Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Morocco

(top row) X, 2, 1

(bottom row) 4, 3

Audioscripts in B below

1 b   2 a   3 b   4 a

Audioscripts

1

Woman:   Located in North Africa, Morocco is a popular tourist destination. Morocco is known for its beautiful beaches, but it also has deserts, rivers, and tall, snowy mountains. The Atlas Mountains are located in the middle of Morocco and are the tallest mountains in the region. In fact, the highest point in northern Africa is Mount Toubkal. It’s four thousand one hundred and sixty-seven meters tall.

2

Man:   It’s no wonder Moroccan restaurants can be found around the world. The food in Morocco is delicious. Traditional dishes usually include meat or fish and vegetables. Couscous, a dish similar to pasta, is probably the most well known. It is common for Moroccans to eat with their fingers, but only the right hand is used for eating.

3

Woman:   Shaking hands is a common greeting in Morocco, and people there shake hands when they greet friends, as well as when they meet someone new. After shaking hands, older Moroccans often touch their hearts with their right hands. This gesture is a sign of warmth and friendship.

4

Man:   There are lots of interesting things to see and do for visitors to Morocco. The western coast of the country along the Atlantic Ocean offers some of the best scenery. Tourists looking for a truly unique experience can take a trekking tour along the coast on camel back. On the tour, visitors can see beautiful ocean views and visit fishing villages by day, and by night they can stop to camp on the sandy beaches.

1 Berber   2 Moroccan Arabic

3 standard Arabic   4 French   5 English

Audioscripts in B below

1 Berber, speaking with relatives

2 Moroccan Arabic, speaking with friends

3 standard Arabic, reading the newspaper

4 French, studying at the university

5 English, reading literature

Audioscripts

1

Interviewer:   Bahija, you grew up in Morocco, right? I know many Moroccans speak more than one language. How many languages do you speak?

Bahija:   Oh, a lot, I guess… not all perfectly, of course.

Interviewer:   What language do you speak at home?

Bahija:   Well, my family is Berber – from the south of Morocco. So I speak Berber at home with them.

Interviewer:   Do you speak Berber at school, too?

Bahija:   No. These days I just speak it when I go home to visit relatives.

2

Interviewer:   But you speak Arabic, too, right?

Bahija:   Yes, I do! But there are several kinds of Arabic, you know.

Interviewer:   Several kinds?

Bahija:   Yes. There is Moroccan Arabic, from Morocco, of course. That’s the language I use with most of my friends.

Interviewer:   Is it different from other kinds of Arabic?

Bahija:   In some ways, yes. Some of the vocabulary is different, and the accent is a little different. Also, Moroccan Arabic is mostly a spoken language, not written.

3

Interviewer:   So there are no newspapers in Moroccan Arabic?

Bahija:   Very few. When I read the newspaper or watch TV, it’s in standard Arabic. It’s sort of a common Arabic. In most Arab countries, children learn to read and write it from a young age.

Interviewer:   I see.

4

Interviewer:   How about your university classes? What language do the professors use?

Bahija:   My university classes are all in French. We listen to lectures in French and discuss in class in French.

Interviewer:   Wow! That’s four languages! Berber, Moroccan Arabic, standard Arabic, and French.

5

Interviewer:   And English makes five languages! So, why did you start studying English?

Bahija:   Well, I was interested in literature, especially British literature. I wanted to study English so I could read English literature in the original language.

Interviewer:   Well, with all that practice with language, it’s not surprising that you’re so good at English!

Bahija:   Oh… Thank you!