Social Media – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Answer: (B) To tell him to avoid opening a dangerous web address.

• Explanation: Emma calls to warn Daniel: “Do not tap on that URL” (which means avoid opening a dangerous web address). Option (A) is a trap; Daniel received a message about a “hilarious video,” but it was a fake message sent by the hacker, not the reason Emma is calling. Option (C) is a trap; she mentions her password, but she does not ask Daniel to help her change it.

2 Answer: (C) She accessed a bad link sent by a relative.

• Explanation: Emma says she “followed the link” that she received “from my cousin” (a relative). Option (A) is a trap; her cousin is mentioned, but she did not give her login details to them. Option (B) is plausible in a hacking situation but is never mentioned in the audio.

3 Answer: (A) Assistance from the platform’s help desk.

• Explanation: Emma says she contacted “customer support” (help desk) and is waiting because “it might take a couple of days to resolve.” Option (B) is a trap; she mentions sending an “email” to support and calling her “close friends,” but she is not waiting for an email from her friends. Option (C) is not mentioned.

Daniel: Hello?

Emma: Daniel, it’s Emma. Listen to me carefully. Did you get a direct message from my social media profile just now?

Daniel: Yeah, about two minutes ago. It said something about a hilarious video. I was actually just about to open it. Why?

Emma: Stop! Do not tap on that URL. My account has been completely taken over by someone else. It’s automatically broadcasting spam messages to everyone on my contact list.

Daniel: Oh wow, seriously? How did that happen?

Emma: Well, I made a stupid mistake yesterday. I received a similar text from my cousin and I followed the link without thinking. Now I’m locked out of my own page and I can’t reset my password.

Daniel: That’s awful. Have you contacted customer support yet?

Emma: I sent them an email an hour ago, but they said it might take a couple of days to resolve. Anyway, I’m calling all my close friends right now to warn them. Just delete that chat immediately.

Daniel: Will do. Thanks for the heads-up, Emma. Good luck getting it back!

1 Answer: (B) He posted a remark that seemed disrespectful online.

• Explanation: Sarah was upset because of the “comment” Tom left on her picture (a remark online) that made her look like she wasn’t doing her job (disrespectful). Option (A) is a trap; she mentions her “boss” follows her, but Tom didn’t send an email to the manager. Option (C) is a trap; “coffee” is mentioned in the photo, but he didn’t drink it.

2 Answer: (A) Tom failed to include a humorous digital symbol in his text.

• Explanation: Tom explains that he was joking but “forgot to add the laughing face emoji” (failed to include a humorous digital symbol). Option (B) is a trap; he wrote the word “lazy”, but he explicitly says he thinks she is the “hardest worker,” so he didn’t genuinely believe she was lazy. Option (C) is not mentioned.

3 Answer: (B) He will remove his words and purchase a drink for her.

• Explanation: Tom promises to “delete that comment” (remove his words) and “buy you a coffee later” (purchase a drink). Option (A) is a trap; the boss was mentioned earlier, but Tom does not offer to talk to the boss. Option (C) is a trap; he mentions the missing emoji/symbol, but he doesn’t promise to send a text with many of them.

Sarah: Hey Tom. Do you have a minute?

Tom: Sure, Sarah. What’s up? You look a bit annoyed.

Sarah: Well, um, I wanted to ask about the comment you left on my picture last night. The one where I was holding a coffee at my desk. You wrote, “Another lazy afternoon, I see.”

Tom: Oh no! Ah… I’m so sorry! Did that upset you?

Sarah: Honestly, yes. My boss follows my account, and it made it look like I wasn’t doing my job properly.

Tom: I completely understand why you’re mad. I was totally joking, but I was in a rush and forgot to add the laughing face emoji at the end. I actually think you’re the hardest worker in our department.

Sarah: Oh, phew. I really thought you were criticizing me. Text without any symbols can be so confusing to read.

Tom: It really can sound harsh. I’ll delete that comment right now and replace it with something supportive. And I’ll buy you a coffee later to make up for it!

Sarah: Thanks, Tom. I’d appreciate that.

1 Answer: (B) He shared a private image in a professional channel.

• Explanation: Ryan says he accidentally dropped a picture into the “Global Marketing Team” channel (a professional channel). Option (A) is a trap; Maya asks “Did your computer crash again?” but Ryan immediately says “No, worse!”. Option (C) is plausible in an office but never mentioned.

2 Answer: (A) A funny photograph of his pet.

• Explanation: Ryan states he sent “a picture of my dog wearing sunglasses” (a funny photograph of his pet). Option (B) is a trap; he intended to send it to his “family group chat”, but the picture itself is not of his family members. Option (C) is not mentioned.

3 Answer: (C) Because his coworkers would still be able to look at the picture.

• Explanation: Maya explains that if he clicks the normal Delete, “Everyone else will still be able to view it,” meaning his coworkers would still see the picture. He must choose “Unsend for everyone” instead. Options (A) and (B) are traps that sound like plausible software warnings, but they are not the reason Maya gives.

Ryan: Maya, quick! I need your help right now. It’s an emergency.

Maya: Whoa, calm down, Ryan. What’s going on? Did your computer crash again?

Ryan: No, worse! I was trying to send a picture of my dog wearing sunglasses to my family group chat. But I wasn’t paying attention, and I just dropped it into the “Global Marketing Team” channel! The boss is in that group!

Maya: Oh no. That’s embarrassing. But don’t panic, you can remove it. Just right-click on the image.

Ryan: Okay, I see a menu. It says “Delete message”. Should I click that?

Maya: Wait! If you just select “Delete”, it only disappears from your screen. Everyone else will still be able to view it. You have to choose the option that says “Unsend for everyone”.

Ryan: Ah, found it! “Unsend for everyone”. Done! Phew… that was entirely too close. Do you think the manager saw it?

Maya: It was only up for ten seconds. I highly doubt anyone noticed.

1 Answer: (B) She is unable to share a recording of a live music event online.

• Explanation: Chloe says she has been trying to “post this video from the concert” (share a recording of a live music event). Option (A) is a trap; the internet is mentioned, but she explicitly says her home Wi-Fi is “working perfectly fine.” Option (C) is a trap; she mentions a video, but she didn’t delete it.

2 Answer: (A) A weak wireless network signal.

• Explanation: Sam first asks, “Are you connected to the Wi-Fi? Sometimes mobile data isn’t stable enough,” which means his initial suspicion is a weak network signal. Option (B) is a trap; the file size restriction is the actual cause that he discovers later, not his initial suspicion. Option (C) is not mentioned.

3 Answer: (C) By reducing the total length of her media clip.

• Explanation: Chloe says she will “cut out the speech, select my favorite part,” which means reducing the total length of her media clip (trimming it down). Option (A) is a trap; Sam mentions mobile data earlier, but not as a solution. Option (B) is a trap; Sam suggests compressing the file, but nobody mentions paying for a premium tool.

Chloe: Sam, can you look at my phone? I’ve been trying to post this video from the concert to my timeline for the last hour, but it keeps failing.

Sam: Let me see. Hm, it says “Upload Error”. Are you connected to the Wi-Fi? Sometimes mobile data isn’t stable enough for big uploads.

Chloe: Yeah, I’m on my home Wi-Fi and it’s working perfectly fine. I actually just watched a movie online without any buffering.

Sam: Okay, so the internet connection isn’t the issue. How long is the video?

Chloe: It’s about fifteen minutes long. I recorded the entire last song and the band’s speech.

Sam: Ah, that explains it! The file size is definitely way too massive. Social media platforms usually have strict limits on how heavy a file can be. You’ll need to trim it down to under three minutes or use an app to compress it.

Chloe: Oh, I had no idea. I guess I’ll just cut out the speech, select my favorite part of the song, and try posting it again. Thanks, Sam!

1 Answer: (B) His account was blocked after multiple incorrect attempts.

• Explanation: Leo says he typed the password “three times” (multiple incorrect attempts) and his profile is “temporarily suspended” (blocked). Option (A) is a trap; he forgot his password, not his ID number (he knows his ID is 89432). Option (C) is a plausible reason for a website not working, but it is never mentioned.

2 Answer: (B) His university identification code.

• Explanation: Nina says, “First, I need your student ID number” (which means university identification code) to verify his identity. Options (A) and (C) are traps; these are common personal details needed for verification, but Nina does not ask for them.

3 Answer: (A) He is currently unable to access that specific inbox.

• Explanation: Leo explains that he uses the “exact same password for that inbox,” so he “can’t open it right now either” (unable to access). Options (B) and (C) are traps that describe common student complaints, but they are not the reason Leo gives in the conversation.

Nina: University IT Helpdesk, Nina speaking. How can I assist you today?

Leo: Hi Nina. I’m trying to access the student discussion board to check my group project, but I am completely locked out.

Nina: I see. Did you forget your login details?

Leo: Yeah, unfortunately. I typed in what I thought was the right password three times. After that, a warning popped up saying my profile is temporarily suspended.

Nina: That is just our standard security measure to prevent unauthorized access. I can certainly help you regain control. First, I need your student ID number to verify your identity.

Leo: Sure, it’s 89432.

Nina: Thank you, Leo. I am going to generate a password reset link right now. Should I forward it to your official university email address?

Leo: Um, actually, please don’t. I use the exact same password for that inbox, so I can’t open it right now either. Could you send it to the personal email I registered with instead?

Nina: No problem at all. I’ve just sent the link to your private Gmail account. You should be able to create a new password and log in within minutes.

Leo: Awesome, it just arrived. Thanks for your help!