Health & Sickness – A2 English Listening Exercise

1  B

• Explanation: The customer clearly asks, “Do you have anything for a bad sore throat?”
• The Trap: Option A is a trap. The customer mentions “cough syrup,” but does not say they have a cough. Option C is a trap because the pharmacist mentions an “empty stomach,” but the customer does not have a stomachache.

2  A

• Explanation: The customer says, “I originally wanted to buy some cough syrup.” This was his first plan.
• The Trap: Option B is the A2 “Twist” trap. He decides to buy the throat pills at the end, but it was not what he originally wanted. Option C is incorrect; he says it hurts to drink water, but he doesn’t want to buy it.

3  C

• Explanation: The pharmacist says to take “two pills a day” and “take them after a meal.” A meal means eating food.
• The Trap: Option A is the exact opposite of the pharmacist’s instructions (“not on an empty stomach”). Option B is a plausible instruction for medicine in real life, but it is never mentioned in the audio.

Pharmacist: Hello. How can I help you today?

Customer: Hi. Do you have anything for a bad sore throat? It hurts a lot when I try to drink water. I originally wanted to buy some cough syrup.

Pharmacist: We do have syrup, but if your throat hurts that much, these throat pills actually work much faster.

Customer: Oh, okay. I’ll take the pills then. How often should I take them?

Pharmacist: You need to take two pills a day. And make sure you take them after a meal, not on an empty stomach.

Customer: Got it. Two pills after eating. Thank you very much.

1  B

• Explanation: The patient explicitly says, “I have had a terrible backache for three days.”
• The Trap: Option A is a trap. The audio mentions “three days” and “terrible,” but the symptom is a backache, not a headache. Option C is a plausible reason to see a doctor, but it is not mentioned.

2  B

• Explanation: The receptionist says, “Dr. Smith is fully booked tomorrow morning.” Fully booked means he is completely busy.
• The Trap: Option C is a trap. The receptionist says he has an opening in the afternoon, but that does not mean he only works in the afternoon. Option A is incorrect because he is working, just busy.

3  C

• Explanation: The patient agrees to take the 10:00 AM appointment with Dr. Jones, which means seeing a different doctor in the morning.
• The Trap: Option A is the A2 “Twist” trap. The receptionist offers an afternoon appointment with Dr. Smith, but the patient rejects it because he has to work. Option B is a trap because the patient mentions “I have to go to work,” but he still decides to see a doctor before work.

Receptionist: Good morning, City Health Clinic. How can I help you?

Patient: Hello. I need to see a doctor. I have had a terrible backache for three days, and it’s getting worse.

Receptionist: I’m sorry to hear that. Which doctor do you usually see?

Patient: Dr. Smith. Can I make an appointment with him for tomorrow morning?

Receptionist: Let me check his schedule. Um, I’m sorry, but Dr. Smith is fully booked tomorrow morning. He does have an opening at 2:00 PM tomorrow afternoon, though.

Patient: Oh, I can’t do that. I have to go to work in the afternoon. Can I see a different doctor in the morning?

Receptionist: Let’s see… Yes, Dr. Jones is available at 10:00 AM.

Patient: That is perfect. I will take the 10:00 AM appointment with Dr. Jones.

1  B

• Explanation: The patient clearly says, “It started two days ago.”
• The Trap: Options A and C are plausible timeframes for a toothache in real life, but they are not mentioned in the audio.

2  B

• Explanation: The patient points to his tooth and says, “it’s especially painful when I drink ice water.”
• The Trap: Option A and Option C are common times when a bad tooth hurts, but the patient only mentions ice water in the audio.

3  B

• Explanation: The dentist says, “I need to clean it and put a filling in it. I can do that for you right now.”
• The Trap: Option A is the A2 “Twist” trap. The patient asks, “Do you have to pull it out?” but the dentist explicitly rejects this idea (“No, we don’t need to do that”). Option C is not mentioned.

Dentist: Good morning, Mr. Wilson. Please sit in the chair. So, what seems to be the problem today?

Patient: Good morning, Dr. Lee. Well, I have a really bad toothache. It started two days ago.

Dentist: I see. Can you open your mouth and show me where it hurts?

Patient: Sure. (Ahhh) It’s this one in the back, on the left side. It hurts all the time, but it’s especially painful when I drink ice water.

Dentist: Okay, let’s take a look. Ah, yes. You have a large cavity in that tooth. That’s why the cold water hurts so much.

Patient: Oh no. Do you have to pull it out?

Dentist: No, we don’t need to do that. But I need to clean it and put a filling in it. I can do that for you right now.

Patient: That sounds good. Let’s do it.

1  C

• Explanation: The woman explicitly says, “I originally wanted to lift weights…”
• The Trap: Option A is the A2 “Twist” trap. She joins the yoga class now, but it was not what she originally wanted to do before she got sick. Option B is a plausible gym activity but is never mentioned.

2  A

• Explanation: The woman says, “I was very sick last month. My body is still quite weak.”
• The Trap: Option B is a trap. The trainer tells her she “shouldn’t lift heavy things right now,” but she did not do it yesterday. Option C is a plausible reason for feeling tired, but it is not in the audio.

3  B

• Explanation: At the end, the woman says, “I will sign up for the Tuesday morning class.”
• The Trap: Option A is a trap because it mixes the day (Thursday) with the wrong activity (weightlifting). Option C is a trap because the class is in the morning, not the afternoon.

Trainer: Welcome to City Gym! How can I help you today? Are you interested in our new weightlifting class?

Customer: Hi. Actually, no. I originally wanted to lift weights, but I was very sick last month. My body is still quite weak.

Trainer: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. You definitely shouldn’t lift heavy things right now. You need to rest your muscles.

Customer: Yes, my doctor said the same thing. Do you have any gentle yoga classes? I think that is much better for my recovery.

Trainer: We certainly do. We have a beginner yoga class every Tuesday and Thursday morning. It is very relaxing.

Customer: That sounds perfect for me. I will sign up for the Tuesday morning class, please.

1  B

• Explanation: The patient explicitly says, “I get terrible headaches… my eyes get very tired.”
• The Trap: Option A is the A2 “Twist” trap. The patient says, “At first, I just thought I needed more sleep,” but that is not the actual problem. Option C is a trap because the computer screen makes her eyes tired, but the screen itself is not broken.

2  C

• Explanation: The doctor says, “Can you cover your left eye and read the second line on that wall chart?”
• The Trap: Option B is a trap. The doctor says she needs to start wearing glasses at the end of the audio, but he does not ask her to put them on during the test. Option A is a trap because they talk about a computer screen, but it is not part of the eye test.

3  A

• Explanation: The patient says, “At first, I just thought I needed more sleep.” This was her original guess.
• The Trap: Option B is a trap because the doctor mentions glasses, but she does not have any yet. Option C is a plausible cause for eye pain, but reading books is not mentioned in the audio.

Doctor: Good afternoon, Sarah. So, why are you visiting the clinic today?

Patient: Hi, Dr. Evans. Well, I get terrible headaches every afternoon. At first, I just thought I needed more sleep. But now, my eyes get very tired when I look at my computer screen for a long time.

Doctor: I see. Let’s do a quick vision test. Can you cover your left eye and read the second line on that wall chart?

Patient: Sure. Um… is that an E or an F? I think it’s A… F… P. It’s really blurry.

Doctor: Okay, stop there. You are clearly having trouble seeing the letters. I think you need to start wearing glasses when you work.

Patient: Oh, okay.