© 2019 British Council
www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish
Listening: C1
Introverts – redressing the
balance
Listen to a talk about social psychology to practise and improve your listening skills.
Before listening
Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.
Preparation task
Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).
Vocabulary
Definition
1.
…… an introvert
2.
…… an extrovert
3.
…… charismatic
4.
…… a
trait
5.
…… in the spotlight
6.
…… to bond
7.
…… to tone down
8.
…… contemplation
a.
a
characteristic
b.
used to describe a person who is charming and attractive
c.
a person who enjoys spending time alone more than being
with other people
d.
an outgoing, sociable person
e.
the
centre of attention
f.
deep thought
g.
to form a relationship with other people
h.
to make
quieter or less obvious
Tasks
Task 1
Write the phrases in the correct group.
get the best grades in school are well suited to the way we
teach and work nowadays
like group
collaboration
are usually charming and persuasive
are seen as a problem at school
prefer days in the wilderness
can
be very creative
like giving instructions
Introverts
Extroverts
© 2019 British Council
www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish
Task 2
Are the sentences true or false?
Answer
1.
We usually underestimate introverts when we think of great leaders.
2.
Introverts only become leaders because something external makes them
feel they should.
3.
Thinking of good ideas is easier when you’re not interacting with other
people.
4.
Creative subjects at school are best taught using group projects.
5.
Introverts need to be more like extroverts if they want to
get good
grades.
6.
Open-plan offices are designed for extroverts.
7.
We should encourage all children to work alone sometimes.
8.
We should encourage extroverts to work like introverts and vice versa.
True
True
True
True
True
True
True
True
False
False
False
False
False
False
False
False
