Listening Assessment

WIDA level 3
Section I: Appropriate Response
Directions: Listen to the question and circle the best response. Each question will be read two
times.
Purpose: To retain varying lengths of language and utilize a variety of listening strategies such as
detecting key words and appealing for help.
Scoring: Each question is worth two points. Total of 20 points possible.
1. Student hears: Who is the leader of the executive branch?
Student reads: A. Congress
B. The President
C. The Supreme Court
2. Student hears: The legislative branch has which of the following powers in the national
government?
Student reads: A. Approves the annual budget
B. Executes the laws
C. Solves questions involving the interpretation of the Constitution
3. Student hears: Which branch of the government can declare war?
Student reads: A. Judicial
B. Executive
C. Legislative
4. Student hears: The Judicial branch exercises the power of what?
Student reads: A. Executive review
B. Judicial review
C. Constitutionality
5. Student hears: Which branch appoints cabinet officers, ambassadors and federal judges?
Student reads: A. Legislative
B. Judicial
C. Executive
6. Student hears: The legislative branch gets its powers from which article of the Constitution?
Student reads: A. I
B. II
C. III
7. Student hears: This branch can veto laws passed by Congress.
Student reads: A. Judicial
B. Executive
C. Legislative

8. Student hears: Which branch can declare actions and laws unconstitutional?
Student reads: A. Executive
B. Legislative
C. Judicial
9. Student hears: The legislative branch can do which of the following?
Student reads: A. Propose legislation
B. Impeach and convict a president
C. Prepare the annual budget

10. Which of the following is a check the President has on Congress?

Student reads: A. Appointing Supreme Court judges
B. Declaring laws unconstitutional
C. Proposing laws
Section II: Open-ended Response
Directions: Listen to the question and write the appropriate answer on the blank line. Each
question will be read two times.
Purpose: To retain varying chunks of language, recognize a core of words and use given
information to deduce a correct response.
Scoring: Each question is worth four points. Spelling does not count as long as I can determine
what you wrote. Answers do not have to be in complete sentences but should fully answer the
question. Total worth of 20 points.
1. Student hears: Which branch is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate?
Student writes: ____________________________
2. Student hears: Who is the head of the judicial branch?
Student writes: _______________________
3. Student hears: This branch can call special sessions of Congress and veto laws passed by
Congress.
Student writes: ________________________

4. Student hears: Write on check the legislative branch has on the executive branch.
Student writes: _____________________________

5. Student hears: Write one power of the Executive branch.

Student writes: ______________________________

Section III: Cloze listening.

Directions: Listen for the words meant to go in the blanks. The passage will be read two times.
Purpose: To recognize cohesive devices in spoken discourse and link connections from given
information to determine correct responses.
Scoring: Each blank is worth two points, total of 34 points.
Article I of the Constitution describes the _________ branch. The ruling body of this branch is
_________________ which is made up of the ___________ and ____________________. Their
job is to ____________ the laws of our country. This branch can _________ a president or judge
if they do not do their job.
Article II of the Constitution describes the ____________ branch. This branch is headed by the
______________ who __________ laws. This branchs leader appoints ________ to the judicial
branch and ____________ to the executive branch. A major check of this branch is its ability to
________ laws passed by Congress.
Article III describes the __________ branch of the government. The _________ is the leader of
this branch. It is their duty to ____________ laws. This branch has the ability to declare laws and
actions _________________, which is known as _____________________ (two words).