INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

SAMPLE TEST
AE1 LISTENING
Date: __________ 2021
(No electronic devices or reference materials are allowed.)

Duration: approx. 45 minutes

Student name: _______________________________________ Student ID: ___________________

TEST PAPER

Proctor 1: Score

NOTES:
− Students are given half a minute to read through the test questions before each part and another 3 minutes at
the end of the test to transfer the answers onto the answer sheet.
− Students are required to submit both the test paper and the answer sheet at the end of the test.
− Students are allowed to listen to each part TWICE.

Part 1: Questions 1-5

Listen to part of a talk on A TECHNOLOGY TREND FOR ENTERTAINMENT. All these sentences are false.
Correct the information in each sentence.

0. The professor starts with the discoveries in music technology.

1. The lecture is about portable music.

2. Sony Walkman did not change much after 1995.

3. One advantage of CDs over cassette tapes is their moving parts.

4. The MP3 format was invented in Korea in 1999. (1998)

5. Some disadvantages of chips are their large size and high price. (Small size)

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Part 2: Questions 6-15
Listen to a talk on LANGUAGE and fill in the summary notes. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for
each blank. (70 pts)

Topic: English slang in the USA

Main idea 1: (6) _meaning of slang____________________

Main idea 2: reasons why people use slang

Main idea 3: how slang is created

Main idea 1:

o used for (7) __new informal___________________ words and phrases

o express something new or something old in an unusual way
Example: ‘I’m pumped up’ or ‘I’m psyched’ means ‘I’m really excited’
o can be funny and playful
o can be (8) __________impolite and offensive___________

Main idea 2:

o Make people feel connected with a peer group

🡪 use slang 🡪 show group identity
o Show that slang users are (9) ___casual__________________ with others
🡪 common in the workplace
o Use lang to (10) ___colorful__________________ or to impress other people

Main idea 3:

Ways that slang is created

o Give new meaning to an old word

Example: the word ‘wire’
▪ Original meaning: related to electricity
▪ New meaning: feel too excited, a little crazy, full of energy
o Create a totally new word
Originate from (11) ____subculture_________________ or smaller groups
Example: the word ‘bling-bling’
▪ Meaning: shiny jewelry
▪ First appeared in a hip-hop song
▪ Now used in regular conversations
o (12) _borrowing____________________ from another language or culture
USA slangs include words from languages like German, Italian, Chinese, etc.

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Factors affecting slangs

o Region
Example: to mean ‘Hello everybody’ − southern states: ‘Hey y’all’
− California: ‘What’s up, guys?’

o Occupation
Some job slang relevant to many people 🡪 popular 🡪 become general slang

Negative aspects of slang

o (13) _destroy english language____________________

▪ A lot of slang has grammar errors 🡪 break the rules of language
▪ Young people: break rules = do differently; show new generation; not (14) __traditional
society_______________
▪ Example: ‘my bad’ meaning ‘responsible for a mistake’
o Too informal for a speech
o More suitable for speaking, unacceptable in (15) ______academic essays_______________

Conclusion

o Language = living things 🡪 changing all the time

o New slang helps language grow and change

THE END

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