Listening Exercises A1 – People We Know

1.

A:        So tell me about your new friend, Cindy. What’s she like?

B:        She’s really neat. She’s great to be with because she makes me laugh all the time.

A:        Oh, yeah?

B:        Yeah, she’s always telling jokes.

2.

A:        What’s your friend Pauline like?

B:        She’s nice.

A:        Is she shy?

B:        Shy? You must be kidding. She tells her whole life story to everyone she meets.

3.

A:        Do you know Tom Brown?

B:        Oh, sure. I like Tom.

A:        Yeah, me, too. He makes me laugh. He’s always doing crazy things.

B:        Yeah, I know.

4.

A:        Have you spoken to the new guy in our class, Paul?

B:        Yes, I have.

A:        What’s he like?

B:        Boy, he’s really interesting. He speaks six languages and was the top student at his last school.

A:        Oh, great!

B:        No, you’ll like him. He’s really friendly and easy to talk to.

5.

A:        Do you and your boyfriend go out a lot, Suzanne?

B:        Oh sure, he loves going out and meeting people. We go to parties all the time.

A:        He sounds like a lot of fun.

B:        Of course. That’s why he’s my boyfriend.

6.

A:        Look what my friend Mary gave me for my birthday. Isn’t this a beautiful blouse?

B:        That’s really nice. And she gave me a great present for my birthday, too. She loves giving things to people.

A:        Yeah, she does. And she doesn’t expect anything in return.

1.

A:        Mr. Grant is really funny, isn’t he? He loves telling jokes. And he’s so easygoing.

B:        I know. Then there’s Mrs. Grant. She never seems to smile. I wonder why she’s so serious all the time.

2.

A:        Where are Bobby and his brother today?

B:        I think they’ve skipped class again.

A:        Really? They’re always doing that.

B:        Yeah. They aren’t serious about studying, that’s for sure. All they like to do is sit at home and play computer games.

3.

A:        What are your new neighbors like?

B:        Mr. and Mrs. Roberts? Well, they seem nice. I’ve spoken to Mrs. Roberts several times. She’s very easy to talk to. But I haven’t spoken much to her husband. He’s kind of shy and not very talkative.

4.

A:        Have you met Wendy’s new boyfriend?

B:        Yeah, I like him.

A:        Me, too. I think he’s perfect for Wendy.

B:        He sure is. They’re so sociable. They both love partying and they’re both a little crazy at times.

A:        That’s for sure.

5.

A:        How do you like the new teachers?

B:        Well, Mr. Williams is very easygoing, and he’s really smart, too.

A:        Yeah, I know. And what about Miss Vaughn?

B:        She’s not as easy to get to know. She’s not as easygoing as Mr. Williams. She seems very serious.

A:        Yeah. I think so, too.

6.

A:        What’s your brother’s wife like?

B:        She’s just like my brother—serious and hardworking. She’s at the office every night until around 9:00. And so is he.

A:        They sound like the perfect couple.

1.

A:        Hey, Anne, there’s a guy in my Spanish class who’s really cool. He’s really friendly and easy to talk to. He just always seems happy.

B:        Oh, really? He must have a lot of friends.

A:        Yes, I think he does. He tells really funny jokes all the time, too. I’m always laughing in class.

B:        Man! He sounds great!

A:        Well, he is, but he forgets his book every day. Then he asks to share mine. I hate that!

B:        Sounds like we have a lot in common. I always forget my book, too. I’d love to meet him. Why don’t you introduce us some time?

2.

A:        There’s this new girl in class named Rosie. She always looks like she’s in a bad mood. I don’t know if she’s just very shy or what.

B:        Really?

A:        Yeah, when someone tells a really funny joke, we all laugh, but she doesn’t seem to think it’s funny.

B:        No way!

A:        But she is very good at music. She always practices the piano after school.

B:        That’s nice. But I don’t think I could get along with her, because laughing and having fun are important to me.

3.

A:        There’s this guy who sits in front of me on the bus sometimes. He never talks to anyone. He just sits there and talks to himself. It’s kind of weird.

B:        Oh, man! Really?

A:        Yeah. He likes to make people laugh, though. He’s always making funny faces and making animal noises and things like that. Sometimes he’s really funny.

B:        That does sound funny.

A:        But you know, he always chews gum really loudly. I really hate that!

B:        Me, too!

4.

A:        There’s a really cute guy from Canada on the basketball team!

B:        Oh, yeah?

A:        Yeah. And he’s really outgoing. Very friendly, too.

B:        Tell me more.

A:        Well, it’s difficult to get him to laugh. He doesn’t seem to enjoy any jokes. I guess he’s pretty serious. But he’s very good-looking.

B:        Hmm. Sounds cute. Do you know if he has a girlfriend?

A:        I’m sure he has many. He always asks a new girl out on a date every weekend. I don’t like guys like that.

B:        Yeah, but as long as he’s cute, I don’t mind.

1 b   2 c   3 a   4 b   5 a

Transcript

1.   Paul is so boring. He’s always studying, so he never has time to go out to a movie or anything else. And he never laughs.

2.   Martha is such a nice person. She’s always calm and relaxed. I’ve never seen her angry or upset.

3.   Jim is really incredible. He goes to school full-time and he also works part-time Monday to Friday and every weekend. Somehow, he still finds time to coach his younger brother’s soccer team.

4.   I went out with Ellen last night, and she just kept partying and laughing and talking and dancing all night long. I couldn’t keep up with her.

5.   Jeremy sleeps until noon, and then he gets up and watches TV the rest of the day. He really needs to start studying more because he’s not doing well in school.

1   Sense of humor

2   Personality

3   Habits

4   Personality

5   Habits

Transcript

1.   My new boss, Ms. Harris, is great. She’s really funny! Much better than Mr. Brown. Remember him? He never told jokes!

2.   Do you know Dave? He’s nice, but he’s really shy. Bill’s shy, too, but he’s a little easier to talk with. I’d rather have dinner with Bill.

3.   My grandparents have been married for fifty years, but they still argue a lot. My grandfather loves to watch a lot of sports on TV, and my grandmother hates to. They argue about that all the time.

4.   Chris is really friendly. His girlfriend is, too. Everyone likes her. They’re both really outgoing and sociable.

5.   Susan and her husband are really serious about their careers. They get to work early every day and stay late. Sometimes they work on weekend, too.