Practice English Listening Test for B1 with answer and audioscript – Test #23

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

Audioscript

1   What regular exercises does David do at the moment?

Cathy:   You’re looking well, David! Have you been to the gym a lot recently or something?

David:   Well, I joined a gym earlier this year, but I stopped going – it was just too difficult. And expensive, too! I’ve done a lot of swimming instead, and I feel much better for it!

Cathy:   It shows! I’m thinking of taking up tennis again. Would you be interested in a game one day? You used to be quite good, didn’t you?

David:   Well, I haven’t played for a long time but … why not?

2   What should Suzie take to Emma’s house?

Woman:   Suzie? It’s Emma. We’ve got to make some paper flowers so the classroom looks nice for the end-of-term party. Can you come to my house this evening to help me do it? There’s some paint left over from last time, but I can’t find any brushes. Have you got one? Bring it if you have. And if we have a pair of scissors each, we can work faster, so don’t forget yours. We’ll need coloured paper, but I’m getting that from college. See you around six.

3   Which kind of T-shirt did the boy choose?

Girl:   Look, it’s your present. Just choose a T-shirt and then you can have anything you like printed on it. They’ve got three types – a picture like this one with boats on, or there are some with words, and this type has shapes on it.

Boy:   Well, I really don’t like writing – it makes me feel like an advertisement! And those pictures are awful …

Girl:   Right then, I know which one you’ll choose …

4   What frightened the man?

Woman:   How was your camping holiday in Africa?

Man:   Oh … fantastic … we saw all sorts of wildlife. You know, lots of lions and all that.

Woman:   Wasn’t it frightening with all those animals so close to your tent?

Man:   Not really, to be honest, what scared me most were the bats … they flew so close at night … I thought I’d be frightened of all the other things like elephants … but in the end I wasn’t because we only saw them during the day and they were mostly quite a long way away.

5   Where is the man calling from?

Man:   Hello, Mary. Could you come and collect me? I went to a client’s house by taxi, and I can’t get one back.

Woman:   Sure, where are you exactly?

Man:   You know the bridge over the river on the North Road? If you go over that and take the fist left, you see a bar on the right. I’ll be waiting there. I’m actually in the farmhouse down the road from there at the moment – Mrs Collins has been kind enough to let me use her phone.

Woman:   Fine, see you in the bar soon.

6   How did the woman spend her last holiday?

Man:   You’re looking well. How was your holiday in the mountains?

Woman:   Not so good. I hurt my foot on the day I arrived, so climbing was just impossible. While everyone else was going off to the mountains, I stayed and read a book by the hotel pool … not my idea of a good holiday …

Man:   Sorry to hear that. Well, at least you had a good rest … Is your foot better now?

Woman:   Not really. I sit and watch television a lot and try to be patient.

7   Where is the girl’s purse?

Girl:   Mum, I’m just off to the shop. Oh, wait a minute, where’s my money?

Woman:   Oh, I found your purse lying on the table earlier, so I put it back in your bag.

Girl:   Well, it’s not in there now. Maybe it’s fallen on the floor somewhere. Can you help me look under the sofa? That’s where I was sitting a minute ago.

Woman:   Just a minute, let me check. Yes, look, it is in here after all. I told you that’s where I’d put it. You just didn’t look properly!

8 B   9 C   10 A   11 C   12 A   13 B

Audioscript

Interviewer:   My guest today is the star of the London Ballet Company, twenty-two-year-old Elena Karpov. Elena, you were born in Bulgaria. Did you always want to be a dancer?

Elena:   Well, I was a very lively little girl, so at the age of seven my mother sent me to gymnastics classes. When I was nine, I went on to ballet lessons and from that moment I knew that I wanted to spend my life dancing. Two years later, when I was eleven, I won a place at the New York Ballet School.

Interviewer:   So you had to move to the United States. Did you miss your family?

Elena:   Oh yes. At first it was difficult being away from home and not knowing a lot of English. But it taught me how to look after myself and not to depend on others. There were other Bulgarian students there, and we actually found it quite easy to learn enough English to take part in the lessons with the other students.

Interviewer:   Tell us about your latest role with the London Ballet Company.

Elena:   I’m going to dance the part of Cinderella. It’s a story about a poor girl who marries a handsome prince. My parents used to read it to me when I was little. I’d never seen the ballet before, but I already knew the music really well. I’m sure children will love the ballet.

Interviewer:   What do you do when you’re not practising or performing?

Elena:   Before I joined this company I spent two weeks going round London as a tourist. I don’t have time for sightseeing now, but I love trying on the latest fashions with my friends. I’m always buying new jeans and trainers! I’m not too keen on discos and nightclubs – I dance enough during the day!

Interviewer:   You must have lots of fans.

Elena:   Quite a few! They always ask for a photograph of me, but unfortunately I don’t have many to give away. I sometimes sign their programmes instead, and if I can I give them one of the flowers I’ve received from the audience. They always ask for tickets, but of course that’s not possible.

Interviewer:   What’s been the best thing that’s happened in your career so far?

Elena:   Well, I’ve been a guest dancer with ballet companies in Moscow and Vienna, and I appeared twice on television in Bulgaria and met the president! I shall never forget that! But the most satisfying thing for me is that I’m paid for doing what I really enjoy – dancing!

Interviewer:   Elena, thank you for talking to us.

Elena:   Thank you.

14   (of) M/march

        (of) M/mar

15   520

16   (by) (the) T/train(s)

        (by) R/rail (way/road)

17   (an/your/their) I/identity/ID(-) C/card(s)

18   BIRINFO/birinfo/BIR INFO/ bir info

19   (on/this) F/Friday/F/fri

Audioscript

Teacher:   Right everyone! Some important information about the three college trips before the end of June. Firstly, we’re all going to Birmingham to see the International Athletics Championships. That’s the only trip we’ve planned during March because I know that April is such a busy time for students. We’re going on the 15th. For those of you who haven’t heard of this event before, it’s the largest single sports competition in Britain, so we’re really pleased that we’re going. A hundred and forty different national teams will take part, which means you’ll see five hundred and twenty world-class sportsmen and women there, and you’ll be amongst thousands of other fans. The stadium seats seventeen thousand!

We’ll be leaving here early and we’ve decided to go by train this time and not hire a coach, because we got delayed in traffic jams when we went to Birmingham before. I hope everyone’s pleased about that.

Next, someone asked me what to take. Firstly, what not to take! Leave your cameras behind because taking photos is forbidden, but you must have your identity card with you as we’ve bought a group ticket, and you may need to show it. Mobile phones are okay, but you’ll have to turn them off during the event, so it’s probably better not to take them.

If you want to read some more about the event on the Internet, go to Birmingham’s website. Then look for the word ‘Birinfo’ in the page index, that’s spelt B-I-R-I-N-F-O. You’ll find all kinds of information about the Championships there.

As for our trip, I don’t have the final details of journey times yet, but I will by this afternoon. So, I think I’ll write an information sheet with answers to all your questions on it. You’ll get copies of this on Friday, so you can read through everything over the weekend.

Right … the second trip will …

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

Audioscript

Maria:   What do you want to do when you leave college, Rolf?

Rolf:   I haven’t decided yet, Maria. I might go travelling for six months, and then look for a job. How about you?

Maria:   I hope to start work straight away.

Rolf:   Do you know where?

Maria:   Well, I’d prefer to live near my family, but I want to see the world too. So I’d hope to have plenty of trips for work.

Rolf:   You could get a job with an airline company.

Maria:   Mmm … that’d be great, but it’s hard to get into.

Rolf:   I know lots of people apply for that kind of work. But you’re good at languages – I’m sure they’d accept you.

Maria:   I hope so. Have you really not decided what job you’d like?

Rolf:   It’s difficult. My degree’s in music, but I definitely don’t want to be a music teacher. I’ll probably look for something completely different.

Maria:   Oh … that’s a shame. Why not become a music teacher? You’d get long holidays.

Rolf:   But if I got a job in business, I could earn far more money.

Maria:   Lots of people say money doesn’t matter, and you should just find a job you enjoy. But I think a job has to pay well, so you can live comfortably …

Rolf:   Mmm … That’s exactly how I see it.

Maria:   Do you think you’ll have lots of different jobs before you find a really good one?

Rolf:   I expect so. No one finds the perfect job immediately …

Maria:   I’d like to find a job I really like, and stay with the same company for at least ten years …

Rolf:   Oh, I see, that’s interesting.

Maria:   Your father has his own business, doesn’t he?

Rolf:   Yes, but I don’t want to work for him.

Maria:   But he could help you set up your own business.

Rolf:   I couldn’t imagine doing that. I know how many hours my father has to work.

Maria:   Mmm … your free time’s important to you, isn’t it?

Rolf:   It certainly is!

Maria:   Right …