Feelings & Emotions – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) He is feeling very stressed because he has too many things to do.

• The Key: Alex says he is feeling “completely overwhelmed” and “stretched too thin” because of client emails, campaigns, and the report. This perfectly matches “stressed because he has too many things to do.”
• The Trap (A): The audio mentions “client emails”, but Alex doesn’t say the clients are difficult; he is just tired of the volume of work.
• The Trap (C): The phrase “advertising campaign” is mentioned, but he is working on it, not applying for a new job.

2 (A) He asks for more time to finish the work properly.

• The Key: Alex asks, “Could I possibly have an extension?” and wants to submit it next Wednesday instead of Friday. “Have an extension” is a paraphrase for asking for more time.
• The Trap (B): Mr. Davis mentions at the end that they can “delegate to someone else,” but that is about Alex’s daily tasks, not the data analysis for the report.
• The Trap (C): Alex mentions he wants to make the report “accurate,” not that it is currently inaccurate or should be canceled.

3 (C) He agrees to change the deadline and offers to reduce Alex’s daily tasks.

• The Key: Mr. Davis says, “Let’s push the deadline to next Wednesday” (change the deadline) and “see what we can delegate to someone else” (reduce his tasks).
• The Trap (A): Friday was the original deadline, but Mr. Davis agrees to push it to Wednesday. He does not force Alex to finish it by Friday.
• The Plausible (B): In the real world, managers might be upset, but Mr. Davis is very supportive and says, “I appreciate your honesty.”

Alex: Mr. Davis, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about the quarterly marketing report.

Mr. Davis: Sure, Alex. Come in. How is the data analysis coming along?

Alex: Well, um… to be honest, I’m feeling completely overwhelmed right now. Between the daily client emails, the new advertising campaign, and this report, I’m just stretched too thin.

Mr. Davis: I see. I didn’t realize you had so much on your plate. You’ve actually been looking a bit stressed lately.

Alex: Yeah, I’m really trying my best, but I’m just exhausted. I want to make sure the report is accurate, but with my current workload, I don’t think I can finish it by Friday.

Mr. Davis: I appreciate your honesty, Alex. It’s always better to speak up than to burn out. What do you need?

Alex: Could I possibly have an extension? If I could submit it next Wednesday instead, it would take a huge amount of pressure off me.

Mr. Davis: That’s reasonable. Let’s push the deadline to next Wednesday. We can also review your daily tasks tomorrow to see what we can delegate to someone else.

Alex: Thank you so much. I really appreciate your understanding.

1 (B) To celebrate a successful presentation given to a customer.

• The Key: David announces that “the client just left” and they “loved our proposal.” This is a paraphrase of having a successful presentation with a customer.
• The Trap (A): The audio mentions “fixing the software bug,” but this is an event that happened in the past (last minute before the presentation), not the main reason they are talking right now.
• The Plausible (C): Planning a schedule is a normal team activity, but it is never mentioned in this conversation.

2 (A) He is highly satisfied because they didn’t quit during hard times.

• The Key: David says he is “incredibly proud” and notes that they faced issues “but nobody gave up.” This perfectly matches being “highly satisfied” because they “didn’t quit.”
• The Trap (B): The words “nervous” and “working late” are in the audio, but Sarah was nervous and Tom mentioned working late. David is the one who feels proud.
• The Plausible (C): It is logical to be surprised when finishing a hard project, but David does not express surprise; he expresses pride and appreciation.

3 (B) The fact that the team members assisted one another.

• The Key: Tom says, “it was definitely a group effort” and he is grateful they “supported each other.” “Assisted one another” is a direct synonym for supporting each other.
• The Trap (A): Sarah praises Tom for fixing the bug by himself, but Tom rejects this compliment (The Trap) by saying “But it was definitely a group effort.” He doesn’t take all the credit.
• The Trap (C): The client is mentioned at the beginning, but there is no information about the client giving them extra time.

David: Alright everyone, the client just left the building. And… they absolutely loved our proposal!

Sarah: Oh, thank goodness! I was so nervous during the presentation. My hands were actually shaking.

Tom: Me too, honestly. We’ve been working late for three weeks straight. I’m just so glad it’s finally over.

David: It was definitely a challenging month, but I want to say how incredibly proud I am of this team. We faced so many technical issues last week, but nobody gave up.

Sarah: Well, we really couldn’t have done it without Tom fixing the software bug at the last minute.

Tom: Thanks, Sarah. But it was definitely a group effort. I’m just really grateful we supported each other when the pressure was high.

David: Exactly. The way you all collaborated was inspiring. I truly appreciate everyone’s dedication and hard work. Now, I think we deserve a proper celebration. Dinner and drinks are on me tonight!

Sarah & Tom: Cheers! / Sounds great!

1 (B) He felt let down because he put a lot of effort into the work.

• The Key: Leo says he was “disappointed” (which means let down) and mentions that he “spent a whole week researching” (which means he put a lot of effort into it).
• The Trap (A): Leo got a ‘C’. While this is a low grade for him, it is not a failing grade (Fail = F).
• The Plausible (C): Students often get annoyed about late grading, but this is never mentioned in the audio.

2 (C) It lacked clear evidence to back up his ideas.

• The Key: The professor explains that Leo “didn’t provide enough specific examples to support your main arguments.” Option C is a perfect paraphrase of this sentence.
• The Trap (A): The audio mentions “grammar,” but the professor actually praises it, saying his grammar and vocabulary were “excellent.”
• The Trap (B): Leo mentions he focused too much on the “word count,” but neither of them says the essay was too short.

3 (A) Plan his ideas carefully before he starts writing.

• The Key: Professor Miller tells Leo to “try creating a detailed outline first.” Creating an outline is the same as planning ideas before writing.
• The Trap (B): Leo mentions “formatting,” but the professor does not tell him to read books about it. In fact, Leo focused too much on formatting.
• The Trap (C): The professor said his vocabulary was already excellent, so he doesn’t need someone to check it.

Leo: Professor Miller, do you have a minute to discuss my mid-term essay?

Prof. Miller: Of course, Leo. Have a seat. I assume you want to talk about your grade?

Leo: Yes, um… to be honest, I was quite disappointed when I saw the result. I spent a whole week researching the topic, so getting a ‘C’ was a bit of a shock. I really thought I did better.

Prof. Miller: I understand it can be frustrating. Your grammar and vocabulary were excellent, actually. However, the issue wasn’t the language. You didn’t provide enough specific examples to support your main arguments. It was just too general.

Leo: Ah, I see. I guess I focused too much on the formatting and the word count, and I missed the deeper analysis.

Prof. Miller: Exactly. But don’t let this get you down. It’s a very common mistake.

Leo: Thank you, Professor. How can I improve for the final paper?

Prof. Miller: Next time, try creating a detailed outline first. And make sure every point has a real-world case study attached to it.

Leo: That makes sense. I’ll definitely do that.

1 (A) She is afraid she will not remember what to say during her speech.

• The Key: Lisa says she is terrified she will “freeze up and forget everything.” Option A is a direct paraphrase of this fear.
• The Trap (B): Mark explicitly states, “You are fully prepared” and that she knows the material “inside out.” She is not lacking preparation; she is just nervous.
• The Plausible (C): They are going to present to the board of directors, but the meeting hasn’t started yet, so nobody has asked her any questions.

2 (C) Perform a specific breathing exercise to reduce her stress.

• The Key: Mark tells her to try a “relaxation technique” and guides her to “take a slow, deep breath in… and let it out slowly.” This is a breathing exercise.
• The Trap (B): Lisa mentions her hands are “shaking,” but Mark encourages her to do the presentation anyway. He does not suggest canceling it.
• The Plausible (A): Drinking water is a very common and realistic way to calm down before public speaking, but Mark never mentions it in the audio.

3 (B) She feels much calmer and more in control of her emotions.

• The Key: At the end, Lisa says, “I’m feeling a lot more grounded now.” The word “grounded” means feeling emotionally stable and calm. Mark also tells her “You are in control.”
• The Trap (A): The audio mentions her heart pounding earlier, but after breathing, Lisa says, “My heart rate is slowing down,” meaning it is no longer beating too fast.
• The Trap (C): Mark mentions they “practiced this presentation a dozen times,” but Lisa never says she is exhausted or tired from doing so.

Lisa: Mark, I don’t think I can do this. My heart is pounding so fast, and my hands are actually shaking.

Mark: Hey, it’s okay, Lisa. It’s just classic stage fright. The board of directors is just a group of normal people. You know this material inside out.

Lisa: I know, but I’m terrified I’m going to freeze up and forget everything the moment I look at them. I’ve always hated public speaking.

Mark: We’ve practiced this presentation a dozen times. You are fully prepared. Listen to me, let’s try a quick relaxation technique. Close your eyes.

Lisa: Okay…

Mark: Now, take a slow, deep breath in through your nose for four seconds… hold it… and let it out slowly through your mouth.

Lisa: Wow, that actually helps a little bit. My heart rate is slowing down.

Mark: See? You are in control. Just focus on your breathing, and when we walk in there, pretend you’re just explaining the project to me.

Lisa: Thanks, Mark. I’m feeling a lot more grounded now. Let’s go do this.

1 (A) Her computer is repeatedly turning off by itself.

• The Key: Rachel says her laptop “just shut down again for the third time.” “Turning off” is a synonym for shutting down.
• The Trap (B): Rachel explicitly says, “thankfully my presentation is backed up online.” She did not lose her files.
• The Plausible (C): She mentions the “marketing team,” but they are the audience for her presentation. There is no mention of an argument.

2 (B) She has to deliver a presentation very soon.

• The Key: Rachel says she has a “massive presentation… in exactly thirty minutes.” “Deliver a presentation very soon” is a perfect paraphrase.
• The Trap (A): Kevin asks if she is getting a “blue screen,” but Rachel replies, “It just goes completely black.” The trap uses words from the audio but changes the facts.
• The Plausible (C): The cloud drive is mentioned, but Rachel already used it to back up her files, so she knows how to access it.

3 (B) He will lend her a different machine for the meeting.

• The Key: Kevin says, “I’ll bring you a replacement laptop to use for your meeting right now.” “Replacement laptop” means a different machine.
• The Trap (A): Kevin says he will figure out what is wrong with the broken one “afterward” in the IT lab, not right now before the meeting.
• The Plausible (C): Asking clients for a delay is a logical thing to do when tech fails, but Kevin does not offer to do this.

Rachel: Hi Kevin. I’m really sorry to bother you, but I’m feeling incredibly frustrated right now. My laptop just shut down again for the third time this morning.

Kevin: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Rachel. Are you getting a blue screen, or is it just turning off completely?

Rachel: It just goes completely black. And the worst part is, I have a massive presentation with the marketing team in exactly thirty minutes. I’m practically pulling my hair out here!

Kevin: I understand why you’re so stressed. Have you tried saving your files to the cloud drive?

Rachel: Yes, thankfully my presentation is backed up online. But I still need a working machine to actually show it to the clients.

Kevin: Okay, don’t panic. I’ll bring you a replacement laptop to use for your meeting right now. Afterward, I can take your broken one to the IT lab and figure out what’s causing the crashes.

Rachel: Oh, that would be a lifesaver, Kevin. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you acting so quickly.