Appearance – A1 English Listening Exercise

1 Correct Answer: (A) He is tall.

• Explanation: Friend B describes himself by saying: “I am very tall and I have my hand up.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) He is short is the exact opposite of the correct answer. Option (C) He is old is a common word to describe appearance but is not mentioned in the audio.

2 Correct Answer: (B) An orange jacket

• Explanation: Friend B clearly states: “I am wearing an orange jacket.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) A black jacket is a trap because Friend A asks about it, but Friend B says “No, not black.” Option (C) An orange hat has the correct color but the wrong clothing item.

3 Correct Answer: (C) E-X-I-T

• Explanation: Friend B spells the word for the exit: “That is E-X-I-T.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) E-X-E-T is a phonetic trap because the letter “I” can sometimes be confused with “E” for beginners. Option (B) A-X-I-T is a trap because A1 learners often confuse the English pronunciation of the letter “E” (/iː/) with the letter “A” or “I”.

Friend A: Hello? Where are you? It is very noisy here!

Friend B: I am here! I am very tall and I have my hand up.

Friend A: I do not see you. Are you wearing a black jacket?

Friend B: No, not black. I am wearing an orange jacket. A big, orange jacket.

Friend A: Orange? Okay. Are you near the stage?

Friend B: No, I am near the exit. That is E-X-I-T.

Friend A: Oh, I see your orange jacket and your hand. I am coming!

1 Correct Answer: (B) Speaker A’s friend

• Explanation: Speaker A explicitly says, “He is my friend.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) Speaker B is a trap because Speaker A initially thinks the stranger is Mark, but Speaker B says, “I am not Mark.” Option (A) The man’s brother is not mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: (A) Curly hair

• Explanation: Speaker A tells Speaker B, “You are tall and you have curly hair.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) Straight hair is the opposite of the correct answer. Option (C) Blond hair is a plausible hair description but is not in the audio.

3 Correct Answer: (C) No, he does not wear glasses.

• Explanation: Speaker B asks if Mark wears glasses, and Speaker A answers, “No, he does not wear glasses.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Options (A) and (B) are traps because the word “glasses” is mentioned in the question, but the answer is a clear “No”.

Speaker A: Excuse me, Mark! It is good to see you.

Speaker B: Um, hello. I am not Mark. My name is David.

Speaker A: Oh, I am so sorry! You are not Mark.

Speaker B: That is okay. Who is Mark?

Speaker A: He is my friend. You are tall and you have curly hair. Mark has curly hair, too.

Speaker B: I see. Does Mark wear glasses?

Speaker A: No, he does not wear glasses. Anyway, sorry again!

1 Correct Answer: (B) R-I-T-A

• Explanation: The victim spells her name clearly: “R-I-T-A.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) R-E-T-A is a phonetic trap because the English letter “E” is pronounced /iː/, which A1 learners often confuse with the letter “I”. Option (C) R-I-D-A uses “D” instead of “T”, which can sound similar in fast American English, but the audio pronounces “T” clearly.

2 Correct Answer: (A) He is tall.

• Explanation: The victim says, “He is very tall.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) He is short is a trap because the police officer asks, “Is he short?”, but the victim says “No, he is not short.” Option (C) He is old is not mentioned in the audio.

3 Correct Answer: (C) Black

• Explanation: The victim clearly states, “He is wearing a black hat.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) Blue is a trap because the victim explicitly rejects it by saying, “Not a blue hat.” Option (B) White is also a trap; “white” is the color of the man’s mask, not his hat.

Police Officer: Hello. Please sit down. What is your name?

Victim: My name is Rita. That is R-I-T-A.

Police Officer: Okay, Rita. You said a man took your wallet. What does he look like? Is he short?

Victim: No, he is not short. He is very tall.

Police Officer: A tall man. What is he wearing today?

Victim: He is wearing a black hat. Not a blue hat, a black hat.

Police Officer: A black hat. What about his face?

Victim: I cannot see his face. He is wearing a mask. A big, white mask.

1 Correct Answer: (B) B-E-N

• Explanation: The man spells his name out loud: “That is B-E-N.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) B-A-N is a phonetic trap because A1 learners sometimes confuse the pronunciation of “E” and “A”. Option (C) P-E-N is a real word (pen) that sounds similar to his name.

2 Correct Answer: (C) White

• Explanation: Colleague A says, “look at your shirt! Your white shirt.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) Brown is a trap because it is the color of the stain (“a big, brown stain”), not the shirt. Option (B) Blue is a trap because the man asks for a blue shirt, but Colleague A says “No”.

3 Correct Answer: (B) A black jacket

• Explanation: Colleague A suggests the black jacket, and the man agrees: “I will wear my black jacket.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) A blue shirt is a trap because he asks for one, but Colleague A doesn’t have it. Option (C) A white jacket mixes the color of the shirt with the clothing item.

Colleague A: Hi, Mr. Clark. Are you ready for the meeting?

Colleague B: Hello. Please call me Ben. That is B-E-N.

Colleague A: Okay, Ben. But look at your shirt! Your white shirt.

Colleague B: My white shirt? What is wrong?

Colleague A: You have a stain. A big, brown stain. Is it coffee?

Colleague B: Oh no! A coffee stain. Do you have a blue shirt for me?

Colleague A: No, I do not have a blue shirt. But you have a black jacket.

Colleague B: Yes, you are right. I will wear my black jacket. Thank you!

1 Correct Answer: (B) 70

• Explanation: The relative clearly says, “No, he is 70. Seven-zero.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) 80 is a trap because the guard asks if he is 80, but the relative says “No”. Option (A) 17 is a phonetic trap because “seventeen” sounds very similar to “seventy” for A1 learners.

2 Correct Answer: (A) White

• Explanation: The relative states that “he has white hair.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) Brown is a trap. The word “brown” is in the audio, but it describes the walking stick, not his hair. Option (B) Grey is a plausible color for an old man’s hair, but it is not mentioned.

3 Correct Answer: (C) A walking stick

• Explanation: The relative says, “But he has a walking stick.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) A hat is a trap because the guard asks “Is he wearing a hat?”, and the relative answers “No hat.” Option (B) Glasses are not mentioned in the conversation at all.

Relative: Excuse me, please help me! My grandfather is lost. His name is Arthur. That is A-R-T-H-U-R.

Guard: Please don’t worry. I can help. How old is he? Is he 80 years old?

Relative: No, he is 70. Seven-zero. And he has white hair.

Guard: Okay, 70 years old with white hair. Is he wearing a hat?

Relative: No hat. But he has a walking stick. A brown walking stick. He walks very slowly.

Guard: I understand. 70 years old, white hair, and a brown walking stick. Let’s go find him.