Listening Exercises B1 – Vacations

1.

A:   Well, if you like the beach, the sun, and the surf, you might consider our Hawaiian vacation package. Or we can also arrange a trip to a beach resort in the Philippines.

B:   Well, I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times and I always enjoy it. But I’ve never been to the Philippines. I think that would be fun for a change.

2.

A:   If you like snow, we could book you at a ski resort. We have some great vacation packages if you like skiing. Or, for a warmer vacation, we can arrange a jungle trip to the Malaysian National Forest. It’s very popular.

B:   Well, I’ve just bought some new ski equipment and I’m dying to try it. I have to say that I’m not too keen on the jungle trip. I just hate all those insects.

3.

A:   I’d like to do something really different for my vacation this year.

B:   Well, here are a couple of possibilities. How about a trip down the Nile River? Egypt is wonderful this time of year. Or maybe you’d like to spend a week in the Australian outback.

A:   Hmm. They both sound interesting, but I guess I’d prefer the Australian trip. The Nile River might be just a little too exciting.

4.

A:   I’d like to do something exciting this vacation. I don’t want to just lie around on a beach.

B:   How about white-water rafting down the Colorado River? It takes you right through the Grand Canyon. That’s really exciting. Or we could send you on a 10-day African safari. That’s also very popular.

A:   The safari trip would be great sometime, but I only have one week. I think I’ll go for the Grand Canyon trip.

5.

A:   We have a couple of trips you might be interested in. One in our Southeast Asian trip. You go to Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. The other is our tour of China.

B:   China! I’ve never been there. I hear it’s fascinating. I’ve already been to Thailand and Indonesia, so I think I’d like to visit China this time.

6.

A:   Let me tell you about a couple of trips that might interest you. We have a two-week tour of Europe. It’s a bus trip. You travel in nice, comfortable motor coaches. Then we also have a train trip across Russia.

B:   Oh, I love trains. And I’ve never been to Russia. I’m not too fond of bus trips. I get sick in cars and buses.

1.

I’m so excited about my trip to Asia. I’ve never been there before. First, I’m flying to Singapore from the U.S. I’ll be spending three days there, because I hear that there’s a lot to see and do. I’ll also be spending three days in Seoul. I hear the nightlife there is great. Then we go from there to Hong Kong. I’m planning to do lots of shopping there, so I hope two days is enough time to but everything I need. I would really love to go to Beijing for a few days. But, unfortunately, this tour doesn’t go there. After Hong Kong, we’ll end up in Thailand for five days. So I guess I won’t be able to get to Tokyo or Malaysia on this trip. Oh, well. I have to save a few places to visit on my next vacation.

2.

Well, our trip starts off in London. We’ve got a week there. We will also take the bus up to Oxford for two days to see friends. We also wanted to get to see Cambridge – I hear it’s beautiful – but we won’t have time this trip. Anyway, then we head to France. We have five days in Paris, which will give us time to see all of those museums. I wish we were going to spend a few days in Germany, too, but this trip doesn’t include it. But, we do go to Switzerland for three days. I’m really looking forward to that. Then we end up in Italy for the last five days of the tour.

3.

We start off in Los Angeles. We’re going to stay there for three days, because we want to hit the beach and see the sights. We’re not going to go to San Francisco this time, because we’ve been there before. Then we’re off to Denver to visit my sister. We’re going to stay there for a week. I hope that’s enough time, because I haven’t seen her since last Christmas, and we have so much to talk about. We were thinking of going to Chicago after that, be we just don’t have time, so it’s straight on to Washington, D.C., and New York. We’ve got two days in Washington and three in New York. We’d really love to get up to Boston for a couple of days, but it probably won’t happen. Maybe next time.

1.

After graduation, I’m going to fly to Europe and spend a couple of weeks traveling on my own. I’ll be in Germany and France, mostly. There are so many things I want to see and do: museums, restaurants, clubs, cafes, all that stuff. I know my parents worry about me traveling alone, but I just prefer it that way. I guess it’s because I want to be free. On those group tours, everything is planned for you.

2.

I’m taking a trip to New Zealand. I hear it’s really quiet down there, and the people are really friendly. I want to go to small towns that don’t get a lot of tourists. Then I can just check into a cheap hotel and do my own thing. I’m really looking forward to this trip. I guess it’s because I need to go somewhere quiet. The city where I live is very noisy, and the people are rude.

3.

When I’m in London, I want to see as many plays and concerts as I can. I also want to go to all the big museums and art galleries there. I’m going to go dancing as often as I can, too. Basically, I want to see and do everything! I really want to make the most of the week I’ll be there. I guess it’s because I need some excitement. My life has been so boring this year.

4.

I’m going to go to Thailand this winter. I don’t want to spend any time in Bangkok because I’ve been there before. This time, I just want to relax on a nice, quiet beach. I can swim and snorkel everyday if I want to, but I don’t have to do anything. I just want to relax. I guess it’s because I’ve been so busy at work recently.

5.

I’m spending a month in Mexico. It’s going to be great. I don’t want to spend any time in Mexico City, though. There are too many tourists there. Instead, I want to go to one of those small, old colonial towns. I guess it’s because I want to practice my Spanish. I studied the language for three years in college, and I think I’ll get to use it a lot more in a small town.

6.

My friend and I are going to Australia. It’s perfect for us because Australia has a lot of cheap hotels for backpackers. They’re great places to meet young people and travelers from all over the world. I’m really excited about this trip. I guess it’s because the beaches are great there. I heard the east coast of Australia has some of the best surfing in the world.

1 Yes   2 Yes   3 Yes   4 No   5 No

Transcript

A:   This year, we’re going to Japan on our vacation.

B:   Yes, we’re going to see the major cities on the big island of Honshu.

A:   Our plane flies into Tokyo, of course.

B:   We’ll stay there for five days.

A:   Then we take the bullet train to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. We’ll be there four days.

B:   After that, we get on the bullet train again and go down to Hiroshima. We won’t go to Osaka this time.

A:   And we won’t get to see Kobe either. It’s too bad. That’s where all that fantastic Kobe beef comes from.

1 a   2 a   3 b   4 c   5 a

Transcript

1.

I just love ballet, and one of the best ballets in the world is in St. Petersburg, Russia. Of course, Russia also has terrific theater and opera, but what I really want to see is the ballet.

2.

I go to Paris every year-for the food. Oh yes, there are also a million art museums and a great opera house there, but I just go there to eat.

3.

I love Latin music, especially Brazilian music. So this year I’m going to Brazil. Everyone thinks I’m just going to lie in the sun, but I plan to spend all my time going to clubs and listening to music.

4.

I’m going to the Grand Canyon this summer because I’ve always wanted to go white-water rafting. There are other things to do there, like hiking and camping, but all I’m interested in is rafting.

5.

I’m really into Elvis Presley, that famous American singer. I’m going to visit Graceland, his home in Memphis, Tennessee. There are great clubs and restaurants in Memphis, but I don’t care about that. I just want to see where Elvis lived.