Essays and Career Planning - LanguageCert Listening Part 2 Practice

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LanguageCert Practice Listening: Part 2: Long Conversation ID: #60170 Medium University Essays and Career Planning

Instructions ›

You will hear five conversations. Listen to the conversations and answer the questions. Choose the correct answer. You will hear each conversation twice.

Transcript:

Narrator: Conversation One
Male: So, I hope you were pleased with your mark on the last essay. It was a really good piece of work.
Female: Thanks. I was quite pleased with it myself. I managed to find a lot of people to quote on the topic.
Male: Yes, and you did a good job on that.
Female: Thanks again!
Male: But what I particularly liked this time was the way you dropped the figures and tables into the body of the essay. It was beautifully done.
Female: Well, they are things which really prove the theory.
Male: Yes, but students often don’t take any care with such things, and then they’re surprised when I give them a low mark.
Female: I can’t bear messy graphics myself!
Male: Right. Now, the next essay topic’s a bit more challenging, so it will need some careful planning. You’ll need to quote even more sources to meet the requirements, but I can see you’re fine on the system we use here.
Female: Yes, I know the APA style well.
Male: The only way you could improve next time is to avoid careless mistakes of spelling and grammar. Ask one of the other students to read it through once. It’s quite difficult to spot errors in something you’ve written yourself.
Female: OK. I’ll do that. Thanks.
[REPEAT Conversation One]
Narrator: Conversation Two
Male: Hi. I’d like some careers advice.
Female: That’s what I’m here for!
Male: Yes, of course!
Female: First question. How close are you to graduating?
Male: I’m in my final year, but I still haven’t decided what I want to do when I leave university.
Female: OK. So, the key question, before we start considering options, is what you want out of your first job. An excellent starting salary? A chance to travel and see the world?
Male: I’m more interested in getting into a field with long-term prospects – you know, with AI affecting so many industries now.
Female: Yes, it’s good to think about that from the beginning. So, what’s your degree in?
Male: Biochemistry. I’m expected to get at least an upper second, if not a first.
Female: OK. That’s good. But it’s right that you start thinking about applying to companies now. It’s a very specialist field, so there’ll be limited choice.
Male: Yes, I realise that.
Female: And there aren’t that many jobs available in any field around here currently, to be honest.
Male: Right.
Female: But we do have an international chemical company right here in the city, as you know, and I believe they’re always looking for people with the high-level qualification you’re probably going to get, so you shouldn’t really have any difficulty finding something.
[REPEAT Conversation Two]
Narrator: Conversation Three
Male: So, only a week to go now. I’m really dreading it!
Female: You’ll be fine! You know what you’re presenting inside out.
Male: That’s fine when I’m writing about it, but when I have to stand up in front of people and play slides and link to the internet and all that…
Female: That all works perfectly in the lecture hall! The days when the equipment let you down are long gone.
Male: Yes, I know. It’s just that I’ve only ever given one presentation before.
Female: And it went well! Everyone understood what you said.
Male: But I’m still not comfortable doing it. I just hate public speaking.
Female: OK, so let’s check what it is that you’re really worried about.
Male: If you think that’ll help.
Female : Do you realise that the majority of people aren’t coming along to criticise? Most of them just want to find out what you’ve discovered in your research.
Male: Yes, I suppose that’s true.
Female: And equally, you know that all the slides you’ve prepared tell the story of that research?
Male: Yes, absolutely.
Female: So, any time the lecture hall is free, go in there and give the whole presentation to the empty room, or to me, if you like.
Male: That would be amazing! Thanks.
[REPEAT Conversation Three]
Narrator: Conversation Four
Male: I’m sorry, but I just don’t get what the lecturer was saying about motivation at the end.
Female: You mean about the differences between Maslow’s and Herzberg’s ideas?
Male: Not that. Unless I’ve got it wrong, Maslow thinks each time you satisfy one set of needs, another, higher set, comes into view.
Female: Right, whereas Herzberg says some things will always demotivate, like always being given impossible deadlines.
Male: Yeah, I got that.
Female: And she gave us that great quote from Handy…
Male: ‘Don’t try to motivate people to do boring work!’ Yeah, that’s really cool. But then she started to talk about biology.
Female: She was saying that motivation in animals, and even plants, comes from within, so managers have to create conditions where workers motivate themselves.
Male: Ah, OK. That makes sense now.
Female: You should’ve asked her to explain again at the end.
Male: There’s never time, is there? Sometimes, I wish I’d recorded lectures so I could listen again, but I guess that would take far too much time, even if they’d allow us to do it.
Female: It would be better if we just got together after each lecture and made sure we all understood the same thing.
Male: That’s a great idea! Shall we try to organise it?
Female: Yeah, cool.
[REPEAT Conversation Four]
Narrator: Conversation Five
Male: So, where have we got to on this research project? We seem to be going round in circles and it’s taking ages.
Female: Well, yeah, but at least we’re now in broad agreement on what we’re going to set out to prove. We’ve just got to work out the best way to express that idea in the first paragraph.
Male: Right! Maybe we can leave that till next time. Let’s just get out and start collecting the data.
Female: Well, that’s your job! You’re the guy who understands all the statistics.
Male: Oh, come on! You can do some of the collection work, too, even if you can’t always interpret it. There’ll be loads for an assignment like this.
Female: OK, OK! I give in!
Male: You’ve got a point though. There’s going to be so much data…
Female: …that we should split the assignment in half and work on one part each from beginning to end?
Male: I wasn’t going to say that.
Female: Right. Let me guess. Join forces with Mark and Tanya to spread the load?
Male: Let me finish. We’re quite capable of doing it all by ourselves as long as every small point doesn’t turn into a battleground.
Female: I agree.
Male: Yes! As soon as we disagree on something, we talk it through and reach an agreement.
[REPEAT Conversation Five]

Conversation 1

You hear a tutor talking to a student about her essays.

1 What aspect of the student’s last essay impressed the tutor the most?

A how well her main point was supported. B the way visual information was presented. C the amount of research she’d previously done.

2 What does he advise her to do in her next essay?

A get someone to check her work before submission. B read very widely before starting the writing process. C organise her references in a different way.

Conversation 2

You hear a student talking to a careers adviser.

3 The student is most concerned about

A finding a good position that doesn’t involve travelling. B realising his earning potential as soon as he graduates. C getting a job in a sector with good prospects for ongoing employment.

4 The careers adviser assures the student that

A his predicted grades should enable him to get a job easily. B his degree subject will be of interest to many different companies. C unemployment is low in the region at the moment.

Conversation 3

You hear two students talking about a presentation the man has to give.

5 The man is anxious that he will do badly because

A he’s not very experienced in giving presentations. B he won’t be able to remember key facts and figures. C a lot of the technology is relatively new to him.

6 What is the woman doing?

A reminding him to speak slowly and clearly. B reassuring him that the audience will be keen to ask questions. C recommending that he gets plenty of practice before the event.

Conversation 4

You hear two students talking about a lecture on motivation.

7 What did the man find difficult to understand?

A the connection between motivation and one scientific discipline. B the difference between two theories of motivation. C the relevance of one quote about motivation.

8 The students agree that

A they should form a study group to discuss lectures. B the lecturers should give more opportunity for questions. C it would be good to be able to hear lectures more than once.

Conversation 5

You hear two students talking about a joint project they’re working on.

9 How is the students’ research project going?

A They’re still struggling to find a clear aim. B They’re pleased with what they’ve written so far. C They feel frustrated by their slow progress to date.

10 After discussing possible courses of action, the students decide to

A offer to collaborate with some other students. B resolve any differences quickly. C focus on completely separate tasks.

Result:

Explanation

{ "questions": [ { "question": 1, "correct_answer": "B", "why_correct": "The tutor was most impressed by how she placed the visuals. He says 'what I particularly liked this time was the way you dropped the figures and tables into the body of the essay'. This is Option B.", "incorrect_options": { "A": "Option A is wrong because he praises her quoting but says he 'particularly liked' the figures and tables. This is a detail-vs-gist trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because she says the figures prove the theory, but that is her comment, not what impressed him most. This is a detail-vs-gist trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the words particularly liked", "Focus on the figures and tables in the essay" ], "tips": "Words like particularly or most point to the strongest praise.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: what I particularly liked this time was the way you dropped the figures and tables into the body of the essay. It was beautifully done. Female: Well, they are things which really prove the theory..." }, { "question": 2, "correct_answer": "B", "why_correct": "He advises her to get her work checked. He says 'Ask one of the other students to read it through once', because it is hard to spot your own errors. This matches Option B.", "incorrect_options": { "A": "Option A is wrong because he says quote more sources, but the improvement he asks for is checking for mistakes. This is a lexical overlap trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because he says she is already fine on the APA referencing system. This is a lexical overlap trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the advice about spelling and grammar", "Focus on the words ask one of the other students" ], "tips": "The advice is usually the action he asks her to take next time.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: Ask one of the other students to read it through once. It's quite difficult to spot errors in something you've written yourself. Female: OK. I'll do that..." }, { "question": 3, "correct_answer": "A", "why_correct": "He most wants a job with a lasting future. He says 'I'm more interested in getting into a field with long-term prospects'. This is Option A.", "incorrect_options": { "B": "Option B is wrong because the adviser offers salary as an option, but he chooses long-term prospects instead. This is a correction trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because travel is offered by the adviser, not something he wants to avoid. This is a lexical overlap trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for what he says he is more interested in", "Focus on the words long-term prospects" ], "tips": "When someone picks one option over others offered to them, that is their real concern.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: I'm more interested in getting into a field with long-term prospects - you know, with AI affecting so many industries now..." }, { "question": 4, "correct_answer": "B", "why_correct": "The adviser assures him his grades will help. She says the chemical company wants people with his high qualification, 'so you shouldn't really have any difficulty finding something'. This matches Option B.", "incorrect_options": { "A": "Option A is wrong because she actually says 'there aren't that many jobs available' locally. This is a lexical overlap trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because she calls it 'a very specialist field, so there'll be limited choice' - not many companies. This is a detail-vs-gist trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the reassuring line at the end", "Focus on the words you shouldn't have any difficulty" ], "tips": "Words like you shouldn't have any difficulty are the reassurance being tested.", "transcript_reference": "...Female: they're always looking for people with the high-level qualification you're probably going to get, so you shouldn't really have any difficulty finding something." }, { "question": 5, "correct_answer": "A", "why_correct": "He is nervous because he has hardly ever presented. He says 'It's just that I've only ever given one presentation before'. This is Option A.", "incorrect_options": { "B": "Option B is wrong because he knows his material 'inside out'; forgetting facts is not his fear. This is an inference trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because the woman reassures him the equipment works fine; new technology is not his worry. This is a lexical overlap trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the reason after the words it's just that", "Focus on how many presentations he has done" ], "tips": "For a 'because' question, find the exact reason the speaker gives.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: Yes, I know. It's just that I've only ever given one presentation before. Female: And it went well!..." }, { "question": 6, "correct_answer": "C", "why_correct": "The woman is telling him to practise a lot. She says 'any time the lecture hall is free, go in there and give the whole presentation to the empty room, or to me'. This matches Option C.", "incorrect_options": { "A": "Option A is wrong because she never mentions speaking slowly or clearly. This is a lexical overlap trap.", "B": "Option B is wrong because she says people want to learn what he found, not that they will ask questions. This is an inference trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the woman's practical suggestion", "Focus on practising in the empty lecture hall" ], "tips": "Ask yourself what action she tells him to take - that shows what she is doing.", "transcript_reference": "...Female: any time the lecture hall is free, go in there and give the whole presentation to the empty room, or to me, if you like. Male: That would be amazing! Thanks..." }, { "question": 7, "correct_answer": "A", "why_correct": "He got stuck on the biology part. He says 'But then she started to talk about biology' - the link between motivation and science confused him. This is Option A.", "incorrect_options": { "B": "Option B is wrong because he says 'Not that' about the two theories - he understood those. This is a correction trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because he calls the Handy quote 'really cool' - he understood it. This is a detail-vs-gist trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the word but before the hard part", "Focus on the mention of biology" ], "tips": "Listen for a but - it often marks the exact point that confused someone.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: Yeah, that's really cool. But then she started to talk about biology. Female: She was saying that motivation in animals, and even plants, comes from within..." }, { "question": 8, "correct_answer": "A", "why_correct": "They agree to meet up and discuss lectures. She suggests 'we just got together after each lecture', and he says 'That's a great idea!' This matches Option A.", "incorrect_options": { "B": "Option B is wrong because he says there is never time to ask, but they do not agree lecturers should give more chances. This is an inference trap.", "C": "Option C is wrong because he raises recording lectures but drops it as 'far too much time'. This is a correction trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the idea they both say yes to", "Focus on getting together after each lecture" ], "tips": "Agreement shows in words like great idea or shall we.", "transcript_reference": "...Female: It would be better if we just got together after each lecture and made sure we all understood the same thing. Male: That's a great idea! Shall we try to organise it?..." }, { "question": 9, "correct_answer": "C", "why_correct": "They feel stuck and slow. He says 'We seem to be going round in circles and it's taking ages'. This is Option C.", "incorrect_options": { "A": "Option A is wrong because they have not written much yet; they are still on the first paragraph. This is a lexical overlap trap.", "B": "Option B is wrong because she says 'we're now in broad agreement on what we're going to set out to prove' - the aim is clear. This is a correction trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for how they feel about their speed", "Focus on going round in circles" ], "tips": "Feelings words like taking ages tell you the mood of the project.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: We seem to be going round in circles and it's taking ages. Female: at least we're now in broad agreement on what we're going to set out to prove..." }, { "question": 10, "correct_answer": "C", "why_correct": "They decide to settle any disagreements fast. He says 'As soon as we disagree on something, we talk it through and reach an agreement'. This matches Option C.", "incorrect_options": { "A": "Option A is wrong because working with Mark and Tanya is suggested but rejected - 'We're quite capable of doing it all by ourselves'. This is a correction trap.", "B": "Option B is wrong because splitting the work in half is guessed but he says 'I wasn't going to say that'. This is a correction trap." }, "key_listening_points": [ "Listen for the final plan they settle on", "Focus on the words talk it through and reach an agreement" ], "tips": "Ideas that are raised then turned down are traps - wait for the one they keep.", "transcript_reference": "...Male: As soon as we disagree on something, we talk it through and reach an agreement." } ] }

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

Correct Answer: B

Why this is correct: The tutor was most impressed by how she placed the visuals. He says 'what I particularly liked this time was the way you dropped the figures and tables into the body of the essay'. This is Option B.

Tips: Words like particularly or most point to the strongest praise.