respect' before strongly contradicting an argument. What function does this phrase serve regarding attitude?
Answer: It marks a polite wrapper around a direct challenge
'With all due respect' is a formulaic hedge that acknowledges social norms while signaling an incoming disagreement or criticism.
On the DLPT, a journalist's article ends: 'Whether this policy will achieve its stated goals remains, at best, an open question.' What attitude does this closing convey?
Answer: Guarded pessimism about success
'At best, an open question' is a rhetorical hedge that signals doubt about the policy's success while avoiding outright condemnation.
Which of the following is the best indicator that a DLPT speaker's expressed enthusiasm is performative rather than genuine?
Answer: The prosodic pattern is flat despite positive word choice
A mismatch between enthusiastic words and a flat, unenthusiastic prosodic delivery signals that the expressed enthusiasm is not genuine.
A DLPT passage features a general who states: 'I won't pretend the losses were acceptable. They were not. But the strategic objective was met.' What attitude does this convey?
Answer: Honest acknowledgment of cost paired with resolve
The speaker directly acknowledges unacceptable losses before asserting the strategic outcome, reflecting honest accountability combined with professional resolve.
In a DLPT listening section, a speaker laughs briefly before answering a sensitive question. What does this paralinguistic cue typically indicate?
Answer: Discomfort or nervous deflection
A brief laugh before a sensitive answer is a common paralinguistic marker of nervousness or discomfort with the question.
A DLPT written passage describes a new law: 'Citizens will now be required to comply with updated registration procedures.' The passive voice and bureaucratic phrasing signal what authorial attitude?
Answer: Detached, impersonal authority
Passive constructions and bureaucratic diction distance the author from personal opinion, projecting impersonal institutional authority.