Practice English Listening Tests for B1 – Listening Test 50

2 South   3 mirrors   4 romantic

5 $13.75   6 No   7 chicken

8 dishes   9 sugar   10 Yes   11 9664

Audioscript

Will:   Suzi, you know Boston well, don’t you? I need your help.

Suzi:   Really? What is it, Will? Nothing wrong I hope?

Will:   No, no, no, of course not. It’s just that Ruth’s fortieth is coming up soon, and I want to take her somewhere really nice for dinner. The trouble is, I don’t know where. Can you suggest somewhere nice?

Suzi:   Yeah, well there are lots of great places. What sort of food were you thinking—French, Italian?

Will:   Yes, we like Italian. But somewhere with a nice atmosphere, something a bit different, maybe? You know Ruth. She loves to try different kinds of food when she gets the chance.

Suzi:   How about Moroccan? Does she like Moroccan food?

Will:   Yes—yes, she does. We went to Marrakesh for a few days, years ago, and I remember loving the lamb tagines. But I didn’t know there was a Moroccan restaurant in Boston?

Suzi:   Oh, yes. The Oasis Café Bar. It’s quite well-known nowadays—and very popular.

Will:   Where is it then? I’ve never seen it.

Suzi:   It’s in the center of town on South Street.

Will:   South Street … Oh, yes, I know where you mean. What’s it like?

Suzi:   It’s great. The décor’s really authentic—the walls are decorated with traditional mirrors and lamps and Moroccan paintings. And, in the evening, you eat by candlelight, so the atmosphere’s really relaxing, and romantic!

Will:   Sounds fantastic. It must be expensive though.

Suzi:   You’d be surprised. The prices are quite reasonable, considering how delicious the food is.

Will:   What do you call “reasonable”?!

Suzi:   Well, they serve an early dinner from five to seven. You get two courses and a glass of house wine for $13.75—which is an amazing value. But it’s a bit early—and it’s usually crowded with people who are going to the theater at half past seven.

Will:   Yes. That’s much too early for us. What about later?

Suzi:   Well, they do a two course late dinner for $17.95, not including wine. But, if you don’t want to eat so much, you can choose any dish you want from the menu. The tagines are great for sharing.

Will:   What kinds do they have?

Suzi:   Oh, tons! Apart from the classic lamb tagines, they do wonderful fish ones, and a lemon chicken one. And they do vegetable couscous, of course.

Will:   Mmm, I love couscous.

Suzi:   Me, too. They specialize in dishes from Marrakesh. Apparently, the recipes they use were handed down from the owner’s grandmother—she came from Marrakesh.

Will:   Really? Great !

Suzi:   Yes, their speciality dish is something called “bastilla.” It’s a sort of pie made with filo pastry, filled with chicken and almonds, and they sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on the top.

Will:   OK, I already know what I’m going to have! Should I reserve a table?

Suzi:   Yes, especially if you’re going on the weekend.

Will:   OK. I’ll do it now. Do you the number?

Suzi:   Hang on. It’s on my cell. It’s 865-9664.

Will:   865, um… can you repeat the last bit?

Suzi:   Yeah, 9664.

Will:   9664. OK, here goes.

Suggested answers:

2   1804

3   (Any three of the following) Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador  

4   A world record

5   (A) very famous and influential (person)   6 That in the past, they had been connected.

Audioscript

Narrator:   Listen to a student talking about his history project on Alexander von Humboldt.

Student:   For my history project, I decided to find out more about the German explorer and naturalist, Alexander von Humboldt. He was born in Berlin in 1769 and died there in 1859 after an adventurous life. Between 1799 and 1804, he went on a scientific exploration of Latin America, and spent time exploring Venezuela, Colombia and Peru as well as many other countries.

      During this trip, he studied the Orinoco River in Venezuela and came into contact with native tribes. He also set a world record when he climbed Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador and reached an altitude of nineteen thousand two hundred and eighty-six feet. Throughout his travels, he kept very detailed records of all that he discovered so that information on new species of plants and animals and so on could be shared when he returned home.

      Von Humboldt’s findings from the scientific and social research he did on his Latin American adventure added greatly to scientific knowledge at the time, and, as a result, he became a very famous and influential person in Europe.

      Although he is credited with many new discoveries, he is likely to be best remembered for being the first person to suggest that, in the distant past, the continents of Africa and South America had been connected—something that we now know is true…