Housework – A1 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What is the customer looking for first?
(A) Water
(B) Dish soap
(C) Fresh fruit
2 What word does the customer spell?
(A) S-O-A-P
(B) W-A-T-E-R
(C) S-P-O-N-G-E-S
3 Where are the sponges?
(A) In Aisle 3
(B) In Aisle 13
(C) In Aisle 5
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Dish soap
- Explanation: The first thing the customer asks is, “Where is the dish soap?”
- Why the trap is wrong: “Water” (A) is a trap because the customer asks for it at the end of the conversation, not first. “Fresh fruit” (C) is a plausible supermarket item but is not mentioned in the audio.
2 (C) S-P-O-N-G-E-S
- Explanation: The customer asks about sponges and clearly spells the word: “S-P-O-N-G-E-S”.
- Why the trap is wrong: “Soap” (A) and “Water” (B) are important items in the audio, but the customer does not spell them.
3 (A) In Aisle 3
- Explanation: The worker says the sponges are “also in Aisle 3, next to the soap.”
- Why the trap is wrong: “In Aisle 13” (B) is a common sound trap because “three” and “thirteen” sound similar to beginners, and Aisle 13 is where the water is. “In Aisle 5” (C) is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Excuse me. Where is the dish soap?
Worker: Dish soap? It is in Aisle 3.
Customer: Aisle 3. Okay. And do you have sponges? S-P-O-N-G-E-S.
Worker: Yes, we have sponges. They are also in Aisle 3, next to the soap.
Customer: Great. Thank you. Oh, and where is the water?
Worker: The water is in Aisle 13.
Customer: 13. Got it. Thanks again!
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What word does the owner spell?
(A) C-O-I-N
(B) S-O-A-P
(C) G-R-E-E-N
2 How many coins does the customer need?
(A) 4
(B) 14
(C) 40
3 What color is the start button?
(A) Red
(B) Green
(C) Blue
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) S-O-A-P
- Explanation: The owner tells the customer to put the soap in first and spells the word: “S-O-A-P”.
- Why the trap is wrong: “Coin” (A) and “Green” (C) are important words in the conversation, but the owner does not spell them.
2 (A) 4
- Explanation: The owner clearly says, “You need 4 coins,” and counts “One, two, three, four.”
- Why the trap is wrong: 40 (C) is a trap because the customer hears it wrong at first (“40 coins?”). 14 (B) is a common sound trap for A1 learners but is not mentioned in the audio.
3 (B) Green
- Explanation: The owner says, “press the green button to start.”
- Why the trap is wrong: “Red” (A) and “Blue” (C) are common colors for buttons, but they are not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Excuse me. How do I use this washing machine?
Owner: It is easy. First, put the soap in the machine. S-O-A-P.
Customer: Put the soap first. Okay. And then?
Owner: Then, put in the coins. You need 4 coins.
Customer: 40 coins? That is a lot!
Owner: No, not 40. Just 4 coins. One, two, three, four.
Customer: Oh, 4 coins. I understand.
Owner: Yes. Finally, press the green button to start.
Customer: Thank you very much!
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 When does the customer want the cleaner to come?
(A) Saturday morning
(B) Sunday morning
(C) Friday afternoon
2 How many bathrooms does the customer have?
(A) One
(B) Two
(C) Three
3 What is the price of the cleaning service?
(A) 50 dollars
(B) 15 dollars
(C) 5 dollars
4 What word does the customer spell?
(A) C-L-E-A-N
(B) H-O-M-E
(C) A-N-N-A
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) Saturday morning
- Explanation: The customer says, “I want to book a cleaner for Saturday morning.”
- Why the trap is wrong: Sunday (B) and Friday (C) are not mentioned in the audio.
2 (A) One
- Explanation: The customer says “Two bedrooms and one bathroom.” The operator repeats this to confirm.
- Why the trap is wrong: “Two” (B) is the number of bedrooms, not bathrooms. “Three” (C) is not mentioned.
3 (B) 15 dollars
- Explanation: The operator says the price is 15. When the customer mishears, the operator clarifies: “No, fifteen. 1-5.”
- Why the trap is wrong: 50 dollars (A) is a classic A1 sound trap. The customer thinks it is 50, but the operator corrects it. 5 (C) is not the correct price.
4 (C) A-N-N-A
- Explanation: The customer says her name is Anna and spells it: “A-N-N-A”.
- Why the trap is wrong: “Clean” (A) and “Home” (B) are part of the company name but are not spelled out.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Operator: Hello, Clean-Home Company. Can I help you?
Customer: Hi. I want to book a cleaner for Saturday morning.
Operator: Okay. What do you need to clean?
Customer: Two bedrooms and one bathroom.
Operator: Two bedrooms and one bathroom. Okay. The price is 15 dollars.
Customer: 50 dollars?
Operator: No, fifteen. 1-5.
Customer: Oh, 15 dollars. Great. My name is Anna. A-N-N-A.
Operator: Thank you, Anna. See you on Saturday.
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 How many shirts does the customer have?
(A) 3
(B) 13
(C) 5
2 What word does the worker spell?
(A) W-A-S-H
(B) S-H-I-R-T
(C) I-R-O-N
3 When can the customer take the shirts?
(A) On Tuesday
(B) On Thursday
(C) On Friday
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) 3
- Explanation: The customer clearly says, “I have 3 shirts,” and then counts them: “One, two, three.”
- Why the trap is wrong: 13 (B) is a classic sound trap because “three” and “thirteen” can confuse A1 learners. 5 (C) is not mentioned.
2 (C) I-R-O-N
- Explanation: The worker asks if the customer wants to iron the shirts and spells the word: “I-R-O-N”.
- Why the trap is wrong: “Wash” (A) and “Shirt” (B) are very common words in the audio, but the worker does not spell them.
3 (B) On Thursday
- Explanation: The worker says the shirts will be ready on Thursday.
- Why the trap is wrong: “On Tuesday” (A) is a direct trap. The customer mishears and says “Tuesday?”, but the worker corrects him by saying “No, Thursday.” “On Friday” (C) is a day of the week but is never mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Hello. I have some shirts. I need to wash them.
Worker: Okay. How many shirts do you have?
Customer: I have 3 shirts. One, two, three.
Worker: 3 shirts. Do you want to iron them? I-R-O-N.
Customer: Yes, please wash and iron them. When can I take them?
Worker: You can take them on Thursday.
Customer: Tuesday?
Worker: No, Thursday.
Customer: Okay, Thursday. Thank you very much.
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does the worker say about the robot vacuum?
(A) It is big.
(B) It is small.
(C) It is heavy.
2 What word does the worker spell?
(A) R-O-B-O-T
(B) B-U-T-T-O-N
(C) F-L-O-O-R
3 How much is the robot vacuum?
(A) 60 dollars
(B) 16 dollars
(C) 6 dollars
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) It is small.
- Explanation: The worker introduces the vacuum by saying, “It is very small.”
- Why the trap is wrong: “It is big” (A) is the exact opposite of what the worker says. “It is heavy” (C) is not mentioned in the audio.
2 (C) F-L-O-O-R
- Explanation: The worker tells the customer that the robot cleans the floor and spells the word: “F-L-O-O-R”.
- Why the trap is wrong: “Robot” (A) and “Button” (B) are words spoken in the conversation, but the worker does not spell them.
3 (A) 60 dollars
- Explanation: The worker clearly states the price is 60 dollars (“Six – zero”).
- Why the trap is wrong: 16 dollars (B) is a classic A1 sound trap. The customer mishears “sixty” as “sixteen”, but the worker corrects her. 6 dollars (C) is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Hello. I am looking for a robot vacuum.
Worker: A robot vacuum? We have a great one here. It is very small.
Customer: Is it easy to use?
Worker: Yes, very easy. Just press the start button. It cleans the floor for you. F-L-O-O-R.
Customer: Great. How much is it?
Worker: It is 60 dollars.
Customer: 16 dollars?
Worker: No, 60. Six – zero.
Customer: Oh, 60 dollars. I understand. I will buy it.