General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording on world cup soccer and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Woman: Hey. Have you been watching any of the World Cup soccer matches?

Man: Well, I was watching until my favorite team was bounced out of the first round of play. I mean, they should have made all the way to the second round, but a whole series of events cost the team the opportunity to prove themselves on the world stage.

Woman: What do you mean?

Man: Well, in the first match, two of their star players were out with nagging injuries, so the rest of the players, unfortunately, just couldn’t keep up with the opposing team.

Woman: Well, that’s just life. I mean, I mean, every team is going to have players out with injuries.

Man: Yea, but that’s besides the point. And, and then, in the second game, the refs made some terrible calls, allowing the opposing team to slip by with a victory. I mean, we were robbed on that one. The refs must have been walking in their sleep!

Woman: But, didn’t one of your own players accidentally kick the ball twice into his own goal? I mean that doesn’t sound like a bad call to me.

Man: That’s just besides the POINT!

Woman: Really?

Man: And finally, our team was ahead in the final watch—I mean they were way out ahead until the other team rallied in the final three minutes of play to squeak out a victory. It was a total embarrassment for our team. Our team was booed. All I can say is that the sun must have been in our players’ eyes . . .

Woman: Uh, wasn’t it a night game?

Man: That’s besides the point, too. You just don’t understand anything I’m saying.

Woman: So, who are you rooting for now, seeing that your team has been eliminated?

Man: Ah, I can’t watch any more soccer, so I’ve been following an online chess tournament.

Woman: What?! Now, that has to be the most ridiculous reaction I have ever heard of. So, you’re going to completely boycott the rest of the play just because your team got bounced out of the tournament?

Man: Ah, forget it. You just don’t understand.

• be bounced out of (verb): be eliminated from 
  – The team will be bounced out of the tournament unless they improve their play.
• nagging (adjective): a continual unpleasant feeling that lasts for a long time 
  – I’ve had a nagging pain in my neck that just won’t go away.
• keep up with (verb): keep pace with or up to the level with 
  – I never could keep up with my brother when we ran races in high school.
• slip by (verb): barely pass by 
  – My sister was able to slip by the final runner near the end of the race.
• rally (verb): come together for a common effort 
  – The company employees rallied together to help a coworker who was suffering from cancer.
• squeak out (verb): barely pass or win something 
  – Unfortunately, our team wasn’t able to squeak out a victory in the last two minutes of play.
• root for (verb): show support for 
  – The more fans that come to the event and root for the team, the better luck we might have.
• boycott (verb): refuse to take part in something 
  – Several countries boycotted the sporting event due to political issues.