Q1.
I. You will listen to a podcast on meditation. As you listen, complete the sentences with not more than three exact words that you hear. (Transcript for teacher on page 266)
1. Meditation is a form of yoga that usually refreshes the mind and helps with ___________________.
2. Meditation leads to a better health condition both ________________.
3. Meditation also aids in lessening undesirable feelings and improving __________________.
4. It is advised that we meditate every day so that it becomes a _______________.
5. Meditating on a daily basis is beneficial in comfortably tackling ________________.
Answer
All five answers come from the podcast printed on Appendix page 266. The task allows a maximum of three words, and they must be the exact words heard — so match each printed sentence to the line in the transcript that paraphrases it.
| No. | Answer | The line in the transcript (page 266) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | stress management | “Meditation is an important yogic practice which is commonly used for relaxation and stress management.” |
| 2. | physically and emotionally | “This, in turn, results in an enhanced state of well-being, physically and emotionally.” |
| 3. | self-awareness | “meditation also helps to reduce negative emotions and increases self-awareness.” |
| 4. | routine | “start practising meditation on a regular basis and make it your routine.” |
| 5. | exam-related pressure | “practising meditation regularly can help lessen exam-related pressure, allowing you to manage them with ease.” |
How to work an exact-words listening task:
- The printed sentence is always a paraphrase, so listen for the synonym, not the word on your paper. “Undesirable feelings” in the question = “negative emotions” in the podcast; “a better health condition” = “an enhanced state of well-being”.
- Find the grammar slot first. Blank 2 follows “both”, so the answer must be a pair — “physically and emotionally”. Blank 4 follows “a”, so it must be a singular noun — “routine”, not “regular basis”.
- Never exceed the word limit and never substitute your own word, however close in meaning.
Why this listening piece is placed in this chapter: the podcast promises that meditation “will contribute to your overall well-being and positively influence your memory power”. The story has just finished making fun of the idea of a memory pill. Put side by side, the two suggest the chapter’s real position — memory is looked after by habits, attention and calm, not by a tablet on a saucer.