Practice Listening English Exercises for A2 – Our changing world

1 b   2 b   3 a

Presenter   Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming. It’s very nice to see so many people here. I know you are all interested in the new developments planned for Smallton, so let me show you what is proposed at the moment.

Okay, here we see Smallton at present. Main Street coming up through the middle here. Over here behind the gas station we have the green field space, at the moment not in use at all.

Speaker 2   Actually there’s a recycling center there.

Presenter   There’s a recycling center there? I didn’t know that. Okay, can you make a note of that, Jude, recycling center currently on the green field site.

Speaker 3   Sure.

Presenter   Okay, and the other vacant site is this brown field site in the north of town, behind the high school.

Now the proposal is that Waddington Farm Products will build a factory space there, approximately 5,000 square meters. They’ll probably produce agricultural fertilizers. They’ll have access to the river from there. There’ll be a lot of work for local people during the construction period, and then after that Waddington expects to employ about 100 local people in the factory itself.

Speaker 2   That’s great – a hundred new jobs! Maybe my son can get a job there.

Speaker 4   Agricultural fertilizers? But will the factory cause pollution?

Presenter   Well, we plan to …

Lucy   Okay, Phil, just a few people left now. This website is great. Okay, what about your Uncle Ernie? What can we get him? I never know!

Phil   Well, he’s so difficult to buy for. He’s so grumpy. He doesn’t really like anything!

Lucy   I know. Well, what about a gardening book? He loves gardening, doesn’t he? Look, here are some nice gardening books on the website.

Phil   Mmm. Yes. But it’s a bit boring, isn’t it Luce? I mean, we got him a gardening tool last year.

Lucy   Yes. Aha, how about this? Tickets to the flower show.

Phil   That’s fun. I know, we could get a joint present – he can go with your Aunt Hettie! So we can buy flower show tickets for both of them.

Lucy   Fantastic. But will they like going together, do you think?

Phil   Oh, yes, they both love flowers, definitely. And they like each other. They’ll love it. Good, who else?

Lucy   Your brother Gary.

Phil   Yeah, he’s difficult, too. I always get him something boring, like clothes, because I don’t know what to get.

Lucy   Well what about this? A day at the Formula 1 races?

Phil   Ooh, that sounds good. Mm. Maybe I could go with him.

Lucy   Yeah, why not?

Phil   Okay, and then Joanne.

Lucy   Joanne?

Phil   Gary’s daughter. She’s three.

Lucy   Oh. I’m not too good with three-year-olds.

Phil   Me neither. Well, she wants to be a fairy, apparently.

Lucy   A fairy. Mm. Okay, I got it. Look at this. Fairy dress and wings. Fantastic. Now for my family. They’re easier than your family.

1 Global Peace   2 15   3 crazy   4 20

5 Africa   6 women   7 8,000   8 can’t

A   Good morning. Today we’re talking to Bangari Naathai, responsible for creating the women’s movement in Uganda and who has just won a Global Peace Prize. Tell us your story, Bangari.

B   Well, ten years ago, I asked the ministry for the Environment for 15 million tree seedlings to improve the conditions of our country’s poorest communities.

A   What did they say?

B   I think the thought I was crazy, but they gave me them anyway!

A   And how many trees has the movement planted so far?

B   We’ve now planted more than 20 million trees in 30 different countries across the world.

A   And what did you get the Peace Prize for?

B   For promoting ecologically sound economic development throughout Africa.

A   How has the tree project helped the people of your country?

B   Women and children are the most affected by poverty and these are the people I wanted to help. We decided to set up some tree nurseries run by women. This was very successful, and now we have more than 8,000 throughout the continent.

A   What kind of women run the nurseries?

B   Generally they can’t read or write, but they want to make a contribution to society and they are prepared to work hard.

A   That’s quite an achievement, Bangari. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

B   Thank you, Michael.