19May

California Facts + CAE Listening Part II Practice

CAE Listening Part II Practice

Are you taking the CAE Exam soon? If so, then you know how difficult Part 2 of the Listening Module can be. In Part 2, students listen to a monologue and complete a gap-fill exercise. The best way to improve your score in this section is to practice as much as possible. For an entertaining way to sharpen your skills, we have a practice test with fun California facts and trivia. Some of the words (up to three in each gap) are missing. Can you complete the facts and trivia?

CAE Listening Part II Practice: Tips

Before you begin, here are some tips for the Listening Part 2 test:

  • Write what you hear. You will listen to the recording twice so you can check your answers the second time.
  • Make sure that the answer works grammatically in the sentence.
  • Spelling counts. American or British English spelling is accepted.
  • If it is a number, you can spell the number or write the digits. For example, you can write “50” or “fifty.” It is better to use the numbers, since spelling counts and you might misspell the number if you write it out.
  • Try to read as much as you can of the text before the recording starts so that you can predict what you will hear.

Here is the recording. The questions are below. Good luck!

List of California Facts and Trivia/CAE Listening Part II Practice

CAE Listening Part II Practice

  1. California’s Mount Whitney measures as the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Its most famous climb is Mount Whitney Trail to the ________________ feet summit.
  2. In 1925 a giant sequoia located in California’s Kings Canyon National Park was named the nation’s national Christmas tree. The tree is over 300 feet in ________________ .
  3. More turkeys are ________________  in California than in any other state in the United States.
  4. California Caverns claims the distinction of being the most ________________ system of caverns and passageways in the Mother Lode region of the state.
  5. Totaling nearly ________________ acres, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the country.
  6. On Catalina Island in 1926, American author Zane Grey built a pueblo-style home on the hillside ________________  Avalon Bay. He spent much of his later life in Avalon. The home is now a hotel.
  7. Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge contains the largest winter population of ________________  eagles in the continental United States.
  8. Death Valley is recognized as the hottest, ________________  place in the United States. It isn’t uncommon for the summer temperatures to reach more than 115 degrees.
  9. The first ________________  picture theater opened in Los Angeles on April 2, 1902.
  10. Inyo National Forest is home to the bristle cone pine, the oldest living species. Some of the gnarled trees are thought to be over ________________  years old.
  11. San Francisco Bay is considered the world’s largest ________________  harbor.
  12. During his ________________ the Fillmore West in San Francisco, Otis Redding stayed on a houseboat in Sausalito. While there he wrote his last song and greatest hit: “The Dock of the Bay.”
  13. The state motto is Eureka!, a Greek word translated “I have found it!” The motto was adopted in 1849 and ________________  to the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada.
  14. California is known variously as The Land of ________________  and Honey, The El Dorado State, The Golden State, and The Grape State.
  15. There are more than 300,000 ________________  of grapes grown in California annually.
  16. California produces more than ________________  million gallons of wine each year.
  17. The California poppy is the official state flower. The California grizzly bear (Ursus californicus) is the ________________ state animal.
  18. California holds two of the top ten most ________________  cities: Los Angeles and San Diego.
  19. Fresno ________________  itself the Raisin Capital of the World.
  20. Castroville is known as the Artichoke Capital of the World. In 1947 a young woman named Norma Jean was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen. She ________________  become actress Marilyn Monroe.

Listen to the recording again before checking your answers.

CAE Listening Part II Practice

CAE Listening Part II Practice Answers

  1. California’s Mount Whitney measures as the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Its most famous climb is Mount Whitney Trail to the 14,495 feet summit. Wilderness permits are required.
  2. In 1925 a giant sequoia located in California’s Kings Canyon National Park was named the nation’s national Christmas tree. The tree is over 300 feet in height.
  3. More turkeys are raised in California than in any other state in the United States.
  4. California Caverns claims the distinction of being the most extensive system of caverns and passageways in the Mother Lode region of the state.
  5. Totaling nearly three million acres, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the country.
  6. On Catalina Island in 1926, American author Zane Grey built a pueblo-style home on the hillside overlooking Avalon Bay. He spent much of his later life in Avalon. The home is now a hotel.
  7. Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge contains the largest winter population of bald eagles in the continental United States.
  8. Death Valley is recognized as the hottest, driest place in the United States. It isn’t uncommon for the summer temperatures to reach more than 115 degrees.
  9. The first motion picture theater opened in Los Angeles on April 2, 1902.
  10. Inyo National Forest is home to the bristle cone pine, the oldest living species. Some of the gnarled trees are thought to be over 4,600 years old.
  11. San Francisco Bay is considered the world’s largest landlocked harbor.
  12. During his engagement at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, Otis Redding stayed on a houseboat in Sausalito. While there he wrote his last song and greatest hit: “The Dock of the Bay.”
  13. The state motto is Eureka!, a Greek word translated “I have found it!” The motto was adopted in 1849 and alludes to the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada.
  14. California is known variously as The Land of Milk and Honey, The El Dorado State, The Golden State, and The Grape State.
  15. There are more than 300,000 tons of grapes grown in California annually.
  16. California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine each year.
  17. The California poppy is the official state flower. The California grizzly bear (Ursus californicus) is the official state animal.
  18. California holds two of the top ten most populous cities: Los Angeles and San Diego.
  19. Fresno proclaims itself the Raisin Capital of the World.
  20. Castroville is known as the Artichoke Capital of the World. In 1947 a young woman named Norma Jean was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen. She went on to become actress Marilyn Monroe.

For more information on CISL’s Cambridge exams, click here.

CAE Listening Part II Practice

These facts are from 50States.com. For more interesting facts, visit:

http://www.50states.com/facts/california.htm#.VVtGyvmqqko

 

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by in Adult English Courses, English Courses in California, Learning English, Living & Traveling in San Diego, Living & Traveling in San Francisco, Student Life in the USA