Comparing products – A2 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) It prints very fast.

• Explanation: Lisa says that Printer A is “very fast” and can print 50 pages a minute. Option A is a trap because cheap ink is a feature of Printer B. Option C is a plausible feature for a printer but is not mentioned in the audio.

2 (A) The ink is too expensive.

• Explanation: Lisa warns Mr. Davis that “Printer A’s ink is really expensive.” Option B is a trap because being slow is the problem with Printer B, not Printer A. Option C is a plausible guess but is never mentioned.

3 (B) Printer B, because the ink is cheaper.

• Explanation: This uses the “Twist” technique. Mr. Davis originally wants Printer A because they print a lot of reports, but he changes his mind to save money. He decides to buy Printer B because the ink is cheaper. Option A is the main trap (his original plan). Option C is incorrect.

Mr. Davis: Lisa, did you find a new printer for our office?

Lisa: Yes. I have two options. Printer A is very fast. It prints 50 pages a minute!

Mr. Davis: Perfect! We print a lot of reports. Let’s get Printer A.

Lisa: But wait. Printer B is slower, but the ink is much cheaper. Printer A’s ink is really expensive.

Mr. Davis: Oh. We need to save money this year.

Lisa: So, which one should I order?

Mr. Davis: I really wanted the fast one, but actually, let’s buy Printer B instead. We can wait a few extra minutes for our papers, but we can’t spend too much on ink.

Lisa: Okay, I’ll order it today.

1 (A) It is very soft.

• Explanation: Mark clearly says that the grey chair is “really soft and comfortable.” Option B is a trap because the black chair has a great backrest. Option C is a plausible guess for comparing products, but the price is never mentioned.

2 (B) The backrest feels good.

• Explanation: Mark likes the black chair because “the backrest feels much better” and his back always hurts. Option A is a trap because being soft is a feature of the grey chair. Option C is a trap because the black chair actually does not have wheels.

3 (B) The grey chair, because the black one has no wheels.

• Explanation: This question uses the “Twist” technique. Mark initially wants the black chair for his back, but Rachel points out that it doesn’t have wheels. Because they need to move around easily, Mark changes his mind and chooses the grey chair. Option A is the main trap (his original plan). Option C is incorrect.

Rachel: Mark, have you tried the new office chairs?

Mark: Yes! I sat on the grey one. It is really soft and comfortable.

Rachel: I agree, it’s very soft. But try this black chair. The seat is harder, but the backrest feels much better.

Mark: Oh, let me try… You’re right. My back always hurts after a long day. I think I will take the black one.

Rachel: Wait, look at the bottom. The black chair doesn’t have wheels! We need to move around our desks easily.

Mark: Oh no, I didn’t see that. Well, I guess I have to choose the grey chair then.

1 (B) They are much cooler.

• Explanation: The manager says, “The cotton t-shirts are much cooler, right?” Option A is a trap because not wrinkling is a feature of the polyester shirts. Option C is a plausible reason to like a product, but the price is never mentioned in the audio.

2 (A) They wrinkle easily.

• Explanation: The supplier warns the manager that the cotton fabric “wrinkles very easily.” Option B is a trap because the audio actually says the cotton shirts are cooler, not hotter. Option C is a plausible guess for uniforms but is not mentioned.

3 (B) The polyester t-shirts, because they always look neat.

• Explanation: This question uses the “Twist” technique. The manager initially wants the cotton shirts because the store is hot, but she changes her mind when she learns they wrinkle. She chooses the polyester ones so her staff will look professional and neat. Option A is the main trap (her original plan). Option C is incorrect.

Supplier: For your new store uniforms, we have two types of T-shirts. We have cotton and a polyester blend.

Manager: Well, our store gets very hot in the summer. The cotton T-shirts are much cooler, right? I think my staff will prefer those.

Supplier: Yes, cotton is definitely cooler. But, um, it wrinkles very easily. The polyester ones don’t wrinkle at all. They always look neat.

Manager: Oh, I see. My staff are very busy, and I want them to look professional all day. I really wanted the cotton ones for the summer, but actually, let’s go with the polyester.

Supplier: Great choice. I’ll place the order now.

1 (B) It has lots of pictures and easy exercises.

• Explanation: Mark and Lisa both agree that Book A has “lots of colorful pictures” and the exercises are “much easier to understand.” Option A is a trap (Book A is actually too expensive). Option C is a plausible feature of an English book, but it is not mentioned in the audio.

2 (A) It is too expensive.

• Explanation: Mark says, “Book A is way too expensive for our students to buy.” Option B is a trap because the grammar in Book A is actually easy; Book B might be the difficult one. Option C is a trap because Book A has lots of pictures.

3 (B) Book B, because it costs less money.

• Explanation: This question uses the “Twist” technique. The teachers initially want to use Book A because of the pictures and easy exercises, but they change their minds when they realize the price is too high. They settle for Book B because “it’s cheaper.” Option A is the main trap (what they wanted to do at first). Option C is incorrect.

Mark: Hey Lisa, have you looked at the new English textbooks?

Lisa: Yes, I have. I really like Book A. It has lots of colorful pictures.

Mark: True. And the grammar exercises in Book A are much easier to understand than the ones in Book B.

Lisa: Exactly! My students usually struggle with grammar. So, should we choose Book A for next semester?

Mark: I wanted to, but… I checked the price yesterday. Book A is way too expensive for our students to buy.

Lisa: Oh no, that’s too bad. Well, I guess we have to use Book B then. It’s cheaper.

Mark: Yeah. We can just print some extra pictures for the class.

1 (B) It is very cheap.

• Explanation: The manager says, “I was thinking we should buy Model Y. It is very cheap.” Option A is a trap because being “very fast” is a feature of Model X. Option C is a plausible reason to like a laptop, but it is not mentioned in the audio.

2 (A) It is too slow.

• Explanation: The IT staff member says that he tested Model Y and “it’s really slow,” meaning it cannot run the new software. Option B is a trap because Model X is the expensive one. Option C is a plausible guess for a laptop problem, but the audio only talks about screen brightness, not size.

3 (B) Model X, because it is better for the students.

• Explanation: This question uses the “Twist” technique. The manager initially wants to buy Model Y to save money, but changes his mind when the IT staff explains that Model Y is too slow for the students’ software. He decides to order the faster Model X. Option A is the main trap (his original plan). Option C is incorrect.

IT Staff: Mr. Smith, I looked at the new laptops for the school computer lab.

Manager: Great. I was thinking we should buy Model Y. It is very cheap.

IT Staff: Yes, it is. But I tested it, and it’s really slow. Model X is much faster, and the screen is brighter, too.

Manager: Hmm, but Model X is more expensive, right?

IT Staff: A little bit. But Model Y can’t run our new learning software. It will be difficult for the students to use.

Manager: Oh, I see. I really wanted to save money with Model Y, but we need good computers for the students. Let’s order Model X then.

IT Staff: I will place the order today.