iTEP Listening Comprehension Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A professor says in a lecture: 'The Industrial Revolution fundamentally transformed not only economic structures but also social hierarchies.' What is the main point?
- The Industrial Revolution changed both the economy and social structure simultaneously. (Correct answer)
- The Industrial Revolution mainly affected economic production methods.
- The Industrial Revolution disrupted social hierarchies but had little economic impact.
- The Industrial Revolution was primarily a political movement.
Correct answer: The Industrial Revolution changed both the economy and social structure simultaneously.
The phrase 'not only...but also' connects two elements of equal importance — economic structures AND social hierarchies — both were transformed.
'Not only...but also' is a correlative conjunction that emphasizes that two things are equally true or important. The professor explicitly states that both economic structures and social hierarchies were transformed. Options B and C incorrectly emphasize one aspect while downplaying the other. Option D introduces politics, which is not mentioned. iTEP listening comprehension tests the ability to correctly identify the scope and emphasis of spoken statements.
Question 2: In a conversation, a speaker says: 'I could have sworn I left my keys on the counter.' What does this expression mean?
- The speaker is certain they placed their keys on the counter but cannot find them there now. (Correct answer)
- The speaker made a formal promise to leave their keys on the counter.
- The speaker is unsure where they left their keys.
- The speaker swears they will put their keys on the counter in the future.
Correct answer: The speaker is certain they placed their keys on the counter but cannot find them there now.
'Could have sworn' is an idiom meaning to be completely certain about something, usually about a past memory that turns out to be incorrect.
'I could have sworn' is an idiomatic expression meaning 'I was absolutely certain' about something in the past, typically when the reality turns out to be different from what one expected. It expresses confident recollection that has been contradicted. The speaker was certain the keys were on the counter but they are not there. It is not a formal oath or future intention. iTEP listening tests comprehension of common English idioms in natural conversational contexts.
Question 3: A speaker in a recorded interview says: 'The turning point came when the company decided to pivot its entire business model.' What does 'turning point' mean?
- A critical moment that changes the direction of a situation (Correct answer)
- The most difficult challenge the company faced
- The moment when the company was most profitable
- A scheduled meeting where decisions were made
Correct answer: A critical moment that changes the direction of a situation
'Turning point' is a fixed metaphorical expression meaning a decisive moment that marks a change in direction or course of events.
A 'turning point' is a metaphorical expression for a decisive moment at which the fundamental nature of a situation changes. In business contexts, it often describes when a company's strategy or performance undergoes a significant shift. It is not synonymous with the most difficult challenge (which would be 'the biggest obstacle'), maximum profitability, or a scheduled meeting. Understanding common metaphorical expressions used in business interviews and talks is tested in iTEP academic and business listening tasks.
Question 4: You hear: 'The deadline has been pushed back to next Friday.' What has happened to the deadline?
- It has been moved to a later date. (Correct answer)
- It has been brought forward to an earlier date.
- It has been cancelled entirely.
- It remains the same as before.
Correct answer: It has been moved to a later date.
'Pushed back' means moved to a later time — the deadline is now later than it was originally.
The phrasal verb 'push back' (a deadline, a meeting) means to postpone or delay — to move to a later time. This is the opposite of 'move forward' or 'bring forward', which mean scheduling earlier. The deadline has been delayed to the following Friday, not cancelled or kept the same. Directional idioms applied to schedules ('push back', 'move up', 'bring forward') are common in iTEP listening tasks involving academic and workplace scheduling contexts.
Question 5: A student hears their professor say: 'I want you to synthesize the arguments from all three articles, not just summarize them.' What is the professor asking students to do?
- Combine and integrate the key ideas from the articles into a unified analysis (Correct answer)
- Write a brief summary of each article separately
- Compare and contrast only two of the three articles
- Quote directly from the articles without personal analysis
Correct answer: Combine and integrate the key ideas from the articles into a unified analysis
'Synthesize' means to combine information from multiple sources into a coherent, integrated whole — it goes beyond simple summary.
Academic listening often tests vocabulary used in educational instruction. 'Synthesize' means to draw together information from multiple sources and combine it into a coherent, unified analysis — not simply to list or describe each source separately. The professor explicitly contrasts 'synthesize' with 'summarize', emphasizing that a higher cognitive task is required. Options B and D describe tasks explicitly excluded by the professor. Option C is a comparison task (analyze), not synthesis. Understanding academic instruction vocabulary is central to the iTEP academic listening module.
Question 6: In a lecture, you hear: 'Climate change is, by and large, attributable to human activity.' What does 'by and large' mean?
- In general; mostly; on the whole (Correct answer)
- Completely and without exception
- In some specific cases only
- According to recent large-scale studies
Correct answer: In general; mostly; on the whole
'By and large' is a fixed idiom meaning generally, mostly, or on the whole — it allows for exceptions while stating the general truth.
'By and large' is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning 'generally speaking', 'mostly', or 'on the whole'. It does not mean 'completely without exception' (which would be 'entirely' or 'wholly'), nor does it refer to specific cases or specific studies. It is used to make a general claim while acknowledging that exceptions may exist. This is a common academic hedging expression tested in iTEP listening comprehension, particularly in lecture-based tasks.
iTEP Listening Comprehension Skills 2
A professor says in a lecture: 'The Industrial Revolution fundamentally transformed not only economic structures but also social hierarchies.' What is the main point?