Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and his professor.
Professor: Hey, Pete. Why the long face?
Student: I’m just… struggling this week.
Professor: How so?
Student: I’ve got a deadline this Friday… not your class… my Communications class… I, I need to interview someone over the age of 70.
Professor: Oh, that sounds interesting. Who are you interviewing?
Student: Well, I was supposed to be interviewing my grandfather. He grew up in the country, in Kansas. He started flying crop dusting planes when he was 18 and later on worked at the state Chamber of Commerce.
Professor: It was supposed to be him? But it’s not?
Student: Right. I actually already did the interview a few weeks ago, but then I found out yesterday that a classmate of mine is also interviewing a grandparent who was a pilot. But his grandfather was a fighter pilot, who got captured during a combat mission and escaped. I can’t compete with that. So I asked my Grandma if I could interview her instead, and she’s telling me she doesn’t want to do it.
Professor: Hmm, that’s pretty surprising. Grandparents usually love to tell their grandchildren about their life history… it’s usually a source of pride.
Student: Exactly. I don’t know what’s going on. My Grandma actually has a pretty good story, too. She grew up on the South Side of Chicago, at the end of the Great Migration, so she saw her neighborhood really transform over the course of a couple decades. And then later when she moved to Kansas to marry my Grandpa, she was actually mayor of the city where they lived for about 10 years. I called her up yesterday and told her that I didn’t want to use my interview with Grandpa, now that I knew my classmate was coming with a better pilot story. So I told her that I guess I would have to interview her instead.
Professor: Wow. I hope you didn’t phrase it like that.
Student: I did… I know… it sounds like I’m dreading it. I was just mad I had to do the interview again.
Professor: Well, I’m sure she feels like the “consolation prize.”
Student: Consolation prize?
Professor: That’s a name for a prize you give to the loser of a contest. Sometimes people use it to describe someone’s second choice. Your first choice was your Grandpa, but if you couldn’t get him, then your consolation prize was your Grandma… basically, I’m just saying she probably feels bad that you picked him first. I mean… she was a mayor!
Student: Yeah, she probably has the better story. I just enjoy talking to my Grandpa more. He doesn’t lecture me as much as she does about how I should go about my life.
Professor: It sounds like overall she doesn’t think that you respect her opinion or experience too much. Have you considered… making her feel more needed?
Student: Yes, but I’m worried that if I make her feel more needed it will only encourage her more to tell me what to do all the time.
Professor: Well, I guess you’ll have to figure out how you want to deal with it. I think… if she knew that you valued her advice, she might be more patient about waiting for you to ask for it.
Student: Hmm. You might be right. Thanks for the chat.
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What is the main topic of conversation? |
Gist-content. What issue motivated the student to come to office hours? |
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| ✓ | A Ways in which an interview assignment has been troublesome |
Correct. The student talks about needing to change his original topic/interviewee and about how his second choice is refusing to be interviewed. |
| ✗ | B Tips for how to conduct an effective interview |
The conversation never gets into specific interviewing techniques. It centers more around getting someone to agree to be interviewed. |
| ✗ | C Techniques for persuading someone to do you a favor |
Although the professor offers the student advice about dealing with his grandmother, the general topic of persuading someone to do you a favor is not covered. |
| ✗ | D Ways to make a bland life story appear more interesting |
No one suggests or requests ways to make the grandfather’s life story seem more interesting. |
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Why does the student switch to interviewing his grandmother? |
Detail. What prompted the student to switch from his grandfather to his grandmother? |
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| ✗ | A His grandfather refused to be interviewed. |
The student had already completed the interview with his grandfather. |
| ✗ | B His Communications teacher requested the switch. |
There is no information about the teacher of the class. |
| ✗ | C He could not interview his grandfather in time. |
The student had already completed the interview with his grandfather. |
| ✓ | D Another student also interviewed a pilot. |
Correct. The student initially interviewed his grandfather, a pilot, but was dismayed when another student supposedly had a better pilot interview. |
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Why does the professor bring up the idea of a “consolation prize”? |
Function of What Is Said. What part of the conversation caused this topic to come up? To whom or what did the term refer? |
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| ✗ | A To motivate the student to write the best interview in class |
The professor is not offering the student a prize for writing the best interview. |
| ✓ | B To explain the grandmother’s reluctance to being interviewed |
Correct. The professor uses “consolation prize” as a way to describe the grandmother’s disappointed feelings. |
| ✗ | C To suggest that a good interview is its own reward |
“Consolation prize” does not describe a rewarding feeling the student would get. |
| ✗ | D To distract the student from worrying about the interview |
This is close to the opposite of what is going on. The professor is identifying the current problem with conducting the interview. |
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How does the professor interpret the grandmother’s refusal to do the interview? |
Detail. What does the professor think is the real reason for her refusal? |
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| ✗ | A The grandmother does not want to offer the student any life advice. |
The professor never judges the quality of life advice the student gets. |
| ✗ | B The grandmother hoped that the student would interview his grandfather. |
The professor suggests the opposite, that the grandmother wanted to be the first choice. |
| ✓ | C The grandmother did actually want to be interviewed. |
Correct. The professor is impressed by the grandmother’s life story and believes that grandparents usually like to share their life stories. He thinks she is only refusing out of hurt feelings. |
| ✗ | D The grandmother is ashamed to tell her grandson about her life history. |
The professor suggests the opposite, saying that grandparents usually relate their life histories with pride. |
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Which of the student’s behaviors did the professor imply have contributed to problems with his grandmother? Choose 2 answers. |
Inference. The professor notes the student’s lack of excitement when asking his grandmother for an interview (“consolation prize”) and his reluctance to show her that he appreciates her opinions and experience. |
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| ✓ | a Failing to make his grandmother feel more needed or respected |
Correct. Towards the end, the professor speculates that the grandmother might offer too much advice as a result of not feeling needed or respected. |
| ✗ | b Asking his grandmother for advice too frequently |
This is the opposite of the student’s behavior. The grandmother offers too much advice, alienating the student. |
| ✓ | c Requesting an interview with his grandmother too unenthusiastically |
Correct. When the professor hears the way the student requested an interview, he tells the student that she probably feels like the “consolation prize” and might be upset at being his second choice. |
| ✗ | d Insisting on having an interview with a pilot. |
Since the student is trying to interview his grandmother, he is definitely not insisting on interviewing a pilot. |