# PTE Listening FIB #15: Improving Police Lineup...

Listening: Fill in the Blanks #15 - Level 3 - Feeds Listening

> You will hear a recording. Type the missing word in each blank.

Ronald Cotton went to prison for rape. The ____ picked him from a lineup, convinced she was accurate. She picked him again years later when his case was reopened. This second lineup included the actual rapist. After 11 years behind bars, Cotton was later ____ by DNA evidence. Experts say that the current lineup format pressures witnesses to identify a suspect, even when they lack confidence. So researchers are trying to improve the ____ of such identifications. One recent study had more than 900 participants watch a short film of a ____ crime. Up to a week after watching the film, the viewers looked at photos of suspects one at a time and rated how confident they were about each one's guilt. Half of the participants could take as long as they wanted to look at the photos. The other half had to decide within a few seconds. And the fast group was up to 66 percent more accurate. The study is in the Journal of Psychological Science. Strong ____ are accessed more quickly than weak memories, which may explain why choosing fast tends to mean choosing right. Another factor that's putting the standard police lineup itself on trial.

## Answer

1. victim
2. exonerated
3. accuracy
4. staged
5. memories

## Explanation

"Exonerated" is long and easy to misspell; "by DNA evidence" after 11 years in prison shows he was cleared. "Staged" has a quiet -ed before "crime," and "short film" shows the crime was acted. "Accuracy" ends in -acy. "Memories" is plural, matching "weak memories" later.

## Hints

- Listen for the specific terms used in the lecture regarding the study and the case of Ronald Cotton.
- Consider the grammatical structure of the sentences to determine the correct word forms.

## Transcript

Ronald Cotton went to prison for rape. The victim picked him from a lineup, convinced she was accurate. She picked him again years later, when his case was reopened. This second lineup included the actual rapist. After 11 years behind bars, Cotton was later exonerated by DNA evidence. Experts say that the current lineup format pressures witnesses to identify a suspect even when they lack confidence. So researchers are trying to improve the accuracy of such identifications. One recent study had more than 900 participants watch a short film of a staged crime. Up to a week after watching the film, the viewers looked at photos of suspects one at a time and rated how confident they were about each one's guilt. Half of the participants could take as long as they wanted to look at the photos. The other half had to decide within a few seconds. And this fast group was up to 66% more accurate. The study is in the Journal of Psychological Science. Strong memories are accessed more quickly than weak memories, which may explain why choosing fast tends to mean choosing right. Another factor that's putting the standard police lineup itself on trial.

[Practise this question with the exam timer](https://testmigo.com/pte/practice/listening-fill-in-the-blanks/improving-police-lineup-accuracy) - [All Listening: Fill in the Blanks questions](https://testmigo.com/pte/practice/listening-fill-in-the-blanks)