Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – I want it NOW!

1 shopping   2 getting to work   3 cooking   4 working

5 seeing friends

1   I spend much less time (beep) – that is, going to real shops – than in the past, because now I get so much online. I buy most of my food online – everything except fresh things like meat or fruit and vegetables. Er, I get books from Amazon. I buy a lot of clothes online. And it’s so quick. You don’t have to go there; you don’t spend as long looking for what you want. It’s just much, much quicker. I definitely prefer it.

2   One of the things that has changed for me is (beep). It takes me much longer now because I cycle. A few years ago, I drove – I took the car – but then I decided to cycle, not always because I enjoy it, but because I know it’s healthier. It takes me about half an hour to get to work now. Actually, when the weather’s good I really enjoy it, but when it’s raining or just cold and horrible, I get up and I think oh no!

3   I definitely spend a lot more time (beep) now than I did before, I think because, er, about a year ago, I started living with my boyfriend. When I lived alone, in the evening I was tired and I just got a takeaway, or made something really quickly, or just had some bread and cheese or whatever was in the fridge – whatever was easier. But when you have someone else in the house, you feel more like cooking. And also my boyfriend’s a vegetarian, so it’s a bit more complicated to do something very quick. So before, I spent about twenty minutes a day, and now I spend about an hour. But I’m quite happy with that – I enjoy it.

4   I probably spend about the same amount of time (beep) as I did three years ago. I’m a freelance writer now, and three years ago I had an office job, so I was doing, you know, thirty-five hours a week. Now, some weeks I probably work about fifty hours, and others twenty hours, but on average, I think it’s about the same.

5   I definitely spend less time (beep), because two years ago we moved to the country from the city – and most of our friends are in the city and they’re quite a long way away from us now. Sometimes they come and spend the weekend with us, or we go and spend the weekend with them, but on average, I definitely spend less time with them.

a Speaker 4   b Speaker 1   c Speaker 5

d Speaker 2   e Speaker 3

1   I spend much less time shopping – that is, going to real shops – than in the past, because now I get so much online. I buy most of my food online – everything except fresh things like meat or fruit and vegetables. Er, I get books from Amazon. I buy a lot of clothes online. And it’s so quick. You don’t have to go there; you don’t spend as long looking for what you want. It’s just much, much quicker. I definitely prefer it.

2   One of the things that has changed for me is getting to work. It takes me much longer now because I cycle. A few years ago, I drove – I took the car – but then I decided to cycle, not always because I enjoy it, but because I know it’s healthier. It takes me about half an hour to get to work now. Actually, when the weather’s good, I really enjoy it, but when it’s raining or just cold and horrible, I get up and I think oh no!

3   I definitely spend a lot more time cooking now than I did before, I think because, er, about a year ago, I started living with my boyfriend. When I lived alone, in the evening I was tired and I just got a takeaway, or made something really quickly, or just had some bread and cheese or whatever was in the fridge – whatever was easier. But when you have someone else in the house, you feel more like cooking. And also my boyfriend’s a vegetarian, so it’s a bit more complicated to do something very quick. So before, I spent about twenty minutes a day, and now I spend about an hour. But I’m quite happy with that – I enjoy it.

4   I probably spend about the same amount of time working as I did three years ago. I’m a freelance writer now, and three years ago I had an office job, so I was doing, you know, thirty-five hours a week. Now, some weeks I probably work about fifty hours, and others twenty hours, but on average, I think it’s about the same.

5   I definitely spend less time seeing friends, because two years ago we moved to the country from the city – and most of our friends are in the city and they’re quite a long way away from us now. Sometimes they come and spend the weekend with us, or we go and spend the weekend with them, but on average, I definitely spend less time with them.