Practice PET (B1) Listening Test 30 with Answers and Audioscripts

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

Audioscripts

1   How did the man get to work?

F:   It’s nine thirty! You’re late, John. Did you miss the train again this morning?

M:   I decided to drive for a change because the weather is so bad. When I got to the main road, a taxi had crashed into a school bus and blocked the whole road. All the school kids were standing in the rain waiting for the school to send another school bus. Anyway, the police closed the road and sent all the traffic on a different route that was longer and took me an extra twenty minutes.

2   What will the girl buy?

F:   Good afternoon. Do you have any fresh strawberries today?

M:   I’m very sorry, we have sold out this morning. We had some big, juicy ones. I will have some more tomorrow morning. I’ve got some lovely raspberries fresh from the farm today if you like and some very sweet cherries.

F:   I’m not sure my parents are keen on raspberries; they are too sour. So, I’ll take some apples, bananas and some of those cherries please. No wait a minute, my dad told me to get pears, not apples.

3   What will the weather be like tomorrow night?

F:   Now kids I have an announcement. Tonight, as the sun goes down, the temperature will drop a lot and there will be some strong winds. Tomorrow’s forecast is not much better. We expect a very foggy morning which will slowly clear as the sun comes up. But still, during the day it will be cold, with strong winds. This will change again tomorrow night as we expect heavy rain. If this is the case, we might not be able to go on our scheduled school trip as we were supposed to be outdoors.

4   What will Ben do on Saturday afternoon?

F:   Hi Ben, do you want to go ice-skating Saturday morning?

M:   I’d love to, but I promised my mum I’d help her cut the grass and pick up the leaves.

F:   Well, how about in the evening?

M:   I’m going to the cinema to see the new horror film with Tracy from school. I could go with you after lunch, though; the film doesn’t start till 7 pm so I will have plenty of time.

F:   That’s great. See you at about two o’clock.

5   What did Alison do?

M:   Hi Alison. You look terrible! What did you do to yourself? Walk into a door?

F:   Very funny. Yesterday morning, I was walking the dog when it suddenly saw a cat and ran right in front of me.

M:   So you tripped over your dog?

F:   No, I managed to stop that from happening by stepping to the side but I didn’t see a hole in the field and I fell into it. It was very painful and it took over an hour for my parents to come and get me.

6   What animal will they buy?

F:   Do you think grandma would like a parrot? I think it would be perfect as it’s easy to look after and cheap to feed.

M:   She really needs something that will be more of a friend for her. Something that will sit on her lap while she watches TV.

F:   How about a dog?

M:   That would be good … or maybe a cat.

F:   I think she prefers dogs. But she likes cats too and they don’t need to be taken for a walk every day.

M:   Hmm – and in the winter she can’t go out so often.

F:   So that’s decided then.

7   What time will Sue collect the children?

F:   Hi Dawn, it’s Sue, John’s mother. I’m just phoning about collecting the kids at quarter to four. The plans have changed a bit. My dental appointment for three o’clock has been changed. It’s at five, so I may as well pick up the kids first and they can come with me, so I’ll be half an hour earlier than we’d planned. I hope this is okay with you. Please can you send me a text message to confirm that you have received this message? See you later.

8 B   9 A   10 B   11 B   12 C   13 C

Audioscripts

8   You will hear two friends talking about a teacher.

M:   I’ve just had a lesson with that new teacher, Mr Higgins. I had a great time!

F:   Did you? I had him yesterday for the first time. He made me feel really anxious because I got confused with a problem. He wasn’t at all patient with me! I felt embarrassed because I couldn’t understand simple maths.

M:   Really? I found him helpful and understanding. He will make us work hard though. His lessons are really challenging but maybe that’s good for us.

F:   Yes, there are. Hopefully I won’t get confused next time.

9   You hear two friends talking about a school trip.

F:   Are you packed for the trip? I can’t decide what to take.

M:   Yes. I’ve packed my backpack. Just make sure you take warm clothes because we’ll be camping. I’ve taken two sweatshirts, two pairs of jeans and extra walking boots. Oh, and don’t forget sun creams, sunglasses and, of course, some cash for souvenirs.

F:   That’s all in! I’ve packed two pairs of trainers just in case one pair gets wet. Then, of course, all the essential stuff like passport and boarding pass have still got to go in.

M:   Lucky you reminded me!

10   You will hear two friends talking about learning to play tennis.

M:   Wow. It’s so difficult to get better at tennis. I think I’ll never play as well as you!

F:   Well, you spend lots of time practising with your coach. You don’t have time for much more. Why don’t you try to deal with just one part of your game, and not everything together?

M:   The thing is, I need to move quicker on the court. That’s my main problem. I watch loads of matches to see how the top players do it.

F:   Well, your tennis coach seems good. I’m sure he will advise you if he thinks you need it.

11   You will hear two friends talking about a website.

M:   Have you been into that new music website yet? It’s great because you can connect with other people who listen to the same music as you. It doesn’t cost much either.

F:   Yes, I went in last night. I think it could be cheaper though. The music is not so good but the blog is great. I thought I might join and write some things when I have more time.

M:   Good idea. I’m only interested in the music myself. What’s annoying, though, is the ads; they come between each song.

F:   You’re telling me!

12   You will hear two friends talking about jobs.

F:   What do you think of the careers lesson we had yesterday? I certainly decided I don’t want to become a lawyer!

M:   Yes, it did sound like a lot of hard work and years of studying. I think what I like best are the jobs where you get paid well and you also get to travel. That sounds like a good option.

F:   My dad is a pilot. He’s always travelling but he’s always tired. Seeing the world may be nice but I’m going to choose something I really love. Money isn’t everything, you know.

M:   Maybe not, but it helps!

13   You will hear two friends talking about their holidays.

M:   So, did you like the cruise? Was it an amazing trip?

F:   Yes! The ship was huge. It had three pools, shops, five restaurants and a golf course! There was lots to do, which was great, so I couldn’t get bored. But for the first few days I was a bit lost until I met some teenagers.

M:   Yes, I thought that might be a problem. It’s usually older people on cruises. But the facilities sound amazing! I’m sure you swam all day long!

F:   Yes, but the best thing was hanging out with the others.

15 Town Hall   15 narrow streets

16 Palace Café   17 8.95

18 artists’ studio   19 cream tea

Audioscripts

F:   Good afternoon. My name is Sally, and I will be your tour guide on tomorrow’s excursion to Brighton. It’s going to be a very full day with many things to see and do. (14) The coach will be outside the Town Hall at eight o’clock. Please make sure you are on time and ready to board the coach when it arrives as it is a busy road and the driver can’t stop for long. We will be in Brighton at ten o’clock and you’ll be dropped off at the Pool Valley Coach Station, which is very close to the seafront.

We’ll start our guided walking tour at 10.15 and we’ll have a leisurely wander around the famous Brighton Lanes for half an hour. (15) The Lanes are the original part of Brighton. They used to be narrow streets lined with fishermen’s cottages but now they are more famous for boutiques and jewellers. At eleven, we’ll go to the Royal Pavilion, which was once a Royal Palace. You’ll probably all fancy a quick drink before the tour at 11.30. (16) You can either sit inside the Palace Cafe or sit outside at the Pavilion Gardens cafe.

(17) Lunch will be at 12.45 till 2 o’clock at the local Italian Restaurant. There is a set menu on offer for us tomorrow. The two-course meal costs only £8.95. The afternoon will be busy with a trip to the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. This has recently been refurbished and it’s worth a visit. From 3 to 5 in the afternoon you are free to explore Brighton seafront. (18) Particularly worth visiting are the artists’ studios on the beach, the Aquarium, the i360 tower, where visitors can admire views across Brighton and the south coast, and of course Brighton Pier.

(19) Finally, to round off the day, we will be going for cream tea at the Grand Hotel. Then it’s a five-minute walk to the Coach Station for a 6 pm departure. Are there any questions?

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

Audioscripts

Int:   Hi, Michael. How long have you been a professional cyclist?

M:   Well, I started riding a bike when I was very young. I tried to ride my big brother’s bike when I was about four years old but of course I couldn’t, so I used to push it and pretend I was riding it. (20) Then my parents bought me my first little bike when I was five and I would ride it all the time. It had extra little wheels on the sides called stabilisers which stopped me falling off.

Int:   You became a top cyclist when you were still very young. It seems as though your success has been easy. Is that true?

M:   Not exactly. Cycling is what I always wanted to do, so giving up has never been something I have thought about doing but it has been difficult at times. It hasn’t only been difficult for me. (21) My parents have spent so much time and money supporting me. I certainly could not have done so well on my own.

Int:   Can you tell us about the part of your career that has not been easy? Is it all the hours of training that you have to do?

M:   Actually no, I love training and going to the gym. I’m an early bird so I get up very early in the morning and that is when I feel ready and happy to train. I don’t like training in the evening though, as I go to bed quite early. (22) The problem is that my friends go out late at night so I can’t go out with them very often. I often wish I could, but that’s just the way it is.

Int:   So, I guess you go to the gym every day, don’t you? And fast food must be completely off the menu.

M:   Actually, I never train at all on Sundays. Sunday is my day for relaxing, so I spend time with my family and friends. I do have a burger or a pizza sometimes. (23) You can’t eat healthy food every day of your life, but yes, you’re right; I do have to eat well, generally, in order to be fit enough to win races. You can’t expect to be a professional athlete and eat whatever you want.

Int:   (24) You said you relax on Sundays. What do you like to do?

M:   (24) I’m not much of a reader but I love to watch TV or a movie on Netflix. Most of my friends play basketball or football on a Sunday but doing more exercise is the last thing I want to do.

Int:   (25) Finally, Michael, what do you think you will be doing in ten years’ time?

M:   I probably won’t be competing in international competitions but (25) I am very interested in being a coach for young cyclists and sharing all my experiences with them.