Practice Listening English Exercises for A1 – Stick to the Rules!

1 Keep   2 Put   3 allow   4 cover   5 let   6 Fit   7 Put

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Is Your Home a Safe Place For Your Kids?

Every year, thousands of children are injured in accidents in the home – accidents that could be prevented. Read this leaflet and make sure that similar accidents don’t happen to your children.

– Keep all cleaning products in a safe place. Your children might drink them and poison themselves.

– Always put knives and other sharp objects away after use. Your children could cut themselves.

– Never allow your children to play with pots and pans on the stove. They could scald themselves.

– Make sure you cover electrical sockets when they are not in use. Your children could give themselves an electric shock.

– Never let your children play with matches. They might start a fire and burn themselves.

– Fit safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. Your children could fall and hurt themselves.

– Put a fence around any ponds or pools in your garden. Your children might fall in and drown.

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Chris:   What I really hate about school is that I have to get up really early to catch the school bus. Sometimes I miss it if I don’t hurry.

Anne:   I also get up early every morning, but I don’t have to catch the bus or anything, because I go to boarding school.

Chris:   You have all those rules and uniforms and things at boarding school, don’t you?

Anne:   Well, yes, everyone has to wear a uniform. I like it, though, I don’t need to think about what to wear every morning.

Chris:   I’m glad I don’t have to wear a uniform. I love jeans and T-shirts. Your school sounds like a prison!

Anne:   (laughs) It is a bit, I suppose! For example, at lunchtime, we have to stay in the school grounds, and they serve us at the cafeteria …

Chris:   No way! Stay in the school grounds at lunchtime?! We don’t have to do that! I go home for lunch most days, or eat with my friends at their house.

Anne:   Mm … but at least we don’t have to go to lessons on Saturday morning.

Chris:   I guess so. Every Saturday morning I have to go to computer lessons. Maybe you are luckier than me.

Anne:   Well, every afternoon, after lessons, we have to stay and clean the classroom.

Chris:   What?! I’m glad I don’t have to do that. As soon as the bell rings. I’m gone!

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Mrs B:   Oh, there you are, dear. I was wondering where you were … Oh dear, you’re upset! What’s wrong?

Boy:   (sniffs) Well … just because the family are here. Mum won’t let me play on my computer.

Mrs B:   (laughs) You think that’s bad? Hmm, I remember when your Great Aunt Doris and I were children … Yes, my parents were ever so strict! We always had to wear our best clothes when we had guests, and then, of course, we had to play the piano for our guests before dinner. That was so embarrassing – I was a terrible pianist!

Boy:   Did you have to cook, Granny?

Mrs B:   No, we didn’t have to cook, because we had our own cook.

Boy:   Wow! Did you have to sit at a different table to the adults?

Mrs B:   No, we could sit at the same table as the adults, but we had to behave ourselves! We couldn’t put our elbows on the table and we couldn’t drink wine, like the adults.

Boy:   I wouldn’t mind that. I don’t like wine, anyway.

Mrs B:   The best part was that we didn’t have to go to bed early, and we could sit in the living room with the adults after dinner!

Boy:   But that’s exactly what I don’t want to do!

1 B   2 C   3 A

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A   Child saved from drowning in pond

Six-year-old Pamela Kinsey nearly drowned in a pond in Carlton Park, Coddleton, yesterday afternoon.

The accident occurred at 3:30 pm as Pamela and her nine-year-old brother were playing at the edge of the pond. When his sister fell into the pond, Kyle, who cannot swim, ran to get help. He was afraid she would drown. Fortunately, the park warden managed to save little Pamela.

Since the accident, Coddleton Council has put up a high fence around the pond. Local police and warning parents not to let young children play alone near water.

B   Visit to beach ends in fall onto rocks

42-year-old Marcus Hirst was injured when he fell onto rocks on a beach near Dover yesterday morning.

Mr Hirst was on a day trip to the beach with his wife and two young children when he decided to climb the cliffs in search of birds’ eggs. He fell from a height of about twelve metres onto the rocks below. His wife called the ambulance service on her mobile phone and Mr Hirst was taken to hospital in a Coastguard helicopter. He had a broken leg and arm, but suffered no other injuries.

Since the accident, the Coastguard has put up signs on the beach warning people not to climb the cliffs.

C   British skier trapped in snow

Robert Blakewell, a twenty-year-old student from Sussex, was trapped in a deep snowdrift in the French Alps on Tuesday.

Robert was on holiday with some college friends at an Albertville ski resort when he decided to go skiing alone and away from the main slopes of the resort. His friends contacted the authorities when Robert failed to return that evening. A mountain rescue team managed to find Robert and take him to the nearest hospital.

After the accident, the Mountain Rescue Service released a statement to the press, asking skiers not to ski on unmarked slopes.

1   She’s 35.

2   She’s a photographer.

3   She was injured on safari in South Africa.

4   A lion attacked her.

5   The guides saved her.

6   She was taken to hospital.

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Narrator:   35-year-old Carolyn Jenkins, a British photographer, was seriously injured by a lion while on safari in South Africa last week.

She was travelling with two guides and three students from the University of Kent. The group approached a lion in their jeep, and Ms Jenkins then left the jeep to take pictures. She got very close to the lion before it suddenly attacked. The guides were able to scare the lion away, and they took Ms Jenkins to hospital.

After the incident, the South African Tourist Board issued a statement warning tourists not to approach wild animals while on safari.