As Student Numbers Fall, Some Colleges Make Admissions More Welcoming
About this practice test
Listen to the C2 Daily News report “As Student Numbers Fall, Some Colleges Make Admissions More Welcoming” and answer 8 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:
8 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
- C2. 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: As Student Numbers Fall, Some Colleges Make Admissions More Welcoming.
As Student Numbers Fall, Some Colleges Make Admissions More Welcoming
Read a transcript excerpt
For many families, applying to college has become an undertaking that resembles a part-time job. Students must research institutions, visit campuses, complete applications, and submit financial forms, often while managing schoolwork and other responsibilities. The process can feel particularly demanding when parents are working full time as well. Yet some applicants are noticing a change in the tone of their encounters with colleges. Instead of presenting themselves as exclusive institutions…
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What responsibilities does the recording list before mentioning families’ other obligations?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Researching, visiting, applying, and submitting financial forms
- Comparing offers, interviewing faculty, and requesting scholarships
- Touring laboratories, completing essays, and accepting direct offers
- Selecting majors, paying fees, and arranging campus housing
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Researching, visiting, applying, and submitting financial forms
The opening sequence identifies four major application-related responsibilities.
Students must research institutions, visit campuses, complete applications, and submit financial forms, often while managing schoolwork and other responsibilities.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Which colleges are especially likely to make their outreach more welcoming?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Colleges with unusually large research budgets
- Colleges under pressure to fill available places
- Colleges that have stopped accepting applications
- Colleges whose faculty already manage admissions
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Colleges under pressure to fill available places
The report links the shift particularly to institutions needing enough enrollment.
The shift is especially visible at colleges that are under pressure to attract enough students to fill their places.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What does Skidmore’s president say welcoming students benefits?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Only applicants who need financial aid
- Both applicants and the institution
- Only institutions with declining enrollment
- Faculty members and admissions consultants
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Both applicants and the institution
The statement explicitly identifies advantages for applicants and the institution.
Its president, Marc Conner, said that welcoming students benefits both applicants and the institution, since campus visits can influence whether students ultimately enroll.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
How many states are said to have public universities admitting some students before application?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Seven
- Seventeen
- One hundred fifty
- Approximately twelve hundred
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Seventeen
The recording gives a specific figure for this public-university practice.
Public universities in 17 states now admit some high school students who have not yet submitted an application.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What application enables more than 150 private colleges to make direct offers?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- A state-specific admissions form
- The Common App
- A financial-aid worksheet
- A faculty recruitment questionnaire
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The Common App
The Common App is identified as the standardized application involved.
More than 150 private colleges also make direct admission offers to students who complete the Common App, a standardized online application used by approximately 1,200 institutions.
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Question 6 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What overall trend in acceptance chances does the report identify?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Acceptance chances are declining across all institutions.
- Acceptance chances are rising in some parts of the sector.
- Acceptance chances depend exclusively on campus visits.
- Acceptance chances remain unchanged despite new outreach.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Acceptance chances are rising in some parts of the sector.
The recording states that students’ likelihood of acceptance is increasing overall.
The broader pattern suggests that admission is becoming less selective in some parts of the sector: overall, students’ chances of being accepted are rising.
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Question 7 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What can applicants imagine after visiting laboratories and classrooms?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Being recognized, supported, and included
- Receiving automatic financial aid
- Avoiding all future academic demands
- Replacing admissions officers in recruitment
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Being recognized, supported, and included
The recording describes imagined recognition, support, and inclusion as the visit’s benefit.
Rather than encountering an institution only through promotional material, they can imagine being recognized, supported, and included there.
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Question 8 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What final quality remains despite the admissions culture’s evolution?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Its secrecy
- Its exclusivity
- Its demanding nature
- Its dependence on promotional material
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Its demanding nature
The conclusion explicitly says the culture continues to demand effort.
The result is an admissions culture that remains demanding, but is gradually becoming more transparent and less intimidating.
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.