Animals & Habitats – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation between two friends and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does Sarah’s new puppy look like?
(A) He is big and black.
(B) He is brown with long ears.
(C) He is white and small.
2 Why did Sarah choose this specific puppy?
(A) Because she always wanted a brown dog.
(B) Because the black dog was too expensive.
(C) Because he looked very cute at the shelter.
3 How does the puppy behave around Sarah’s cat?
(A) He is very friendly and plays with the cat.
(B) He is scared and hides from the cat.
(C) He barks loudly at the cat.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) He is brown with long ears.
- Explanation: Sarah describes her new dog as a “little brown puppy with really long ears.” Option A is the trap; Mark mentions a “big black Labrador,” and Sarah admits she planned to get it, but she changed her mind. Option C is not mentioned.
2 (C) Because he looked very cute at the shelter.
- Explanation: Sarah says, “He was just so cute, so I chose him instead.” Options A and B are not mentioned in the audio.
3 (A) He is very friendly and plays with the cat.
- Explanation: Sarah says the puppy is “incredibly friendly” and that they are “already playing together.” Option B is the trap; Sarah says she thought he might be scared, but he actually wasn’t.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Sarah: Hey Mark! Guess what? I finally adopted a puppy!
Mark: Really? That’s awesome, Sarah! What kind of dog is it? Did you get that big black Labrador you wanted?
Sarah: Well, um, I actually planned to get the black one. But when I got to the animal shelter, I saw this little brown puppy with really long ears. He was just so cute, so I chose him instead.
Mark: Aww, brown with long ears sounds adorable. Is he shy?
Sarah: Not at all! I thought he might be scared of my cat, however, he is incredibly friendly. They are already playing together.
Mark: That’s great! I can’t wait to meet him.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between a mother and her son, and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What should Leo feed the cat today?
(A) Leftover fish.
(B) Dry food.
(C) Wet canned food.
2 Why can’t the cat eat the fish?
(A) It made her sick before.
(B) There is no fish left.
(C) She doesn’t like the taste.
3 What does the mother want Leo to do with the water bowl?
(A) Just leave it because it is already full.
(B) Empty it and add fresh water.
(C) Wash the bowl with soap.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Dry food.
- Explanation: The mother says, “just give her a cup of dry food today.” Option (A) is the trap; Leo suggests giving the leftover fish, but the mother rejects this idea. Option (C) is never mentioned.
2 (A) It made her sick before.
- Explanation: The mother explains that the cat “had a stomachache last time” she ate it. Option (B) and (C) are plausible reasons in real life, but they are not mentioned in the audio.
3 (B) Empty it and add fresh water.
- Explanation: The mother clearly instructs Leo to “pour it out and give her fresh water.” Option (A) is the trap; the mother admits the bowl looks full, but she still wants him to change it because the water is old. Option (C) is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mom: Leo, before you leave for school, don’t forget to take care of Luna.
Leo: Okay, Mom. Should I give her the leftover fish from last night?
Mom: I thought about that, but she had a stomachache last time. So, just give her a cup of dry food today.
Leo: Got it. Dry food only. What about her water?
Mom: Well, her bowl looks full, however, the water is from yesterday. Please pour it out and give her fresh water.
Leo: Sure, I’ll do that right now before the school bus arrives.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation between a brother and sister, and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What is the cheetah doing on the TV program?
(A) Chasing a gazelle.
(B) Fighting with a lion.
(C) Sleeping on a rock.
2 What did Lily believe before watching this program?
(A) Cheetahs are the fastest animals.
(B) Lions are the fastest animals.
(C) Gazelles are the fastest animals.
3 What happens at the end of the video?
(A) The cheetah catches its dinner.
(B) The gazelle runs away safely.
(C) The cheetah finds another animal to eat.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) Chasing a gazelle.
- Explanation: Lily says, “It’s chasing a gazelle.” Option (B) is the trap; the word “lions” is mentioned later, but the cheetah is not fighting one. Option (C) is the trap using the word “rock,” but the cheetah is not sleeping on it.
2 (B) Lions are the fastest animals.
- Explanation: Lily clearly says, “I always thought lions were the fastest animals in the world.” Option (A) is the trap; she learns this fact from Tom during the conversation, it wasn’t what she believed before. Option (C) is not mentioned.
3 (B) The gazelle runs away safely.
- Explanation: Lily says the gazelle “jumped over a rock and escaped.” Option (A) is the trap; Lily says the cheetah almost caught the gazelle, but it failed (The Twist). Option (C) is plausible in a nature show but is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Tom: Wow, Lily, look at that cheetah on TV! It is running so fast!
Lily: Yeah! It’s chasing a gazelle. I always thought lions were the fastest animals in the world.
Tom: No, actually, the cheetah is the fastest land animal. It can run up to 120 kilometers per hour.
Lily: That is amazing! Oh no, look! It almost caught the gazelle, but the gazelle jumped over a rock and escaped.
Tom: Oh, man. So the cheetah didn’t get its dinner tonight.
Lily: Poor cheetah. It looks so tired now.
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation between a father and his daughter and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 Which animal does Sophie want to see at the beginning of the conversation?
(A) The elephants.
(B) The monkeys.
(C) The lions.
2 Where is the monkey exhibit located?
(A) Near the entrance of the zoo.
(B) Outside the zoo area.
(C) At the back of the zoo.
3 What is the final decision? Which animal will they see first?
(A) The monkeys, because they are Sophie’s favorite.
(B) The elephants, because of the feeding time.
(C) Both animals at the same time.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) The monkeys.
- Explanation: Sophie explicitly says, “I really want to see the monkeys first.” Option (A) is the trap because that is what they decide later, not what she wanted at the beginning.
2 (C) At the back of the zoo.
- Explanation: The father mentions that “the monkey exhibit is at the very back of the zoo.” Option (A) is the trap; the father says the elephants are near the entrance, not the monkeys.
3 (B) The elephants, because of the feeding time.
- Explanation: Although Sophie loves monkeys, she agrees with her dad’s suggestion: “Let’s visit the elephants first” to catch the 9:00 AM feeding. This is the “Result”.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Dad: Are you excited about our trip to the zoo tomorrow, Sophie?
Sophie: Yes, Dad! I really want to see the monkeys first. They are so funny when they climb trees.
Dad: Well, I thought about that, but the monkey exhibit is at the very back of the zoo. The elephants are right near the entrance.
Sophie: Oh, I see. But the monkeys are my favorite!
Dad: I know, however, the elephant feeding starts at 9:00 AM. If we go there first, we can see them eat.
Sophie: That sounds great! Let’s visit the elephants first, and then we can spend more time with the monkeys later.
Dad: Perfect. It’s a very large area, so we should wear comfortable shoes.
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation between two students and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What animal did Sam want to write about at first?
(A) A dolphin.
(B) A lion.
(C) A tiger.
2 Why can’t they do their project on Sam’s favorite animal?
(A) Because Emma hates lions.
(B) Because lions are not smart enough.
(C) Because they have to choose a sea animal.
3 What is their final decision for the science project?
(A) They will write about dolphins.
(B) They will write about lions.
(C) They will ask the teacher for a different topic.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) A lion.
- Explanation: Sam explicitly says, “I really wanted to do our science project on them” (referring to lions). Option (A) is the trap; a dolphin is Emma’s favorite animal, not what Sam wanted at first. Option (C) is not mentioned.
2 (C) Because they have to choose a sea animal.
- Explanation: Emma reminds Sam that “our teacher said we need to choose a sea animal this time.” Option (A) is the trap; Emma prefers dolphins, but the real reason they can’t choose lions is the teacher’s rule.
3 (A) They will write about dolphins.
- Explanation: After realizing they must choose a sea animal, Emma suggests, “Let’s do our project on dolphins then,” and Sam agrees by saying, “Okay.” Option (B) is the trap because it was Sam’s original plan before he remembered the rule (The Twist).
AUDIO SCRIPT
Sam: I think lions are the best animals in the world. They are so strong and brave!
Emma: I don’t know, Sam. I prefer dolphins. They are incredibly smart and very friendly to humans.
Sam: That’s true, but lions are the kings of the jungle. I really wanted to do our science project on them.
Emma: I thought about that, but our teacher said we need to choose a sea animal this time.
Sam: Oh, you’re right! I completely forgot about that rule. So, we can’t write about lions today.
Emma: Exactly. Let’s do our project on dolphins then. We can write about how they communicate.
Sam: Okay, that sounds like a fun idea!