Future plans (Be going to) – A2 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) Riverside Park

• Explanation: Mark suggests Green Park first (The Trap), but Sarah rejects it because it is too crowded. She suggests Riverside Park instead, and Mark agrees. City Park is not mentioned.

2 (C) Fried chicken

• Explanation: Mark offers to make sandwiches (The Trap), but Sarah changes the plan by saying she will bring fried chicken. Hamburgers are not mentioned in the conversation.

3 (B) By bicycle

• Explanation: Mark asks if they should take the bus (The Trap). However, Sarah says the bus takes too long and suggests that they “ride our bikes,” which means going by bicycle. A car is not mentioned.

Sarah: Hey Mark, are we still going on a picnic this Saturday?

Mark: Yes! I was thinking we could go to Green Park.

Sarah: Um, well, Green Park is nice, but it always gets really crowded on the weekend. How about Riverside Park instead?

Mark: Good idea. What about food? I can make some sandwiches.

Sarah: Actually, I bought a lot of chicken yesterday. I’ll fry it, and we can bring that.

Mark: Sounds delicious! So, should we take the bus there?

Sarah: I looked at the schedule, and the bus takes too long. Let’s just ride our bikes. The weather will be great.

Mark: Perfect! See you on Saturday.

1 (B) To learn Spanish

• Explanation: Emma says she wanted to take guitar lessons (The Trap), but she changed her mind because they are too expensive. She uses “So” to introduce her final decision, which is to learn Spanish online. Painting is not mentioned.

2 (C) Ride a bicycle

• Explanation: Tom says he planned to join a gym (The Trap). However, he uses the word “However” to change his plan. His final action is buying a bicycle to ride to work. Walking to work is not mentioned.

3 (B) It is too far away.

• Explanation: Tom specifically says the gym is “too far from my house.” Option A (too expensive) is a trap because that was Emma’s reason for not taking guitar lessons, not Tom’s reason.

Tom: Happy New Year, Emma! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

Emma: Yes! I really wanted to take guitar lessons this year. But, um, they are just too expensive. So, I decided to learn Spanish online instead. What about you, Tom?

Tom: Well, I need to get healthy. I planned to join the new gym in town. However, it is too far from my house.

Emma: Oh, I see. So, what will you do?

Tom: I just bought a new bicycle. I’m going to ride it to work every day.

Emma: That’s a great idea!

1 (A) A new refrigerator

• Explanation: The wife clearly states they need a “bigger one” when talking about the refrigerator, and the husband mentions getting the “new fridge” at the end. A beach house is a trap (they mention going to the beach), and an oven is not mentioned.

2 (B) Their old one is too small.

• Explanation: In the very first sentence, the wife says, “our refrigerator is way too small.” Option A (broken) and Option C (too noisy) are plausible reasons to buy a new appliance, but they are not mentioned in the audio.

3 (B) By cooking at home on weekends.

• Explanation: The wife first suggests not going to the beach for their summer vacation (The Trap). However, the husband rejects this idea because they need a break. Instead, they decide to “stop eating at restaurants” and use the word “So” to confirm their final decision: “we’ll just cook at home instead.” Working extra hours is not mentioned.

Wife: Honey, our refrigerator is way too small. We really need a bigger one.

Husband: I know, but big ones are very expensive. If we want to buy one in six months, we need to save money.

Wife: Well, we planned to go to the beach this summer. Maybe we shouldn’t go?

Husband: Oh, but we really need a vacation. I have a better idea. How about we stop eating at restaurants on weekends?

Wife: That makes sense. We spend a lot of money on eating out. So, we’ll just cook at home instead.

Husband: Exactly. And in six months, we can finally get that new fridge!

1 (B) To the countryside

• Explanation: The father mentions Europe first because he wanted to travel there (The Trap). However, he uses “But” to change his plan, stating he decided to move to the countryside. Moving to another city is plausible but not mentioned.

2 (C) It is too expensive.

• Explanation: The father clearly states that “plane tickets are just too expensive now.” Option B (too tired) is a trap because the word “too” is used, and he later mentions that a farm is “too much work,” but he doesn’t say he is too tired to travel. Option A (doesn’t like flying) is not mentioned.

3 (B) Grow vegetables

• Explanation: The daughter asks if he is going to buy a big farm (The Trap). The father rejects this idea by saying “No, a farm is too much work.” Instead, his final decision is to “grow my own vegetables.” Opening a small shop is not mentioned.

Daughter: Dad, you’re retiring next year, right? Do you have any plans?

Father: Yes. Well, I wanted to travel around Europe with your mother. But, um, plane tickets are just too expensive now.

Daughter: Oh, that’s too bad. So, what will you do instead?

Father: I decided to sell this house in the city. We are going to move to the countryside.

Daughter: Really? What will you do there? Are you going to buy a big farm?

Father: No, a farm is too much work. I’m just going to grow my own vegetables. It’s so peaceful there.

Daughter: That sounds lovely. I’ll visit you on the weekends!

1 (B) Fish and rice

• Explanation: Alex mentions that he planned to cook pasta (The Trap). However, Sam reminds him they ate pasta yesterday, and suggests fish and rice instead. Alex agrees. Chicken and salad is not mentioned.

2 (A) He has to work late.

• Explanation: Alex clearly states that he can’t go because his “boss asked me to stay late.” Option C is a trap because washing the dishes is what Alex will do after dinner, not the reason he misses the supermarket. Option B (too tired) is not mentioned.

3 (B) Sam

• Explanation: Alex says he wanted to go to the supermarket first (The Trap). But because he has to work late, Sam says, “I will go to the store.” Option C (Both of them) is a plausible guess but is not mentioned in the dialogue.

Alex: Hey Sam, what should we make for dinner tonight? I planned to cook some pasta.

Sam: But we just had pasta yesterday! Let’s have something different. How about fish and rice?

Alex: That sounds good. We need to buy fish, though. I wanted to go to the supermarket after work, but my boss asked me to stay late.

Sam: That’s okay. I finish work early today. So, I will go to the store and get everything.

Alex: Thanks, Sam! I’ll wash the dishes tonight.