Holiday Experiences – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation between two friends and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What did the woman actually do on the beach?
(A) She went surfing.
(B) She went swimming.
(C) She rode a horse.
2 Why didn’t she do what she originally planned?
(A) The weather was too cold.
(B) The waves were not safe.
(C) She couldn’t find a surfboard.
3 How did the woman feel about her activity?
(A) She thought it was a great experience.
(B) She was scared because it was her first time.
(C) She thought it was boring.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) She rode a horse.
- Explanation: The woman says “I saw some people riding horses. So, I decided to try that!”. Option A is the trap: she mentions surfing (“I rented a surfboard”), but she didn’t actually do it. Option B is plausible for a beach holiday but is never mentioned in the audio.
2 (B) The waves were not safe.
- Explanation: The woman clearly states, “But unfortunately, the waves were too dangerous.” Option C is the trap: she explicitly says she “rented a surfboard”, so finding one was not the problem. Option A is not mentioned.
3 (A) She thought it was a great experience.
- Explanation: She describes the horseback riding as “fantastic” and “the best part of the trip.” Option B is the trap: she mentions it was her “first time,” which might lead listeners to assume she was scared, but she never expresses fear.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Woman: Look at these photos from my trip to Bali, Mark.
Man: Wow, the beach looks amazing! Did you go surfing?
Woman: Well, I really wanted to. I even rented a surfboard on the first day. But unfortunately, the waves were too dangerous.
Man: Oh no! So what did you do instead?
Woman: Um, I just walked along the beach and saw some people riding horses. So, I decided to try that! It was my first time, and it was fantastic.
Man: That sounds like a lot of fun. The horse in this picture is beautiful.
Woman: Yeah, it really was the best part of the trip.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between two colleagues and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What kind of cakes did the woman give to the man?
(A) Matcha green tea cakes.
(B) Strawberry cakes.
(C) Chocolate cakes.
2 Why didn’t she buy the green tea cakes?
(A) They were too sweet.
(B) The shop was closed.
(C) There were none left in the shop.
3 How does the woman describe the taste of the cakes she bought?
(A) They are very sweet.
(B) They are a little sour.
(C) They taste like hot tea.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Strawberry cakes.
- Explanation: The woman says, “So, I bought these strawberry cakes instead.” Option A is the trap: the man asks about “matcha green tea ones”, but she didn’t buy them. Option C is a plausible cake flavor but is not mentioned in the audio.
2 (C) There were none left in the shop.
- Explanation: The woman explains that the green tea cakes “were completely sold out at the shop.” Option A is a trap: the word “sweet” is mentioned later when talking about the strawberry cakes, not the green tea ones. Option B is plausible but not mentioned.
3 (B) They are a little sour.
- Explanation: The woman describes the strawberry cakes by saying, “they are actually quite sour.” Option A is the trap: she explicitly says, “I thought they would be very sweet, but…” meaning they are not sweet. Option C is a trap: she says they are delicious “with” a cup of hot tea, not that they taste like tea.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Man: Welcome back! How was Japan?
Woman: It was amazing! Oh, I brought you a little souvenir. Here you go.
Man: Wow, a beautiful box of cakes! Thank you so much. Are these the famous matcha green tea ones?
Woman: Well, I really planned to get you those, but they were completely sold out at the shop. So, I bought these strawberry cakes instead.
Man: Oh, I love strawberries! Have you tried them?
Woman: Yes, I had one yesterday. I thought they would be very sweet, but they are actually quite sour. They are really delicious with a cup of hot tea.
Man: That sounds perfect. Let’s make some tea right now!
Listening 3
Listen to a conversation between a brother and sister about their family holidays and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What did they do at the beach?
(A) They went snorkeling.
(B) They built sandcastles.
(C) They played volleyball.
2 Why didn’t the girl like the mountain trip?
(A) It was too crowded.
(B) It was too cold.
(C) It was too dangerous.
3 What does the boy agree was better about the beach trip?
(A) The quiet places.
(B) The clear water.
(C) The food.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) They built sandcastles.
- Explanation: The boy says, “So, we just built sandcastles instead.” Option A is the trap: they “planned to go snorkeling”, but they couldn’t because the water wasn’t clear. Option C is a plausible beach activity but is never mentioned.
2 (B) It was too cold.
- Explanation: The girl clearly states about the mountain trip, “I didn’t like it. It was too cold.” Option A is the trap: the word “crowded” is used by the boy to describe the beach, not the mountain. Option C is not mentioned in the audio.
3 (C) The food.
- Explanation: The boy admits, “The food was definitely better this year,” referring to the seafood at the beach compared to the hot dogs in the mountains. Option A is a trap: the mountains were quiet, not the beach. Option B is a trap: the boy explicitly says the beach water “wasn’t clear.”
AUDIO SCRIPT
Boy: I think our camping trip to the mountains last year was the best. We made a big fire every night.
Girl: Really? I didn’t like it. It was too cold. I prefer our beach trip this year.
Boy: But the beach was so crowded! We planned to go snorkeling, but the water wasn’t clear. So, we just built sandcastles instead.
Girl: Well, building sandcastles was fun! And the seafood was amazing. At the mountain, we only ate hot dogs.
Boy: Um, yeah, that’s true. The food was definitely better this year. But I still miss the quiet mountains.
Listening 4
IListen to a conversation between a husband and wife cooking at home. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What kind of soup did the woman actually make tonight?
(A) Seafood soup.
(B) Chicken soup.
(C) Vegetable soup.
2 Why didn’t she use fish for the soup?
(A) The fish cost too much money.
(B) The supermarket didn’t have any fish.
(C) She forgot to go to the supermarket.
3 Where did they eat the soup during their holiday?
(A) At the supermarket.
(B) At their hotel.
(C) At a restaurant near the beach.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Chicken soup.
- Explanation: The wife clearly says, “So, I just bought chicken instead,” which means she made chicken soup. Option A is the trap: she “wanted to make” seafood soup, but she didn’t. Option C is a plausible type of soup but is never mentioned.
2 (A) The fish cost too much money.
- Explanation: The wife explains that “the fresh seafood was too expensive” (expensive = cost too much money). Option C is the trap: she explicitly says, “I even went to the supermarket,” so she didn’t forget. Option B is plausible but not the reason she gave.
3 (C) At a restaurant near the beach.
- Explanation: The husband asks, “You mean the seafood soup from that restaurant near the beach?” and the wife says, “Yes!”. Option A is the trap: the “supermarket” is mentioned in the audio, but that is where the wife went today to buy ingredients, not where they ate on holiday. Option B is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Wife: This soup smells good, but it’s not like the one from our holiday.
Husband: You mean the seafood soup from that restaurant near the beach?
Wife: Yes! I really wanted to make that tonight. I even went to the supermarket to buy some fish.
Husband: Oh, so is this seafood soup?
Wife: Um, no. Unfortunately, the fresh seafood was too expensive. So, I just bought chicken instead.
Husband: Ah, I see. Well, chicken soup is still great. Maybe we can go back to that restaurant next year.
Wife: I hope so!
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation between two roommates. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What did Chloe like about her vacation?
(A) The exciting city life.
(B) The quiet countryside.
(C) The long bus ride.
2 Why is Chloe feeling tired right now?
(A) She did not sleep much during her vacation.
(B) She studied all night for her classes.
(C) She was in heavy traffic for a long time.
3 What is Chloe going to do tonight?
(A) Go to sleep early.
(B) Read her books for class.
(C) Travel back to the countryside.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: (B) The quiet countryside.
- Explanation: Chloe says, “The countryside was so quiet and relaxing.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is incorrect because she went to the countryside, not the city, for her vacation. Option (C) is a trap; she mentions the bus ride, but she says it was “awful,” not something she liked.
2 Correct Answer: (C) She was in heavy traffic for a long time.
- Explanation: Chloe explains that the bus ride took six hours because of “terrible traffic.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option (A) is a trap using the word “sleep.” Emma asks if she didn’t get enough sleep, but Chloe says, “I actually slept a lot there.” Option (B) is incorrect because she hasn’t started studying yet.
3 Correct Answer: (A) Go to sleep early.
- Explanation: Chloe says, “I just want to go to bed early.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option (B) is the main “twist” trap. She initially wanted to review her notes tonight, but changed her mind and will read her books “tomorrow morning instead.” Option (C) is logically incorrect since she just returned from there.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Emma: Welcome back, Chloe! How was your vacation at your grandparents’ house?
Chloe: Oh, it was fantastic. I stayed there for two whole weeks. The countryside was so quiet and relaxing.
Emma: You look really tired, though. Didn’t you get enough sleep?
Chloe: Well, I actually slept a lot there. But the bus ride back to the city was awful. It took six hours instead of three because of terrible traffic!
Emma: Oh no. Are you ready for our classes tomorrow?
Chloe: Not at all. I wanted to review my notes tonight, but honestly, I just want to go to bed early. I’ll read my books tomorrow morning instead.