Practice English Listening Tests for B2 – Listening Test 20

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

Audioscripts

1   You hear a news report on the radio.

Reporter:   And now some traffic news. Due to a bridge collapse there are no trains into Norcombe Central Station until further notice. Extra buses have been laid on but more people are using their cars to get into town so all main routes are now extremely busy. Police recommend that anyone who doesn’t have a good reason to go into town should avoid the area for the time being.

2   You hear a man talking to the receptionist in a leisure centre.

Receptionist:   Good morning, sir. How can I help you?

Man:   Yes … My name’s Paul Flynn. I recently renewed my membership and I was told I’d get my new card in the post. That was three weeks ago and it still hasn’t arrived.

Receptionist:   Ah yes … Um, Mr Flynn … I’ve got your membership card here. We need an up-to-date photo before we can release it.

Man:   Hmm. I wasn’t told that. I’ll have to get one taken.

3   You hear a man and a woman talking about a friend.

Woman:   Have you seen Jim since it happened?

Man:   Yes. I’ve been round his house a couple of times. He was doing to spend his holiday touring with his football team but he had to pull out.

Woman:   When will he be able to play again?

Man:   It’ll be a couple of months before he can start training. Probably longer before he can play for the team. It takes months for a broken leg to recover fully.

4   You hear a conversation in a lift.

Man:   So, how’s the new department?

Woman:   Not too bad. My colleagues are kind and helpful but I’ve had some issues with the boss.

Man:   Really? He’s supposed to be great to work for.

Woman:   Well, maybe it’s me, then, but he’s always looking at his watch when you go home at the end of the day. I don’t know how long he expects people to work for but he’s not going to make me feel guilty.

5   You hear a teacher talking to a student.

Teacher:   … But I told you the deadline was twelve, Susan.

Susan:   I know, and I did try to get the essay finished on time. And it’s not as if I haven’t finished. It’s ready to go but I need to get a hard copy.

Teacher:   How much time do you need?

Susan:   I just need to wait for the library to open after lunch so I can get the file printed …

6   You hear an author talking on the radio about a book she has written.

Presenter:   … It’s certainly a well researched biography. Did the research take a lot of time?

Author:   It did, and it entailed travelling to Glasgow, where Madeleine was born, and then to Madrid, where she spent her married life. Fortunately, I was able to build the trips to Spain around family holidays. My husband entertained the children while I interviewed people who knew Madeleine. I was expecting this to be difficult as I don’t speak Spanish but it turned out OK.

7   You hear a couple talking about their garden.

Man:   So, what needs doing?

Woman:   Well, the grass needs cutting, the hedge needs trimming and there’s a pile of rubbish at the end of the garden that needs throwing out.

Man:   But I’ve only got an hour. I’m playing golf this afternoon.

Woman:   Well, I can do the grass later, but I’m not tall enough to do the hedge … Oh! We do need to get that rubbish cleared before Bob and Mary come round for dinner tonight.

8   You hear a radio presenter talking about a new business.

Presenter:   … And now some news for job hunters and businesses looking for new staff. St John’s Recruitment Office opened last week in the centre of town. For one month only, until 31 May, local businesses can advertise vacancies for half price. And … if you’re looking for work, you can register on their website. Upload your CV and search for what’s available in your area. The service is free for job hunters.

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

Audioscripts

Presenter:   In the latest of our interviews with women in male-dominated professions, I’m talking to Molly, a commercial airline pilot. Molly, did you always want to fly?

Molly:   I did, yes. My father worked in air traffic control so planes were always a topic of conversation in our house. At first, I wanted to do his job but then there were a few holidays abroad. That’s when I developed an interest in becoming a professional pilot.

Presenter:   And did your parents encourage you? After all, it’s a very male-dominated profession.

Molly:   My parents were fantastic in that way. There were keen for me to explore various career options and we spent time investigating what the life of a pilot is like. Over ninety per cent of pilots are men, and that figure would have been even higher when I was a child. But my parents didn’t see that as a reason for me not to follow my passion.

Presenter:   So how did you get started?

Molly:   It wasn’t easy. I did well at school and went to university. Actually, a degree isn’t necessary to become a pilot but I wanted a backup in case the flying ambition didn’t work out. Then I spent a few years working in sales. It was boring but I needed to save enough money to go to training school to get my private pilot’s licence. I then needed to do at least 150 hours of flying time.

Presenter:   So was that all you needed to become an airline pilot?

Molly:   No! That’s when the hard work starts. I had to do a lot more training. There are theory tests, then training that includes flying a multi-engine plane. Then you move on to the full commercial licence itself. Taken altogether, this training takes about 75 hours and costs a lot of money.

Presenter:   And then six months ago you started to fly professionally?

Molly:   Yes. I applied to a major airline and they took me on. I’m now a first officer, which means I’m second in command. I get to fly the plane for certain sections of journeys; the captain and I decide who will fly which sections before we take off.

Presenter:   Hmm. So where does your career go from here?

Molly:   The next step is senior first officer. That will allow me to fly to more airports and under different weather conditions. Eventually, I can apply to become a captain.

Presenter:   What would you say to people who want to become a pilot?

Molly:   If you’re not obsessed about becoming a pilot, forget it. Getting all your training and flying qualifications costs a lot of money so unless you have a well-paid job to pay for your lessons, you can end up in debt. But if you’re determined, go for it.