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Practice Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In) ID: #46610 Short Tamaulipas
Instructions ›
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
* Fill in the missing words into the blank fields
It    came    after    four    Americans    were    kidnaped    in    Matamoros,    just    across    the    Rio    Grande,    about    a    20    minute    drive    across    the    border.    They    were    friends    on    a    road    trip    from    South    Carolina    on    their    way    to    an    for    a    medical    procedure    for    one    of    them.    I    don't    like    the    Mexican    authorities    very    quickly    in    to    find    them,    and    in    a    matter    of    days,    they    announced    that    two    of    them    were    killed    and    the    other    two    were  .  This    week  after    this    attack,    officials    in    Texas    are    again    warning    Americans    not    to    cross    the    border    into    Mexico,    for    spring    break.    And    while    the    violence    is    far    from    unusual    in    Matamoros,    the    very    quick    response    to    the    is    thousands    of    people    continue    to    be    missing    in    Tamaulipas,    the    state    where    the    city    is    located.    So    for    the    residents,    they're    being    found    so    quickly,    like    what    happened    for    the    American    visitors.    That's    actually    rare.

Result:

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

Explanation: On the recording you hear "to an appointment for a medical". It comes after "to an", so you need a word for a thing.

Meaning: "appointment" means a planned meeting with a doctor or clinic.

Wrong options:

  • appoitment: It leaves out the "n". Write "appointment". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
Correct answer: stepped

Explanation: Listen again to "very quickly stepped in to find them". This already happened, so the word ends in ed.

Meaning: "stepped" means moved into action to help or take control.

Wrong options:

  • stept: It has "t" where the word has "ped". Check the letters: "stepped". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • step: "step" is missing the ending. The speaker says "stepped", with "ped" at the end.
Correct answer: released

Explanation: Here you hear "the other two were released." After "were" the word ends in ed.

Meaning: "released" means they were let go or set free.

Wrong options:

  • realesed: Two letters are in the wrong order. Write "released". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
  • freed: This is a different word, not the exact word the recording used.
Correct answer: especially

Explanation: The speaker says "into Mexico, especially for". You need a word that tells how much, so it ends in ly.

Meaning: "especially" means more than usual or for a special reason here.

Wrong options:

  • especialy: It leaves out the "l". Check the letters: "especially". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • especial: "especial" is missing the ending. The speaker says "especially", with "ly" at the end.
Correct answer: kidnapping

Explanation: You hear "response to the kidnapping is thousands". It comes after "the", so you need a word for the crime that ends in ing.

Meaning: "kidnapping" means taking people away by force or without permission.

Wrong options:

  • kidnaping: It leaves out the "p". The right spelling is "kidnapping". Every letter must be correct to get the mark.
  • kidnaped: "kidnaped" is a close word, but it ends in "ed". The speaker says "kidnapping", which ends in "ping".
Correct answer: pretty

Explanation: Listen for "That's actually pretty rare." You need a word that tells how much.

Meaning: "pretty" here means fairly or rather, used before "rare".

Wrong options:

  • prety: It leaves out the "t". Write "pretty". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.

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