Housework – A1 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) Clean the windows

• Explanation: The vlogger clearly says, “First, I will clean the windows.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “Wash the curtains” (A) is the second job, not the first. “Clean the kitchen” (C) is a normal housework task but is never mentioned in the audio.

2 (A) C-L-E-A-N

• Explanation: The vlogger says the word and spells it out: “C-L-E-A-N”.
• Why the trap is wrong: “Window” (B) and “Spring” (C) are important words in the vlog, but the speaker does not spell them.

3 (C) The rug

• Explanation: The vlogger says, “Third, I need to vacuum the rug.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “The floor” (A) and “The sofa” (B) are things people often vacuum in their houses, but they are not mentioned in the audio.

Vlogger: Hi everyone! Welcome to my vlog. Today is Spring Cleaning day. I have three big jobs today. First, I will clean the windows. C-L-E-A-N. Clean the windows. Second, I will wash the curtains. Third, I need to vacuum the rug. Let’s start!

1 (C) Blue

• Explanation: The manager says, “Put plastic trash in the blue bin” and repeats it later: “blue for plastic.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Yellow (A) is for food. Green (B) is mentioned (“Not the green bin”) as a distractor to test if the student is listening to the negation.

2 (A) P-L-A-S-T-I-C

• Explanation: The manager spells out the word for the material: “P-L-A-S-T-I-C.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Yellow (B) and Trash (C) are important words in the script, but they are not spelled out.

3 (B) Food

• Explanation: The manager says, “Put food waste in the yellow bin” and confirms “yellow for food.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Plastic (A) belongs in the blue bin. Paper (C) is a common type of trash but is not mentioned in this audio.

Manager: Attention, everyone. This is your building manager. Please listen to the new rules for trash. Put plastic trash in the blue bin. P-L-A-S-T-I-C. Again, plastic goes in the blue bin. Put food waste in the yellow bin. Not the green bin. Remember: blue for plastic and yellow for food. Thank you.

1 (C) Cooking dinner

• Explanation: Kevin clearly says, “I really like cooking dinner for my family.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “Washing pans” (A) is a trap because Kevin hates doing it, he doesn’t like it. “Washing plates” (B) is something he doesn’t mind doing, but not his favorite thing.

2 (B) P-A-N-S

• Explanation: Kevin spells the word for the things he hates washing: “P-A-N-S”.
• Why the trap is wrong: “Plates” (A) and “Dirty” (C) are important words in the speech, but Kevin does not spell them.

3 (B) The pans

• Explanation: Kevin says, “But I hate washing the pans,” and repeats that they are “the worst job.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “The plates” (A) is a direct trap. He explicitly says, “I do not mind washing the plates” (meaning he is okay with washing them). “The cups” (C) are not mentioned in the audio.

Student: Hello everyone. My name is Kevin. I want to talk about housework today. I really like cooking dinner for my family. But I hate washing the pans. P-A-N-S. Washing pans is the worst job. They are very dirty. I do not mind washing the plates, but the pans are too hard to clean. Thank you for listening.

1 (A) 5 minutes

• Explanation: The podcaster says, “You only need 5 minutes” and repeats “5 minutes” later in the audio.
• Why the trap is wrong: 50 (C) is a sound trap because “five” and “fifty” can be confused at A1 level. 15 (B) is not mentioned.

2 (B) Q-U-I-C-K

• Explanation: The podcaster says “quick way” and spells the word: “Q-U-I-C-K”.
• Why the trap is wrong: Clean (A) and Easy (C) are adjectives used in the podcast, but the speaker does not spell them.

3 (C) Make the bed

• Explanation: The speaker says, “First, make the bed.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “Pick up clothes” (A) is the second step. “Open the window” (B) is the third step.

4 Answer: (A) Open the window

• Explanation: The third and final step mentioned is to “open the window.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “Make the bed” (B) is the first step. “Buy a podcast” (C) is not mentioned.

Podcaster: Welcome to my podcast. Today, I have a quick way to clean your room. Q-U-I-C-K. You only need 5 minutes. First, make the bed. Yes, make the bed. Second, pick up dirty clothes. And third, open the window. Again, remember: 5 minutes to make the bed, pick up clothes, and open the window. It is very easy!

1 (B) A new soap

• Explanation: The speaker says, “Try our new soap” and “Buy Star soap today!”
• Why the trap is wrong: “White shirts” (A) is a direct trap because shirts are mentioned, but they are what you wash, not what you buy in this ad. “A washing machine” (C) is a housework item but is not mentioned in the audio.

2 (C) S-T-A-R

• Explanation: The speaker says the name of the soap and spells it: “S-T-A-R”.
• Why the trap is wrong: “Shirt” (A) and “Clean” (B) are important words in the advertisement, but the speaker does not spell them.

3 (B) White

• Explanation: The speaker says, “Do you have dirty white shirts?” and “It makes your white shirts very clean.”
• Why the trap is wrong: “Black” (A) and “Blue” (C) are common colors for clothes, but they are never mentioned in the audio.

Voiceover: Are your clothes dirty? Do you have dirty white shirts? Try our new soap. The name is Star. S-T-A-R. Star soap is great. It makes your white shirts very clean. It is very easy to use. Buy Star soap today!