Practice English Listening Tests for B1 – Listening Test 19

8 B   9 A   10 A   11 B   12 C   13 C

Audioscripts

8   You will hear two friends talking about football training.

Girl:   So, did you enjoy football training after school yesterday? You haven’t done it before, have you?

Boy:   No, that was my first time. Yeah, I enjoyed the training session, but I don’t think I was very good.

Girl:   What do you mean? Why?

Boy:   Those guys are so fit! Seriously, I really struggled to keep up. And a couple of times I didn’t manage to catch the ball. I think everyone was disappointed in me.

Girl:   But all players feel like that at first. I’m sure you’ll get better, with practice.

9   You will hear two friends talking about travelling to and from school.

Boy:   So, do you always cycle to school?

Girl:   Most of the time. But if the weather’s really bad, I take the bus. What about you? Do you usually walk to school?

Boy:   No! It’s much too far to walk or cycle from home. My brother and I get a lift with Dad in the mornings; our school is on his way to work.

Girl:   And how do you get home, then?

Boy:   We get the train. I quite like it actually. I often do my homework on the train, or most of it anyway, so I can chill out when I get home.

10   You will hear two people talking about a recipe.

Boy:   Oh, it’s no good. I just can’t get it right.

Girl:   What’s the matter?

Boy:   I’m trying to make the cookies my grandma used to bake for me when I was little. My mum gave me the recipe. I’ve followed all the instructions, but I just can’t make them taste the same. I wonder if the measurements in the recipe are wrong. Or maybe I’m using different brands of ingredients, and that’s making the cookies taste different.

Girl:   Perhaps your grandma had a secret ingredient which she didn’t tell your mum about.

Boy:   Do you know, I bet you’re right! That’s just like my grandma! I wonder what it could be …

11   You will hear two people talking about a gym.

Woman:   What do you think of the new gym in town?

Man:   It’s great! I’ve been there a few times now. The equipment is very modern, and everything is very clean and smart.

Woman:   It certainly seems very popular. It’s always full of people.

Man:   Yes, it does get very busy, but you never have to wait for equipment. There are enough machines for everyone.

Woman:   That’s true. I just wish there were a few more lockers in the changing rooms. By the time I get there, they’re all taken, so there’s nowhere for me to leave my things. I suppose I’ll have to start going earlier.

12   You will hear a girl telling a friend about her new hobby.

Boy:   Wow, these photographs are amazing. Did you take them?

Girl:   Thanks! Yep, they’re my photos.

Boy:   Seriously, they look really professional. You could sell them.

Girl:   Oh, I don’t know about that … maybe when I get a bit better at it.

Boy:   Did you take all of these with your phone?

Girl:   No, not these ones. I started getting interested in photography about a year ago. Then my parents gave me a really good camera for my birthday, and I decided to sign up for a photography course. I learned a lot of basic stuff and, at the moment, I’m just experimenting with various techniques.

Boy:   Well, I think you have a lot of talent.

13   You will hear two friends talking about a TV show.

Man:   Oh, why do they do that at the end of every series? I hate it when they end the show just as something terrible or exciting is about to happen. They leave you desperate to know what happens next, and you have to wait months for the next series to start so that you can find out!

Woman:   That’s the whole idea, isn’t it? They don’t want you to forget to watch the new series.

Man:   Well, there’s no chance of that! I’m going to be wondering about the next episode all summer now.

Woman:   I’m sure you’ll find something to take your mind off it before the next series starts!

20 B   21 C   22 B   23 C   24 B   25 B

Audioscripts

Interviewer:   Welcome to the Leisure Programme. Today I’m interviewing Jack Hutchinson, the manager of a new leisure centre that opened last month. Welcome to the programme, Jack.

Jack:   Thank you.

Interviewer:   Jack, there are several leisure centres in this area. Why do you think yours has become so popular already? Is it because it has such a fantastic gym?

Jack:   No, I don’t think it’s because of the gym, although the gym is excellent. I think it’s because so many articles have been written about us in the local newspapers. People want to see if we’re as good as the journalists say.

Interviewer:   So, tell us about the centre.

Jack:   Well, let’s start with the pools – we’ve already got a very good, large swimming pool with a diving area. There’s also a smaller training pool, which is for children and for adults having lessons, and there are plans to build a fun pool with slides for children.

Interviewer:   And what about this amazing gym?

Jack:   The equipment is excellent and we have experienced staff who are very happy to give advice.

Interviewer:   Are the staff there all the time?

Jack:   They’re usually there for two hours in the afternoon and an hour in the evening. We’re hoping to increase the time they’re available when we employ more staff.

Interviewer:   What about courts?

Jack:   There are indoor courts for tennis, badminton, volleyball and basketball. The outdoor tennis courts aren’t quite ready, but they’ll be available next week.

Interviewer:   What about classes?

Jack:   There are swimming classes at all levels, karate, aerobics and keep-fit. We also offer one-day scuba-diving courses at the pool They’re given by instructors from the local diving school. I’ve done one myself and so have most of our swimming instructors. I can highly recommend them.

Interviewer:   So, in what way do you think your leisure centre is better than others?

Jack:   The facilities are of a very high quality. We offer a wide range of different activities and we have a café that sells good, healthy food.

Interviewer:   Well, … other centres offer all that, too.

Jack:   Yes, but they don’t offer our prices. Like other centres, we offer discounts to students and the over 60s, but people can also buy a membership card for just £15 a month. For this, you can use all the facilities as often as you like. You pay much more for membership in other centres.

Interviewer:   That sounds very good. Thank you for coming in, Jack …