The Forgotten Skill, Listening Exercise- Pinar Elet

1. Parent: Well, um, they've been_____ her a lot about her appearance, and then, the other day, you didn't help things [ What? ] Yeah, she said you made a comment about her clothes. Teacher: What do you mean? I mean . . . Parent: She said you commented on her shirt and jeans, like they were from the 1970s or something like that.

tease (verb): make fun of

- Some of the kids my class are always teasing my sister, and I can't get them to stop.
nasty (adjective): terrible

Explanation

tease (verb): make fun of

- Some of the kids my class are always teasing my sister, and I can't get them to stop.
nasty (adjective): terrible

Submit

2. Teacher: Well, you know, kids can be kids. Parent: No, don't you get it? This is bullying; it's cyberbullying, and adults like you are part of the problem. Forget it. I'm planning on discussing this with the_____ tomorrow. Teacher: Oh, wait, wait, wait. Um, uh, oh. I'm sorry if I hurt her feelings [ Yeah. You did! ], but . . .

principal (noun): manager or director of a school

- The principal spoke to all of the kids at school about the problems of cyberbullying.

Explanation

principal (noun): manager or director of a school

- The principal spoke to all of the kids at school about the problems of cyberbullying.

Submit

3. Parent: I get sick and tired of people thinking that a little teasing is okay. Too many kids are killing themselves because they feel that there's just no way to escape this. Teacher: Okay. Well, I guess I need to be a little bit more careful, but . . . Parent: Yeah, you do. I really hope I can get Megan to come to school tomorrow. She's been really, really _____and depressed [ Wow. ] for some time, and your comments and those that the other kids made haven't helped.

anxious (adjective): nervous

- Brittany feels very anxious about going to school these days.

Explanation

anxious (adjective): nervous

- Brittany feels very anxious about going to school these days.

Submit

4. Teacher: Wow. Uh, I'm really sorry. Could you see if you can bring her to school tomorrow? Uh, I'd like to apologize and see what I can do to, maybe, _____ the situation. Parent: Thanks. I'd appreciate it. That would help.

improve (verb): make better

- If you want to improve the environment for kids at school, you have to speak out about the problems of bullying.

Explanation

improve (verb): make better

- If you want to improve the environment for kids at school, you have to speak out about the problems of bullying.

Submit

5. The girl's teacher just thinks that she needs to _____ to make things better.

Talk more

Study quietly

Pay attention

The girl's teacher believes that by talking more, she will be able to improve the situation. This implies that the girl may be quiet or reserved, and the teacher believes that by encouraging her to speak up and participate more in class discussions, it will help her to better understand the subject matter and possibly improve her overall performance.

Explanation

The girl's teacher believes that by talking more, she will be able to improve the situation. This implies that the girl may be quiet or reserved, and the teacher believes that by encouraging her to speak up and participate more in class discussions, it will help her to better understand the subject matter and possibly improve her overall performance.

6. Teacher: Hi. Welcome to Parent-Teacher Conference. Parent: Thanks. Teacher: So, what is your child's name? Parent: It's Megan Jones. Teacher: Megan. Uh, let's see. Oh yeah, Megan. Um, she missed the last couple of days. Has she been sick? Parent: No, she's been having some problems with the other kids in your class, and ... Teacher: Well, you know, junior high school is a difficult time, but she just needs to _____ a little more in class. I think...

speak up (phrasal verb): speak without fear or hesitation

- People need to speak up against bullying when the see it happen.

Explanation

speak up (phrasal verb): speak without fear or hesitation

- People need to speak up against bullying when the see it happen.

Submit

7. What did some kids do on Facebook that hurt the girl's feelings?

They didn't invite her to a birthday party.

They deleted her as a friend.

They wrote some awful messages.

The correct answer is "They wrote some awful messages." This suggests that the kids hurt the girl's feelings by sending her mean or hurtful messages on Facebook. The act of writing awful messages can be emotionally damaging and can cause distress to the girl, leading to hurt feelings.

Explanation

The correct answer is "They wrote some awful messages." This suggests that the kids hurt the girl's feelings by sending her mean or hurtful messages on Facebook. The act of writing awful messages can be emotionally damaging and can cause distress to the girl, leading to hurt feelings.

8. Parent: No, it's . . . it's more than that. Some of the kids in your class have really been_____ her a lot. Teacher: What do you mean?

bully (verb): treat someone badly in action or words

- Why do you always bully Brandon? He hasn't done anything to you.

Explanation

bully (verb): treat someone badly in action or words

- Why do you always bully Brandon? He hasn't done anything to you.

Submit

9. The teacher wants to _____.

Apologize to the girl by email

Read books on suicide prevention

Talk to the girl the next day at school

The teacher wants to talk to the girl the next day at school. This suggests that there may have been an issue or concern involving the girl that the teacher wants to address in person. By choosing to talk to her directly, the teacher can have a face-to-face conversation and potentially provide support or assistance if needed.

Explanation

The teacher wants to talk to the girl the next day at school. This suggests that there may have been an issue or concern involving the girl that the teacher wants to address in person. By choosing to talk to her directly, the teacher can have a face-to-face conversation and potentially provide support or assistance if needed.