Last weekend – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the short conversation between a manager and his employee before a meeting. Then, circle the correct answer for each question.
1 What did Sarah want to do on the weekend?
(A) Visit a museum.
(B) Fix her car.
(C) Go to the beach.
2 Why did Sarah’s plan change?
(A) Because her car stopped working.
(B) Because the weather was bad.
(C) Because she had to prepare for a meeting.
3 What did Sarah actually do?
(A) She stayed at the repair shop all day.
(B) She went to an art museum.
(C) She stayed home and rested.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Go to the beach.
- Explanation: Mr. Davis asks, “Did you go to the beach like you planned?” and Sarah replies, “Well, we really wanted to go to the beach.” Option (A) is the trap because it’s what she did later, not what she wanted to do initially. Option (B) is a distracter based on the car breaking down.
2 (A) Because her car stopped working.
- Explanation: Sarah says, “But unfortunately, our car broke down…” (“Broke down” means it stopped working). Option (B) is a common reason for not going to the beach, but it is not mentioned. Option (C) is a trap using the word “meeting” from the end of the dialogue.
3 (B) She went to an art museum.
- Explanation: Sarah explains, “So, we took the bus to the city center and visited the new art museum instead.” Option (A) is the trap; Mr. Davis asks if she stayed at the repair shop, but she clearly says “No.” Option (C) is never mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mr. Davis: Good morning, Sarah. How was your weekend? Did you go to the beach like you planned?
Sarah: Good morning, Mr. Davis. Well, we really wanted to go to the beach. But unfortunately, our car broke down on Saturday morning.
Mr. Davis: Oh, no! That’s terrible. So, did you spend the whole weekend at the repair shop?
Sarah: No, we just left the car there. So, we took the bus to the city center and visited the new art museum instead. It was actually quite interesting!
Mr. Davis: I’m glad you still had a good time. Alright, is everyone here? Let’s start our meeting.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between two sales employees. Then, circle the correct answer for each question.
1 What did Alex do first on Saturday morning?
(A) He met the new client.
(B) He went to the airport.
(C) He checked the new products.
2 Why didn’t Alex meet the client at 9 AM?
(A) Because the client’s flight was late.
(B) Because Alex had to go to the warehouse.
(C) Because the client forgot the meeting.
3 What did Alex and the client talk about at lunch?
(A) The new contract.
(B) General market trends.
(C) The new products.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) He checked the new products.
- Explanation: Alex says, “So, I went to the warehouse to check our new products first.” Option (A) is the trap; he planned to meet the client first, but the plan changed. Option (B) is a plausible distracter because a flight is mentioned, but he didn’t go to the airport.
2 (A) Because the client’s flight was late.
- Explanation: Alex explicitly states the reason: “but his flight was late.” Option (B) is a trap; going to the warehouse was the result of the flight being late, not the reason they couldn’t meet. Option (C) is never mentioned.
3 (B) General market trends.
- Explanation: Alex says, “So, we just talked about general market trends instead.” Option (A) is the trap (The Twist); they planned to discuss the new contract, but didn’t because the client was tired. Option (C) is a distracter using information from earlier in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Brenda: Morning, Alex. How was your business trip to Boston on Saturday morning?
Alex: Hi, Brenda. It was okay, but very busy.
Brenda: Did you meet the new client at 9 AM like we planned?
Alex: Well, I wanted to meet him at 9, but his flight was late. So, I went to the warehouse to check our new products first.
Brenda: That’s a good idea. Did you finally see the client later?
Alex: Yes, we had lunch together. We planned to discuss the new contract, but he was really tired from the trip. So, we just talked about general market trends instead.
Brenda: Oh, I see. Well, at least you checked the products.
Listening 3
Listen to a student talking about his weekend in front of the class. Then, circle the correct answer for each question.
1 What did Kevin do on Saturday morning?
(A) He played basketball in the park.
(B) He watched TV in the living room.
(C) He played video games in his bedroom.
2 What did Kevin do after he finished his math homework?
(A) He helped his mom cook dinner.
(B) He went to the park with his friends.
(C) He went to sleep.
3 Which animals did Kevin watch at the zoo on Sunday?
(A) Monkeys.
(B) Elephants.
(C) Tigers.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) He played video games in his bedroom.
- Explanation: Kevin says, “But it rained, so I stayed in my bedroom and played video games instead.” Option (A) is the trap; he wanted to play basketball, but the rain changed his plan. Option (B) is never mentioned.
2 (A) He helped his mom cook dinner.
- Explanation: Kevin states clearly, “I finished it [the homework] quickly. After that, I helped my mom cook dinner.” Option (B) is a distracter using the word “park” from earlier in the text. Option (C) is a trap using the word “sleep” which appears later in the story.
3 (B) Elephants.
- Explanation: Kevin says, “So, we watched the elephants instead.” Option (A) is the trap (The Twist); he wanted to see the monkeys, but he couldn’t because they were sleeping. Option (C) is a plausible zoo animal but is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Kevin: Hello everyone. My name is Kevin, and today I will tell you about my weekend. On Saturday morning, I wanted to play basketball in the park with my friends. But it rained, so I stayed in my bedroom and played video games instead. In the afternoon, I had to do my math homework. It was easy, so I finished it quickly. After that, I helped my mom cook dinner. Then, on Sunday, my parents took me to the city zoo. I really wanted to see the monkeys, but they were sleeping. So, we watched the elephants instead. It was a pretty good weekend!
Listening 4
Listen to three students talking about their group project. Then, circle the correct answer for each question.
1 What did Maya find for the project?
(A) Some history books.
(B) Some online articles.
(C) A documentary video.
2 How did Leo write the introduction?
(A) On his laptop.
(B) On his smartphone.
(C) On paper.
3 What did Nick read over the weekend?
(A) Only chapter three.
(B) Chapter four.
(C) The whole book.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Some online articles.
- Explanation: Maya says, “So, I just found some good articles online instead.” Option (A) is the trap; she wanted to get history books, but the library was closed. Option (C) is not mentioned in the audio.
2 (C) On paper.
- Explanation: Leo states clearly, “I wrote it on paper instead.” Option (A) is the trap (The Twist); he planned to use his laptop, but it broke down. Option (B) is a plausible tool for students, but it is never mentioned.
3 (A) Only chapter three.
- Explanation: Nick says, “So, I only finished chapter three.” Option (B) is the trap; he wanted to read chapter four, but couldn’t because of a headache. Option (C) is never mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Nick: Hey guys. Let’s talk about our history project. What did you do last weekend, Maya?
Maya: Well, I wanted to go to the library to get some history books. But it was closed on Sunday. So, I just found some good articles online instead.
Nick: That’s fine. What about you, Leo?
Leo: I planned to type the introduction on my laptop. Unfortunately, my computer broke down on Saturday!
Maya: Oh no! So you didn’t do anything?
Leo: I did. I wrote it on paper instead. I will type it tomorrow. And you, Nick?
Nick: I wanted to read chapter four, but I had a terrible headache. So, I only finished chapter three.
Leo: That’s okay. We still have time.
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation between an employee and the HR manager. Then, circle the correct answer for each question.
1 Why didn’t Emma go to the teambuilding event?
(A) Because she missed the bus.
(B) Because she caught a bad cold.
(C) Because she didn’t want to go to the beach.
2 What did Emma do on Saturday night?
(A) She bought some medicine.
(B) She went to sleep early.
(C) She packed her bag.
3 Where did Emma go on Sunday?
(A) To the pharmacy.
(B) To the hospital.
(C) To the beach.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Because she caught a bad cold.
- Explanation: Emma explains the real reason: “I woke up on Sunday morning with a terrible cold and a headache.” Option (A) is the trap; Mr. Harris guesses she missed the bus, but she says “No.” Option (C) is incorrect because she says she “really wanted to go.”
2 (C) She packed her bag.
- Explanation: Emma says, “I even packed my bag on Saturday night.” Option (A) is a trap; she bought medicine on Sunday, not Saturday. Option (B) is never mentioned.
3 (A) To the pharmacy.
- Explanation: Emma says, “I just bought some medicine at the pharmacy.” Option (B) is the trap (The Twist); Mr. Harris asks if she went to the hospital, and she thought about it, but didn’t go. Option (C) is the location of the teambuilding, which she missed.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mr. Harris: Good morning, Emma. We missed you at the company teambuilding on Sunday. How was your weekend?
Emma: Hi, Mr. Harris. Well, I really wanted to go to the beach with everyone. I even packed my bag on Saturday night.
Mr. Harris: Oh, so what happened? Did you miss the bus?
Emma: No, I didn’t. I woke up on Sunday morning with a terrible cold and a headache.
Mr. Harris: That’s too bad. Did you go to the hospital?
Emma: I thought about it, but I just bought some medicine at the pharmacy. Then, I stayed in bed and slept all day.
Mr. Harris: Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better now.