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HSC Korean Continuers study materials
HSC Korean Continuers study resources

HSC Korean Continuers practice questions

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Question 1Listening and Responding

You hear a student say: "저는 매일 아침 일곱 시에 일어나요." What time does the student wake up?

  1. 7 p.m.
  2. 7 a.m. Correct answer.
  3. 6 a.m.
  4. 8 a.m.

Explanation

The time expression 일곱 시 means seven o'clock, and 매일 아침 marks it as every morning. Morning context confirms the hour is before noon, so the correct time is 7 a.m.

Question 2Listening and Responding

A woman says: "주말에 친구하고 영화를 봤어요." What did she do on the weekend?

  1. Cleaned the house
  2. Went shopping alone
  3. Watched a movie with a friend Correct answer.
  4. Studied with a friend

Explanation

The verb 봤어요 from 보다 means watched or saw, and its object is 영화 (movie). The particle 하고 links 친구 as the companion, giving 'watched a movie with a friend'.

Question 3Listening and Responding

You hear: "오늘은 비가 와서 우산을 가지고 갔어요." Why did the speaker take an umbrella?

  1. Because it was sunny
  2. Because it was snowing
  3. Because it was raining Correct answer.
  4. Because the umbrella was new

Explanation

The connective 서 in 비가 와서 expresses cause: because it rained. Taking an umbrella follows logically from rain, so the reason is the rain.

Question 4Listening and Responding

A teacher says: "숙제는 내일까지 제출하세요." When is the homework due?

  1. Yesterday
  2. Today
  3. Tomorrow Correct answer.
  4. Next week

Explanation

The particle 까지 marks a deadline, so 내일까지 means 'by tomorrow'. The imperative 제출하세요 tells students to submit it by that time.

Question 5Listening and Responding

A man says: "저는 한국 음식 중에서 김치찌개를 제일 좋아해요." What is his favourite Korean food?

  1. Cold noodles
  2. Bibimbap
  3. Bulgogi
  4. Kimchi stew Correct answer.

Explanation

The superlative 제일 좋아해요 means likes most, and its object is 김치찌개. Therefore kimchi stew is his favourite among Korean foods.

Question 6Listening and Responding

You hear: "지하철역은 이 건물 뒤에 있어요." Where is the subway station?

  1. Behind the building Correct answer.
  2. Inside the building
  3. In front of the building
  4. Next to the school

Explanation

The location noun 뒤 means 'behind', and the particle 에 marks position. So the station is located behind this building.

Question 7Listening and Responding

A girl says: "동생은 저보다 키가 커요." Who is taller?

  1. The speaker
  2. They are the same height
  3. The speaker's friend
  4. The younger sibling Correct answer.

Explanation

The comparative particle 보다 marks the standard of comparison, and 키가 커요 means is taller. So the younger sibling is taller than the speaker.

Question 8Listening and Responding

You hear a shop assistant say: "이 신발은 사이즈가 작아서 다른 걸 보여 드릴게요." What will the assistant do?

  1. Order the shoes online
  2. Give a discount
  3. Ask the customer to return later
  4. Show a different item Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 다른 걸 보여 드릴게요 means 'I will show you a different one'. The reason given is that the shoes are too small in size.

Question 9Listening and Responding

A student says: "방학 동안에 할머니 댁에 가서 한 달 동안 지냈어요." How long did the student stay?

  1. One week
  2. The whole holiday
  3. Two weeks
  4. One month Correct answer.

Explanation

The expression 한 달 동안 means 'for one month'. The visit to the grandmother's house lasted that period during the holidays.

Question 10Listening and Responding

You hear: "어제는 늦게 자서 오늘 아침에 일어나기가 힘들었어요." Why was it hard to get up this morning?

  1. Because the alarm broke
  2. Because the room was cold
  3. Because the speaker was sick
  4. Because the speaker slept late last night Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause 늦게 자서 means 'because I went to bed late', and 서 signals the cause. That cause explains why getting up this morning was difficult.

Question 11Listening and Responding

A man says: "주말에는 등산을 가고 싶은데 날씨가 좋지 않을 것 같아요." What is his concern?

  1. His friend cannot come
  2. The mountain is too far
  3. He has no hiking shoes
  4. The weather may be bad Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 날씨가 좋지 않을 것 같아요 expresses a guess that the weather will not be good. This is the obstacle to his wish to go hiking.

Question 12Listening and Responding

You hear a woman say: "약속 시간에 늦어서 친구에게 먼저 가라고 했어요." What did the woman tell her friend?

  1. To go ahead first Correct answer.
  2. To wait a little longer
  3. To cancel the meeting
  4. To come to her house

Explanation

The quoted imperative 먼저 가라고 했어요 means 'I told them to go first'. It follows from the fact that she was late for the appointed time.

Question 13Listening and Responding

A radio announcement says: "오후 세 시부터 강당에서 한국 문화 특강이 있습니다." What is being announced?

  1. A Korean food festival
  2. A film screening
  3. A special lecture on Korean culture Correct answer.
  4. A music concert

Explanation

The noun 특강 means a special lecture, and its topic is 한국 문화 (Korean culture). The announcement gives the time and place of this lecture.

Question 14Listening and Responding

A customer says: "이 옷을 바꿀 수 있을까요? 영수증은 여기 있어요." What does the customer want?

  1. To try on another size
  2. To buy a receipt
  3. A refund in cash
  4. To exchange the clothing Correct answer.

Explanation

The verb 바꾸다 means to exchange or change, and the question asks whether the clothing can be exchanged. Offering the receipt supports an exchange request.

Question 15Listening and Responding

You hear: "비가 올 것 같아서 우산을 챙겼는데 지금은 해가 났어요." What is the situation now?

  1. It is raining heavily
  2. It is snowing
  3. The sun has come out Correct answer.
  4. The umbrella is broken

Explanation

The final clause 지금은 해가 났어요 states that the sun is now out. This contrasts with the earlier expectation of rain that made her bring an umbrella.

Question 16Listening and Responding

A boy says: "축구를 좋아하지만 이번 주말에는 시합이 없어서 집에서 쉬려고 해요." What will he do this weekend?

  1. Watch soccer on TV
  2. Practise with his team
  3. Play in a soccer match
  4. Rest at home Correct answer.

Explanation

The ending 려고 해요 expresses intention, and 집에서 쉬려고 해요 means he plans to rest at home. The reason is that there is no match this weekend.

Question 17Listening and Responding

You hear a woman say: "동생이 태어나서 가족들이 모두 바빠졌어요." What changed in the family?

  1. They moved to a new house
  2. They got a new pet
  3. The younger sibling started school
  4. Everyone became busy Correct answer.

Explanation

The construction 바빠졌어요 means 'became busy', and 모두 indicates all the family members. The cause given is that a younger sibling was born.

Question 18Listening and Responding

A message says: "내일 모임은 사정이 있어서 다음 주로 미뤘어요." What happened to the meeting?

  1. It was cancelled
  2. It was held online
  3. It started early
  4. It was moved to next week Correct answer.

Explanation

The verb 미루다 means to postpone, and 다음 주로 marks next week as the new time. So the meeting is delayed to the following week.

Question 19Listening and Responding

A speaker says: "제가 이번에 한국에 가게 되면 꼭 한복을 입어 보고 싶어요." What does the speaker want to do in Korea?

  1. Try wearing a hanbok Correct answer.
  2. Take photos of a hanbok shop
  3. Learn to make a hanbok
  4. Buy a hanbok as a gift

Explanation

The expression 입어 보고 싶어요 combines 입다 (wear) with the exploratory 보다, meaning 'want to try wearing'. The object is 한복, so the wish is to try on a hanbok.

Question 20Listening and Responding

You hear: "친구가 약속 시간보다 삼십 분이나 일찍 도착했어요." How early did the friend arrive?

  1. Thirty minutes Correct answer.
  2. Twenty minutes
  3. An hour
  4. Ten minutes

Explanation

The number 삼십 분 means thirty minutes, and 일찍 도착했어요 means arrived early. The particle 이나 adds the nuance that it was as much as thirty minutes early.

Question 21Listening and Responding

A speaker says: "어릴 때는 수영을 못했는데 지금은 수영 선수예요." What does this tell us about the speaker?

  1. The speaker improved from unable to swim to being a swimmer Correct answer.
  2. The speaker never learned to swim
  3. The speaker stopped swimming recently
  4. The speaker teaches swimming to children

Explanation

The contrast -는데 links an earlier inability (못했는데) with the present status of being a swimmer. This shows clear improvement over time from not swimming to competing.

Question 22Listening and Responding

You hear: "시험이 끝나자마자 여행을 떠날 생각이에요." When does the speaker plan to travel?

  1. Before the exam
  2. A few days after the exam
  3. During the exam period
  4. Immediately after the exam ends Correct answer.

Explanation

The pattern -자마자 means 'as soon as', so the plan is to leave right after the exam finishes. The intention is marked by 생각이에요.

Question 23Listening and Responding

A woman says: "그 식당은 맛있기로 유명한데 값이 좀 비싼 편이에요." What is her overall view of the restaurant?

  1. It is expensive and tasteless
  2. It is famous but hard to reserve
  3. It is cheap and tasty
  4. It is famous for its taste but rather expensive Correct answer.

Explanation

The structure -기로 유명하다 means 'famous for', here famous for being delicious. The -는데 clause then adds a drawback: it tends to be somewhat expensive, giving a balanced view.

Question 24Listening and Responding

A man says: "비가 오는 줄 알았는데 우산을 안 가져왔네요. 아까는 흐렸거든요." What does the man imply?

  1. He brought an umbrella because it was cloudy
  2. He lost his umbrella earlier
  3. He is glad the weather is clear
  4. He expected rain but did not bring an umbrella Correct answer.

Explanation

The pattern -ㄴ 줄 알았는데 expresses a mistaken assumption: he thought it was raining. The following clause shows the result, that he did not bring an umbrella, which he now regrets.

Question 25Listening and Responding

You hear: "동생은 공부를 하라면 할수록 싫어해서 부모님이 걱정하세요." What do the parents worry about?

  1. The younger sibling's poor health
  2. The younger sibling's dislike of studying Correct answer.
  3. The cost of private lessons
  4. The speaker's exam results

Explanation

The clause 하라면 할수록 싫어해서 means the more they are told to study, the more the sibling dislikes it. The parents' worry (걱정하세요) is directed at this attitude to studying.

Question 26Listening and Responding

You hear: "오늘은 어제보다 바람이 많이 불어서 코트를 입고 나왔어요." Why did the speaker wear a coat?

  1. Because the speaker was going to a formal event
  2. Because the coat was a new purchase
  3. Because it was windy and colder than the day before Correct answer.
  4. Because it was raining heavily outside

Explanation

The speaker compares today with yesterday using 보다 and says the wind is blowing a lot, so the coat is a response to the cold wind. The comparative marker 어제보다 signals that the weather changed for the worse.

Question 27Listening and Responding

A woman says: "이번 주말에 친구들이랑 영화를 보기로 했어요." What has the woman decided to do?

  1. Watch a movie with friends Correct answer.
  2. Go shopping with her family
  3. Study for an exam with friends
  4. Clean her house this weekend

Explanation

The pattern -기로 했어요 expresses a decision already made, and the content is watching a movie with friends. The time word 이번 주말에 locates the plan at the weekend.

Question 28Listening and Responding

You hear: "죄송하지만 지금은 자리가 없어서 조금 기다리셔야 해요." What is the listener told to do?

  1. Come back tomorrow
  2. Move to another table outside
  3. Wait for a short while Correct answer.
  4. Fill in a form first

Explanation

The phrase -셔야 해요 expresses an obligation or requirement, and the requirement here is to wait a little because there are no seats now. The word 자리 refers to seats in a venue.

Question 29Listening and Responding

A man says: "어릴 때부터 피아노를 배웠는데 지금은 그만두었어요." What does the man say about piano?

  1. He learned it from childhood but no longer does it. Correct answer.
  2. He has never been interested in piano.
  3. He started learning it only recently.
  4. He teaches piano to children now.

Explanation

The construction -부터 marks the starting point in childhood, and -았/었는데 contrasts that past with the present. The verb 그만두었어요 means he stopped, so the contrast is between past learning and present discontinuation.

Question 30Listening and Responding

You hear a station announcement: "이번 열차는 공사 때문에 십 분 늦게 출발합니다." What does the announcement say?

  1. The train will arrive ten minutes early.
  2. The train will leave from a different platform.
  3. The train will leave ten minutes late. Correct answer.
  4. The train has been cancelled today.

Explanation

The noun 때문에 marks the cause, and 늦게 출발합니다 states a delayed departure. The number 십 분 specifies the length of the delay as ten minutes.

Question 31Listening and Responding

A girl says: "저는 매운 음식을 잘 못 먹어서 김치를 조금만 먹어요." What does the girl say about spicy food?

  1. She eats spicy food every single day.
  2. She can only eat a little because she handles it poorly. Correct answer.
  3. She thinks spicy food is too sweet.
  4. She wants to learn to cook spicy food.

Explanation

The pattern 잘 못 먹다 means to be unable to handle or eat something well, and -아서/어서 gives the reason. The result is that she eats only a little kimchi, marked by 조금만.

Question 32Listening and Responding

You hear: "오늘은 수업이 일찍 끝나니까 집에 가서 좀 쉬려고요." What will the speaker do?

  1. Attend another class
  2. Go home and rest Correct answer.
  3. Meet a friend downtown
  4. Finish homework at school

Explanation

The ending -니까 gives the reason that class ends early, and -려고요 states the speaker's intention. The intended action is going home to rest.

Question 33Listening and Responding

A woman says: "이 카메라는 산 지 삼 년이 넘었는데 아직도 아주 잘 돼요." What does she say about the camera?

  1. She bought it three days ago and it broke.
  2. It still works well though she bought it over three years ago. Correct answer.
  3. She has never used the camera.
  4. She is planning to buy a new camera.

Explanation

The pattern -ㄴ 지 시간이 되다 expresses how much time has passed since an action, here over three years since buying. The clause 아직도 아주 잘 돼요 shows the camera still functions well.

Question 34Listening and Responding

You hear: "제가 예약한 시간은 두 시인데 지금이 세 시예요. 저보다 먼저 온 사람이 있나요?" What is the speaker's problem?

  1. The speaker came before the shop opened.
  2. The speaker forgot the reservation number.
  3. The speaker booked a table for the wrong day.
  4. The speaker arrived an hour after the booked time. Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker contrasts the booked time of two o'clock with the current time of three o'clock, which shows an arrival one hour late. The final question asks whether anyone came earlier than the speaker.

Question 35Listening and Responding

A man says: "어제 산 우유가 벌써 상한 것 같아요. 냄새가 이상해요." What does the man think?

  1. The milk tastes better than usual.
  2. He needs to buy more milk today.
  3. The milk he bought yesterday may already have gone bad. Correct answer.
  4. He forgot to put the milk in the fridge.

Explanation

The expression -ㄴ 것 같아요 marks the speaker's inference rather than certainty, and 상하다 describes food spoiling. The supporting evidence is the strange smell.

Question 36Listening and Responding

You hear a teacher say: "숙제를 안 해 온 사람은 쉬는 시간에 남아서 해야 합니다." What does the teacher tell the students?

  1. Students without homework must stay during break to do it. Correct answer.
  2. All students must hand in homework before class.
  3. Students may do homework at home tonight.
  4. Nobody needs to do homework this week.

Explanation

The relative clause 숙제를 안 해 온 사람은 identifies the group affected, and -아야 합니다 states the requirement. The time expression 쉬는 시간에 shows the work is done during break.

Question 37Listening and Responding

A woman says: "동생이 제 책을 가져갔는데 아직 돌려주지 않았어요." What is the woman saying?

  1. She bought a book for her younger sibling.
  2. Her younger sibling took her book and has not returned it. Correct answer.
  3. She lent a book to a friend and got it back.
  4. She lost a book she borrowed from the library.

Explanation

The verb 가져가다 means to take something away, and the contrast -는데 plus 아직 sets up the unfinished return. The pronoun 제 shows the book belongs to the speaker.

Question 38Listening and Responding

You hear a phone message: "지금 회의 중이라서 전화를 못 받았어요. 끝나면 다시 걸어 드릴게요." Why did the person not answer the phone?

  1. They were driving and could not stop.
  2. They did not recognize the caller's number.
  3. They were in a meeting and could not take the call. Correct answer.
  4. They had lost their phone at work.

Explanation

The construction -라서 gives the reason, and 회의 중 means in the middle of a meeting. The follow-up promise to call back confirms the missed call was due to the meeting.

Question 39Listening and Responding

A man says: "그 식당은 예약을 안 하면 한 시간은 기다려야 된대요." What does the man say about the restaurant?

  1. The restaurant only accepts reservations by phone.
  2. You must reserve at least one hour in advance.
  3. Without a reservation you may have to wait about an hour. Correct answer.
  4. The restaurant is closed for about an hour at lunch.

Explanation

The quoted form -된대요 reports what the speaker heard from someone else, and -면 sets the condition of not reserving. The consequence is waiting roughly an hour.

Question 40Listening and Responding

You hear: "친구가 많이 아파서 병원에 간다기에 저도 같이 가기로 했어요." What did the speaker decide to do?

  1. Go to the hospital together with the sick friend Correct answer.
  2. Take medicine and rest alone
  3. Stay home and call the friend later
  4. Cancel a planned trip to the hospital

Explanation

The ending -다기에 reports the friend's stated intention to go to the hospital, and -기로 했어요 marks the speaker's own decision. The word 같이 shows they go together.

Question 41Listening and Responding

A woman says: "비행기 표를 미리 예매했더니 십만 원이나 싸게 샀어요." What does the woman say?

  1. She missed her flight and lost the ticket money.
  2. She bought two tickets for the same price.
  3. Booking early saved her a lot of money on the ticket. Correct answer.
  4. She paid more because she booked late.

Explanation

The construction -았/었더니 describes the result the speaker experienced after doing something, here booking in advance. The particle -이나 after the amount emphasises how surprisingly large the saving was.

Question 42Listening and Responding

You hear: "어머니는 제가 공부하는 동안 조용히 해 주시려고 텔레비전도 안 보셨어요." What does the speaker say about the mother?

  1. She watched TV loudly while the speaker studied.
  2. She asked the speaker to stop studying.
  3. She went out so the speaker could use the living room.
  4. She gave up watching TV so the speaker could study quietly. Correct answer.

Explanation

The pattern -아/어 주시려고 expresses the mother's intention to do a favour for the speaker, and -는 동안 marks the overlapping time of studying. The result is that she did not even watch television.

Question 43Listening and Responding

A man says: "표를 인터넷으로 예매하면 할인을 받을 수 있지만, 현장에서 사면 정가로 내야 해요." What is the man explaining?

  1. The ticket price is the same everywhere.
  2. Online booking is cheaper than buying at the venue. Correct answer.
  3. Buying at the venue gives a bigger discount.
  4. Online booking is no longer available.

Explanation

The two clauses are contrasted with -지만, setting the online discount against paying full price on site. The word 정가 means the regular full price, so the comparison favours online booking.

Question 44Listening and Responding

You hear: "지난주에 산 휴대폰이 자꾸 꺼져서 서비스 센터에 맡겼어요." What happened to the phone?

  1. It was stolen and reported to the police.
  2. It was a gift from the service centre.
  3. It was sold to a service centre.
  4. It kept turning off, so it was left for repair. Correct answer.

Explanation

The adverb 자꾸 indicates a repeated problem, and 꺼지다 means to switch off by itself. The verb 맡기다 means to leave something in someone's care, here for repair at a service centre.

Question 45Listening and Responding

A woman says: "그 배우가 나오는 드라마라서 보기 시작했는데 이야기가 재미없어서 요즘은 안 봐요." Why did she start watching the drama?

  1. Because it was filmed in her hometown
  2. Because it won a major award last year
  3. Because her friends recommended it strongly
  4. Because a particular actor appeared in it Correct answer.

Explanation

The construction -라서 gives the reason for starting to watch, and the reason is that the actor she likes appears in it. The -는데 clause then contrasts this with her current lack of interest.

Question 46Listening and Responding

A man says: "주말마다 아르바이트를 해서 모은 돈으로 여름 방학에 유럽에 갈 거예요." What is the man's plan?

  1. He will stop working on weekends next month.
  2. He will use money earned from weekend work to travel to Europe. Correct answer.
  3. He will spend all his savings on a new computer.
  4. He will work in Europe during the summer holidays.

Explanation

The relative clause 주말마다 아르바이트를 해서 모은 돈으로 explains the source of the funds, namely weekend part-time work. The main clause states the purpose, a summer trip to Europe.

Question 47Listening and Responding

You hear: "약속을 잊어버린 줄 알았는데 친구가 먼저 와서 기다리고 있었어요." What does the speaker reveal?

  1. The speaker arrived first and waited for the friend.
  2. The friend cancelled the meeting without telling the speaker.
  3. The speaker thought the friend had forgotten, but the friend was already waiting. Correct answer.
  4. Both of them forgot the appointment completely.

Explanation

The pattern -ㄴ 줄 알았는데 expresses a mistaken assumption later corrected by the following clause. The speaker assumed the friend had forgotten, but in fact the friend had arrived earlier and was waiting.

Question 48Listening and Responding

A woman says: "동생이 저보다 노래를 잘하는데도 노래방에서는 절대 안 부른대요." What is surprising about the younger sibling?

  1. The sibling sings badly but loves karaoke.
  2. The sibling only sings songs the woman chooses.
  3. The sibling sings well but refuses to sing at karaoke. Correct answer.
  4. The sibling has never been to a karaoke room.

Explanation

The construction -ㄴ데도 expresses a contrast that is unexpected, linking good singing ability with a refusal to sing. The adverb 절대 with the negative 안 부른대요 reports the sibling's firm refusal.

Question 49Listening and Responding

A man says: "회사에서 새 프로젝트를 맡게 되어서 바쁘지만, 이번 기회에 많이 배울 수 있을 것 같아요." What is the man's attitude?

  1. He accepts the busy schedule because he expects to learn from it. Correct answer.
  2. He regrets taking on the project and wants to quit.
  3. He is worried that the company will cancel the project.
  4. He thinks the project is too easy to be useful.

Explanation

The construction -게 되어서 describes how the assignment came about, and -지만 concedes the busyness. The final clause with -ㄹ 것 같아요 expresses a positive expectation of learning, showing acceptance.

Question 50Listening and Responding

You hear: "그 가게는 값이 싼 대신에 질이 좀 떨어지는 편이에요." What does the speaker mean?

  1. The shop is expensive and the quality is excellent.
  2. The shop raised its prices because quality improved.
  3. The shop is cheap, but the quality tends to be somewhat lower. Correct answer.
  4. The shop has low prices and the best quality.

Explanation

The pattern -ㄴ 대신에 presents a trade-off, balancing a low price against lower quality. The phrase 질이 떨어지다 means the quality falls short, and -는 편이에요 softens it into a general tendency.