Practice PET (B1) Listening Test 34 with Answers and Audioscripts

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

Audioscripts

1   What has the woman received for her birthday?

M:   That’s a really nice necklace Sue. Did Brian buy it for you for your thirtieth birthday?

F:   No, he hasn’t bought me anything yet because he’s going to take me shopping to buy me a new coat. I saw one I like in the local clothes shop.

M:   Well, that will be nice for your holiday this winter.

F:   Yes, and I need one to go with the new boots that my mother bought me as a birthday gift. They are leather and very comfortable. I wonder what the kids will get me this year.

2   What did the boy forget to buy?

F:   Oh no, you forgot to get the apples! I need them for the fruit salad I was going to prepare for the barbecue party.

M:   They didn’t have any, so I got home bananas instead. I thought about buying strawberries, but they were a bit expensive.

F:   Well, at least you remembered the white bread and the meat. Otherwise, you and your sister would go hungry. Let’s have some bread, butter and jam for now. Sam, where’s the butter?

M:   Oops, the butter slipped my mind completely mum.

3   What is the date of the party?

M:   Hi Jill, are you going to Bob’s birthday party on the 27th of March? It’s going to be a big event. He has invited all our friends from school.

F:   Oh. I thought the party was on the 26th. I must have put it down wrong in my diary.

M:   It’s on Friday, at seven in the evening, at the Palace Hotel. So which day is that?

F:   Well, I know Sunday is the 27th March, as it’s my cousin’s birthday. So I guess we were both wrong after all.

4   What’s the weather like now?

F:   Wow! That was some storm. I thought that rain would never stop. The whole garden was completely flooded. It’s destroyed all my mum’s flowers.

M:   And the lightning was terrifying, wasn’t it?

F:   Yes, and the thunder was very loud. It scared my dog and he hid under my bed until it stopped. At least it’s cleared up in time for the barbecue. Let’s put the umbrellas up, we don’t want anyone to get too much sun on their faces. I think it is also time to start the fire for the barbecue. Can you get the wood for me, please?

5   What form of transport is unaffected?

M:   And finally, the recent travel news in your area. Due to the very bad weather, all shipping across the sea to France and Spain has been stopped for now. The wind is too strong for ships to sail safely. Freezing weather has created problems for most train services in the area, so passengers are advised to check the internet before they travel to the station. All roads are now passable for any parents trying to get their children from school. No more snow is expected, but we will be back later for an update.

6   What is the man’s job?

M:   I’m sorry, but it’s going to be difficult to drop you off right outside the museum as the traffic is terrible there; the traffic wardens give you a ticket almost before the car has stopped. You can either pay now, and if there is no one in front of the museum, you can get out quickly, or I will have to take you around the corner and you can get out just outside the police station. It’s only two minutes’ walk from there.

F:   I guess little Ann and I are going to walk a bit. That’s ok.

7   Where is Billy now?

F:   Billy’s been at the park for a long time. He left the house at about ten o’clock this morning. He should be back soon.

M:   I think he went to the afternoon showing of the latest Disney film with Peter.

F:   Oh, I thought he was still in the park. In that case, he should be home in about an hour then.

M:   No, he’ll be much later as he’s going to go for a pizza with his friends from school after the film. They always meet up once a month.

8 B   9 C   10 A   11 B   12 A   13 C

Audioscripts

8   You will hear a boy telling his friend about his problem.

F:   You look a bit miserable. What’s up?

M:   I wanted to go to a concert this weekend. My favourite group is playing but my parents won’t let me. They say I’m too young to go by myself and it finishes too late! All my friends are allowed out. It’s embarrassing to have such strict parents!

F:   Look, I can understand you being upset but also what their worries are. It’s not that they’re too strict; they’re just worried and want to be careful. Why don’t you go with someone else who is going? That may solve the problem.

M:   It’s worth a try!

9   You will hear two friends talking about a school trip they went on.

M:   So, how did you enjoy the trip?

F:   It was brilliant! I had the best time ever! It was great to be out of the classroom and be free! The teachers were really good and they let us do whatever we liked!

M:   Yes, that was great! The skate park was really cool. I wasn’t so keen on the shopping side. I guess you liked that! For me it was hanging out with my friends and being able to spend the day skateboarding. Oh, and that cafeteria was really nice, too!

F:   Yeah, I had the best iced coffee ever!

10   You will hear a girl telling her friend about her accident.

M:   What happened to your arm? Did you fall over?

F:   Not exactly. I was knocked off my bicycle on the way to school. I was riding along going around the roundabout near the station. You know, the one that joins that dangerous motorway. Well, this driver didn’t see me because he was talking on his smart phone! At least I was wearing my helmet.

M:   It could have been much more serious. People should never use smart phones when driving. You cannot drive safely with one hand! It makes me so angry. You could have ended up in hospital!

F:   I realise that!

11   You will hear two friends talking about an invitation.

F:   Have you had an invitation to the school dance next week?

M:   Yes, but I’m not sure if I’m going. I think it’s a lot of money for a dance, especially as it’s being held in that awful club in town. The music is terrible and there is no air conditioning. It should be free!

F:   My teacher said the money is going to a charity. And there is going to be live music with a group which may be good. My only problem is the history test the next day, so I can’t decide yet.

M:   I still think it’s too expensive.

12   You hear a girl telling her friend about her smart phone.

M:   Hey, that looks like a great smart phone!

F:   Yes, it’s the latest one. I think this one has a great camera… and look at the keyboard. It lights up in whatever colour you choose. It’s pretty expensive of course, but it has some really good apps, so I guess it’s worth it.

M:   I’ve had mine for three years and it still works fine. My camera is brilliant too, but of course it doesn’t have the colourful keyboard, which nobody really needs. This is just a technique to get us to buy them.

F:   Personally, I would, if I had the money.

13   You will hear two friends talking about a TV series.

M:   Let’s go out to see a movie tomorrow.

F:   No way! That great series is on tomorrow and I’m not missing it! I need to see what happens. Last week the main character disappeared. It’s so exciting! I haven’t missed one yet! Why don’t you watch it?

M:   I’m not going to organise my life around a TV series. It may be good but why don’t you just record it and see it the next day? It’s crazy to miss a Saturday night out to watch TV alone!

F:   Well, I guess I could record it.

14 office   15 lunch   16 twelve/12

17 11.30   18 4.50   19 water aerobics

Audioscripts

M:   Good morning everyone. After a good night’s sleep, I hope you have all recovered from your long journey and are now ready to begin the holiday of a lifetime at the Oasis Hotel. My name is Steven and I am your Sunny Tours rep for the week. (14) You can usually find me chatting to holidaymakers somewhere in the hotel or you can leave a message for me in my office next to the bar and I’ll get back to you. I’m always in the office between 10 and 11 in the morning or 6 and 7 in the evening.

Now, I’d like to tell you about the mid-week excursion to the volcano. This is always a very popular excursion, so I’d advise you to book soon to avoid disappointment. The cost is £20 per person and this includes the coach trip to the harbour, the boat to the volcano and a welcome drink when you board the boat. (15) You need to take a packed lunch and the hotel can provide one for you at a very reasonable rate, if you ask them the night before.

The coach leaves at 9 o’clock sharp from outside the main entrance and will return at 5 pm, just in time for dinner. (16) Children over the age of 12 are welcome. Unfortunately, the excursion is not suitable for younger children. (17) The hotel has a creche and toddler club which opens at 7.30 am for four hours and then again in the early evening between six and eight. You may already have seen that the hotel has a fantastic, state-of-the-art gym. This is free to all hotel guests. A massage facility, hair styling, aerobics classes and yoga classes are on offer. (18) The first costs £5 an hour and yoga is offered for £4.50 an hour. (19) On Sunday morning, the fitness instructors offer water aerobics at 10 am followed by circuit training back in the gym at 11.15.

Well, that’s all for now. Are there any questions?

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

Audioscripts

Int:   Today we are talking to Anna Sanders, a language student, about learning a language. Anna is fluent in five languages already and intends to learn even more in the future. So Anna, how long have you been learning foreign languages?

Anna:   (20) Well, I started at primary school, where we had a French club. We didn’t actually have to learn French; it was just an after-school club once a week for 45 minutes. It was much better than having a private tutor at home. (21) It was always great fun which, I guess, is why we all liked it so much. It wasn’t like any other classes during the day. They all seemed boring compared to our French lessons. And somehow all of us felt that French came naturally to us.

Int:   After so many years learning languages, what advice would you give to language students, Anna?

Anna:   (22) I think it is very important to learn words in phrases and sentences. Don’t just learn a word on its own. As much as you study lists of words, this won’t get you very far in the language learning process. (23) Try to use a new word immediately in a sentence that has to do with your life and interests and, if you can, write it down to remember it. Another important thing is to practise your new vocabulary as much as you can. Talk to a friend using any new words you’ve learned and have conversations where you can practise together. This will make you feel more confident and it is the best way to remember new words in the long run.

Int:   (24) Are there any mistakes that language learners often make?

Anna:   (24) Of course there are many things that learners do that are not helpful. You would be surprised how many students write long lists of words and then think they will remember them. Also you have to spend time studying. No one learns anything if they don’t work hard. Learning a language is not easy, but there are strategies that make it easier.

Int:   What about listening to people speaking in the language you are learning? I’ve heard that watching films and listening to songs can be a good way to learn a language.

Anna:   Oh yes, that’s really useful and (25) I think listening to songs is great for any learner but especially for younger learners as they usually like pop music. Quite often, you can listen to a song on YouTube and the words or lyrics will come on the screen for you to read while the singer is singing. It’s true that people learn more easily by singing songs than by just reading words.

Int:   That’s all we have time for Anna, but thank you very much for talking to us. It’s been very interesting.