“I’ve never seen anything like this” — A U.S. doctor treats Ebola’s youngest victims

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

C1. 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 does the report place at the center of its story?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Hospital administrators
   2. Children affected by Ebola
   3. Disease surveillance systems
   4. International health agencies
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Children affected by Ebola

   The narration explicitly identifies children as the story’s central subjects.

   A report from NPR focuses on a U.S. doctor treating Ebola’s youngest victims, placing children at the center of a story about a serious infectious disease.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the title communicate about the doctor’s impression?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The experience was routine
   2. The experience seemed unprecedented
   3. The experience was primarily administrative
   4. The experience produced documented outcomes
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The experience seemed unprecedented

   The title conveys an experience unlike anything previously encountered.

   Its title conveys the doctor’s impression that the experience is unlike anything previously encountered, while the report is framed around medical care for especially young patients.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What information does the package specifically withhold about treatment?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The publication date
   2. The patients’ age category
   3. The procedures used
   4. The doctor’s nationality
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The procedures used

   The narration states that the procedures used are not provided.

   The verified story package does not identify the location where treatment occurred or provide further information about the patients, the doctor’s identity, the number of cases, or the procedures used.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the title fail to explain?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Why the cases seemed unusual
   2. Where NPR published the report
   3. Whether children were involved
   4. Who the central subjects were
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Why the cases seemed unusual

   The narration lists several unanswered questions about novelty, progression, and outcomes.

   However, the title alone does not establish why the cases were unprecedented, how the patients’ conditions developed, or what outcomes followed their treatment.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why is the health classification appropriate?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It discusses hospital finances
   2. It concerns Ebola treatment
   3. It evaluates public policy
   4. It reports epidemiological statistics
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It concerns Ebola treatment

   The subject concerns treating people affected by a serious infectious disease.

   The story belongs to the health category because its subject is the treatment of people affected by Ebola, with children serving as its principal human focus.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the available information establish?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A complete clinical history
   2. A focused treatment narrative
   3. A confirmed outbreak trajectory
   4. A comparison of medical systems
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A focused treatment narrative

   It establishes a connection between children’s vulnerability and Ebola treatment.

   The available information establishes a focused connection between pediatric vulnerability and Ebola treatment.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What final characterization does the narration give the story?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A comprehensive epidemiological investigation
   2. A human-centered medical account
   3. A procedural treatment manual
   4. A statistical outbreak forecast
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A human-centered medical account

   The closing sentence describes care for affected children as the verified account’s essence.

   The verified facts point to a human-centered account of caring for children affected by Ebola.

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.