Practice English Listening Tests for B1 – Listening Test 14

8 A   9 C   10 B   11 C   12 A   13 B

Audioscripts

8   You will hear two friends talking about a sales assistant.

Man:   Have you just been shopping?

Woman:   Yes, I went to that computer shop to have a look at their laptops.

Man:   Did you buy one?

Woman:   No, not yet, but I had an interesting chat with one of the sales assistants who worked there. I thought he was new but he’s worked there for quite a while. He was so helpful. He took the time to explain the difference between the laptops and if he wasn’t able to answer a question, he went and found the manager to ask for his opinion.

Now listen again.

9   You will hear two friends talking about saving for when they retire.

Woman:   My bank sent me a letter about opening a savings account for when I retire.

Man:   Did they? It’s a really good idea. Even when you’re young like us, the sooner you start to save something each month the more you’ll have when you finish work. If you leave it too long, you end up having to save more each month.

Woman:   Not everyone can afford it though, can they?

Man:   Some people would definitely find it hard, I agree. But I think young people realise how important it is and are willing to make an effort.

Now listen again.

10   You will hear a husband and wife talking about a holiday.

Woman:   What about this year’s holiday? Where do you fancy going? Anywhere nice?

Man:   Somewhere warm and sunny, hopefully. Claire and Adam were talking about going with them again.

Woman:   Were they? I think the kids would prefer to have a family holiday this year. Just the four of us. What do you think?

Man:   OK. Shall we have a look on the internet?

Woman:   Let’s go into the travel agents instead. It might be more expensive, but I’d like to go somewhere we haven’t been to before and they might be able to suggest somewhere.

Now listen again.

11   You will hear two friends talking about the local library.

Woman:   Have you heard? They’re thinking of closing our library.

Man:   I know. They’ve been recording the number of visitors that libraries in the city get, and our one is supposed to be very quiet.

Woman:   But I’ll really miss it if we lose it.

Man:   Me too. And it’s so important to have a local library for the children. Some families don’t have a house full of books and a library is somewhere children can discover the pleasure in reading. And once they close it I don’t suppose there will ever be another one.

Now listen again.

12   You will hear two friends talking about doing a presentation.

Man:   It’s your interview tomorrow, isn’t it?

Woman:   Yes, 9.30 in the morning. I finally finished my presentation last night. I just hope nothing goes wrong with the laptop. You know what it’s like relying on things like that.

Man:   How about speaking in front of people? Have you done a presentation before?

Woman:   Yes, a few times. I’ll be nervous for sure, but once I get started, I’ll be OK. And I’ve spent ages researching the subject, so I’ll have plenty to talk about. Wish me luck!

Man:   Yes, good luck. I’m sure you’ll do well.

Now listen again.

13   You will hear two friends talking about working from home.

Woman:   How’s your business going?

Man:   It’s good. It’s strange working for myself and not having any meetings to go to, but I’m enjoying it.

Woman:   Do you like working from home?

Man:   I get jobs done more quickly. When I was working in the office I was always talking to other people and didn’t concentrate on the job I was doing. I thought I’d feel a bit lonely working for myself, but I make sure I get out of the house every day and have a chat with people, so that’s not a problem.

Now listen again.

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

Audioscripts

Interviewer:   Today I’m speaking to Florence Adams about how to prepare for job interviews. Florence, how should we prepare for an interview?

Florence:   Start by researching the company. This will help you understand how you might ‘fit’ with them. Do they have strong links with the local area? Do they have offices abroad, are they serious about environmental issues? If these things matter to you you’ll have lots in common.

Interviewer:   I suppose we need to show we really want the job.

Florence:   Yes. it’s important that you’re clear why you want to work for the company. Going back to what I said earlier, perhaps your values are similar, or maybe having researched the company you can see they offer great career opportunities. What is it about the job that appeals to you?

Interviewer:   And what about those difficult questions we get asked?

Florence:   Think about your weak areas and how you might answer any challenging questions. Few of us are perfect and you may not have much experience in a particular area. Ask if there are any training opportunities the company can offer. Is there anything you can do before the interview? If you tell them you’re already intending to improve these things, it will look great.

Interviewer:   And we need to ask the company questions as well, don’t we?

Florence:   Certainly. Don’t feel you need to wait to be asked. As well as helping you understand what you’ll be responsible for in the job, some questions you ask can show employers more about what you’re like. For example, questions about career opportunities will show you’re serious about working for the company. Questions about training will show you want to develop your skills.

Interviewer:   And I suppose it’s useful to practise before the interview.

Florence:   Definitely. There are lots of sites on the internet where you can download example interview questions. Ask a friend or relative to download some questions and interview you. Don’t ask to see the list first. This will give you the chance to try to answer questions without preparing for them.

Interviewer:   Anything else we should do?

Florence:   The first few minutes or even seconds of the interview are extremely important. Smile at the interviewer when you enter the room. Look confident when you walk in – stand tall with your shoulders back. Wait until you’re invited to sit down and then try to relax. Don’t look at the floor or ceiling when you’re answering a question but at the person or people in front of you.

Now listen again.