Listening Exercises B1 – Cities

1.

I think Rio de Janeiro is one of the most interesting cities in South America. The nightlife is great. They have great musicians, so there is always good music in the cafes. Crime is a problem, though, so you have to be careful.

2.

Sydney is one of my favorite cities in Australia. There are some great buildings there, like the famous opera house. The only problem is the weather. Spring and fall are okay, but the summer is too hot for me.

3.

Montreal is a nice city to visit, but don’t go in the winter. It’s much too cold! The rest of the year is great. There are plenty of clubs, restaurants, and other places to go at night.

4.

One of my favorite cities in Asia is Hong Kong. It used to be a British colony, so it has a fascinating mixture of Chinese and Western culture. On the down side, the pollution has gotten pretty bad. Sometimes the air is really dirty.

5.

When I went to Hawaii, I spent the first few days in Honolulu. Everything was really expensive there, especially in the restaurants. Four dollars for a soda! But the beaches were wonderful, especially Waikiki Beach. The water was so clean.

6.

In Los Angeles, you have to drive everywhere, and sometimes the traffic is terrible. But that’s the only bad part. There are a lot of fun things to see, like Hollywood, Disneyland, and the movie studios.

A:   Hey Bob, guess what? I’m going to visit Quebec next summer. I have to go to a friend’s wedding, but I also want to stay a while longer and do some sightseeing.

B:   That’s great, Dave, but do you mean the province of Quebec or Quebec City?

A:   I guess I mean the province. The wedding is in Montreal, so I’m going there first. I’ll be there for about four days. Montreal is the capital of the province, right?

B:   Well, a lot of people think so because it’s the biggest city, buy it’s not actually the capital. Quebec City is the capital. But Montreal is great. The St. Lawrence river runs right through the middle of the city. It’s beautiful in the winter.

A:   Wow. And do you think I can get by in English? My French is okay, but not great. I know most people there speak French, but can I also use English?

B:   Well, people speak both French and English there, but you’ll hear French most of the time, and all of the street signs are in French. In fact, Montreal is the third largest French-speaking city in the world. So you’d better practice your French before you go.

A:   Oh. That’s good advice. Now, what about Quebec City? I’m going to visit a friend from college who lives there now. What’s it like?

B:   It’s a beautiful city. Very old. A lot of old buildings have been nicely restored. Some of them were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. You’ll love it there.

A:   Great! I can’t wait to go!

1.

I went to Mexico City for the first time last summer, and I managed to use my Spanish every day. I mean, I still had to use my Spanish-English dictionary a lot, but I was really proud of myself. The only bad experience I had there was when someone stole my purse while I was having lunch in a restaurant. Next time, I’ll watch my purse more carefully.

2.

You wouldn’t believe what happened on my vacation to Thailand. I lost my wallet in a taxi! I thought I would never see it again. But that evening, the taxi driver came to my hotel and gave my wallet back to me. I was so relieved! The last day I was there, though, I got food poisoning from some fish. Next time, I won’t order any seafood.

3.

While I was in Greece last summer, I met a really nice Greek family on the boat to the island of Corfu. They invited me to spend a few days with them at their beach house there. What a great house! anyway, I also went down to Crete. I arrived without a hotel reservation and every place I tried was full, so I had to sleep at the bus station for the first two nights. It was awful. Next time, I’ll make reservations before I go.

4.

My trip to Hawaii this summer was great. The thing I liked the most was going snorkeling at a beach near Honolulu. The water is crystal clear and full of the most beautiful tropical fish I’ve ever seen. I’ll never forget it. Unfortunately, though, I spent too much time in the sun and I got the worst sunburn of my life. I had to go to the doctor to get something for it. Next summer, I’ll use suntan lotion every day.

5.

I really enjoyed my visit to London. I wish I could have stayed there for a month instead of just for a week. The thing I really enjoyed was the British theater. I went almost every night and saw some really famous actors. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how expensive London can be. I ran out of money after a week, so I had to come home. I’m bringing a lot more money for my next trip.

6.

I just came back from a vacation in Tokyo. I did just about everything – I even went to Tokyo Disneyland. In fact, I had such a good time there that I went back again the next day. One thing I didn’t realize, however, was how cold Tokyo can be in the winter. I didn’t take enough warm clothing with me and I caught a terrible cold. If I ever go back there, I’m going to take a sweater.

1 b   2 a   3 b   4 c   5 b

Transcript

1.

A:   Where did you go on vacation?

B:   I went to Portland, Maine. It was really great.

A:   What did you like about it?

B:   Well, the mountains were beautiful, and the weather was wonderful. It was cool and sunny every day.

2.

A:   I just got back from my trip to Rio de Janeiro.

B:   Rio! What’s it like there?

A:   It has a lot of big, beautiful beaches. I spent a lot of time just lying on the sand and relaxing.

3.

A:   How was your trip to London?

B:   Fantastic! There’s so much to see there! Museums, churches, old buildings, theaters

A:   How was the weather?

B:   It rained every day. That was the only bad part.

4.

A:   Hey, Jim, I heard you went somewhere unusual on your vacation.

B:   That’s right. I went to Riga, Latvia.

A:   Latvia? Where’s that?

B:   It’s on the Baltic Sea. Riga is the capital city. There are some really beautiful old buildings there.

5.

A:   How was your trip to Moscow?

B:   It was very surprising. I expected the city to be boring, but it was really exciting. The nightlife was incredible-music, theater, opera, and of course lots of clubs. I had a fantastic time.

1.   Los Angeles

2.   San Francisco

3.   San Francisco

4.   Los Angeles

5.   Los Angeles

Transcript

Los Angeles and San Francisco are both cities in California, but they’re completely different places. In Los Angeles, you have to drive everywhere. I had to rent a car just to go to a movie or visit a museum. San Francisco was different. There are a lot of buses and trains, and they’re very convenient. The people are different in San Francisco, too – more relaxed and friendly. In Los Angeles, everyone seems to be in a hurry. But I have to say, the weather in Los Angeles is much better. It’s sunny and warm every day.