Practice English Listening Test for B2 with answer and audioscript – Test #30

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

Audioscript

1

M   There is a 10-mile tailback on the M25 in the Heathrow area. People wishing to go to Heathrow airport are advised to avoid the M25 if they possibly can. The problem started at approximately 6.35 this morning when a lorry shed some of its load just before the M4 turn-off. It will take several hours to clear the road of this obstruction. Fortunately the planned roadworks in this area have not yet begun and so the problems caused by the incident are not quite as serious as they might otherwise have been. It’s expected that traffic will not be moving normally again until the afternoon …

2

M   Would you like to buy those shoes, madam?

F   I have bought them. I got them this morning – here’s my receipt – but when I got them home, I realised the heel of this one was wobbly. It’s so disappointing because I really like them.

M   So shall I see if we have another pair?

F   I’m not sure. I think I’d prefer a refund – they were a bit expensive anyway. Yes, I’m afraid that’s what I’m going to go for.

M   As you wish, madam.

3

F   When I was at school I always wanted to be an air hostess. I just loved going on holiday and seeing new places and thought it’d be wonderful actually to be paid for flying all over the world. I’m still keen on travelling and I guess that’s the best thing about my job. I get to go to lots of different places. It’s not quite like being on holiday of course as I have to visit our branches in different parts of the world and there are always lots of meetings and such like. But I still get a kick out of spending time in hotels and airports.

4

M   I’m a bit worried about my mother. They’ve had some problems at work and it’s all been quite a strain for her. Anyway, she’s been having some bad headaches and she’s going to have some tests done next week. She’s a bit nervous about them, but they’ve very reassuring. They think everything will be fine and it’s just to be on the safe side. I think she should give up her job but she won’t listen to me.

5

F   Oh look, there’s that brooch Suzy gave me. I had given up all hope of finding that again.

M   Oh, yes. You lost it about six months ago, didn’t you.

F   Yes, and it’s funny it should turn up there. I’d looked there several times, I’m sure.

M   Oh well. It’s nice it’s turned up.

F   Yes, that’s right. I don’t care for it that much but I’m glad not to have lost it.

6

M   I’m really pleased to be saying a few words at this special occasion. I’ve known John for many years now, almost as long as his parents. When we were at school together, he was always the serious, rather retiring one, working hard, doing well. My parents always said they wished I were more like him. He never seemed to have time for girls or parties. So it was quite a surprise when he was the first of our group to propose – and be accepted and by such a beautiful and equally clever girl. It is my great pleasure – on all your behalf – to wish John and Anna – all the very best for their new life.

7

F   So was it as bad as you expected?

F   Not really. They’ve got this amazing new painless drill there.

F   And is it painless?

F   Well I didn’t feel anything. Mind you, I did have an injection.

F   That’s good. Have you got to go back?

F   Just once. Next Tuesday. I’m in town for the hairdresser’s then anyway, so it’s quite convenient.

F   What are you having done then? Another filling?

F   Another two, in fact. But just little ones, he says.

8

M   There has been a lot of talk in the newspapers recently about how the world’s weather seems to be changing. There have been freak storms in Europe, the first snow for 100 years has fallen in certain areas in Asia, temperatures seem to have reached unprecedented highs and lows all over the world. But why is this happening? Are we entering a new Ice Age? Is it all the result of global warming? Today we’re going to try to find the answers to these questions which will …

9 fitness instructor   10 one hour   11 classical music

12 45 minutes   13 energy   14 tuna sandwich

15 concentration   16 red meat   17 new language

18 deep breaths

Audioscript

M   Now, in the studio today we have Mandy Kershaw. Mandy has worked for nearly ten years now as a fitness instructor. Mandy, a lot of our listeners have been writing in to ask how they can improve their poor concentration. What would you recommend for this problem, Mandy?

F   Well, fortunately there are a lot of natural and easy ways you can help yourself to better concentration. First of all, make sure you’re not trying to do too much at a time. You’ll work far more productively if you take regular breaks. The first thing I always recommend is stopping for at least 15 minutes after you’ve done an hour of work. Walk around the room a bit, listen to the radio, make a cup of tea. You’ll come back to your work feeling refreshed and ready to start again.

Another easy tip is to listen to music while you work. Of course, some people can only work in silence but research has shown that having some classical music on in the background can help improve concentration even if you really would prefer to be listening to pop music. No other kind of music, some may be sorry to learn, seems to be as effective.

Of course, basic daily lifestyle habits affect how well you are able to concentrate. People who exercise regularly work better too. You need to do plenty of exercise though. 20 minutes every couple of days is not enough. For it to really show results as far as concentration is concerned, 45 minutes a day is what is required. And it should be reasonably demanding exercise – fast walking, for example. A leisurely stroll with the dog is good but not good enough for really dramatic effects.

How you eat is also, of course, very important. Don’t leave it too long between meals as this will lower blood sugar levels with the result that your energy declines. So have regular snacks while you’re working – the best thing is to have something that includes both protein and carbohydrate – a tuna sandwich, for example. This seems to have a more powerful effect on concentration than either protein or carbohydrate on its own.

It’s also important to ensure that you get plenty of those minerals that seem to aid concentration. Iron and zinc are particularly important. They’re found in red meat and if you don’t eat much of this, then it might be advisable to consider taking a mineral supplement that includes iron and zinc.

A good way of kick-starting your brain power is to surprise it. Get it going by learning something new. This could be a new language, for example, or indeed any other subject that you have not studied before. You’ll be amazed at the effect that this can have on your brain’s ability to cope with other tasks too.

Finally, our ability to concentrate will be lessened if we are feeling under stress. You can help to minimise this by taking deep breaths until you feel that you are totally relaxed. Follow all this advice and you should slowly and surely notice that your powers of concentration are improving. 

19 C   20 A   21 F   22 B   23 D

Audioscript

M   I never imagined that this is what I’d end up doing. My best subject at school was always biology so I think people expected me to become a zoologist or a botanist or something like that. But I didn’t want to go straight to university when I left school. I got a temporary job for my gap year and I’m still in it six years later. I suppose I am actually involved with animals in a way but the animals I observe are humans. You learn a great deal about human nature as you see how people behave as they queue for rides and try to make the most of a day out.

F   I love my work. It’s great being in the open air all day. I’d hate to be stuck in an office. Of course, I do have to go into an office occasionally to sort out bits of paperwork and so on but I stay there for as short a time as possible. I love the feeling that what I do really affects the quality of life for people, or at least for those who are able to come and enjoy my plants and walk in the beautiful spaces that I’ve created. Spring is best with the fruit trees in blossom and with so many birds to watch, but each time of the year is good in its own way.

M   I don’t know that I want to do this for the rest of my life, but I’m enjoying it for the present. One day does tend to be largely like the next but there’s often something a bit different that happens. You have to look after something newborn, for example. Or an animal I’m feeding might behave in a slightly unexpected way, for example, and that gets you thinking. I’d really like to get into that a bit more, learning about animal behaviour, but I’ll probably wait till my kids are a bit older before I go back to college. They love it that I work here, of course. They think it’s brilliant that they can come in free!

M   The best thing about this is that you can earn a living in different countries. I’ve already worked in three very different countries and that makes it interesting even though it’s physically quite hard work. You usually have to get up very early and there’s quite a lot of walking to do from field to field. It certainly keeps me fit. It’s also fun being around mainly young people. You see lots of wildlife and that’s fascinating too. I got to know quite a lot about the local birdlife when I was helping with the grape harvest in France last year.

F   People often ask me why on earth I took up this job. They say that it must be really dull compared with, say, observing lions or apes in the wild. It’s certainly safer but it’s no less rewarding – or useful, in my humble opinion. The work I’m doing will help farmers to grow better quality fruit and vegetables. Less significant perhaps, is the fact that our gardens are more colourful and interesting places thanks to the work done by people like me who specialise in developing hardier and more varied types of seeds.

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

Audioscript

M   Do you think Joan’ll come to our class reunion next month?

F   I don’t know. It’d be rather fun to see her again after all these years.

M   She did come to the last one …

F   Yes, but that’s already ten years ago.

M   … and we see her so often on the news that at least we know what she looks like these days.

F   Yes, she’s not put on any weight or got grey hair!

M   You’re not jealous, are you? You were such close friends when we were at school.

F   I know but I was a bit hurt by the way she never got in touch after she went off to university. I thought we were going to be friends for life. And I’ve hardly even had a Christmas card from her for twenty years. Anyhow, you were friendly with her. Don’t you feel the same?

M   Well, we used to hang out in the same crowd but I wouldn’t say we were friends. I never really trusted her somehow. She never seemed totally sincere to me.

F   Perhaps that’s why she’s been so successful as a politician then!

M   I think she’s mainly successful because she married the right man!

F   What a dreadful male chauvinist thing to say!

M   Well, it must help that he’s one of the most influential lawyers in the country.

F   Can’t do any harm, I guess! She must have some abilities of her own too, though.

M   It’s odd that the Prime Minister put her in charge of Sport, though. I’d have expected her to be Minister of Education or something like that. She used to hate PE at school.

F   I imagine she might prefer that.

M   I certainly wouldn’t. Imagine all those fantastic events she gets front seats for.

F   Yes, but at what a price! Imagine always having to say the right thing to the press and having to take all those huge decisions and …

M   Yes, I suppose we’re better off as college lecturers even though the pay’s not so good.

F   Well, she doesn’t seem to find it too much of a strain. She looks more attractive than ever.

M   Do you think so? I suppose you’re right actually. Now I come to think of it, I always used to think her mother was more attractive than her when we were at school. It must be a family that ages well.

F   Lucky them! Well, you’ve got a chance to enjoy looking at her again tonight. There’s a programme about her on TV.

M   Are you sure? There was one on last night. I watched the football on the other channel but I noticed it was on.

F   No, they’re repeating it. So who else do you think’ll be at the reunion …