Five Years On, the NPR College Podcast Challenge’s First Winner Reflects on Journalism’s Lasting Reach

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

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.

   Which option best defines “inaugural” as used in the article?

   1. Marking the beginning of a series or institution
   2. Occurring repeatedly after a formal review
   3. Designed for private rather than public use
   4. Produced under unusually restrictive conditions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Marking the beginning of a series or institution

   The word identifies the first instance in an established or developing series.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “retrospective” as used in the article?

   1. A forecast based on incomplete evidence
   2. A reflective examination of earlier events, work, or development
   3. A public contest involving several institutions
   4. A concise report of current administrative changes
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A reflective examination of earlier events, work, or development

   It denotes reflective examination of earlier events or development.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “isolated” as used in the article?

   1. Considered separately from a wider context or sequence
   2. Supported by several independent sources
   3. Repeated across multiple historical periods
   4. Conducted without formal institutional approval
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Considered separately from a wider context or sequence

   Here, it means separated from a wider context or sequence.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “trajectory” as used in the article?

   1. A temporary disagreement between collaborators
   2. A formal account of an event’s immediate causes
   3. The course or direction of development over time
   4. A method for ranking competing achievements
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The course or direction of development over time

   It refers to a course of development unfolding over time.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “acquire” as used in the article?

   1. To lose a quality through prolonged neglect
   2. To gain or develop a quality, significance, or understanding over time
   3. To exchange one professional role for another
   4. To identify an error through external comparison
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To gain or develop a quality, significance, or understanding over time

   The verb suggests gaining significance progressively rather than instantly.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “departure” as used in the article?

   1. A starting point from which subsequent development proceeds
   2. A withdrawal caused by professional disagreement
   3. A final judgment reached after extensive review
   4. A temporary interruption in public communication
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A starting point from which subsequent development proceeds

   It identifies a beginning from which later development proceeds.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “continuity” as used in the article?

   1. The deliberate rejection of previous methods
   2. The persistence of connection or development across time
   3. The sudden replacement of one institution by another
   4. The separation of private and professional identities
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The persistence of connection or development across time

   The term emphasizes persistent connection across an extended period.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “gradually” as used in the article?

   1. In a slow, progressive manner rather than all at once
   2. With complete certainty and no qualification
   3. In response to a single decisive interruption
   4. Through an officially documented procedure
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   In a slow, progressive manner rather than all at once

   The adverb describes change occurring progressively rather than immediately.

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.