Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – We are family

A

1   grandson / grandmother; they are talking about what he’s going to do next year.

2   father / daughter; they are talking about what time she’s going to come back.

3   mother / son; he is asking her if he can borrow her car.

B

A 1   B 3   C 1   D 2   E 3   F 2

1

A   So what are you going to do next year, dear? Are you going to go to university?

B   No, Gran. I’ve already told you three times. I’m not going to university. I’m going to look for a job. I want to earn some money.

A   Oh, all right, dear, you don’t need to shout. I’m not deaf. What’s the time now?

B   Ten past five. Shall I make you a cup of tea?

A   Oh yes, dear, that’d be lovely.

2

A   See you tomorrow, then.

B   Hold on a minute – where are you going?

A   Out. It’s Friday night, remember?

B   What time are you coming back?

A   I’m not coming back. I’m staying at Mum’s tonight.

B   I think you need a coat. It’s going to be cold tonight.

A   Dad – nobody wears coats any more! Bye!

3

A   Can I use your car tonight?

B   No.

A   Why not?

B   You’ll crash it again.

A   I won’t. I’ll be really careful. I’ll drive slowly. I promise.

B   Ok. Here you are. But be careful.

A   Thanks. See you later.

C = Continuity announcer, P = Presenter, N = Norah

C   It’s eight o’clock and time for Breakfast Time.

P   Good morning, everyone. Our guest this morning is the American writer Norah Levy. Norah’s here in Britain this week promoting her new book ‘We are family’, which is all about how our position in the family affects our personality. Welcome Norah.

N   Thank you.

P   Now is this really true, Norah? That our position in the family affects our personality?

N   Sure. OK, other factors can influence your personality too, but your position in the family is definitely one of the strongest.

P   So tell us a bit about the oldest children in a family – the first born.

N   Well, the oldest children get maximum attention from their parents and the result is that they’re usually quite self-confident people. They make good leaders. The famous Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was a first born child. They’re often ambitious and they’re more likely to go to university than their brothers or sisters. They often get the top jobs too. Oldest children are also responsible people, because they often have to look after their younger brothers or sisters. The downside of this is that sometimes this means that when they’re older they worry a lot about things. They can also be quite bossy, and even aggressive, especially when they don’t get what they want.

P   What about the middle child?

N   Well, middle children are usually independent and competitive.

P   Competitive?

N   Yes, because they have a fight with their brothers and sisters for their parents’ attention. And they’re usually sociable, they like being with people, probably because they have always had other children to play with. However, on the negative side middle children are often jealous of their brothers and sisters and they can be moody.

P   And youngest children?

N   If you’re the youngest in a family, you’ll probably be very charming, very affectionate, and probably quite a relaxed person. This is because parents are usually more relaxed when they have their last child. On the other hand, youngest children are often quite lazy. This is because they always have their older brothers and sisters to help them. And they can be quite manipulative – they use their charm to get what they want.

P   OK, that’s all very interesting. Now, I’m an only child. People often have the idea that only children like me are spoilt. Is that true?

N   Well, of course it’s true! Only children are the only ones – they don’t have to share with anyone – so they’re often spoilt by their parents and their grandparents. As a result they can be quite selfish. They think of themselves more than of other people.

P   OK. Well, that sounds like a good description of me! Is there any good news?

N   Yes, there is. On the positive side, only children are usually very organized and responsible, and they can be very imaginative too.

P   Well, thank you, Norah, and good luck with the book. And now it’s time for the new headlines…