Following a discussion
The focus of Listening Part 4
To listen to a discussion between two people and to answer multiple-choice questions on the following aspects:
the gist of the discussion
specific details
the purpose of the discussion
the key ideas and attitudes of the speakers
the difference between fact and opinion.
FORMAT
The discussion is between male and female speakers.
The question format may be either sentence completion or question-and-answer.
The questions always follow the order of the discussion.
You will hear the discussion twice and must answer by circling the letter of the correct reply. You are given 20 seconds to read the questions before you listen.
CONTENT
There will be three speakers in each conversation.
The speakers will have distinct voices to help you identify who says what and there will be clear references to the different people involved.
HOW TO PRACTICE
You will find it helpful to have practice in:
listening to discussions on a wide range of topics, where both obvious and subtle differences of opinion are expressed. Radio and the Internet are very valuable sources of listening material
taking part in discussions yourself, where you have to argue from a certain standpoint, using persuasive tactics to change another person’s viewpoint
understanding the language of argument, justification, giving examples, and so on
listening for mood, emotion and attitude in different speakers.
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