General Listening Quiz

What kinds of game shows do you have in your country? What types of questions do the game show hosts ask? What prizes are awarded to the winners?

“gray matter” = your intelligence or brain
“Contestants really have to use their gray matter to answer those tough questions.”

“on the ball” = thinking quickly and intelligently
“If you’re not on the ball, you won’t be able to win the game.”

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

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• trivia (noun): detailed facts about a variety of subjects, which are sometimes unimportant
  – Her brain is filled with a lot of trivia, and I bet she would do well on a game show.
• contestant (noun): someone who competes or participates in a game or contest
  – The other contestants were really sharp, and I just couldn’t answer the questions fast enough.
• grand (adjective): the best, biggest, or most impressive
  – Everyone was very impressed with the grand plan to build a modern library.
• consolation prize (noun): a prize given to those who do not win a contest
  – Although I didn’t win on the game show, I still received a nice set of golf clubs as a consolation prize.
• blink (verb): open and close your eyes quickly
  – The bright lights on the game show made me blink a lot.
• anthem (noun): a song which holds special meaning to a particular group
  – All of the spectators stood to sing the national anthem before the beginning of the baseball game.
• you’re off: you’re leaving
  – We’re off as soon as everyone is seated on the bus.

Think about the types of questions in the conversation. Then, think of five other trivia questions you want other students to answer. Use the internet or other reference books to help you. These questions could be on anything including history, music, science, literature, sports, or current events.

Trivia board games and similar TV shows can be a fun way to test your knowledge of world events and facts. There are also such online trivia games that can challenge you as well. Use the internet to find such an online site, try it out, and report your experience to a partner. What were the positive and negative aspects of the game?