Listening Comprehension Skills Flashcards
6 cards from real ITEP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Listening Comprehension Skills flashcards as text
A speaker says: 'The study's findings were, at best, inconclusive.' What does the speaker's tone suggest?
Answer: The speaker is skeptical and unimpressed with the study's results.
'At best, inconclusive' uses a minimizing qualifier ('at best') to emphasize that even in the most favorable interpretation, the results are still unsatisfying.
During a campus tour, a guide says: 'The new science building is state-of-the-art.' What does this mean?
Answer: The building is equipped with the most modern and advanced technology available.
'State-of-the-art' is an adjective phrase meaning the most modern and technologically advanced available.
You hear two students talking: 'Did you understand the lecture today?' 'Not really — it went over my head.' What does 'it went over my head' mean?
Answer: The content was too difficult for the student to understand.
'It went over my head' is an idiom meaning the content was too complex or advanced for the person to understand.
A professor says: 'I want you to critically evaluate the methodology, not just describe it.' What is the professor instructing students to do?
Answer: Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the research methods used
'Critically evaluate' means to analyze carefully and assess both strengths and limitations, not to be purely negative or purely descriptive.
In a documentary, the narrator says: 'The species is on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss.' What does 'on the brink of' mean?
Answer: Very close to the point of; at the edge of
'On the brink of' means at the very edge of — extremely close to the stated event or state occurring.
A speaker in a meeting says: 'We need to address the elephant in the room — our budget shortfall.' What does 'the elephant in the room' refer to?
Answer: An obvious and serious problem that everyone is aware of but avoids discussing
'The elephant in the room' is an idiom for an obvious problem or difficult topic that is present but is being deliberately ignored or avoided in conversation.