An early start to flu season moves up vaccination timing

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

B2. 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.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What regional pattern is described at the beginning?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It began in the South as usual
   2. It began early in the West
   3. It began simultaneously everywhere
   4. It began outside the country
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It began early in the West

   The season began in the West instead of the South.

   Instead of beginning in the South, where seasonal flu activity has often appeared first, it started early in the West.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What may happen when flu activity starts sooner than expected?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. People may have less preparation time
   2. Vaccination becomes automatically unnecessary
   3. The season immediately ends
   4. Regional differences disappear
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   People may have less preparation time

   An earlier start can reduce preparation time.

   When activity starts sooner than expected, people may have less time to prepare.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does immunity enable the body to do?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Recognize and respond to infection or protection
   2. Predict exactly where flu will spread
   3. Prevent every mutation from occurring
   4. Determine the official vaccination date
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Recognize and respond to infection or protection

   The recording defines immunity as recognizing and responding to infection or protection.

   Immunity is the body's ability to recognize and respond to an infection or to protection developed through vaccination or earlier exposure.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What are experts advised to do if recognition becomes more difficult?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Stop collecting regional information
   2. Watch the virus’s behavior carefully
   3. Assume the mutation caused everything
   4. Delay all public guidance
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   Answer

   Watch the virus’s behavior carefully

   Experts should watch the virus’s behavior carefully.

   If a virus changes in ways that make recognition more difficult, public-health experts need to watch its behavior carefully.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What conclusion does the recording draw about the evidence?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The variant definitely caused the early start
   2. The variant may be involved, but certainty is lacking
   3. The variant has no possible connection
   4. The season’s ending has been predicted
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The variant may be involved, but certainty is lacking

   The evidence suggests involvement but does not prove causation or future effects.

   They indicate only that the variant may be playing a role.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What should people pay attention to as the season develops?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Local health guidance
   2. Only national weather reports
   3. International travel advertisements
   4. Historical flu calendars alone
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Local health guidance

   The recording directs people toward local health guidance and earlier vaccination consideration.

   People may need to pay attention to local health guidance and consider vaccination timing earlier than they had expected.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the early start remind the public about seasonal patterns?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They are always identical
   2. They can change over time
   3. They are controlled by vaccination dates
   4. They cannot differ between regions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They can change over time

   The unusual timing shows that seasonal patterns are capable of changing.

   For the public, the early start is a reminder that seasonal patterns can change.

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.