Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – House and home

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1 c   2 d   3 b   4 a

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Photo a:   Switzerland, Austria or Slovenia; a big family, or two or three different families; it might be a holiday home.

Photo b:   Dubai or a modern city; someone without children, someone who works a lot; someone who doesn’t spend much time there.

Photo c:   Mexico or Spain; a small family or an older couple.

Photo d:   Tokyo, a big city; a single person or a couple.

SPEAKER 1   Well, it’s very small so it can’t belong to a big family, maybe a small family or an older couple who live on their own. Where is it? It’s somewhere dry and sunny, so it could be Mexico, maybe, or Spain.

SPEAKER 2   There can’t be much space in there, so I think it must belong to a single person or a couple. And where is it? It could be in any big city, but on the outskirts of the city, I think. It might be somewhere like Tokyo, where land’s expensive so you can’t build big houses. It might not be a house; it might be two separate flats. No, they can’t be flats, the ground floor one is too small, so it must be a house.

SPEAKER 3   You can see tall buildings outside the window, so this flat must be somewhere like Dubai or some modern city. Whoever lives there can’t have children; it’s much too tidy. It might be someone who works a lot, or someone who doesn’t spend much time there.

SPEAKER 4   It’s a huge house, so a very big family must live there, or maybe two or three different families. Or it might be a holiday home because it’s in the mountains somewhere. It could be Switzerland or Austria, or perhaps Slovenia. Somewhere in Europe.

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Tim thinks cities are better places to live than small towns because: there is so much going on; it’s safer to live in a big city; it’s better for the environment.

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1 T   2 T   3 T

4 F   A study in the US showed that there were more accidents in the country than the city.

5 F   People who live in the country generally drive more and so have a bigger carbon footprint.

TIM   What are you reading?

KATE   Fran just sent me the link to this list of five reasons why small towns are better than cities.

T   Ha-ha!

К   What are you laughing at? Small towns are better than cities.

T   Yes, if you want to have nothing to do and never meet anyone new!

К   Well, I loved growing up in a small town. There’s a real sense of community. People care about you. It’s like you belong to one big family.

T   Yes, I know you liked it. But I’ve always been a city boy. I love being in the centre of things – there’s so much going on here. Cinemas, restaurants, museums. And there are lots more work opportunities in big cities than in a small town.

К   But there’s also more crime. Life’s more dangerous here.

T   Actually, research has shown that it’s actually safer to live in the city.

K   Really? I find that hard to believe.

T   Yes, they did a study in the US that compared the number of accidents in country and city areas. And in the country there was a much higher number of accidents than in the city. Car crashes mainly, because people drive more in the countryside.

K   That makes sense if you think about it. And hospitals are nearer, I suppose, so you get help quicker.

T   Exactly. So it’s actually safer to live in the city. And it’s better for the environment.

K   Really? How do you work that out?

T   Well, you can’t rely on public transport in the countryside like you can in the city, so you have to drive more. It’s been proved that if you live in the city, you actually have a smaller carbon footprint, especially if you live somewhere with good public transport.

K    I’ve definitely noticed that I walk more now I live in the city. Everything’s closer, I guess. And it is nice not to have to get into the car just to go to a supermarket.

T   You see! There are a lot of advantages to living in a city. You can’t argue with that.

K   No, I can’t – there are definitely advantages. But I still miss my little home town.

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Becky is meeting Tom’s parents for the first time. She’s feeling a bit nervous.

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1 T

2 F   Becky thinks that Michael will watch the football match, but he isn’t interested in football.

3 T

4 F   She’s an architect.

5 T

Part 1

BECKY   Do I look OK, Tom?

TOM   You look great! You’ve got nothing to worry about.

В   Oh, I really hope your parents like me.

T   Of course they will. You’ll be fine! After you, go on. … Dad, this is Becky.

MICHAEL   Hello, Becky. I’m Michael. It’s very nice to meet you.

В   Nice to meet you.

T   And this is my mum, Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE   Hello! It’s lovely to meet you at last!

В   Oh, you too!

С   Thank you. They’re lovely.

M   Take a seat, Becky.

В   Oh, thank you.

С   Would you excuse me for a moment? I just need to check on the food.

В   Of course. Is there anything we can do to help?

С   Oh no, it’s all under control!

В   So, Martin …

T   Michael!

В   Er, Michael. I expect you’re excited about the match this afternoon.

M   I’m not really a football fan, to be honest. I prefer golf.

В   Oh, I see.

C   Tom, do you think you could give me a hand in here?

T   Sure.

M   So, do you play golf?

В   No.

В   So Caroline, Tom tells me you’re an architect. That must be very interesting.

С   Oh, er, yes, I really enjoy it. In fact, at the moment, I’m working on …

M   Here we go.

В   Oh, this looks delicious.

M   It’s my own recipe.

В   What’s in it?

M   It’s chicken and mushroom.

В   Oh. Um …

M   Is something wrong?

T   She’s a vegetarian!

В   And I’m allergic to mushrooms.

С   What? Tom, why didn’t you tell us?

T   I sent you an email yesterday. Didn’t you see it?

M   Oh no, we didn’t!

С   I’m really sorry, Becky. Let me get you something else.

В   Oh no, Caroline, it’s fine, really. Is it OK if I just have some bread and butter?

С   No, we can do better than that. I’ll get you a green salad.

В   Oh OK, that would be lovely. Thanks.

T   Becky, my mum’s name is Charlotte, not Caroline.

В   Oh no! How embarrassing!

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They’re talking about Becky.

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1 T

2 F   Michael likes Becky.

Part 2

TOM   Listen, I know today hasn’t gone very well.

MICHAEL   What do you mean?

T   Well, Becky kept getting your names wrong. And she didn’t eat the food you made.

M   Oh, don’t worry about that. It wasn’t her fault. Becky seems really great.

T   You really think so?

M   Yes, of course.

T   Well, I’m really happy to hear that, because, well, I’m thinking of asking her to marry me.

M   Really? But that’s great!

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1   four

2   In Sue’s cousin’s apartment near Miami Beach

3   go to the beach, visit the Everglades, spend a day at Disney World, take a trip to Cape Canaveral

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JON   So you’re going to Florida, Sue. Lucky you! It must be nice and warm – not like here.

SUE   Yes, it’s about 30°C, I think.

J   I’m so jealous! Where are you staying? In a hotel?

S   No, we’ve got an apartment near Miami Beach, with a swimming pool. It actually belongs to my cousin, but she’s going to New York so she said we can use it while she’s away. And her car.

J   And her car? Wow, she must like you a lot!

S   Well, yes, it’s really generous of her. It means we’re just paying for the flight. We couldn’t afford it otherwise, not with the four of us.

J   So, what are you going to do? Are you going to travel around?

S   Well, it depends on the weather. It’s hurricane season so it might be quite windy. But we’ll probably go to the beach for a start – we all like swimming. Then Mia, my daughter, she’s really into wildlife, so she wants to go to the Everglades and see the alligators, so we’ll definitely do that. And of course we’re going to have to go to Disney World for a day. I don’t really want to, but Mark – that’s my son – he wants to go there, and he wants to go on all the rides.

J   Oh, come on, it might be fun. You’ll enjoy it.

S   Yes, I might.

J   Sounds like you’re going to be busy, anyway.

S   Yeah. Oh, and my husband says we’ve got to go to Cape Canaveral – he wants to see the Apollo space rockets, so I guess we’ll spend a couple of days doing that. I don’t really want to go there. It’s so far away, I’m not sure I can cope with so much driving. But there’s no point in arguing with him about it. Once he gets an idea in his head.

J   So, you’re doing everything your family wants. What about you? What do you want to do?

S   Me? Oh, I’d just like to relax and do nothing – sit by the pool and read a few books.

J   Well, it sounds like you’re going to be too busy. You won’t have time for that.

S   No …

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1 b   2 f   3 a   4 e   5 c   6 b

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1 c   2 c   3 c   4 c   5 a   6 c   7 b   8 c

LUIS   OK, is it my turn yet?

BEN   Erm, not yet. You have to miss your turn this time because you only got three ‘ones’, remember?

L   Oh, yes, I forgot. So whose turn is it now?

KATIA   It’s mine, yay!l! OK, come on, come on – be lucky! Give Katia the score she needs. OK, so I’ve got two ‘sixes’. And what’s that one? I can’t see it from here.

B   It’s a ‘four’.

K   OK, so a ‘four’ and two ‘sixes’, sixteen. Ls that good?

B   Yes. You can move three places and you get a ‘Dream’ question.

K   Ooh! Excellent! Go on then.

B   OK, ‘You have one minute to describe your dream home to the other players- so just to Luis and Daniela – but not me. Every player has to draw what you describe – but with their eyes closed!’

L/DANIELA   What? / No! / I can’t draw to save my life!

B   Yes, yes. Just take a pencil and be quiet. OK, Katia? Close your eyes, Luis! OK, so Katia, are you ready? Good! So, one minute from now!

K   OK, so, my dream home! Let me see, oh 0K, I know! I know! So, it would be in Moscow, right in the centre, in a fantastic location somewhere in a really nice neighbourhood near to Pushkin Square. OK, and it would have to be on the top Floor of a really big building so that I could see the Kremlin and even Red Square from my window.

B   What kind of building?

K   A really big one.

B   Yes, but what kind of building? Old? New?

K   Oh, I see! OK, you’re right, yes. OK, well, really new. Like from the 1990s or 2000s. In fact, from any time after 2010. So it would have lots of shiny metal and glass on the outside and lots of gold and marble on the inside. Because, actually, my dream home isn’t a house but a luxury apartment. And it would be huge, I mean really, really big. And it would have a balcony along one side. The balcony would be really wide so that I’d have enough space for lots of flowers and a garden and a table where I could have picnics and parties. Oh, and actually, it would also have a big, a really, really big, square dance floor.

B   What about inside the apartment? They have to draw that tool

L   Oh man, you’re kidding, right?

B   No, no. And close your eyes!

L   Uff!

K   OK, inside the apartment would be completely different from the building. It would be decorated just like a room in an Irish country cottage. So, there would be lots of white walls and dark, brown wood. And really old things. The kitchen would have an old metal oven where I could make cakes and bread and things. And I’d also …

B   Time’s up! OK, Picasso, let’s have a look at, oh …