Listening Exercises A1 – Prices

1.

A:        Can I help you?

B:        Yes, how much are these shoes?

A:        They’re on sale. Let’s see… They’re $45.

B:        Uh-huh.

A:        Do you want to try them on?

B:        No, thanks.

2.

A:        How much is this computer?

B:        It’s on sale for $4,099.

A:        $4,099!

B:        Do you want to buy it?

A:        That’s okay. I’m just looking.

3.

A:        This tie isn’t bad. How much is it?

B:        It’s $36.95.

A:        $36.95. Well, maybe I don’t really need a tie. Thanks, anyway.

4.

A:        These shorts are nice, aren’t they?

B:        Yes, and they’re only $26.95. Do you want to take them?

A:        Yeah, I think I will.

5.

A:        How much are these earrings?

B:        They’re only $12.25.

A:        They’re nice. I’ll take them.

B:        Okay.

6.

A:        That camera looks interesting. How much is it?

B:        It’s on sale. It was $145, but now it’s only $125.

A:        Hmm. Well, I’ll think about it.

1.

Let’s see. Soup. That’s two for a dollar. And a bottle of shampoo—$6.50. So that comes to $7.50 and your change is $12.50.

2.

Okay, now—let me see what you’ve got. The CD is $14.95, and the cassette—oh, a good one, my favorite group—it’s on sale for $4.95. So, let me see…. That comes to $19.90. So here’s your change, ten cents.

3.

Yes, can I help you? Okay. Let’s see. The newspapers are $1.50, and the magazines will cost another…$8.15. Yes, so that’s, let me see, $9.65, right? Here’s your change, $10.35.

4.

So you’re taking the T-shirt—nice choice. The color suits you. Okay, that’s $4.95, then the socks. They’re another $3.20, so that’s $8.15, and here’s your change, $11.85.

5.

Mmm, I like chocolates, too. Okay, that’s $9.50 for the chocolates. And chocolate chip cookies, too. Mmm. You really do like chocolate. The cookies are $2.99. So that’s $12.49. And here’s your change, $7.51.

6.

Is this all? Okay. Let’s see. Now the magazines are $6.25. And you’re taking the book? That’s $12.00. So that comes to $18.25 altogether. And here’s your change. That’s a dollar seventy-five.

1.

I could never buy a car at home because we pay a very high tax on cars. Only rich people can really afford to buy a car at home. Here in the U.S., I drive a nice new car and I can easily afford it. You don’t have to be rich to own a car, which is great.

2.

At home it only costs about $200 a month to rent a nice apartment. That’s what I used to pay for a four-room apartment in a good neighborhood. Here in the U.S., I pay about twice that for a much smaller apartment, and it’s not in a very nice neighborhood.

3.

I bought a lot of clothes in my country before I moved to the U.S. because everyone told me how expensive American clothing is. I was kind of surprised that I could get nice clothes here for very reasonable prices. In fact, it costs me less for clothes here than it used to cost me at home.

4.

I come from a small country and not a lot of people travel by plane because it costs more than most people can afford. But the U.S. is such a big country and the population is large, so you have a lot of people traveling by plane. That’s what keeps the prices down. That means I can afford to fly here and I do it all the time. I couldn’t do that at home.

5.

Most people send their children to private schools at home because the public schools are not very good. You have to pay a lot to do that, so it’s a big expense for many people. Public schools are better here, and cheaper than in my country. People don’t have to spend a lot on tuition, so most people send their children to public schools.

6.

Here in the U.S. you need to have health insurance because it costs a lot to see a doctor or to enter a hospital. At home, you don’t have to pay much to see a doctor or go to a hospital because most of the clinics and hospitals are run by the government.

1 no   2 no   3 yes   4 yes   5 yes

Transcript

1.

A:   Look at all these necklaces and earrings.

B:   Wow … and they’re all on sale. Everything is 50% off.

A:   That’s great! So these pearl earrings…

C:   They were $25.00, so now they’re $12.50.

A:   Hmm. Thanks, anyway.

2.

A:   Oh, look, Todd. It’s a lamp just like the one my grandmother wants. Excuse me, how much is this lamp?

B:   This one? It’s $375. Isn’t it gorgeous?

A:   $375! That’s too expensive!

3.

A:   Isn’t this hat beautiful? I love this new style.

B:   So do I.

C:   Here, look at yourself in this mirror. It’s perfect for you, and only $40.00.

A:   That’s a good price.

C:   Yes, it’s on sale. It’s marked down from $50.

A:   I’m going to but it.

4.

A:   Look at this beautiful blue rug. It was $20.00, but now it’s only $10.00. What do you think? It would be perfect for the kitchen.

B:   I love it! Let’s get it.

5.

A:   Look at these old CDs, Todd. They’re only $3.00 each, or four for $10.00.

B:   Wow, four CDs for only $10.00! I’ll take this one and this one …

A:   And I want this one.

1 b   2 b   3 a   4 c   5 a

Transcript

1.

Good morning. How are you doing today? Let’s see… shampoo, $5.99, toothpaste on sale for $2.59, and a box of tissues for $2.19. The big bottle of aspirin is $4.59. That’s all for today? Okay. Your total is $15.36. Here’s your change.

2.

Hello there … Color film is $2.49 a roll and you have 2, 4, 6 rolls. That comes to $14.94… out of $15. Here’s your change: 6 cents.

3.

Hello. Getting ready for the new term at school, huh? The pens are $1.19 and you have three, so that’s $3.57. The package of notebooks is $4.95, and the computer paper is $5.60. All together, that comes to $14.12. Out of $20, that’s $5.88 in change.

4.

Hello. Just batteries today, huh? The camera battery is $19.95, the flashlight batteries are $4.49, and the cell phone battery is $13.69. $38.13 is your total. And here’s your change: a dollar eighty-seven.

5.

Hi. What do you have there? A big box of chocolates for $24.95, a beautiful bouquet of flowers for $9.99, and a card for $1.99… what’s the special occasion? Oh! It’s a secret, huh? Okay. That’ll be $36.93. Here’s your change: $3.07. Have a great day!