Studying Abroad – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 (B) Her family does not have enough money for the educational costs.

• The Key (Correct): The student states that her family’s budget is “tight” and they “can’t really afford the tuition fees.” (Paraphrased: tuition fees = educational costs; can’t afford = does not have enough money).
• The Trap: Option (C) mentions “relatives,” which connects to her cousin, but her cousin lives in Australia, not the US or UK.
• Not mentioned: Option (A) is plausible for prestigious universities, but the difficulty of the programs is not discussed.

2 (A) The cost of daily life and housing is too expensive there.

• The Key (Correct): The student says her cousin warned her that “the living expenses are just too high.” (Paraphrased: living expenses = cost of daily life and housing).
• The Trap: Option (B) is incorrect because “tuition fees” (university costs) were the reason for rejecting the US and UK, not Australia. Option (C) is a trap because the cousin is mentioned, but she talked about money, not the Business major.

3 (A) The universities provide top-tier Business degrees taught in English.

• The Key (Correct): The advisor suggests the Netherlands because they offer “excellent Business programs entirely in English.” (Paraphrased: excellent = top-tier).
• The Trap: Option (B) is incorrect. The advisor says the Netherlands is “more affordable,” not “completely free.”
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is a trap. Part-time work is mentioned as “common,” but there is no mention of a job being “guaranteed” or “high-paying.”

Advisor: Welcome! So, you’re looking to study abroad for your degree. Have you decided on a specific major yet?

Student: Yes, I want to major in Business Administration. But, um, my family’s budget is a bit tight. We can’t really afford the tuition fees in the US or the UK.

Advisor: I see. Well, have you considered Australia? The business schools there are fantastic.

Student: I have, but my cousin lives in Sydney, and she says the living expenses are just too high for me.

Advisor: Fair enough. What about the Netherlands? It’s much more affordable than Australia. Plus, they offer excellent Business programs entirely in English, so you wouldn’t need to learn a new language.

Student: Oh, really? I hadn’t thought about Europe. Are there opportunities to work part-time while studying?

Advisor: Yes, absolutely. It’s quite common for international students to get a job. I can give you some brochures to take home.

Student: That sounds perfect. Thank you!

1 (A) The vocabulary is good, but there are errors with the time expressions.

• The Key (Correct): The teacher says, “your vocabulary is quite good, but there are a few issues with your verb tenses.” (Paraphrased: issues = errors, verb tenses = time expressions).
• The Trap: Option (B) is incorrect because the teacher explicitly points out mistakes.
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is plausible for a writing task, but spelling and sentence length are never mentioned.

2 (B) It does not clearly explain the student’s reason for choosing the major.

• The Key (Correct): The teacher says the essay “doesn’t explain why you want this degree” and that the student needs to show his “motivation for studying engineering.” (Paraphrased: reason for choosing the major).
• The Trap: Option (A) is incorrect. The student suggests writing about repairing electronics, which the teacher agrees is a good idea. It is not the weakness of the current draft.
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is a common essay problem, but the length of the essay is not discussed.

3 (C) His childhood fascination with fixing devices.

• The Key (Correct): The student decides to rewrite the section to “focus more on my interest in electronics,” specifically how he “used to fix broken radios when I was a kid.” (Paraphrased: fixing devices = fixing radios/electronics).
• The Trap: Option (A) is incorrect. The teacher tells him that his current draft focuses “too much on playing basketball” (sports team) and that he needs to change it.
• Not mentioned: Option (B) is a distractor because he is talking to his English teacher, but his major is engineering, not English.

Student: Mr. Davis, do you have a minute? I was hoping you could look at the first draft of my personal statement for university.

Teacher: Of course. Let me see… Um, your vocabulary is quite good, but there are a few issues with your verb tenses in the second paragraph.

Student: Oh, really? I always struggle with the present perfect.

Teacher: We can fix that later. The bigger problem is the content. You wrote a lot about your hobbies, but the admissions officers want to know your motivation for studying engineering.

Student: I see. Should I write about how I used to fix broken radios when I was a kid?

Teacher: Exactly! That shows your passion. At the moment, your essay focuses too much on playing basketball. It’s a great extracurricular activity, but it doesn’t explain why you want this degree.

Student: That makes sense. I’ll rewrite that section and focus more on my interest in electronics. Thanks for the advice!

1 (B) To satisfy the legal rules for staying in the country.

• The Key (Correct): The advisor states that the student needs 15 credits to “maintain your visa status.” (Paraphrased: maintain visa status = satisfy the legal rules for staying in the country).
• The Trap: Option (A) is incorrect. The advisor mentions that some students take 18 credits to “graduate early” (finish sooner), but the 15 credits are strictly for the visa requirement.
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is a plausible reason for students to take a certain number of credits, but financial support or scholarships are not discussed.

2 (B) It involves creating a very long academic document.

• The Key (Correct): The advisor warns that World History involves a “massive research project” at the end of the term, which is why the student avoids it to escape writing. (Paraphrased: massive research project = very long academic document).
• The Trap: Option (C) is a trap. Standing up and talking in front of others refers to the “Public Speaking” class, not World History.
• Not mentioned: Option (A) is plausible for a history class, but the amount of reading is never mentioned.

3 (A) The final grade depends entirely on a collection of visual work.

• The Key (Correct): The advisor says the assessment is “purely based on the portfolio you build.” (Paraphrased: purely based = depends entirely; portfolio = collection of visual work).
• The Trap: Option (C) is incorrect because overcoming the fear of crowds relates to the “Public Speaking” class, which the student explicitly rejects because it makes him/her “nervous.”
• Not mentioned: Option (B) is completely fabricated. The teacher’s grading habits are not mentioned in the audio.

Student: Hi, Mr. Smith. I need some help with my schedule for my very first semester.

Advisor: Of course, welcome! So, as an international freshman, you need to enroll in at least 15 credits to maintain your visa status. Some ambitious students take 18 credits to graduate early, but I really don’t recommend it for your first term.

Student: Right, 15 credits. Well, I already signed up for Introduction to Business and Basic Calculus. I need two more electives, but my English writing isn’t very fast yet. Are there any interesting subjects that don’t require writing long essays?

Advisor: Hmm, let me think. Well, you could take World History. But, ah, that involves a massive research project at the end of the term.

Student: Oh, I should probably avoid that for now. What about something more visual or practical?

Advisor: You might enjoy Digital Photography. The assessment is purely based on the portfolio you build throughout the term, so there are absolutely no written exams.

Student: That sounds perfect! I love taking pictures.

Advisor: Great. Another option is Public Speaking. It focuses on oral presentations rather than essays.

Student: I’ll stick with Photography. Speaking in front of a crowd makes me a bit nervous right now!

1 (B) He reads slowly because the scholarly articles contain complex words.

• The Key (Correct): The student explains that he has to read “academic journals” and it takes a long time to understand the “advanced vocabulary.” (Paraphrased: academic journals = scholarly articles, advanced vocabulary = complex words, takes a long time = reads slowly).
• The Trap: Option (A) is incorrect. He mentions “textbooks”, but he says he used them back in his home country, not that he can’t find them here.
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is a trap based on the professor later mentioning a “medical note,” but the student is not sick.

2 (A) He has scheduled a meeting with a campus support service.

• The Key (Correct): The student says, “I actually made an appointment for tomorrow” at the writing center. (Paraphrased: writing center = campus support service, made an appointment = scheduled a meeting).
• The Trap: Option (B) is a logical thing a student might do, but he never mentions asking his classmates for help.
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is not mentioned at all in the audio.

3 (C) Because the student is taking proactive steps to get academic assistance.

• The Key (Correct): The professor agrees to the 3-day extension “since you are actively seeking help at the writing center.” (Paraphrased: actively seeking help = taking proactive steps to get academic assistance).
• The Trap: Option (A) is incorrect because the professor specifically notes that he usually requires a medical note (official document from a doctor), but is making an exception this time even though the student doesn’t have one.
• Not mentioned: Option (B) is a plausible reason for a professor to be lenient, but it is not mentioned in the dialogue.

Student: Excuse me, Professor Miller. Do you have a moment to talk about the upcoming research paper?

Professor: Yes, come in. What can I help you with?

Student: I’m really struggling with the reading list. Back in my home country, we mostly used textbooks. Here, I have to read so many academic journals, and it takes me a long time to understand the advanced vocabulary.

Professor: I understand. It’s a common challenge for international students. Have you visited the writing center? They can help you with reading strategies.

Student: I actually made an appointment for tomorrow. However, because everything is taking much longer than expected, I was wondering if it might be possible to get a short extension for the essay? Just three extra days, until Monday?

Professor: Well, I usually don’t accept late submissions without a medical note. But since you are actively seeking help at the writing center, I’ll allow it this one time.

Student: Thank you so much, Professor! I really appreciate your understanding.

1 (B) She guided disadvantaged children with their schoolwork.

• The Key (Correct): Lina states that she “assisted young kids from low-income families with their math and science homework.” (Paraphrased: assisted = guided; low-income families = disadvantaged; math and science homework = schoolwork).
• The Trap: Option (A) is incorrect. The audio mentions “low-income families,” but Lina helped them by tutoring, not by collecting money (financial donations).
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is plausible for volunteer work, but teaching foreign languages is never mentioned.

2 (A) She is eager to connect with people from a wide range of cultures.

• The Key (Correct): Lina explains that what “really drew me here is the cultural diversity” and she wants to “communicate effectively with people from various backgrounds.” (Paraphrased: wide range of cultures = cultural diversity / various backgrounds; connect = communicate).
• The Trap: Option (B) is incorrect. She acknowledges that the “academic reputation is great,” but explicitly states that the cultural diversity is what really attracted her.
• Not mentioned: Option (C) is the opposite of the truth, as the interviewer later mentions she will be “living far from home.”

3 (C) She intends to participate in a campus group to build a support system.

• The Key (Correct): Lina says she plans to “join the international student association… to build a support network.” (Paraphrased: participate in a campus group = join the association; support system = support network).
• The Trap: Option (A) uses the words “international student,” but she plans to join an association (a club), not work at an office for a part-time job.
• Not mentioned: Option (B) is a trap based on her mentioning feeling “homesick,” but she never says she will travel back home to deal with it.

Mr. Roberts: Good morning, Lina. Thank you for coming to the scholarship interview. Let’s start with your background. I see you’ve done quite a bit of volunteer work.

Lina: Yes, Mr. Roberts. Well, um, in my hometown, I actually started a weekend tutoring program. We assisted young kids from low-income families with their math and science homework.

Mr. Roberts: That’s wonderful. Now, there are many excellent institutions out there. Why did you specifically choose our university for your degree?

Lina: To be honest, your academic reputation is great, but what really drew me here is the cultural diversity. I read that your campus hosts students from over eighty different nations. I want to learn how to communicate effectively with people from various backgrounds.

Mr. Roberts: I see. Our environment is very multicultural, indeed. However, living far from home can be emotionally demanding. How will you manage that?

Lina: Ah, I expect to feel a bit homesick at first. But I plan to join the international student association right away to build a support network and make new friends.