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Practice Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #38786 Medium English language
Instructions ›
Listen to the recording and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
If you think about it, the English language has written into it negative associations towards the clouds. Someone who's down or depressed, they're under a cloud. And when there's bad news in store, there's a cloud on the horizon. I saw an article the other day. It was about problems with computer processing over the Internet. 'A cloud over the cloud,' was the headline. It seems like they're everyone's default doom-and- gloom metaphor. But I think they're beautiful, don't you? It's just that their beauty is missed because they're so omnipresent, so, I don't know, commonplace, that people don't notice them. They don't notice the beauty, but they don't even notice the clouds unless they get in the way of the sun. And so people think of clouds as things that get in the way. They think of them as the annoying, frustrating obstructions, and then they rush off and do some blue-sky thinking. But most people, when you stop to ask them, will admit to harbouring a strange sort of fondness for clouds. It's like a nostalgic fondness, and they make them think of their youth. Who here can't remember thinking, well, looking and finding shapes in the clouds when they were kids? You know, when you were masters of daydreaming?

According to the audio, why do people often overlook the beauty of clouds?

* Listen to the recording and select the correct answer

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Option 2: "Clouds are too commonplace and omnipresent."

Explanation: This option correctly captures the essence of the text. The speaker explains that clouds are so common and present in our lives that people fail to notice their beauty. This is supported by the statement that clouds are 'omnipresent' and 'commonplace,' leading to a lack of appreciation.

Option 1: "Clouds are associated with bad news and negativity."

Explanation: While the text mentions that clouds have negative associations, this option does not address the main reason people overlook their beauty. The focus is on the negativity rather than the idea that their common presence leads to overlooking their beauty.

Option 3: "People only focus on the sun and blue skies."

Explanation: This option suggests that people focus solely on the sun and blue skies, which is not explicitly stated in the text. The text discusses clouds being overlooked due to their commonality rather than a direct comparison to the sun.

Option 4: "Clouds are considered obstructions to daily activities."

Explanation: Although the text mentions that clouds are seen as obstructions, this option does not fully explain why their beauty is overlooked. It focuses on the obstruction aspect rather than the idea that their common presence leads to a lack of appreciation.

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