School life – A2 English Listening Exercise

1 (C) His bus broke down.

• Explanation: Tom explains the real reason: “The bus actually broke down in the middle of the road!”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Trap”. Mr. Harris asks if he overslept, but Tom rejects it saying, “No, I woke up early today.” Option (B) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Harris asks about a traffic jam, and Tom says there was some traffic, but that wasn’t the main problem.

2 (A) On foot

• Explanation: Tom says, “I had to walk the rest of the way to school.” (Walking means going on foot).
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (B) is a “Plausible Trap”. Normally, people might catch another bus if one breaks down, but Tom decided to walk. Option (C) is also plausible but is never mentioned in the audio.

3 (B) Open his book.

• Explanation: Mr. Harris tells Tom, “Please sit down and open your book to page 20.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Options (A) and (C) are plausible punishments or actions for a student who is late to class, but Mr. Harris does not punish Tom because it wasn’t his fault.

Tom: Excuse me, Mr. Harris. I’m so sorry I’m late. May I come in?

Mr. Harris: Yes, come in, Tom. Why are you late? Did you oversleep again?

Tom: No, I woke up early today. I even caught the 7:30 bus.

Mr. Harris: Then what happened? Was there a bad traffic jam?

Tom: Well, there was some traffic, but that wasn’t the problem. The bus actually broke down in the middle of the road! I had to walk the rest of the way to school.

Mr. Harris: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. It’s not your fault, then. Please sit down and open your book to page 20.

1 (B) He left it at home.

• Explanation: Jack explicitly says, “…I left my notebook on my desk at home.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Wilson asks, “Did you forget to do it again?” but Jack says no, he finished it last night. Option (C) is a plausible reason for not having homework, but he didn’t lose it; he knows exactly where it is.

2 (A) On his desk

• Explanation: Jack states the exact location: “…I left my notebook on my desk at home.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (B) is “The Rejected Idea” (if it were in his bag, he would have it with him). Option (C) is a “Plausible Trap” for a place in a bedroom, but it is never mentioned.

3 (B) Tomorrow morning

• Explanation: Jack asks, “Can I bring it to you tomorrow morning?” and Mr. Wilson replies, “Yes, you can.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is a “Plausible Trap” because students often submit late work after school, but Jack will bring it the next day. Option (C) is also a plausible time but is never mentioned in the audio.

Jack: Mr. Wilson, I’m really sorry, but I don’t have my English homework today.

Mr. Wilson: Really, Jack? Did you forget to do it again?

Jack: No, I promise I finished it last night! But I was in a hurry this morning, and I left my notebook on my desk at home.

Mr. Wilson: I see. Well, I’m glad you did the work, but you need to bring it to class.

Jack: I know. Can I bring it to you tomorrow morning?

Mr. Wilson: Yes, you can. But I will have to take off a few points because it is late.

Jack: That’s fair. Thank you, Mr. Wilson.

1 (B) She has a terrible headache.

• Explanation: Emma explicitly states her symptom: “…I have a terrible headache, and I feel a little dizzy.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Davis asks, “Do you have a stomachache again?” but Emma rejects it by saying her stomach is fine today. Option (C) is a plausible illness but is never mentioned in the audio.

2 (B) Call her parents.

• Explanation: Mr. Davis asks her, “Do you want me to call your parents to take you home?”
• Why the traps are wrong: Options (A) and (C) are “Plausible Traps”. Teachers often give medicine or walk sick students to the office, but Mr. Davis only offers to call her parents and write her a pass.

3 (C) To the nurse’s office

• Explanation: Emma asks, “Can I go to the school nurse’s office?” and Mr. Davis agrees (“Of course”).
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Davis suggests she could go home, but she says it’s not necessary yet because she just wants to rest. Option (B) is related to “stomach,” but it is not her destination.

Emma: Excuse me, Mr. Davis? I’m sorry to interrupt, but I don’t feel very well.

Mr. Davis: Oh dear. What’s the matter, Emma? Do you have a stomachache again?

Emma: No, my stomach is fine today. But I have a terrible headache, and I feel a little dizzy.

Mr. Davis: I see. You do look quite pale. Do you want me to call your parents to take you home?

Emma: Um… I don’t think that’s necessary yet. I think I just need to rest for a while. Can I go to the school nurse’s office?

Mr. Davis: Of course. Let me write a pass for you. Take your bag with you, just in case.

Emma: Thank you, Mr. Davis.

1 (B) On the bus

• Explanation: Alex clearly says at the beginning, “I think I dropped it on the bus this morning.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (C) is a “Detail Trap”. The backpack is mentioned later in the audio, but that is where he put his science book, not where he lost his key. Option (A) is a plausible place to lose a key at school, but it is never mentioned.

2 (B) 30

• Explanation: Alex corrects the guard by saying, “My new locker is number 30.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Barnes asks if his locker is 13, but Alex says that was his locker last year. Option (C) is a plausible number but is not mentioned in the audio.

3 (A) A jacket

• Explanation: Alex states his main reason for opening the locker: “I really need to get my jacket…” and confirms at the end, “I only need the jacket.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (B) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Barnes asks if he needs his science textbook, and Alex thought he did, but he already put it in his backpack. Option (C) is where the book is, not what he wants to take out.

Alex: Excuse me, Mr. Barnes. I can’t find my locker key anywhere. I think I dropped it on the bus this morning.

Mr. Barnes: That’s a problem, Alex. Do you want me to open it with the spare key?

Alex: Yes, please. I really need to get my jacket because it’s getting cold outside.

Mr. Barnes: Alright. Let me check my list. Your locker is number 13, right?

Alex: No, that was my locker last year. My new locker is number 30.

Mr. Barnes: Oh, number 30. Okay. Do you need to get your science textbook from the locker, too?

Alex: Well, I thought I did, but I actually put it in my backpack this morning. I only need the jacket.

Mr. Barnes: No problem. Let’s go open it.

1 (B) The regular English teacher is sick.

• Explanation: Mr. Miller introduces himself and says, “Your English teacher, Mr. Smith, is sick today, so I am your substitute teacher.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Trap”. An English test is mentioned, but Mr. Miller is not giving it today. Option (C) is a “Plausible Trap”. A student asks about reading library books, but Mr. Miller is not a library teacher.

2 (B) On Friday

• Explanation: Mr. Miller explicitly states the new plan: “The test is moved to Friday.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Twist Trap”. The students were supposed to have the test today, but it was moved because Mr. Smith is sick. Option (C) is a plausible time for a delayed test, but it is not mentioned in the audio.

3 (B) Page 50

• Explanation: Mr. Miller checks the note again and corrects himself: “I’m sorry, I read that wrong. It’s page 50.”
• Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is “The Twist Trap”. Mr. Miller says page 15 first, but immediately realizes he made a mistake. Option (C) is a “Phonetic Trap” (15 / 50 / 55 sound similar), designed to test if students can hear the clear difference between -teen and -ty sounds.

Mr. Miller: Good morning, class. Please sit down and be quiet. I am Mr. Miller. Your English teacher, Mr. Smith, is sick today, so I am your substitute teacher.

Student 1 (Girl): Oh, no. Does that mean we don’t have our English test today?

Mr. Miller: That’s right. You are lucky! The test is moved to Friday. Today, you are going to study quietly by yourselves.

Student 2 (Boy): Excuse me, Mr. Miller. Can we read our library books?

Mr. Miller: No, not right now. Mr. Smith left some work for you. Please open your workbooks to page 15… wait, let me check his note. I’m sorry, I read that wrong. It’s page 50. You need to finish all the exercises on page 50 before the bell rings.