Highlight Correct Summary #161008

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Audio question

1. AThe speaker tells us that cliches are the enemy of literature and art. They are words, phrases and images that have become stale through overuse and therefore have nothing new to say to us. They are an enemy to clear and original thinking, although they are sometimes useful in advertising to get a simple message across.
2. BWhile cliches in writing reveal lazy thinking and are to be avoided at all costs, in the graphic arts they become essential, helping to get the message across quickly, clearly and with emotional force. This is especially true of advertising and propaganda where the impact must be immediate.
3. CCliches are worn out, overused and over-familiar phrases, and the etymology of the word helps to explain this. Originally, a cliche or stereotype was a printer's term for a pre-set block of type with phrases used frequently in the newspapers. The word has since adopted a negative meaning and careful writers avoid them where they can.

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Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 3: Listening, checked 9 October 2026.