Broadway Play Uses a Beauty Pageant to Explore Schoolyard Power
About this practice test
Listen to the B2 Daily News report “Broadway Play Uses a Beauty Pageant to Explore Schoolyard Power” and answer 7 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:
7 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
- 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.
News lesson for this practice
Read the complete article and use its text or audio alongside these exercises: Broadway Play Uses a Beauty Pageant to Explore Schoolyard Power.
Broadway Play Uses a Beauty Pageant to Explore Schoolyard Power
Read a transcript excerpt
At a boarding school in Ghana, a beauty pageant is more than a competition. In School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, six teenagers see the title of Miss Ghana as a chance to gain recognition and a brighter future. Their contest also reveals how closely popularity can depend on appearance and social rank. The play, written by Jocelyn Bioh, is set in 1986 at Aburi Girls Boarding School.…
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What lunch food does Paulina criticize Nana for eating?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Porridge
- Rice
- Bread
- Fruit
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Porridge
The narration names the food during the example of teasing.
When she mocks Nana for eating porridge at lunch, the teasing shows how ordinary moments can become tests of belonging.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Where did Ericka move from before arriving at the school?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Ohio
- Ghana
- New York
- England
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Ohio
The narration identifies her previous home directly.
Paulina’s confidence is shaken when Ericka, a new student from Ohio, arrives.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Which song is performed when Ericka impresses people?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- “Greatest Love of All”
- “I Will Always Love You”
- “Saving All My Love for You”
- “How Will I Know”
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- “Greatest Love of All”
The narration gives the song title and performer.
During a performance of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All,” Ericka impresses those around her.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
At which school is the play set?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Aburi Girls Boarding School
- Miss Ghana Academy
- Ohio Girls School
- Miss Global Universe School
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Aburi Girls Boarding School
The recording names the school in its setting description.
The play, written by Jocelyn Bioh, is set in 1986 at Aburi Girls Boarding School.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What does Paulina hope to win?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The crown
- A scholarship
- A theater role
- A trip to Ohio
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The crown
Her goal is stated alongside her role among the students.
Paulina, a powerful student who hopes to win the crown, leads a group of girls and often puts others down because of how they look.
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Question 6 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What is the stated result of the play’s use of humor?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It allows the play to examine girlhood and limited beauty ideals.
- It turns the pageant into a story about professional theater.
- It removes the conflict between Paulina and Ericka.
- It explains how the film Mean Girls was produced.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It allows the play to examine girlhood and limited beauty ideals.
The narration says humor explores serious issues alongside comedy.
It combines comedy with a serious look at girlhood and narrow standards of beauty.
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Question 7 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
How long will livestream performances be available?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- During the week the run ends
- Throughout the next school year
- Only on the first night
- Until the pageant recruiter arrives
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- During the week the run ends
The narration places access within a specific final period.
The Broadway run is ending this week, with livestream performances available through The League of Live Stream Theater.
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.