Practice FCE (B2) Listening Test 18 with Answers and Audioscripts

1 C   2 B   3 A   4 B   5 B   6 C   7 C   8 A

Audioscripts

1   You hear a conversation between a man and a woman at a party.

Woman:   Hi. We met recently at a conference in Manchester, didn’t we?

Man:   Yes, that’s right. I was there to give a talk on property development for the company I work for.

Woman:   That sounds exciting. Do you like the job?

Man:   Yes. The company is based in London so I have to commute from Birmingham every day but it doesn’t take too long – and I enjoy what I do.

2   You hear an interview on the radio with a cyclist.

Presenter:   … And I understand you’re about to start on another journey?

Cyclist:   Not for a few months yet. I’m still recovering from the last trip.

Presenter:   That was through Europe, wasn’t it?

Cyclist:   Well, part of Europe. From the north of Spain. I started across the border in France, down through Spain to the south of the country. It was a fantastic trip and easier than my previous ride in Switzerland, when I had trouble …

3   You hear a guide talking to visitors in an art gallery.

Guide:   Welcome to the Arcon Gallery. This afternoon we’ll be looking at the new exhibition as well as our permanent collections. If you’ve been here before, you’ll notice the place has been decorated, so it’s easier to appreciate the paintings. Unfortunately, the builders also damaged the beautiful tiled flooring there … And we won’t be going into the main hall as the paintings there are being re-arranged. Anyway, if you’ll follow me …

4   You hear a man talking to a police officer.

Police officer:   Is everything all right, sir?

Man:   Not really. I’m locked out of my car. We parked it here and went into town but then my wife couldn’t find the keys. She’s gone to see if she’s left them in one of the shops.

Police officer:   Do you need the number of an emergency service?

Man:   Thanks, but I should be OK. My wife will be back soon – and we have a spare set of keys at home.

5   You hear a customer talking to a waiter in a café.

Waiter:   Good morning, madam. Are you ready to order?

Customer:   Um, I’d like a cup of coffee, please, and something to eat. Have you got a menu?

Waiter:   Here you are. We’ve got some lovely soup today.

Customer:   Ooh, yes, it smells fantastic. Um … and the sandwiches look lovely too. Um … I think I’ll have one of them … I’d better avoid the cream cakes, though they do look delicious.

6   You hear a student leaving a message on an answering machine.

Student:   Hi Mum. The exams begin first thing tomorrow morning – and you know what I’m like at that time of the day. I hope I can concentrate. I’ve done loads of revision but I don’t feel ready. I, er, I missed a couple of lectures this term and I don’t know enough about one particular topic. Anyway, I’ll, er, I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know how it went.

7   You hear a woman called Judy talking on the phone to her friend Martin.

Judy:   Hi Martin. It’s Judy. How are you?

Martin:   I’m fine, thanks. Are we still going to the party together?

Judy:   I’m going, yes, but don’t worry about giving me a lift. I’m going to share a taxi with my flatmate. But I was going to ask if I could pop round later to collect my phone. I left it there yesterday.

Martin:   Yes, sure. I’ll see you later.

8   You hear a footballer talking about his career.

Presenter:   Well, Dave, how do you feel when you look back at your career?

Footballer:   I’ve been fortunate enough to play for some top teams. It’s a pity I was injured earlier in the season. If I hadn’t missed those games, I might have broken the club record for most games played. I’ve had a few yellow cards, sure, but my discipline record has been good, I think. All in all, I’m most pleased about being voted player of the year last season.

9 (local) library   10 child’s name

11 bank   12 bought something

13 wireless networks   14 social media

15 privacy settings   16 young people

17 photos and music   18 week

Audioscripts

Man:   Hello everyone. It’s great to have a chance to talk to you about Internet safety. There are many reasons for going online, as you’ve discovered on this course, but it’s also important to be aware of the dangers.

Starting next week, we’re running some sessions about online safety in the local library and we’ll be looking at how to create strong passwords. Some users make it simple for anyone to guess a password: they use things like their child’s name or simply the word ‘password’, so I’ll be showing you how to make things difficult for the criminal.

Then the week after, we’ll turn to something called phishing. This is where criminals try to trick you into giving up personal information by claiming to be a well-known bank, for example. One way they do this is by sending an email telling you your bank account details need updating. Or you might get a message saying you’ve bought something and they want you to confirm that it’s correct. So I’ll be telling you what to do and what not to do when you get a message like this.

Next month we’ll be looking at how to keep your computer safe from viruses. If you’ve bought a computer recently, it may well have come with Internet security installed, but have you checked whether the software is up-to-date? And if you use wireless networks in your house or in a public space, this has its own security issues.

What’s next … Oh yes. Um, you’ve already had some training in using Twitter and Facebook but it’s important to practise common sense with social media. In another session we’ll be looking at what information people choose to share about themselves, their friends and family. This can be sensitive information so it’s important to be familiar with the privacy setting of various social media sites. Essentially, you’ll be able to decide who can see the things you post on them, but you might want to consider whether that photo you love is appropriate for public viewing. This issue is particularly important for young people so if you have grandchildren, have a word with them after the session.

And last but not least, we’ll explore how to make sure your photos and music don’t go up in smoke if your computer crashes. A couple of years ago I had three computers die on me in a single week so you really do need to make sure your files are backed up. If you’re interested in any of these sessions, I have leaflets here with dates and times …

19 G   20 E   21 C   22 H   23 A

Audioscripts

Speaker 1

Man:   I travelled to Greece one year, before I went to university. I didn’t have much money so I went by coach. We travelled non-stop from London to Athens so we slept on the coach. It was a relaxing way to travel and it didn’t take any planning at all. I just bought the tickets and that was that. And best of all, I finished three books on the journey!

Speaker 2

Woman:   My family and I went to France last year. We took the car and drove through towns and villages you wouldn’t get to see if you used public transport. We wanted to check routes beforehand but our Internet connection was down. I ended up buying a couple of maps. I had to get used to driving on the right-hand side of the road but it was a lovely holiday.

Speaker 3

Woman:   I always prefer to travel by train. It’s such a great way to meet people. I’ve just returned from a train journey through Sri Lanka. Not very comfortable, but I loved getting into conversation with the local people and finding out more about them. Travelling by train is the best way to see a country. Going by plane means you miss all the interesting places on the way to your destination.

Speaker 4

Man:   I went away with a friend a few years ago in his mobile home. We just took our time and stopped off at places that looked nice – and we didn’t need to worry about booking into hotels. We got to see some beautiful countryside and the views were unbelievable. It was the first trip I’ve ever made where I wasn’t concerned about when we were going to arrive.

Speaker 5

Woman:   My husband and I flew to American last year even though I hate flying. But the flight attendants were wonderful. They make it their job to keep me calm and put me at ease. I still don’t like flying, though. All the passengers are squeezed into tiny spaces. You enjoy the journey more in a car or a train. You get a real sense that you’re travelling. You just don’t get the same feeling in a plane.

24 A   25 C   26 B   27 C   28 A   29 C   30 A

Audioscripts

Presenter:   Today I’m talking to Claire Bradshaw about mountain running. Claire, it sounds exhausting, running up and down mountains.

Claire:   Well, like any sport, it takes practice but everyone has to start somewhere. Actually, calling it ‘mountain running’ makes it sound worse than it is. Most people run up and down hills rather than mountains – or several hills in one session.

Presenter:   Whew! Do a lot of people do mountain running?

Claire:   Yes. The runs take place in countryside with the right landscape – areas like the Lake District and the Highlands of Scotland are very popular. But this doesn’t stop people from the city talking part. For example, I drive to my club from my city apartment. And there are hundreds of clubs so you’ll probably find one not too far from home.

Presenter:   Where did it originate?

Claire:   Well, there are records of people doing this going back nearly a thousand years. It’s always been associated with country fairs and festivals. People would challenge each other to run to the top of a hill and back again. Over time it became formalised and nowadays a run is usually a stand-alone national event. Or sometimes an international event.

Presenter:   Hmm. What are the tougher courses like?

Claire:   There’s a race called The Dragon’s Back, which takes place over five days and over a distance of 200 miles across the Welsh mountains. But before listeners sign up for it, I should point out that only people with lots of experience are allowed to enter.

Presenter:   How can you get started in the sport?

Claire:   Well, you start with something easy and work your way up to more challenging runs, depending on your fitness and motivation. If you’re keen to enter races, you’ll find they’re graded in terms of distance and height. But just as people start jogging without necessarily wanting to run a marathon, you don’t have to enter mountain running races.

Presenter:   How does mountain running differ from road running in terms of difficulty?

Claire:   Um, in some ways, it’s less of a strain on your body. A lot of running injuries are due to the repetitive nature of the movement, the repeated impact on the same part of the foot when running along hard roads, whereas in mountain running, you’re constantly having to adjust your footing or body to deal with different surfaces.

Presenter:   But surely it’s very demanding?

Claire:   Yes. Even experienced runners need to get used to running over rough grass, rocky paths, up hillsides or through mountain streams. And running downhill is more difficult than running uphill. You find yourself going faster and faster when running downhill, which can be frightening when you’re not used to it.