Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – Listening for dates and time periods

1   crime: there will be less street crime; crime will become more intelligent and digital; there will be more computer hacker criminals

2   space travel: people will be living on other planets within 100 years; humans will have traveled to other galaxies within the next 50 years

3   environment: in the next 20 years, we will have cleaned up all the trash in the oceans; in the next 30 years, we will have eliminated plastic and found better materials

4   energy: in 50 years, we will be using only green energy sources, like wind and solar energy; we will be able to charge electronics in just a few minutes

5   money: no one will use cash and everyone will have cards; everyone in the world will use the same currency

Transcripts

1   Crime

Woman:   Well, I think crime will completely change in the future.

Man:   How so?

Woman:   Nowadays people use their debit and credit cards more than they use cash. How we spend money is changing. I think there will be less street crime in the future. Crime will become more intelligent and digital. There will be more computer hacker criminals.

Man:   That sounds more serious.

Woman:   I know! Crimes will definitely become more severe. Instead of stealing some cash from my purse, a criminal could go online to my bank account and steal a lot more. It’s scary to think about.

2   Space travel

Woman:   Do you really think people will live in space in the future? I don’t know if I believe that.

Man:   Oh definitely. I think within 100 years, people will be living on other planets.

Woman:   Really? Like you and I could be living on another planet?

Man:   Well, not in our lifetime. But I think within the next 50 years, humans will have traveled to other galaxies.

Woman:   Yes, I agree with that. And what about extraterrestrial life? Will we have made contact with aliens from other galaxies?

Man:   I don’t know, but if we do, I sure hope they’re friendly!

3   Environment

Man:   Every time I read the newspaper, there’s another environmental disaster. Do you think environmental problems will eventually become a thing of the past?

Woman:   Definitely. There are some amazing ideas to clean up our oceans. I think in the next 20 years, we will have cleaned up all the trash in the oceans.

Man:   I sure hope so. Some of those garbage patches in the ocean are larger than some countries!

Woman:   I know. I read that nonbiodegradable trash is the biggest problem in the oceans and on land.

Man:   Nonbiodegradable trash, like plastic?

Woman:   Exactly. I think in the next 30 years, we will have eliminated plastic and found materials to use that are better for the environment.

4   Energy

Man:   You know, I was reading this article about energy of the future. Fossil fuels like oil and coal have become our main energy sources.

Woman:   Yeah, but we need safer energy.

Man:   This article says we’re making progress with other kinds of energy. It predicts that in 50 years, we will be using only green energy sources, like wind and solar energy.

Woman:   Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Man:   And it said that with electronic devices, we won’t have to wait for them to charge. We’ll be able to charge our phones or computers in just a few minutes.

5   Money

Man:   With all the technology we use every day, sometimes it feels strange that we’re still using paper money that can rip or get damaged.

Woman:   Yeah, it seems old-fashioned next to credit cards with chips and sensors, doesn’t it? It’s just a matter of time before paper money isn’t made at all anymore.

Man:   You think so?

Woman:   Definitely. No one will use cash and everyone will have cards.

Man:   If that happens, then I think everyone in the world will eventually use the same currency.

Woman:   So only one currency and no more cash? It sounds a lot easier, but I’m sure there will be new problems, too.

Man:   Oh, there always are!

1   July 20, 1969

2   1930

3   1986

4   from 1909 to 1911 (two years)

5   December 26, 2004

Transcripts

1

Man:   Did I ever tell you that when I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut?

Woman:   No, you didn’t.

Man:   I remember watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon. Do you remember the date?

Woman:   July 20, 1969, right?

Man:   That’s right!

2

Man:   Hey, we should start planning a trip for the next World Cup.

Woman:   Yeah! That would be exciting.

Man:   I was watching this documentary. Did you know that in the first World Cup in Uruguay, only 13 countries participated?

Woman:   Wow, what a difference! I think there were 32 countries in the last tournament.

Man:   Yeah, a lot has changed since 1930!

3

Man:   What are you reading?

Woman:   It’s an article about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. They’re talking about what the contaminated area is like now. Did you know that a few hundred elderly people never left Chernobyl? They didn’t want to leave their homes.

Man:   I can’t believe that. It seems so dangerous.

Woman:   Do you remember the year?

Man:   It was in 1986, right?

Woman:   Yep! Good memory.

4

Boy:   Mom, can you help me with this project?

Woman:   Sure, what is it about?

Boy:   I’m talking about the Titanic, but I need one more fact.

Woman:   Let me see. Ah, I know that they took from 1909 to 1911 to build it. More than 3,000 people helped build it.

Boy:   Really? That’s perfect! Thanks, Mom!

5

Man:   It’s almost the anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Do you remember that?

Woman:   Oh, yeah! How could I forget?

Man:   Did you know it took only 15 minutes after the quake for the waves to reach the coast of Sumatra?

Woman:   Wow, that’s fast! Let me see if I remember the date. It was in 2004, right?

Man:   Yep, December 26, 2004.

Woman:   I read the waves were 100 feet high in some places. Can you imagine?