Listening Exercises B1 – Successful Businesses

1.

A:   What’s that new Indian restaurant like on Sixth Street?

B:   Well, everyone said it was very good, but I wasn’t too satisfied when I went there the other night.

A:   Why was that?

B:   The food was good, but it took too long to come. We had to wait for nearly an hour before we got anything to eat.

A:   Wow! That’s terrible service.

2.

A:   I’m going to get the textbook for our biology class at the campus bookstore. Do you want to come?

B:   No, I don’t think so.

A:   Why not? Don’t you think it’s convenient having a bookstore right on campus?

B:   Yes, it is. But have you compared their prices with other bookstores? That store at the mall is usually about 10 percent cheaper.

A:   Oh. I didn’t know that.

3.

A:   Do you belong to health club?

B:   Not right now. I used to go to the Metropolitan Health Club on Third Street. I thought it was great because it was so cheap, but I stopped going there.

A:   Really? I heard it was pretty popular.

B:   That was the problem. It was too popular. It was always full of people. Sometimes I had to wait to use the machines.

A:   That’s no good.

4.

A:   So how was the hotel in Hawaii?

B:   It was pretty good. The staff was really nice – very friendly and helpful. There was one problem with it, though.

A:   What’s that?

B:   The location. It was too far from the restaurants and discos. Next time, I think I’ll stay much closer to town.

5.

A:   Do you want to try Italian food tonight?

B:   Sure. Where would you like to go?

A:   How about Little Roma – you know, that Italian restaurant across from the movie theater? It’s very cheap.

B:   That’s true. But the service is pretty bad. They have new waiters, and they’re really slow. They’re not very friendly, either.

A:   Oh, I didn’t know that. Let’s try another place.

6.

A:   I heard there’s a sale at Brenda’s Boutique. Do you want to check it out? They have really good clothes.

B:   I know, but the service is terrible. The people who work there are so rude.

A:   I know what you mean.

1.

I really enjoy going there with friends after work. There’s always something interesting on the menu. Also, I love the music. There’s a great jazz band that plays there on Fridays, and it’s always really crowded. I guess it’s becoming the in place to go. Everyone wants to be seen there.

2.

I’m glad I decided to study there. My Spanish is much better now. It’s pretty expensive, but the facilities are very good. They have all the latest stuff – you know, computers, videos, and everything. It’s much better than the place I was going to last year.

3.

I’ve been going there for over a year. I just love the way they make my hair look. The stylists are really good at their work. I think they’ve all been trained abroad. The atmosphere makes you feel really at home too, with coffee and snacks, plus really good music. Sure, it’s not cheap, but I only go there every two months or so.

4.

It’s a great place to stay. The atmosphere is so glamorous and exciting. There are bright lights at the front door, and people are always arriving in really expensive cars. The rooms inside are really great, too. Of course, it’s not the cheapest hotel in Miami Beach, but it’s definitely the best.

5.

I always take mine to this garage on Market Street. It takes a long time to get there from my house, but it’s worth the trip. It’s the best repair shop in the city. The mechanics do great work, and they never try to charge you too much. In fact, the prices are great – about half the price of the other places in town.

6.

I get almost all of my shirts there. You’ll love it. All of their stuff looks great and fits perfectly. It’s really good quality, too. They also have a lot of different styles and colors to choose from. The displays are a problem, though. They aren’t organized well, so it takes a long time to find the size you want.

1.

I think the most important thing is service. If the customer feels like he was treated poorly, then he probably won’t come back. That’s why I train all of my workers to give excellent service. They greet customers politely, show them to a table right away, and explain the items on the menu. Of course, the food is important, too. The fish has to be as fresh as possible, and you have to find talented chefs to prepare it.

2.

The Internet has totally changed my business. In the old days, people had to come to a travel agency to get tickets. Now they can do that on their own, so when they come to me they’re looking for a good value. That’s really the most important thing. Of course, convenience is also important for some clients who don’t have the time to plan their own trips.

3.

These days, nothing is more important than speed. Time is money. People want a job done well, but they want it done quickly. And they’re usually prepared to pay a little more if you can promise it will get done fast. And, of course, quality is important, too. We’re building people’s homes, so we want them to enjoy living there for a long time.

4.

It’s so important to have the right kind of displays. Creating an effective clothing display is an art. You want people to see the item right away, pick it up, touch it, and then go try it on. And you want them to buy it, too! Good prices are also important, but the display is really the number one thing.

1 a   2 c   3 c   4 a   5 b

Transcript

1.

I go to Muscles every morning to exercise. It’s a great place for me because it’s very close to my apartment, so I can go there in the mornings before work. Sometimes it’s too crowded, and I know it’s a little more expensive than other places, but I don’t mind.

2.

In my opinion, Sylvester’s is the worst clothing store in town. Their clothes are really badly made, and the displays aren’t organized well at all. It’s impossible to find the size you’re looking for! On the other hand, the salespeople are usually nice and helpful,

3.

My wife and I both work a lot, so we never have time to cook. We’re lucky that Uncle Bob’s is around the corner from us. The food isn’t great, but it’s so close and convenient. Sometimes we eat there twice a day.

4.

My car is old and it’s always breaking down. The only place I bring it to is Sancken Automotive. It’s not very cheap, but the staff there does good work on my car. They’re very friendly people and they know what they’re doing. I can really trust them.

5.

The Blue Room is very disappointing. I mean, the musicians who play there are pretty good, but the atmosphere is terrible. The place is too small, and the tables and chairs are uncomfortable. Also, the cooks make a lot of noise in the kitchen, so it’s really hard to hear the music.

Important: 1, 3, 4, 5

Not important: 2

Transcript

My partner and I just opened a small hotel in the city. We knew how important location is for a hotel, so we built it close to all the shops and museums downtown. The rooms aren’t cheap. But, since tourists usually don’t mind spending money when they’re on vacation, we decided that low prices weren’t that important. On the other hand, service is important, so we trained our staff to be friendly, polite, and helpful. The food is important, too, so everything we cook is delicious. And we made sure that the atmosphere was perfect. That’s probably the most important thing. We want people to feel relaxed as soon as they enter the hotel.