Contoh Soal Choose the best summary of a short talk or informational ad

Contoh Soal Choose the best summary of a short talk or informational ad - We listen to friends, family, colleagues, teachers and even the conversations around us all the time. Sometimes we pay attention, and sometimes we don’t. However, when we’re really trying to understand what someone is saying, we listen with full concentration. We pay attention to their words, their tone, and if they are in front of us, to their body language as well. This helps us understand the meaning of what they are saying. This kind of listening is called “active listening”, and it is a very important skill for students who want to learn fast and remember well! We shall practice this skill through some exercises in just a little while.

A summary of a message is a short version of the main points of the message. It refers to the topic being discussed, the main ideas around the topic, and the conclusion that the speaker comes to.  Let’s look at the script for a message:

Snowfall is common in many areas during the winter. But snow recently fell in some places where it is rarely seen. The eastern Mediterranean received what has been called its worst winter storm in 20 years in early January. Weather experts say the storm produced as much snow and rainfall as the average precipitation totals for all winter long. The storm affected life in many cities, from Gaza to Istanbul. As much as 15 centimeters of snow fell in cities like Jerusalem, Ramallah, Amman and Damascus.

If we had to summarize this whole message in one sentence, what would it be? Probably something like:

This January many parts of the world, especially the eastern Mediterranean region, received much more snowfall than usual.

The sentence mentions the topic and the main idea without going into the details. Also, it is much shorter than the original passage. That makes it a good summary.

When trying to work out the summary of a spoken message, you won’t be able to read the words again and again very easily, so it is important to practice active listening (we just learnt about it) and pay attention to both the words and the meaning of the message while you hear it! Let’s get started right away, and all the best!

S1

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Food has always been the star of my family’s favorite expressions. My mother always told us there is no use crying over spilled milk. That means you should not get angry when something bad happens and cannot be changed. People said my mother was a good egg. She would always help anyone in need. We never had to walk on eggshells around her. We did not have to be careful about what we said or did because she never got angry at us. She also told us you have to break some eggs to make an omelet. This means you have to do what is necessary to move forward.

What is this passage talking about?

S2

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Once a month, just after
sunset, trucks fill an outdoor parking lot in Los Angeles, California. Some
trucks sell all kinds of food products, from sweet ice cream to spicy seafood.
Others have clothing or jewelry for sale. These vehicles are known as fashion
trucks. The back of the
truck is a mini-store. Clothing hangs on one side. Jewelry and purses are on
the other side. The store is stylish and looks well organized. There is also a
very small room for trying on clothes. Jordana
Fortaleza is one of the store’s owners. She says the cost of owning a
truck is much lower than making monthly payments for temporary use of store.
And there is another reason to use a truck. You’re able to travel to your demographic.    

What is the main reason for the popularity of the “fashion truck”?

S3

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

A new study adds to evidence suggesting that being bilingual is good for the brain. In the study, older adults who have spoken two languages since childhood showed better mental skills than those who speak just one language. Earlier studies showed that bilingualism seemed to favor the development of these heightened skills. The authors of the new study say their findings provide evidence of that cognitive advantage among older, bilingual adults.

Which of these is an accurate summary of the message?

S4

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Health experts have long noted the importance of physical activity. Exercise not only improves your appearance. It can also improve your health. Exercise helps to reduce the risk of some diseases. They include heart disease, stroke, type-two diabetes, osteoporosis and even some kinds of cancer.
 
America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In two thousand nine, heart disease killed almost six hundred thousand Americans. High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels in blood can increase your risk of heart disease. Medical experts say both can be reduced through normal exercise.

What is the main message of
this talk?

S5

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

A new study suggests that early exposure to germs strengthens the immune system. That means letting children get a little dirty might be good for their health later in life. The study involved laboratory mice. It found that adult mice raised in a germ-free environment were more likely to develop allergies, asthma and other autoimmune disorders. These are more than eighty disorders where cells that normally defend the body instead attack tissues and organs. 

What is a good summary of this message?

S6

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Surveys of American teenagers find that about half of them do not get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of sixty to ninety minutes less than experts say they need.

One reason for this deficit is biology. Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups. Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning. Sleepy teens can experience a form of depression that could have big effects on their general well-being. It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road.

What is the best summary of this message?

S7

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Americans love their pets a lot - especially their cats and dogs.

In fact, many Americans consider pets to be as much a part of their family as human family members. Fifty percent of pet owners questioned said they considered their pets to be full members of the family. And forty three percent admitted to feeding the animals people food. After all, a dog is said to be man’s best friend. The American Pet Products Association says pet ownership in the United States has reached an all time high. Nearly seventy three million homes have at least one pet. That includes about eighty six million cats and more than seventy eight million dogs.

Which of these is an appropriate summary of the message?

S8

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Chopsticks are sticks used in some Asian countries to eat food. They are often made out of wood, but can also be made of plastic. Most of the world’s chopsticks are made in China. Several hundred Chinese manufacturers produce about sixty three billion pairs of chopsticks a year. However, those manufacturers need more wood. One small company in the American city of Americus, Georgia has recognized this demand, and is making traditional Chinese chopsticks, and sending them to China.

In central Georgia, sweetgum and poplar trees grow in large numbers. In fact, these trees make good chopsticks. This is because the wood is not firm and has a nice color. Unlike many Asian chopsticks, these Georgia-made chopsticks do not need to be lightened with chemicals and bleach.

Which of these is a good summary of this message?

S9

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

To be recorded:

Bees add an estimated eighteen billion dollars a year to the value of American crops. They pollinate flowers that become fruits, nuts and vegetables. But, in recent years, honeybee colonies in the United States and Europe have been shrinking. Scientists have proposed different theories to explain what is known as colony collapse disorder.

New research suggests that a commonly used group of insecticides could cause bees to have a hard time finding their way back to their hive. The research looks at the use of pesticides called neonicotinoids. They were first used in the nineteen nineties, and are now put on the seeds of many major crops around the world. 

What is the main subject this message is focusing on?

S10

Listen to the message and answer the question below.

What can you do with earthworms? Some people use the creepy crawlers to catch fish. But others put worms to work making compost. Compost looks and feels like good soil. Gardeners and farmers add it to soil to make plants grow better.

You can make compost from food waste at home with or without the help of worms. How the worms help is by first eating and processing the food. It comes out the other end of the worm as rich compost.

Which of these would be a good headline that summarizes this message?

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