Detailed Directions – A2 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) Turn right.

• The Key: Sarah explicitly says, “turn right at the bookstore instead.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is a trap. Sarah mentions “turn left,” but immediately uses the “twist” technique by saying the street is closed. Option (C) is what Mark initially guessed, but Sarah corrected him.

2 (C) Next to an apartment building.

• The Key: Sarah gives the instruction to find the apartment building and then “Turn into the small alley right next to it.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is where Mark starts his walk (the bus stop across from the supermarket). Option (B) is a plausible location but incorrect according to the audio.

3 (B) It is a yellow house with a white gate.

• The Key: Sarah describes her own house clearly: “Mine is the yellow one with a white gate.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is a distractor because the blue house is mentioned, but it belongs to her neighbor. Option (C) is just a landmark on the way to the alley.

Mark: Hey, Sarah. I just got off the bus across from the supermarket. Where do I go now? 

Sarah: Great! Walk north for two blocks. You’ll see a big bookstore. 

Mark: Okay, so I walk past the bookstore? 

Sarah: Well, I was going to tell you to turn left there, but that street is closed for repairs today. So, turn right at the bookstore instead. 

Mark: Right at the bookstore. Got it. 

Sarah: Go down the street, and on the corner you’ll see an apartment building. Turn into the small alley right next to it. 

Mark: Is your house the blue one? 

Sarah: No, that’s my neighbor’s. Mine is the yellow one with a white gate. Number 42. 

Mark: Awesome, see you in a minute!

1 (B) Next to the ticket booth.

• The Key: Alex clearly says he walked to the main gate and is “right next to it” (the ticket booth).
• The Trap: Option (A) is the trap. He was waiting at the fountain, but he moved. Option (C) is where Tom is currently standing, not Alex.

2 (A) Because it was too noisy.

• The Key: Alex explains his reason directly: “I was waiting… by the big fountain, but it was too noisy there.”
• The Trap: Option (B) uses the keyword “tickets” (from ticket booth) to trick students into thinking he moved to buy them. Option (C) is a plausible guess since food stalls are mentioned, but it is not in the audio.

3 (B) Keep walking straight.

• The Key: Alex instructs his brother: “Just keep walking straight until you see the ticket booth.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is the exact trap. Alex explicitly warns, “Don’t turn left at the fountain.” Students who only catch the words “turn left” without the negative “Don’t” will choose this wrong answer. Option (C) is plausible but not mentioned.

Tom: Alex, where are you? I’m standing next to the food stalls, but I can’t see you!

Alex: Hey, Tom! Um, I was waiting for you by the big fountain, but it was too noisy there. So, I walked to the main gate.

Tom: The main gate? How do I get there from here?

Alex: Okay, walk past the food stalls and go straight. Soon, you’ll see the fountain. Don’t turn left at the fountain. Just keep walking straight until you see the ticket booth. I’m right next to it.

Tom: Ah, got it. Straight past the fountain to the ticket booth. See you in a minute!

1 (B) Because the light is not working.

• The Key: The host says “the light in that one is broken.” (Broken = not working).
• The Trap: Option (C) mentions the bookshelf, which is a real landmark in the house, but it’s not the reason the guest can’t use that bathroom.

2 (C) The bedroom.

• The Key: The host gives a specific landmark: “You’ll pass my bedroom on the left.”
• The Trap: Option (B) mentions the “study room,” but the guest will see it when they reach the bathroom, not while passing by.

3 (A) At the end of the hallway.

• The Key: The host says, “Keep going to the very end of the hall.”
• The Trap: Option (B) was the location of the first (broken) bathroom. Option (C) uses the word “study room” to confuse the listener, but the bathroom is opposite it, not inside it.

Guest: Excuse me, Paul? I need to wash my hands. Where is the bathroom?

Host: Oh, it’s just down the hallway.

Guest: Is it the first door on the right, next to the bookshelf?

Host: Well, I was going to tell you to go there, but the light in that one is broken. So, please use the other one.

Guest: Okay, so where do I go?

Host: Walk past the bookshelf and go straight down the hallway. You’ll pass my bedroom on the left.

Guest: Past the bedroom… and then?

Host: Keep going to the very end of the hall. It’s the small door right opposite the study room. You can’t miss it.

Guest: At the end of the hall, opposite the study. Got it, thanks!

1 (B) Past the bakery section.

• The Key: The wife explicitly instructs him to “walk past the bakery section instead.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is a classic “Twist” trap. The wife was going to tell him to go to Aisle 2, but changed the plan because of a spill.

2 (C) In Aisle 4.

• The Key: The wife says, “Turn right into Aisle 4. The dairy products are all there.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is mentioned but rejected (it’s being cleaned). Option (B) is just a landmark he has to walk past, not the final destination.

3 (C) On the bottom shelf.

• The Key: The wife gives the exact location: “They are on the bottom shelf.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is a distractor because the “top shelf” is where the eggs are. Option (B) is what the husband incorrectly guessed before his wife corrected him.

Husband: Honey, I’m at the fruit section, but I can’t find the milk anywhere.

Wife: Okay, don’t worry. I was going to tell you to go straight down Aisle 2, but I just saw a worker cleaning a spill there. So, walk past the bakery section instead.

Husband: Past the bakery. Got it. Then what?

Wife: Turn right into Aisle 4. The dairy products are all there.

Husband: Aisle 4… Okay. Is the milk next to the eggs?

Wife: No, the eggs are on the top shelf. Look for the blue milk cartons. They are on the bottom shelf.

Husband: Bottom shelf. Found them! Thanks!

1 (A) Turn left.

• The Key: Mark says clearly, “When you walk out of the building, turn left.”
• The Trap: Option (C) “Cross the street” is mentioned, but it is the last step of the journey, not the first thing to do. Option (B) is just a plausible wrong direction.

2 (B) Because there is construction.

• The Key: Mark explains the twist: “I usually walk down Pine Street… but there’s a lot of construction there today.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is a trap because Mark actually says Pine street is “faster,” not slower. Option (C) mentions the coffee shop, which is on the new route, not the reason to avoid Pine Street.

3 (C) In front of the bakery.

• The Key: Mark gives the final location: “the subway entrance is right in front of the bakery.”
• The Trap: Option (A) is the street they are avoiding. Option (B) is a trap because the coffee shop is just a landmark Leo has to walk past, not the final destination.

Leo: Hey, Mark. I need to go downtown. How do I get to the subway station from our apartment?

Mark: Oh, it’s easy. When you walk out of the building, turn left.

Leo: Turn left. Okay.

Mark: Now, I usually walk down Pine Street because it’s faster, but there’s a lot of construction there today. So, keep going straight past the coffee shop instead.

Leo: Straight past the coffee shop. Got it.

Mark: Yeah. Then, you just cross the street at the traffic lights, and the subway entrance is right in front of the bakery. You can’t miss it!

Leo: Thanks, Mark!