Special Hobbies – A2 English Listening Exercise

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.