Online Shopping – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Correct Answer: (B)

• Explanation: Ben points out that buyers are saying the “zipper breaks easily.” Option B paraphrases this as “issues with its fastener.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) is a trap. The blue jacket is actually “on sale” and the price is “much lower,” not costing much more. Option (A) is a plausible online shopping issue, but the audio only mentions that she might need a larger size, not that it is out of stock.

2 Correct Answer: (A)

• Explanation: Ben reads the reviews for the WinterGear coat and says people find it “incredibly warm.” Option A paraphrases this as providing “excellent protection against the cold.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) is a trap. The blue NorthPeak jacket is the one described as looking “really nice” (fashionable), not the WinterGear one. Option (B) is not mentioned in the audio.

3 Correct Answer: (C)

• Explanation: Maya decides to “order the black one” because it is an “investment” and she doesn’t want a broken jacket in the cold. Option C uses synonyms: “pricier option” (more expensive black coat) and “reliability” (quality is outstanding/not breaking).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap (mentioned but rejected). Ben advises that for the blue jacket, she might “need to order a larger size,” but she ultimately chooses the other brand. Option (B) is not mentioned; she decides to “go ahead and order” it right away.

Maya: Hey Ben, do you have a minute? I need your advice on a winter jacket. I just sent you two links in the chat.

Ben: Let me check… Okay, I see them. Oh, the blue one from NorthPeak looks really nice, and it’s on sale.

Maya: Yeah, that’s why I liked it. The price is much lower. But, um, did you read the comments section?

Ben: Hang on. Ah, right. A lot of buyers are saying the zipper breaks easily. And someone mentioned that it runs a bit small, so you might need to order a larger size.

Maya: Exactly. Now, look at the second link, the black coat by WinterGear.

Ben: Well, this one is definitely more expensive. But the customer feedback is almost perfect. People are saying it’s incredibly warm and the overall quality is outstanding.

Maya: So, do you think it’s worth the extra money?

Ben: I do. A good coat is an investment. You don’t want to be stuck with a broken jacket in the freezing cold.

Maya: You make a good point. I’ll go ahead and order the black one then. Thanks, Ben!

1 Correct Answer: (B)

• Explanation: Lily suggests that if Emma adds her items to the cart, they will “reach the minimum amount” to avoid the delivery charge. Option B paraphrases this as helping her “reach the minimum spending requirement.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap. The amount “$10” and the “delivery fee” are mentioned in the audio, but Lily explicitly states she doesn’t want to pay it because it is a “waste of money.” She is not asking to borrow money for it. Option (C) is a plausible shopping topic but is never mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: (C)

• Explanation: Lily reminds Emma that she needed “coffee beans” and “new notebooks.” Option C uses synonyms: “something to drink” (coffee beans) and “office supplies” (notebooks/stationery).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap. A “desk lamp” is mentioned at the very beginning of the conversation, but it is the item Lily wants to buy, not Emma. Option (B) is a plausible everyday purchase for roommates but is not mentioned in the audio.

3 Correct Answer: (A)

• Explanation: Lily tells Emma “don’t worry about it” when asked about transferring money right now, and adds, “You can pay me back next week.” Option A paraphrases this arrangement perfectly.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap (mentioned but rejected). Emma asks, “Do I need to transfer the cash to you right now?” but Lily says “No.” Option (C) is a trap; they are combining orders specifically to avoid the delivery charge, so there is no extra fee to split.

Lily: Hey Emma, are you ordering anything from MegaMart today? I’m about to buy that new desk lamp I showed you yesterday.

Emma: I wasn’t planning to. Why do you ask?

Lily: Well, um, my total comes to $35, but they only offer free shipping for orders over $50. If I pay for the delivery fee, it’s an extra $10, which feels like a total waste of money.

Emma: Ah, I see. You want to combine our purchases to avoid the delivery charge.

Lily: Exactly! You mentioned yesterday that you were running out of coffee beans and needed some new notebooks for the semester. If you add those to my cart, we will easily reach the minimum amount.

Emma: That’s actually a pretty good idea. I do need the coffee, and the stationery on that site is usually quite cheap. Do I need to transfer the cash to you right now?

Lily: No, don’t worry about it. Just pick what you want and send me the links. You can pay me back next week.

Emma: Perfect. Give me five minutes to browse.

1 Correct Answer: (B)

• Explanation: Mia tells her grandfather to “tap on this search bar at the top and type in ‘gardening gloves’.” Option B paraphrases this as “enter the name of the item.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) is a trap. The word “picture” is mentioned later in the audio, but he is not taking a picture of anything. Option (A) is a plausible step for online shopping, but it is not mentioned in the conversation.

2 Correct Answer: (A)

• Explanation: Mia tells him to look for the “yellow stars” which represent the “customer feedback,” meaning other buyers were happy. Option A paraphrases this as “the scores given by previous purchasers.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap (mentioned but rejected). Mia explicitly warns him: “you shouldn’t just pick the cheapest ones.” Option (C) is plausible but not mentioned.

3 Correct Answer: (C)

• Explanation: Mia instructs him to “press this orange button that says ‘Add to Basket’.” Option C paraphrases this perfectly as placing it in his “virtual cart” (Basket = Cart).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap (mentioned but rejected). Mia explicitly tells him, “you don’t click on the picture itself.” Option (A) is also a trap; the yellow stars are used to check the quality, not to add the item to the basket.

Grandpa: Mia, can you help me for a second? I want to buy a new pair of gardening gloves, but the local store is already closed.

Mia: No problem, Grandpa. We can just order them on the internet. Here, take my tablet. First, you need to tap on this search bar at the top and type in “gardening gloves”.

Grandpa: Okay, let me put my glasses on… G-L-O-V-E-S. Oh, wow! There are hundreds of them. Which ones should I choose?

Mia: Well, um, you shouldn’t just pick the cheapest ones. See these little yellow stars next to the picture? That’s the customer feedback. You want to look for items that have at least four or five stars. It means other buyers were really happy with the quality.

Grandpa: Ah, I understand. These green ones have four and a half stars. They look very sturdy and comfortable.

Mia: Perfect choice. Now, to actually buy them, you don’t click on the picture itself. You need to press this orange button that says “Add to Basket”.

Grandpa: Done. That was actually much easier than I expected!

1 Correct Answer: (B)

• Explanation: Tom mentions that the delivery guy dropped off “another two boxes” making it “five packages this week alone.” Option B paraphrases this as being “concerned about the high number of parcels arriving.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap. Tom sarcastically asks, “Are we opening a store or something?” but he does not actually want to open a shop. Option (C) is a trap because “vitamins” (health supplements) are mentioned, but Sarah already ordered them; Tom is not reminding her to do it.

2 Correct Answer: (A)

• Explanation: Tom states the problem is that they “buy it immediately without thinking if we truly need it.” Option A perfectly paraphrases this behavior as purchasing “instantly without considering if they are actually necessary.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap. Sarah mentions being “bored in the evening,” but they are spending money on online shopping, not “evening entertainment.” Option (C) is a trap; Tom mentions seeing things “on sale,” but the core problem is impulsivity, not just hunting for sales.

3 Correct Answer: (C)

• Explanation: Tom suggests they “leave it in the virtual shopping cart for at least 24 hours,” and Sarah agrees that if she still wants it “the next day, I can go ahead and pay.” Option C uses synonyms: “wait a full day” (24 hours) and “finalizing the payment” (pay for it).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap. They are setting a rule for buying non-essential items, but they are not going to “completely stop” buying them; they are just adding a waiting period. Option (A) is a plausible financial strategy, but it is never mentioned in the audio.

Tom: Sarah, the delivery guy just dropped off another two boxes. That makes, um, five packages this week alone. Are we opening a store or something?

Sarah: Oh, are they here? Well, one is just some vitamins, and the other… ah, I actually don’t remember what I ordered.

Tom: See? That’s exactly my point. I think we’re both doing too much impulsive online shopping lately. We see something shiny on sale, and we just buy it immediately without thinking if we truly need it.

Sarah: I guess you’re right. It is so easy to just click “buy now” when you’re bored in the evening. Our bank account is definitely feeling it.

Tom: Exactly. So, how about we set a new ground rule? Whenever we want to buy something non-essential, we have to leave it in the virtual shopping cart for at least 24 hours.

Sarah: A cooling-off period? That’s a great idea. If I still really want it the next day, I can go ahead and pay for it. If I forget about it, it means I didn’t need it in the first place.

Tom: Deal. Let’s start today.

1 Correct Answer: (B)

• Explanation: The siblings say “Finally!” and mention it “took two full weeks to get here.” Option B paraphrases this as being “thrilled that their delayed order has finally been delivered.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) is a trap. Liam mentions that he “was starting to think it got lost at customs” in the past, but the package is here now, so it is not currently stuck. Option (A) is not mentioned; the item is not damaged.

2 Correct Answer: (A)

• Explanation: Chloe says “the packaging is incredibly secure” and Liam notes they used “bubble wrap” so it “wouldn’t break.” Option A uses synonyms: “packed very safely” to “prevent any damage.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is a trap. Liam says he “was a bit worried the seller might not pack it properly,” but then confirms that “they did a great job.” Option (C) is a plausible unboxing complaint but is never mentioned.

3 Correct Answer: (B)

• Explanation: Chloe pulls out a “vintage comic book.” Option B paraphrases this as a “rare, old reading material.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a trap. Chloe asks Liam to hand her the “scissors,” but they did not buy the scissors from the store; they are just using them to open the box. Option (C) is also a trap; she mentions showing it to “Dad,” but they didn’t buy a picture of him.

Chloe: Liam, guess what just arrived in the mail! The international package we ordered.

Liam: No way! Finally! I can’t believe it actually took two full weeks to get here. I was starting to think it got lost at customs.

Chloe: Me too. Well, um, let’s open it up. Hand me those scissors, will you?

Liam: Here you go. Wow, look at all this bubble wrap. They certainly made sure it wouldn’t break during the journey.

Chloe: Yeah, the packaging is incredibly secure. Ah, here it is… the vintage comic book. It looks even better than the pictures online.

Liam: It really does. I’m so relieved. I was a bit worried the seller might not pack it properly for such a long trip, but they did a great job.

Chloe: Exactly. Anyway, I think it was definitely worth the wait. Let’s go show it to Dad.