Shopping & Money – A1 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does the customer want to buy?
(A) A bag
(B) A wallet
(C) A book
2 How much does the book cost?
(A) $15
(B) $20
(C) $25
3 Why does the customer NOT buy the item?
(A) He does not have enough money.
(B) He does not like the book.
(C) The store is closing.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) A book
- Explanation: The customer says at the very beginning, “I want to buy this book” (The Key). A wallet is mentioned (“Let me check my wallet”), but he does not want to buy it (The Trap). A bag is not mentioned.
2 (B) $20
- Explanation: The assistant clearly says, “It is twenty dollars” (The Key). The customer repeats it. $15 is the amount of money the customer has in his wallet (The Trap).
3 (A) He does not have enough money.
- Explanation: The customer says he only has fifteen dollars, and the assistant says, “Fifteen dollars is not enough” (The Key). Options B and C are plausible reasons not to buy something, but they are not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Hello. I want to buy this book. How much is it?
Assistant: It is a great book! It is twenty dollars.
Customer: Twenty dollars? Let me check my wallet. Oh, no. I only have fifteen dollars. One, five.
Assistant: I am sorry. Fifteen dollars is not enough. The book is twenty.
Customer: I understand. I cannot buy it today. Sorry about that.
Assistant: That is okay. Have a good day!
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 How much does the hat cost?
(A) $3
(B) $15
(C) $20
2 How much change did the cashier give at first?
(A) $3
(B) $5
(C) $15
3 What is the correct change?
(A) $3
(B) $5
(C) $20
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) $15
- Explanation: The cashier says, “The hat is fifteen dollars” (The Key). The number 20 is the money the customer gave (The Trap), and 3 is the wrong change.
2 (A) $3
- Explanation: The customer says, “But you only gave me three dollars” (The Key). Option B ($5) is the correct change, but it is not what the cashier gave at first (The Trap).
3 (B) $5
- Explanation: The customer says, “So my change is five dollars.” The cashier agrees, says “Not three dollars, Here is your five dollars.” (The Key). Option C ($20) is the bill the customer used to pay.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Excuse me. I think this change is wrong.
Cashier: Oh? Let me see. The hat is fifteen dollars. You gave me a twenty-dollar bill.
Customer: Yes. So my change is five dollars. But you only gave me three dollars.
Cashier: Oh, I am so sorry! You are right. Not three dollars. Here is your five dollars.
Customer: Thank you very much.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does the customer want to buy?
(A) A shirt
(B) A card machine
(C) A wallet
2 Why can’t the customer use the credit card?
(A) He does not have the card.
(B) The card machine is broken.
(C) The store only takes cards.
3 How much does the shirt cost?
(A) $12
(B) $20
(C) $2
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) A shirt
- Explanation: The customer says at the beginning, “I want to buy this shirt” (The Key). A card machine is mentioned, but he does not want to buy it (The Trap). A wallet is not mentioned.
2 (B) The card machine is broken.
- Explanation: The cashier says, “The card machine is broken” (The Key). The customer does have a card, but he cannot use it because it does not work.
3 (A) $12
- Explanation: The cashier says, “The shirt is twelve dollars” and the customer repeats “Twelve dollars” (The Key). Option B ($20) is a phonetic trap because “twelve” and “twenty” can sound similar to beginners. Option C ($2) is not in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Hello. I want to buy this shirt. Here is my credit card.
Cashier: I am sorry. The card machine is broken. It does not work today.
Customer: Oh, no. So, I cannot use my card?
Cashier: No, you cannot. Do you have cash? The shirt is twelve dollars.
Customer: Twelve dollars. Let me check. Yes, I have cash. Here you go.
Cashier: Thank you very much.
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What did the man find on the ground?
(A) A bag
(B) A wallet
(C) Some money
2 How much money did the woman lose?
(A) $10
(B) $20
(C) $2
3 How does the man spell the value of the bill?
(A) T-W-E-N-T-Y
(B) T-E-N
(C) T-W-O
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Some money
- Explanation: The man asks, “Is this your money? I found it on the ground” (The Key). The woman mentions her bag (“Let me check my bag”), but it is not what the man found (The Trap). A wallet is not mentioned.
2 (A) $10
- Explanation: The woman says, “I am missing a ten-dollar bill” and confirms it at the end (The Key). She says, “I thought I lost twenty dollars” (The Trap), but she actually lost ten.
3 (B) T-E-N
- Explanation: When the man shows the bill, he spells the word: “T-E-N” (The Key) to make sure they are talking about the same bill.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Man: Excuse me! Miss, excuse me!
Woman: Yes? Can I help you?
Man: Is this your money? I found it on the ground.
Woman: Oh! Let me check my bag. Yes, I am missing a ten-dollar bill.
Man: Here is a ten-dollar bill. T-E-N. Is it yours?
Woman: Yes, it is! I thought I lost twenty dollars. But no, it is my ten dollars. Thank you so much!
Man: You are welcome. Have a good day!
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What item is the customer asking about?
(A) A shirt
(B) A sweater
(C) A jacket
2 How much does the item cost?
(A) $10
(B) $100
(C) $200
3 Why does the customer NOT buy it?
(A) It is not warm.
(B) It is too expensive.
(C) It is too big.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) A jacket
- Explanation: The customer asks at the very beginning, “How much is this jacket?” (The Key). Shirts and sweaters are not mentioned in the conversation.
2 (B) $100
- Explanation: The assistant says, “That jacket is one hundred dollars.” The customer repeats it and says “One, zero, zero” to confirm the high price (The Key). Option A ($10) is a distractor to test if learners can hear the difference between ten and a hundred.
3 (B) It is too expensive.
- Explanation: The customer clearly states, “That is too expensive for me. I cannot buy it” (The Key). Option A (It is not warm) is wrong because the assistant says, “It is a very warm jacket” (The Trap). Option C is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Customer: Excuse me. How much is this jacket?
Assistant: That jacket is one hundred dollars.
Customer: One hundred dollars? One, zero, zero?
Assistant: Yes, that is right. It is a very warm jacket.
Customer: Oh, no. That is too expensive for me. I cannot buy it. Thank you anyway.
Assistant: You are welcome. Have a good day.