LISTEN with understanding
→ After listening to the recording, sum up what you heard in a few sentences. You can use the questions to help you summarize. Read the transcript if needed.
Unexpected Power Outage
Sum up what was said by answering the following questions. The final summary should be in sentence form.
What happened suddenly?
How did the team react?
What was the final outcome?
Final Summary Sentence:
Your summary of what was said: _____________________________________
IDIOM USE
Thrown off balance – surprised or confused.
Ways we use it:
By sudden changes.
By unexpected events.
By surprising questions.
Examples:
“The sudden question threw me off balance.”
“The change in schedule threw the team off balance.”
“The noise threw him off balance.”
PHRASAL VERB USE
Sort out – to organize or fix something.
Ways we use it:
Organizing items.
Solving problems.
Planning tasks.
Making decisions.
Examples in different tenses:
Present: “I sort out my notes.”
Past: “She sorted out the problem.”
Continuous: “They are sorting out the plan.”
Future: “We will sort out the issue.”
TRANSCRIPT
“Our office was busy finishing reports when the lights suddenly went out. Everyone was thrown off balance for a few moments, unsure of what to do. The computers shut down, and some people looked worried. Then, the team leader quickly told us to stay calm. We sorted out candles, flashlights, and even a few backup batteries for laptops. Instead of panicking, we adjusted and kept working on the most important parts of the project. It was unusual, but teamwork helped us stay productive even during the outage.”