Travel Problems – B1 English Listening Exercise

1 Correct Answer: B

• The Key: The man explains that the “situation on the road is terrible” and they have “barely moved in the last half hour.” Option B correctly paraphrases this as being stuck in a severe traffic jam.
• The Trap (A): The woman asks about his flight, but he explicitly states, “The flight was actually early.” Therefore, a late flight is not the reason he is apologizing.
• Plausible (C): Forgetting documents is a realistic reason to apologize before a business meeting, but it is never mentioned in the conversation.

2 Correct Answer: A

• The Key: The man states, “There’s been a massive accident on the main highway.” Option A uses synonyms (a large vehicle collision) to describe this exact event.
• The Trap (B): The driver and a map (GPS) are mentioned in the audio, but the driver is not lost. The driver used the GPS to check how long the delay would be.
• Plausible (C): Bad weather can easily cause travel delays, but the man does not mention the weather at all.

3 Correct Answer: C

• The Key: The man asks to “push our appointment back to 2:45” (which is 45 minutes later than the original 2:00 PM time), and the woman says, “Yes, that should be fine.” Option C paraphrases this agreement to delay the discussion.
• The Trap (A): The time “4:00” is mentioned, but that is the time of the woman’s next appointment with someone else, not the new time for their meeting.
• Plausible (B): Canceling a meeting is a common outcome when someone is very late, but the woman has free time, so they just delay it instead of canceling.

Ms. Carter: Hello, Sarah Carter speaking.

David: Hi, Ms. Carter. This is David Miller. I’m calling about our 2:00 PM meeting today. First of all, I want to sincerely apologize, but I don’t think I’m going to make it on time.

Ms. Carter: Oh? Is everything alright with your flight?

David: The flight was actually early, um, but the situation on the road is terrible right now. There’s been a massive accident on the main highway heading into the city center. We’ve barely moved in the last half hour.

Ms. Carter: Oh, I see. Traffic coming from the airport can be an absolute nightmare sometimes. How much longer do you think you’ll be?

David: Well, my driver just checked the GPS, and it looks like we need another forty-five minutes to clear the congestion. Would it be possible to push our appointment back to 2:45?

Ms. Carter: Let me check my calendar… Yes, that should be fine. I don’t have another appointment until 4:00. Just travel safely, and I will see you when you get here.

David: Thank you so much for understanding. See you soon.

1 Correct Answer: B

• The Key: The man says his “checked suitcase” was put on “a flight to Sydney,” and it contains his “suit” and “formal shoes.” Option B uses synonyms (professional clothing, wrong destination) to describe this situation.
• The Trap (A): The laptop and the presentation materials are mentioned, but the woman confirms he “carried that onto the plane,” and he agrees the “files are safe.”
• Plausible (C): Flight delays are a common problem, and the phrase “three hours” is in the audio. However, three hours is the amount of time they have left until the meeting, not a flight delay.

2 Correct Answer: A

• The Key: The man complains that he cannot present to the directors while wearing “these dirty jeans and a t-shirt.” Option A paraphrases this as casual, unwashed clothing.
• The Trap (B): A dark blue suit is mentioned, but that is what is packed inside his lost suitcase, not what he is currently wearing.
• Plausible (C): The airline is mentioned (they gave him cash), but they did not give him a uniform to wear.

3 Correct Answer: C

• The Key: The woman suggests going to a “department store just across the street from our hotel” to find a “decent shirt and tie.” Option C summarizes this as purchasing a new outfit near their accommodation.
• The Trap (A): Collecting cash from the airline is mentioned, but this is an action that already happened in the past (“The airline offered me some cash”).
• Plausible (B): The board of directors is mentioned as the audience for his presentation, but he is certainly not going to borrow clothes from them.

Jessica: Daniel, you look pale. What did the baggage claim agent say?

Daniel: Well, it’s a complete disaster. My checked suitcase isn’t just delayed; they accidentally put it on a flight to Sydney!

Jessica: Oh no! But all your presentation materials are saved on your laptop, right? You carried that onto the plane with you.

Daniel: Yes, the files are safe. But my dark blue suit and my formal shoes are in that missing suitcase! I can’t exactly present our financial report to the board of directors this afternoon wearing these dirty jeans and a t-shirt.

Jessica: Ah, I see the problem. The meeting is at 3:00 PM, so we still have about three hours.

Daniel: I know. The airline offered me some cash to buy emergency items, but I don’t know this city at all. Where am I supposed to go?

Jessica: Um, I noticed a large department store just across the street from our hotel. Let’s drop my bags off at the reception, and then we can run over there to find you a decent shirt and tie.

Daniel: Thanks, Jessica. Let’s hurry.

1 Answer: (B) To ask for a change in his test schedule.

• Explanation: The student asks, “Is there any way I could take the test on another day?”. This matches option (B).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) is the trap. The student mentions “10 AM”, but he says “I definitely won’t make it to class”. This means he will be absent, not just late.

2 Answer: (C) Severe winter weather delayed his return.

• Explanation: The student says there is a “huge snowstorm”, which is paraphrased as “severe winter weather” in option (C).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. The audio mentions “fly back this morning”, but he didn’t miss the flight; the flight was cancelled. Option (B) is plausible but not mentioned in the audio.

3 Answer: (A) Give him the exam on a different day.

• Explanation: The professor agrees and says, “I’ll let you do it on Thursday afternoon instead”. This means changing the exam to a different day.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (C) is a very strong trap. The phrase “tomorrow evening” is mentioned in the audio, but it is the time of his new flight, not the time of his exam.

Student: Hello, Professor Miller? It’s Alex. Um, I’m calling about the final exam tomorrow.

Professor: Hello, Alex. Yes, what seems to be the problem? You know attendance is mandatory.

Student: Well, I’m really sorry. I’m stuck at the airport in Chicago. I went home for the weekend, and I was supposed to fly back this morning. But, ah, there’s a huge snowstorm, and my flight got entirely cancelled.

Professor: Oh, I see. That’s unfortunate. Did they offer you another flight?

Student: They did, but the earliest they can get me on a plane is tomorrow evening. So, I definitely won’t make it to class by 10 AM. Is there any way I could, um, take the test on another day?

Professor: Well, usually I don’t allow make-up exams. However, since this is a severe weather issue… I’ll let you do it on Thursday afternoon instead.

Student: Oh, thank you so much, Professor! I’ll come straight to your office when I get back.

1 Answer: (B) His hotel bill was higher than the company’s budget limit.

• Explanation: Sarah says the company allowance is $150, but Mark spent $250. This means he spent more than the allowed budget (an overspend).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is a very common accounting problem (plausible), but it is not mentioned. Option (C) is the trap; the audio mentions “per night”, but the issue is the cost, not the number of days he stayed.

2 Answer: (C) It experienced a severe issue with its water supply.

• Explanation: Mark says his original hotel had a “plumbing issue” and “no running water”. This matches option (C). (Notice how the exact words from the audio are not used in the correct answer – a typical B1 technique).
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. The audio mentions that hotels were “completely booked because of the conference”, but this refers to the other standard hotels he tried to call later, not his original hotel.

3 Answer: (A) Include a written explanation with his documents.

• Explanation: Sarah tells Mark to “attach a note explaining the water issue to your receipt”. “Attach a note” means to provide a written explanation.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is the trap. Mark mentions that he “called three other places”, but this is an action he already did in the past. Sarah does not ask him to do it again to prove anything. Option (C) is plausible in a real-world context but is never mentioned in the audio.

Sarah: Accounting department, Sarah speaking. How can I help you?

Mark: Hi Sarah, it’s Mark from Sales. I’m calling about my recent expense report for the conference in Seattle. I noticed there’s a problem with my hotel bill.

Sarah: Ah, yes, Mark. Let me pull up your file. Well, the company allowance for accommodation is $150 per night, but you stayed at the Grand Plaza for $250. We need a clear justification for this overspend before we can process your reimbursement.

Mark: Right. Well, I originally booked the Budget Inn, which was within the limit. But when I arrived, um, they had a major plumbing issue. There was absolutely no running water in the entire building.

Sarah: Oh, that sounds awful. Did you try to find another standard hotel?

Mark: I did! I called three other places nearby, but they were all completely booked because of the conference. The Grand Plaza was the only place with an available room at the last minute.

Sarah: I see. Well, since it was an emergency and out of your control, I can approve it. Just make sure to attach a note explaining the water issue to your receipt.

Mark: Will do. Thanks so much for understanding, Sarah.

1 Answer: (A) Her computer is not working just before her speech.

• Explanation: The woman says she is “presenting in 30 minutes” and her laptop is “completely dead.” This means her computer is broken right before her talk.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (B) is the trap. The audio mentions her “suitcase at the airport”, but she didn’t lose it; it was just handled roughly. Option (C) is plausible but not mentioned.

2 Answer: (C) It was damaged while she was traveling by plane.

• Explanation: She believes the computer “got smashed during the flight” because her suitcase was handled roughly. This is paraphrased as being damaged while traveling.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. The technician asks, “Did you drop it?” but the woman replies “Not exactly”, meaning she did not drop it herself. Option (B) is not mentioned.

3 Answer: (B) By getting the document from the internet on a different machine.

• Explanation: The woman suggests logging into her “email account” on the “main computer in the auditorium” to download the file, and the technician agrees.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option (A) is the trap. The technician asks if she has a “USB flash drive”, but she says “No, I don’t.” Option (C) is a logical technical fix in real life, but it is not discussed in the audio.

Speaker: Excuse me! Are you the IT support for the conference?

Technician: Yes, I am. How can I help you, ma’am?

Speaker: I’m presenting in 30 minutes, and my laptop is completely dead! It won’t turn on at all.

Technician: Please calm down, let’s take a look. Did you drop it this morning?

Speaker: Not exactly. My suitcase was handled really roughly at the airport yesterday. I think the computer got smashed during the flight. Oh my goodness, my entire slideshow is on there!

Technician: Okay, don’t worry. These things happen. Do you happen to have a backup on a USB flash drive?

Speaker: No, I don’t. But, um, I did send the final draft to my own email account last night, just in case. Could I possibly log into my inbox on the main computer in the auditorium and download it?

Technician: Absolutely. We have a shared desktop at the podium connected to the projector. Let’s head over there and set it up right now.

Speaker: Oh, thank goodness. You’re a lifesaver!