Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Making plans

A

writing lists

B

1 time   2 everything   3 plans   4 wait   5 friend

6 pasta   7 feel, relax   8 right

Audioscript

L = Laurie   K = Kenna   J = Javier

L:   OK, so what do you think, Kenna? Are you a planner or a procrastinator?

K:   Me? Oh a planner, definitely.

L:   Yes, I think so. You generally like to do things ahead of time.

K:   Absolutely. Yeah. I like to be organized and know when everything is happening. I have to be like that, actually. It’s the only way to get everything done.

J:   Really? I hate planning. I like to leave things until the last minute. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen. You might need to change your plans, so why bother making plans in the first place? No, I like not knowing what I’m going to be doing.

K:   But that’s impossible. What about vacations, for example? You must know what you’re doing for your next vacation. I mean, you need to decide where you’re going, how you’re going to travel, reserve the dates, get the tickets … There’s so much to organize. Surely you have to plan for vacations? You can’t just put that off until later.

J:   Not really. I don’t mind where I go.

K:   No, I don’t believe …you’re  just saying that. I think you do make plans. You just don’t like to admit it.

J:   No, really. I much prefer to wait and see what happens. I might get invited somewhere.

L:   OK, so maybe for vacations. But what about tonight? Have you made any plans for tonight?

K:   Yes. Of course. I can tell you exactly what I’m doing tonight. This evening a friend of mine’s coming over. We’re eating at my house— I’m going to try out a new pasta recipe. And then we’re going to the movies to see that new Argentinian film.

L:   Javier?

J:   Uhhh … I don’t really know. I’ll see how I feel. I might go out, or I might just stay at home and relax. I told you. I really don’t like to plan.

L:   How about at work? Are you more organized at work? Do you multitask? I mean, how do you make sure you get everything done?

J:   Actually, I think I am a procrastinator. I do get jobs done, but I never get started right away. I tend to waste time and get distracted and leave the job for ages. And then, just before the deadline, I work really hard, sometimes all night. And then I don’t stop until the job is done. It’s quite stressful, but everything gets done in the end.

K:   You don’t use your time very wisely then? Oh, no, I’d hate that. I don’t think I could work with you.

A

1 a wrong number   2 the wrong hotel

3 the wrong time   4 the wrong date

B

1 Tom   2 Willy’s Burger Bar   3 over the phone

4 the Sheldon Hotel   5 7:00   6 5:00   7 a car   8 July 4th

C

1 that   2 me   3 name   4 again   5 mean

6 saying   7 tell me

Audioscript

Conversation 1

A:   Hi. Me again. I sent an attachment with all the figures for the last six months. That should be all you need.

B:   Sorry—I didn’t catch any of that.

A:   I sent the figures in an attachment. Is that Tom?

B:   You’ve lost me. Who is this?

A:   This is Ana Lucia. Is that Tom?

B:   No, this is Willy’s Burger Bar. What number are you trying to call?

A:   845-6795.

B:   I think you have the wrong number.

A:   Oh, I’m sorry.

Conversation 2

A:   I  have a reservation in the name of David Cullinan.

B:   Just one moment. Umm, could you repeat the last name?

A:   Cullinan. C-u-l-l-i-n-a-n.

B:   Cullinan. I can’t find the name. Did you make the reservation over the phone?

A:   Yes, just yesterday.

B:   Sorry, let me see if there are any messages here. I’ll only be a moment. I’m sorry. We have no reservations in the name of Cullinan, and we’re full tonight.

A:   So you’re saying I can’t stay here. This is the Sheldon Hotel, yes?

B:   No, this is The Felton. With an “F.”

A:   Really? So, I’m in the wrong hotel.

B:   The Sheldon is on Queen’s Road, just around the corner.

A:   Oh, no. Sorry, can you say that again—where is it?

B:   On Queen’s Road, just around the corner.

Conversation 3

A:   You missed the best parts. You’re late.

B:   What exactly do you mean? The show starts at 7:00, doesn’t it?

A:   No, it finishes at 7:00!

B:   Didn’t you say it starts at 7:00?

A:   No, it starts at 5:00 and finishes at 7:00!

B:   So, what you mean is I’ve missed the whole show.

A:   Yes.

Conversation 4

A:   We don’t have anything for you, I’m afraid.

B:   I don’t get what you’re saying. You’re a car rent company, right?

A:   Yes, but today’s a holiday, and all the cars have been reserved already.

B:   Do you mean to tell me that there’s nothing at all? No cars available?

A:   There’s nothing until tomorrow, I’m afraid.

B:   I definitely reserved a car for today, the third of July.

A:   It’s the fourth of July today. In other words, your reservation was for yesterday.

B:   It can’t be. Is it?

A:   It’s the fourth today, ma’am.

B:   Oh no. I have the date wrong.

•   name of channel:   One Hour Wonders

•   type of video clips:   about local places

•   target audience:   tourists, local people

•   what’s special about the channel:   it will describe things to do in places in less than an hour

•   who will star in the videos:   local people

•   competitors/rivals:   it’s probably been done before, but not from the same angle

•   how frequently you will upload new videos:   one per day

Audioscript

A:   OK, so we’re looking at creating a video channel.

B:   Yep. The first thing, I think, is what’s our target audience?

A:   Yeah, what’s our aim?

B:   Well, we came up with this idea.

A:   Go on.

B:   That it would be really cool to do a series of videos about local places, but with a special angle.

A:   Oh that sounds good. What’s the angle?

B:   An hour to kill. So, say you’re in Sydney or Istanbul or anywhere really and you have an hour to kill. We have a video of someone describing something to do in that place in an hour or less.

A:   Oh, I see. So the target audience is tourists.

B:   It could be tourists or local people. Say you find yourself in a part of the city that you don’t know very well.

A:   OK.

B:   And you have a bit of spare time. By going onto our video channel, you get all kinds of suggestions about  what to do or where to visit in under an hour. And the clips are filmed on location, so you get to see the places, too.

A:   I like it. So who will be the hosts? Will you have any big names?

B:   No, we don’t have any money! We’d get local people to host each video clip, with just one camera, kind of cheap and cheerful, low production values, but really cool content.

A:   Who are our competitors or rivals? It must have been done before.

B:   Oh, I’m sure, but I don’t know if it’s been done with the angle of an hour to kill.

A:   OK. Um, what else? How often will we upload videos?

B:   Well, we’ll try to get coverage of as many cities and towns around the world as possible. So, I don’t know, one a day? So in a year we’ll have three-hundred-and-sixty-five. Then we just carry on from there.

A:   Wow! Very ambitious. What about a name?

B:   We thought of One Hour Wonders.

A:   One Hour Wonders. I like it!

A

1 David   2 Amber   3 Ruth

B

1 c   2 a   3 c   4 b   5 c   6 c

Audioscript

Ruth

I’m going to backpack around Poland next month with my friend, so I’ve already started making plans. I’m afraid I have to organize things in minute detail or I get worried. I do everything ahead of time. My friend says I plan too much, but that’s just me. We’re traveling by ferry and bus, and then doing a lot of walking. So, it’ll be reasonably cheap. We might stay in hotels if we can find some cheap ones, but we’ll probably try to find youth hostels most of the time. I’ve reserved our travel tickets, and now I’m making a list of the best hostels in the cities we’re visiting. Actually, I really want to visit Lodz. It’s the third biggest city in Poland, and there’s a lot of unusual street art there on the walls of buildings. I’m a graphic designer, so I’m really interested in art. And these pictures are huge—on the sides of buildings—so you see them as you wander around the city. I’m organizing a route around the streets so I see the best artwork. I think it’s going to be fantastic. I’m going to take lots of photos, too.

David

I’d like to think I’m well organized, meet deadlines and so on. For example, I’m going to a tournament next week—I’ve been playing rugby for a long time, and this year we made it to the finals. So I’ve started and written a list of things to pack, the sports equipment I need and where to meet the team bus and so on. But the truth is I’m good on paper, and then I procrastinate in real life. So I know that I’ll put off packing until the last minute despite my plans. I’m going to try to organize myself earlier, but, if I’m honest, I’ll probably end up doing it about an hour before I leave, even though the list has been ready for a week. And I’ll probably get distracted and forget something really important like my rugby cleats.

Amber

I’ve recently started work as a party planner. We arrange unusual or special events, the kinds of things people can’t do easily themselves. In my own life, I don’t plan that much to be honest. I prefer to just let things happen without worrying too much. But, at work, I’m pretty good at organizing things and multitasking. My first big event is happening next week. It’s an eighteenth birthday party for a boy who really likes scuba diving. So, his parents asked us to organize his party at the beach and arrange for all the guests to dive. I even went and tried it out myself! I think it’ll be quite an interesting party. We’ll have a diving teacher to help people who want to try it, drinks and then a barbecue and cake and so on. I hope it’ll be successful, especially since it’s my first party. I think planning comes naturally to me, and I love meeting new people, so this job suits me perfectly. Even when I was a child, I used to love organizing things for other people. I used to drive my mom mad because I was so bossy. But I try to keep it balanced. I don’t plan much at all for myself. I just see what happens and go with that.

A

A 3   B 2   C 1

B

1 Can   2 again   3 repeat   4 What   5 mean

6 say   7 catch   8 get   9 saying

Audioscript

Conversation 1

A:   Hello? I’m trying to find my lost luggage.

B:   Ah, OK.

A:   My bags went missing in Montevideo in Uruguay, after a flight from Curitiba, Brazil.

B:   Can you say that again? Montevideo?

A:   I flew from Curitiba to Montevideo and my bags went missing.

B:   Have you reported it already?

A:   Yes, the name is Anders Kleeburg.

B:   Hang on. Could you repeat the last name? Anders …?

A:   Kleeburg. K-l-e-e-b-u-r-g.

Conversation 2

A:   OK, so cricket. So this is the bowler, OK? He runs up and bowls at the batsman.

B:   What exactly do you mean? What’s a bowler?

A:   A bowler is the person with the ball in his hand, OK? And he tries to get the batsman out. Get him off the field.

B:   Do you mean to say he tries to kill the batsman with the ball?

A:   No!

Conversation 3

A:   Did you read this?! About popcorn. In 1948, two American scientists found some popcorn in a cave in New Mexico and dated it. It was over five thousand years old.

B:   I didn’t catch any of that. Are you talking about popcorn?

A:   Yeah, it’s an ancient food. Popcorn is thousands of years old.

B:   I don’t get what you’re saying. You mean the popcorn we ate in the cinema yesterday is thousands of years old!

A:   No! Popcorn in general. People have eaten it for thousands of years.