Sen. Chris Murphy’s stroke highlights the warning signs remembered by BE FAST
About this practice test
Listen to the B1 Daily News report “Sen. Chris Murphy’s stroke highlights the warning signs remembered by BE FAST” and answer 5 comprehension questions.
What you’ll practice
Understanding detail
Follow specific information and examples.
Interpreting ideas
Identify main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
5 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.
News lesson for this practice
Read the complete article and use its text or audio alongside these exercises: Sen. Chris Murphy’s stroke highlights the warning signs remembered by BE FAST.
Sen. Chris Murphy’s stroke highlights the warning signs remembered by BE FAST
Read a transcript excerpt
Sen. Chris Murphy suffered a stroke on Saturday and is expected to recover, according to his office. The 53-year-old Democrat from Connecticut spoke to reporters in Washington in March 2026. His experience has drawn attention to the importance of recognizing stroke warning signs. The American Stroke Association recommends remembering the acronym BE FAST. The letters describe several symptoms that may happen during a stroke. B stands for balance. Sudden trouble…
-
Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What is Murphy expected to do after his stroke?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Recover
- Return to the hockey game
- Move to Washington
- Speak for the American Stroke Association
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Recover
The report states that Murphy is expected to recover.
Sen. Chris Murphy suffered a stroke on Saturday and is expected to recover, according to his office.
-
Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What may happen to a person’s vision during a stroke?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Vision may become blurred, double, or suddenly lost in one eye
- Both eyes always become painful
- Vision improves immediately after walking
- The person usually sees only reporters
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Vision may become blurred, double, or suddenly lost in one eye
The narration lists blurred or double vision and sudden sight loss.
Blurred or double vision, or a sudden loss of sight in one eye, may also be symptoms.
-
Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What action is used to check a person’s face?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Ask the person to smile
- Ask the person to raise one leg
- Ask the person to repeat a news story
- Ask the person to close both eyes
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Ask the person to smile
The recording tells listeners to ask the person to smile.
Ask the person to smile.
-
Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What could happen when a person raises both arms?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- One arm may drift down
- Both arms may become stronger
- The person may begin walking normally
- The person may lose sight in both eyes
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- One arm may drift down
One weak arm may drift downward during the check.
One arm may feel numb or weak, or it may drift down when the person raises both arms.
-
Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What should happen as soon as possible after these symptoms appear?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Call 911
- Wait until the next morning
- Ask the person to play hockey
- Read the full article aloud
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Call 911
The recording gives calling 911 as the immediate recommended response.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms, or seeing them in another person, should call 911 as soon as possible.
What to review next
Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.
Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?
The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.