Practice English Listening Test for B2 with answer and audioscript – Test #57

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

Audioscript

1

Woman:   So this weekend for homework I’d like you all to write up the work we’ve been doing on coastal areas. Since our field trip last week, you’ve been working very well in groups to present different aspects of this topic – the landscape, rock formations, natural life and so on. OK? I’d like you to write down what you learnt from the presentations – you might feel you want to go and look for extra information online – I’d say, though, that the maps and other sheets of information given to you by the different groups will have all the key information you need to include in your write-up. Any questions?

2

Boy:   Did you download that song I told you about yesterday?

Girl:   You mean Blameless by Eastern Blue? Yes I did. It’s very catchy, isn’t it? I was humming it all afternoon!

Boy:   Yeah, it’s great. Don’t you think it’s up there with their greatest hits?

Girl:   Well, the music was fantastic as always and as good as anything they’ve written – the lyrics were a bit of a let-down though.

Boy:   Oh, I’m not too bothered about that. It’s all about the music and the beat as far as I’m concerned.

Girl:   Eastern Blue generally write songs that make you think a bit. So this one was a bit of a surprise for me.

3

Woman:   I hear you’re moving, Bill!

Boy:   Yeah, we’ve been in our old house for years – since I was born. The thing is Dad’s going to be travelling into the centre now for his new job, so we’re having to move closer to a train station. The new place isn’t exactly huge but we’ve never had much space anyway cos Dad’s always worked from home – so he used one of the rooms for his office. Our old house is freezing in winter – Dad’s always complaining it costs a fortune to heat, but we won’t have that problem in the new place because it’s so much more modern.

Woman:   Sounds great – good luck!

Boy:   Thanks!

4

Man:   Remember we have the annual art exhibition in room 8A starting on Monday morning. You’ll be able to see the very best paintings produced by students this year, but in a change to the usual approach, there’ll be examples of work done by everyone in our art classes and not just this term’s prize-winners. We’ve had to move the exhibition from the main hall this time and, though this isn’t ideal. I don’t think it’s going to stop you all coming along and appreciating what’s there – there’s certainly plenty to see. I’m sure you’ll agree the exhibition highlights the quality of the work and shows off the incredible amount of artistic ability at the school!

5

Boy:   Did the weather affect your sports charity event on Sunday?

Girl:   It did, unfortunately. Most of the races went ahead as planned, but we didn’t get as many people turning up as we’d hoped. The rain put people off.

Boy:   That must’ve been frustrating.

Girl:   Absolutely. And, it didn’t even rain that much. We’d put loads of work into publicising it, getting the food and refreshments sorted out and that kind of thing. There was much more to it than I’d imagined when I volunteered. The people who did come were generous, though. It’s just a shame more didn’t show up.

6

Girl:   What’re you making, James?

James:   Oh, a dessert from a TV cookery show – that new chef, Johnny Moss. Mind you, our teacher would be horrified after all our lessons on healthy eating. It’s loaded with fat and sugar.

Girl:   Yeah, that doesn’t sound too good for you. Has it taken ages?

James:   The preparation did – the actual dish didn’t take long at all though, dead simple, unlike most of the stuff he’s done so far.

Girl:   Mm, that’s a first for Johnny Moss, then. Mum’s always complaining about him. And I bet it cost loads to buy everything you needed.

James:   It would’ve done, yeah, but I found most of the stuff in the kitchen cupboard!

7

Politician:   Why do people have to pay taxes? Why should your parents hand over to the government each month a percentage of the money they earn from their work – what’s called income tax, as I explained earlier? Well, on your way to school this morning, you might’ve noticed some new street lights being put up. Where does the money for them come from? Now, imagine all the lights on every street and road across the country – they’re paid for by government taxes. And they’re just one of many things we take for granted that enable us to live in the way we do, and that are paid for by taxes.

8

Girl:   My English teacher, Mr Kermode, just loves poetry and there’s nothing he couldn’t tell you about English lit! Actually, he seems to have read about all sorts of things – some of the things he comes out with really are fascinating. And, you know, he’s told us he’s into heavy metal and also skateboarding, which all us students think is pretty cool, though a bit surprising for a teacher, to be honest. But I’ve never had a teacher who teaches so well and gets ideas across as clearly as he does, even things that are really hard to get your head round – and that, above everything else, is what we all respect him for.

9 forest   10 pets   11 450   12 laboratory/lab   13 camel   14 breathing

15 eyesight/eyes   16 Africa   17 body language   18 confident

Audioscript

Rita:   Hello, I’m Rita O’Farrell. I trained as a vet and now I work at Eastmore Zoo, where I’m responsible for animal health care.

People often ask me why I became a vet. Well, my family always went on camping holidays when I was young. We stayed in interesting places like a beach where there were lots of crabs and a lake that was full of fish. But then one year we camped on the edge of a forest with deer in it. They were beautiful, and I can trace my love of nature right back to that holiday.

To qualify as a vet, you have to study at university, then you normally spend a few years in general practice, treating pets. So that’s what I did, right up until I became a zoo vet. It obviously helps if you have other experience too. I looked after some horses part time when I was at school, and worked on a conservation project for turtles before going to university.

I’m one of five vets at Eastmore Zoo responsible for the two thousand animals overall that we have here ranging from big cats to tiny insects. We all have areas of particular interest – one person knows more about fish, for example; there are over fifty species of them. In fact, we have four hundred and fifty species altogether if you count them all up, and we have to be prepared to deal with any of them.

Eastmore’s a very dynamic zoo. A wonderful education centre for visitors has just opened and we’re in the process of replacing our old laboratory with one with very up-to-date resources. It’s going to be situated right next to the animal clinic and it’ll help us improve our medical care.

I sometimes get asked what my average day is like. Well, it varies, but, for example, yesterday kicked off with a brief meeting to discuss treatment for a bear that has a bad cut. Then I went to look at a camel. It had hurt its leg, and we decided to operate immediately, which took up the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon, and only left time for a brief check-up on a parrot recovering from a broken wing.

To treat wild animals, it’s often necessary to put them to sleep for a little while. Even with an animal that wouldn’t harm you in any way, it’s difficult to do something as basic as examining a skin condition while it’s awake and struggling. One of my jobs for tomorrow is to investigate the breathing of one of our antelopes and I can’t do that without using a general anaesthetic.

Zoo vets deal with all sorts of health problems – anything from a wolf whose ears are infected to a sea lion with a virus. Eyesight is something I’m not very knowledgeable about, so I leave that to someone from outside the zoo, but I’ve even learnt how to treat diseases that affect the teeth of larger animals.

We still know very little about the health of wild animals, so vets tend to do research as well as treat animals, and that often means travelling. A colleague of mine’s currently visiting different centres in South America to help out with research on lizards. I’m involved with gorilla studies in Africa and go there fairly regularly. There’s also a tiger project in Asia I’m hoping to be able to contribute to.

It’s important to keep up to date with what vets elsewhere are doing and I’ve been attending some courses about elephants at a zoo in Canada. The most recent was about their feeding habits. There’s actually one tomorrow on their family relationships, which I can’t get to, but I’m attending one next week on what’s known about their body language. It’s all really useful stuff.

Students often ask me about the personal qualities a zoo vet needs. Besides the obvious, like being hard-working, I used to highlight the need to keep calm when you’re dealing with animals so they don’t become anxious. Lately, though, I’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t do the job properly unless you’re confident – because you’ve got to make difficult decisions quickly.

Well, that’s all for now. I’d be happy to answer any questions.

19 F   20 C   21 E   22 A   23 D

Audioscript

Speaker 1

Boy:   I was captain of my school football team when we were in the final of the local schools championship. The team was really up for it and so none of us were suffering from nerves or anything. Perhaps my coach was a bit laid-back and we didn’t train much before the big day. Though the team played well, in the first ten minutes I let an opponent score an easy goal and the home crowd went really quiet! I don’t think anyone remembered me messing up by the end of the match, but I was so irritated with myself, it probably affected how I played the rest of the game. Anyway, we won!

Speaker 2

Girl:   I was appearing in a school play. I didn’t have one of the main roles, but I had some tricky dialogue to learn. I’d spent ages rehearsing, but I still wasn’t sure if I was going to remember it all. The play was a comedy, but I guess I’d prepared so much that I didn’t find it funny. When the audience burst out laughing, I was a bit confused for a moment, but then it sort of gave me a lift and made me more confident. That helped me because some of the other guys were seriously good actors, but they didn’t get half as many laughs as I did.

Speaker 3

Boy:   I was interviewed by a local TV station about my class trip to a brand new safari park. I was speaking on behalf of a group of thirty students. I took it seriously because I didn’t want to let them down. I didn’t get a chance to think about what I was going to say. So when they started filming, I got my words mixed up and that affected my confidence. But they just stopped the recording and did it all again. I don’t know how I came across to the audience at home because I haven’t dared to watch the interview yet, though my parents said it was great, of course!

Speaker 4

Girl:   I’m a member of the school orchestra and my big moment was giving a solo performance at a concert. The practice sessions and rehearsals went on for weeks, so when the day came, I sort of felt I could do it in my sleep. The audience was a bit smaller than I expected, but I was concentrating so hard I couldn’t afford to look at them too much or worry about their reactions. I heard a couple of friends go wrong when they were doing their pieces, but it didn’t have any effect on me and my big just flew by and I think I gave my best ever performance.

Speaker 5

Boy:   I went for an audition for a local singing competition. I managed to keep my nerves under control for once, although the judges just sat there looking quite unemotional. About halfway through the song, my mind started to wander, which was a bit alarming – I think I was looking at the judges, trying to figure out what was going through their minds. I don’t think I actually forgot any words, but I could’ve done. I wasn’t that impressed by the other competitors, but unfortunately, I didn’t get through to the final stage of the competition and next time I definitely have to work harder to make sure I’m ready.

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

Audioscript

Interviewer:   Today we’re talking to Nick Gibbons. At only seventeen, Nick’s been taken on as a professional footballer, playing for a premier league team. Welcome, Nick. Have you always been keen on sport?

Nick:   Well, when I was younger, I really enjoyed swimming – that’s all I wanted to do, in fact. My parents thought I should try other things, so I started playing tennis. My instructor said I was talented and he entered me for tournaments. He said that, with practice, I could make it to the top. But I’d also got into football. I didn’t believe I was any good, but my coach said he thought I had potential.

Interviewer:   And he was right! So, what was it like joining the junior sports academy?

Nick:   Well, it was like any other sports club, but training more seriously and three nights a week. My first time there was scary cos I was the only new boy, and I didn’t really show my best football. It takes time to get used to playing with a new side, although the guys in charge said I’d done absolutely fine, which was a real boost to my confidence. The other boys were nice enough but we didn’t really have time to talk.

Interviewer:   And how do you feel now, four years later, playing in the senior professional team?

Nick:   Well, there’s more emphasis on playing for the side. Each player has a job to do which means you don’t get the chance to stand out and show what you’re capable of on the pitch. Training’s even harder than it was when we were juniors – there’s more time for it, and better facilities – though it generally follows the same format. I play the best football I can on match days – which is what it’s all about and what the coaches expect.

Interviewer:   What do your parents think about your new life?

Nick:   Well, mixed feelings, I think. Obviously, there aren’t many seventeen-year-olds who are lucky enough to do what I’m doing, and they’re proud of that, naturally. There were worried that playing at this level might be too much for me, but they’re more or less reassured now that that’s not the case. I thought they’d lecture me about all the money I’ll be earning and the danger I might become big-headed – actually I haven’t heard a word about that yet.

Interviewer:   How do you find being a celebrity and dealing with fans?

Nick:   Well, I still can’t get used to seeing my face on posters and on TV, but the fans are brilliant. As a kid, I was always asking my favourite sports stars for autographs – most of them didn’t seem to mind doing it, which quite impressed me – but I once asked an international footballer for his, and the answer was ‘no’. I was determined not to be like that if I ever became well known. I think of it every time I sign.

Interviewer:   Do you still have the same friends?

Nick:   Becoming a professional footballer hasn’t really affected how I get on with my friends. Sometimes they find it hard to understand the difficulties I have. I used to tell them everything, but they don’t really understand my situation now, so it wouldn’t do any good. We still do stuff together – going out with them till late isn’t possible, of course, because of having to get up so early. I see the guys as much as I ever used to – we just have other interests now.

Interviewer:   So life’s good at the moment. What about the future?

Nick:   We’re a squad of twenty-four players, which means there’s a lot of competition to get picked for matches – and that’s my aim because I don’t get picked that often at the moment – so that pressure’s on to be good when I am. Every game’s important. I recently got chosen for a big cup tie, but we lost two-one. It’d be great to lift the trophy for that competition one day. Lots of players end up coaching and I know you need a lot of training for that. It could be a possibility in the long term – I don’t know.