Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – Understand descriptions of childhood

1   She grew up in Brighton, England

2   She wanted to be a doctor or a writer

3   She used to paint. / She (still) paints.

4   She liked video games, but she didn’t have a favorite one.

5   Her favorite place was a summer camp in Ireland.

Transcripts

INTERVIEWER:   Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Jeri.

JERI:   Oh, it’s my pleasure.

INTERVIEWER:   You have a beautiful accent. Where did you grow up?

JERI:   I grew up in England, in a city called Brighton.

INTERVIEWER:   How do you spell that?

JERI:   B-R-I-G-H-T-O-N.

INTERVIEWER:   Just like it sounds.

JERI:   Yes.

INTERVIEWER:   What was that like?

JERI:   It’s a lovely city, right by the sea. My family still lives there. My father owns a restaurant, and my mother teaches school.

INTERVIEWER:   What did you want to be when you grew up?

JERI:   Well, I never thought I’d be a model! I wanted to be a doctor or maybe a writer.

INTERVIEWER:   Why not a model?

JERI:   Well, I always thought I looked funny.

INTERVIEWER:   I can’t imagine it. Were you popular when you were growing up?

JERI:   Not really. I wasn’t unpopular, but I wasn’t in the popular crowd at school. I had a nice group of friends, though.

INTERVIEWER:   How did you like school?

JERI:   Oh, I loved school. I was a great student. My mother actually taught at my primary school. I always thought that was terrific.

INTERVIEWER:   What about your free time as a child. Did you have a hobby?

JERI:   I used to love to draw. Later I learned to paint, and I still do that. Actually, I have some paintings in a gallery right now.

INTERVIEWER:   That’s impressive.

JERI:   Well, it’s a very small exhibit. But it’s something I really enjoy.

INTERVIEWER:   Did you have a favorite game when you were growing up?

JERI:   I used to play video games a lot as a kid. The video games then were very different from the games now. I didn’t have a favorite, though. I liked a lot of them.

INTERVIEWER:   What about a favorite place?

JERI:   Hmm. My favorite place? I used to go to a summer camp in Ireland. I loved that. I got to go horseback riding almost every day.

INTERVIEWER:   Do you still go to Ireland?

JERI:   No. Not very often.

1   She grew up in Melbourne, Australia. It’s a fun city, right on the ocean.

2   She wanted to be a teacher or a writer.

3   She used to draw and paint.

4   She used to play basketball.

5   Her favorite place was a summer camp on a lake. She used to go horseback riding.

Transcripts

Interviewer:   Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Charlotte.

Charlotte:   Oh, it’s my pleasure.

Interviewer:   So you’re not from New York. Where did you grow up?

Charlotte:   I grew up in Australia, in a city called Melbourne.

Interviewer:   How do you spell that?

Charlotte:   M-E-L-B-O-U-R-N-E.

Interviewer:   What was that like?

Charlotte:   Fantastic. It’s a really fun city, right on the ocean. My family still lives there. My father owns a restaurant, and my mother teaches.

Interviewer:   What did you want to be when you grew up?

Charlotte:   Well, I never thought I’d be a fashion designer! I wanted to be a teacher or maybe a writer.

Interviewer:   Why not a fashion designer?

Charlotte:   Well, I never thought people would like my ideas.

Interviewer:   I can’t imagine it. Were you popular when you were growing up?

Charlotte:   Not really. I wasn’t unpopular, but I wasn’t in the popular crowd at school. I had a nice group of friends, though.

Interviewer:   How did you like school?

Charlotte:   Oh, I loved school. I was a great student. My mother actually taught at my primary school. I always thought that was fun.

Interviewer:   What about your free time as a child? Did you have a hobby?

Charlotte:   I used to love to draw. Later I learned to paint, and I still do that. Actually, I have some paintings in a gallery right now.

Interviewer:   That’s impressive.

Charlotte:   Well, it’s a very small exhibit. But it’s something I really enjoy when I’m not designing clothes.

Interviewer:   Did you have a favorite sport when you were growing up?

Charlotte:   I used to play basketball a lot as a kid. My friends and I used to watch our favorite teams play and then play our own games, too. I really liked basketball.

Interviewer:   What about a favorite place?

Charlotte:   Hmm. My favorite place? I used to go to a summer camp on a lake. I loved that. I got to go horseback riding almost every day.

Interviewer:   Do you still ride horses?

Charlotte:   No. Not very often.