Noah Adams, longtime host of NPR’s All Things Considered, dies at 84

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

B1. 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

Use the surrounding sentence to identify the meaning and word form needed. Check which words naturally go together.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “broadcaster” mean in the article?

   1. a person who speaks or works on radio or television
   2. a person who repairs trains
   3. a person who builds houses
   4. a person who sells newspapers
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a person who speaks or works on radio or television

   A broadcaster works by speaking or presenting through radio or television.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “guided” mean in the article?

   1. helped people understand or follow something
   2. traveled without a plan
   3. forgot an important event
   4. changed a person’s name
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   helped people understand or follow something

   Adams helped listeners follow and understand important events.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “observations” mean in the article?

   1. things noticed or learned by watching carefully
   2. jobs completed for other people
   3. questions asked during a meeting
   4. places visited by train
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   things noticed or learned by watching carefully

   Observations are things noticed through careful watching.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “encountered” mean in the article?

   1. met or experienced, often unexpectedly
   2. wrote a long speech
   3. returned to his hometown
   4. prepared a radio studio
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   met or experienced, often unexpectedly

   Adams encountered people when he met them during his reporting.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “meaningful” mean in the article?

   1. important or valuable in a personal way
   2. difficult to hear on the radio
   3. connected to a large city
   4. completed very quickly
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   important or valuable in a personal way

   Meaningful experiences have personal importance or value.

What to review next

Keep a short list of unfamiliar words with their meanings and example sentences. Practise recalling them later, then use them in a sentence of your own.

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

Read the whole sentence before choosing a word. Check both its meaning and the words it naturally combines with.

Please make an appointment before visiting the clinic.

Make an appointment is a natural word combination. Knowing a dictionary meaning alone may not tell you which verb fits.

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.