PTE Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

PTE Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Task Overview

This task requires you to listen to an academic recording (played once) and select all correct options from a list. It tests detailed listening comprehension and your ability to distinguish accurate information from distractors.

Feature	Details
Number of Questions	1–2 per exam
Recording Length	40–90 seconds
Time to Answer	No separate timer; within the overall Listening section (31–39 minutes). You have about 7 seconds to preview options before audio plays
Options	Typically 5–7 choices, with 2–3 correct answers
Scoring	+1 per correct option, −1 per incorrect option, with the question score floored at 0
Skills Assessed	Listening only

Critical Strategy: Because of negative marking, never guess. Only select options you can directly verify from the audio. If unsure about a third option, submitting only two confident choices is mathematically safer than risking a deduction .

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Sample Set 1: Urban Beekeeping

Audio Script (Approx. 220 words):

Beekeeping has surged in popularity in cities over the last decade. Rooftop hives now appear on offices, schools, and even hospitals. Supporters argue that urban bees help pollinate parks and gardens and raise public awareness of pollinator decline. However, some scientists urge caution. They point out that a city can only support so many hives, and flooding an area with honeybees may actually crowd out wild bees and other native pollinators, which are often more effective at pollinating certain plants. The lesson, they say, is that good intentions need to be matched with careful planning and ecological awareness.

Beyond pollination, urban beekeeping has sparked debates about food safety and community engagement. Some local governments have introduced licensing requirements to prevent overcrowding, while others have banned hives entirely on public land. Beekeepers argue that the regulations are often based on anecdotal evidence rather than scientific data. Meanwhile, researchers are developing smartphone apps that allow citizens to report bee sightings and track hive health. The goal is to create a balance between encouraging urban agriculture and protecting native biodiversity. Without such measures, the well-meaning enthusiasm for urban beekeeping could inadvertently harm the very ecosystems it aims to support.

Question: Which of the following statements are supported by the speaker? Select all that apply.

A) Urban beekeeping has no negative consequences for native pollinators.
B) Some scientists worry that too many honeybees may crowd out wild bees.
C) Local governments have responded to urban beekeeping with various regulations.
D) Beekeepers believe regulations are always based on solid scientific evidence.
E) Researchers are developing tools to help monitor urban bee populations.

Answer: B, C, E

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Sample Set 2: Remote Work and Productivity

Audio Script (Approx. 235 words):

Many companies have adopted remote work policies over the past few years. Employees often report increased flexibility and reduced commuting time, which can improve work-life balance. However, some organizations face challenges in maintaining team collaboration and workplace culture when employees work from different locations. Managers have reported that spontaneous conversations—the kind that happen in hallways or break rooms—are often lost in remote settings, and this can slow down creative problem-solving.

Research on remote productivity has produced mixed results. Some studies show that remote workers are more productive on individual tasks because they experience fewer interruptions. Other studies suggest that collaborative tasks suffer when teams are distributed. A key factor appears to be the quality of digital communication tools and the clarity of expectations set by managers. Companies that invest in training managers to lead remote teams effectively tend to report better outcomes. Meanwhile, some firms have adopted hybrid models, requiring employees to be in the office two or three days a week. This approach attempts to preserve the benefits of flexibility while maintaining opportunities for in-person collaboration. The debate over remote work is unlikely to be resolved soon, but most experts agree that a one-size-fits-all policy is unlikely to work for every organization.

Question: Which statements are supported by the speaker? Select all that apply.

A) Remote work eliminates all workplace challenges.
B) Remote workers may experience fewer interruptions on individual tasks.
C) Spontaneous conversations are easily maintained in remote settings.
D) Hybrid models attempt to balance flexibility with in-person collaboration.
E) All experts agree that remote work is universally beneficial.

Answer: B, D

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Sample Set 3: The Science of Habit Formation

Audio Script (Approx. 225 words):

Habits are automatic behaviors triggered by environmental cues, and they follow a predictable loop: cue, routine, and reward. Understanding this loop is key to changing behavior. The cue triggers the behavior, the routine is the behavior itself, and the reward is the positive feeling that reinforces the loop.

The basal ganglia, a part of the brain responsible for procedural learning, play a central role in habit formation. Once a habit is formed, it becomes deeply ingrained, and the brain requires less energy to perform the behavior. This is why habits are powerful but also difficult to break. To change a habit, experts recommend identifying the cue and reward, then substituting a new routine that provides a similar reward.

Research suggests that building a new habit takes time—on average, about 66 days for a behavior to become automatic, though this varies widely depending on the complexity of the habit and the individual. Consistency is more important than intensity. Missing a single day does not ruin progress, but repeated interruptions can slow the process. Some psychologists recommend habit stacking, which involves attaching a new habit to an existing one. For example, after brushing your teeth, immediately floss. This uses the existing cue to trigger the new routine. By understanding the science of habits, individuals can make lasting positive changes in their lives.

Question: According to the speaker, which statements about habit formation are correct? Select all that apply.

A) Habits are triggered by environmental cues and follow a cue-routine-reward loop.
B) The basal ganglia has no role in habit formation.
C) Building a new habit typically takes about 66 days on average.
D) Missing a single day of practice permanently ruins progress.
E) Habit stacking involves attaching a new habit to an existing one.

Answer: A, C, E

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Sample Set 4: Coastal Salt Marsh Ecosystems

Audio Script (Approx. 240 words):

Coastal salt marshes perform several functions that matter for flood management and ecosystem health. The vegetation slows incoming waves, so less energy reaches the sea wall behind. This natural buffer can reduce the need for expensive engineered defenses. Salt marshes also trap sediment and gain height over time, which in principle allows them to keep pace with rising sea levels—though whether this happens depends on sediment supply, which has fallen in estuaries where rivers upstream are dammed.

Another important function is carbon storage. Salt marshes store carbon in waterlogged soils, but only while the marsh stays wet. If the marsh is drained for development or agriculture, it releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. The main threat to salt marshes is coastal squeeze. As sea levels rise, the marsh would naturally migrate landward. However, sea walls and coastal development block this migration, so the marsh is compressed against the wall and eventually lost.

Scientists argue that protecting and restoring salt marshes is a cost-effective strategy for climate adaptation. Unlike sea walls, marshes can self-repair and provide additional benefits such as wildlife habitat and water filtration. However, restoration projects require careful planning, including ensuring adequate sediment supply and removing barriers to landward migration. Without such measures, the long-term survival of these valuable ecosystems remains uncertain.

Question: Which of the following does the speaker state about coastal salt marshes? Select all that apply.

A) Marsh vegetation reduces the wave energy reaching sea walls.
B) Salt marshes always keep pace with sea level rise without exception.
C) Drained marsh releases stored carbon into the atmosphere.
D) Sea walls help salt marshes migrate inland as sea levels rise.
E) Sediment supply has fallen where rivers have been dammed.

Answer: A, C, E

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Sample Set 5: The History of the Internet

Audio Script (Approx. 230 words):

The internet began in the late 1960s as ARPANET, a project funded by the US Department of Defense. Its original purpose was to create a communication network that could survive a nuclear attack by decentralizing information. The first message was sent between two computers in 1969, and it famously crashed after just two letters. For the next two decades, the internet remained largely a tool for researchers and military users.

The turning point came in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web. He created HTML, the language used to build web pages, and made the web freely available to everyone. This democratized access to information and paved the way for the internet boom of the 1990s. The introduction of graphical browsers made the web accessible to ordinary people, not just scientists and academics. Companies quickly recognized the commercial potential of the internet, and e-commerce began to emerge.

Today, the internet connects billions of people worldwide and has transformed nearly every aspect of modern life. However, its history also includes debates over privacy, security, and the digital divide. Access to the internet is still unequal, with rural and low-income communities often lacking reliable connectivity. Understanding the internet's origins helps us appreciate both its potential and its limitations.

Question: Which statements about the history of the internet are supported by the speaker? Select all that apply.

A) ARPANET was originally designed to survive a nuclear attack.
B) Tim Berners-Lee invented the internet in 1969.
C) The World Wide Web made information freely available to everyone.
D) Graphical browsers made the web accessible only to scientists.
E) The digital divide remains an issue today.

Answer: A, C, E

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Answer Key Summary

Set	Topic	Correct Answers
1	Urban Beekeeping	B, C, E
2	Remote Work	B, D
3	Habit Formation	A, C, E
4	Coastal Salt Marsh	A, C, E
5	History of the Internet	A, C, E

Reminder: In the actual exam, the number of correct options varies (typically 2–3). Always verify each selection against what the speaker explicitly says, and avoid selecting options that use absolute language ("always," "never," "all") unless the audio confirms it .