Health & Sickness – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to a phone conversation between an employee and her manager. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Why is Emma calling her manager?
(A) To tell him she is going to be late for work.
(B) To tell him she is sick and cannot come to the office.
(C) To ask him for help with a weekly report.
2 What did Emma originally want to do today?
(A) Go to the health clinic.
(B) Sleep all day in bed.
(C) Finish the weekly report.
3 How long did the doctor tell Emma to rest?
(A) Just for today.
(B) For two days.
(C) Until next Monday.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 B
- Explanation: Emma says at the beginning, “I’m calling to say I can’t come to the office today.” She then explains she has a fever and the flu.
- The Trap: Option C is a trap. The script mentions the “weekly report,” but she is not asking for help with it; she is explaining why it will be late. Option A is incorrect because she is not coming in at all, not just being late.
2 C
- Explanation: Emma says, “I really wanted to finish the weekly report today…” This was her original plan.
- The Trap: Option A is the A2 “Twist” trap. She did go to the clinic, but she went because she was sick, not because she originally wanted to. Option B is a trap because the manager tells her to “stay in bed,” but that was not her original plan for the workday.
3 B
- Explanation: Emma clearly states, “the doctor told me to rest for two days.”
- The Trap: Option A is a trap. Emma is calling to say she can’t come to the office “today,” but her doctor told her to rest for two days, so she will be back on Thursday. Option C is a plausible guess in real life, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Manager: Hello, Sales Department. Mark speaking.
Emma: Hi, Mark. It’s Emma. Um, I’m calling to say I can’t come to the office today.
Manager: Oh? Are you okay, Emma?
Emma: Not really. I felt fine yesterday morning, but I woke up today with a terrible fever. I went to the clinic, and the doctor said I have the flu.
Manager: I see. That’s going around right now.
Emma: I really wanted to finish the weekly report today, but the doctor told me to rest for two days. So, I will send it on Thursday instead.
Manager: Don’t worry about the report, Emma. Just stay in bed and get better. We will see you on Thursday.
Emma: Thank you, Mark.
Listening 2
Listen to a conversation between a student and a school nurse. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What is the boy’s main health problem?
(A) He has a very high fever.
(B) His stomach hurts a lot.
(C) He is hungry because he missed breakfast.
2 What did the boy originally want to do?
(A) Call his math teacher.
(B) Lie down on a bed and sleep.
(C) Go to his math class.
3 What does the nurse tell the boy to do now?
(A) Rest on a bed in the clinic.
(B) Go back to his classroom immediately.
(C) Take some stomach medicine.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 B
- Explanation: The boy clearly states, “I have a bad stomachache… now it hurts a lot.”
- The Trap: Option A is a trap. The nurse checks his temperature but explicitly says, “you don’t have a fever.” Option C is incorrect because he says he “had some cereal” (he ate breakfast).
2 C
- Explanation: The boy says, “I really wanted to go to my math class…” This was his original plan.
- The Trap: Option A is a trap. The nurse is the one who will “call your teacher,” not the boy. Option B is also a trap; lying down is what the nurse tells him to do now, not what he originally wanted to do.
3 A
- Explanation: The nurse says, “You need to go lie down on that bed over there and rest for an hour.”
- The Trap: Option B is the exact opposite of what the nurse says (“you definitely shouldn’t go back to class right now”). Option C is a plausible action in real life when you have a stomachache, but the nurse never mentions medicine in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Student: Excuse me, Ms. Miller?
Nurse: Hello, Leo. Are you okay? You look terrible.
Student: I feel really sick. I have a bad stomachache. My stomach hurt a little bit before breakfast, but now it hurts a lot.
Nurse: I see. Did you eat something unusual this morning?
Student: No, I just had some cereal. I really wanted to go to my math class, but I can’t even stand up straight.
Nurse: Okay, let me check your temperature. Hmm… well, you don’t have a fever. That’s good. But you definitely shouldn’t go back to class right now.
Student: What should I do?
Nurse: You need to go lie down on that bed over there and rest for an hour. I will call your teacher and tell him where you are.
Listening 3
Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Why did Anna miss the exam yesterday?
(A) She forgot to study over the weekend.
(B) She had to go to the dentist for a bad tooth.
(C) She was staying home with a bad cold.
2 What did Anna originally plan to do on Monday morning?
(A) Go to the dental clinic.
(B) Sleep in because she was tired.
(C) Take her history exam.
3 What does the professor agree to let Anna do?
(A) Take the exam on Friday.
(B) Skip the exam completely.
(C) Write a history report instead.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 B
- Explanation: Anna says, “I got a terrible toothache. I had to go to the dentist to pull a tooth out.”
- The Trap: Option A is a trap. Anna says “I studied all weekend,” so she did not forget to study. Option C is a plausible reason for missing an exam, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
2 C
- Explanation: Anna says, “I fully planned to take the test. But…” This means her original plan was to take the history exam.
- The Trap: Option A is the A2 “Twist” trap. She went to the dental clinic, but that was not her original plan; it was an emergency. Option B is not mentioned.
3 A
- Explanation: The professor looks at the note and says, “You can come to my office on Friday afternoon to take it.”
- The Trap: Option B is a trap because the professor excuses her absence, but she still has to take the test. Option C is a plausible alternative in schools, but it is never mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Student: Excuse me, Professor Davis. Do you have a minute?
Professor: Yes, Anna. I noticed you weren’t at the history exam yesterday. Is everything alright?
Student: I’m really sorry. I studied all weekend and I fully planned to take the test. But on Monday morning, I got a terrible toothache. I had to go to the dentist to pull a tooth out instead.
Professor: Oh, that sounds painful. Are you feeling better now?
Student: Yes, much better, thank you. Here is my doctor’s note from the dental clinic. Could I possibly take the exam later this week?
Professor: Let me see… Okay, this is fine. You can come to my office on Friday afternoon to take it.
Student: Thank you so much, Professor.
Listening 4
Listen to a conversation between a manager and an employee. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Why was the woman worried about coming to the office today?
(A) She had a terrible fever last weekend.
(B) Her husband was very sick recently.
(C) She forgot to bring her face mask.
2 What must employees do right away if they start coughing?
(A) Put on a mask.
(B) Go to the hospital.
(C) Drink hot water.
3 What does the manager want sick employees to do?
(A) Come to the office but wear a mask.
(B) Stop working completely and sleep.
(C) Stay at their house and work from there.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 B
- Explanation: The woman says, “My husband had a terrible fever last weekend,” which is the reason she was worried.
- The Trap: Option A is a trap. The audio mentions a “terrible fever”, but it was her husband who had it, not the woman herself (she says “I feel fine”). Option C is a plausible worry in real life, but it is not mentioned.
2 A
- Explanation: The manager clearly states, “if anyone starts coughing… you must put on a mask immediately.”
- The Trap: Options B and C are good health advice in real life, but the manager does not mention them in the audio.
3 C
- Explanation: The manager says, “If you have those symptoms, you should definitely work from home.” Working from home means staying at their house and working from there.
- The Trap: Option A is the A2 trap. The employee asks, “should we still come to work if we are wearing a mask?” but the manager rejects this idea by saying, “No, absolutely not.” Option B is incorrect because they are still expected to work (from home), not stop completely.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Manager: Good morning, everyone. Before we start our meeting, I want to talk about the recent flu. A lot of people are getting sick right now.
Employee: Yes, Mr. Thomas. My husband had a terrible fever last weekend. I feel fine, but I was a little worried about coming to the office today.
Manager: Well, if you feel okay, it’s fine to be here. But please remember our new rule: if anyone starts coughing or gets a fever, you must put on a mask immediately.
Employee: I see. But should we still come to work if we are wearing a mask?
Manager: No, absolutely not. If you have those symptoms, you should definitely work from home. We want to keep everyone in the building safe.
Employee: Understood. I will tell my team about this.
Listening 5
Listen to a conversation between two colleagues during a meeting. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Why does Sarah ask to step outside right now?
(A) To get some coffee from the kitchen.
(B) To wash her face with cold water.
(C) To call home and check on her sick baby.
2 What did Sarah originally want to do before the meeting?
(A) Drink a cup of coffee.
(B) Eat a big breakfast.
(C) Finish the weekly project.
3 What is the real reason Sarah feels so dizzy today?
(A) She is very hungry because she missed breakfast.
(B) She drank too much coffee this morning.
(C) She did not get enough sleep last night.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 B
- Explanation: Sarah says, “I just need to go wash my face with some cold water.”
- The Trap: Option A is a trap. Sarah mentions the kitchen, but there was no coffee there. Option C is a trap because she mentions her baby was sick last night, but she is not leaving the room to call home.
2 A
- Explanation: Sarah says, “I wanted to get some coffee before the meeting…” This was her original plan (The Twist).
- The Trap: Option B is a trap. David asks if she ate breakfast, and she says she did, but it wasn’t what she wanted to do right before the meeting. Option C is mentioned by David at the very beginning of the audio, but it is not Sarah’s action.
3 C
- Explanation: Sarah explains her dizziness by saying, “I only slept for three hours last night.” This means she did not get enough sleep.
- The Trap: Option A is the A2 trap. David asks “Are you hungry? Did you eat breakfast?” but Sarah rejects this reason by saying “Yes, I had breakfast.” Option B is the exact opposite of the truth (she had no coffee at all).
AUDIO SCRIPT
David: …and so, we need to finish this project by Friday. Are there any questions?
Sarah: Um, excuse me, David. Can I step outside for a minute?
David: Sure, Sarah. Are you okay? You look very tired.
Sarah: Actually, I feel really dizzy. I wanted to get some coffee before the meeting, but we didn’t have any in the kitchen.
David: Oh no. Are you hungry? Did you eat breakfast?
Sarah: Yes, I had breakfast. But I only slept for three hours last night because my baby was sick. I just need to go wash my face with some cold water.
David: Of course, take your time. Let’s take a five-minute break, everyone.