The Listening Distractor
In the Aptis Listening test, you hear a conversation between two colleagues discussing a project deadline. Speaker A says: 'I think we should aim for Friday.' Speaker B replies: 'But the client meeting is on Thursday; we need it by Wednesday.' Speaker A agrees. The question asks: 'When is the deadline for the project?' The options are: A) Friday, B) Thursday, C) Wednesday. You must choose the correct answer.
1. Which option is correct and why?
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The correct answer is C) Wednesday. Speaker A initially suggests Friday, but Speaker B corrects with 'we need it by Wednesday' because the client meeting is Thursday. Speaker A agrees. So the final agreed deadline is Wednesday. Option A is a distractor because it was initially mentioned but overridden. Option B is the meeting date, not the deadline. In listening tests, always listen for the final decision or correction, as initial suggestions may be changed.
2. What listening skill is being tested here?
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This tests the ability to follow the main points and understand the speaker's intention, specifically identifying the final agreement after a negotiation. It also tests distinguishing between similar-sounding information (Thursday vs. Wednesday) and understanding the relationship between events (meeting on Thursday means deadline before that). To improve, practice listening for signal words like 'but', 'so', 'actually', and 'let's', which indicate changes or conclusions.