Practice English Listening Tests for B1 – Listening Test 06

8 A   9 B   10 C   11 A   12 C   13 B

Audioscript

8

Boy:   That class was fun. I like working in groups like that.

Girl:   I guess it means there are five of you to set up the experiment, so you can get it done in half the time. How much I enjoy it, though, depends very much on who I’m asked to work with. I usually don’t get along so well with at least one of the others, which kind of spoils things.

Boy:   I suppose it does.

Girl:   But at least you can solve problems and work out what’s happening better if there are five minds thinking about it.

9

Boy:   That was a great museum.

Girl:   If I went again, though, I’d suggest not bothering with that room with those old pots.

Boy:   I liked them – they really helped me to imagine what life was like back then. You seemed to enjoy the shop though – you were in there for ages.

Girl:   I wish I’d taken more money.

Boy:   It gives us a good reason to come back – there was this amazing puzzle of some ancient ruins I really wanted.

Girl:   It was a long way to come to see a museum of that size, though.

Boy:   Yes, I imagined it’d be much bigger.

10

Boy:   I really enjoyed that. I came so close to getting the ball in the net a few times, too.

Girl:   If you all play as well as that in every game, you should start actually beating some of the other teams.

Boy:   I hope so. We’ve all trained really hard this season, and our new coach has made a big difference. I think I probably played better than usual because Mum and Dad could both get here for once. I’m always really cheerful when they do.

Girl:   Well I’m sure they enjoyed it as much as I did.

Boy:   I hope so.

11

Girl:   What did you think of that poem we read in the literature class?

Boy:   It always takes me a while to work out what old poems like that are about, but that’s what I like about them.

Girl:   Me too. It’d be a shame if you understood everything after you’d only read it once.

Boy:   I can’t help wondering why the poet made it so long, though.

Girl:   I’m sure it’d be possible to say the same thing in half as many words.

Boy:   It would, and without changing the message of what he wants to say.

Girl:   Absolutely!

12

Boy:   So what do you think of my essay?

Girl:   I think it’s OK. The teacher will definitely be surprised by what you chose to write about, but in a good way – it’s certainly original.

Boy:   So you think it’s ready to hand in then?

Girl:   If I were you, I’d look at the way it’s written. You’ve included plenty of information about the topic and some good examples to support what you’re saying, but it’s written a bit like a list at the moment. You need to see if you can get it to flow more, so it sounds more natural.

Boy:   I’ll try!

13

Boy:   You know that video game you lent me?

Girl:   Yes, have you got it with you?

Boy:   I haven’t actually. I put it in my bag last night to bring to school today, but I think my brother saw it and probably wanted to play it, too. I think he took it out and it’ll be in his bedroom somewhere now.

Girl:   Oh dear!

Boy:   He didn’t know I said I’d give it back to you today. I’m sure he’d be extremely grateful if we could keep it for a couple of extra days.

Girl:   That’s OK, no problem.

20 B   21 A   22 A    23 B    24 C   25 C

Audioscript

Man:   Carlotta, you’re already a star hairdresser. What got you interested in it?

Carlotta:   When I was a kid, I watched friends getting haircuts and I remember thinking how complicated it seemed. One day, I was watching this animated film. This man was cutting someone’s hair, but did it really quickly and made it look so easy. I don’t know why, but after that, I took a real interest in it and in the magazines I’d sometimes find around our house.

Man:   So who did you practise your hairdressing skills on first?

Carlotta:   My sister had this fantastic long hair – it looked so nice, and I really wanted to cut it, but of course my parents wouldn’t let me. My dad wanted his hair cut really short, so he let me have a go on his before he went to his usual hairdresser’s. My mum said it didn’t look too bad, but still didn’t trust me to cut hers!

Man:   Later on, you studied hairdressing at college. What did your teachers say about you?

Carlotta:   They recognised that the way I cut hair was very natural, which they didn’t want to change. I didn’t take ages thinking about what I wanted to do, I just did it. They reminded me that I needed to keep chatting – not just when people first sit down – to make it a social experience as well as a haircut.

Man:   You won the Young Hairdresser competition when you were eighteen. How did that feel?

Carlotta:   It felt good afterwards, of course, but not during the competition. I’d entered very late, so it seemed like I’d only just finished reading what I could and couldn’t do when I was on stage. The person whose hair I was cutting kept moving, which was annoying, but I knew my ideas gave me a chance of doing well.

Man:   At the moment, you work for a well-known chain of hairdressing shops …

Carlotta:   That’s right. You might think I’d get to cut the hair of loads of celebrities there, but none seem to come into the one I work in. I get to try so many different things, though, because our customers all want such original styles. I’ll never become rich working there, but it’s been great.

Man:   What do you plan to do next?

Carlotta:   My idea of starting a training centre didn’t get very far – it was too complicated. I want my own hairdressing shop, but in a more fashionable place than where I work now, so hopefully abroad somewhere. I’ve found these great new skin creams and shampoos I can use there when I do.

Man:   Thanks, Carlotta!