Business English listening comprehension exercise: Will cities survive permanent work from home?
💬 Useful phrases “Could you speak more slowly, please?” — used when you need someone to slow down their speech for better comprehension “I didn't quite catch that — could you repeat it?” — a polite way to ask someone to say something again “Would you mind spelling that out for me?” — asking for a word to be spelled to avoid misunderstanding “Let me make sure I understand correctly.” — used to confirm your understanding before responding “I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that term.” — appropriate when you encounter an unfamiliar word or expression “Could you give me an example?” — requesting a concrete example to clarify an abstract concept “Are you saying that...?” — used to paraphrase and confirm what someone has just said “I'll need a moment to process that.” — a natural way to buy time when responding to complex information
READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!
Here's what you do:
Click on the video below.
Watch the first 2:30 of the video and pay attention to it! (You can pause and rewind the video.)
Answer the listening comprehension questions below the video.
Check your answers.
1. The concept of telecommuting was first developed about _______ years ago.
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2. What was the initial reason that telecommuting was developed?
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3. What percentage of Americans wants to continue working from home?
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4. The clip states that ____________ are likely to suffer financially if people work from home.
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5. Which city's public transportation system has already been hit hard financially?
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