Town & Places – A1 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the phone conversation between two friends. Read the questions and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What is Alex’s problem?
(A) He cannot find the park.
(B) He cannot find the restaurant.
(C) He cannot find his hotel.
2 Where is Alex now?
(A) At the park
(B) At the pharmacy
(C) At the hospital
3 What color is the pharmacy?
(A) Red
(B) Green
(C) Blue
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (He cannot find the restaurant.)
- Explanation: Alex explicitly states his problem at the beginning: “I am lost. I cannot find the restaurant.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because the word “park” is mentioned later, but he is not looking for it. Option C is a plausible problem for a tourist, but it is never mentioned in the audio.
2 Correct Answer: B (At the pharmacy)
- Explanation: Alex states his location clearly and spells it out: “I am in front of a pharmacy. P-H-A-R-M-A-C-Y.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because Sam asks, “Are you at the park?”, but Alex rejects it by saying, “No, not the park.” Option C is a plausible building but is not mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: B (Green)
- Explanation: Alex corrects his friend and says, “No, it is a green pharmacy.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because Sam guesses, “Is it the red pharmacy?”, but Alex says no. Option C is a plausible color but is never mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Alex: Sam, help! I am lost. I cannot find the restaurant.
Sam: Oh no! Where are you, Alex? Are you at the park?
Alex: No, not the park. I am in front of a pharmacy. P-H-A-R-M-A-C-Y.
Sam: Okay, a pharmacy. Is it the red pharmacy?
Alex: No, it is a green pharmacy.
Sam: Ah, the green pharmacy! Stay there. I am coming now.
Listening 2
Listen to the phone conversation between two friends. Read the questions and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 Where is John waiting?
(A) At the cinema
(B) At the supermarket
(C) At the restaurant
2 Where is Mary now?
(A) At the ACC Supermarket
(B) At the ABC Supermarket
(C) At the ABC Cinema
3 What will Mary do next?
(A) She will go home.
(B) She will wait at the supermarket.
(C) She will walk to the cinema.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: A (At the cinema)
- Explanation: John clearly states at the beginning, “I am at the ABC Cinema.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option B is a trap because the supermarket is mentioned, but Mary is there, not John. Option C is a plausible place to meet but is never mentioned.
2 Correct Answer: B (At the ABC Supermarket)
- Explanation: Mary realizes her mistake and says, “I am at the ABC Supermarket.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a phonetic trap (“ACC” sounds similar to “ABC”). Option C is a trap because the cinema is where John is, not Mary.
3 Correct Answer: C (She will walk to the cinema.)
- Explanation: Mary tells John, “I will walk to the cinema now.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a plausible action but is not mentioned. Option B is a trap because Mary says “Please stay there” to John, meaning she will move, not wait.
AUDIO SCRIPT
John: Hi, Mary. Where are you? I am at the ABC Cinema. A-B-C.
Mary: The cinema? Oh no! I am at the ABC Supermarket.
John: The supermarket? But we want to watch a movie today!
Mary: I am sorry. It is my mistake. Please stay there. I will walk to the cinema now.
John: Okay. I will wait in front of the cinema.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation between a driver and a police officer. Read the questions and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What does the driver want to do first?
(A) Turn left
(B) Turn right
(C) Go straight
2 What is the name of the street the driver is looking for?
(A) Queen Street
(B) Green Street
(C) Clean Street
3 What must the driver do now?
(A) Go straight
(B) Turn right
(C) Stop his car and walk
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: C (Go straight)
- Explanation: At the beginning of the conversation, the driver asks, “Can I go straight on this road?”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option B is a trap because “turn right” is what the driver does at the end, not what he wants to do first. Option A is a plausible direction but is never mentioned.
2 Correct Answer: A (Queen Street)
- Explanation: The driver states the name of the street and spells it out clearly: “Queen Street. Q-U-E-E-N.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Options B (Green) and C (Clean) are phonetic traps that rhyme with “Queen”, testing if the student can hear the exact spelling provided in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: B (Turn right)
- Explanation: The police officer tells the driver, “you must turn right here,” and the driver confirms it.
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because the officer explicitly says, “You cannot go straight.” Option C is a plausible action when a road is closed, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Driver: Hello, officer. Can I go straight on this road?
Police Officer: No, please stop! You cannot go straight. The road is closed today.
Driver: Closed? Oh no. How do I get to Queen Street? Q-U-E-E-N.
Police Officer: To go to Queen Street, you must turn right here.
Driver: Turn right. Okay, thank you very much!
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation between a passenger and a passerby. Read the questions and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 Where is the passenger now?
(A) At the school
(B) At the park
(C) At the bus station
2 Is the school far from the park?
(A) Yes, it is very far.
(B) No, it is very near.
(C) No, it is closed.
3 How many minutes does it take to walk to the school?
(A) Five minutes
(B) Fifteen minutes
(C) Fifty minutes
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (At the park)
- Explanation: The passerby explicitly tells the passenger, “No, this is the park. You are at the park.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because the passenger asks, “Is this the school?”, but the passerby says “No.” Option C is a plausible place related to buses, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
2 Correct Answer: B (No, it is very near.)
- Explanation: When the passenger asks if the school is far, the passerby replies, “It is very near.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because the word “far” is asked in the question (“Is the school far from here?”), but it is not the reality. Option C is a plausible answer about a school, but it is never mentioned.
3 Correct Answer: A (Five minutes)
- Explanation: The passerby states the time and spells the number out clearly: “Just walk for five minutes. F-I-V-E.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Options B and C are phonetic traps. “Fifteen” and “Fifty” sound similar to “Five” or start with the same sound, testing if the student can follow the exact spelling provided.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Passenger: Excuse me. I am looking for the school. Is this the school?
Passerby: No, this is the park. You are at the park.
Passenger: Oh no! I am at the wrong stop. Is the school far from here? Can I walk?
Passerby: Yes, you can walk. It is very near. Just walk for five minutes. F-I-V-E.
Passenger: Five minutes. That is good. Thank you!
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation between a driver and a security guard. Read the questions and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).
1 What is the driver looking for?
(A) The shopping mall
(B) The parking lot
(C) The bus stop
2 Where is the parking lot?
(A) In front of the mall
(B) Inside the mall
(C) Behind the building
3 What is the name of the gate?
(A) West gate
(B) Rest gate
(C) Best gate
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Correct Answer: B (The parking lot)
- Explanation: The driver asks at the very beginning, “Where is the parking lot…?”
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because “shopping mall” is mentioned, but the driver is specifically looking for its parking lot, not the mall itself. Option C is a plausible place but is never mentioned.
2 Correct Answer: C (Behind the building)
- Explanation: The security guard explicitly says, “It is behind the building,” and the driver repeats it to confirm.
- Why the traps are wrong: Option A is a trap because the guard says the parking lot is not in front of the mall. Option B is a plausible location for parking, but it is not mentioned in the audio.
3 Correct Answer: A (West gate)
- Explanation: The security guard names the gate and spells it out clearly: “Look for the West gate. W-E-S-T.”
- Why the traps are wrong: Options B (Rest) and C (Best) are phonetic traps that rhyme with “West”, testing if the student can hear and follow the exact spelling provided.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Driver: Excuse me. Where is the parking lot for the shopping mall?
Security Guard: The parking lot is not in front of the mall. It is behind the building.
Driver: Behind the building?
Security Guard: Yes. Please drive behind the building. Look for the West gate. W-E-S-T.
Driver: The West gate. Okay, thank you very much.