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Practice Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In) ID: #4015 Short Hermits
Instructions ›
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
* Fill in the missing words into the blank fields
There  have  been  hermits  –  also  known  as  recluses,  monks,  misanthropes,  ascetics,  anchorites,  swamis  –  at  all  times  in  recorded  history,    all  cultures.  But  there  are  really  only  three  general  reasons  why  people  leave  the  world.  Most  do  so  for    purposes,  to  forge  a  closer  bond  with  a  higher  power.  Jesus,  Muhammad  and  Buddha  all  spent  significant  time  alone  before  introducing  a  new  religion  to  the  world.  In  Hindu  philosophy,  everyone    matures  into  a  kind  of  hermit,  and  today  at  least  four  million  people  live  as  wandering  holy  men  in  India,  surviving  off  the    of  strangers,  having  renounced  all  familial  and    attachments.  Other  hermits  opt  out  of  civilisation  because  of  a  hatred  of  what  the  world  has  become  -  too  much  war,  or  environmental  destruction,  or  ,  or  consumerism.

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct answer: across

Explanation: Listen for "at all times in recorded history, across all". The missing word comes before "all cultures", so you need a short word for place.

Meaning: "across" means from one side to the other side of many places.

Wrong options:

  • acros: It leaves out the "s". Check the letters: "across". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
Correct answer: religious

Explanation: On the recording you hear "Most do so for religious purposes". You want a word that describes purpose, not a name or an action.

Meaning: "religious" means about faith, belief or worship.

Wrong options:

  • religous: It leaves out the "i". The right spelling is "religious". Every letter must be correct to get the mark.
Correct answer: ideally

Explanation: Listen again to "In Hindu philosophy, everyone ideally matures". It describes what would be best, so the word ends in ly.

Meaning: "ideally" means in a perfect or best case.

Wrong options:

  • idealy: It leaves out the "l". Check the letters: "ideally". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • ideal: "ideal" is missing the ending. The speaker says "ideally", with "ly" at the end.
Correct answer: charity

Explanation: Here you hear "surviving off the charity of strangers". The blank follows "the" so you need a word for help or giving.

Meaning: "charity" means gifts or help from people in need or for a cause.

Wrong options:

  • charitiy: It adds an extra "i". Write "charity". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
Correct answer: material

Explanation: The speaker says "having renounced all familial and material attachments". It talks about possessions, a short word for things people own.

Meaning: "material" means about things, possessions or physical goods.

Wrong options:

  • materiel: It has "e" where the word has "a". Check the letters: "material". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
Correct answer: crime

Explanation: You hear "or crime, or consumerism". It is a short word for illegal actions, ending in e.

Meaning: "crime" means illegal acts or wrongdoing.

Wrong options:

  • crim: It leaves out the "e". The right spelling is "crime". Every letter must be correct to get the mark.
  • crisis: This is a different word. The speaker means illegal acts, not sudden bad events.

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