Listening: The Book Flood Interview
In a listening practice task, you hear a radio interview with Mari, a school librarian, about a ‘book flood’ scheme. She says: ‘We gave every Year 10 student three books before the summer holiday. We did not set a report. The only rule was: read the first 20 pages; if you hate it, choose another. In September, 68 percent said they had finished at least one book, up from 41 percent. But I would not call it a reading revolution. The keen readers were already keen; the quiet ones often told us they liked having no deadline, though some said they simply forgot.’ The interviewer asks whether the scheme should be repeated. Mari replies: ‘Yes, but not in the same form. Next time I would use the first ten minutes of library lessons for choosing books, because choice was where students struggled.’ You must answer questions based only on what Mari says, not on your own views about reading.
1. What is Mari's overall attitude toward the book flood scheme?
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She is positive but qualified. She supports repeating it: 'Yes, but not in the same form'. The 68 percent figure is an improvement from 41 percent, and some quiet students liked having no deadline. However, she warns against overclaiming: keen readers were already keen, some students forgot, and choosing books was difficult. So the best answer is 'broadly favourable but realistic about limits', not 'uncritical enthusiast' or 'opponent'.
2. Which conclusion is best supported by the figures Mari gives?
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Only that the percentage of students who reported finishing at least one book rose from 41 percent to 68 percent. We cannot conclude that every student read three books, that the scheme caused a lasting reading habit, or that all students enjoyed it. The figures are self-reported, there is no control group, and Mari herself says some forgot. A safe answer uses 'reported' and 'at least one book'.
3. What does Mari signal by saying 'But I would not call it a reading revolution'?
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She is hedging: she accepts some success but rejects an exaggerated interpretation. The contrast word 'But' after the positive figure warns the listener not to overgeneralise. It prepares for her qualifications about keen readers and forgotten books. In a listening answer, this is an attitude marker: cautious approval, not disappointment.