Practice Listening Business English Exercises for A1 – What? When? Where?

A

A – Mark

B – Emily

B

1 F   2 F   3 T   4 T   5 T   6 F   7 T   8 T

Audioscript

Emily:   Summer is always quiet in my job so I usually go on holiday in January or February. We often get busy in autumn so I can’t take much time off in March or April but I can usually take two or three days. Winter is a very busy period so I can’t go on holiday in July or August. Spring is not very busy, so I always take two weeks in September or October. This September I want to go to Japan. I can speak Japanese and I love Japanese culture so …

Mark:   The end of the year is always busy so I can’t go on holiday in November or December. I often go on holiday after New Year, usually in early January. March, April and May are also busy so I can never take time off in spring. We’re not very busy in summer and autumn so I can go on holiday from June to October. I usually go on holiday for two weeks in June or July. I can’t speak other languages, so we usually stay in our country. We don’t …

1 can   2 can   3 can’t   4 can’t   5 can

6 can   7 can’t   8 can   9 can   10 can’t

Audioscript

In the new flexi-time system, staff need to work thirty-seven hours a week. They can choose when they start and ­finish work and they can decide when to go to lunch. All employees need to be in the office from 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This means employees can’t start after 10.30 a.m. They can’t finish work before 3 p.m. The building opens at 7 a.m. so employees can start work then. Employees can take one hour for lunch from 11.15 a.m. to 2.45 p.m. They can’t take lunch before 11.15 a.m. or after 2.45 p.m. They can work until 8 p.m. when the building closes. Remember, if you drive to work, you can only park your car in spaces 120–225. Employees need their ID card or they can’t enter the car park.

1st Apple   2nd ExxonMobil    3rd Berkshire Hathaway

5th Microsoft   6th PetroChina   10th Novartis

13th General Electric   15th Toyota Motor

Audioscript

So in 15th place is car manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation from Japan with a value of 238.9 billion dollars – the only Japanese company on this list. Then, in 14th place, it’s the Swiss company Nestlé, and in 13th place is the American company General Electric. In 12th place, another American company, Wal-Mart Stores, and then in 11th place it’s telecommunications company China Mobile, from Hong Kong.

And so, to the top ten!

Another company from Switzerland is in 10th place – Novartis, the pharmaceutical company – with a value of 267.8 billion dollars. Then in 9th place, one of two Chinese companies in the top ten – the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. In 8th place is Johnson and Johnson from the USA. Another ­financial services company is in 7th place, Wells Fargo, also from the USA. And the second Chinese company in the top ten is PetroChina, in 6th place with a value of 329.7 billion dollars. And now to the ‘big ­five’, and they are all from the USA this year.

In 5th place, with a value of 333.5 billion dollars, is Microsoft.

In 4th place, with a value of 345.8 billion dollars, is Google.

And in 3rd place, it’s ­financial services company Berkshire Hathaway.

In 2nd place this year we have ExxonMobil, with a value of 356.5 billion dollars.

And this year’s winner, in 1st place – a very, very famous brand in consumer electronics and IT – it’s Apple with a value of 724.7 billion dollars.

1 1st   2 32nd   3 10th   4 30th   5 15th

6 9th   7 5th   8 20th

Audioscript

1   Our department always has a meeting on the 1st Thursday of the month.

2   Mr Barker’s office is on the 32nd floor.

3   The delivery arrives on the 10th of November.

4   Can you come to Sam’s 30th birthday on Monday?

5   That’s the 15th email today.

6   My holiday starts on the 9th of July.

7   Thank you for waiting, you are 5th in line.

8   I’m out of the office from the 20th of January for a week.

2   11/4/2018

3   21/11/2020

4   3/6/1992

5   13/12/2019

6   22/3/2021

7   30/7/2006

Audioscript

1   The fourteenth of September twenty twenty one.

2   The eleventh of April twenty eighteen.

3   The twenty ­first of November twenty twenty.

4   The third of June nineteen ninety two.

5   The thirteenth of December twenty nineteen.

6   The twenty second of March twenty twenty one.

7   The thirtieth of July two thousand and six.

A

1 yes   2 three (not including Michaela)

3 Monday 18th – Wednesday 20th

4 finish the (sales) report

B

1 e   2 b   3 c   4 a   5 f   6 d

Audioscript

M = Michaela   C = Colin

M:   Good afternoon. Michaela Werner speaking. How can I help you?

C:   Hi Michaela, it’s Colin.

M:   Hi, Colin. How are you?

C:   I’m good, thanks. So, you have a new house – are you happy?

M:   Yes, I am. Really happy. And can I take some time off? I really need four or ­five days.

C:   Yes, of course you can but I’m afraid you can’t take all the days you want. Bill, Conor and I all have holidays in July. Connor from the 11th to the 22nd of July and Bill from the 11th to the 15th of July. Then I go on holiday on the 21st of July. And we can’t have three people oat the same time!

M:   OK. I understand.

C:   So you can take from Monday the 18th to Wednesday the 20th when Bill is back from his holiday and before I go on my holiday. Does that work? I know it’s not perfect but that’s what I can offer.

M:   That’s not great but OK. I’ll take those three days.

C:   OK. Can you ­finish the sales report before you go?

M:   No problem. I can ­finish it by Friday the 15th of July.

C:   Thank you! See you later!

M:   Yes. Thanks, Colin. Bye.

C:   Bye, Michaela.

1 13/05/2017   2 30/06/2017    3 15/10/2006

4 05/11/2006    5 20/02/2001   6 12/02/2001

Audioscript

1   The thirteenth of May, twenty seventeen.

2   The thirtieth of June, twenty seventeen.

3   The ­fifteenth of October, two thousand and six.

4   The ­fifth of November, two thousand and six.

5   The twentieth of February, two thousand and one.

6   The twelfth of February, two thousand and one.

A   1 b   2 a   3 b

B

1 You can   2 I‘m afraid   3 of course   4 Could you

5 let me know

Audioscript

B = Bill   S = Sarah

B:   Hello?

S:   Hi Bill, it‘s Sarah.

B:   Hi, Sarah.

S:   Thanks for your email. Great news about the client meeting in Austin!

B:   Yes, I‘m very happy.

S:   So, about your email. You can work at home on the 19th, but I‘m afraid you can‘t on the 20th. We have a meeting with the supplier on Tuesday in the office.

B:   Ah, yes …

S:   And of course you can take time off from the 26th to the 28th. But do you remember our client Mr Bridges? He‘s also based in Texas. Could you stay in Texas and arrange a meeting with him for the 29th or 30th November?

B:   Ah, that‘s a good idea!

S:   Please send him an email now. Could you let me know what he says as soon as possible?

B:   Sure. And …

1   Where are we with planning the new project?

2   We have a problem with the website.

3   We need to ask an IT Specialist for help with it.

4   I think we need more time.

5   Yes, we‘re on schedule.

6   Yes, I think we can.

Audioscript

1   A:   Where are we with planning the new project?

      B:   We aren‘t ­finished, I‘m sorry. We have a problem with the website.

      A:   The website? Hmm … what can we do to solve this?

      B:   We need to ask an IT Specialist for help with it.

      A:   OK. Can we meet the deadline for the product launch?

      B:   I think we need more time. I‘m sorry.

2   A:   Is everything on schedule?

      B:   Yes, we‘re on schedule.

      A:   Can you ­finish by next week?

      B:   Yes, I think we can.

A   1 F   2 F   3 T   4 F   5 T

B   1 b   2 b   3 a   4 b

Audioscript

W = Woman   M = Man

W:   Where are we with planning the project?

M:   We aren‘t ­finished. I think we can finish next month.

W:   OK, is everything on schedule?

M:   No, it isn‘t. There‘s a problem with the invoicing system.

W:   Right. So how can we ­ fix this?

M:   Well, we can look for a new system.

W:   Okay. Good idea.

1 A   2 A   3 B   4 B   5 B

Audioscript

A = Anna, D = Dan

A:   Hi, Dan. How are you?

D:   Hi! I’m good, thanks. I have some great news. My sister is visiting from Australia next month.

A:   That is good news!

D:   Could I please take some time off when she’s here?

A:   Let’s see. When is she here?

D:   From the 24th of September to the 8th of October. Can I take some time off in the last week of September?

A:   Ah … I’m afraid you can’t take time off then. There are three people off that week and there are only four people here in the office.

D:   Oh, that’s a problem.

A:   Sorry. What about the first week in October?

D:   Oh. Well, yes, that’s a good week, too! Thanks!

A:   OK, great!

D:   Could I also take this Friday? I want to start organising her visit.

A:   Yes, of course. Can you finish the budget report before you go?

D:   Yes, of course. I can finish it on Thursday.

A:   OK, Thursday is great. Let’s meet on Monday to talk about it.

D:   OK.