Extended Family – A1 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation between two friends. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What is the aunt’s name?
(A) Sarah
(B) Sara
(C) Tara
2 Who is the boy in the photo?
(A) The girl’s brother
(B) The girl’s cousin
(C) The girl’s uncle
3 How old is the boy in the photo?
(A) 4
(B) 14
(C) 40
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (Sara)
- Explanation: The boy asks if her name is spelled S-A-R-A-H (Option A is the trap). The girl says “No, it’s Sara with no ‘H’. S-A-R-A.” Option C (Tara) sounds similar but is never mentioned.
2 Correct Answer: B (The girl’s cousin)
- Explanation: The boy asks “Is he your brother?” (Option A is the trap). The girl answers “No, he is my cousin.” Option C (uncle) is a family word but is incorrect for the boy.
3 Correct Answer: B (14)
- Explanation: The girl clearly states, “He is 14 years old.” The boy repeats this information: “Wow, 14!” Option C (40) is a trap because “fourteen” and “forty” sound similar. Option A (4) is just a plausible number.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Girl: Look at this photo, Leo. This is my aunt.
Boy: Oh, she is very pretty! What is her name?
Girl: Her name is Sara.
Boy: Sarah? S-A-R-A-H?
Girl: No, it’s Sara with no “H”. S-A-R-A.
Boy: Ah, Sara. And who is the boy next to her? Is he your brother?
Girl: No, he is my cousin. His name is Leo, just like you! He is 14 years old.
Boy: Wow, 14! I am 14, too.
Listening 2
Two siblings, Anna and Ben, are planning their grandfather’s birthday party. Listen to the conversation and choose the best answer (A, B, or C).
1 How many guests (uncles and aunts) are coming to the party?
(A) Two
(B) Three
(C) Thirteen
2 What is the second uncle’s name?
(A) Paul
(B) Saul
(C) Tom
3 What fruit will they buy for the party?
(A) Apples
(B) Bananas
(C) Oranges
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (Three)
- Explanation: Anna mentions Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary (two people), then Ben asks about Uncle Paul. Anna confirms “So, that is three guests.” Option C (Thirteen) is a phonetic trap for the number 3.
2 Correct Answer: A (Paul)
- Explanation: Ben spells the name clearly: P-A-U-L. Option C (Tom) is the first uncle mentioned, not the one being spelled.
3 Correct Answer: C (Oranges)
- Explanation: Anna suggests apples (Option A – The Trap), but Ben says “No, Grandpa likes oranges” and spells it out. The final decision is oranges.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Ben: Anna, how many people are coming to Grandpa’s party?
Anna: Let’s count. Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary are coming. That is two people.
Ben: What about Uncle Paul? P-A-U-L. Is he coming?
Anna: Yes, he is. So, that is three guests.
Ben: Three guests. Okay. And what about the food? Do we have a cake?
Anna: Yes, a big chocolate cake. And we need some fruit. Do you like apples?
Ben: No, Grandpa likes oranges.
Anna: Oh, right! So, we have a cake and oranges. Perfect!
Listening 3
A niece and her aunt are talking on a weekend video call. Listen to the video call between a girl and her aunt. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Who is Lily talking to?
(A) Her mother
(B) Her aunt
(C) Her cousin
2 Where does Aunt Susan live?
(A) In London
(B) In Sydney
(C) In Paris
3 How is the weather where Aunt Susan is?
(A) It is sunny.
(B) It is raining.
(C) It is hot.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (Her aunt)
- Explanation: Lily says “Hi, Aunt Susan!” at the very beginning of the call. Option A (mother) is a trap because the aunt asks “How are you and your mom?”. Option C (cousin) is a family word but not mentioned.
2 Correct Answer: A (In London)
- Explanation: Lily asks, “Is it sunny in London today?” and the aunt answers about the weather there. Option B (In Sydney) is a trap because Sydney is where Lily is (“Here in Sydney…”). Option C (In Paris) is a plausible city but never mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: B (It is raining)
- Explanation: Aunt Susan clearly says “It is raining” and spells it out (R-A-I-N-I-N-G). Option A (sunny) is a trap because Lily asks if it is sunny, but the aunt says “No”. Option C (hot) is also a trap because Lily says it is hot in Sydney, not where the aunt is.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Lily: Hi, Aunt Susan! How are you today?
Aunt Susan: Hello, Lily! I am fine, thank you. How are you and your mom?
Lily: We are great! I miss you. Is it sunny in London today?
Aunt Susan: No, it is not sunny. It is raining. It is very cold!
Lily: Oh, it is raining? Here in Sydney, it is very hot.
Aunt Susan: Yes, cold and raining. Have a good weekend, Lily!
Listening 4
Two friends, Nick and Amy, are looking at a photo on a phone. Listen to the conversation between Nick and Amy. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What is the name of Amy’s cousin?
(A) Tony
(B) Toby
(C) Tommy
2 How old is the cousin?
(A) 2
(B) 12
(C) 20
3 What does the cousin look like?
(A) He is tall and has brown hair.
(B) He is short and has black hair.
(C) He is tall and has black hair.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (Toby)
- Explanation: Amy clearly spells out the name T-O-B-Y. Option A (Tony) and Option C (Tommy) are traps. They are included because they sound very similar to Toby, testing the listener’s ability to catch the exact spelling.
2 Correct Answer: B (12)
- Explanation: Amy says her cousin is “twelve years old” and repeats “one-two” to confirm. Option C (20) is a phonetic trap because “twelve” and “twenty” can sound similar to A1 learners. Option A (2) is also a trap to test if the listener understands “twelve” versus “two”.
3 Correct Answer: A (He is tall and has brown hair)
- Explanation: Nick says, “He looks very tall,” which confirms the first part. Then, Nick guesses the boy has “black hair” (Option C is the trap). However, Amy corrects him by saying, “No, he has brown hair.” Therefore, Option A is the only correct and fully accurate description.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Nick: Who is the boy in this photo, Amy?
Amy: Oh, that is my cousin. His name is Toby.
Nick: Toby? Um… how do you spell that?
Amy: It is T-O-B-Y. Toby.
Nick: I see. He looks very tall! How old is he?
Amy: He is twelve years old. One-two.
Nick: Twelve? Wow. And he has black hair.
Amy: No, he has brown hair. Short brown hair.
Nick: Ah, okay. Short brown hair. He is very handsome!
Listening 5
A grandson (Tom) and his neighbor (Mia) are talking about his grandparents. Listen to the conversation between Tom and Mia. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Where is Tom’s grandfather now?
(A) In the house
(B) In the garden
(C) In the park
2 What does Tom’s grandmother like doing?
(A) Gardening
(B) Reading books
(C) Cooking food
3 What do the grandparents do every morning?
(A) They read books.
(B) They walk in the park.
(C) They work in the garden.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (In the garden)
- Explanation: Mia asks if the grandfather is “in the house” (Option A is the trap), but Tom says “No… He is in the garden.” Option C (In the park) is a trap because the park is mentioned later in the conversation.
2 Correct Answer: B (Reading books)
- Explanation: Mia asks if the grandmother likes “gardening” (Option A is the trap). Tom says “No, she doesn’t. She likes reading books.” Option C (Cooking food) is never mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: B (They walk in the park)
- Explanation: Tom says clearly, “In the morning, my grandfather and grandmother walk in the park.” Option A (They read books) and Option C (They work in the garden) are traps because they are hobbies mentioned earlier, but they are not what the grandparents do together in the morning.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mia: Hi, Tom. Is your grandfather in the house?
Tom: No, he is not. He is in the garden. He loves gardening.
Mia: That is nice. Does your grandmother like gardening, too?
Tom: No, she doesn’t. She likes reading books.
Mia: Does she read in the morning?
Tom: No. In the morning, my grandfather and grandmother walk in the park.
Mia: They walk in the park?
Tom: Yes. They walk every morning.