Practice PET (B1) Listening Test 09 with Answers and Audioscripts

1 C   2 C   3 A   4 B   5 B   6 C   7 A

Audioscripts

1   Which day is the carnival taking place this year?

Man:   OK, we have activities for the carnival now but we need to decide on a date.

Woman:   We always hold it in July, don’t we? On a Saturday. Last year the Saturday was the seventh of July. Shall we do that again this year?

Man:   I was thinking of moving it to the end of June around the thirtieth. But some of the acts can’t make that date.

Woman:   Let’s do it the same time as last year. This year that means Saturday the eighth of July.

Now listen again.

2   Why has the woman decided to leave her job?

Man:   Your mum was telling me you’re starting a new job. Why’s that?

Woman:   Yes, that’s right. I’ve been with this company now for nearly three years.

Man:   So why are you leaving?

Woman:   They’ve always been great, never said ‘no’ if I was ill and needed time off or if I wanted to attend a training event. I just felt I needed a change. This other company offered me a higher salary so I decided it would be a good opportunity to move.

Now listen again.

3   What should customers who have a problem with their telephone do?

Woman:   Thank you for calling lntratek. All our operators are busy. If you are calling about a poor telephone connection, we are aware of a problem that is affecting customers in certain areas of the country. We are working with engineers to look into this matter. Please check our website for the latest updates. If you have a different enquiry, please email us at info@intratek.com for a quick reply.

Now listen again.

4   What does the man say he can’t do?

Woman:   So can I book you to come round to tidy our garden?

Man:   Yes, that’s fine this Friday at 11 .00. Let’s hope the weather is fine.

Woman:   Great. I’m looking forward to seeing the garden looking nice.

Man:   I’ll cut the grass and I’ll put all the things that can be recycled into green plastic bags. As I explained earlier, you’ll have to find a way of getting these to a recycle centre yourself as I don’t have my own transport.

Now listen again.

5   What is today’s special offer?

Man:   Welcome to ABROSE Superstore this morning. Today we have an exciting selection of new clothing including a new range of women’s dresses in the fashion section. And if you’re wondering what to cook for tea tonight don’t forget our frozen food section where you’ll find some of your favourites at half price. And for our gentlemen visitors today, why not treat someone special to a nice bunch of flowers from our garden centre?

Now listen again.

6   What time does Jamie suggest meeting?

Man:   Emma, it’s me, Jamie … I was wondering what time you’ll be free tomorrow afternoon. I should be able to leave college by 3.00 because my lecture has been cancelled. Is there any chance we can meet a little earlier than we planned? I can get the 3.15 train into town and get to you by 4.00 if that’s OK. Call me back and let me know.

Now listen again.

7   What should passengers for the 10.15 train do?

Woman:   We regret to inform passengers that the 8.15 train to London has been cancelled. The next London train is at 10.15. Passengers can use their ticket for this train but should go to the ticket office for seat reservations. If you need an earlier arrival in London, a coach service has been arranged, leaving at 8.30. Passengers taking the coach should go to the coach stop now to check in any luggage. The next train to arrive at Platform 2 is the 8.00 to Watford Junction.

Now listen again.

8 B   9 A   10 A   11 C   12 C   13 B

Audioscripts

8   You will hear two friends talking about a dance performance.

Man:   Did you get the email? The date for the dance performance is 11 May.

Woman:   Yes, I know. I’m sure we’ll have enough time to prepare. We’ve got three lessons before the big day.

Man:   Yes, I think we’ll be OK. We’ve already learnt the basic steps, haven’t we?

Woman:   But the dance teacher’s away on holiday for the next two weeks so we’ll have to practise on our own. I’m not sure we have anyone in the group who’s strong enough to take charge. You know how we argue so much.

Now listen again.

9   You will hear two friends talking about a book they’ve read.

Woman:   So, did you like that book?

Man:   I loved it. I read it from cover to cover in one day!

Woman:   Really? It took me a while to finish it. But I wasn’t familiar with the author and I found it rather confusing.

Man:   The plot is a bit complicated I agree, especially compared to his other books. But he really is a good author. Would you like to try one of his earlier ones?

Woman:   OK, I’m happy to give him another chance.

Now listen again.

10   You will hear a man telling a friend about a football match.

Man:   Are you looking forward to going to the match this weekend?

Woman:   I am, yes. Especially such a big game. It will be so exciting. I just hope we win.

Man:   I can’t wait! There should be a fantastic atmosphere in the ground and a bigger crowd than normal for such an important match.

Woman:   I know. We were lucky to get two tickets, weren’t we?

Man:   It wasn’t difficult at all. I know someone who has a job in the ticket office. He offered to save two for me.

Now listen again.

11   You will hear two friends talking about a visit to the dentist.

Man:   What time’s your appointment at the dentist tomorrow?

Woman:   It’s the last one of the day at 5.30. I was hoping to get one earlier as my tooth is really hurting.

Man:   Oh, poor you! Toothache is horrible.

Woman:   I could have got one in the morning, but it would have been with a different dentist. I’ve heard he’s not very good with nervous patients so I thought it would be better to see my usual one. She’s gentle and explains everything to you clearly and calmly.

Man:   Well, best of luck.

Now listen again.

12   You will hear two friends talking about their evening meal.

Woman:   OK, it’s my turn to cook tonight. Is there anything you fancy?

Man:   I love pasta although we’ve had it for the past three days so perhaps something else.

Woman:   Is there anything in the freezer? I don’t really want to go shopping.

Man:   I don’t think so. We could always get a takeaway for a change. You could cook tomorrow instead.

Woman:   OK. What about a curry?

Man:   I’d rather have something that isn’t too hot and spicy. There’s a menu from the local restaurant in the kitchen. I’ll go and get it.

Now listen again.

13   You will hear two friends talking about a friend’s birthday present.

Woman:   It’s Sandra’s birthday this Saturday. Have you bought her a present yet?

Man:   Not yet, no. I was thinking of getting her a book, but I have no idea what she likes.

Woman:   There’s an interesting play on at the theatre this weekend. Why don’t we treat her to a night out?

Man:   That’s a great idea. I know she’s free on Friday so we could always book tickets and surprise her. She’d like that.

Woman:   OK, do you want to order the tickets? Hopefully we can get three seats together.

Now listen again.

14 different building   15 13 September

16 exercises   17 training manager

18 (company) restaurant   19 134

Audioscripts

Sandra:   Can I just say something about the training day next week. You should all receive your programme by email shortly. We’ve had to make changes to rooms and even now some of the training sessions may have to be held in a different building. But we’ll let you know if this happens.

Some of you have asked about changing to a different session than the one you signed up for. We’ve tried to do this when it’s been possible but as some training sessions are full it will sometimes not be possible. We will let you know by email on 13 September the full list of names of people going to each session.

The trainers will email you the materials they’ll be using during the sessions for you to have a look at before the training day. There are some tasks for you to complete in preparation for your session. Please make sure you print out these materials and complete the exercises before you attend.

At the end of the training day you will all be given a questionnaire for your comments on each of the sessions you attended. Could you please make sure you complete this and give it to the training manager? We are using a new company for this event and are keen to see how well the day goes.

Because staff in the company restaurant will also be attending training sessions, the restaurant will not be open. We are arranging cold food, teas and coffee for everyone. Could you email the restaurant manager before the end of this week and let him know if you have any special dietary requirements.

Finally, can I remind you to check the noticeboard outside room 134 for any last-minute changes. Yes, we’ll email you all important information but several of you have complained that you haven’t received our messages, so to be absolutely sure you’re up to date, check the noticeboard.

Now listen again.

20 A   21 B   22 B   23 C   24 A   25 B

Audioscripts

Interviewer:   On today’s programme I’m speaking to Maggie Taylor and finding out about her love of garlic. Where did this all start Maggie?

Maggie:   I think it started when I went to university about 30 years ago. Garlic wasn’t something you often found in many English kitchens at that time, not among the older generation anyway. My mum certainly never used it and when I went to university, I started seeing other students cooking with it for the first time.

Interviewer:   So how did it go from that to your current love of garlic?

Maggie:   I think my interest in it has just developed over the years. I studied cookbooks and of course discovered what a difference it can make to a meal. Actually, garlic turned me into a cook as I’d never really done much of that before. And because it’s used all over the world, I’ve learnt to cook some interesting dishes.

Interviewer:   Garlic has health benefits too, doesn’t it?

Maggie:   It certainly does. It has a very long history of being used as a medicine. Research shows that it can reduce heart disease. Some people believe that garlic can be used to fight off the common cold, though I’m not sure about that. I’ve even heard it can be used for some skin conditions.

Interviewer:   Have you tried to grow garlic yourself?

Maggie:   I have, yes. The first time I tried to grow it I used garlic from the supermarket, but I later discovered that this isn’t really suitable for an English garden. You need to find garlic that has been selected for different climates. It used to be difficult to find the right type but these days it’s quite easy to find the kind that grows well here.

Interviewer:   And were you successful?

Maggie:   Yes. I didn’t do very well to start with, but I’ve been more successful recently. You must remember to plant it out in the autumn for best results, and it’s usually ready to dig up around July when it’s still green. Then you hang it somewhere warm and dry in the sunshine. Once you’ve picked it, garlic will last for up to a year.

Interviewer:   And finally, have you got a favourite recipe using garlic?

Maggie:   Well, there’s a soup I cook that contains 25 cloves of garlic! I can’t say my family like it. They’re afraid it will make their breath smell. Personally, I think the smell of garlic is wonderful. But they’re wrong to worry anyway, as when garlic is cooked slowly over a long period it becomes mild.

Now listen again.