Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – Everything in the open

To Mark. Because she sent a personal email to everyone in the office (She pressed ‘Reply to all’ by mistake.)

M = Mark, A = Allie, N = Nicole

M   Mark Ryder.

A   Mark, can you come in?

M   Sure.

A   Thanks for the sales report.

M   I think there’s something more important to talk about right now.

A   What do you mean?

M   That message you sent me. You hit ‘reply to all’. You sent it to everyone in the office.

A   Oh no. You’re joking. Oh, Mark. I’m so sorry. I did it without thinking.

M   It’s all right, Allie. It’s an easy mistake to make.

A   How could I be so stupid? I just wasn’t concentrating.

M   Allie…

A   I’m really sorry.

M   Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter. But I think we should talk to the others.

A   Yes, you’re right. I’ll do it. It was my fault. Listen everybody. I just want to say that I’m terribly sorry. I haven’t been honest with you. Erm, we… Mark and I…

N   That’s OK, Allie. We had already guessed. It wasn’t really a surprise.

A

Mark asks Allie to marry him. She says yes.

B

1   She thinks Mark said something to the people in the office (He’s bad at keeping secrets.).

2   No. He thinks they guessed (because the French are experts on love affairs).

3   No, because now they don’t have to pretend any more.

4   Because a boat on the river makes a noise (a boat horn).

5   He asks her to send him her answer in an email (He’s joking.).

A = Allie, M = Mark

A    I still can’t work out how they knew about us. I was always really careful not to treat you differently.

M   You were really hard on me.

A    Mark, I wasn’t.

M   Oh, you were just being fair and very British.

A    So if it wasn’t me, it must have been you.

M   What?

A    I’ve got my own office. You’re with them all the time. You must have said something. You’re hopeless at keeping secrets!

M   Don’t blame me. This wasn’t my fault. They probably just guessed.

A    How?

M   You know the French, they’re experts on love affairs.

A    Maybe.

M   Actually, I think it’s great that everyone knows. Now we don’t have to pretend any more.

A    Yeah. That’s true.

M   Allie, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time… I just haven’t said anything. But… it’s now or never.

M   Allie, will you marry me?

A    Sorry, Mark. I didn’t hear a word you said.

M   I said… Will you marry me?

A    Yes, I will.

M   Was that a ‘yes’?

A    Yes!

M   Can you confirm that in an email for me? Just don’t send it to everyone in the office this time.