Practice English Listening Test for B2 with answer and audioscript – Test #16

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

Audioscript

1

Man:   Have you heard about the statue that was put up in the main square last week? People are calling for it to be taken down.

Woman:   Hmm, the money’s been spent on it now, so that’s unlikely to happen. In general, I’m not a fan of modern sculpture, but I went to see it at the weekend. Nobody can say it’s unattractive to look at, but if you asked me what it’s supposed to how, I’d have to say I’ve no idea.

Man:   Well, it’s created such a debate, I shall have to go and have a look.

2

I’m not exaggerating when I say being a music teacher’s a great job. I get to teach kids how to create music, I have lots of time off for vacation, and the pay’s not bad either. And I have the privilege of introducing young people to the music that means so much to me, and hopefully create a new generation of music lovers. That being said, it saddens me when I hear so many people say that our job is nothing but fun and games. They should try coming into one of my final year classes – they’d see how demanding the work is then.

3

Woman:   I’ve just done a report on driverless cars.

Man:   Well, they do say that’s what we’ll all be using in the future.

Woman:   Hmm … I wouldn’t want to go around the city in a driverless car, would you?

Man:   Of course. I’d love the chance to test one out.

Woman:   You’d be in the minority, according to my research. People are worried about whether driverless cars would stop for other cars. And, more to the point, who’d be responsible if a driverless car bumped into another car?

Man:   That’s something the government will have to create a whole new set of regulations about.

Woman:   I couldn’t agree more. And they’ll have to start work on this soon.

4

It always surprises me how many patients still make appointments to see me when they’re suffering from colds. Some public health messages have got through, and I’m hardly ever asked for antibiotics any more – people understand they’re not a cure for a cold – but I find myself having to give people advice about hand washing and the importance of staying away from others who have a cold, in order to keep well. It’s amazing how many times patients say they’d never heard that made a difference. But at least people seem to know that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help you to get over a cold more quickly.

5

Man:   Did you enjoy that?

Woman:   Yes, it’s the third time I’ve seen this musical and it was just as good as the first.

Man:   Ah, that’s why you knew the words and were singing along to everything.

Woman:   Well, I’ve had the CD for years, but I don’t know all the words. I wouldn’t compare myself to the main character and I don’t always understand the reasons for her behaviour, but the story’s basically about friendship and family, and what brings people together – things I care deeply about. I find it a really touching story.

Man:   Yes, it’s quite emotional.

6

I took up riding again recently, after a break of more than ten years. I’d had an accident while I was out running one day. And after that, I didn’t feel physically strong enough to control a horse and keep myself upright in the saddle. And then I got a really busy job and was away travelling a lot, and I just didn’t go back to riding for ages. I’m so glad I have now though, as I’ve got a fantastic social life out of it. I seem to have so much in common with the people I’ve met recently through riding.

7

Woman:   Can I help you?

Man:   Yes. I bought this sweater last week and wore it once, and it’s shrunk in the wash. I can hardly get it over my head, it’s so small now. I followed the washing instructions properly.

Woman:   Oh, I’m sorry about that. Would you like to swap it for a new one?

Man:   Actually, I don’t want another one, but I would like to buy something in your shoe section. Could you give me a credit note and I’ll use that for some new trainers?

Woman:   Well, I can give you your money back on the jumper. We don’t do credit notes any more, I’m afraid.

Man:   OK, that’s fine.

8

The award-winning chef Peter Tinney has just been voted Chef of the Year by the readers of Great Food magazine. Peter’s been well known for his inventive approach to every dish he creates for the menu at his chain of fine-dining outlets. His announcement that he plans to shut these in the new year, and move on to become a presenter of food programmes on satellite TV, has been met with disbelief by the public and food critics alike. But as Peter himself said, he wants to be able to give his full attention to his new project. This makes complete sense to me, even though the public will be disappointed.

9 advert/advertisement   10 guidebook   11 work

12 biologist   13 helicopter   14 salt   15 surfing   16 leopard(s)

17 welcoming   18 tourism

Audioscript

Hi, I’m Chris and I work as a cameraman. I’ve just come back from Gabon in Africa, where I’ve been filming a wildlife documentary.

I’d never been to Gabon before, and my knowledge of the country was very limited. I don’t remember ever seeing any other documentary about it before. Come to think of it, I’d never read anything about the country in the newspaper either. But one day I happened to spot a crazy advert that showed hippos swimming in the sea, and I thought, I have to go there!

So, when I was asked to go on a film trip there, I jumped at the chance. I checked on a website that gave me lots of statistics about the country, but it was a guidebook that told me what I really needed to know. I read it from cover to cover. I was also given a file of research notes to read, but it wasn’t very detailed.

My boss, Maria, helped with preparations. I’ve been to other African countries and had already had the injections you need if you’re travelling there. But Maria said I should make sure I applied for a work visa, not an ordinary visitor visa, otherwise they wouldn’t let me in the country. Luckily, I didn’t need a mosquito net or special clothing – I had those already.

When I arrived in Gabon, I was met by a driver, who took me to my hotel in the capital. There I was introduced to a biologist who I thought had come along to give me some background information. But it turned out he’d volunteered to accompany me for the duration of my trip. I was so happy because it was like having a teacher with me the whole time. I learnt lots.

Filming was mostly to take place in Loango National Park, on the coast. Getting there involved a flight in a small plane during a storm – not something I’d recommend. I was grateful for the helicopter that covered a vast area of forest, as that spared me hours travelling in a safari jeep on a dirt road. Finally, we took a short, but not very pleasant, ride in a speedboat, to reach our destination, the beach.

The first animals I spotted on the beach at Loango were forest elephants. My guide explained they’re shy creatures that hide in the forest where they get most of their food, typically leaves, fruit and bark. Occasionally though, they leave the forest alone or in small groups, in search of salt, which is plentiful on the beach.

After that, I got some great shots of buffalo going for a walk on the beach. And then to my amazement, several of them headed off into the water. To me they seemed to be surfing, and my guide laughed when I told him that. They were probably just cooling off rather than swimming properly.

We spent several weeks at this location because there was so much to see. I spent hours looking though my camera at hippos, and various kinds of birds, and even managed to catch a few seconds of a gorilla. Every morning there were tracks left by leopards that had passed through in the night, but they never appeared during the day.

After the beach, we headed to one of the few villages in this region, to stay in a traditional house. The locals were very welcoming, and cooked lots of delicious food for us. It was really curious meeting them as they weren’t used to strangers. I had expected them to be shy or nervous around us, which wasn’t the case.

The Loango National Park takes conservation seriously, and animal numbers have increased steadily in the last decade, which is great news. The same cannot be said for their efforts to boost tourism, which has hardly increased at all, despite the building of a new road and several luxury hotels. Hopefully films like mine’ll help.

19 H   20 C   21 B   22 F   23 A

Audioscript

Speaker 1

My boss sent me on a part-time course about marketing for small business. I was a bit surprised actually, because it wasn’t an area of activity I normally have anything to do with. But it cost nothing and it took place during the week, so it didn’t take up any of my free time. And it crossed my mind that it might help me get a better job. Anyway, the course was quite interesting, but I don’t think marketing’s for me, really. But it did give me a push to sign up for other classes if I’m offered the chance again. Who knows, another course might lead to a career change!

Speaker 2

I used to be a drama teacher. It was a stressful job, but I loved it, especially when I became head of drama and was responsible for the annual school play. When I retired, I wasn’t prepared for how dull everyday life can seem when you have hardly anything to do. So I enrolled on a part-time French course, which I really got into and soon found I was doing loads of extra homework. There wasn’t a moment to be bored any more. Most of the other participants were students taking extra classes to help with their exams, which meant we were there for different reasons, but that didn’t matter.

Speaker 3

I’d been working for an investment bank for twelve years, and had climbed my way up the company ladder. The salary was amazing and I had a great social life, but the work wasn’t rewarding. By chance, I saw a sign language course advertised, and I thought how fantastic it would be if I could communicate with deaf people, and maybe do some voluntary work. The course was stressful to start with, but I knew I’d found a new purpose in life. It didn’t lead to a certificate or anything, but I’m now an assistant in a deaf school. The salary’s tiny, but I no longer care about that.

Speaker 4

I’m currently doing a physics degree at college, but I’ve always loved reading literature during my leisure time, especially science-fiction novels. Last summer vacation, I took a part-time course in writing fiction for children. I think I’ve always had a lot of imagination and it was great the course allowed me to exploit that. The course was all done online, so I never actually got to meet the other participants, but we used the course blog and reviewed each other’s stories. You get all kinds of people on these courses. I was the only one writing sci-fi stuff, all the others were doing teen romance. How weird is that!

Speaker 5

When I graduated with a degree in architecture, I’d had enough of studying and got a job with a private firm. After a few years, I was desperate to go for a higher position in the company. But when a vacancy came up, I was turned down because the company said they wanted someone with project management skills. That’s when I signed up for a part-time vocational course to gain the skills needed. There was no formal qualification at the end, but that didn’t matter, as it got me the result I wanted. Working and studying at the same time was exhausting, but it was only for six months.

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

Audioscript

Interviewer:   And on this week’s Ask the Expert programme, I’m talking to retired athlete Gemma Porter. Gemma now runs her own recruitment business, helping other retired sportspeople to find new careers. Gemma, welcome.

Gemma:   Thanks.

Interviewer:   Could I ask, first of all, why you retired from athletics?

Gemma:   I’d been moderately successful in my athletics career, and had seen lucky enough not to pick up too many injuries. I’d achieved several medals for coming second and third in world events and felt I had the ability to keep on going, and possibly even set a world record in my event. But the truth was, I was fed up with living out of a suitcase. I was lucky I’d been all over the world for my job, but I’d had enough.

Interviewer:   Fair enough. And was it easy to adjust to life after retirement?

Gemma:   Initially, no. I missed the support of the other athletes, and when I thought of them all setting off to the next competition without me, I felt left behind. It was lovely to take a few weeks off and have a break from training though, and after I’d had a rest, I started applying for paid jobs. I originally thought about taking a year off, but I needed something to do to distract me from thinking about the good things about being an athlete.

Interviewer:   So, was it easy, with your background, to find a job?

Gemma:   Not at all. I sent in loads of applications and didn’t even get an interview. Some of the vacant jobs were simple office work that I could have done with my eyes closed, but my CV let me down. You see, I left school at sixteen, before taking my final exams, so that I could compete in the national championships. When employers looked at my CV, there was no evidence that I was capable of doing the job they were advertising. Of course, I felt that my training routine as an athlete would show I could be committed to a job, so that was all very frustrating.

Interviewer:   But eventually someone took you on, and then five years later, you set up your own recruitment company to help retired sportspeople. What made you want to do that?

Gemma:   There were only a handful of other agencies providing this service, but I was convinced that my background in sport put me in a unique position to be able to help others after leaving the sporting world. My family told me to go for it, and my best friend even helped me with various practical things, like setting up my website.

Interviewer:   And was the business an immediate success?

Gemma:   Not in the very early days, but very few businesses take off straight away. But I didn’t give up because I was confident that I would succeed. I always had a reputation for being a strong person when I was an athlete. What kept me going most of all was the knowledge that my business would meet a real need. I wish I’d had that sort of guidance when I first gave up being a sportswoman.

Interviewer:   And can I ask, do you think it’s easy for retired sportspeople to adapt to life in a company?

Gemma:   In general, the move from sport to business is a natural fit, but not everyone finds it easy to start with. Sportspeople are committed and determined and have bags of energy, and they can get a bit cross with others who don’t have the same values as them, especially when it comes to rules in the workplace. Disagreements can happen if their workmates feel they’re being criticised.

Interviewer:   Very interesting.

Gemma:   Yes, but that doesn’t happen in every case. And I’d even go as far as to say that in the future, companies will recruit more people who’ve retired from sport because they possess the desire to set and achieve their aims, just like businesses. That’s an important quality in today’s rapidly changing world, and one of the ways for companies to ensure they stay in business.

Interviewer:   Well, thanks …