Practice English Listening B2 Exercises – Things people do for fun

1

Danny: fishing / angling

Carmen: potholing

Jack: train-spotting

Marcus: golf

Ellie: skydiving

2

a Danny   b Carmen’s husband   c Carmen’s husband

cl Carmen   e Jack’s interviewer   f Jack   g Marcus

h Marcus   i Ellie   j Jack

3

1   I’ve begged. (b)

2   I’m not addicted to it. (g)

3   I’ll take your word for it. (e)

4   It’s not for everybody. (i)

5   Nerds in anoraks. (j)

6   The only downside. (f)

7   You can’t be serious. (h)

4

a   I call it crawling through underground caves on your hands and knees.

b   It’s just that feeling of surfing the sky, plunging through the air.

c   Oh dear. I suppose that means I’m a bit of an addict, doesn’t it!

d   Oh no, I’m not addicted to it or anything. It’s something 1 do just for fun.

e   People call us nerds in anoraks, I know, but we aren’t doing anybody any harm.

f   Sometimes, a little, but you get that rush of adrenaline. It’s just wonderful.

g   That’s why I like it. It gives you time to think.

h   The only downside is that it can be pretty cold just standing on a station platform all day.

i   Well, yes, but I’ve been potholing for ten years now and I’ve never had any trouble.

j   Yeah, I’m an angler. Like my Dad.

Danny

DANNY:   When I’m not at school I like to go fishing.

INTERVIEWER:   Fishing?

DANNY:   Yeah. I’m an angler. Like my Dad.

INTERVIEWER:   Isn’t that a bit boring?

DANNY:   How do you mean?

INTERVIEWER:   Well I don’t know, you see people sifting by the river for hours without catching anything. I mean just doing nothing.

DANNY:   That’s why I like it. It gives you time to think.

Carmen

HUSBAND:   She spends all her time potholing.

INTERVIEWER:   Potholing?

HUSBAND:   Yes. I call it crawling through underground caves on your hands and knees.

INTERVIEWER:   Isn’t that dangerous?

HUSBAND:   Well I think it is and I’ve begged her to stop but she says she can’t. She’s obsessed by it and that’s the truth.

CARMEN:   It’s not that dangerous.

INTERVIEWER:   People do get trapped, though, don’t they?

CARMEN:   Well yes, but I’ve been potholing for ten years now and I’ve never had any trouble.

Jack

JACK:   People call us nerds in anoraks, I know, but we aren’t doing anybody any harm.

INTERVIEWER:   Well, no.

JACK:   And I get a real kick out of it.

INTERVIEWER:   You do?

JACK:   Yeah. It’s great when you see an engine you’ve never seen before.

INTERVIEWER:   I’ll take your word for it.

JACK:   The only downside is that it can be pretty cold just standing on a station platform all day. They’re some of the windiest places all earth.

INTERVIEWER:   Yes, I imagine they are.

Marcus

MARCUS:   Yes it’s true, I do like playing golf very much.

INTERVIEWER:   So it’s really important to you? You can’t live without it?

MARCUS:   Oh no, I’m not addicted to it or anything. It’s something I do just for fun.

INTERVIEWER:   So it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t play for, say, two weeks?

MARCUS:   Two weeks? You can’t be serious.

INTERVIEWER:   Why not? Two weeks isn’t a very long time.

MARCUS:   Not a long time? You’re joking. I begin to feel really unhappy if I don’t have a round of golf about twice a week. Oh dear. I suppose that means I am a bit of an addict, doesn’t it!

Ellie

INTERVIEWER:   Isn’t what you do really dangerous?

ELLIE:   No, not really. Not if you’re careful, especially about your equipment.

INTERVIEWER:   But don’t you ever get scared? I know I would be.

ELLIE:   Sometimes, a little, but you get that rush of adrenaline, it’s just wonderful.

INTERVIEWER:   I don’t think I’d be very keen.

ELLIE:   No, well it’s not for everybody, obviously. But it really turns me on. It still does, even though I’ve been doing it for four years now. It’s just that feeling of surfing the sky, plunging through the air. I just can’t get enough of it, frankly.