Practice FCE (B2) Listening Test 06 with Answers and Audioscripts

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

Audioscript

1

Simon:   That school discussion about changes the teachers have made was interesting, wasn’t it?

Vikki:   I suppose, although I was hoping they’d say we don’t have to wear school uniform any more.

Simon:   Me too, but that was never likely, was it? The new after-school clubs sound great, though. I’d like to join one.

Vikki:   What I like is that there’ll now be hot food at lunchtimes, so we don’t have to take packed lunches every day.

Simon:   Well, I’ll probably still take mine – I always get hungry before lunch! I was hoping they’d change the rule about arriving late. Sometimes I miss the bus, and get into trouble …

Vikki:   Well, maybe you should start getting up earlier instead!

2

Frank:   Where are you off to, Gemma?

Gemma:   Just talking these books back to the library. I’ve read most of them, but there’s one I didn’t even start.

Frank:   Why? Not your thing?

Gemma:   Oh no, I just took out too many and I’ve got lots of homework now, so I haven’t got time to read it. But judging by the cover, it looks OK.

Frank:   That’s the kind of thing I read! What’s the library like? I thought it was just full of boring stuff.

Gemma:   It hasn’t got as many books as ours at school and it could do with some teenage magazines and things – but there’s a lot there, considering it’s small.

Frank:   Cool! I’d like to see it for myself sometime!

3

Rosie:   So, what did you think?

Oscar:   Well, it’s the first time I’ve been to an open-air concert, and they certainly had us all dancing at the beginning, so that was cool.

Rosie:   Yeah, the city concert hall would’ve been hopeless for that, will all the seats. I thought the lead guitarist was pretty skilful too.

Oscar:   He was on good form tonight – I’ve seen him playing less than brilliantly at other events.

Rosie:   Right. Having said that, I did think the second half was a let-down – they were just playing stuff that no-one had heard before.

Oscar:   The dance floor cleared pretty quickly then, didn’t it? That should’ve told them it wasn’t what people wanted to hear!

4

So listen everyone – we’re going to have a go at using the equipment we looked at last week. You’ll use computer-aided design techniques to produce the designs you’ve brought with you. If you get far enough during the session, you’ll be able to create them in metal on our new 3D printer. But don’t work too fast – accuracy and precision are the important things here, so check every stage of what you do, otherwise you’ll be disappointed by the result. I’m happy to see you’ve all brought your laptops and have remembered to put on protective clothing, so – let’s go!

5

Danielle:   Hi Tanya, it’s Danielle. Just heard about your football injury. I wasn’t at the match on Saturday, so I had no idea what had happened until the coach told us this morning. Poor you! I was going to call you last night, but I was out at a family do. I didn’t know football could be so risky! Anyway, as it’s your leg that you’ve hurt, I guess you may be finding it pretty difficult to get around. If I were you, I’d be taking it easy! I’m happy to drop by and bring you stuff – including homework – if that helps! We need you to be completely fit again for the final next month!

6

Alysha:   So, was everyone impressed with your cooking, then Sean?

Sean:   I think so. I probably should have made something different, though. I couldn’t get all the ingredients, and the cooking method was tricky – it was obviously for people who know how to cook really well. I did consult everyone before I started, and they all seemed keen to try it – and it tasted good in the end. But I won’t make it again – it was stressful!

Alysha:   But it still turned out OK! It’s not easy cooking for six people who all like different things.

Sean:   Yeah – especially when the recipe was only supposed to be for two! But I multiplied the amounts by three and that seemed to work!

7

I went for my first piano lesson yesterday! I’d been pretty excited about going, and because I can play the guitar, I guess I thought the piano would be easy to learn. However, it took me ages to find my way around the keyboard, although I did somehow play a tune by the end. I’d thought it would take me a while to get good at it, but I was prepared for that – after all, I’ve been playing the guitar for two years, and I’m not perfect on that yet! But I still get a lot out of doing it.

8

Heidi:   That new music shop called Music World is interesting, isn’t it? Their stuff’s so affordable compared with bigger stores.

Rob:   Yes, and the bigger stores don’t cut their prices massively like Music World. You don’t see that very often, do you?

Heidi:   No, you’re right. I actually ran into the guitarist Jon Wyvern in there. He was just browsing and I said hello to him.

Rob:   Really? My dad used to listen to his stuff when he was young!

Heidi:   Yeah, my mum was a fan too. It’s pretty rare to see anyone that well known in our small town.

Rob:   That’s true, sadly. I wonder what he was doing here?

9 cliff   10 stunning   11 stone   12 width   13 Lion Tower

14 daughter   15 library   16 ghosts   17 eagle

18 (classical) music

Audioscript

Hi everyone! I want to tell you about a castle I visited with my family during our holiday this summer. My parents are interested in history, so they were keen to have a look at this place.

To get to the castle, we had to leave our car in a car park some distance away and walk, first through a wood, and then on a rough path that crossed a field full of sheep! It then followed the line of a cliff, just metres from its edge, although a strong fence along it made us feel safe! The castle stood at the end of this path.

We arrived early in the morning, and the castle was still surrounded by mist, so we couldn’t see it immediately. The whole scene looked rather weird, but as we got closer, the view got better. I hadn’t been sure what to expect, as in some photos the castle looked depressing against a grey sky. As we got nearer, though, it came into view – and it was stunning. I couldn’t wait to explore it!

In the castle, we got a leaflet about its history. I was interested in the age of the place, which dated back to the 14th century. The first building on the site, made of wood, had disappeared a long time ago, but the ruins of the building that had replaced it were still visible, constructed out of stone. It had been built slightly further away from the existing castle and stood on a rock.

Once inside, we climbed up some steps to explore the castle walls. They were in good condition considering how old they were, and were 16 metres tall in places, I guess to keep out enemies! But it was the width of them that was just incredible. Several people could walk along the top of them at once, side by side!

After this, we climbed up a square tower in the castle, where we had a good view over the surrounding countryside. However, when we climbed up what is known as the Lion Tower, which is even higher, we got the best view ever. We could see as far as some islands several kilometres off the coast.

Then we wanted to see inside the main castle building, so we joined a tour. First, the guide told us about the many people who had owned the castle. He said at one stage, it had been sold by the King to a local wealthy farmer. But when this man later lost all his money, his daughter, who had married into a rich family, carried out much-needed repairs. Without those, apparently, it might not have survived!

Then we went into the restored parts of the castle. Dad and I both thought the dining room was impressive, and I loved the Queen’s bedroom – very luxurious! But those were nothing compared to the library. Dad took lots of photos of that, as he’d never seen anything as beautiful before.

Then the guide took us through many other rooms, and told us all about the famous people who’d stayed there, although I had no idea if the information he gave us was correct. He mentioned that one room was supposed to have ghosts in it, which was a story I definitely thought wasn’t true, though I guess you could easily imagine it!

After that, we went outside and walked towards a huge pond in the grounds. There were lots of ducks there, and a number of swans, which people were feeding. Everyone had gathered to watch an eagle show, and they were amazing – the people looking after them let them fly round the castle. I really wanted to try it too!

Finally, we wandered through the castle gardens. One was full of statues, and you could hear the sound of water running in a pond. Another was full of roses, with classical music playing in the background, which made it feel very quiet and calm.

Eventually it was time to leave – but we’d had a lovely day!

19 E   20 B   21 F   22 H   23 D

Audioscript

Speaker 1

There’s a weekly nature programme I really look forward to on TV – it’s one that my teacher recommended, as she knows I’m keen on wildlife. The presenters are very interesting, and the programme tells you about animals and birds in countries all around the world. It really shows you the amazing beauty and diversity of what’s on our planet – I love it! It also made me want to go out and do something connected with wildlife, so I’ve joined an organisation that’s taught me a lot more about animals near where I live, and what I can do to help protect them.

Speaker 2

My dad’s a keen birdwatcher and he often takes me with him, so I know a bit about local wildlife. Going out with him has made me try to do what I can to conserve animals in my area, but this TV programme also taught me lots about wildlife all over the country, such as common types of birds and animals. That’s because the two guys who present the show know so much about their subject, which isn’t the case with every wildlife programme. I think it raises awareness for people who don’t know anything about the environment or how creatures are becoming endangered too, and that’s really important.

Speaker 3

I’ve always loved watching nature programmes – there are loads of them on TV. There’s one that I’m really keen on that shows loads of different animals and how they live in their natural environment. It’s absolutely fascinating. Whenever I’ve got a project to do, I get some great ideas from it – even for things that you might not expect, such as paintings for my art classes. My teachers are always very impressed! The presenters on the show are so entertaining as well – they know so many amazing things about wildlife, you couldn’t possibly get bored watching them.

Speaker 4

My parents have always belonged to an organisation that helps protect wildlife, so as soon as I was old enough, I joined too. I’ve always been interested in wildlife conservation, and how many creatures around the world are now endangered. However, the appeal of my favourite nature programme is that the presenters and film crew are actually based on a farm not that far from where we live. They do things like setting up cameras to watch baby birds hatching, or to show how the seals that live off the coast survive. It’s so informative – and it’s made me think about a career in that field as well.

Speaker 5

I love watching wildlife programmes, either on TV or online, and I’ve learnt a lot about nature and what we’re doing to the planet from them, I mean, how we put our wildlife in danger. My favourite programme has a different focus, though. It’s about the kind of creatures you’d never see near where you live, or even on a safari somewhere exotic. It shows you much less well-known creatures, ones you don’t see on an average wildlife programme or website, or even hear about unless you really research them, for example, white rhinos. I’ve learnt a lot about really rare creatures that I’d never have known about otherwise, from this show.

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

Audioscript

Interviewer:   I’m with Katie Cross, who’s going to tell us about her favourite sport, kitesurfing. Katie, what is kitesurfing, exactly?

Katie:   It’s just what the name suggests – you stand on a surfboard in the sea, and a kite above you catches the wind and pulls you along as you surf the waves. It’s great fun!

Interviewer:   So what appeals to you about it?

Katie:   Well, let’s see. I’m interested in keeping fit. I go running every evening, and I enjoy that – in fact, it’s built up my strength for kitesurfing. And luckily I live by the sea, so I’m able to kitesurf several times a week if I wish. But I’ve discovered it’s also had a really positive effect on my studies, which is strange, but great! If I know I’m going kitesurfing, I try double hard to get stuff done – this means I’m keeping up my fitness and not sitting too long at my desk.

Interviewer:   But it’s not a sport that would suit everyone, is it?

Katie:   Well, I don’t know – most people do enjoy it once they try it. I mean, you need to be somewhere with good access to water to do it and obviously that’s not straightforward for everyone. And even if you are, not everywhere offers kitesurfing facilities. I have to admit, the equipment you have to get initially isn’t exactly cheap – but once you’ve bought it, you’re all set! And if you travel a lot to kitesurf, for example by plane, it’s possible to carry what you need with you if you get a kitebag with wheels and take your board apart.

Interviewer:   Did you love kitesurfing the first time you tried it?

Katie:   Oh, my first day was great. I knew my instructor was trying to get older people to try it, so even though I wasn’t the youngest person, there were a number of people who were considerably older than me. Out on the water, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I mean, it looked like hard work to hold on to the kite from the shore, and I didn’t have great muscle power in my arms at that stage, but actually I was perfectly strong enough to do it. I was pretty exhausted after that first session, though!

Interviewer:   And you learnt really quickly after that, didn’t you?

Katie:   Yeah, I was up on my board and kitesurfing along the water after a week or so, although I was told most people do take longer than that. But it was such great fun, and I was just so keen to get going that I definitely wasn’t prepared to fail! And I don’t think I was particularly gifted at it, either – it was just a question of hard work to improve!

Interviewer:   And is kitesurfing a very sociable sport?

Katie:   Oh, yes! I’ve met great people while I’ve been doing it. I mean, unlike what you’d perhaps expect, they’re not all great watersports fans who’ve been doing it for years. But because they have a shared passion for the sport, they just get along. The people in my group don’t compete against each other, either, and will soon help you get launched if you’re having problems. It’s a real community!

Interviewer:   So do you have any advice for people taking up the sport?

Katie:   Well, I actually took some additional swimming lessons with a certified instructor at the beginning, because I realised I wasn’t confident about handling things like currents and tides in the water. That’s really important for your safety, so if you have a similar problem, I’d say try that. Once you’ve got over that, and learnt some techniques to stay on the board behind your kite, you’ll soon be away.

Interviewer:   So tell us more about your plans!

Katie:   Well, I’ve decided my future lies with kitesurfing, so I’m considering becoming a qualified instructor. But first, to build up my skills a bit more, some friends and I are busy preparing for a visit to some South American countries, where the beaches are supposed to be fantastic for the sport. I hear there will be plenty of competitions there if we want to take part, although I may just wait till I get there to decide!

Interviewer:   Thanks, Katie!