Practice Listening English Exercises for A2 – Favourite places

1    George – B

      Abby – C

      Jo – A

2    George – lying on his bed, on the cushions, reading

      Abby – sitting under a tree, writing her diary

      Jo – playing the guitar and writing songs

Audioscript

George:   Hi, my name’s George. You asked me about my favourite place. That’s a difficult one. Let me explain. I don’t really have anywhere of my own because our flat’s too small, and we don’t have a garden. I share a bedroom with my brother, so I don’t get much time to myself. But when he goes out or goes to play with his friends, I can be alone in our bedroom, and at those times the bedroom is my favourite place. I put all the cushions on my bed, lie there and read. What do I like reading? Well, mostly stories and sports magazines.

Abby:   Hello, I’m Abby. My favourite place – hmmm let me think …

              OK, don’t laugh – my favourite place isn’t anywhere inside the house. It’s outside, in the park down the road. I can walk there in five minutes. There’s this amazing tree right on the top of the hill, and there’s usually no one around. I like sitting under the tree and writing my diary every day. The sound of the wind in the trees is brilliant. It helps me remember everything about my day. No one else reads my diary. Only me.

Jo:   Hi, I’m Jo. Yes, I’ve got a favourite place. It isn’t in the house though and it isn’t outside. It’s in the garage! We don’t have a car, so my mum and dad let me use the garage for my music. I started playing the guitar when I was six and that’s what I do in the garage. And sometimes I sing. I write all my own songs, but I don’t like anyone listening to them. It’s quite comfortable. There’s an armchair in the corner and I’ve got pictures on the walls. It really is my favourite place.

1   It’s very big.

2   1 B   2 B   3 A   4 B

3   1 ✓   2 ✓   3 ✗   4 ✗   5 ✓   6 ✗

Audioscript

Jeremy:   Hello. You’re watching The Home Show. I’m Jeremy Snow. Tonight, we meet the famous blogger KJ Neal. KJ’s blog is famous all over the world. KJ is from Wales and she’s only fourteen years old!

KJ:   Thirteen, Jeremy. I’m fourteen in January. And I’m not from Wales. I’m from Scotland.

Jeremy:   Oh. OK, right. Sorry about that! Anyway, welcome to the show. Now, KJ, what’s your favourite place in your home? Is it your living room or maybe your bedroom?

KJ:   Well, I love my bedroom, but it isn’t my favourite place.

Jeremy:   OK. So which place is it?

KJ:   It’s my writing room.

Jeremy:   You’ve got a writing room? Wow!

KJ:   Well, it’s not really my room. I share it with my mum and dad.

Jeremy:   What’s it like?

KJ:   It’s got long, red curtains, some bookshelves and an old lamp. I’m very happy there.

Jeremy:   And what’s your favourite thing in your writing room? Is it your old lamp?

KJ:   No, it’s not. It’s an armchair. It’s very old, and it’s green. I sit in the armchair and write my blog.

Jeremy:   Do you sometimes write in your bedroom?

KJ:   No, I don’t. I never write there. It’s quite small and there isn’t much light.

Jeremy:   What about the writing room? Is it a big room or a small one?

KJ:   It’s very big! That’s why it’s my favourite place!

Jeremy:   Well, KJ, thank you for telling us about it. OK, now the next thing I wanted to ask you about was …

1   1 b   2 b

2    1 not using them correctly can start house fires

      2 to stop fires

      3 Yes, it can burn you.

      4 They can get hot.

      5 No, this can start a house fire.

      6 emergency numbers

3   1 good   2 be careful with   3 can burn you   4 It’s good to have

Audioscript

Teacher:   OK everyone, come in and sit down, please. We have a special visitor today. This is Marina Armstrong. She’s a firefighter and she’s here to talk to us about being safe at home. Let’s give her a warm welcome.

Firefighter:   Thanks very much. It’s great to be here at your school. OK, your teacher wants me to talk to you about the dangers of fires at home and burns. Let’s start. What are these? Yes?

Boy 1:   Matches and a lighter.

Firefighter:   Yes, that’s right. Please remember that it is not a good idea to use matches or lighters when there isn’t an adult at home. Using things wrongly can start home fires, and fires are dangerous, so please be careful. Who knows what this is? Yes?

Girl 1:   A fire extinguisher.

Firefighter:   We can use fire extinguishers to stop fires. In a moment, I’m going to teach all of you how to use it.

Girl 2:   Awesome!

Firefighter:   Remember, it’s a good idea to have a fire extinguisher at home. If you don’t have a fire extinguisher, it’s important not to panic, but to stay calm and try to put out the fire with a wet towel. Another accident we see a lot – burns.

Teacher:   What can burn us at home? Yes?

Boy 2:   Hot tea … or soup!

Firefighter:   That’s right. Yes?

Girl 1:   What about irons? They get hot.

Firefighter:   You’re right! You need to be careful with hot irons. Anything else?

Boy 1:   Uhhh … heaters?

Firefighter:   Yes, good one. Some heaters can burn you, and putting wet clothes on heaters can start fires. You need to be careful when the cooker is on too! It can get very hot. If your parents are not at home and something happens, you can ring someone for help. It’s good to have emergency numbers next to the phone or on your mobile phone.

Teacher:   Very interesting information indeed. Does anyone have any questions?

Girl 2:   Can I use the fire extinguisher now?