Practice English Listening Test for B1 with answer and audioscript – Test #15

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

Audioscript

1   What is the man going to buy?

Woman:   Is everything ready for the holiday?

Man:   I’m just going shopping – I must get those pills I take when I feel travel sick. Do we need anything else at the chemist’s? We forgot the toothpaste last time!

Woman:   I’ve got that. I haven’t got any sunglasses, but I can borrow yours, can’t I? And I’ll get something to read at the airport.

Man:   Right.

2   Which dress is Kate talking about?

Girl:   Oh Mum, this dress is still dirty!

Woman:   It can’t be, Kate – I’ve only just washed it.

Girl:   Well it is. The mark on the collar has gone, but there’s still a small one here – look it’s at the front just below the button. It’s where I spilt some Coke last week.

3   When will Jane meet them?

Man:   Hi, it’s Peter here. Jane left a message to say she can’t meet us at 8.00 as planned, because her bus doesn’t get in till 8.15 and it’ll take her 30 minutes to get from the centre of town. I told her the table is actually booked for 8.45 so that would be fine and we’ll see her then.

4   Which morning activity is for beginners?

Man:   At 10.00 a.m. tomorrow morning there will be swimming lessons, at both intermedia and beginner level. Then there will be volleyball practice at 11.30 for all those of you who are already in one of the teams. Also in the morning, for those of you who already know how to sail, there’s a chance to do some practice on your own. There will be lessons in both sailing and windsurfing for beginners after lunch.

5   Which painting does the woman decide to buy?

Woman:   They’re all nice, but you see a lot of flowers everywhere these days, don’t you, so that wouldn’t be my choice. The same goes for animals actually, although I do quite like the one of the horses. So, it looks like it’ll have to be the one with the boats. It will be a change from that bowl of fruit I’ve had on the wall all these years, anyway.

6   What is the man selling?

Man:   And this is the latest model by Macpoint. You’ll find it’s even quicker at doing your washing up and needs less water. And it’s very easy to use – as easy as turning on your shower.

7   What is the weather forecast for tomorrow?

Woman:   … it’s been typical spring weather today, sunshine and showers. The next twenty-four hours should be dry but cloudy … Things look better for the next week, with Monday being a fine sunny day and the following day mild but windy …

8 C   9 B   10 A   11 C   12 B   13 C

Audioscript

Woman:   Welcome to this week’s book programme. We’ve got lots of great new books to tell you about.

My life, by Joe Wrigley, will keep all fans of Joe’s stories happy for hours. It explains a lot about where his ideas come from and gives a picture of what was happening in his life when he was working on his most successful books. I must say, though, that some of it is difficult to understand if you haven’t read his other books.

Now, for those of you who like a good cry, Goodbye to the fields, by Susan Marks, tells the sad story of John, a small boy who has to leave the countryside he loves when the family move to London because of his father’s job. John and his mother would prefer to stay where they are. It’s a long time before the family begins to feel comfortable living in the big city.

There are plenty of books with helpful advice this week. First, the A-Z of photography would make a great present for anyone just starting out with a camera. It has everything you need to know to take really good photos, and learn about cameras, film, lighting and so on. This is not one for the experienced photographer, though – there’s not much advanced information here.

Turning to the kitchen, Cooking for one, by Adrian White, says on its cover that even people who hate cooking will find it useful. A month ago, I couldn’t even boil an egg, but now I’m producing all sorts of dishes, some quite difficult, and, yes, they taste quite good, too. I’m actually enjoying cooking now. I’m now going to try a new book about cooking Italian food.

The last book this week is Holidays in Europe, by Mary Curtis. This is an enjoyable read, which will start your imagination working as you plan for next year’s holiday. It doesn’t matter that the writer doesn’t talk about the famous places everyone visits, but describes lots of small places away from the main tourist areas. The maps are too small to be useful but the book is still good value for money.

That’s it for the week, then. Next week, there’s a special report on giving books as presents, so if you’ve saved up your money and you’re wondering what to get for a friend or relation for their birthdays, you might get some good ideas … I’ll look forward to talking to you then …

14   (0)7.45

15   sleeping bag / sleep bag

16   swimming / swim

17   drink(s)

18   Post Office

19   (college) entrance hall

Audioscript

Man:   Thank you all for coming. I’m going to give you the final details of our camping trip next week. You may like to make some notes as there’s a lot to remember.

The coach will be outside the school on Monday morning at 7.30 and we will set off at 7.45 so don’t be late. There’ll be room on the coach for one bag each so please don’t bring more than one bag or suitcase. You don’t need to bring tents or food as that’s all provided for us, but you will need to bring a sleeping bag. It turns cold at night so bring some warm clothes too. If we’re lucky though, the sun will shine and we’ll be able to use the outdoor pool on the site so don’t forget your swimming things.

On to pocket money – please don’t bring too much. We can’t keep a lot of money safe. £5 per day should be plenty so you can buy souvenirs and drinks while we are out visiting places.

You will probably also want to bring some extra money for the last day when you are free. The campsite is in the middle of the countryside so if you’ve had enough fresh air by then, you may want to go shopping in the nearest town about eight miles away. That’s Southport. There’s plenty to do there and there’s a bus that stops outside the Post Office in the village down the road. I’ll point it out to you when we get there.

On Friday afternoon, before you leave college, please look at the notice board in the entrance hall as there may be some changes to the arrangements which I need to tell you about.

Now, has anyone got any questions?

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

Audioscript

Girl:   Hi, Ben! Only one more week at college, and then the summer holidays begin. Great, isn’t it!

Boy:   I don’t know. It might get a bit boring. I don’t think I’ve got enough money to go anywhere nice for a holiday this year.

Girl:   It would be nice to have lots of money to spend but a good holiday doesn’t have to be expensive!

Boy:   Oh yes it does! The best holiday I ever had was a few years ago when I went to Greece. I want to fly off somewhere hot, and lie on the beach and go swimming.

Girl:   Yes, well, I can’t afford to do that, either.

Boy:   So what are you doing this summer?

Girl:   I’m going on a walking holiday in Scotland with some friends. We went last year, and we really enjoyed it. We walked all day and spent the nights in Youth Hostels. Why don’t you come with us? We’re going for two weeks. It won’t cost much, and you’ll come home feeling really relaxed and fit.

Boy:   I’m not sure. Walking all day sounds like hard work to me. And surely you’re not hoping for lots of sunshine in Scotland?

Girl:   It did rain a bit last year, but most of the time it was sunny. Anyway, it’s not good walking in the heat. You have to stop all the time to rest and have drinks.

Boy:   Well, I like the sun, and I like to stay in comfortable hotels, not Youth Hostels!

Girl:   But they are comfortable. They’re basic, and the food’s often not very good, but they’re very clean and cheap. In fact I prefer them to hotels because the people are always so friendly.

Boy:   Maybe. Look Lisa, thanks a lot for asking me, but I think I’ll just stay home and get bored!