Practice English Listening Tests for B1 – Listening Test 34

8 B   9 A   10 B   11 C   12 B   13 A

Audioscripts

8   You will hear a boy telling a friend about plans for his birthday.

Woman:   What are you doing for your birthday?

Boy:   I’m having a group bike ride and then a picnic in the park. I know it’s the same as what we did last year buy I don’t think that matters. I wanted to have all my mates from college and my football team. But it wouldn’t be a good idea to have so many people riding together, so I’ll have to choose between them, which is a shame.

Woman:   I’m sure it’ll be fun whoever comes.

Boy:   You’re right. I hate having to make decisions like this. Anyway, you’ll come, won’t you?

Woman:   Of course!

9   You will hear two friends talking about a football match they went to.

Man:   Did you enjoy the match last night? I have to say I thought it was pretty dull.

Woman:   Oh I don’t know – most people seemed to be enjoying it. Me included. Although there weren’t nearly as many people watching as there normally are.

Man:   The cold weather might be the reason for the low numbers. And the people who were there weren’t too happy with some of the things the referee did.

Woman:   He had some difficult situations to deal with. I didn’t think he did too badly actually.

Man:   Anyway, at least our team won. That’s what matters!

10   You will hear a man telling his friend about a skiing holiday.

Man:   I’m never going skiing again!

Woman:   Why? You looked like you were having a good time in the photos I saw on the internet.

Man:   They were taken at the start of the holiday. I was so excited then.

Woman:   So, what happened?

Man:   Everything was fine until someone suggested trying one of the more advanced routes. I’ve never been so scared in all my life. It was too difficult for me and I had to give up half-way – I nearly hurt myself hitting a tree! The others all found this very funny, which made me feel pretty silly.

Woman:   Oh dear.

11   You will hear two friends talking about cars.

Man:   I hear you just bought a new car. How did you decide which one to get?

Woman:   Well, I often watch that TV show about cars … you know the one with Ben Clark where they give all sorts of information about different models. They mentioned some useful places to look online where people who’ve bought new cars give their opinions. I’d always rather see what car owners say than trust adverts or stuff on TV. Anyway, they were all pretty positive about the model I was hoping to get so I went for it in the end!

12   You will hear a woman telling a friend about a singing competition.

Man:   How are things going with preparations for the singing competition?

Woman:   Well, there are some strong singers this year, so I’m glad picking the winner’s not my job. I mean, how do you go about choosing?

Man:   Have you ever thought about entering a singing competition yourself?

Woman:   I think it’s more fun watching and making comments about everyone else! And anyway, being in charge of the whole thing, I’ve more than enough to do, I can tell you. I’m spending ages sorting things out, including most evenings. But I love it.

Man:   I’m sure it’ll be great.

13   You will hear a woman talking to a friend about her recent move to a city.

Man:   Are you happy about your move to the city?

Woman:   Well, my neighbours are very quiet but there’s a lot of street noise from all the shops and restaurants. I suppose everything’s nearby, so now I can walk everywhere, which means I’m actually fitter than when I lived in the countryside. I hadn’t expected that. I do sometimes wonder whether this is the right area for me, but once I’ve got to know more people, I’ll be able to decide if it’s the sort of place I’m going to be happy in. Why don’t you come round soon?

Man:   I’d love to.

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

Audioscripts

Man:   This week, I’m joined by swimmer Rosie Banks, who swims in international competitions. Rosie, welcome. So, did you swim a lot when you were very young?

Girl:   Yes, before I even started school, my dad used to take my brother Joel and me to the pool in town. He just wanted us to do something in our free time that wasn’t looking at a screen. Joel was better at swimming than anyone we knew, and I practised as often as possible so I could swim as fast as him.

Man:   And then you joined a swimming club and started training seriously?

Girl:   Yes, I was invited to join the club when I was 12. It took an hour to get to their pool. Mum drove me. we had to leave for training early each morning, but we enjoyed chatting on the journey. With all the training and competitions, I couldn’t attend school sometimes, which I was unhappy about. I was always much busier than my friends, but I still met up with them when I had time.

Man:   And now you’ve had success at the Swim Stars International competition. Tell us about that.

Girl:   Well, I’d trained hard, and I expected to do well, although winning was still brilliant! Swimming isn’t shown much on TV – it’s usually famous footballers or tennis stars people love watching – so I couldn’t believe people wanted to read and watch interviews with me!

Man:   So, I imagine it’s expensive taking part in international competitions. Do you get help with the costs?

Girl:   Yes. Fortunately, a sportswear company pays for plane tickets, as long as I use their swimsuits, bags and other stuff showing their brand. It’s be great if they also gave me financial support for hotels, as my parents have to spend a lot on that kind of thing.

Man:   So, you’ve got a new swimming coach now. What changes has she made?

Girl:   Well, I’m doing the same regular fitness training. But, thanks to her suggestions about the way I move my arms through the water, I’ve already seen improvements in my speed. She’s also looked at the food I eat – luckily she was satisfied with that. I’m very strict with my diet.

Man:   And you’re going to Spain soon I hear.

Girl:   Well, I’ve got a short break first, and then I’m going on a special training course there for the whole summer. I’ll work with lots of swimmers I haven’t met before. I’m really looking forward to that. I won’t do any races but it’ll still be hard work.

Man:   Thanks Rosie …