Practice English Listening Test for B1 with answer and audioscript – Test #04

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

Audioscript

1   When will Jack’s mum pick him up?

Jack:   Mum, I’m ringing to tell you I’m at Tim’s house. Football practice finished early, so we walked here together.

Mum:   OK. Well, it’s half past five now, so I’ll come in the car and pick you up. It’ll take me about half an hour, so I’ll see you at six.

Jack:   Oh, there’s something good on television then. Can you come and get me after it, at seven?

Mum:   I can’t, Jack, I’ve got to pick your dad up from the station then.

2   Which postcard will they send?

Girl:   We mustn’t forget to send Mum a postcard … how about his one with a picture of the mountain?

Boy:   Well, it’s nice but we can’t actually see it from where we’re staying. What about a view of the lake and the village instead? Or perhaps one of the garden pictures if you think she’d prefer it. Look at the cottage and all the flowers …

Girl:   Mmm … I think your first idea was better … we could put a cross to show where we’re staying.

Boy:   Right then, let’s do that.

3   What do they decide to buy?

Mum:   Look, Kate, there are some of those biscuits you like!

Kate:   Oh, yes. Mm … there aren’t many in a packet though, Mum. Why don’t we have this cake instead? Remember I’ve got my friends coming tomorrow.

Mum:   Oh, I haven’t forgotten. I’ve already made a cake, and I’ve bought lots of ice cream.

Kate:   Well, I suppose some biscuits would be nice with ice cream. Do we need anything else …?

4   What has the girl forgotten to bring?

Boy:   Finish your drink – we’ll be late for class. What are you looking for now? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your homework. You said you were working on it really late.

Girl:   Don’t worry, it was the first thing I put in my bag – look, here it is. I won’t be a second … just checking everything. Pencil case, now where did I ….? Oh … you’ll be able to lend me a pen, won’t you? Phone? Oh, here it is, in my pocket as usual …

5   How does the man want his son to help him?

Dad:   Jamie, could you do something for me?

Jamie:   Well, it depends what it is. I’m meeting my mates in town.

Dad:   I want to clean the upstairs windows this afternoon, but I lent the ladder to John … Could you come next door with me and help me carry it back? I’ll give you a lift into town afterwards if you like.

Jamie:   Sure, Dad.

6   Which TV programme is on at nine o’clock tonight?

Woman:   Because of the football finishing late, there are some changes to this evening’s programmes. We won’t now show the Nature Programme, about the sharks found in the Pacific, at nine o’clock. Instead, the cartoon film the Mighty Heroes will be at this time, an hour later than advertised. You can see the Nature Programme at its usual time next week.

7   What will the boy do first?

Boy:   I’m off now, Mum. I’m going to meet Ben at the youth club because he’s bought a new wheel for his bike and he wants me to help him put it on … and I’ve got to go to the library to take my books back sometime today too.

Mum:   Well, do that before you start work on the bike because it isn’t open this afternoon.

Boy:   OK. And we’re going to play table tennis after we’ve done the bike, so I won’t see you until supper this evening. Bye!

8 A   9 C   10 A   11 B   12 A   13 C

Audioscript

Man:   I’m talking to Maria Anderson, a 16-year old champion gymnast. Maria, have you always dreamed of being a gymnast?

Maria:   I got interested when I was eight. I loved running, and jumping, and my teacher said I’d be good at sports. I read a book about a gymnast who took part in the Olympics and her life seemed very hard. Then I went to watch a gymnastics event with my Dad and saw gymnasts in action and I thought, ‘I’d like to do that’.

Man:   Did you realise immediately you’d be a champion?

Maria:   I tried too hard in the beginning – I’m very competitive – and was in a hurry to learn the moves. I made so many mistakes, I nearly gave up. Even when I won prizes at events in my town I didn’t think I’d ever be really good. But a famous coach saw me doing floor exercise and said he’d give me lessons, and then I knew I could get to the top.

Man:   You’ve done amazingly well since then. Has success changed you?

Maria:   I hope not. I’m growing up, getting experience, but basically I think I’m the same. My coach says the best athletes are sensible, they don’t let success make a difference to them as people, and I think that’s true of me. It’s just my mum and dad worry about me and wish I could lead a more normal life.

Man:   What about school? Can you keep up with the other children?

Maria:   I go to the sports centre at 5.30 every morning to practise, so I’ve been working for three hours before I even get to school. It was hard at first, I felt really tired. But I’m used to it now. I rest during the lunch break, instead of being with my friends. Lessons are all right, but I can’t stay up late or go to parties.

Man:   Do you have time for hobbies?

Maria:   Well, I travel a lot to events in other countries and listen to music on the plane. I hope I get a chance to go to a concert some day and I like movies, but not cartoons. My dad films me when I’m performing in a competition, and I put together videos for my website, which is fun.

Man:   What does your room at home look like?

Maria:   I’ve got posters covering every wall, mostly of singers and bands. The best thing is a photograph of me shaking hands with my hero, a fantastic Russian gymnast I met last year. Oh, and I’ve got all my cups and prizes in a glass case – a bit embarrassing.

14 T/tiger   15 C/change   16 T/trains

17 two thousand/2(,)000   18 library

19 website

Audioscript

Teacher:   Now could everyone sit down, please. I’ve got an important announcement to make. As you know, the national school poetry competitions that we usually enter are starting soon. All the competitions are named after animals. One of the competitions, called the Dolphin Prize, is for 15- to 19-year olds. So if you have older brothers and sisters in the school, get them to enter that one. But the one for people of your age, the Tiger Prize, is the one we’d like you to go for. We hope lots of you will try.

As some of you may remember, the theme for last year was ‘Weather’. This time the judges have chosen the topic ‘Change’, and that could cover a lot of things, couldn’t it? A new school, a different house, for example …

So, if you want to enter the competition but you’re stuck for ideas, have a look at last year’s winner on the competition website. You may know the girl who wrote it – Maria Mason from our school with her poem called ‘Trains’. She also got a little book of her poems, called ‘Travelling’ published as part of her prize. Maria won some money for the school, too – one thousand euros! And this time that’s gone up to two thousand, which is very generous.

If anyone in the school wins, we’d like to use the money for the library, as we feel that’s the right way for it to be spent. Maria’s prize money last year was spent on the new computer software.

Now, you may feel you’d like to enter the competition but need some more help. If that’s the case, you can look at the website. The head of English, Mr Winters, has said you will find it really useful.

20 A   21 A   22 B   23 B   24 A   25 B

Audioscript

Lucas:   I’m really glad my mum let me go to the concert – I didn’t think she would. But there were lots of people our age! What did you think of it, Claire?

Claire:   Well, I wasn’t sure at first if I could go, but luckily Mum and Dad bought me the ticket for my birthday and wasn’t it great? Our seats were only ten rows from the front! We got a great view!

Lucas:   Well, I was worried about the concert when I saw Candy Floss on TV last month – one band member had just left and they weren’t brilliant. But I don’t think they’ve ever performed as well as they did tonight.

Claire:   Mmm – and what about their dancing? I thought they needed to do some more work on it when I saw them on TV during the summer, but tonight it was exciting!

Lucas:   You notice that because you go to dance classes! I wasn’t paying attention – probably too busy looking at their clothes! The dresses they had on in the first half were OK, I suppose, but what were those silver things they changed into after that?

Claire:   Oh, they always wear those during their concerts – I think they looked really original.

Lucas:   Really awful, you mean! Anyway, what about getting their new album? I’m not sure I can afford it now …

Claire:   There’ve been lots of reviews on the Internet, and some said it isn’t very good, but the songs they did in the concert were great – and I’ve got all their other albums, so it’ll add to my collection.

Lucas:   You should, then.

Claire:   Mmm – but did I tell you I’ve read the main singer’s thinking of leaving?

Lucas:   Well, if the fans think someone’s leaving the band, they might not buy tickets for the next concert – that means plenty left for us to buy! I’d like to see the band again, wouldn’t you?

Claire:   Absolutely!