Practice English Listening Tests for B1 – Listening Test 08

8 C   9 B   10 C   11 B   12 A   13 B

Audioscripts

8   You will hear two friends talking about a new café in town.

Man:   I’ve just been into the shopping centre. There’s a new cafe by the station.

Woman:   Yes, I know. I went there last week. I think it opened some time ago actually.

Man:   I only looked through the window. It looks really nice.

Woman:   Yes, it’s nice and bright and the staff are really helpful. It’s simple fast food. People might just want to grab something to eat before they catch a train, so it should do well.

Man:   OK, I’ll go in and try it next time I’m in town.

Now listen again.

9   You will hear two friends talking about litter.

Man:   Have you seen all that litter blowing around in the street outside?

Woman:   I know. It looks awful, doesn’t it?

Man:   I don’t know what we pay our taxes for. Why aren’t the street cleaners out there tidying up?

Woman:   I know, but people don’t seem to think about dropping litter. We shouldn’t expect there to be a street cleaner running around behind everyone tidying up their rubbish.

Man:   Yes, I suppose you’re right. But it does look so messy and someone needs to keep the streets clean.

Now listen again.

10   You will hear a woman telling a friend about a new car.

Man:   Well done! I hear you’ve passed your driving test. Congratulations!

Woman:   Yes, I’m thinking about buying myself a nice little car now.

Man:   Really? What kind are you looking for?

Woman:   Nothing too expensive, that’s for sure. A small one to drive around town. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to use it to go to the office, but I might car-share with a colleague to save on petrol.

Man:   That’s a good idea. Just make sure you find someone you like to talk to in the morning!

Now listen again.

11   You will hear two friends talking about a website they use.

Man:   You travel a lot by train, don’t you? Do you book your tickets online?

Woman:   Yes, I use Train Track. It’s my favourite site when I need to book anything.

Man:   Yes, me too. Some sites make it difficult to choose times and dates but that’s never a problem on that site.

Woman:   I know. But have you noticed that sometimes the price of tickets goes up if you don’t order straightaway? If you search the same journey later, it’s more expensive.

Man:   Yes, I’ve noticed that too.

Now listen again.

12   You will hear two friends talking about a photography competition.

Woman:   I heard about your brother winning that photography competition – that was very good.

Man:   I know. His photos are amazing.

Woman:   What kind of photos does he take?

Man:   The prize was for his photos of strangers in the street.

Woman:   Are people happy for him to take their photo?

Man:   He takes it first and then shows it to them on his camera. He always tells them what it’s for and unless they ask him to delete it, he uses it. He says that people rarely complain. Some of them ask him to email them a copy.

Now listen again.

13   You will hear two friends talking about the man’s birthday.

Woman:   Happy birthday, Michael. Have you had a nice day?

Man:   Yes, it’s been wonderful. Everyone has been so kind.

Woman:   Did the kids get you anything nice?

Man:   My daughter got up early and made me breakfast in bed. Toast and a cup of coffee.

Woman:   That must have been lovely.

Man:   It was. I’m certainly not used to that. My son was supposed to help but he forgot and woke up late. But he heard us laughing and joking and joined us when I was opening my presents.

Now listen again.

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

Audioscripts

Interviewer:   I’m speaking with Sally Wainwright, who recently started singing classes. What made you decide to do that, Sally?

Sally:   Well, I’d reached a time in my life when I wanted to do more, to meet new people, to try something different. I’d been to art classes, which were OK, and keep fit, which I hated. Singing classes were something I’d always wanted to try but never had the confidence to start.

Interviewer: Why was that do you think?

Sally:   I always felt uncomfortable singing, even with my family. For example, going on holiday, my husband and children would sing along to the radio, but I never joined in. My mum had a great voice. I loved listening to her singing while she was cooking. I wanted to be able to do the same without feeling silly.

Interviewer:   Was it easy to find a class?

Sally:   Yes, a friend told me about one locally. I was worried I’d have to pass a test of some kind before they let me join but anybody was welcome, and you didn’t need to prove how good your voice was. You just turned up for a practice session with other people. That was the best bit about it. We all sing together, not on our own.

Interviewer:   So how did you feel in that first session?

Sally:   Well. I was so worried before the session I nearly turned the car round and went home. People were already there waiting to start and, one of the organisers turned up. We talked about my reasons for coming along and, well, she gave me the confidence to give it a try. I found a space at the back of the group and just sang with everyone else.

Interviewer:   So, has it helped you become more confident?

Sally:   Absolutely, yes. Being in a group means you can sing without feeling silly. I’ve never been asked to sing on my own and I’m not sure how I’d feel if they did ask me, but now I join in with the kids when there’s a good song on the radio. It’s great to know I’ve achieved one of the goals I had when I started.

Interviewer:   So, would you recommend we all do something similar?

Sally:   Definitely. It’s a great confidence builder, you’ll make friends, and it’s good for your health. There are supposed to be physical benefits from singing – something to do with increasing the oxygen levels, which makes us feel happier – I’m not sure about all that but I do know I always go home in a good mood.

Now listen again.