Festivals – A1 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 Where is Mark right now?
(A) At the park
(B) At home
(C) At a party
2 What is Mark doing?
(A) He is watching fireworks.
(B) He is sleeping.
(C) He is eating cake.
3 What time will Sarah call Mark tomorrow?
(A) 8:30
(B) 9:00
(C) 9:30
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) At home.
- Explanation: Mark clearly says, “No, I am at home.”
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap because Sarah is at the park, not Mark. Option (C) is plausible because it is New Year’s Eve, but it is never mentioned in the audio.
2 Correct Answer: (C) He is eating cake.
- Explanation: Mark says, “I am eating cake with my family.”
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap. Sarah asks if he is watching fireworks, but Mark says “No.”
3 Correct Answer: (C) 9:30.
- Explanation: Mark tells Sarah to call him at “9:30” and spells out the numbers “9-3-0”. Sarah also repeats “9:30” at the end.
- Trap: Options (A) and (B) use similar sounds and numbers but are incorrect.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mark: Hello, Sarah! Happy New Year!
Sarah: Hi, Mark! Happy New Year! Where are you? Are you watching the fireworks?
Mark: No, I am at home. It is very cold outside. I am eating cake with my family.
Sarah: Oh, nice. I am at the park. The fireworks are beautiful!
Mark: Have fun! Call me tomorrow at 9:30 in the morning. That is 9-3-0.
Sarah: Okay, 9:30. Bye, Mark!
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What is the gift?
(A) A big box
(B) A car
(C) A book
2 What color is the car?
(A) Red
(B) Blue
(C) Yellow
3 How does Toby feel about the gift?
(A) He is sad.
(B) He does not like it.
(C) He is very happy.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) A car
- Explanation: Toby says, “It is a car!”
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap because the car is inside a “big box”, but the gift itself is the car.
2 Correct Answer: (A) Red
- Explanation: Toby repeats the word “red” twice: “It is a red car. A beautiful red car!” The Dad also confirms it is “the red one.”
- Trap: Options (B) and (C) are not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: (C) He is very happy.
- Explanation: Toby says “Oh, wow!”, “Thank you”, and “It’s great.” These words show he is happy.
- Trap: Option (B) is a trap because the child’s reaction is clearly positive, not negative.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Dad: Merry Christmas, Toby! Open your gift.
Toby: Oh, it is a big box! Let me see… Um… Oh, wow! It is a car!
Dad: Do you like it?
Toby: Yes! It is a red car. A beautiful red car! Thank you, Dad.
Dad: You’re welcome. I’m glad you like the red one.
Toby: It’s great. It is my favorite color!
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What costume does Sam choose?
(A) Spider-man
(B) A pirate
(C) A ghost
2 What color is Sam’s hat?
(A) White
(B) Red
(C) Black
3 Who is going to be a ghost?
(A) Leo
(B) Sam
(C) Tom
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) A pirate
- Explanation: Sam says “Yes! A pirate!” and spells the word “P-I-R-A-T-E”.
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap. Sam likes Spider-man, but he does not choose it because his friend Tom is Spider-man. Option (C) is also a trap because his brother Leo is the ghost.
2 Correct Answer: (C) Black
- Explanation: Leo says, “You have a black hat.”
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap because “white” is the color of the ghost. Option (B) is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: (A) Leo
- Explanation: Leo says, “And I am a ghost. A white ghost!”
- Trap: Option (B) is incorrect because Sam is the pirate. Option (C) is a trap because Tom is Spider-man.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Leo: Halloween is tomorrow, Sam! Do you want to be Spider-man or a pirate?
Sam: I don’t know. I like Spider-man, but my friend Tom is Spider-man.
Leo: Oh. So, do you want to be a pirate? You have a black hat.
Sam: Yes! A pirate! P-I-R-A-T-E.
Leo: Great! You are a scary pirate. And I am a ghost. A white ghost!
Sam: Cool!
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 Who is Lucy writing a card for?
(A) Ben
(B) Her teacher
(C) Her sister
2 How do you spell the teacher’s name?
(A) D-A-V-I-S
(B) D-A-V-I-E-S
(C) D-A-V-E-Y-S
3 What is the teacher’s house number?
(A) 15
(B) 50
(C) 55
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) Her teacher
- Explanation: Lucy says, “I am writing a Christmas card for our teacher.”
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap because Ben is the person Lucy is talking to, not the person receiving the card.
2 Correct Answer: (B) D-A-V-I-E-S
- Explanation: Ben corrects Lucy and spells the name: “D-A-V-I-E-S”. Lucy also repeats it to confirm.
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap. This is Lucy’s first guess, but Ben says “No”.
3 Correct Answer: (A) 15
- Explanation: Ben says the house number is 15 and makes it clear by saying “One-five.”
- Trap: Option (B) is a classic trap for A1 learners. “Fifteen” (15) and “Fifty” (50) sound very similar. Lucy hears 50, but Ben corrects her.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Lucy: Hi, Ben. I am writing a Christmas card for our teacher, Mr. Davies.
Ben: That is nice, Lucy!
Lucy: But how do you spell his name? Is it D-A-V-I-S?
Ben: No, it is D-A-V-I-E-S.
Lucy: Oh, okay. D-A-V-I-E-S. Thank you! And what is his house number?
Ben: It is 15.
Lucy: 50?
Ben: No, 15. One-five.
Lucy: Great! Thank you, Ben.
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What day is the dinner party?
(A) Friday
(B) Saturday
(C) Sunday
2 What time does the dinner start?
(A) 6:00
(B) 6:30
(C) 7:30
3 What food will they eat at the party?
(A) Pizza
(B) Chicken and rice
(C) Turkey and potatoes
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) Saturday
- Explanation: Anna says, “It is Thanksgiving this Saturday.” Tom also repeats the word “Saturday” to confirm.
- Trap: Options (A) and (C) are days of the weekend but are not mentioned in the audio.
2 Correct Answer: (B) 6:30
- Explanation: Anna says, “It is at 6:30 in the evening” and slowly says the numbers “6-3-0”. Tom repeats “6:30”.
- Trap: Options (A) and (C) use similar numbers, but they are incorrect.
3 Correct Answer: (C) Turkey and potatoes
- Explanation: Anna clearly says, “We have turkey and potatoes.”
- Trap: Option (A) is a trap. Tom asks “Do we have pizza?”, but Anna answers “No, we do not have pizza.” Option (B) is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Anna: Hi, Tom. It is Thanksgiving this Saturday. We are having a big dinner at my house. Can you come?
Tom: Saturday? Yes, I can! What time is the dinner?
Anna: It is at 6:30 in the evening. That is 6-3-0.
Tom: Okay, 6:30. What food do you have? Do we have pizza?
Anna: No, we do not have pizza. We have turkey and potatoes. Turkey is a very big bird!
Tom: Yum! I love turkey. See you on Saturday!
