cpe listening paper part 1

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Teachers notes

Description

In this activity students identify the focuses of questions in Part 1 Listening. This encourages students to read the questions carefully and it also helps them concentrate on finding the answer to the question, rather than being tempted by the distractors.

Time required: 45 Minutes

Materials required:

students worksheet, sample recording or (if a pre-recorded version is not available,

you may record your own, or read out the extracts to the class)

copy of tape script sample task

Aims: to raise awareness of the test focuses of multiple-choice questions

to help student concentrate on listening for the answer to the question

to practise a Part 1 task

Procedure

1. Elicit from the students what they know about Listening Part 1. Make sure the following key points are covered

Part 1 is a multiple choice task There are eight questions relating to four separate texts (two questions

per text)

Texts are a mixture of monologues, prompted monologues and texts with interacting speakers

There is an introductory sentence to contextualize the texts Each question focuses on a different aspect of each text Each correct answer in Part 1 (also Part 2, 3 and 4) receives 1 mark.

2. Explain that if students understand what the question is asking them to listen out for (the test focus), it makes answering the questions easier. We cannot assume that students understand the terminology of testing therefore its a good idea to check some of the less familiar test focuses.

3. Hand out the students worksheet. Read through the instructions for Exercise 1 and write the test focuses: purpose, function, addressee and gist on the board. Elicit from the whole class what these mean (see key).

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Teachers notes www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 1 of 10

4. Ask students to look at the box with the test focuses in it and to discuss in pairs what the other test focuses (attitude, opinion, agreement, detail, topic, speaker) mean. If necessary prompt with:

attitude/opinion what do you mean when you ask someone What is your attitude towards something? (the feeling or opinion you have about something)

agreement When there are two speakers, what are you listening for? (whether they have the same opinions)

detail Are you listening for general understanding? (no, a detail, e.g. which part of an job is particularly difficult.)

topic Give a synonym for topic e.g. subject (matter) speaker You may be asked the speaker is. (who)

5. Ask them to read the instructions for Exercise 2. Stress the importance of reading the context sentences and then carefully reading the questions. The context sentence usually tells you who is speaking and where they are speaking. From this you can usually understand who the audience is. Ask students to choose what is being tested from the list of test focuses in the box. Check the answers and ask the students to highlight the key words in questions 1 and 2 which helped them find the answers (see key below).

6. Go through each extract in the same way one by one, checking the answers with the key below after each text. Repeat for Extract 2, questions 3 and 4 and for Extract 3, questions 5 and 6. Remind students that the complete task includes 4 options for each answer.

7. In order to find the focuses of Extract 4, questions 7 and 8, students need to read the text so ask them to do this for Extract 4 only.

8. Ask students to listen to the texts/recording and to answer questions 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 only (Exercise 3 on the tape script). Alternatively, students could read the tape scripts rather than listening. Explain that they cannot answer the other questions yet as they need to read the multiple choice options. Questions 1, 3 and 7 are known as sentence-completion items. The aim of this step is to focus on what they are being asked, rather than to sort out the answer from the distractors.

9. Check through the answers using the key to the sample task and the correct option from the full question paper on the worksheet. Do not focus on the distractors as this is the activity for Part 3.


10. Finally, show students the sample Part 1 on the handout. Remind students that in the actual task, they need to select the correct answer from the four options, and that you will look at how to approach this another time. Briefly review Part 1 by asking:

How many texts are there? (four) How many questions? (eight two per text) Are the texts on the same theme? (no) What are some of the different test focuses that might be used? (addressee,

feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function, agreement, gist, detail, topic, speaker)

Suggested follow-up idea

Ask students to look at the full exam task, the multiple-choice questions in the handbook. Play the recording and ask the students to do questions 1 8.


CPE Listening Paper Part 1 answer keys

Key to Procedure step 3/ Students Worksheet Exercise 1

Purpose: we want to understand why the speaker is doing something or saying something

Function: we want to understand what the speaker is doing; is she apologising, praising? etc.

Addressee: we want to understand who the speaker is speaking to; is it the manager of a store?, etc.

Gist: we want to understand the general meaning/main point of part of a text or the whole text.

Key to Students Worksheet Exercise 2

1 purpose; The speaker compares science-fiction films with myths to make the point that they

2 opinion; According to the speaker, why did science-fiction films begin to go out of fashion?

3 purpose; The speaker uses the example of genetics to underline peoples

4 function; What is the speaker doing in this part of the talk?

5 opinion; What is the novelists opinion of writing thrillers?

6 feeling; How does the novelist feel when she is writing the end of the book?

7 gist; The speaker is concerned about alien plant life species because their presence (this question requires students to read/listen to a chunk of text)

8 detail; According to the speaker, why were alien plant species introduced? (Candidates have to listen for a detail to answer this question)

Key to Sample Task

1. B 2. C 3. B 4. C

5. B 6. A 7. A 8. B

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 answer keys www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 4 of 10

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Students Worksheet Exercise 1

In the box is a list of the possible question focuses of the multiple-choice questions in Part 1.

If we say the focus is feeling, it means that we are listening and trying to understand what the speakers feeling is: is he excited, upset, annoyed, etc.?

Question focuses

addressee feeling attitude opinion purpose function agreement gist detail topic speaker

What does it mean when we say a question is focussing on:

purpose function addressee gist?

Exercise 2

For each extract, read the first sentence, the context sentence, and the questions below and choose what is being tested from the list of test focuses in the box above. Then underline the words in the question which helped you decide.

Extract One

You hear part of a radio programme about science-fiction films.

1 The speaker compares science-fiction films with myths to make the point that they

2 According to the speaker, why did science-fiction films begin to go out of fashion?

Extract Two

You hear part of a talk about science and public opinion.

3 The speaker uses the example of genetics to underline peoples

4 What is the speaker doing in this part of the talk?

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Students Worksheet www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 5 of 10

Extract Three

You hear part of a talk on the radio in which a novelist describes how she writes.

5 What is the novelists opinion of writing thrillers?

6 How does the novelist feel when she is writing the end of the book?

For Extract Four, read the text and then decide on the question focuses.

You hear an environmentalist talking about alien plant species.

7 The speaker is concerned about alien plant life species because their presence

8 According to the speaker, why were alien plant species introduced?

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Students Worksheet www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 6 of 10

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Listening tape script Exercise 3

Listen to the recording and answer questions 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 only, because the other questions require you to read the multiple choice options as well. Make brief notes for your answers.

Youll hear four different extracts. For questions 18, choose the answer (A, B, or C) which fits best according to what you hear. There are two questions for each extract.

Extract one.

You hear part of a radio programme about science-fiction films.

The first science-fiction film was Rocket to the Moon, made in 1902. According to one movie director not known for his succinct use of language, the appeal of science fiction is that its the modern equivalent of ancient myths, where the fantasy world thats created provides the backdrop against which human nature can come up trumps in the face of adversity. And ever since that first movie, weve been vicariously hurling our bodies into the void: to the moon, and above all to Mars.

For several decades Mars was a place of awe, even in, say, the 1938 film Flash Gordons Trip to Mars, in which all the Martians spoke English. It seems laughably naive now.

In the 1950s, science-fiction gained a tinge of science fact, not to mention politics. A decade later, the increasingly sophisticated movie-going audience was drifting away to other genres, after more convincing special effects, or out of the cinema altogether. And for a few years, there was little film-makers could do to stem the flow.

Extract two.

You hear part of a talk about science and public opinion.

The next time some academic writes a book about how science is on the verge of having a grand theory of everything, he or she should be mercilessly exposed, not only for misleading us, but for encouraging us to believe that science has the answer to all our problems; that all we need to do is lie back and follow the instructions. Genetics is the most recent example of this triumphalism in science. Exaggerated news reports give the impression that a genetic cause can be assigned to virtually anything. And whilst more serious scientists make clear that thats not true if you study the evidence carefully, no-ones listening at that point because the storys broken and the headline has caught the public imagination in a way that the detail never could. The cult of the expert is a strong one. We like to believe that scientists are clever and their conclusions are valid. But we also persuade ourselves that we dont need to think things through for ourselves. Somebody else will do this for us, somebody who knows what theyre talking about.

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Listening tape script www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 7 of 10

Extract three.

You hear part of a talk on the radio in which a novelist describes how she writes.

Well, I tend to make it up as I go along. I dont map out stories beforehand. You have to know what road youre going along but not what twists and turns its going to have, but youve got to get to a destination even though you dont know what it is. But all novels are different. Ive written thrillers in which you kind of have to know the plot, which I find a bit tedious actually, because then in away youre just filling in the gaps with language. Its more stimulating if you take the reader on a route you dont know either a magical mystery tour!

And yet you have to trust your unconscious enough to know youll be able to tie up all the ends, and its quite startling when you do, because you go through a patch when youre despondent. But you have to remember that this has happened before and hope itll happen again and I think I learned early on, you know, the pain of having to abandon something is so terrible that your unconscious will do anything to avoid it, anything!

Extract four.

You hear an environmentalist talking about alien plant species.

Whats likely to happen all over the world is that well see an increasing homogenisation of the earths plant life? Theres plenty of evidence to show that thats going on. Im particularly worried about aliens; plants that have insinuated themselves into ecosystems where they dont belong. Many ecologists now believe that the spread of such aliens is the second biggest threat to the worlds range of species after habitat loss.

A lot of the species were talking about that are currently causing this problem were deliberately brought in for ornamentation but once aliens are established, its not easy to get rid of them. They become a problem not because native ones are effete and ripe for take-over by more aggressive colonists, but because native plants have their own predators, insects, etc. fungal diseases. When you have an introduction into a country, it doesnt have anything thats adapted to live on it. And so the alien is able to grow very well with a release from that competition, I suppose.

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Listening tape script www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 8 of 10

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Sample Task Now look at the multiple-choice questions for this text. Listen to the recording and answer questions 18.

Extract One You hear part of a radio programme about science-fiction films. 1 The speaker compares science-fiction films with myths to make the point that they

A have a universal appeal. B show people in a heroic light. C create an imaginary universe.

2 According to the speaker, why did science-fiction films begin to go out of fashion?

A The films became more factual. B There was over-use of special effects. C Audiences were increasingly critical.

Extract Two You hear part of a talk about science and public opinion. 3 The speaker uses the example of genetics to underline peoples

A vulnerability in the face of false claims by scientists. B willingness to believe a good story. C inability to understand deep concepts.

4 What is the speaker doing in this part of the talk?

A complaining about our lack of imagination. B encouraging us to take science more seriously. C questioning our faith in scientific things.

Extract Three You hear part of a talk on the radio in which a novelist describes how she writes. 5 What is the novelists opinion of writing thrillers?

A She finds the task of creating the plot complicated. B She considers the actual process of writing them rather dull. C She thinks the language she can use in a thriller is too limited.

6 How does the novelist feel when she is writing the end of the book?

A surprised that everything has fallen into place B excited at the thought of readers discovering her novel. C proud of having created another original work.

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Sample Task www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 9 of 10

UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Sample Task www.cambridgeesol.org/teach Page 10 of 10

Extract Four You hear an environmentalist talking about alien plant species. 7 The speaker is concerned about alien plant life species because their presence

A reduces the overall number of different plants. B encourages the introduction of harmful diseases. C changes the climatic conditions in certain areas.

8 According to the speaker, why were alien plant species introduced?

A to eliminate certain insect pests. B to make an area visually attractive C to improve native plant stocks

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Teachers notesDescriptionTime required:45 MinutesMaterials required: students worksheet, sample recording or (if a pre-recorded version is not available, you may record your own, or read out the extracts to the class) copy of tape scriptAims:ProcedureSuggested follow-up idea

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 answer keysKey to Procedure step 3/ Students Worksheet Exercise 1 Key to Students Worksheet Exercise 2Key to Sample Task

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Students WorksheetCPE Listening Paper Part 1 Listening tape scriptExercise 3

CPE Listening Paper Part 1 Sample Task

cpe listening paper part 1

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