Geography – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation between two hikers and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 How long have the hikers been walking in the wrong direction?
(A) Fourteen minutes.
(B) Forty minutes.
(C) One hour.
2 Where are the hikers heading right now?
(A) Towards the stream.
(B) Towards the South.
(C) Towards the mountains.
3 What is the hikers’ final decision?
(A) To stay where they are and wait.
(B) To turn around and find the stream.
(C) To continue walking North.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Forty minutes.
- Why B is correct: Hiker A says: “We’ve been walking North for forty minutes!”
- Why A is a trap:“Fourteen” (14) and “Forty” (40) are the most easily confused sounds at the A2 level.
- Why C is wrong: “One hour” is not mentioned in the text.
2 (C) Towards the mountains.
- Why C is correct: Hiker A confirms their current location: “We are actually heading towards the high mountains instead.”
- Why A is a trap: This is where they want to go, not where they are going.
- Why B is a trap: South is the correct direction according to the map, but they are going north.
3 (B) To turn around and find the stream.
- Why B is correct: Đây là kỹ thuật “The Twist”. Sau khi nhận ra lỗi sai, họ quyết định: “Let’s turn around and walk back the other way.”
- Why A is wrong: The female character says, “We can’t stay here.”
- Why C is a trap: This is the wrong direction they went, and they decide to stop and turn back.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Hiker A (Man): Stop, stop! Let me look at the compass again. I have a bad feeling.
Hiker B (Woman): Why? Are we almost at the stream? I’m so thirsty and tired.
Hiker A: Oh, no… I’m so sorry, Sarah. Look at the needle. We’ve been walking North for forty minutes!
Hiker B: What? But you said the stream was to the South. The map says so, too!
Hiker A: I know. I thought this was the right path, but I made a big mistake. We are actually heading towards the high mountains instead.
Hiker B: Well, we can’t stay here. It’s getting late. Let’s turn around and walk back the other way immediately.
Hiker A: You’re right. We need to find that water before it gets dark. Let’s go!
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between two people in a car. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Where are they trying to go?
(A) To the big hill.
(B) To a hotel near the lake.
(C) To a campsite in the forest.
2 What mistake did the woman make?
(A) She looked at the map incorrectly.
(B) She dropped the map in the river.
(C) She told the man to drive faster.
3 What should they have done at the river?
(A) They should have gone straight.
(B) They should have stopped the car.
(C) They should have turned right.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) To a hotel near the lake.
- Why B is correct: The man explicitly says, “But our hotel is near the lake!” when he realizes they are going the wrong way.
- Why A is a trap: The “big hill” is where they are driving right now by mistake, not their actual destination.
- Why C is wrong: A campsite and a forest are not mentioned in the audio.
2 (A) She looked at the map incorrectly.
- Why A is correct: The woman admits her mistake: “I looked at the map upside down.”
- Why B is a trap: The word “river” is mentioned in the dialogue, but she didn’t drop the map in it.
- Why C is wrong: Driving faster is never discussed.
3 (C) They should have turned right.
- Why C is correct: The woman states the correct direction they missed: “We were supposed to turn right at the river.”
- Why A is a trap: “Went straight” is the mistake they actually made (“we just went straight up the hill”), not what they should have done.
- Why B is wrong: Stopping the car at the river is not mentioned as part of the directions.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Driver (Man): Are you sure this is the right way? The road is getting very steep.
Navigator (Woman): Let me check the map again. Um, I think we are okay. We are driving up the big hill.
Driver: The hill? But our hotel is near the lake!
Navigator: Oh, wait. I looked at the map upside down. I am so sorry! We were supposed to turn right at the river.
Driver: So we missed the turn?
Navigator: Yes. Instead of turning, we just went straight up the hill.
Driver: Well, we have to go back down. Let’s turn the car around safely.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation between a police officer and a driver. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What happened on the mountain road?
(A) There is a bad car accident.
(B) Some big rocks fell on it.
(C) It is covered in thick snow.
2 Why did the driver originally want to use the mountain road?
(A) Because it is the fastest way.
(B) Because it has a beautiful view.
(C) Because it is perfectly safe.
3 Which way will the driver go to reach the city now?
(A) Over the mountain.
(B) Next to the beach.
(C) Through the forest.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Some big rocks fell on it.
- Why B is correct: The police officer clearly explains the problem: “Because of the heavy rain last night, some big rocks fell on the road.”
- Why A & C are wrong: A car accident and thick snow are both plausible reasons for a road closure, but they are never mentioned in the audio.
2 (A) Because it is the fastest way.
- Why A is correct: The driver states his original reason: “I really wanted to use this road because it’s the fastest way.”
- Why B is wrong: A beautiful view is not mentioned.
- Why C is a trap: The phrase “perfectly safe” is spoken in the audio, but the police officer uses it to describe the other road (next to the beach), not the mountain road.
3 (B) Next to the beach.
- Why B is correct: This is the A2 Twist. Because the mountain road is closed, the police officer tells him to “take the road next to the beach instead,” and the driver agrees to “drive along the coast.”
- Why A is a trap: Over the mountain was the driver’s original plan, which he has to change.
- Why C is wrong: A forest is a geographical feature, but it is not mentioned in the dialogue.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Police: Stop the car, please! You cannot go this way.
Driver: Oh? Is there a problem, officer? I need to take this mountain road to get to the city.
Police: Well, it is closed right now. Because of the heavy rain last night, some big rocks fell on the road. It’s too dangerous.
Driver: Oh, no. I really wanted to use this road because it’s the fastest way. How can I get to the city now?
Police: You have to turn around and take the road next to the beach instead. It is perfectly safe, but it will take an extra hour.
Driver: Okay, I understand. I will drive along the coast then. Thank you.
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation between a beach lifeguard and a tourist. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What is the tourist doing on the rock?
(A) He is fishing.
(B) He is taking pictures.
(C) He is sleeping.
2 Why does the lifeguard tell the man to leave the rock?
(A) The water level is rising fast.
(B) The beach is closing for the day.
(C) The rock is breaking apart.
3 Where should the tourist go to be safe?
(A) To a taller rock.
(B) To the lifeguard station.
(C) To the sandy beach.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) He is taking pictures.
- Why B is correct: The tourist explains his action: “I’m just taking some pictures of the ocean.”
- Why A & C are wrong: Fishing and sleeping are never mentioned in the conversation.
2 (A) The water level is rising fast.
- Why A is correct: The lifeguard says “The tide is coming in very fast,” and confirms when the tourist asks if “the water level is rising.”
- Why B & C are wrong: The audio does not mention the beach closing or the rock breaking.
- Note on A2 Trap: The tourist says “It’s very safe up here,” and the lifeguard agrees it is safe in the morning, but uses the contrast “but not now” to show the current danger.
3 (C) To the sandy beach.
- Why C is correct: The lifeguard gives a direct instruction: “Please walk back to the sandy beach immediately.”
- Why A is a trap: Moving to a taller rock might seem like a logical guess to escape the water, but it is not what the lifeguard tells him to do.
- Why B is wrong: The lifeguard station is not mentioned as the place to go.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Lifeguard (Woman): Excuse me, sir! You need to come down from that rock right now!
Tourist (Man): Why? I’m just taking some pictures of the ocean. It’s very safe up here.
Lifeguard: It is safe in the morning, but not now. The tide is coming in very fast.
Tourist: The tide? You mean the water level is rising?
Lifeguard: Yes! In ten minutes, that rock will be completely under water. Please walk back to the sandy beach immediately.
Tourist: Oh, wow. I didn’t realize that. I’ll come down right away. Thank you!
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation between a passenger and a train conductor. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 Where does the passenger want to go?
(A) To Greenfield.
(B) To the coast.
(C) To the mountains.
2 Where is this train actually traveling to?
(A) It is going to the ocean.
(B) It is going back to the city.
(C) It is traveling inland.
3 What does the conductor tell the passenger to do?
(A) Buy a new ticket.
(B) Get off at the next station.
(C) Stay on the train until the end.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) To the coast.
- Why B is correct: The passenger clearly states his plan: “No, I’m going to the coast. I want to spend the weekend at the beach.”
- Why A is a trap: “Greenfield” is the first place mentioned in the audio, but it is just the conductor’s guess, which the passenger rejects.
- Why C is a trap: The mountains are mentioned later, but that is where the train is actually going, not where the passenger wants to go.
2 (C) It is traveling inland.
- Why C is correct: The conductor explains the train’s real route: “it travels far inland towards the mountains.”
- Why A is a trap: The ocean is the passenger’s desired destination, but the conductor explicitly says, “This train doesn’t go to the ocean.”
- Why B is wrong: Going back to the city is never mentioned in the conversation.
3 (B) Get off at the next station.
- Why B is correct: The conductor gives a clear solution to the problem: “Don’t worry. Get off at the next station in ten minutes.”
- Why A is wrong: Buying a new ticket is a plausible action when you make a mistake, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
- Why C is a trap: This is the opposite of what he should do. If he stays on the train, he will end up in the mountains.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Conductor: Tickets, please. Thank you. Um, sir, are you going to Greenfield?
Passenger: Greenfield? No, I’m going to the coast. I want to spend the weekend at the beach.
Conductor: Oh, dear. I am sorry, but you are on the wrong train. This train doesn’t go to the ocean.
Passenger: What? But the sign at the station said “Southbound”!
Conductor: Yes, it is going South, but it travels far inland towards the mountains. It does not go near the coast at all.
Passenger: Oh no! What should I do?
Conductor: Don’t worry. Get off at the next station in ten minutes. You can catch the right train there.