Practice English Listening B2 Exercises – Can You Understand These People?

1 c   2 c   3 b   4 b   5 c

1

There are some common sense precautions you can take if you want to avoid a snake bite when you are hiking in an area where you know there might be snakes. First, when choosing your campsite make sure you pitch your tent in a clearing, well away from long grass, trees or large rocks. Secondly, be very careful where you’re treading – especially if there are fallen trees. Snakes like to hide behind these. This is the advice I would highlight most. Finally, and this is common sense, make sure you are wearing proper shoes – hiking or walking shoes. And of course never ever wear sandals or go barefoot.

2

Good morning and welcome on board this Air Britannia flight AB443 to Tunisia. My name is Steve Morris and I am your pilot today. First of all, I’d like to apologize for the forty-minute delay in boarding. This was due to the late arrival of the incoming flight. In a few minutes the cabin crew will be giving you instructions about what to do in case of an emergency. I would like to stress how important it is even for frequent flyers to pay attention to the safety demonstration. Every aircraft is different and emergency exits are located in different places. I would also like to recommend that you read the safety instructions card, which you’ll find in your seat pocket. Flying time today will be approximately two hours and forty-five minutes, and we’ll be taking off in a south-easterly direction, and flying over Brighton before we cross the Channel and head into France.

3

A   What time is it?

B   It’s 8.15. John should have been here by now. Are you sure you told him the dinner was tonight?

A   Of course I’m sure. I invited him when I saw him last Saturday.

B   So why isn’t he here then? Is he usually late for things?

A   No, but he’s a bit absent-minded. It’s my fault. I should have reminded him today. I know what he’s like. I’ll give him a call on his mobile.

B   But if he’s driving, he probably won’t answer it. Something might have happened to him on the way. It’s snowing very heavily now.

A   Relax. You don’t know John as well as I do. Chances are it went right out of his mind. I think we ought to have dinner and not wait – everyone must be starving.

4

A   OK, so you’re getting the black dress, right?

B   I just can’t make my mind up. I mean I know it’s nice and it’s not that expensive but I still think maybe the one I tried on in the last place was nicer, I mean it suited me better. What do you think?

A   I think they both looked great. Was the other one more expensive?

B   I can’t remember… You know I think I need to just try it on again before I decide…

A   What, go back to the other shop now? But we’ve already spent an hour there and that means finding somewhere to park there again. If you really liked it, you should have bought it then. Couldn’t you go back on your own tomorrow?

B   No, I really want to go back now. If I wait till tomorrow, it might be gone. Yes, I definitely need to try it on again. Come on!

A   Oh please…

5

A   What do you think of it?

B   I love it. I think the expressions on their faces are incredible. Look at the way the child is looking at him, as if he had the most beautiful face in the world. The old man is ugly, but she can see right past his ugliness.

A   Actually, it’s a boy, the child I mean, not a girl. The title is Old Man with a young boy. It’s just with those wonderful golden curls he looks like a girl. I agree with you though, it’s an amazing painting. I guess the child is the man’s grandson. What do think could have happened to the old man’s nose?

B   It looks as if he had some sort of illness, I suppose – maybe it was the plague or something – there was a lot of it around at the time…

1 B   2 N   3 B   4 C   5 N

I = interviewer, C = Caroline, B = Ben

I    And on today’s Holiday programme we have Caroline and Ben to tell us about their experiences backpacking in their gap year. Caroline, if I can start with you, you spent three months in South America. Is that right?

C   Yes. I started in Argentina and then went to Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. I stuck to Spanish speaking countries because my Spanish is good but my Portuguese is non-existent. So that’s why I didn’t go to Brazil.

I    Did you go on your own?

C   No, I met up with some friends when I got there – they’d been working in Buenos Aires, and then we travelled together. I don’t think I’d have felt completely safe travelling on my own.

I    How about you, Ben?

B   Yeah, I went on my own round Central and Eastern Europe. Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia. Oh and Serbia.

I    Could you speak any of the languages?

B   No, but it wasn’t a problem because everywhere I went I found people spoke really good English, especially the young people I met. I was amazed. Some of them actually sounded like native speakers.

I    And did you ever feel unsafe or lonely travelling on your own?

B   Well, I mean I was safety-conscious obviously, but it was more making sure I never lost anything like my phone, or my passport, or credit card – I’m usually not very good at that – but otherwise no it was great just being by myself because I could decide how long I wanted to stay anywhere and where I wanted to go next, I mean I had vaguely planned my route but I was free to change my mind whenever I liked.

C   Yes that is definitely an advantage because sometimes one of us wanted to leave a place earlier or didn’t like the hotel and wanted to move and there were a few arguments, not major ones but you know – arguments.

I    So what kind of places did you both stay in?

B   I stayed mostly in youth hostels. I’d thought of camping before I left but I decided the weather would probably be too cold – it was March and April. The hostels were pretty basic but great places to meet people.

C   We stayed mainly either in budget hotels or sometimes in bed and breakfasts. They were all places we’d found on the Internet and generally speaking they were good. In fact we were often pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and clean places were.