Practise your English with our short listening exercises: play the audio; answer the questions; and check the answers at the bottom of the page.
Young-hee, the iconic robotic doll from “Squid Game”, has become a viral sensation with her chilling yet innocent design. Photo: ReutersQuestions
1. What similarities exist in the second season of Squid Game compared to the first season?
A. Both seasons have the same plot twists.
B. Struggling people can try to win money.
C. The supporting characters are the same.
D. The children’s games remain the same.
2. If someone is “down on their luck”, they are …
A. unfortunate and struggling
B. skilled game players
C. wealthy and successful
D. none of the above
3. What game features Young-hee in the show?
A. “Red Light, Green Light”
B. “Green Light, Red Light”
C. “Red Man, Green Man”
D. “Green Man, Red Man”
4. Which word is used in the podcast to describe Young-hee’s appearance?
A. deadly
B. viral
C. innocent
D. centrepiece
5. Which word can replace “adorned with” in the podcast?
A. costume
B. clothing
C. dress
D. wearing
6. Why are Young-hee’s big eyes important, according to Chae?
A. because they show her emotions
B. because they are part of her role as a killing machine
C. because they are a traditional Korean symbol
D. because they help contestants win the game
7. What record did the first season of Squid Game break?
A. most-watched show on Netflix
B. most international awards won by a Korean drama
C. highest budget for a Netflix original series
D. fastest Korean show to reach one billion viewers
8. The podcast most likely describes Squid Game as a “dystopian thriller” because the show …
A. has a romantic and humorous theme.
B. explores a bleak, oppressive society with suspense and action.
C. deals with historical events and figures in a realistic way.
D. highlights why science and new inventions should be used to do good.
9. When was the first season of Squid Game released according to the podcast?
A. January 16
B. June 6
C. December 26
D. information not given
10. How many people watched the second season of Squid Game in the first week?
A. less than 10 million
B. slightly over 50 million
C. close to 70 million
D. more than 100 million
11. Complete the following summary of Young-hee using information from the podcast. (6 marks)
Chae Kyoung-sun, the production designer for Squid Game, said that Young-hee was originally designed to be neither (i) ______ nor (ii) ______. Later, when they decided on the robotic doll’s gender, Chae gave her a short (iii) ______ like her daughter’s cute bowl (iv) ______. Young-hee’s (v) ______ was also inspired by a girl pictured on old Korean school (vi) ______.
Answers
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. (i) male/female; (ii) female/male ; (iii) fringe; (iv) haircut; (v) name; (vi) textbooks
Script
Adapted from Reuters
Voice 1: The second season of Netflix’s popular series Squid Game features several new plot twists. However, one element has remained constant: where contestants down on their luck risk their lives to play children’s games to win cash prizes.
Voice 2: Young-hee is an innocent-looking robotic doll with a deadly role in the South Korean-made television series. She is designed to shoot contestants playing the game “Red Light, Green Light” if she sees them moving. Dressed in a simple orange dress and adorned with a hair clip, Young-hee has become a viral meme on social media and a central figure in the streaming giant’s promotional campaign.
Voice 1: Chae Kyoung-sun, the production designer for Squid Game, said the doll’s appearance was partly inspired by her own daughter. According to Chae, her daughter had a bowl cut for a long time, which was very cute, so she decided to draw a very short fringe for the doll. She added that Young-hee’s big eyes are a little crazy, and since she is a killing machine, it was important that her eye movements were clearly visible.
Voice 2: Initially, the inspiration for Young-hee came from a girl with the same name featured on the cover of old primary school textbooks in South Korea. According to Chae, the killer doll was initially conceived as being genderless.
Voice 1: The first season of Squid Game became the most-watched show on the streaming platform, leading to high expectations for the second season to replicate that success. The new season of the dystopian thriller, released on December 26, also broke records, achieving 68 million views in its premiere week, according to Netflix. At the end of the second season, viewers also get a glimpse of Chul-su, a male doll set to appear in the next season alongside Young-hee.
Voice 2: Asked about the success of the show and this particular character, Chae put it down to the story’s unorthodox nature. She added that Squid Game’s world adopted unpredictable concepts that resonated with young people looking for fresh things.