Recycling & Waste – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Answer: (B) To find out when his rubbish will be taken away.

• Explanation: Mark says he needs to “figure out the garbage collection schedule.” Option (B) paraphrases this idea (“find out” = “figure out”, “rubbish will be taken away” = “garbage collection”). Option (A) is a trap; the “blue bin” is mentioned, but he already has one outside his house, he doesn’t need to request a new one. Option (C) is a trap; the “drivers” are mentioned later, but he is not complaining.

2 Answer: (B) Every fourteen days.

• Explanation: The operator says the recycling truck (blue bin) comes “every second week.” Option (B) uses the paraphrase “fourteen days” for two weeks. Option (A) is a trap; Tuesday is the schedule for the red bin (general trash). Option (C) is a trap; the next collection is this Thursday, but it does not happen every Thursday.

3 Answer: (A) Leave the containers on the street the evening before.

• Explanation: Mark asks if he needs to “put them out the night before” and the operator replies, “It’s highly recommended.” Option (A) uses paraphrasing (“leave the containers on the street” for “put them out”, “the evening before” for “the night before”). Option (B) is a plausible real-life rule, but washing items is never mentioned in the audio. Option (C) is a trap; 6:00 AM is when the drivers start their route, but the resident doesn’t need to wake up to meet them.

Operator: Hello, City Council Waste Management. How can I help you?

Mark: Hi, um, I just moved to the Oakwood neighborhood, and I need to figure out the garbage collection schedule. I have two bins outside my house: a blue one and a red one.

Operator: Welcome to Oakwood! Let me check the schedule for your area. Okay, so the red container is for your general household trash. That is picked up every week on Tuesday morning.

Mark: Got it. Tuesday for the red bin. What about the blue one? I assume that’s for recycling?

Operator: Yes, exactly. Paper, plastic, and glass go in there. But please note, the recycling truck only comes every second week. For your street, the next collection is this Thursday.

Mark: Oh, every two weeks? That’s good to know. And do I need to put them out the night before?

Operator: It’s highly recommended. The drivers start their route very early, usually around 6:00 AM.

Mark: Perfect. I’ll make sure to roll them down to the street on Monday and Wednesday evenings then. Thanks for your help!

1 Answer: (B) Removing some large pieces of furniture and equipment.

• Explanation: Tom says he needs to “get rid of a few large items,” specifically a mattress (furniture) and a refrigerator (equipment). Option (B) is a paraphrase of this. Option (A) is a trap; the word “refrigerator” is mentioned, but he is throwing a broken one away, not buying a new one. Option (C) is a trap; he mentions his “driveway” at the end, but he isn’t hiring anyone to clean it.

2 Answer: (A) He has to pay for the bed, but the appliance is free.

• Explanation: Clara states there is a “$20 disposal fee” for the mattress (bed) and “no charge” for the fridge (appliance). Option (A) uses synonyms for the items. Option (B) is a trap; only the mattress costs $20. Option (C) is a trap; the fridge requires a “special team” because of chemicals, but there is no higher fee (it’s free).

3 Answer: (B) Early next week.

• Explanation: Clara says the earliest slot for the refrigerator is “next Tuesday,” which corresponds to “early next week.” Option (A) is a trap; the end of the current week (Friday) is when they will collect the mattress, not the fridge. Option (C) is a trap; Tom initially “thought everything could go in the same truck,” but Clara explains they must be scheduled on different days.

Clara: Hello, City Recycling Center. This is Clara speaking. How can I help you today?

Tom: Hi Clara. Um, I’m doing some house clearing and I need to get rid of a few large items. Specifically, an old mattress and a broken refrigerator. Can your trucks come and pick them up?

Clara: Yes, we offer a bulky item collection service. Let me check the guidelines. For the mattress, there is a standard twenty-dollar disposal fee.

Tom: That sounds reasonable. And what about the fridge? Is it the same price?

Clara: Actually, no. Because large household appliances contain cooling chemicals, they have to be handled by our special hazardous waste team. There is no charge for the fridge, but it must be scheduled separately.

Tom: Oh, I see. I thought everything could go in the same truck. When are you able to collect them?

Clara: We can take the mattress this Friday morning. As for the refrigerator, the earliest available slot for the special team is next Tuesday.

Tom: Perfect. Let’s book both of those dates. I will leave the items out on my driveway.

1 Answer: (B) Because the customer destroyed their original shape.

• Explanation: The employee says, “You crushed the bottles to save space, right?” Crushing them means destroying their original shape. Option (A) is a trap; the employee mentions “if the label is missing” as a general rule for why a machine might reject a bottle, but the customer’s specific problem was that they crushed them. Option (C) is plausible in real life but is never mentioned.

2 Answer: (C) Put them on the belt with the base going in first.

• Explanation: The employee tells the customer to place the glass bottles “bottom first.” Option (C) uses the synonym “base” for “bottom.” Option (A) is a trap; the employee explicitly warns, “Don’t push them in too fast.” Option (B) is a trap; the customer must take the receipt to the cashier, not the glass bottles.

3 Answer: (B) They will get a discount on their shopping.

• Explanation: The employee explains that the cashier will “deduct the amount from your total bill” when paying for groceries. Getting an amount deducted from a bill is the same as getting a discount. Option (A) is a trap; the customer asks if the machine gives out cash, but the employee rejects this (“No, it doesn’t dispense coins”). Option (C) is not mentioned in the audio.

Customer: Excuse me, could you help me for a moment? I’m trying to use this bottle return machine, but it keeps spitting my plastic bottles back out.

Employee: Sure, let me take a look. Ah, I see the problem. You crushed the bottles to save space, right? The scanner needs to read the barcode to identify them. If the shape is completely ruined or the label is missing, the system won’t accept the item.

Customer: Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought we were supposed to flatten them. So, what about these glass ones? They are in perfect condition.

Employee: Those are fine. Just place them on the belt one by one, bottom first. Don’t push them in too fast, or it might cause a jam.

Customer: Okay, let me try… Great, it worked! Now, how do I get my deposit money back? Does the machine give out cash?

Employee: No, it doesn’t dispense coins. Once you’re finished putting all the items in, press that large green button. It will print a paper receipt. You just hand that voucher to the cashier when you pay for your groceries, and they will deduct the amount from your total bill.

Customer: That makes perfect sense. Thank you for explaining it!

1 Answer: (C) Plant-based materials.

• Explanation: The employee says the new cups are “made from plants.” Option (C) paraphrases this as “plant-based materials.” Option (A) is a trap; standard plastic is used for the lid, but the cup is “not plastic.” Option (B) is a trap; “paper” is mentioned later when talking about straws, but it is not the material of the cup.

2 Answer: (B) In the blue recycling container.

• Explanation: The top part of the drink is the “lid.” The employee explicitly says to “drop the lid into the blue recycling container.” Option (C) is a trap; the green bin is for the cup and the straw, not the lid. Option (A) is a trap; the regular trash is mentioned at the very beginning as a mistake that “a lot of people” make.

3 Answer: (A) Because they become soft and wet too quickly.

• Explanation: The employee explains that they stopped using paper straws because “they get soggy too fast.” The phrase “become soft and wet” is a paraphrase of the word “soggy.” Options (B) and (C) are plausible real-life reasons for changing straws, but they are never mentioned in the audio.

Customer: Excuse me, I just finished my iced coffee. Um, I was wondering about this cup and straw. Are they biodegradable? I’m not sure which bin to use.

Employee: Good question! A lot of people just throw everything into the regular trash. Actually, our new cups are made from plants, not plastic. So, they are one hundred percent compostable.

Customer: Oh, that’s brilliant. So I can put the cup in the green organic bin by the door?

Employee: Yes, exactly. But wait, the lid is a bit different. It looks similar, but it’s still made of standard plastic. We are trying to find a better supplier for those.

Customer: I see. So the cup goes in the green bin, but the lid… does it go in the recycling?

Employee: Yes, please drop the lid into the blue recycling container.

Customer: What about the straw? Is it paper?

Employee: Well, we stopped using paper straws because they get soggy too fast. That one is actually made from bamboo, so you can throw it in the green bin along with the cup.

Customer: Perfect. Thanks for letting me know!

1 Answer: (B) Heavy construction debris.

• Explanation: Mark says he has a pile of “broken tiles and old bricks,” and Sarah refers to them as “heavy building materials.” Option (B) uses the paraphrase “construction debris.” Options (A) and (C) are plausible things to throw away after a renovation, but they are never mentioned in the audio.

2 Answer: (A) On his personal parking area.

• Explanation: Mark originally wants it on the road, but changes his mind to avoid paperwork and says, “Let’s just go with the driveway then.” Option (A) paraphrases “private driveway” as “personal parking area.” Option (B) is a trap; the “road right in front of my house” is his initial request, but it is rejected. Option (C) is not mentioned.

3 Answer: (C) At the end of next week.

• Explanation: Mark asks if they can “collect it next Friday,” and Sarah agrees. “Next Friday” is paraphrased as “at the end of next week.” Option (A) is a trap; “tomorrow morning” is when the company will deliver the skip, not take it away. Option (B) is a trap; “a few days” is mentioned regarding the time needed to get a permit, not the collection date.

Sarah: Good morning, Greenways Waste Management. How can I help?

Mark: Hi there. Um, I’ve just finished renovating my kitchen, and I have a huge pile of broken tiles and old bricks. I’d like to hire a skip, please.

Sarah: Certainly. For heavy building materials like that, our medium-sized container is usually the best choice. Where would you like us to place it?

Mark: Can you just leave it on the road right in front of my house?

Sarah: We can do that, but you’ll need to apply for a city council permit first, which takes a few days. However, if we put it on your private driveway, you won’t need any paperwork at all.

Mark: Oh, I didn’t realize that. Let’s just go with the driveway then. It’s much less complicated.

Sarah: Great. We can deliver the skip tomorrow morning. How long will you need to keep it?

Mark: Probably about a week. Could you come and collect it next Friday?

Sarah: Next Friday is perfect. I’ll set that up for you right now.