The latest in space science: We look back at the Big Bang

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.

   Who presented the edition described in the narration?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. An international observatory
   2. The Short Wave team
   3. A group of planetary scientists
   4. NPR’s editorial board
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   Answer

   The Short Wave team

   The narration identifies the Short Wave team as presenters.

   Presented by the Short Wave team, the episode explores a theory concerning one of cosmology’s most fundamental questions: why is the universe made of matter?

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What happens when matter and antimatter meet, according to the narration?

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   1. They form new planets
   2. They lose their electrical charges permanently
   3. They can be converted into energy
   4. They expand the surrounding space
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They can be converted into energy

   The narration states that their meeting can transform them into energy.

   When matter and antimatter meet, they can be converted into energy.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the Big Bang model describe?

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   1. The universe’s early expansion from a hot, dense state
   2. The collision of stars in empty space
   3. The conversion of all matter into antimatter
   4. The development of modern observatories
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   Answer

   The universe’s early expansion from a hot, dense state

   It describes expansion beginning from an exceptionally hot, dense state.

   The Big Bang is the scientific model describing the universe’s early expansion from an extremely hot and dense state.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What do scientists use to investigate cosmic development?

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   1. Historical documents and laboratory fossils
   2. Observations and theoretical models
   3. Predictions based solely on ordinary experience
   4. Descriptions of living organisms
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   Answer

   Observations and theoretical models

   The narration names observations and theoretical models as investigative tools.

   Scientists use observations and theoretical models to investigate how the early universe developed into the cosmos observed today.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What may have shaped everything that followed the universe’s beginning?

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   1. Conditions shortly after expansion began
   2. The episode’s production schedule
   3. The properties of living organisms
   4. The conventional explosion analogy
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Conditions shortly after expansion began

   Theories examine early conditions and their consequences for later development.

   They address conditions that could have existed shortly after the universe began expanding and consider how those conditions may have shaped everything that followed.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the recording say happens when explanations conflict with observations?

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   1. They are automatically accepted
   2. They are refined when necessary
   3. They are removed from scientific discussion
   4. They are converted into physical energy
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   Answer

   They are refined when necessary

   The narration indicates that explanations are refined when necessary.

   Such theories remain part of an active scientific conversation, in which explanations are assessed against observations and refined when necessary.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What dual perspective does the edition give cosmology?

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   1. It treats cosmology as both present investigation and past reconstruction
   2. It presents cosmology as entirely historical
   3. It focuses only on the universe’s material composition
   4. It contrasts science with conventional storytelling
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   Answer

   It treats cosmology as both present investigation and past reconstruction

   It combines investigation of the present with reconstruction of the past.

   Its central theme is not only how the universe evolved, but also why the material world exists in the form we recognize.

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.