General Listening Quiz

What are typical topics of conversation that come up when meeting someone for the first time? Write down your ideas before you begin.

1. It’s easy to make friends if you’re friendly.
2. You should always try to make friends with people who are different from you.
3. It’s better to have a few close friends than many acquaintances.
4. It’s okay to make friends online.
5. Making friends in school is easier than making friends at work.
6. You can make friends without talking to them first, just by being kind.
7. It’s important to make new friends when you move to a new place.
8. You should always try to be yourself when making friends.
9. People can have friends even if they don’t see each other every day.
10. It’s hard to make friends if you’re shy.

“a social butterfly” = someone who enjoys being around people
“She’s a real social butterfly and always seems to make friends so easily.”

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

Here are some words that appear in the recording:

• originally (adverb): at first, in the beginning
  – My family is originally from Argentina, but we moved here when I was five.
• military (noun): the armed forces, such as the army, navy, or air force
  – Because my father was in the military, we moved a lot when I was a kid.
• overseas (adverb): in or to a foreign country, especially across the ocean
  – My dad was in the military, so we lived overseas for many years.
• major in (verb): to study a specific subject in college or university
  – I’m majoring in psychology because I want to be a counselor someday.
• representative (noun): someone who speaks or acts for a company or group
  – She works as a sales representative for a computer company.

Introduce yourself to two other people in your class using the conversation as a model.

How do you say these basic expressions in three different languages? Use the internet to help you.

1. Hello.
2. How are you today?
3. What is your name?
4. My name is ______.
5. Good-bye.