Practice FCE (B2) Listening Test 16 with Answers and Audioscripts

1 B   2 C   3 A   4 C

5 B   6 A   7 B   8 A

Audioscripts

1   You are in the service department of an electrical store when you overhear this technician speaking on the telephone.

Hello, Lunthan’s service department … Yes, we can repair a colour TV set … what seems to be the problem? .,. Yes … yes … uh, uh … and the picture is permanently like this? … and the sound? … No, no, is the sound clear? … Ok … well, if you can just try changing the contrast and brightness controls, they’re on the back of that model, and try repositioning the aerial … and if there’s no improvement, ring us again and we’ll send a service engineer.

2   You are in a railway waiting room when you overhear this man speaking.

Well, touch wood, I’m completely over it now. I must have been away from my desk for almost a fortnight. Still, they seem to have got by all right without me. After all, I simply couldn’t have gone into the office in my condition. I mean, I had a shocking temperature, feeling hot and cold all the time and shivering – and a couple of days I felt so dizzy I couldn’t even stand up … but I’m back on my feet now. Mind you, apparently, there’s quite a pile of papers for me waiting when I get back to work.

3   You are standing at the bar of an English pub when you overhear this exchange.

W = Woman     M = Man

W:   Can I help you, love?

M:   Yes, we’d like something to eat … er, does it all cost the same?

W:   Yes, all meals are five-fifty including side-salad and a bap.

M:   That sounds all right. Can I take this over there to show my friends?

W:   Well, there is only one of them. Couldn’t they come over here to have a look?

M:   Oh, go on. It’ll only take a second.

W:   Oh, right. There you are.

4   You are visiting the offices of a construction company when you overhear a woman answering the telephone.

Yes … Yes … We’re very sorry about that if indeed … Yes? And your property is next door to the construction site? … Well, sir, it is our company policy that no work begins before 7 a.m. but we can check with the foreman to see if this rule has in fact been broken … Well, I can’t say anything about that but I think you’ll find that if there’s been no damage to your actual property, we are not legally required to pay compensation.

5   You overhear this exchange in an office.

D = David     A = Amanda

D:   Oh, hi Amanda.

A:   Hello, David. I’ve just finished typing this letter … you know, with the shipping inventory for Uni-Parcel Express Limited.

D:   And you want my opinion?

A:   Well, not really. I do know how to write a letter.

D:   Well, what’s the problem then?

A:   I just wondered if you could read through it and see if I’ve made any spelling mistakes.

D:   Well, it’s a bit late if you have.

A:   Well, if there are any, I can just type it up again.

6   You are listening to the results of football matches on a Saturday sports programme.

And now for some late results. Watford 3, Carlisle 0. Bolton Wanderers 1, Cardiff City 3. The Fulham Brighton and Hove Albion match was postponed due to rain and we’re still waiting for a score from the West Bromwich Albion – Wolverhampton game which has been delayed by flooding of the pitch … and … Sheffield Wednesday 1, Coventry 0, Oxford United 2, Lyme Regis 9 … FADE

7   You are at a rock concert where the lead singer makes this announcement.

… Thank you, thank you very much. I just want to tell you about one of our fans who can’t be here tonight. His name is Simon and right now he’s in Southcliff Memorial hospital not far from here. I just want to tell you that he’s a brave little guy because he’s also very sick, but he’s promised to come to our next gig in the UK when he’s better and can walk again. This song is for Simon and anyone else with cerebrospinal arthritis.

8   You are a passenger travelling in a car when you are stopped by a policeman.

P = Policeman     M = Man

P:   Excuse me, sir. Can I see your licence, please? … and the insurance documents? … This is your car I presume.

M:   Yes, it is my car.

P:   It’s just I did happen to notice while you were stationary at the traffic lights back there, that your tail-lights are not functioning. Were you aware of that?

M:   Um, yes, the garage is waiting for the part.

P:   Well then, could I ask you to refrain from using the vehicle in the meantime? Otherwise, there’ll be an accident.

9 Trinity   10 History

11 9 – 12.30   12 95 and 201

13 8 weeks   14 The British Museum

15 Egyptian Mummies

16 2.30, 5   17 Aerobic classes/Aerobics

18 Western House

Audioscripts

Good morning, I’d like to welcome you to Trinity college. It’s good to see so many new faces here today although I’m sure most of you are feeling a little lost at the moment. I’m here to give you plenty of information about the college generally and about the course and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions at the end.

At this campus we teach English Literature, history, archaeology, art history and music. For you, the history students, most of your seminars will be held from 9-12.30 in rooms 201 and 95. There is always a coffee break at 10.30 for 20 minutes though.

Many of your lecturers teach here at the college all year round although we also have some very talented visiting lecturers who will just be here for the eight week course that you are following. In the afternoons there will be many field trips which will include castles, museums and stately homes. The highlight of this is always the trip to the British Museum on Saturday 5th July. This museum is particularly famous for the Parthenon Marbles and the Egyptian Mummies which are an important part of our course and so must be seen.

The canteen is open daily from 12.-2.30 p.m. and again from 5-8 p.m. although on Fridays it closes at 7 p.m. There are also recreational facilities in the leisure centre. These are available every day and all are free with the exception of the aerobic classes. I recommend that you take advantage of the excellent sports facilities here, particularly the Olympic size swimming pool.

If any of you have any problems with your accommodation, which I think is highly unlikely, you can find the accommodation officer in Room 16 in Western House. Her name is Mrs. Grosvenor and she will be pleased to help you. Now if there are any questions, now is the time to ask them.

19 A   20 D   21 E   22 C   23 F

Audioscripts

Speaker 1

It was an unusually slow Saturday morning, just after the New Year sales, as I recall. I didn’t have much to pay attention to at the time and that’s how I came to be looking at a youngster in a green and purple shell-suit as he picked up a crystal decanter, looked at it and then put it back on the shelf. But he didn’t quite get it right because the next thing I knew, there was an almighty crash. Well, of course, he immediately went running off back to his mum. So, I was more than a little put out when his mum insisted that he’d been right there by her side all the time, so how could he have done it? A very proper lady she was too.

Speaker 2

It was some time mid-morning after second break when a little four year-old called Josh came up to me and said his tummy was hurting. Now, we get this all the time, so, at first, I didn’t pay too much attention but then a few minutes later, I noticed the same kid sitting on his own away from the others – crying and holding his tummy. He was also sweating and looking really pale. So, after quickly phoning his mum, I asked Sam to take care of my group, bundled Josh into the car and whisked him round to the children’s clinic on Preston Road, and it’s just as well I did, but it turned out to be appendicitis.

Speaker 3

Well, I’d only got about half a mile from the school when I noticed this commotion going on in the back. So, I pulled over and stopped and then went down there to see what all the fuss was about. Anyway, there was this really little lad lying on the floor crying his eyes out and all his books and pens and pencils were all over the floor and there were three or four pieces of chewing gum pressed into his hair. Anyway, I knew straight away who’d done it because they were making for the door at the front. But I’d shut it when I’d stopped. Not that I could do very much. If I’d laid a finger on any of them, I’d have lost my licence.

Speaker 4

Toys aren’t at all like other products when it comes to market research. I mean, you can’t go out in the street with a clip-board and a questionnaire to assess the response of 5-year-olds to a new inflatable dinosaur. You have to get twenty of them together in a room with a child psychologist present to get some idea of the market potential of anything new. I do remember one occasion when a certain four-year-old managed to break everything we presented him with in a matter of seconds. Needless to say he wasn’t invited back again.

Speaker 5

In legal terms there really should have been no contest at all. The mother had remarried to a very respectable gentleman and she was being very reasonable about things. After all, it was the husband who had divorced her and she still let him keep the house in Watford. All she wanted was to have custody of the child. And according to her rights, she should have … if it weren’t for the child herself. Jenny, she’s called, just won’t see sense. She’s remarkably grown up for a six-year-old and we’ve talked it over at length. But she just insists on staying with her dad in that run-down maisonette. And until she comes round to our point of view, I won’t be collecting my fee.

24 C   25 A   26 C   27 B

28 B   29 A   30 C

Audioscripts

N = Norman     L = Linda     P = Patty

N:   And then have we finished after ‘Smith’s’?

L:   Er … we’ve just got to pick up the dry-cleaning and then we’ll still get back in time for the match.

P:   Linda!

L:   Patty! You’ve met Norman, haven’t you?

P:   Oh, yes. We met at the Thomson’s Christmas party last year.

N:   Yes, you were telling me all about your young rocket scientist!

L:   Oh, yes. How is Stewart getting on?

P:   Oh fine, fine. You know the usual.

N:   Didn’t sound very usual to me.

L:   Norman! He doesn’t mean it. You’ll never guess what! Our Matthew’s started French lessons; he’s only seven and he already knows all the numbers and how to tell the time.

P:   Yes, Stewart does French and German – after all, languages are so important these days. And you know, the younger you start …

N:   Oh, yes, just what every seven-year-old needs. It never caused me any trouble not knowing three languages.

P:   But this is the nineties. In ten years, everyone will need these things and if you don’t invest in his education now, Matthew won’t be thanking you in years to come.

L:   And he can teach us about these things at the same time. He was showing me how to play chess on the computer the other night – he’s already got to level three.

P:   Oh Linda, you ought to find out about these things. He expects to learn from you, not be your teacher. I did a course at night school just so I could show Stewart the important things – and he’s progressing so fast now that I’ve had to start the night classes again.

L:   I could never manage that – what with the hours I work.

P:   So you’re still doing six nights a week?

L:   I’m afraid so. Still, tomorrow night’s my night off.

P:   Poor you! I don’t know how you put up with it.

N:   Is your husband still sending you the maintenance cheques every month then?

L:   Norman!

P:   Actually, he’s my ex-husband now, but he does still send the cheques and he’s even agreed to cover Stewart’s school fees when he goes to Hanborough in six year’s time.

L:   Oh, how wonderful!

P:   Well, they do have one of the best computer departments which will be so important in his later life.

N:   Does Stewart ever have time to play?

P:   What do you mean? He’s got all the latest computer games if that …

N:   No, I mean play with other kids, kick a ball around, get in fights …

P:   Well, he goes to junior school and he probably does those things …

L:   Norman, it’s not the same as when we were at school.

N:   Isn’t it? Matthew’s a kid isn’t he? He likes to laugh sometimes and all he seems to do is one lesson after another. What a way to spend a childhood.

L:   So, this is about … FADE