Job description – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation at a job center. Circle the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What must Sarah have to get this job?
(A) A small truck
(B) A driver’s license
(C) Her own car
2 What vehicle will Sarah use for the deliveries?
(A) Her own car
(B) A small truck
(C) A bus
3 When does the delivery driver work?
(A) On the weekends
(B) Only on Monday
(C) From Monday to Friday
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) A driver’s license
- Explanation: Mr. Evans clearly says, “…first, you must have a driver’s license.” Option (A) is a trap because the company will give her a truck; she doesn’t need to have one. Option (C) is a trap because she asks about her car, but she doesn’t need to use it.
2 Correct Answer: (B) A small truck
- Explanation: Mr. Evans says, “…the company will give you a small truck.” Option (A) is the trap because Mr. Evans initially thought she needed her car (“I thought you did, but…”). Option (C) is a plausible vehicle for driving jobs but is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: (C) From Monday to Friday
- Explanation: Mr. Evans reads the ad and says, “The work is from Monday to Friday.” Option (A) is the trap because Sarah asks about the weekends, but Mr. Evans confirms she can “rest on the weekends.” Option (B) is incomplete.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Sarah: Excuse me, Mr. Evans. I want to apply for this delivery driver job. What exactly do I need?
Mr. Evans: Let me check the ad. Well, first, you must have a driver’s license.
Sarah: I have that! Do I need to use my own car?
Mr. Evans: I thought you did, but the company will give you a small truck. So, you don’t need your car.
Sarah: That’s great news. Do I have to work on the weekends?
Mr. Evans: Let’s see… No. The work is from Monday to Friday. You can rest on the weekends.
Sarah: Perfect! I’ll fill out the form now.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between a consular officer and a visa applicant. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Why is the applicant talking to the officer?
(A) To get a tourist visa.
(B) To apply for a new job.
(C) To get a Japanese passport.
2 What does the applicant make at his job now?
(A) Computer games.
(B) Smartphone apps.
(C) New computers.
3 How long has the applicant lived in Japan?
(A) Three years.
(B) A few months.
(C) Since he was a child.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (A) To get a tourist visa.
- Explanation: The officer says, “So, you want a tourist visa for the US.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option (B) is a trap because they talk about his “job,” but he is not applying for one here. Option (C) is a trap because the officer asks to see his “passport,” but he is not getting a new one.
2 Correct Answer: (B) Smartphone apps.
- Explanation: The applicant says, “So now, I create apps for smartphones.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is the main “Twist” trap. The applicant wanted to make games at first, but his team changed. Option (C) is plausible for an engineer, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: (A) Three years.
- Explanation: When the officer asks how long he has lived in Japan, the applicant answers, “For about three years.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option (B) and (C) are plausible answers for this type of question, but they are not mentioned in the audio at all.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Officer: Good morning. Can I see your passport, please?
Applicant: Yes, here you are.
Officer: Thank you. So, you want a tourist visa for the US. What is your job in Japan right now?
Applicant: Um, I work for Sakura Technology in Tokyo. I am an engineer.
Officer: Oh, do you make computer games?
Applicant: Well, I wanted to make games when I started. But my company changed my team. So now, I create apps for smartphones. It’s very busy work.
Officer: I see. And how long have you lived in Japan?
Applicant: For about three years.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation at a bank. Circle the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What is Nina’s job right now?
(A) A student
(B) An office worker
(C) A tour guide
2 Why didn’t Nina get an office job?
(A) She does not like sitting all day.
(B) She is still a university student.
(C) She loves working with computers.
3 How does Nina get her income?
(A) She gets a monthly salary.
(B) She gets paid every week.
(C) The tourists give her money directly.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (C) A tour guide
- Explanation: Nina clearly says, “…I am a tour guide now.” Option (A) is a trap: the clerk asks if she is a student, and she says she was one last year. Option (B) is also a trap: she wanted an office job but didn’t get one.
2 Correct Answer: (A) She does not like sitting all day.
- Explanation: Nina explains her choice by saying, “…but I don’t like sitting all day.” Option (B) is incorrect because she already graduated. Option (C) is a plausible guess for someone in an office, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: (B) She gets paid every week.
- Explanation: Nina says, “The travel company pays me every week.” Option (A) is the trap: the bank clerk asks if she gets a monthly salary, but she says “No”. Option (C) is a trap using the word “tourists” from the audio, but they are not the ones who pay her salary.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Bank Clerk: Good morning. To open your new credit card, I need to ask about your job. Are you a student?
Nina: Well, I was a student last year, but I graduated. So now, I am working full-time.
Bank Clerk: Congratulations. What is your job title? Do you work in an office?
Nina: I wanted an office job, but I don’t like sitting all day. So, I am a tour guide now. I show tourists around the city.
Bank Clerk: That sounds fun. And how about your income? Do you receive a monthly salary?
Nina: No, I don’t get a monthly salary. The travel company pays me every week.
Bank Clerk: Okay, weekly payments. Let me put that on the form.
Listening 4
Listen to a phone call between a customer and a cleaning company. Circle the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does the cleaner do at the apartment?
(A) Cook meals
(B) Wash the dishes
(C) Do the laundry
2 What did the cleaning company do last year?
(A) They washed clothes.
(B) They only cleaned the floors.
(C) They sold washing machines.
3 What will Mary do herself?
(A) Clean the bathroom
(B) Mop the floors
(C) Wash her clothes
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) Wash the dishes
- Explanation: David clearly lists the tasks: “…our cleaners mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, and wash the dishes.” Option (C) is the trap because Mary asks about it, but David says they don’t do it. Option (A) is a plausible household task, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
2 Correct Answer: (A) They washed clothes.
- Explanation: When Mary asks about the laundry (dirty clothes), David says, “We used to do it last year…” Option (B) is incorrect because they also cleaned bathrooms and washed dishes. Option (C) is a plausible guess related to clothes, but it is not mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: (C) Wash her clothes
- Explanation: After David says they don’t do laundry, Mary replies, “That’s okay. I will just wash my own clothes.” Options (A) and (B) are traps: cleaning the bathroom and mopping the floors are the tasks that the company’s cleaner will do for her.
AUDIO SCRIPT
David: Hello, Sparkle Cleaning. How can I help you?
Mary: Hi, I want to hire a cleaner for my apartment. What exactly do they do?
David: Well, our cleaners mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, and wash the dishes.
Mary: That’s great. Do they also do the laundry? I have a lot of dirty clothes.
David: I’m sorry, but we don’t wash clothes. We used to do it last year, so some people still ask. But now we only clean the house.
Mary: Oh, I see. That’s okay. I will just wash my own clothes. Can someone come on Friday?
David: Yes, certainly. Let me take your address.
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation in a supermarket. Circle the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does Mrs. Higgins want to do?
(A) Ask for a job
(B) Pay for her food
(C) Find the fruit shelves
2 What is Jake’s job at the supermarket?
(A) He is a cashier.
(B) He cleans the floors.
(C) He puts food on the shelves.
3 Where does Mrs. Higgins need to go now?
(A) To register number 2
(B) To the front of the supermarket
(C) Both A and B are correct
(Note: To conform to the standard A2 format, question 3’s options may be modified to avoid the “Both A and B” trap, which is somewhat difficult for A2 level. I will redesign question 3 as follows to closely follow the question set logic)
3 Who can take Mrs. Higgins’ money?
(A) The stock clerk
(B) The cashier at register number 2
(C) The manager at the front of the store
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) Pay for her food
- Explanation: Mrs. Higgins says, “I want to pay for these apples.” Option (A) is a plausible guess for a conversation about jobs, but it is not true. Option (C) is a trap because the audio mentions “fruit” and “shelves”, but she already has the apples and just wants to pay.
2 Correct Answer: (C) He puts food on the shelves.
- Explanation: Jake says, “My job is to put the new food on the shelves.” Option (A) is the trap: Mrs. Higgins thought he was a cashier, but he explicitly says, “But I am not a cashier.” Option (B) is a common supermarket job, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: (B) The cashier at register number 2
- Explanation: Jake tells her, “The cashier at register number 2 is free. She can help you.” Option (A) is the trap: Jake is the stock clerk, and he says he doesn’t take the money. Option (C) is a trap using the location “the front of the store”, but the manager is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mrs. Higgins: Excuse me, young man. Are you working here? I want to pay for these apples.
Jake: Um, yes, I work here. But I am not a cashier, ma’am.
Mrs. Higgins: Oh? What do you do then?
Jake: I am a stock clerk. My job is to put the new food on the shelves. Today, I am organizing the fruit.
Mrs. Higgins: Oh, I’m sorry! I thought you could take my money.
Jake: That’s okay! I don’t take the money, so you need to go to the front of the store. The cashier at register number 2 is free. She can help you.
Mrs. Higgins: Ah, register number 2. Thank you so much!