El-Sayed and Stevens Trade Sharp Comments in Michigan Senate Race

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 happened on Friday?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The politicians ended their primary rivalry.
   2. They exchanged criticism, increasing tensions.
   3. Voters selected new Senate candidates.
   4. Stevens withdrew from the Senate race.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They exchanged criticism, increasing tensions.

   The opening sentence identifies the speakers, action, and immediate effect.

   Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Haley Stevens traded sharp public criticism Friday, increasing tensions in Michigan’s pivotal Senate race.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the recording say may happen after a primary?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. All competition immediately disappears.
   2. Disagreements may continue afterward.
   3. Candidates must join different parties.
   4. Voters stop following the campaign.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Disagreements may continue afterward.

   The recording states that disagreements can continue after the primary ends.

   Competition can be intense at that stage, and disagreements may continue after the primary is over.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How did the episode differ from a routine difference of opinion?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It involved strongly critical public comments.
   2. It produced a confirmed election result.
   3. It concerned only their policy platforms.
   4. It occurred between competing political parties.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It involved strongly critical public comments.

   The politicians’ public comments created a visible conflict within their party.

   El-Sayed and Stevens made strongly critical comments about each other in public, creating a visible conflict within their party.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What may public criticism clarify?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The candidates’ differences
   2. The reason for every apology
   3. The election’s final result
   4. The identity of all political allies
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The candidates’ differences

   The recording says criticism may clarify differences between candidates.

   Public criticism may clarify differences, but it can also make cooperation more difficult.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What limitation does the recording state about the dispute?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The criticism was never made publicly.
   2. No further result is confirmed.
   3. The primary rivalry is completely irrelevant.
   4. The candidates’ relationship is cooperative.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   No further result is confirmed.

   It explicitly says that no additional result has been established.

   No further result from the dispute is established here.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can a former primary contest remain relevant to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Candidates’ continuing competition for attention and support
   2. A party’s decision to cancel its primary
   3. Voters’ refusal to consider campaign conflict
   4. The immediate conclusion of the Senate race
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Candidates’ continuing competition for attention and support

   The recording connects it to continuing competition for attention and support.

   It also shows how a former primary contest can remain relevant when candidates continue to compete for public attention and support.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What broader factors may voters consider?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Only candidates’ personal histories
   2. Policies and responses to pressure and conflict
   3. Only the candidates’ primary rankings
   4. Whether the article predicts an election winner
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Policies and responses to pressure and conflict

   The final paragraph adds intraparty relations to the campaign picture.

   They may consider not only candidates’ policies but also how those candidates respond to pressure and conflict.

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.