Travel & Holidays – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to a conversation between an employee, Kevin, and his manager, Ms. Harper. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Where is Kevin planning to go with his family?
(A) To a local beach.
(B) To another country.
(C) To a big project meeting.
2 Why can’t Kevin leave on the 10th of next month?
(A) Because his manager is on holiday.
(B) Because the flights are too expensive that day.
(C) Because there is a mandatory meeting on the 12th.
3 When will Kevin’s holiday finally start?
(A) On the 10th.
(B) On the 12th.
(C) On the 17th.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) To another country.
- Explanation: Kevin says he is taking his family to “Japan”, which is another country. Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (C) is a trap because the meeting is at work, not a holiday destination.
2 (C) Because there is a mandatory meeting on the 12th.
- Explanation: Ms. Harper says they have an “important project meeting on the 12th” and “everyone needs to be there.” This makes the meeting mandatory (bắt buộc). Option (A) and (B) are not mentioned in the audio.
3 (C) On the 17th.
- Explanation: This is the Twist. Kevin first asks for the 10th, but after hearing about the meeting, he suggests “starting from the 17th” and Ms. Harper agrees. Option (A) was his first choice but was rejected. Option (B) is the date of the meeting.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Kevin: Hi, Ms. Harper. Do you have a minute? I’d like to ask for some time off next month.
Ms. Harper: Sure, Kevin. When were you thinking?
Kevin: Well, I want to take five days off, from the 10th to the 15th. I’m planning to take my family to Japan.
Ms. Harper: Japan? That sounds wonderful! But wait… I just remembered we have a very important project meeting on the 12th. Everyone needs to be there.
Kevin: Oh, I see. That’s a problem. Um… how about the following week, starting from the 17th?
Ms. Harper: Let me check the calendar… Yes, the 17th is perfect. There are no meetings that week.
Kevin: Great! I’ll book the flights for the 17th then. Thanks, Ms. Harper!
Listening 2
Listen to a conversation between a manager, Mr. Davis, and his assistant, Sarah. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What time is Mr. Davis’s flight?
(A) At 8:00 AM.
(B) At 9:00 AM.
(C) At 2:00 PM.
2 Why is Mr. Davis NOT staying at the Plaza Hotel?
(A) Because it is too far from the office.
(B) Because it costs too much money.
(C) Because there are no rooms left.
3 When will Mr. Davis meet his clients?
(A) In the morning.
(B) In the afternoon.
(C) In the evening.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) At 8:00 AM.
- Explanation: Sarah says she booked the “8:00 AM flight” because the other one was full. Option (B) is a trap; 9:00 AM was his original plan, but that flight was full. Option (C) is a trap using the time of the meeting.
2 (B) Because it costs too much money.
- Explanation: Sarah says they are not using the Plaza because it was “too expensive.” Option (B) paraphrases this correctly. Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (C) is a trap; the flight was full, but she didn’t say the hotel was full.
3 (B) In the afternoon.
- Explanation: Sarah explicitly states the meeting is “at 2:00 PM in the afternoon.” Option (A) is a trap; she wanted to have it in the morning, but the clients were busy. Option (C) is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Sarah: Good morning, Mr. Davis. Here is the schedule for your business trip tomorrow.
Mr. Davis: Thanks, Sarah. My flight is at 9:00 AM, right?
Sarah: Actually, that flight was full. So, I booked the 8:00 AM flight for you instead.
Mr. Davis: That’s early, but it’s fine. Am I staying at the Plaza Hotel?
Sarah: No, the Plaza was too expensive. You are staying at the Grand Hotel.
Mr. Davis: Oh, okay. And what about my meeting with the clients?
Sarah: I wanted to have it in the morning, but they are busy. So, the meeting is at 2:00 PM in the afternoon.
Mr. Davis: Perfect. Thank you for organizing everything.
Listening 3
Listen to a student giving a presentation to the class about a school trip. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 How did the students travel to the museum?
(A) By train.
(B) By bus.
(C) By car.
2 What did the speaker like the most in the museum?
(A) The old coins.
(B) The dinosaur bones.
(C) The history books.
3 What did the speaker buy at the gift shop?
(A) A history book.
(B) A postcard.
(C) Nothing, because everything was too expensive.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) By bus.
- Explanation: The student says, “I thought we were going to take the train, but the teacher said we had a big yellow bus instead.” The actual means of transport is the bus. Answer (A) is a trap because “train” is the means of transport he initially thought of taking. Answer (C) is not mentioned.
2 (B) The dinosaur bones.
- Explanation: The speaker asserts, “…my favorite part was the dinosaur bones.” (My favorite part was the dinosaur bones.) Answer (A) is a trap because “old coins” are something my friends like.
3 (B) A postcard.
- Explanation: This is a plot twist. The student wants to buy a history book, but it’s too expensive, so he concludes: “So, I just bought a small postcard.” Answer (A) is the original intention. Answer (C) is incorrect because he was still able to buy postcards.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Student: Hello everyone. Today I want to talk about our school trip to the History Museum last Friday. First, we met at the school gate at 8 AM. I thought we were going to take the train, but the teacher said we had a big yellow bus instead.
Inside the museum, we saw many old things. My friends really liked the old coins, but my favorite part was the dinosaur bones. They were huge!
After the tour, we went to the gift shop. I wanted to buy a history book, but it was too expensive. So, I just bought a small postcard for my desk. I was very tired at the end of the day, but it was a great trip. Thank you for listening.
Listening 4
Listen to a teacher talking to a group of exchange students about their weekend. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Why shouldn’t the students visit the National Museum this weekend?
(A) Because the tickets are too expensive.
(B) Because it is closed for cleaning.
(C) Because there are no famous paintings.
2 What special event is happening at the Riverside Park?
(A) A food festival.
(B) A music concert.
(C) An art exhibition.
3 How can the students travel to the park?
(A) They can take bus number 50.
(B) They can walk from the shopping mall.
(C) They can take bus number 15.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Because it is closed for cleaning.
- Explanation: The teacher says the museum is “closed this Saturday and Sunday for cleaning.” Option (A) is a trap; the word “expensive” is used later to describe the shopping mall, not the museum. Option (C) is false because the teacher mentions the museum does have famous paintings.
2 (A) A food festival.
- Explanation: The teacher recommends Riverside Park because “There is a big food festival this weekend.” Option (B) is a plausible event for a park but is not mentioned. Option (C) is a trap related to the museum (art/paintings).
3 (C) They can take bus number 15.
- Explanation: The teacher explicitly tells the student, “You can take bus number 15.” Option (A) is a phonetic trap (“fifty” sounds similar to “fifteen”, một lỗi nghe rất phổ biến ở A2). Option (B) is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Teacher: Listen everyone! This weekend you have free time to explore the city. I know many of you want to visit the National Museum to see the famous paintings. However, it is closed this Saturday and Sunday for cleaning. So, please don’t go there!
Instead, I highly recommend going to the Riverside Park. There is a big food festival this weekend. You can try a lot of delicious local dishes there. You can also visit the new shopping mall, but things are very expensive. Are there any questions?
Student: Excuse me, sir. How do we get to the park?
Teacher: Oh, it’s easy. You can take bus number 15 from the school gate. Have fun, everyone!
Listening 5
Listen to a conversation between two business partners, David and Maria, before their meeting. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Where did Maria go for her Christmas holiday?
(A) To Canada.
(B) To Florida.
(C) To her hometown.
2 Why didn’t Maria spend time on the beach?
(A) Because the weather was very wet.
(B) Because it was freezing and snowy.
(C) Because she doesn’t like swimming.
3 What did Maria and her family do during the trip?
(A) They went skiing in the mountains.
(B) They stayed inside their hotel room.
(C) They bought things and saw indoor attractions.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) To Florida.
- Explanation: Maria says, “So, I took my family to Florida instead.” Option (A) is a trap because David asks if she went to Canada, but she says “Actually, no.” Option (C) is not mentioned.
2 (A) Because the weather was very wet.
- Explanation: Maria explains that “It rained almost every day!” Option (A) uses “wet” to paraphrase rainy. Option (B) is a trap related to the cold weather in Canada (her original plan). Option (C) is a plausible reason, but not true for Maria.
3 (C) They bought things and saw indoor attractions.
- Explanation: Maria states that they “went shopping and visited some indoor museums.” Option (C) paraphrases this perfectly (“bought things” = shopping, “indoor attractions” = indoor museums). Option (A) is the trap based on Canada. Option (B) is a trap; she mentions being indoors, but at museums/shops, not staying in the hotel room.
AUDIO SCRIPT
David: Hi, Maria. It’s good to see you again. Before we start the meeting, how was your Christmas holiday? Did you go skiing in Canada like you planned?
Maria: Hello, David. Actually, no. I changed my mind because I wanted some warm weather. So, I took my family to Florida instead.
David: Oh, Florida is lovely! Did you spend a lot of time relaxing on the beach?
Maria: Not really. It was a bit disappointing, to be honest. It rained almost every day! We couldn’t go swimming at all.
David: That’s a shame. So, what did you do?
Maria: Well, we just went shopping and visited some indoor museums. It wasn’t a perfect trip, but at least we had time together.
David: That’s true. Anyway, shall we look at the new project report now?