Practice Listening English Exercises for A1 - Danger

1. Read the list of chores for the cleaner, then listen and tick (✓) those which she had done when Mary came home from work.

1 do the laundry

2 do the ironing

3 mop the kitchen floor

4 do the washing-up

5 clean the bathroom

6 vacuum the dining room

7 polish the silver

8 dust the living room

9 clean the windows

10 sweep the garden path

Answer & Audioscript

3, 4, 9, 10

Audioscript

Mary: (phone rings) 274-0696. Hello?

Mother: Hello, dear, it’s me. I’m just phoning to ask about the party last night. How did it go?

Mary: Oh, hi, Mum. Well, the party was great, but I had a lot of cleaning up to do afterwards.

Mother: Oh, what is that? I thought you’d hired a cleaner.

Mary: I did. She came this morning. I gave her a list of chores to do before I went to work, but when I came home, she hadn’t done the laundry or the ironing!

Mother: Really! Had she done any cleaning?

Mary: Well, she had mopped the kitchen floor and done the washing up, but she hadn’t cleaned the bathroom at all!

Mother: Had she vacuumed the dining room and polished the silver?

Mary: No, she hadn’t! She hadn’t dusted the living room, either. She had cleaned the windows and swept the garden path, though.

Mother: Oh. I am sorry you had so much work to do, dear. Are you tired?

Mary: Yes, I’m very tired. I’m going to bed now.

Mother: Good night, dear.

Mary: Good night, Mum. Thanks for calling.

2. Read the list of events below, then listen and put the events in the correct order.

…… It started raining.

…… Steve pulled Ted out of the quicksand.

…… Ted started sinking into the quicksand.

..1.. Ted was walking along the beach.

…… Steve heard Ted’s cries.

…… Ted shouted for help.

Answer & Audioscript

2 6 3 1 5 4

Audioscript

A Narrow Escape

The early evening air was cool and mild as Ted Wilson walked along the almost-deserted beach. He wanted to be completely alone to think about his problems. Since he had lost his job, his life seemed to be full of problems.

Walking to the far end of the beach, Ted was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the dark clouds which had gathered overhead. When the first heavy drops of rain began to fall, he looked up in surprise and hurried back towards his car.

The soft dry sand of the beach slowed him down, so he started running on the hard sand at the water’s edge. Before he had gone fifty metres, though, he suddenly felt himself sinking into the sand. Within seconds, he had sunk in up to his waist. He realised to his horror that he had stepped into quicksand. When he tried to move, the sand pulled him deeper – and the tide was coming in! The water soon covered his chest, and continued to rise. “Help!” he shouted desperately. “Help! I’m going to drown!”

Steve MacDonald was looking for shells at the other end of the beach when he heard Ted’s cries. By the time Steve reached him, the water was up to Ted’s chin and he was in real danger. Steve grabbed his arms, pulled him out of the quicksand and helped him to safety. Ted was so relieved to have escaped that he couldn’t say a word. He shook Steve’s hand, again and again, in silent thanks.

After what had happened, Ted realised that losing a job wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to someone. He was glad to be alive, and felt sure that everything would be all right in the end.

3. Read the notes and try to put them in order, then listen and check.

A

– snow block entrance to cave

– trapped in cave

– freezing cold – scared

– radio for help

B

– Bob & Ian

– steep, dangerous mountain

– experienced climbers

– stop and rest in small cave

C

– make instant soup

– light small stove

– rumbling noise

– snow and ice fall

D

– three hours later rescuers arrive

– take six hours to dig the out

– rescuers explain: small avalanche

E

– helicopter take them to Rescue Centre

– rescuers ask: “Give up climbing?”

– Ian: “No – but not go in caves!”

Answer & Audioscript

A 3 B 1 C 2 D 5 E 4

Audioscript

Narrator: Bod and Ian climbed higher and higher in the bright sunshine of the late morning. It was a steep and dangerous mountain, covered in snow and ice. Even though they were experienced climbers, they were getting tired, so they decided to stop and rest inside a small cave.

They took off their packs and got ready to make some instant soup. Ian was just about to light their small stove when they heard a rumbling noise. Suddenly snow and ice started falling outside. Within minutes the snow had completely blocked the entrance. They were trapped, freezing cold and extremely scared. Bob radioed for help. “Emergency! Southeast Ridge! Altitude 2,000 metres!” he shouted into the microphone. “OK! We’re on our way!” came the crackled reply.

Three hours later, they heard muffled voices which slowly became louder. It was their rescuers. Altogether, it took six hours to dig Ian and Bob out of the cave. The rescue team explained that there had been a small avalanche.

Once they were safely out of the cave, a helicopter took the frightened pair to the Rescue Centre. They were still shivering when one of their rescuers asked, “Will you give up climbing mountains now?” Although it had been the scariest moment of their lives, they both shook their heads. Ian said, “Climbing will always be the most important thing in our lives. We just won’t go into any more caves!”