Social Media – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Answer: (B) Methods to decrease device usage before going to sleep.

• Explanation: The host says he will share strategies to “cut down on your late-night scrolling,” which means decreasing device usage before sleep. Option (A) is a trap; he explicitly states he is not going to tell you to “delete all your profiles.” Option (C) is a trap; he mentions grabbing a “cup of hot tea” at the end to get comfortable, but it is not the topic of the show.

2 Answer: (A) People losing track of time while looking at their phones in bed.

• Explanation: The host describes a situation where you plan to check your phone for “five short minutes” but suddenly “it’s 2 AM”. This means people are losing track of time. Option (B) is a trap; he mentions “turn off the lights” as part of getting into bed, not as a problem people forget to do. Option (C) is a trap; he mentions “notifications” and “2 AM”, but people are staying awake to watch videos, not waking up from loud sounds.

3 Answer: (C) They are small behavioral changes that are simple to apply.

• Explanation: The host describes the strategies as “practical, easy-to-follow” and calls them “tiny daily habits.” This matches small behavioral changes that are simple to apply. Option (A) is a trap; he says extreme actions like throwing your phone away are “not realistic.” Option (B) is incorrect because they are “easy-to-follow,” not complicated.

Alex (Podcast Host): Welcome back to ‘Digital Balance’, the weekly podcast where we talk about living well in a highly connected world. I’m your host, Alex. Now, tell me if this situation sounds familiar. You get into bed, turn off the lights, and promise yourself you’ll just check your notifications for five short minutes. But then, you end up watching videos, and suddenly, it’s 2 AM. We’ve all been there, right? Staring at that bright display really messes with our brain and destroys our natural sleep cycle. So, in today’s episode, we’re not going to tell you to delete all your profiles or completely throw your smartphone away. That’s just not realistic. Instead, I’m going to share three practical, easy-to-follow strategies to help you cut down on your late-night scrolling. Um, these are tiny daily habits, but they can make a huge difference in how rested you feel the next morning. So, grab a cup of hot tea, get comfortable, and let’s dive right into our first piece of advice.

1 Answer: (B) To address the problem of students posting unkind things on the internet.

• Explanation: The principal says some students are using apps to “leave hurtful comments and spread false stories,” which means they are posting unkind things. Option (A) is a plausible school rule, but it is never mentioned in the audio. Option (C) is a trap; the principal mentions “teachers,” but only because the teachers reported the problem, not because the teachers did something wrong.

2 Answer: (A) Take a moment to consider if their words are polite and useful.

• Explanation: The principal asks everyone to “pause and think carefully” (take a moment to consider) and ask if the comment is “helpful” (useful) and “kind” (polite). Options (B) and (C) are plausible pieces of advice for children, but they are not mentioned in this announcement.

3 Answer: (C) Everyone will attend a special presentation about online behavior.

• Explanation: The principal announces that a “guest speaker” will hold a “mandatory workshop for all grades,” which means everyone must attend a special presentation. Option (A) is a trap; the principal mentions a “zero-tolerance policy,” but does not explicitly say he will call parents this Thursday. Option (B) is a trap; he mentions the “main auditorium,” but they are going there for a workshop, not an exam.

Principal Harris: Good morning, students and staff. This is Principal Harris speaking. As you all know, this is our annual Internet Safety Week. Today, I want to address a very serious issue: cyberbullying. Recently, um, some teachers have reported that a few students are using social media apps to leave hurtful comments and spread false stories about their peers. Let me be very clear: this school has a zero-tolerance policy for that kind of behavior. What you type behind a screen is just as important as what you say to someone’s face. Negative words can deeply affect a classmate’s mental well-being. So, I am asking everyone to pause and think carefully before you post anything online. Ask yourself, “Is this helpful? Is this kind?” To discuss this further, we have invited a guest speaker who will hold a mandatory workshop for all grades in the main auditorium this Thursday afternoon. Thank you for your attention, and let’s work together to make our online community a positive place.

1 Answer: (B) Removing trash from polluted outdoor public areas.

• Explanation: The anchor says teenagers are “filling just one garbage bag with litter,” which means removing trash from polluted areas. Option (A) is a trap; the words “parks” and “picture” are mentioned, but the goal isn’t just taking beautiful photos of parks, it’s taking “before and after” pictures of the cleaned garbage. Option (C) is a trap; it is a good environmental action, but raising money is never mentioned.

2 Answer: (A) They believed that it would not last very long.

• Explanation: The anchor states that officials thought it was a joke that “would fade in a day,” which means they believed it would not last very long. Option (B) is not mentioned. Option (C) is a trap; the word “teenagers” is used, but they are cleaning up, not making a mess.

3 Answer: (C) Bring an item to pick up waste during a stroll.

• Explanation: At the end, the anchor says, “next time you go for a walk (during a stroll), why not take a small bag with you?” (bring an item to pick up waste). Option (A) is a trap; “waste of time” is mentioned at the very beginning as a common complaint, not as the final advice. Option (B) is a trap; sharing online is a common social media action, but the anchor does not ask the listeners to do this.

News Anchor: Good evening, listeners. You’re tuned in to City News. Often, we hear complaints that social media is just a waste of time for young people. But today, a new internet trend is proving that theory wrong. Over the past weekend, the hashtag “One Bag Challenge” has gone completely viral across several online platforms. The rules are incredibly simple. Teenagers are finding polluted areas—like local beaches or neighborhood parks—and filling just one garbage bag with litter. Then, they post a “before and after” picture on their profiles. Initially, city officials thought this was just a silly joke that would fade in a day. However, the government reported a massive decrease in public waste this Monday morning. Over ten thousand bags of rubbish have been collected nationwide so far. It’s truly inspiring to see technology being used to heal the environment. So, next time you go for a walk, why not take a small bag with you? You might just become part of the movement.

1 Answer: (B) Her online community has reached a specific size.

• Explanation: The speaker says her channel “crossed the ten thousand subscriber mark,” which means her online community has reached a specific size. Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (C) is a trap; the number “ten” is used for ten thousand subscribers, and she says she started making videos “two years ago,” not ten years.

2 Answer: (A) A piece of technology for listening to audio.

• Explanation: The speaker mentions giving away “brand new wireless headphones,” which is technology used for listening to audio. Option (B) is a trap; she mentions her “bedroom” as the place she started making videos, not as a place for a TV. Option (C) is a trap; she mentions the word “subscriber”, but she is not giving away a subscription.

3 Answer: (B) Reply to inquiries sent by her audience.

• Explanation: She says, “before we get to that exciting part [the giveaway], I’m going to spend the next thirty minutes answering your questions.” This means she will reply to inquiries. Option (A) is a trap; she explicitly says she will reveal the winner “at the very end of this broadcast,” not right now. Option (C) is a trap; she talks about “making videos,” but she is not teaching the audience how to do it.

Content Creator: Hey everyone! Welcome to another live session. I can already see so many comments popping up in the chat. First of all, I just want to say a massive thank you. Yesterday, our channel officially crossed the ten thousand subscriber mark! When I started making videos in my bedroom two years ago, I never imagined this would happen. So, I am incredibly grateful for your continuous support. To celebrate this huge achievement, as promised, we are doing a special giveaway today. I know a lot of you are waiting to find out who won the brand new wireless headphones. I will reveal the lucky winner at the very end of this broadcast. But before we get to that exciting part, I’m going to spend the next thirty minutes answering your questions. So, keep typing them below, and let’s get started!

1 Answer: (B) Replies could take a considerable amount of time to arrive.

• Explanation: The speaker says that with early email, you “had to wait hours or even days for a response,” which means replies took a considerable amount of time. Option (A) is a trap; she compares email to “traditional letters,” but email itself is not paper. Option (C) is plausible for early internet, but it is not mentioned in the audio.

2 Answer: (A) Users could only access them from a stationary machine.

• Explanation: The speaker mentions that you were “tied to your bulky computer at home,” which means you had to use a stationary machine. Options (B) and (C) are traps; the speaker explicitly states that these programs did allow you to “see if your friends were online” and “chat in real time.”

3 Answer: (C) She appreciates the ability to contact people worldwide immediately.

• Explanation: The speaker says, “I think it’s incredible that we can reach anyone across the globe in just a split second” (contact people worldwide immediately). Option (A) is a trap; she mentions that “Some people argue” that apps make us “distracted” (lose focus), but she says “personally” her opinion is different. Option (B) is a trap; she mentions pictures, but does not say she feels overwhelmed by them.

Student: Good morning, class. Today, I’m going to talk about how our digital communication has evolved over the past few decades. Let’s look at the timeline on the screen. In the early days of the internet, people mainly relied on electronic mail. It was revolutionary, but, um, it wasn’t exactly fast. You often had to wait hours or even days for a response, much like traditional letters.

Then, the late 1990s brought a major change with desktop messenger programs. Suddenly, you could see if your friends were online and chat in real time. However, you were still tied to your bulky computer at home.

The real turning point happened when smartphones became popular. Well, we transitioned to mobile chat applications. These platforms allow us to send texts, voice notes, and high-quality pictures instantly, from absolutely anywhere. Some people argue that this makes us too connected and distracted. But personally, I think it’s incredible that we can reach anyone across the globe in just a split second. Thank you for listening.