Loading question...
You are in free guest mode. Timed Practice Revision List Attempt History Progress Tracking Create a free account to unlock these tools
Back to Questions
Prev Next
Practice Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In) ID: #48702 Long Drumbeat
Instructions ›
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
* Fill in the missing words into the blank fields
Despite  a  drumbeat  of  bad  economic  news,  the    market  is  up  —  almost  11  percent  in  the  last  few  weeks.  Junk  bonds,  those  risky  corporate  I.  O.  U.'s,  are  rallying.  The  value  of  financial  shares,  bank  loans,  tricky  credit  derivatives  —  up,  up,  up.  Many  on  Wall  Street,  the  epicenter  of  the  credit  mess,  seem  to  think  that  the  worst  is  .  For  the  first  time  in  months,  analysts  and  executives  sound  upbeat  again.  Many  of  them  see  a  broad,    recovery  in  both  the  economy  and  the  financial  markets  coming  in  the  second  half  of  this  year,  a  prediction  some  market  strategists  call    at  best.  For  now,  policy  makers  are  echoing  the  mood  on  Wall  Street.  Treasury  Secretary  Henry  M.  Paulson  Jr.  said  in  an  interview  with  Bloomberg  Television  on  Thursday  that  "we  are  closer  to  the  end  of  this  problem  than  we  are  to  the  beginning."

Result:

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

Explanation: You hear "the stock market is up". It comes before market, a word for a thing.

Meaning: "stock" means shares in a company.

Wrong options:

  • stok: It leaves out the "c". Check the letters: "stock". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
Correct answer: over

Explanation: Listen for "the worst is over". It is a short word meaning finished.

Meaning: "over" means finished or past.

Wrong options:

  • ovre: Two letters are in the wrong order. Write "over". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
Correct answer: sustained

Explanation: On the recording you hear "a broad, sustained recovery". You need a describing word that ends in ed.

Meaning: "sustained" means lasting for a long time.

Wrong options:

  • susteined: It has "e" where the word has "a". Check the letters: "sustained". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • sustainable: "sustainable" is a close word, but it ends in "able". The speaker says "sustained", which ends in "ed".
Correct answer: hopeful

Explanation: Listen again to "call hopeful at best". It is a describing word that ends in ful.

Meaning: "hopeful" means showing hope or optimism.

The rest of this explanation is for members. Sign in free to read why the other options are wrong, key words and tips.

Sign in to read the full explanation

With a free account: Retry and compare every attempt.
Saving...