Special Hobbies – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to two friends talking about a coin collection. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Where are most of the coins in the collection from?
(A) Europe
(B) Asia
(C) America
2 Which coin is the oldest in the collection?
(A) The silver coin
(B) The big gold coin
(C) The small copper coin
3 What does Leo say about the gold coin?
(A) It is the oldest coin in the box.
(B) His grandfather bought it recently.
(C) It is worth a lot of money.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Asia
- Explanation: Leo clearly states, “…but actually, most of these are from Asia.”
- Trap: Option A (Europe) is a distractor. Leo mentions Europe, but he says he thought they were from there before realizing they were mostly from Asia. Option C (America) is not mentioned.
2 (C) The small copper coin
- Explanation: Leo says the small copper coin is from 1895 and confirms, “It’s definitely the oldest.”
- Trap: Option A (The silver coin) is a distractor because it is from 1920, which is old, but not the oldest. Option B (The gold coin) is shiny and beautiful, but Leo specifically says “it’s not very old.”
3 (B) His grandfather bought it recently.
- Explanation: Leo explains that the gold coin is not old because his grandfather “bought it just a few years ago.”
- Trap: Option A is wrong because the copper coin is the oldest. Option C is a plausible guess (since gold is usually expensive), but it is never mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Leo: Hey Sarah, look what I found in my attic. It’s my grandfather’s old coin collection!
Sarah: Wow, Leo! That’s amazing. Do you have coins from all over the world?
Leo: Well, I thought he collected coins from Europe, but actually, most of these are from Asia.
Sarah: Interesting. Which one is the oldest?
Leo: Hmm… let me see. This silver one is from 1920. But wait, this small copper coin is from 1895! It’s definitely the oldest.
Sarah: It looks very dark. I like this big gold one better. It’s so shiny.
Leo: Yeah, that gold one is the most beautiful, but it’s not very old. He bought it just a few years ago before he passed away.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between Mia and her grandmother. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does Mia think about her grandmother’s hobby?
(A) It is boring.
(B) It is interesting.
(C) It is difficult.
2 What color scarf does Mia want to have?
(A) Red
(B) Green
(C) Blue
3 What are they going to do first?
(A) Go to the store to buy wool.
(B) Make a long red scarf immediately.
(C) Practice knitting with green wool.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) It is interesting.
- Explanation: Mia says directly: “Your hobby is so cool and interesting!”
- Trap: No trap here, this is a direct detail question to start the task.
2 (A) Red
- Explanation: Mia mentions: “I want to make a long red scarf for myself.”
- Trap: Option B (Green) and C (Blue) are mentioned by Grandma as colors she currently has, but they are not the colors Mia wants for her scarf.
3 (C) Practice knitting with green wool.
- Explanation: Although they plan to go to the store “tomorrow”, Grandma suggests: “But for now, let’s practice… with this green wool first” and Mia agrees.
- Trap (The Twist): Option A is a distractor because it will happen “tomorrow”, not “first” (right now).
AUDIO SCRIPT
Grandma: Oh, hello Mia! Are you watching me knit?
Mia: Yes, Grandma. Your hobby is so cool and interesting! I want to learn it.
Grandma: I’m glad to hear that, dear. It’s a great way to stay warm in winter.
Mia: I want to make a long red scarf for myself. How do I start?
Grandma: Well, first you need the right needles. Hmm… I thought I had some red wool here, but I only have green and blue left.
Mia: Oh, that’s too bad. I really love red.
Grandma: Don’t worry. We can go to the store tomorrow. But for now, let’s practice the basic stitches with this green wool first.
Mia: Okay! That sounds like a good plan.
Listening 3
Listen to two roommates talking about their balcony. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 Why did Jack decide NOT to grow roses?
(A) Because they are not beautiful.
(B) Because they are too expensive.
(C) Because the balcony is too small.
2 What are they going to plant in their garden?
(A) Roses and herbs.
(B) Tomatoes and herbs.
(C) Just cherry tomatoes.
3 When are they going to the garden center?
(A) Saturday morning.
(B) Saturday afternoon.
(C) Sunday morning.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Because the balcony is too small.
- Explanation: Jack mentions he thought about roses but then says, “…but I think they need too much space.” At A2 level, “too much space” is a paraphrase for the balcony being “too small.”
- Trap: Option A is wrong because Jack actually says roses are “beautiful.”
2 (B) Tomatoes and herbs.
- Explanation: Sarah suggests “cherry tomatoes and small herbs” and Jack agrees, specifically mentioning “basil” (which is a type of herb).
- Trap: Option A is a distractor because roses were rejected. Option C is incomplete as they also want to plant herbs.
3 (C) Sunday morning.
- Explanation: They first suggest Saturday morning, but Jack says he is busy with a “gym class.” He then asks, “Can we go on Sunday morning instead?” and Sarah agrees.
- Trap: Option A (Saturday morning) is mentioned but rejected because of the gym class.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Jack: Hey Sarah, look at our balcony. It’s so empty!
Sarah: You’re right. We should start a small garden there. It would be very relaxing after a busy week.
Jack: I originally thought about growing some big roses because they are beautiful, but I think they need too much space.
Sarah: True. Actually, why don’t we plant some cherry tomatoes and small herbs instead? We can use them for cooking!
Jack: That’s a much better idea! I love fresh basil.
Sarah: Me too. So, let’s go to the garden center this Saturday morning.
Jack: Oh, wait. I have a gym class then. Can we go on Sunday morning instead?
Sarah: No problem. Sunday is fine!
Listening 4
Listen to three friends talking about a new board game. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does a player use to move around the board?
(A) Cards
(B) Dice
(C) Keys
2 What do players need to do to win the game?
(A) Collect gold coins.
(B) Reach the beach first.
(C) Find the hidden keys.
3 How are they going to play the game tonight?
(A) In teams.
(B) Individually.
(C) With another group.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Dice
- Explanation: Tom clearly says: “You roll the dice to move around the island.”
- Trap: Option C (Keys) is mentioned later as the way to win, not to move. Option A is not mentioned.
2 (C) Find the hidden keys.
- Explanation: Tom corrects Ben and says: “You have to find three hidden keys to win.”
- Trap (The Twist): Option A is a strong trap because Ben mentions “collect a lot of gold coins,” but Tom says “actually, no.” Option B is a distractor because the beach is where they start, not how they win.
3 (B) Individually.
- Explanation: Lily asks if they play in teams, and Tom answers: “…but tonight let’s just play individually.”
- Trap: Option A is a distractor. They can play in teams, but they decided not to do it tonight.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Tom: Hey guys, I bought a new board game for us tonight. It’s called “Island Quest”.
Lily: Awesome! How do we play, Tom?
Tom: Well, we all start on the beach. You roll the dice to move around the island.
Ben: Oh, I know this game! We have to collect a lot of gold coins to win, right?
Tom: I thought so too at first, but actually, no. You have to find three hidden keys to win.
Lily: Sounds fun! Do we play in teams?
Tom: We can, but tonight let’s just play individually.
Listening 5
Listen to two brothers talking about an airplane model. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What material is Mark’s airplane model made of?
(A) Plastic
(B) Wood
(C) Metal
2 How long did it take Mark to finish the model?
(A) Three days
(B) One week
(C) One month
3 What is Mark going to do with the airplane now?
(A) Fly it outside.
(B) Give it to his brother.
(C) Put it on his desk.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Wood
- Explanation: Mark clearly states, “…I chose wood because it looks much cooler.”
- Trap (The Twist): Option A (Plastic) is a distractor. Mark mentions plastic, but he says he wanted to build a plastic one at first before changing his mind to wood. Option C (Metal) is not mentioned.
2 (A) Three days
- Explanation: Mark says, “But actually, I finished it in just three days.”
- Trap: Option B (One week) is a trap because Mark says he thought it would take a week, but that was just his expectation, not the real time it took. Option C is not mentioned.
3 (C) Put it on his desk.
- Explanation: Mark explains that it is just for decoration and says, “I’m going to put it on my desk.”
- Trap: Option A (Fly it outside) is mentioned when Leo asks, “Can it fly outside?”, but Mark explicitly answers “No.” Option B is a plausible guess but is never mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Leo: Wow, Mark! Is that a new toy?
Mark: Actually, it’s not a toy, Leo. It’s an airplane model. I just finished assembling it!
Leo: It looks amazing. Did you build it from plastic?
Mark: Well, I wanted to build a plastic one at first, but I chose wood because it looks much cooler.
Leo: Was it hard to do? How long did it take?
Mark: Um, it has a lot of small pieces. I thought it would take a whole week to build. But actually, I finished it in just three days.
Leo: That’s fast! Can it fly outside?
Mark: No, it’s just for decoration. I’m going to put it on my desk.