Practice Listening English Exercises for A2 – Places

1 False   2 False   3 True   4 False   5 False   6 False

Sarah Fox   Good afternoon, Mr. .. … uh … Depp. Welcome to Traveler Magazine.

Mr. Depp   Uh … Hello.

Sarah Fox   My name’s Sarah Fox. I’m the editor of Traveler Magazine.

Mr. Depp   You’re the editor of the whole magazine?

Sarah Fox   Yes, I am. So … you’re interested in writing some articles for us?

Mr. Depp   That’s right … yes, I am.

Sarah Fox   Okay … Let me start with some questions … where are you from, Mr. Depp?

Mr. Depp   I’m from San Francisco – I was born there … but I came to New York several years ago.

Sarah Fox   San Francisco? Mm, nice city … and where do you live now?

Mr. Depp   I live near here, in Manhattan.

Sarah Fox   Do you like New York?

Mr. Depp   Well, it’s very different from San Francisco, but yes, I like it.

Sarah Fox   Are you working right now?

Mr. Depp   Yeah, right now I’m working in a music store.

Sarah Fox   A music store … interesting … and are you also studying?

Mr. Depp   Yes, I am. I’m studying journalism at New York State University … but this is my last semester.

Sarah Fox   Journalism … that’s good. And what’s your favorite place in the world, Mr. Depp?

Mr. Depp   Let’s see, I guess my favorite place in the world is probably Istanbul.

Sarah Fox   Istanbul. Really? What is that?

Mr. Depp   Well, Istanbul is the only city in the world which is on two continents … it’s the gateway between Europe and Asia. And culturally, it’s very …

1

England

2

Mia   Oh, hi, Jack. How are you doing?

Jack   Hey, Mia. I’m fine, thanks … how about you?

Mia   I’m okay … but I’m a bit worried …

Jack   Why? What’s the matter?

Mia   Well, I have an e-mail from my cousin who lives in India. He’s asking me about these friends of his … they’re coming to England for a week or so and they need some ideas …

Jack   Well, that doesn’t sound too hard … I’ll help you if you like. There are lots of things to do and see in England.

Mia   Oh, okay, great … so … where to go, what to do, where to stay, how to get around …

Jack   Whoa! Slow down … What do we know about this couple first?

Mia   Well, he says they like outdoor stuff and history …

Jack   Outdoor stuff and history. Okay, well, if they like history, how about Oxford or Cambridge? They can see all the wonderful university buildings and churches …

Mia   Yes, Oxford is a good idea. The university is really beautiful, and historical, of course. It’s such an old university – is it the oldest in the country?

Jack   Well, I think so, but you should know! Anyway, if they go to Oxford, they can stay in one of those nice hotels by the river …

Mia   Mm. Good idea. Then they can take some lovely walks and boat trips … Those are nice outdoor activities.

Jack   Okay, so two or three days in Oxford, sightseeing, walking, and trips on the river … How about the rest of the time?

Mia   Well, if they really like outdoors and … nature, they could go to the Lake District. It’s beautiful at this time of year … you know, the lakes and rivers and mountains …

Jack   They could stay in a cottage by the lake … and do more walking, or mountain climbing – even swimming if it’s not too cold …

Mia   Swimming! Well, maybe … yeah, a cottage would be good … And of course they should spend some time in London. There’s so much to do there …

Jack   Yes, London definitely. All tourists have to see London.

Mia   Yeah, I agree.

Jack   They should go to the theater when they’re in London.

Mia   The theater … yeah, there are lots of great shows on … and they could visit some of the museums … the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum … and …

Jack   Where are they going to stay in London?

Mia   Maybe a bed and breakfast would be good. Hotels are really expensive. There are some lovely B and Bs in Bayswater or Notting Hill.

Jack   Okay, good idea … and how about transportation? How are they going to get around?

Mia   Well, in London, they can use public transport. The bus is good because that way, you can see everything … but to get to Oxford and the Lake District, I think it’s a good idea to rent a car …

Jack   Yes, I agree … if they rent a car, they can stop where they want and see lots of smaller places …

Mia   Okay, this is great. I’ll e-mail them now. Thanks a lot, Jack.

Jack   No problem. Just buy me a drink some time! I hope your friends have a great time in England.

1 False   2 False   3 False   4 True   5 True

6 True   7 False   8 True   9 False   10 True

Good morning from Radio Global. My name’s John Jeffries and this morning I’m bringing you a special report about New Zealand, a country which lies in the South Pacific Ocean. The main territories of New Zealand are North Island and South Island. Although South Island is a little larger, two-thirds of the population lives on North Island. Most New Zealanders are descended from British colonists and mainly live in urban areas. However around eighteen percent of the population are Maoris – the original inhabitants of New Zealand – and these people mainly live in rural areas. New Zealand has a mountainous landscape mainly because of volcanic activity, and the climate is temperate with rather a lot of rainfall. The capital is Wellington, a thriving and vibrant city with lots to see and do. The total population of New Zealand numbers around four million people and the majority of these speak English or Maori, which are the official languages. If you want to visit New Zealand, don’t forget to get your money changed into New Zealand dollars, otherwise you won’t be able to buy anything! Getting around New Zealand will take you a long time as it’s 270, 534 square miles large. While traveling around, watch out for the sheep and cattle which comprise the main livestock. The island also brings in money from its forestry and fishing industries, along with the more traditional industries like textiles, chemicals, and cars. Well, that’s all for today. I’ll be back with you tomorrow at 10 a.m. with another special report.