Practice English Listening Tests for B2 – Listening Test 17

1 A   2 B   3 C   4 A   5 A   6 C   7 C   8 B

Audioscripts

1   You hear a message on an answering machine.

Man:   Hi Chris … Mark here … I’m having a get-together at my house with a few friends this Saturday to celebrate my new job. It would be great to see you … We’re starting at about eight but feel free to arrive when you want. Why don’t you stay the night so we can spend some time together the next day? Give me a ring and let me know if you can make it.

2   You hear a conversation between a father and daughter.

Father:   So when are we going to get your computer looked at?

Daughter:   Can we go to the shop on Friday? I’d sort it out myself but it’s too heavy for me to carry.

Father:   Are you coming home first or shall I meet you in town? I can bring the computer with me and see you in the shop.

Daughter:   Um, I’ll meet you there. I’ll make an appointment and let you know what time to be there.

3   You hear a lecturer making an announcement to students.

Lecturer:   I’ve just come to let you know about the arrangements for the exams next week. As you know, we’ve got building work going on at the moment and we don’t want the noise to affect your concentration. There’s a rumour going around that the exams are going to be cancelled but all we’re doing is moving the exam room to the conference centre. If you don’t know the building, …

4   You hear a radio interview with a man talking about tennis.

Man:   So anyway, the idea is we organise fun tennis matches for people who just want to turn up before or after work. We have all these tennis courts that are unused and it’s a great way to get people active. We supply the rackets and balls – and some cold drinks. All people have to do is turn up and play for … ten minutes, half an hour – however long they want.

5   You hear a guide talking about an exhibition in an art gallery.

Guide:   … And this is our latest installation by a new artist, Jason Roberts. We often host small installations but this is the first time we’ve had the pleasure of organising a show on such a large scale. The work takes up most of the main exhibition hall and visitors are invited to walk around and through the work, exploring the different effects the artist has produced depending on where the viewer is standing.

6   You hear two people talking about a restaurant.

Man:   Have you tried that new restaurant? We went there last night. I’d heard it was good.

Woman:   Yes, we went there last week. I had a lovely fish dish.

Man:   I chose the fish too and yeah, it was delicious. But my wife complained that the portions were too small.

Woman:   Well, it’s not the kind of place that puts a lot of food on your plate. They just have a reputation for good quality food.

7   You hear an interview with an author about his new book.

Presenter:   Your new book is unlike your previous works, isn’t it?

Author:   Yes, I’m known for crime thrillers and I’ve no intention of moving away from this genre but I couldn’t get the idea of this historical romance out of my mind.

Presenter:   Did you enjoy the change?

Author:   It was different and the research into the historical facts was fascinating. I have to research a lot for crime stories but the historical angle was really enjoyable.

8   You hear two students discussing a presentation.

Boy:   Well, I’m glad that’s over. I’ve been worried about that presentation all week.

Girl:   I was the same when I did mine. The night before I kept thinking: what could go wrong?

Boy:   It’s natural to feel anxious, isn’t it? But the thought of standing up in front of people is worse than actually doing it. Towards the end, I was enjoying myself.

Girl:   Well, the more times we do it, the easier it’ll become.

24 A   25 C   26 B   27 C   28 A   29 C   30 A

Audioscripts

Presenter:   Today I’m talking to Claire Bradshaw about mountain running. Claire, it sounds exhausting, running up and down mountains.

Claire:   Well, like any sport, it takes practice but everyone has to start somewhere. Actually, calling it ‘mountain running’ makes it sound worse than it is. Most people run up and down hills rather than mountains – or several hills in one session.

Presenter:   Whew! Do a lot of people do mountain running?

Claire:   Yes. The runs take place in countryside with the right landscape – areas like the Lake District and the Highlands of Scotland are very popular. But this doesn’t stop people from the city talking part. For example, I drive to my club from my city apartment. And there are hundreds of clubs so you’ll probably find one not too far from home.

Presenter:   Where did it originate?

Claire:   Well, there are records of people doing this going back nearly a thousand years. It’s always been associated with country fairs and festivals. People would challenge each other to run to the top of a hill and back again. Over time it became formalised and nowadays a run is usually a stand-alone national event. Or sometimes an international event.

Presenter:   Hmm. What are the tougher courses like?

Claire:   There’s a race called The Dragon’s Back, which takes place over five days and over a distance of 200 miles across the Welsh mountains. But before listeners sign up for it, I should point out that only people with lots of experience are allowed to enter.

Presenter:   How can you get started in the sport?

Claire:   Well, you start with something easy and work your way up to more challenging runs, depending on your fitness and motivation. If you’re keen to enter races, you’ll find they’re graded in terms of distance and height. But just as people start jogging without necessarily wanting to run a marathon, you don’t have to enter mountain running races.

Presenter:   How does mountain running differ from road running in terms of difficulty?

Claire:   Um, in some ways, it’s less of a strain on your body. A lot of running injuries are due to the repetitive nature of the movement, the repeated impact on the same part of the foot when running along hard roads, whereas in mountain running, you’re constantly having to adjust your footing or body to deal with different surfaces.

Presenter:   But surely it’s very demanding?

Claire:   Yes. Even experienced runners need to get used to running over rough grass, rocky paths, up hillsides or through mountain streams. And running downhill is more difficult than running uphill. You find yourself going faster and faster when running downhill, which can be frightening when you’re not used to it.