Practice English Listening Test for B2 with answer and audioscript – Test #54

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

Audioscript

1

Man:   My Dad used to collect rare old coins, and when I was younger I thought that was a really weird thing to do, but as I’ve got older I can see the attraction. Some once bought a loaf of bread or some cheese with those coins, and for me that’s brilliant. I don’t buy online much because you never know what you’re getting and there are a lot of fakes out there. I go to a specialist coin shop and chat to the guys there – they know everything there is to know about coins. I’ve got a few gaps in my collection but that’s fine. I’m not one for perfection!

2

Woman:   People ask me about playing the piano and if it’s a difficult instrument to learn, and the answer is yes and no. At the beginning, anyone can make a sound on the piano just by pressing a single note and it sounds pretty good – the equivalent could not be said about learning the violin, however. But to progress further, you have to have patience and some musical ability. It’s best to learn from someone who knows, and is good at teaching, the technique needed. And obviously there’s no escaping from the fact that you have to practise every day without fail. That way you’ll come to quite quickly.

3

Woman:   It’s hard to believe the artist’s only seven years old! Look at the perspective in this one – he’s got it just right. It takes art students years to master that.

Man:   A child couldn’t have painted these! I reckon it’s all a fake. The gallery’s passing off the paintings of someone much older as the work of a child – to trick people into buying. I mean, the way he’s got the effect of the light on the water – that’s the work of a much more experienced artist.

Woman:   I saw a TV programme about him – he really does do them himself. And people must think they’re worth the price – they’re sold out.

4

Woman:   Hi Mike! That was another good chemistry lecture by Jane Wilson, wasn’t it?

Man:   Yeah, I like her. I can’t always follow what she’s saying, though.

Woman:   Oh, I think she makes complicated ideas easier to understand. And she’s so good at communicating her own excitement about chemistry – well all end up sharing it.

Man:   There’s no denying that. And she’s okay about things like getting work in a few days after a deadline, which is nice.

Woman:   That hasn’t been everyone’s experience, I must say. But then I can see why, really. Her schedule’s so packed, I’m amazed she has time to do all she does.

Man:   Yeah, that’s true …

5

Man:   Two years living away is a long time!

Woman:   Yes, but I don’t have to worry about whether I can return to my old position. That’s guaranteed. Anyway, I’m 24 now and opportunities like this aren’t common.

Man:   … Especially to oversee new project developments!

Woman:   Yes … I mean, I was doing that already, in a way, so I’m not sure I can think of it as a promotion. The only thing is, I tried to negotiate a delay to the contract so I’d have a bit more time to get myself together, but it couldn’t be done. I felt I didn’t have any say in the matter.

Man:   Oh well, don’t let that get in the way!

6

Man:   Hi Noelle, how did the job interview go?

Woman:   Quite well, actually. Though I knew it would be alright.

Man:   Really?

Woman:   Well, yeah – I mean I’m usually nervous about job interviews, and there were three of them asking me questions! But this time, I felt very well prepared. And I’ve got the right kind of experience for the job, so that gave me confidence, I suppose.

Man:   Were there any questions you couldn’t answer?

Woman:   Not really, though some were pretty hard! Luckily I’d done plenty of research beforehand. Clearly they hadn’t expected me to be able to answer them all, so that was good.

Man:   Well I hope you get it!

Woman:   Thanks.

7

Woman:   I think lots of people will be interested in finding out more about it. It’s a great way of seeing all the plants and trees that thrive in this area, and in spring it’s spectacular! Teachers who want to encourage their students to protect the environment should take them – after all there’s nothing like experiencing something for yourself to make you value it. We’ve made sure it’s as accessible as possible, and hope it’ll be popular with people of all ages. If you want more information, the details are all online. There’s no excuse not to get out there and try it!

8

Woman:   It doesn’t look too bad, actually.

Man:   You’re joking!

Woman:   No way, I mean it.

Man:   I think you should have taken a lot more off, especially at the front.

Woman:   Well maybe you should get a hairdresser to do it instead. Though I think I did pretty well, really. Don’t you think you’re over-reacting a bit?

Man:   I don’t want all my friends to laugh at me!

Woman:   They won’t! Anyway, you shouldn’t have it cut too often, even by me – it suits you like this. And it’ll look even better in a couple of weeks.

Man:   Well I suppose I should trust you …

Woman:   Of course you should! I’m your sister!

9 uncle   10 main(-)land   11 marine science   12 swim

13 (the) transport   14 night   15 gentle   16 heat

17 concentration   18 returners

Audioscript

I want to tell you about my work as a volunteer on a turtle conservation programme this summer in Western Australia.

I’d been looking through various websites with my mother, trying, rather unsuccessfully, to find something interesting to do before I went to university when my uncle rang me and told me about this turtle tagging programme. Basically, they were asking for people to help with the actual tagging – you know, attaching electronic tags to the turtles so that scientists can collect vital data about them. So I emailed them and got all the information.

There was a choice of sites we could work at – the mainland one or the one on an island miles out into the ocean. I didn’t want to be stuck right out there so my choice was easy. They wanted people who preferably had prior experience of working on conservation projects – which I hadn’t – or who were keen on marine science, and that was what I was going to study at university. So that helped me get a place on the programme.

I was warned that the work would be very physical – in fact we all had to attend a medical assessment to check whether we were fit enough for the work. And there were tests to show our ability to run over longish distances – not my favourite occupation – and also whether we had the strength to lift heavy objects. Curiously, we weren’t asked if we could swim, which I really thought would have been important, but I was told that most of the work took place on the beach.

The conditions offered were pretty good. Accommodation was provided and of course training, which just left me with having to pay for transport. I did think we might have to pay for food but no, all included. My mother provided me with lots of chocolate as that’s one luxury she knows I can’t live without. Of course, as volunteers we weren’t paid for the work but that didn’t really worry me.

When I got out there, I soon realised why physical fitness was important. My team had to do beach patrols at night – the female turtles come out of the ocean and on to the beach to nest then. Other volunteers worked different shifts doing other stuff in the daytime. Our patrols had to identify, tag, measure and collect data on all the turtles that were there. So you had to know what you were doing and do it fast, but what really mattered to me was to be gentle so as not to distress the turtles. Each shift lasted for about 8 hours and that might include walking up to 15 kilometres on soft sand. And on top of all that, we were operating in conditions of high humidity. I didn’t enjoy the humidity but I liked the heat. The same couldn’t be said for my mates on the programme, who found that hard to cope with. But we were all glad to get back to our air-conditioned huts after our shifts.

Sometimes when you were tired in the middle of a shift, it was a challenge to maintain concentration but our commitment to the project was total so our enthusiasm never seemed to flag. The scientists used the data we collected to monitor turtle behaviour, including breeding, feeding and migration patterns.

I had a good laugh with all the other volunteers when we weren’t working. They were all young, but not all filling in time between school and university like me … some were unemployed. Most of them were returners, some for the sixth time. I learnt a lot about turtles and conservation issues from them. I’d consider doing it again as I thought it was a really worthwhile programme.

19 C   20 H   21 F   22 B   23 E

Audioscript

Speaker 1

You have to be brutal with yourself. By that, I mean you must look carefully at what you’ve written and cut about half of it. Being brief and to the point is the key to writing good comedy. And listen to the rhythm of a sentence, how a joke sounds. Just removing one word, or changing its position can have a great effect. But a comedy show is more than just a series of jokes – in the best comic scenes, the humour lies in the people and how they react to their situation. So take trouble when you’re creating them.

Speaker 2

If you show viewers what they’re supposed to find funny about the situation from the beginning, they have longer to enjoy it. For example, you’ll get a lot of laughs if they can say straightaway, ‘Oh, I see, it’s a clown who doesn’t like children,’ or, ‘Oh, I get it, it’s a surgeon who can’t stand the sight of blood.’ And don’t feel you have to explain everything in great detail – that soon gets boring. Read your script to someone with an underdeveloped sense of humour and when they start looking sleepy, you know you should cut huge chunks!

Speaker 3

You have to be able to accept criticism. Take on board all the negative comments you get about your work and use them to improve it. I suppose it’s fine if you’re a brilliant writer – brilliant writers can refuse to alter their artistic vision in any way! But if, like me, you’re far from being brilliant, then you need help and advice from anyone who can be bothered to give it. Not all advice is helpful, though. People often instruct young comics, ‘Write about what makes you laugh,’ but you won’t sell many scripts if the only one to find them funny is you!

Speaker 4

Doing any kind of writing is lonely, and comedy is no different. Finding a writing partner is great – my best days are spent sitting in a room with someone else and trying to make each other laugh. You might then have to go off and work stuff up on your own but at least you know one person has found your jokes funny! Oh, and more around a lot. It does wonders for your concentration. I’ve solved many problems walking to and from the fridge in search of a snack. Pausing to do a household chore, like washing up, works for other people!

Speaker 5

The best advice I was ever given was to immerse myself in the kind of scripts that really made me laugh and to analyse how it worked. Now, I’m not telling you to copy it, but I am saying you should use it as inspiration. Then send an example of your best material to the creators of shows you admire – tell them what you admire about their work. And just keep on writing, whatever happens. At first, you might think you’re mostly producing rubbish, but, gradually there will be less rubbish and more gold – so don’t give up.

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

Audioscript

Interviewer:   My guest this week, Maya Gardi, has recently started her own company selling environmentally-friendly products. First let me ask you, Maya, what living waste-free involves on a daily basis.

Maya:   Well when I’m shopping I don’t buy things in plastic packages – I take my own bags and containers and I always buy fresh local food. I compost my food rubbish and I recycle wherever I can. That kind of thing. When I started living like this, some things required a lot of adapting. My shopping habits were already pretty environmentally-friendly, although I found I had to make more of an effort to go to lots of little shops where I could choose smaller amounts more often rather than doing a single big supermarket shop every week … even though that was nice and convenient.

Interviewer:   Hmm … so what made you first decide to live a completely waste-free lifestyle?

Maya:   Well, I’ve always been quite environmentally conscious, and I think this stems from the time I read an article on the internet about all the plastic waste in our oceans. I’d pass the rubbish bins outside my block of flats and feel quite pleased that at least I wasn’t throwing away as much as other people. But a few years ago, I took some stuff to my local rubbish tip to throw away … things I couldn’t recycle. I was horrified at the amount of waste there. That was all it took to make me change.

Interviewer:   What did your family think about your decision?

Maya:   Well l live in a small flat on my own, so it wasn’t as if I was imposing my lifestyle on my parents. They knew I was concerned about the environment, of course, but they still thought I was joking at first. They know how determined I am when I put my mind to something, though, and they knew that I’d be glad I’d done it.

Interviewer:   So have you changed the way you prepare meals?

Maya:   Well, I’ve never been what you’d call an expert cook, as my friends will confirm. But I’m constantly dreaming up new ways of using up bits and pieces in the fridge. I often pass on these recipes to my friends, and they’re always grateful for ways to save money.

Interviewer:   Does your new lifestyle make things difficult for you when you’re socialising?

Maya:   Yes, when I go to picnics and barbecues, for example, the plates and cutlery tend to be disposable plastic. But I have to be proactive, and not be concerned that I might come across as strange. So I would take along a proper plate, or if I couldn’t do that, I’d eat from a paper napkin and then make sure it was composted rather than thrown away.

Interviewer:   As you said, you’ve started a new business, selling environmentally-friendly products. Is it going well?

Maya:   Yes, I’m selling home-made products like toothpaste and deodorant, things that are made from simple, natural ingredients. They’re all sold in containers that can be recycled or returned to me. I also have an internet blog which is helping enormously with publicising my products … gives me an edge over my competitors. And I’ve got a few regulars I see at local events like fairs and outdoor markets. As for the future, let’s see how this year goes first.

Interviewer:   I hear you were also interviewed on the radio.

Maya:   Yes, it was at one fair I attended. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, when a reporter approached me. I didn’t have time to get anxious! What was great was that it meant I could get my ideas across to a wider audience.

Interviewer:   Thank you for your time, Maya, and best of luck for the future.