Assessment of Speaking and Listening Skills

Class-XII (2019-20)
Listening Test (Worksheet)
Time: 1 hour Max Marks: 20

Task 1

You will hear five short extracts in which people talk about the movies they
enjoy. Read the statements below, then listen to the extracts and match
each statement A to G to each speaker 1 to 5. There are two statements
you do not need. You will hear the recording twice.

Speaker 1

I have always love watching movies but this new job hasn’t left me with
much time for leisure. I am a great fan of Hollywood romantic comedies.
Most of them are family films and my teenage kids enjoy them as well. I
love the light-hearted humour and fairy tale endings with the ‘happily ever-
after’ theme. I also love movies screened at the international film festivals. I
feel that they are a great insight into various cultures.

Speaker 2

I think science fiction movies really rock! My friends and I eagerly wait for
the next part of the movie and spend our pocket money on T-shirts and
other products connected to these movies. We even have discussions
about the plot and actors. The only other kinds of movies we thoroughly
enjoy are the action-fantasy films with magical creatures, fairies, wizards
and witches! There is something exciting about watching them set out on
adventurous journeys. Some of these movies are also based on our
favourite books.

Speaker 3
I’m an Amitabh Bachchan fan and I enjoy all the movies that he’s starred in.
I used to enjoy his movies as a school girl and now that I’m in college I
can’t help admiring his acting skills even more. His movies promise
something different and have a great balance of drama, comedy and
action. I also find movies on social issues, patriotism and lives of great
people quite inspiring and there’s always an encouraging message in there
somewhere.

Speaker 4
I’m 70 and my favourite recreation is watching the musicals from the 60s.
Such movies take me back to my days of youth and I can’t help smiling. My
grandchildren are too young to understand the movies but they dance
around me to the foot-tapping beats and sometimes even try and match the
dance steps of the actors. When I’m on my own I prefer to watch political
and biographical documentaries. They keep me engaged and I can share
new information with my laughter club friends.

Speaker 5

I enjoy Tamil movies in which the hero is one of my favourite actors and
can fight 20 villains at a time. For me, a movie has to have songs and
dances with bright costumes. I love it when such movies are shot in foreign
locations because I feel transported to these foreign lands. After a hard
day’s work at the factory, such movies help me relax and forget my
troubles. I also like watching Hollywood mystery movies on T.V. when they
are dubbed in my mother-tongue.

Task 2

You will hear an interview with Dr. Deepak Chopra, a famous career
counsellor, on the things to keep in mind while choosing a career. Read the
sentences below, then listen to the conversation and choose A, B or C for
each sentence. You will hear the recording twice.

Interviewer: Good morning doctor! So what according to you is a good age

to think about a career?

Dr. Deepak: Good Morning. Well I think there is no better time to begin
thinking about careers than the early teen years. As teens enter high
school, they will be faced with choices in which classes they take. The
classes they take in high school affect the choices they have when applying
for college, which affects which careers they can embark upon.

Interviewer: Okay that’s news and how do we encourage them?

Dr. Deepak: I would suggest you ask these questions. First, asking “Who am I?”
helps a teen explore their likes and dislikes. Secondly, “How do I want to live my
life?” helps them determine lifestyle issues. For example, helping others may be
more of a priority than financial success. Being free to travel may be more
important than being rooted in an office. Thirdly, asking “What do I have to give?”
helps a teen examine their unique set of skills and interests.

Interviewer: They sound like good questions. But what about exploring interests
and aptitudes? How can they do that?
Dr. Deepak: Comparing subjects a teen enjoys with those she doesn’t can be a
good guide to exploring career paths. In fact students should delve deeper and
study the various ingredients of subjects. For example, a teen may be bored by the
dates or political aspects of history, but completely fascinated by the personalities
behind those events, leading to careers from psychology to journalism.

Interviewer: What’s the importance of skills?

Dr. Deepak: It is very important while choosing a career to figure out what your
skills are. There are a number of online tests you can take to take stock of your
skills. If you do not like children, for instance, teaching and child care are not good
careers for you. If you are extremely good at mathematics, a career in the sciences
or in finance could be an excellent choice.

Interviewer: Even after taking the skill tests, some people are not realistic in their
choices.

Dr. Deepak: Coming to terms with what you want to do with what you’re
prepared to do is a major factor in weeding out inappropriate career choices.
Parents should be realistic too by considering their children’s interests and
aptitudes before trying to push one career path over another. Some careers may
seem attractive while in high school. But actually making a living as a painter or a
writer is easier said than done. For such difficult careers, having a back-up plan is
good idea.

Interviewer: After finding out their interest and identifying their skill set, what
should the teens do then?

Dr. Deepak: Once a teen begins to favour a career path, volunteering can give her
a taste for that career while giving her valuable hands-on experience. Researching
careers online and talking to people who work in that field can also help a young
teen making the transition toward adulthood. School guidance teachers are also a
valuable resource for exploring careers, as are career aptitude tests offered by high
schools and colleges.

Task 3

You will hear a short speech by the first Iranian woman private space explorer on
how the journey to space changed her worldview. Read the questions below, then
listen to the extract and choose FOUR of the options A to G which are correct. You
will hear the recording twice.

Hello all! My name is Anousheh Ansari and I feel great satisfaction and pride in
being the first Iranian woman private space explorer and the first astronaut to visit
space. I’m happy to be in India and I would like to share my thoughts with you all.
You see, I fell in love with the stars when I was a young girl growing up in the
Iranian city of Mashhad, where I would sleep out in the open during summer, gaze
at the stars and imagine the mysterious worlds up there. I always felt the answers
to some of our problems would be somewhere up there in space.

My husband, I and my brother-in-law sold our technology firm in a multi-million

dollar deal. This gave us $10 million to create the set up for my private space
travel. I trained in Moscow for about a year before the launch in 2006 when I
blasted off into space from the Russian spacecraft Soyuz.

I don’t have words to explain my sentiments. Perhaps I can compare it to the

pilgrimages that people undertake to their respective places of worship. Up there
from space, all I could see was a beautiful blue planet, home for each one of us. I
did not see any borders or markers that differentiate people on the basis of race or
colour. It was the trip of my life. Seeing a big blue ball in the vast dark ocean of
space changed me. It made me realise that we are all but a tiny part of something
grand. I felt humbled by that experience.

I hope my experience inspires everyone — especially young girls — to pursue

their dreams and not give up. I believe that every woman can realise her dream if
she nurtures it and grabs any opportunity that comes her way. All the best. Thank
You.

Task 4

You will listen to two students, a boy and girl, discuss the topic ‘Importance of
discipline in life’. Read the sentences below, then listen to the conversation and
complete the sentences with one or two words only.
You will hear the recording twice. Deepak: Hey where are you off to. You seem to
be in a hurry.

Nisha: Yes it’s my study time. So I am going to study.

Deepak: Do you do everything by the clock?

Nisha: I try to do everything according to my timetable. I have set time for every
activity I do daily.

Deepak: I make timetables but I am never able to stick to them. I get distracted.

Nisha: You surely need discipline in life. It is extremely important.

Deepak: And what is that? You mean somebody needs to be at my head with a
stick to make me follow rules. Is that the discipline which we need?
Nisha: No I was talking about self-discipline. Discipline helps one stay focused
towards his work. Discipline helps get things done faster and in time. Though some
things happen late due to other factors, still one with discipline gets them done
faster. So this leads to peace of mind and keeps one happier.

Deepak: Don’t worry! I am happy as I am.

Nisha: You may be happy but discipline will help you earn respect. In studies,
being disciplined helps you complete you exam preparation, homework in time and
helps you gain highest score. This wins you respect from your classmates.

Deepak: You may be right. So what can one do to be disciplined?

Nisha: Disciplined life includes regular habits like taking food, bathing, exercise,
waking and sleeping at right time. Exercise and other regular habits will tune the
body and mind so well that you will always remain healthy. Discipline is a way of
positive outlook to life. There is an enthusiasm and self-confidence from within.
So it keeps one active and not lazy instead.

Deepak: All that is fine but can it help me do better in studies.

Nisha: Of course! Discipline in education is very important. Education is

incomplete without learning discipline. Classroom discipline helps students to
listen to teachers. Also, while coming to school in time helps them awake early,
bathe and having their breakfast in time. Discipline in school helps students to stay
healthy which is good for growth, of body and mind. In fact, school teaches us the
discipline which helps us in our entire life.

Deepak: Is that the reason why you seem to have more time.

Nisha: That’s true! A disciplined person has more time in a day than an
undisciplined person, because you save time by doing everything on time. You
don’t waste a single minute. So, more time means there is more chance to do extra
work. We can overcome procrastination and laziness by being disciplined.
Disciplined life always helps us in achieving our aims.

Deepak: Ok. You get going now. Thank you so much for your advice. It has really
made me realize the importance of a disciplined life. I will try to be more
disciplined. I will also try my best to stick to the timetable I make for myself.
 Assessment of Speaking and Listening Skills
Class-XI (2016-17)
Listening Test (Key)
KEY

Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4

A-5 1.A A A. stick
B-2 2.B C B. faster
C-NA 3. A F C. respect
D-3 4.A G D. enthusiasm
E-NA 5.A E.procrastination
F-4 6.A
G-1