Practice PET (B1) Listening Test 29 with Answers and Audioscripts

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

Audioscripts

1   How did the woman travel?

M:   I’m surprised that you drove all the way to Liverpool from London.

F:   Well, actually I decided it would be better not to take the car in the end.

M:   Oh really? What made you change your mind?

F:   The train doesn’t get stuck in traffic jams and I didn’t want to be late to meet my husband and kids when they arrived at the harbour.

M:   Where are they travelling from?

F:   They’re coming back from their holiday in Ireland.

M:   What time does their ferry arrive?

F:   Nine o’clock in the morning.

2   What time does the film start?

M:   Are we going to the cinema tonight or tomorrow?

F:   It’s tonight we are going! Don’t you remember?

M:   No, but tonight is okay with me. What time shall we leave the house?

F:   Six o’clock, so that we don’t have to hurry.

M:   That gives us a whole hour until the film starts, and it only takes ten minutes to walk to the cinema.

F:   I know, but I thought we could go for a coffee first now that we got my mum to look after the kids.

M:   That’s a good idea. We will also need to buy snacks to take in with us.

3   What kind of film was it?

M:   Sarah, you’ve got to see this film now showing in the cinema. It’s about this teenage boy who falls in love with his friend’s older sister, who of course has no idea how he feels and treats him like a child. He tries to let her know what his feelings are and you just feel sorry for him because he gets himself into all kinds of embarrassing situations. I laughed till I cried just about all the way through it. It’s on until next week but will be out on DVD next summer. It made me think of our friend James actually.

4   What kind of transportation is the man talking about?

M:   May I have your attention, please? I am very sorry to announce that all services to London via Birmingham have been cancelled due to a problem with the tracks caused by the cold weather. This includes the express service from Glasgow. If you already have a ticket please go to the ticket desk on the ground floor next to the coffee shop, and we will rebook you on a different rail route. Unfortunately, due to the large volume of passengers, you should expect a delay of several hours.

5   Where are the boy’s keys?

M:   I’m late for school again! Mum, have you seen my keys?

F:   Aren’t they on the kitchen table where you usually leave them when you get home?

M:   No, I looked, and they aren’t there.

F:   You came in yesterday wearing your coat. Have you had a look in your coat pockets?

M:   Oh yes, it was very cold. They are probably there… Oh! No, they aren’t in any of the pockets.

F:   Well, what’s that in your hand, John?

M:   Oops, sorry mum! They were there all the time!

6   Which present is Mark going to buy?

M:   I wanted to buy Jane a nice blouse for her birthday but I’m not sure what size she is or what colours she likes.

F:   How about buying her a nice long wool scarf instead of a blouse? Her birthday is in the winter so something warm would be good.

M:   Yes, you’re right. But do you think she’d rather have that than a pair of gloves?

F:   I think so.

M:   Oh, okay then, I will ask my mum to take me to town and buy it today.

7   What will the weather be like tomorrow?

F:   Good morning! And now for the weather in your area. After a rainy start this morning, it will get brighter in the afternoon, although it may be a little windy. As the day progresses, there might be some rain in some areas but strong winds from the south overnight will blow away these clouds. When you wake up, all the clouds and rain will have disappeared bringing everyone a very warm day with a lot of sunshine. Join us again this evening after the national news.

8 B   9 A   10 B   11 C   12 A   13 C

Audioscripts

8   You hear two friends talking about a camping weekend.

M:   So, are you coming on the school environment weekend?

F:   Maybe. But I’ve never been camping before. I’m not sure if I’ll like sleeping outside at night. And then, what if it rains? More than anything, I really don’t like the idea of getting wet. And what about having a shower?

M:   You’ll love it. It’s a great experience. And you don’t have to sleep outside. There are tents and outdoor showers, too. The water warms in the sunshine. It’s great fun!

F:   Hmm… I’m still not convinced. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

9   You will hear two friends talking about a test.

M:   Hi. Have you finished revising for the history test? I hate having to learn all these facts. It’s so boring.

F:   Yes. I’m having difficulty learning dates. I have never been able to remember numbers easily. I usually have to record them on my smart phone to listen to and repeat, but my little brother has broken it so I have to get a new one.

M:   That’s a pity. When are you getting a new one?

F:   When I have some time!

10   You will hear a girl telling a friend about her windsurfing lesson.

M:   Hi! How was your windsurfing lesson? Did you have a great time?

F:   Well, I wasn’t disappointed with the instructor, but I need to start doing more exercise. I’m not strong enough! I couldn’t get the sail back up easily. I felt a bit ashamed when the instructor had to keep helping me. I gave up in the end.

M:   I tried it once and felt really frightened because I’m not a good swimmer. But you have a really healthy lifestyle and you go swimming often.

F:   Look, it’s not a question of fitness; it’s about strength.

11   You will hear two friends talking about a film they have seen.

F:   Have you seen that new movie ‘The Red Eye’? I thought it was really good.

M:   Yes, I saw it last week. To tell you the truth, I found it a bit disappointing. The characters were not very realistic, especially the hero. I don’t think anyone really behaves like that. And the ending was such a disappointment.

F:   Oh, I think it was a great ending. Especially when Emily, who I thought was a really interesting character, decided to go back and save everyone. I kept jumping out of my seat even though I watch thrillers every week.

M:   I have to admit, I did, too!

12   You hear two friends talking about a new cafe that has opened.

M:   I went to that new coffee place by the station the other day. Do you know they serve twenty different types of coffee?

F:   I know. They have so many types! I drank the best iced coffee ever, there. And they also serve snacks. But I thought they were quite expensive for what they were.

M:   Not if you compare them with the place down the road. But I think the service could be better. I waited fifteen minutes and when I did finally get my coffee, it was cold!

F:   Oh. When I went, I didn’t have a problem.

13   You hear two friends talking about their plans for the weekend.

M:   Remember we are going to that new shopping mall this weekend! Let’s go on Saturday afternoon and then we could watch a movie in the Mall’s cinema centre, in the evening.

F:   Shopping is tiring. I’m not sure if I’ll have the energy for a movie after as we have to get the bus home afterwards. Let’s not go this time. We can watch TV at my house.

M:   But what if I ask my parents to pick us up? They will be in the area late in the evening, anyway.

F:   Now, that’s a better plan!

14 19th century   15 1975   16 attic

17 dining room   18 lawyer   19 horse riding

Audioscripts

M:   Good morning everyone and welcome to Stonebridge House. My name is David and I’m your tour guide. (14) This morning I’m going to show you around this wonderful 19th century house (15) which was the home of the Reynold family for more than 150 years, until 1975, when it became a national museum.

We are now standing in the main lobby of the house where you can see the magnificent wooden staircase that leads up to the bedrooms. (16) The house servants used to sleep in the attic but they would have used a different staircase to this one.

(17) Now, if we go through to the dining room, you will be able to see a fine collection of paintings. George Reynold was a big fan of traditional art as we can see here today. (18) George came from a military family. Surprisingly, however, he became a lawyer even though his father had wanted him to be an officer in the army. His younger brother also rebelled and became a teacher.

Now the Reynold family is famous for many things, but probably most of all for the many family tragedies. The family has had more than its fair share of early deaths. George’s son Michael died from cancer, his wife died while giving birth to their daughter Emily and (19) George’s brother had a fatal horse riding accident. George himself always suffered from a weak heart and he died of a heart attack at the age of 52.

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

Audioscripts

Int:   Good morning Jane. So today you are going to give us some tips as to how we can all do our bit to protect the environment, aren’t you?

Jane:   That’s right John. There are a lot of reports in the media about how our world is being destroyed and polluted by man and, although this is true, there are certainly many things that we can do to improve this situation. (20) Amongst all the horror stories, we need to concentrate on the positive things that can be done. That way we can all make sure that the future of the planet is safe.

Int:   So, what can we all do, Jane?

Jane:   First of all, we need to be better at recycling. Most of us do a bit of recycling but we are still throwing away things that can be reused. I think this is because people think it takes time to recycle things properly, but it really doesn’t. Once you get into the habit, you start to do it automatically. (21) Did you know it takes a month to create a new way of behaving? That’s not just true of being greener, it works for any habit.

Int:   Apart from recycling, what else is important?

Jane:   Well, saving energy in the home is easy to do. For example, why not turn off lights when you are not using a room? (22) Also, don’t leave mobiles and laptops charging overnight. You can also be more careful with the amount of water you use by having a shower instead of a bath and by not leaving the tap running when you brush your teeth.

Int:   I guess in the end your bills will be cheaper, too, if you do this?

Jane:   (23, 24) Exactly. People don’t realise how much money they are throwing away by wasting energy on a daily basis. Imagine if you save one or two pounds every day on energy, that’s hundreds of pounds a year. (24) You could spend that on a nice holiday.

Int:   But surely it’s up to the government to really make a difference to the environment.

Jane:   The government certainly needs to be more active when it comes to passing laws to protect the planet, but we all need to do our bit. Also, schools and parents must educate their children so that the next generation does better than we have. (25) From my experience, young people are aware of environmental problems and I think they will be better at saving the planet than we have been.

Int:   Jane, thank you so much for your time today. I’m sure our listeners will pay attention to what you have said and hopefully will be more responsible in future.