To be able to understand what someone is discussing or trying to purvey, you have to be able to train your mind and ears to tweak a bit so you can understand and answer accordingly.
This question is taken from a short story "We will Mash you",which is about Charle's miserable fate at school. Charles was feeling dread of returning as he drove away from the school at the end of the story. The moral of this story was that a tough school is the building ground for a strong character.