Listening Exercises B2 – Sightseeing

Ronelles is a nightclub.

Crosswell Hill is a park.

Old Keller is a statue.

The Typewriter is a monument.

Figo’s is a café or restaurant.

Ronelles: lights outside, dancing, clubbing

Crosswell Hill: walk / read (if weather’s nice) / joggers / walking dogs

Old Keller: huge / 100 feet high / an important person / made of marble

The Typewriter: built after 2nd World War / names of men who died

Figo’s: eat / sandwiches / I’m starving!

Transcript

Sarah:     So what do you think of the view? Not bad, eh?

Paul:     Yeah, it’s fantastic. You can see for miles. Thanks for showing me round, Sarah.

Sarah:     No problem. Glad you’re enjoying it!

Paul:     What’s that over there? That big building with the lights outside?

Sarah:     That’s Ronelles. It’s a good place to go if you want to go dancing. It doesn’t close until four.

Paul:     Hmm. Well, I’m not really into clubbing.

Sarah:     Me neither. Anyway, on the left is Crosswell Hill. I quite often go for a walk there and read a book if the weather’s nice.

Paul:     Hmm. Crosswell Hill, eh? I guess it’s handy for joggers?

Sarah:     Yes, and it’s popular for walking dogs.

Paul:     Well I might go jogging tomorrow morning. Hey, who’s that, in the middle? It’s huge!

Sarah:     People call him Old Keller. It’s about 100 feet high, I think. James Keller was an important person here in the last century and when he died they built that. It’s made of marble.

Paul:     Right. And that’ impressive, … on the right, just over there.

Sarah:     Yeah, people call that the Typewriter, because it looks like a typewriter. It was built after the Second World War. The names of all the men from the city who died in the war are on it.

Paul:     Why are we stopping?

Sarah:     Because we’re going in there for a bite to eat.

Paul:     What … Figo’s?

Sarah:     Yeah. It’s famous for its sandwiches. They’re the best in town.

Paul:     Great. I’m starving.

a   to get to

b   expensive

c   get around

d   What is there

e   good beaches

f   biggest attraction

g   nightlife

h   famous for

i   places to visit

j   best time

Transcript

a   Is it easy to get to?

b   How expensive is it, once you’re there?

c   What’s it like to get around?

d   What is there to do?

e   Are there any good beaches?

f   What’s the biggest attraction?

g   What’s the nightlife like?

h   Is it famous for anything in particular?

i   Are there any places to visit nearby?

j   When’s the best time to go?

1 b   2 f   3 h   4 d   5 a   6 i   7 e   8 j   9 c   10 g

a   False. The hotels aren’t cheap.

b   True. The food is very varied and cosmopolitan.

c   False. You don’t really need a car.

d   False. Alcatraz is ‘well worth visiting’.

e   False. It’s hardly ever hot enough to sunbathe.

f   True. It’s generally quite mild.

g   True. The cable car is the ‘best way to see the city’. There are lots of ferries and buses, too.

h   False. It’s not famous for’ nightlife, although there are some places to go.

Transcript

1

Well, the hotels aren’t cheap, but if you don’t stay in the centre then you can get a good hotel at very reasonable rates, and you can eat out quite cheaply if you know the right places to go. The food is fantastic by the way.

2

The Golden Gate Bridge, for sure. You should definitely walk across it. It’s amazing!

3

Er, the old-fashioned Victorian architecture, I guess, and the cable cars, of course. The food is very varied and cosmopolitan, and the views, too, I guess, over the bay area.

4

Loads. There’s the bay area, you mustn’t miss that. There are lots of parks, great shopping at Union Square. You should definitely go to Fisherman’s Wharf, and the sea lion at Pier 39 are well worth a visit. You mustn’t miss Chinatown, either. It’s the biggest outside China with some great markets. You have to stay there at least five days if you want to see everything.

5

Sure. There are three airports and they’re all well connected. You can take the subway system or coach, bus, train. No problem.

6

Yeah. You have to take a day trip to Alcatraz. It’s quite expensive, but it’s well worth visiting.

7

Well, it’s on the coast but it’s not really that kind of city. It’s hardly ever hot enough to sunbathe or go swimming.

8

Anytime is good, but the warmest days are September and October. It’s generally quite mild, so you’ll need a coat whenever you go.

9

You should definitely walk, and take a cable car. It’s the best way to see the city. Parking’s a problem, and anyway you don’t really need a car. There are lots of ferries and buses, too.

10

Pretty good. It’s not famous for it, though, so you really ought to check what kind of place you want to go to. There are a few good live music bars, I guess.

The city Mark and the travel agent are talking about is San Francisco.