Listening Exercises B1 – Character Traits

1.

A:   Jeff is the perfect elementary school teacher. He’s so good with children.

B:   I know what you mean. Those kids never make him angry.

2.

A:   Sheila is a very effective speaker. When she talks, people stop and listen.

B:   That’s right. A lot of people even change their opinions after talking to her.

3.

A:   How does Mary like her new job?

B:   Oh, she loves it. She’s really excited about working there. In fact, she’s cheerful all the time.

4.

A:   I’ve been having problems with my boss lately.

B:   Why is that?

A:   Well, he has a lot of rules. He’s really angry if I come to work a few minutes late, or leave early, or take a long lunch. And if I make a tiny mistake, he gets really mad.

5.

A:   I don’t know about you, but I’m voting for Dave Thomas for class president. He knows everything about this school and all the important issues.

B:   Yeah. He really knows what he’s talking about.

6.

A:   My landlady is really nice. She doesn’t get angry if I pay the rent a few days late. And when I’m sick, she always brings me homemade chicken soup.

B:   Wow. That’s really sweet.

1.

A:   What do you think of Chris?

B:   I like talking with him. He knows something interesting about practically everything.

A:   Yeah, I know. And he’s really serious about studying, too. He wants to go to medical school, so his grades have to be perfect.

B:   He must be a good student.

A:   He’s a great student – top of the class last year.

2.

A:   You know Brandon Kent, don’t you?

B:   Oh, sure. He’s really sweet. He took a whole day off last month to help me move into my new apartment. The he drove me to the mall so I could pick up some furniture for my new place.

A:   Yeah, that’s what I like about him. In fact, he’s coming over this afternoon to help me with my math assignment.

B:   Lucky you!

3.

A:   I just can’t stand that Terry Dey.

B:   Really?

A:   Yeah. The other day, we were walking past this poor homeless man on the street – you know, one of those guys who lost his job and doesn’t have any money?

B:   Sure. I know what you mean.

A:   Well, as soon as we walked past him, Terry made jokes about his clothes.

B:   No way! That’s terrible.

4.

A:   Are you going to Tony’s party on Friday night?

B:   Yeah. Are you?

A:   Of course! He has great parties, don’t you think?

B:   Definitely. It’s because he’s so excited about things. Everyone sees him dancing and laughing and having fun, and then they start enjoying themselves, too.

A:   You’re right.

B:   Yeah. He’s really an amazing guy.

5.

A:   Have you seen Patrick recently?

B:   No, I haven’t. We were supposed to go to a concert last weekend, but he said he was too sick to go.

A:   Oh, that’s too bad.

B:   The thing is, he didn’t tell me the truth. My brother saw him at a party the same night, dancing and having a good time.

A:   Oh! I really hate people who lie like that.

B:   Me, too.

6.

A:   I just talked to Chuck.

B:   How is he today?

A:   The same as usual. It’s impossible to make him smile. Talking to him is really difficult. It’s easy to say some little thing that really upsets him.

B:   I know. I wonder why he’s like that.

A:   I think it’s because he isn’t doing well at school this year.

1.

Ever since John got that new job, you wouldn’t recognize him. I guess you have to be more conservative when you have a job like that. He works really long hours now and he wears a suit and a tie. And when he comes home from work he never wants to go out. All he does is sit in his chair and watch TV. He looks totally exhausted. That’s not how he was in college. Back then, he used to go around in old T-shirts and jeans. And he had that crazy green hair!

2.

I ran into Donna Simpson the other day. I could hardly recognize her. Do you remember her from high school? She was a little chubby and out of shape back then. I don’t think she ever exercised or played any sports. Well, she really looks different now. She’s lost a lot of weight. In fact, she looks terrific. She told me that she decided to get in better shape after she got married last year. Now she goes to the gym three times a week.

3.

Have you had a chance to talk to Rosie lately? She’s gotten so depressed – you know, sad and worried all the time. It’s a real change. She used to be so enthusiastic in high school. She was a cheerleader, and she was always laughing and making jokes. Now she just sits in coffee shops all by herself and just looks really sad. You can tell that something’s really bothering her. It must be her boyfriend. I heard they recently broke up.

4.

Do you remember what Ted Rodgers used to look like? He used to be so athletic, with really big muscle. He went to the gym all the time and was always careful about what he ate and drank. Well, you wouldn’t believe how much he’s changed. I’m sure he weighs over 100 kilos now. It doesn’t look like he does any exercise at all, and he eats just about anything. Someone told me he changed after he got really rich from the stock market. They said that after he got rich, he decided just to enjoy himself.

1 True   2 False   3 True   4 False   5 False

Transcript

1.

A:   Does Mona really go to the library every night to help her students with their assignments?

B:   Yeah, it’s true. She really cares about her students and wants them to succeed.

2.

A:   I’m worried about my roommate, Laura. All she does is sit around, eat junk food, and watch TV.

B:   She sounds pretty relaxed.

A:   But she’s not. She’s depressed because she can’t find a job.

3.

A:   Did you hear that Pedro got the highest score on the test?

B:   Yeah. That guy is the smartest person I know. He gets the highest score on just about every test.

4.

A:   Don’t you think Frank is a great guy? All of my friends want to date him.

B:   Well, I know he’s handsome, but I don’t think he’s very honest. I’ve heard him telling people things that just aren’t true.

5.

A:   You know that guy, Arthur? The one who tries to answer all the questions in our History class?

B:   Of course I know him. He was doing it again today. Everything he says is wrong. He always gives the wrong date, or the wrong place

A:   Or the wrong name!

B:   Exactly.

1 b   2 c   3 c   4 c   5 a

Transcript

1.

Susan used to have green hair, and she listened to really cool music. Now her hair is brown and plain. She used to go to parties all the time, but all she does now is work-and talk about work. She’s become really boring.

2.

Russell Smith used to be really shy. When I knew him in elementary school, he’d sit in the corner of the classroom and look at the floor all day. I can’t believe he’s a famous rock star now, singing in front of thousands of people.

3.

Ellen used to be my best friend. She ate lunch with me every day. But ever since she got a boyfriend, she only eats lunch with him. Sure, I sometimes see her at school and she says “Hi” to me, but we never get together anymore.

4.

Jack used to be a fun, easygoing kind of guy. Any little thing would make him laugh, and he was always telling jokes. I can’t believe how much he’s changed since he started law school. Now he’s always serious and stressed out. He must be under a lot of pressure.

5.

Since she got married, Laura has really let herself go. She’s gained about 20 kilos now and she always wears baggy old T-shirts and sweat pants. And she doesn’t even comb her hair or anything.