Approximately A2 · 96 words

The English Exam

A disappointing exam result makes a learner add listening practice to a textbook routine.

Read at your own pace. Use the English meanings below, then answer the questions. The level is a teaching guide, not an assessment. Original stories include some British spellings and settings.

An exam paper

The story

Last term I failed my English exam.

I was surprised, because I studied every evening.

I read the textbook again and again.

I knew the grammar rules very well.

But in the listening part I understood almost nothing.

My teacher looked at my paper and said one thing.

"You are studying English. You are not using it."

That evening I did not open the textbook.

Instead I watched a short video and listened to a song.

I did this every day for three months.

In the next exam my listening score was almost twice as high.

English meanings

Save words to your review deck.

textbook
A book used for studying a subject.
instead
In place of another action or thing.
score
The number of points someone gets on a test or in a game.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer for each question, then open its explanation. You can try again as often as you like.

1. Which part of the first exam was difficult?
Show answer and story evidence

Listening

The narrator understood almost nothing in the listening part. Read the guide

The story says: “But in the listening part I understood almost nothing.”

2. What did the narrator do that evening?
Show answer and story evidence

Watched a video and listened to a song

The narrator tried listening activities instead of opening the textbook. Read the guide

The story says: “Instead I watched a short video and listened to a song.”

3. How long did the new routine continue?
Show answer and story evidence

Three months

The new activities continued daily for three months; this is one learner's story, not a promised result. Read the guide

The story says: “I did this every day for three months.”