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Pre-Task Tips
1. Skim the Entire Paragraph (1 Minute)
Practice Task Type: Fill in 5 blanks in a 60–70-word paragraph using a dropdown menu (no letter clues). Time: 7–8 minutes. Model Task & Answer Key Sample Paragraph (Science Topic): "Recent studies _____ that laughter _____ physical health. Researchers found that people who laughed frequently had lower levels _____ stress hormones. _____ contrast, those who rarely laughed showed higher blood pressure. These findings suggest that laughter _____ a simple way to improve well-being." Dropdown Options for Each Blank:
Answers at end Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key & Reasoning:
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Pre-Task Tips
1. Skim First (20 Seconds)
Practice Task Type: Fill in 12–17 blanks in a 60-word cloze passage in 3 minutes. Model Passage & Answer Key Passage 1: Health Topic "Physical ex_ _ _ _ _ _ is recommended f_ _ the management o_ mild depression a_ _ has a mode__ _ effect on symp_ _ _ . It is equi _ _ _ _ _ to the u_ __ of medications or psychological therapy. Ther_ _ _ _ , most people c _ _ use it a _ _ _ _ with ot _ _ _ trea _ _ _ _ . In older peo _ , it does app _ _ to decrease depression." Passage 2: Geography Topic "Minneapolis is a city in Minnesota. It _ _ next t_ St Paul, Minnesota. St Paul and Minneapolis are cal_ _ _ the Twin Cities bec_ _ _ _ they are si_ _ _ _ _ _ right ne_ _ to ea_ _ other. Minneapolis i_ the big_ _ _ _ city i_ Minnesota wi_ _ about 370,000 p_ _ _ _ . Th _ _ w_ _ live in the t_ _ c_ _ _ _ _ enjoy t_ _ lakes, parks and ri_ _ _ _." Answers at end Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Reflection Prompts:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key: Passage 2: Geography Topic
Pre-Task Tips
Practice Task Type: Listen to 9 spoken words and select the real English words in 1.5 minutes. Challenge Word List (4 Real, 5 Fake)
.Words (Play Each via Audio in Test):
Answers at end Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key: ✅ Real Words: 1 (ambitious), 4 (governess), 6 (ubiquitous), 9 (bibliophile). ❌ Fake Words: 2 (disimprove), 3 (irregardless), 5 (happify), 7 (unpossible), 8 (definately). Notes:
Pre-Task Tips
1. Quick Scan (First 10 Seconds)
✅ Correct | ❌ Incorrect
Practice Task (18 Words – 9 Real, 9 Fake) Task Type: Select real English words from a list of 18 (mix of real and fake) in 1 minute. Select the real words: 1. keyboard 2. dober 3. bicycle 4. efend 5. intertwine 6. readly 7. adverse 8. purtend 9. predicament 10. whom 11. coken 12. evelony 13. golf 14. illusion 15. they’re 16. afect 17. amoral 18. youre Answers at end Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key: ✅ Real Words: 1 (keyboard), 3 (bicycle), 5 (intertwine), 7 (adverse), 9 (predicament), 10 (whom), 13 (golf), 14 (illusion), 15 (they’re). ❌ Fake Words: 2 (dober), 4 (efend), 6 (readly), 8 (purtend), 11 (coken), 12 (evelony), 16 (afect), 17 (ammoral), 18 (youre).
Pre-Task Strategies
Task Type: Select the best title for a 150-word passage from 4 options. Model Task Passage (150 words): "Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare by improving diagnostic accuracy and streamlining administrative tasks. For example, AI algorithms now detect early signs of cancer in medical images with 95% accuracy, surpassing human radiologists in some cases. Hospitals also use AI chatbots to schedule appointments and answer patient queries, reducing wait times. However, ethical concerns persist, such as data privacy risks and potential job displacement for medical staff. Despite these challenges, experts agree that AI’s benefits—like reducing costs and saving lives—outweigh its drawbacks. The future of healthcare will likely rely on a balance of human expertise and AI efficiency." Title Options: A. "How AI Chatbots Schedule Appointments" B. "The Ethical Dilemmas of Technology" C. "AI in Healthcare: Promising Advances and Ethical Challenges" D. "The History of Medical Imaging" Answer at end Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key: C
Pre-Task Strategies
Practice Task Type: Select the best main idea of a 150-word passage from 4 options. Model Task Passage (150 words): "The Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting East Asia to Europe, flourished between 130 BCE and 1453 CE. Merchants transported silk, spices, and porcelain, but its greatest impact was cultural. Buddhism spread from India to China via these routes, while papermaking technology moved westward. The Mongol Empire’s stability in the 13th century boosted trade by protecting travelers. However, the Black Death and the rise of sea trade led to its decline. Today, UNESCO recognizes the Silk Road as a symbol of cross-cultural exchange." Main Idea Options: A. "The Silk Road was a trade route for silk and spices." B. "The Silk Road’s cultural and technological exchanges shaped civilizations before declining due to historical events." C. "The Mongol Empire protected Silk Road travelers." D. "Ancient trade routes connected continents." Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key: B
Pre-Task Strategies
Practice Task Type: Read a 150-word passage and highlight the exact text that answers a question. Model Task Passage (150 words): "The Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting East Asia to Europe, flourished between 130 BCE and 1453 CE. Merchants transported silk, spices, and porcelain, but its greatest impact was cultural. Buddhism spread from India to China via these routes, while papermaking technology moved westward. The Mongol Empire’s stability in the 13th century boosted trade by protecting travelers. However, the Black Death and the rise of sea trade led to its decline. Today, UNESCO recognizes the Silk Road as a symbol of cross-cultural exchange." Question: What event accelerated the Silk Road’s decline? Post-Task Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key: "The Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting East Asia to Europe, flourished between 130 BCE and 1453 CE. Merchants transported silk, spices, and porcelain, but its greatest impact was cultural. Buddhism spread from India to China via these routes, while papermaking technology moved westward. The Mongol Empire’s stability in the 13th century boosted trade by protecting travelers. However, the Black Death and the rise of sea trade led to its decline. Today, UNESCO recognizes the Silk Road as a symbol of cross-cultural exchange."
Pre-Reading Strategies
1. Read the Entire Passage (Top & Bottom Sections)
Task Type: Select the missing sentence that best fits a gap in a passage. Four options are provided. Passage: "Beavers are among nature’s most skilled engineers, capable of transforming entire landscapes. By felling trees and constructing dams, they create deep ponds that serve as habitats for fish, birds, and amphibians. These structures not only provide shelter but also slow water flow, reducing erosion downstream. Surprisingly, their work benefits humans by replenishing groundwater and mitigating droughts. Yet, few species have such a visible impact on their environment." _______ "Scientists have documented cases where abandoned beaver ponds evolved into fertile meadows, supporting plant species that attract herbivores like deer and elk. Over time, these meadows can become biodiversity hotspots, illustrating how beaver activity triggers long-term ecological succession. Conservationists now advocate for reintroducing beavers to degraded areas, where their natural engineering could restore balance to ecosystems disrupted by human activity or climate change." Options: A. "Beavers are rodents native to North America and Eurasia, weighing up to 60 pounds." B. "For instance, in Montana, a single beaver dam expanded a creek into a 7-acre wetland within two years." C. "However, beavers sometimes flood roads and farmland, leading to conflicts with property owners." D. "Researchers use satellite imagery to track changes in beaver populations over time." Answer Key: B
Post-Reading Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
.Pre-Listening Tips
1. First Playthrough (Focus on Content Words)
. Practice Task Type: Transcribe a spoken sentence in 1 minute with 3 replays. Click the audio and write what you hear Questions 1-5 Questions 6-10 Post-Writing Assessment & Reflection Self-Check Questions:
Key Takeaways
Answer Key Listen and Type Ex 1 The battery of my cellphone lasts for up to 12 hours Listen and Type Ex 2 Are you ready for the party? • Listen and Type Ex 3 Change is the spice of life • Listen and Type Ex 4 The meadow is full of plants and trees of various kinds • Listen and Type Ex 5: I will visit my grandparents this summer Listen and Type Ex 6 Can I borrow your pen for a minute? • Listen and Type Ex 7 He is one of the best students in the class • Listen and Type Ex 8 The movie was so interesting, we watched it twice • Listen and Type Ex 9 I have a great love for classic novels Listen and Type Ex 10 She greatly resembles her grandmother |
Duolingo
AuthorNevin Blumer (MA Applied Linguistics, B.Ed., B.Mgmt, TESL Dip) has been teaching DET since it first arrived in 2016 and is the Director of TPS Archives
June 2025
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