Listening: 'reading between the lines'
Useful idiom: 'to read between the lines'
Meaning: to look for a meaning that is implied rather than explicitly stated.
Teachers often tell you to listen for synonyms in the Listening Test.
But in the more difficult sections (3 and 4), this strategy does not always work.
Sometimes you have to 'read between the lines' to work out the meaning.
Take this Section 3 from Book 18 Test 3 listening about LUDDITES* for example.
The audioscript is below the questions. Which two letters are correct?
*'Luddite' is an old but useful word with a modern meaning: 'a person who is opposed to new technology.'
The answers here are
A - Their actions were ineffective ("ultimately, they didn't achieve anything")
E - Their attitude is understandable ("I can see why they felt...")
The negative adjective ('ineffective') and the adjective 'understandable' are paraphrased in full sentences.
This kind of flexibility is exactly what the Band Criteria in Speaking and Writing require from you, so make notes of these examples of paraphrasing as you analyse the audio scripts.
Review this useful list of synonyms beginning with 'un'. (Do the Quizlet here).
Bronze Members: lesson here
