# PTE SMW #5: Being Fired From an Executive Job

Select Missing Word #5 - Level 2 - Feeds Listening

> You will hear a recording. At the end, the last word or words are replaced by a beep. Choose the option that best completes the recording.

- Confused state.
- Dazed state.
- Angry state.
- Mad state.

## Answer

Dazed state.

## Explanation

The speaker is fired, and his boss's words "sucked the breath right out of me." This shows he was shocked and stunned, which is a dazed state. The option "confused" is tempting. But he knows exactly what happened, so shock fits better than confusion.

## Hints

- Focus on the speaker's description of the subject's alertness level.
- Consider whether the speaker is describing an emotional reaction or a cognitive impairment.

## Transcript

So, I was on a roll. I was an executive with a nice salary, annual bonuses, and stock options, all the perks. Everything was on track. And on Monday, January 7, 2008, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, in a small conference room on the top floor of our building, the president of the company wanted to have a quick meeting with me, which wasn't unusual since he was my boss. But the meeting turned out to be even more brief than expected. He fired me. And I'll never forget how his words just sucked the breath right out of me, and I left the conference room in a...

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