Biography – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to a store manager interviewing a student for a part-time job. For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does Ben study at college?
(A) Art.
(B) History.
(C) Business.
2 Where did Ben work last year?
(A) At a supermarket.
(B) At a bookstore.
(C) At a restaurant.
3 Why did Ben leave his old job?
(A) He didn’t like the people there.
(B) The job was too far from his house.
(C) He wanted more time to study.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (History.)
- Explanation: Ben clearly says, “I study history at the city college.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a “Twist Trap”. Ben wanted to study art, but the classes were full, so he couldn’t. Option C is not mentioned.
2 Correct Answer: A (At a supermarket.)
- Explanation: When asked about work experience, Ben says, “Last year, I worked at a supermarket.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option B is the trap because the bookstore is where he is interviewing right now, not where he worked in the past. Option C is not mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: B (The job was too far from his house.)
- Explanation: Ben explains his reason for quitting: “…but it was too far from my house.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap. He actually says the opposite: “I really liked the people there.” Option C is a plausible reason for a student to quit a job, but it is not the reason he gives in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Manager: Hello, Ben. Thanks for coming in today. I see you are a student. What do you study?
Ben: Hi! Yes, I study history at the city college. I wanted to study art, but the classes were full. So, I chose history instead.
Manager: That’s interesting. And do you have any work experience?
Ben: Yes. Last year, I worked at a supermarket. I really liked the people there, but it was too far from my house. So, I quit my job in December.
Manager: I see. Well, our bookstore is very close to the college.
Ben: Exactly! That’s why I want to work here.
Listening 2
Listen to a manager introducing a new employee to the team. For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What did David study at university?
(A) Marketing.
(B) Information Technology.
(C) Advertising.
2 Why did David choose to work in marketing?
(A) Because he didn’t like working with computers all day.
(B) Because he wanted to earn more money.
(C) Because marketing was his favorite subject at school.
3 Why did David leave his old job?
(A) He didn’t like his coworkers.
(B) He wanted to live in a larger city.
(C) The company closed down.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (Information Technology.)
- Explanation: The manager clearly says, “He actually studied Information Technology at university.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a “Twist Trap”. He works in marketing now, but he didn’t study it. Option C is the type of company he worked for later.
2 Correct Answer: A (Because he didn’t like working with computers all day.)
- Explanation: The manager explains the change: “But he realized he didn’t like looking at computers all day. So, he decided to work in marketing instead.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Options B and C are plausible reasons for someone to choose a career, but they are not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: B (He wanted to live in a larger city.)
- Explanation: The manager says, “…but he wanted to live in a bigger city. So, he moved to New York…”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a direct trap. The audio states the exact opposite: “He really liked his coworkers there.” Option C is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Manager: Attention everyone! Could you please stop working for a minute? I’d like to introduce our new team member, David. David is from Chicago. He actually studied Information Technology at university. But he realized he didn’t like looking at computers all day. So, he decided to work in marketing instead.
Before joining us, he worked at a small advertising company in his hometown. He really liked his coworkers there, but he wanted to live in a bigger city. So, he moved to New York last month and applied for the job here. Please make him feel welcome!
David: Hi everyone! I’m really excited to be here.
Listening 3
Listen to three students (Max, Lily, and Sam) discussing their presentation on Thomas Edison. For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 When was Thomas Edison born?
(A) In 1845.
(B) In 1847.
(C) In 1850.
2 Where was Thomas Edison born?
(A) In New York.
(B) In Ohio.
(C) In London.
3 Which invention will the group talk about first?
(A) The telephone.
(B) The light bulb.
(C) The airplane.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (In 1847.)
- Explanation: Lily corrects her own mistake: “I thought he was born in 1845, but it actually says 1847.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is the “Twist Trap” – it was Lily’s first guess before she checked the book. Option C is not mentioned in the audio.
2 Correct Answer: B (In Ohio.)
- Explanation: Sam corrects Max’s guess: “…but he was actually born in Ohio.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap. Max asks if he was born in New York, and Sam says he lived there later, but wasn’t born there. Option C is not mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: B (The light bulb.)
- Explanation: Sam says Edison’s most famous invention is the light bulb, and Max agrees: “So, we will talk about the light bulb first.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a “Speaker Confusion/Twist” trap. Lily asks if he invented the telephone, but Sam explains that someone else invented it (Alexander Graham Bell). Option C is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Max: Okay, our group presentation is about Thomas Edison. Let’s make a list of facts. Lily, when was he born?
Lily: Let me check the book. Um… I thought he was born in 1845, but it actually says 1847.
Max: Got it. 1847. And where was he from? Was he born in New York?
Sam: Well, he lived in New York later, but he was actually born in Ohio.
Lily: Right, Ohio. What about his inventions? He invented the telephone, right?
Sam: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Edison just improved it. But his most famous invention is the light bulb.
Max: Exactly. So, we will talk about the light bulb first. Let’s start writing!
Listening 4
Listen to a teacher talking about an author named Robert Evans. For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What did Robert want to be when he was a boy?
(A) A writer.
(B) A farmer.
(C) A teacher.
2 What did Robert study at university?
(A) Animals.
(B) Literature.
(C) History.
3 What was Robert’s first job?
(A) A history teacher.
(B) A newspaper writer.
(C) A farmer.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (A farmer.)
- Explanation: The teacher clearly says, “…he loved animals, and he really wanted to be a farmer.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a plausible guess because he is an author now, but it’s not what he wanted to be as a boy. Option C is a “Twist Trap” – he planned to be a teacher later in life, not when he was a boy.
2 Correct Answer: C (History.)
- Explanation: The teacher states, “Later, he went to university and studied history.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because he loved animals when he was young, but he didn’t study them at university. Option B is plausible because he is an author, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: B (A newspaper writer.)
- Explanation: The teacher explains the twist: “…but he actually got a job at a newspaper. He wrote short stories…”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a “Twist Trap”. He planned to become a history teacher, but he didn’t. Option C is a trap because he wanted to be a farmer when he was young, but couldn’t because he moved to the city.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Teacher: Alright class, please sit down. Before we read our new book today, I want to tell you a little bit about the author, Robert Evans.
He was born in Scotland in 1960. As a boy, he loved animals, and he really wanted to be a farmer. But his family moved to a big city when he was twelve. So, he couldn’t live on a farm.
Later, he went to university and studied history. He planned to become a history teacher, but he actually got a job at a newspaper. He wrote short stories for the newspaper every Sunday. People loved his stories! So, he finally decided to write books for a living.
Now, please open your books to page 12.
Listening 5
Listen to a company director talking at a retirement party for Robert. For each question, choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What was Robert’s first job at the company?
(A) A driver.
(B) An office manager.
(C) A computer teacher.
2 How long did Robert plan to work at the company?
(A) Ten years.
(B) Twenty years.
(C) Thirty years.
3 What will Robert do first after he retires?
(A) He will travel the world.
(B) He will move to Florida.
(C) He will start a new business.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: A (A driver.)
- Explanation: The director clearly states, “At first, he was a driver for our company…”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option B is a “Twist Trap”. He became an office manager later after studying computers. Option C is incorrect because he studied computers, but he didn’t teach them.
2 Correct Answer: A (Ten years.)
- Explanation: The director says, “He planned to work here for only ten years…”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option C is the “Twist Trap”. He actually stayed for almost thirty years, but his original plan was only ten years. Option B is not mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: B (He will move to Florida.)
- Explanation: The director explains the final decision: “So, they are moving to Florida first.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is the trap. Robert wants to travel the world, but because of his wife’s wish to see their grandchildren, they are moving to Florida instead. Option C is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Director: Hello everyone. Could I have your attention, please? Today, we are here to say goodbye to Robert.
Robert started working here in 1995. At first, he was a driver for our company, but he really wanted to work in the office. So, he studied computers at night school and became our office manager. He planned to work here for only ten years, but he loved the team so much. So, he actually stayed with us for almost thirty years!
Now, he is retiring. He wants to travel the world, but his wife wants to spend time with their grandchildren. So, they are moving to Florida first. Please join me in wishing Robert a happy retirement!