General Listening Quiz

How long does it take to graduate from college in your country? Explain. 

1. 1. Everyone should try to graduate from college.
   2. A graduation ceremony is an important event.
   3. You don’t need a college degree to be successful.
   4. Graduating from college is harder for some people than others.
   5. Families should celebrate when someone graduates.
   6. Wearing a cap and gown makes graduation feel special.
   7. Some students feel sad when college ends.
   8. The most important part of graduation is getting a job afterward.
   9. It’s better to graduate with good grades than to finish quickly.
   10. College graduation should be a goal for all young people.

“pass with flying colors” = pass a class or test with high marks
“Many students passed the test with flying colors.”

“drop out of school” = stop attending school; quit school
“My sister dropped out of school because she didn’t have money to pay for tuition.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words that appear in the recording:

• left (adjective): not used up; remaining
  – My daughter has one year left of high school.
  – There are two cookies left. Can I have them?
• finance (noun; also a verb): the management of money in a family, at a company, or by governments
  – James is a real expert in finance at his company.
• up in the air (expression): undecided
  – Our travel plans are up in the air right now until weather improves.

How do people find a job before or after they graduate from college? Do colleges in your country help students find jobs, or are students responsible for getting a job on their own? 

Use the internet to find out how much college tuition costs at one or more of these schools for one year (two semesters of classes):

• University of Utah (where I teach)
• Harvard University
• Stanford University
• Princeton University
• Columbia University