Work-life Balance – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) He wants to stop working late in the evenings.

• Explanation: Mark mentions he has been staying until 6:30 or 7:00 PM and asks if he can “leave at 5:00 PM sharp.” This means he wants to stop doing overtime.
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is a trap. Sarah mentions a “new client,” but that is just a detail about why he has been busy, not the reason he came to talk to her. Option (C) is plausible in a workplace, but salary is never mentioned.

2 (C) He needs to collect his child before the facility closes.

• Explanation: Mark says he has to “pick up our daughter from kindergarten” because the “daycare center closes exactly at 5:30.” “Collect his child” is a synonym for picking up his daughter.
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is a trap. Mark mentions his wife, but he says she “changed her shift” (lịch làm việc thay đổi), not that she is sick.

3 (A) He promises to arrive at the office earlier in the morning.

• Explanation: Mark says, “I can arrive 30 minutes earlier in the morning to ensure all my tasks are fully completed.”
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is a trap. Sarah says the reports must be “submitted before you leave,” meaning he has to finish them at the office, not at home.

Mark: Hi, Sarah. Do you have a minute to chat?

Sarah: Sure, Mark. Come on in. What’s on your mind?

Mark: Well, um, I wanted to talk about my current work schedule. Lately, I’ve been staying until 6:30 or 7:00 PM to finish up the daily reports.

Sarah: Yes, I’ve noticed. We really appreciate your dedication, especially with the new client onboard.

Mark: Thank you. But, to be honest, it’s becoming a bit of a struggle. My wife recently changed her shift, so now I am the one who has to pick up our daughter from kindergarten. The daycare center closes exactly at 5:30.

Sarah: Oh, I see. That makes things complicated.

Mark: Yeah. So, I was wondering if it would be possible for me to leave at 5:00 PM sharp every day. To make up for it, I can arrive 30 minutes earlier in the morning to ensure all my tasks are fully completed.

Sarah: Hmm. As long as the daily reports are submitted before you leave, I think we can arrange that. Let’s try this new routine for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

Mark: Thank you so much, Sarah. I really appreciate your understanding.

1 (B) She feels stressed when receiving his messages on her days off.

• Explanation: Rachel says that getting work messages during the weekend makes her “feel really anxious,” which means she feels stressed.
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is the trap. Mark asks if there was a “problem with the data” in his marketing project, but Rachel explicitly says “No, the data was fine.” Option (C) is plausible in a workplace, but a presentation is never mentioned.

2 (C) He wants to record his thoughts before they slip his mind.

• Explanation: Mark explains that he drafts emails so he doesn’t “forget my ideas.” “Record his thoughts before they slip his mind” is a paraphrase of this reason.
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is the trap. The audio mentions “Saturday night,” but he wasn’t hurrying to go out; he was just using his “free time.” Option (B) is a plausible reason for working weekends, but it is not mentioned in the audio.

3 (A) They will only call if there is a highly critical situation.

• Explanation: Rachel suggests that if it’s an “absolute emergency” (a highly critical situation), they can “call each other.”
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is the trap because it uses words from the script (“save the drafts”), but they agreed to save drafts for Monday morning, not to text about them. Option (C) mentions a “client,” but they did not agree to email about scheduling meetings.

Rachel: Hey, Mark. Do you have a second? I wanted to talk to you about the emails you sent over the weekend.

Mark: Oh, hi Rachel. Yeah, I sent a few updates on the marketing project on Saturday night. Was there a problem with the data?

Rachel: No, the data was fine. But, um, to be honest, getting work messages on my phone during the weekend makes me feel really anxious. I feel like I have to reply immediately.

Mark: Ah, I see. I didn’t mean to stress you out. I usually just draft them when I have some free time so I don’t forget my ideas.

Rachel: I understand that, but we both need to completely switch off from the office. How about we make a strict agreement? Let’s stop sending any work-related texts or emails on Saturdays and Sundays.

Mark: You’re probably right. My wife tells me I need a break, too. But what if there’s an urgent issue with a client?

Rachel: Well, if it’s an absolute emergency, we can just call each other. Otherwise, let’s just save the drafts and hit send on Monday morning.

Mark: That sounds like a solid plan. I’ll respect your weekends from now on, Rachel.

1 (A) To improve the psychological health of the staff.

• Explanation: David says the management wants to “boost everyone’s mental well-being” because people are “struggling with burnout.” “Psychological health” is a synonym for mental well-being.
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is the trap. Lisa asks if their “salaries will be reduced” (amount of money paid), but David explicitly says “No, your pay will stay exactly the same.”

2 (B) They have to work longer shifts from Monday to Thursday.

• Explanation: David explains that to keep the same pay, they must complete their “usual 40 hours within those four days,” which means “working ten hours a day.”
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is the trap. The month of “December” is mentioned in the audio, but it is the time for the management to review the trial, not a deadline to finish projects. Option (C) is plausible in a modern workplace but is never mentioned.

3 (C) He is worried that the extended daily hours will be too tiring.

• Explanation: Kevin states that “a ten-hour shift sounds pretty exhausting.” The word “tiring” is a paraphrase of “exhausting,” and “extended daily hours” paraphrases a “ten-hour shift.”
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is the trap. David mentions a “three-day weekend,” but Kevin doesn’t talk about getting bored; he is worried about the heavy workload during the four working days.

David (Manager): Morning, everyone. Thanks for joining the meeting. I want to discuss a new trial policy starting next month. Management has noticed that many of us are struggling with burnout. So, we’re going to test a four-day workweek to boost everyone’s mental well-being.

Lisa: Wow, that sounds amazing, David! But, um, does that mean our salaries will be reduced?

David: Good question, Lisa. No, your pay will stay exactly the same. However, you’ll need to complete your usual 40 hours within those four days. That means working ten hours a day, from Monday to Thursday.

Kevin: Ah, I see. To be honest, a ten-hour shift sounds pretty exhausting. What if we can’t finish our assigned tasks in that timeframe?

David: Well, Kevin, that’s exactly why this is just a trial. We want to see if having a three-day weekend helps you recharge enough to handle the longer daily hours. We’ll review everyone’s feedback and performance in December to see if we should make it permanent.

1 (B) He needed time to recover from severe tiredness.

• Explanation: Alex mentions that his time off helped him “recover from the extreme exhaustion.” The phrase “severe tiredness” is a paraphrase of extreme exhaustion/burnout.
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is the trap. The audio mentions “spending time in nature,” but that was the method he used to relax and heal, not the original reason he had to take a leave from his job.

2 (A) To help him return to his duties without too much pressure.

• Explanation: Sarah says her priority is making sure he can “transition back smoothly without getting overwhelmed again” (without too much pressure).
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is the trap. Alex is the one who worries about the “backlog of emails,” but Sarah explicitly tells him, “Please don’t worry about that.” Option (C) is plausible in an HR meeting but is never mentioned.

3 (C) He will exclusively focus on background administrative tasks.

• Explanation: Sarah states that he will “focus purely on internal reporting,” and Alex calls them “behind-the-scenes tasks.” “Background administrative tasks” is a paraphrase of these phrases.
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is the trap. The script mentions “client meetings,” but Sarah clearly says, “You won’t have to handle any stressful client meetings.” Option (A) is plausible for someone recovering, but working from home is not mentioned.

Sarah: Welcome back, Alex. It is really good to see you again. How are you feeling after your month off?

Alex: Thanks, Sarah. Honestly, I feel like a new person. Getting away from my laptop and spending time in nature really helped me recover from the extreme exhaustion I was experiencing.

Sarah: I’m so glad to hear that. As HR, my main priority is making sure you transition back smoothly without getting overwhelmed again. So, we need to look at your daily responsibilities.

Alex: Well, um, I am a bit worried about the backlog of emails, to be honest. I don’t want the team to suffer because of my absence.

Sarah: Please don’t worry about that. Your manager and I have agreed to lighten your workload for the next four weeks. We want you to focus purely on internal reporting. You won’t have to handle any stressful client meetings until next month.

Alex: Ah, that’s a huge relief. I think focusing on behind-the-scenes tasks will definitely help me ease back into the routine. I really appreciate this setup.

1 (A) He stayed awake very late doing office work.

• Explanation: Mark says he was “up until 2:00 AM last night trying to finish the monthly marketing report.” “Stayed awake very late” is a paraphrase of being up until 2:00 AM.
• Trap Analysis: Option (B) is the trap. The audio mentions the “client presentation,” but that is a task he has to do today, not the reason he was awake last night. Option (C) is plausible but is never mentioned.

2 (B) She removes the task of writing the meeting records.

• Explanation: Jessica tells Mark that typing the meeting notes is not urgent and says, “Let’s completely cross that off your list for today.” To “cross off” means to remove.
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is the trap. The “budget review” is mentioned, but Jessica says it isn’t due until next Friday, so he doesn’t need to do it immediately. Option (C) is plausible, but Jessica says she will “handle the manager,” not do the typing for Mark.

3 (C) To ensure Mark can go home on time and rest.

• Explanation: Jessica says that if he only focuses on one task, he can “leave the office by 5 PM and get some proper sleep tonight.”
• Trap Analysis: Option (A) is the trap. The words “manager” and “next Friday” are spoken in the audio, but they are from different sentences and do not represent the main goal of the conversation. Option (B) is a common business solution but is not mentioned here.

Jessica: Hi Mark. You look completely exhausted today. Is everything alright?

Mark: Well, um, I was up until 2:00 AM last night trying to finish the monthly marketing report, and I still have so much on my plate for today. I feel like I’m drowning in tasks.

Jessica: That’s not good, Mark. We need to maintain a healthy routine. Let’s sit down and look at your to-do list right now. We definitely have to rearrange your priorities.

Mark: Okay. Well, I have the client presentation to prepare, the team meeting notes to type up, and the budget review.

Jessica: Ah, see, there is the problem. The budget review isn’t actually due until next Friday. And honestly, typing up the meeting notes is not urgent at all. Let’s completely cross that off your list for today.

Mark: Really? But what if the branch manager asks for the records?

Jessica: I’ll handle the manager. Your only focus today should be that client presentation. If you just concentrate on that one thing, you can leave the office by 5 PM and get some proper sleep tonight.

Mark: That sounds amazing, Jessica. Thank you for helping me organize this.