Space Exploration – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Correct Answer: (B) At a rural property outside the city.

• Explanation: The man suggests going to his “uncle’s farm in the suburbs” (which matches “rural property outside the city”). Option (A) is The Trap: The woman suggests the “roof of our apartment building”, but the man rejects it because of the bright city lights. Option (C) is not mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: (B) Seating equipment.

• Explanation: The man specifically says, “I’ll bring the folding chairs” (folding chairs = seating equipment). Option (A) is The Trap: “Warm clothing” (heavy winter coat and blankets) is mentioned, but he tells the woman to grab those. Option (C) is also a trap: The woman is the one making the coffee (hot beverages).

3 Correct Answer: (A) Delay their sleep until the early morning hours.

• Explanation: The man states they will have to “stay awake pretty late. Like, around 2 AM.” This means they are staying up, delaying their sleep. Option (B) is The Trap: “Wake up early” sounds similar to 2 AM, but they are staying awake, not waking up. Option (C) is incorrect because they are meeting at 11 PM, not arriving at exactly midnight.

Man: Hey Sam, did you know the Perseid meteor shower is happening tonight? It’s supposed to be incredible.

Woman: Oh, really? I totally forgot! I’d love to see it. Should we just head up to the roof of our apartment building?

Man: Well, um, I thought about that, but the city lights are way too bright. We wouldn’t see much. I was thinking we could drive out to my uncle’s farm in the suburbs. It’s completely pitch black out there.

Woman: That sounds perfect! What time does it start?

Man: The peak viewing time isn’t until after midnight, so we’ll have to stay awake pretty late. Like, around 2 AM.

Woman: No problem, I can make a giant thermos of coffee. It gets freezing out there at night, though.

Man: Yeah, exactly. Make sure you grab your heavy winter coat and maybe some blankets. I’ll bring the folding chairs.

Woman: Awesome. So, I’ll pick you up at 11 PM?

Man: Sounds like a plan. See you then!

1 Correct Answer: (B) She is worried about the safety and the high price.

• Explanation: The woman mentions it sounds “incredibly risky” (safety) and says “the cost is astronomical” (price). Option (A) is The Trap: She does mention it’s a “ten-minute ride,” but that is part of her argument about the cost, not her primary concern. Option (C) is not mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: (A) To experience the feeling of zero gravity.

• Explanation: The man says “the experience of weightlessness would be life-changing.” Weightlessness is a synonym for zero gravity. Option (B) is not mentioned. Option (C) is The Trap: Even though it’s a space trip, he only mentions a “ten-minute ride,” not staying in a hotel.

3 Correct Answer: (C) By putting aside money in a dedicated account.

• Explanation: The man states, “I’ve already started a special savings account just for this.” Option (A) is The Trap: The woman mentions they could buy an apartment with that money, but the man never says he will sell one. Option (B) is not mentioned.

Man (Leo): Hey Maya, look at this brochure! A private company is finally offering civilian trips to the edge of space. I’ve always dreamt of seeing the Earth from up there.

Woman (Maya): Oh, Leo, are you serious? That sounds incredibly risky. Well, um, didn’t you hear about the technical failure they had during the test flight last month?

Man (Leo): I did, but they’ve already fixed the issue. It’s much safer now. Besides, the experience of weightlessness would be absolutely life-changing.

Woman (Maya): But the cost is astronomical! We could buy a luxury apartment with that amount of money instead of spending it on a ten-minute ride. It’s just not worth it.

Man (Leo): I know it’s pricey, but I’ve already started a special savings account just for this. I’m willing to wait years and work extra hours if I have to.

Woman (Maya): I just think there are better ways to spend your hard-earned cash. Why not go on a world cruise or something? At nhất là em sẽ được ở trên mặt đất an toàn.

Man (Leo): A cruise is nice, but it’s not the “final frontier,” is it? I want to see the “Big Blue Marble” with my own eyes, no matter the cost.

1 Correct Answer: (A) Because of its impressive computer-generated imagery.

• Explanation: The boy praises the “visual effects,” and the girl agrees the “CGI” (Computer-Generated Imagery) was stunning. Option (B) is Plausible but not mentioned: They do not talk about actors. Option (C) is The Trap: The entire conversation is about how the movie is not an accurate prediction of the future because living on Mars is unrealistic.

2 Correct Answer: (B) He believes it is highly unlikely due to dangerous conditions.

• Explanation: The boy says he “highly doubts” it because the environment is “too hostile” (deadly radiation, no oxygen). Option (A) is the opposite of his belief. Option (C) is The Trap: He mentions that “billionaires are investing” in spacecraft, but he never says they are the ones who will live there.

3 Correct Answer: (B) It made the construction of living habitats look too easy.

• Explanation: The girl says the movie “made it look like building giant glass domes is a simple fix” (simple fix = too easy). Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (C) is The Trap: The boy talks about a “small team of astronauts” surviving for research, but the movie didn’t show them failing.

Boy (Tom): Wow, that movie was absolutely mind-blowing! The visual effects were so realistic, especially the scenes of the Martian landscape.

Girl (Lisa): Yeah, totally! The CGI was stunning. But, um, it really made me wonder… do you think establishing a human colony on the Red Planet is actually possible in our lifetime?

Boy (Tom): Well, I know some billionaires are investing heavily in spacecraft, but honestly, I highly doubt it. The environment is just too hostile. There’s no oxygen, and the radiation levels are deadly.

Girl (Lisa): Exactly. The movie made it look like building giant glass domes is a simple fix. But in reality, generating enough food and water for a whole population seems like a nightmare.

Boy (Tom): Right. I mean, maybe a small team of highly trained astronauts could survive there for a few months for scientific research. But a permanent home for regular people? Not a chance.

Girl (Lisa): Ah, well. It’s still fun to dream about. But for now, I think we should just focus on taking better care of Earth.

1 Correct Answer: (B) He received it as a gift from his parents.

• Explanation: Leo states that his “mom and dad surprised me with it for my birthday” (mom and dad = parents; surprised with it for birthday = gift). Option (A) is The Trap: Mark asks if he bought it himself, but Leo rejects this, saying “I couldn’t afford something like this.” Option (C) is plausible but never mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: (A) He was amazed by the clear features of the lunar landscape.

• Explanation: Leo says he was “speechless” (amazed) because he could see the “deep craters and mountains in incredible detail” (features of the lunar landscape). Option (B) is The Trap: He mentions the moon “didn’t look like just a glowing white circle anymore,” meaning he was not disappointed. Option (C) is incorrect because he explicitly says the sky was “completely cloudless.”

3 Correct Answer: (C) To avoid the artificial brightness of the urban area.

• Explanation: Mark suggests the park because “The city lights here make it hard to spot other planets” (city lights = artificial brightness of the urban area). Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (B) is The Trap: They already saw the moon perfectly from the balcony; the goal of going to the park is to see other planets, not the moon.

Leo: Hey Mark, come check this out! Do you see this huge box in the corner?

Mark: Whoa, is that an astronomical instrument? It looks super professional. Did you buy it yourself?

Leo: No way, I couldn’t afford something like this. My mom and dad surprised me with it for my birthday last weekend. I’ve been wanting one for ages.

Mark: That’s amazing! Have you had a chance to test it out yet?

Leo: Yeah, actually. Last night, the sky was completely cloudless, so I took it out to the balcony. I pointed it at the lunar surface, and honestly, I was speechless. I could see all the deep craters and mountains in incredible detail. It didn’t look like just a glowing white circle anymore.

Mark: That sounds unreal! You know, um, maybe next week we could take it to the park? The city lights here make it hard to spot other planets, like Jupiter or Mars.

Leo: That’s exactly what I was thinking! Let’s definitely do that.

1 Correct Answer: (C) The scientific likelihood of life existing beyond Earth.

• Explanation: Chris says the author focuses on the “scientific probability” and the chances of Earth being the only “habitable planet” (which paraphrases to “likelihood of life existing beyond Earth”). Option (B) is The Trap: Jamie mentions “little green men,” but Chris explicitly says the author doesn’t talk about them. Option (A) is also a trap: Jamie mentions “sci-fi movies” and “fiction”, but the book itself is a scientific discussion, not a fictional story.

2 Correct Answer: (A) Our scientific equipment might not be able to detect their communications.

• Explanation: Chris mentions that alien signals might be “unrecognizable to our current technology” (unrecognizable to technology = equipment unable to detect). Option (B) is The Trap: Jamie mentions “highly advanced civilizations,” which implies they do have the technology, so the problem is not their lack of tech. Option (C) is plausible but is never mentioned in the audio.

3 Correct Answer: (B) He becomes open to the idea that other beings might exist in space.

• Explanation: When asked if he believes we are not alone, Jamie replies, “I’m starting to think we probably aren’t.” This shows he is now open to the idea. Option (A) is The Trap: This was his initial thought at the beginning of the conversation (“I always thought… was just pure fiction”), but his mind changed. Option (C) is not mentioned; he does not express fear or terror.

Chris: Hey Jamie, I just finished reading this fascinating book about extraterrestrial life. Have you ever thought about it?

Jamie: Um, not really. I mean, I love watching sci-fi movies, but I always thought the idea of little green men was just pure fiction.

Chris: Well, the author doesn’t talk about little green men. He actually focuses on the scientific probability. He argues that since there are billions of galaxies out there, the chances of Earth being the only habitable planet are extremely low. It makes you wonder, you know?

Jamie: That makes sense, I guess. But if highly advanced civilizations exist out there, wouldn’t they have tried to contact us by now?

Chris: Yeah, that’s exactly what the “Fermi Paradox” is about. The book suggests they might be too far away, or maybe their signals are just unrecognizable to our current technology. Ah, it really blew my mind. So, tell me, do you believe we’re not alone in the universe?

Jamie: Honestly? I’m starting to think we probably aren’t. It’s a huge universe, after all.