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Listening Skills Quiz 4
Semester 1 2013
1. Watch the speech about the Rakuten company’s growth as a company (“Rakuren’s Growth as a
Company). Circle the peripheral details of the speech (hint: there are more than one).
a) Hiroshi Mikitani’s partner was a graduate student in 1997.
b) Rakuten’s founders started from their own capital, 200,000 dollars.
c)Rakuten is number 1 in e-commerce and number 2 in online brokerage.
d) Rakuten’s competitors are Google, Amazon, and eBay.
e) There aren’t many Japanese companies who have English as their internal language.
f) Rakuten believes they can use their unique business model in other countries.
2. Listen to the following report and answer the questions.
- Here are some vocabulary items to help with your understanding:
19th century= Years from 1800 – 1899 Advocate=supporter
Fluctuate= change
Tangible= real
Accountable = responsible
Over the top = too much
a. What is the topic of this report?
b. What are the main ideas of this report (there are 3)? Provide one supporting detail for each main idea.
1.
support:
2.
support:
3.
support:
3. The World’s English Mania
- Watch the speech and decide if each detail below is central (write “C”) or peripheral (write “P”).
a) Manias can be good. Manias can be alarming. Or manias can be deadly. __________
b) There are 2,000,000 people learning English worldwide. __________
c) English is important because of the opportunity it provides. _________
d) Chinese students study 12 hours a day for 3 years for the Gaokao test. _________
e) 80 million students have already taken the Gaokao. _________
f) 25 percent of the grade on the Gaokao is based on English. _________
g) The world has other universal languages. _________
h) English is becoming the language of problem solving. _________
4. Mixed Sounds
Read the following passages and try to guess where there may be mixed sounds. Next, listen to the
passages and UNDERLINE the places where you heard mixed sounds.
NOTE: If you do not hear a mixed sound where you guessed, do not underline.
a) What you need to do is turn right at the end of the road. You are going to stop at the last house.
b) Last year was fantastic. It was the third year in a row that the company saw a profit.
c) Would you mind driving me to the bus station? I am going to visit my friends in Busan.
d) This is the last time we can help you. Do you understand?
e) Mr. Thompson? OK. He is busy at the moment, but you have an appointment, don’t you?
5. Mixed Sounds & Changing Sounds
Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks.
What is a ____________ solution to the problem our town is facing? Ladies and ____________,
it is quite clear. What I need to do, ______ ______need to do ,is invest. We must invest
_________ ________. The town treasury will be empty in just a few years. After that, we will
have very ____________ to spend on investments. However, if we invest now, we can see our
funds grow. I know some people are thinking “______ ______we invest the money now,
____________ have nothing.” That may be true; the town will have to operate on a small budget
for a short time. If we invest now, though, by next year, we will have 5% more money, by the
second year, 15%, and by the _______ _______, we will have a ____________increase in
available funds. This is why we must invest. ______ ______ join me in this plan?
______ ______suggest we ______ ______out efforts into this plan and save our town? Thank
you.