Europe’s historic spa towns blend mineral waters, grand architecture, and enduring wellness traditions

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.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which sequence best reflects the recording’s progression?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. UNESCO recognition, Czech treatments, Czech architecture, German examples
   2. German concerts, UNESCO recognition, Czech architecture, modern pools
   3. Czech architecture, German statistics, UNESCO recognition, royal history
   4. Modern pools, Czech treatments, German architecture, UNESCO recognition
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   UNESCO recognition, Czech treatments, Czech architecture, German examples

   The narration introduces heritage, visits Mariánské Lázně, then turns to Germany.

   Germany, meanwhile, has about 350 designated spa towns.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What may Czech nationals receive for recovery or chronic conditions?

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   1. Free concert subscriptions
   2. Prescribed stays lasting several weeks
   3. Permanent residence in hotel cabins
   4. Specialized porcelain medical equipment
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Prescribed stays lasting several weeks

   The recording states that they may receive prescribed stays lasting several weeks.

   Czech nationals may still be prescribed stays lasting several weeks while recovering from surgery, serious illness, or chronic conditions, although the town also welcomes ordinary holidaymakers.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What surrounds the Nové Lázně hotel?

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   1. A private medical campus
   2. The central park
   3. The Wandelhalle
   4. A network of underground springs
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   Answer

   The central park

   The narration locates the hotel facing the central park.

   Its Nové Lázně hotel, a canary-yellow Neo-Renaissance building completed in 1896, faces the central park.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What flavors are mentioned for the spa wafer?

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   1. Vanilla and coffee
   2. Hazelnut and chocolate
   3. Citrus and almond
   4. Caramel and raspberry
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Hazelnut and chocolate

   The examples given are hazelnut and chocolate.

   Along the colonnades, tourists and residents drink the local waters from specialized porcelain cups, often accompanied by a spa wafer filled with flavors such as hazelnut or chocolate.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Who substantially reshaped Bad Kissingen’s architecture?

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   1. King Edward VII
   2. Max Littmann
   3. UNESCO’s heritage committee
   4. The Staatsbad Philharmonie
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Max Littmann

   The recording attributes the early-twentieth-century changes to Max Littmann.

   Bad Kissingen is distinguished by architecture that was substantially reshaped in the early twentieth century by German architect Max Littmann.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the fountain hall feature?

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   1. A marble swimming basin
   2. A stained-glass roof
   3. A porcelain workshop
   4. A therapeutic mud laboratory
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   Answer

   A stained-glass roof

   Its defining feature is a stained-glass roof.

   Its fountain hall has a stained-glass roof, while the expansive Wandelhalle hosts performances by the town’s spa philharmonic orchestra.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What complements Bad Kissingen’s classical facilities?

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   1. The KissSalis Therme
   2. Maria’s Gas
   3. The Nové Lázně hotel
   4. The West Bohemian spa triangle
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   Answer

   The KissSalis Therme

   The KissSalis Therme adds thermal pools, mud treatments, and saunas.

   Visitors seeking a more contemporary experience can use the KissSalis Therme, whose indoor and outdoor thermal pools, mud treatments, and saunas complement the town’s classical facilities.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How many concerts did the Staatsbad Philharmonie Kissingen record in one year?

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   1. 170
   2. 350
   3. 727
   4. 1,896
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   727

   The stated figure is 727 concerts, underscoring music’s institutional importance.

   Music is not merely decorative there: the Staatsbad Philharmonie Kissingen has recorded 727 concerts in a single year.

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.