Listening and choosing the right word
When you listen, you do not need to catch every word. Read the questions first, so that you know what to listen for: a number, a day, a name or a reason. Listen once for the main idea and a second time for the three facts. Write short notes, not sentences. Numbers and days are easy to confuse, so write them as figures and check them in the second listening. To choose the right word for a gap, do three things. First, decide what kind of word is missing: a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb. Second, read the whole sentence and look for a clue, such as without help or admire. Third, put your choice in the gap and read the sentence again. If it sounds strange, try another word. Each word in a box is used only once, so cross out the words that you have used.
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Decide the kind of word | Gap before a noun: an ___ result, so an adjective. |
| Find the clue | “without help from anyone” points to independently. |
| Test it | She worked independently. The sentence sounds natural. |
| Cross it out | Each word in the box is used only once. |
Hello, I am Laila and I am in the school radio club. We are twelve members, and we meet every Tuesday at half past one. Every member has a job. Some of us write the news, some choose the music and some read the programme on the air. At first I was afraid of the microphone, but my friend Hassan told me to read slowly, and now I enjoy it. Last week we broadcast a fifteen-minute show about a school book fair, and the head teacher said our work was impressive. Next month we will rehearse a quiz show with students from another class. In the club I have learned to listen with respect, because other members often have ideas that are different from mine.
Listening at home. Ask a grown-up to read a short news item or a recipe aloud once. Write down three facts as short notes: a number, a name and a reason. Then read your notes back and ask them if the facts are right.