Practice Listening English Exercises for A2 – Sports and games

1   Pato

2   1 four   2 six   3 give   4 throw

Audioscript

Interviewer:   Hi, Marco. Can you describe your sport for me, please? Is it a team sport?

Marco:   OK. Yes, it’s a team sport and there are four players in each team. The players are on horses. It’s a bit like polo – in polo the players also ride horses.

Interviewer:   So, do the players use sticks or bats to hit a ball, like polo too?

Marco:   No, they don’t use sticks, they use their hands to pass the ball from one person to another. In fact, players can only use their right hand to pass the ball.

Interviewer:   That sounds difficult! What does the ball look like? Is it small?

Marco:   No, it’s not very small. It’s unusual – it’s got six handles.

Interviewer:   Ah, that makes it a bit easier to pass. So the players hold the ball by one of the handles?

Marco:   Yes, that’s right.

Interviewer:   And one player takes the ball off another player by the handle?

Marco:   Yes.

Interviewer:   How do the players score goals?

Marco:   There’s a net at each end of the field. It’s bigger than a basketball net and players throw the ball into it to score a goal.

Interviewer:   Wow, and I’m sure the horses are moving fast.

Marco:   Yes, they are! The players need to be good at passing the ball and excellent horse riders too. But it is fun to play.

Interviewer:   So, what’s the name of the sport?

Marco:   Oh, yes sorry. It’s called Pato.

1   plays tennis, cycles, studies, reads, goes to the cinema

2   1 ✓   2 ✗   3 ✗   4 ✓   5 ✓   6 ✗

3   1 play tennis   2 6.00 am   3 play tennis   4 do homework   5 play tennis

Audioscript

Barry:   Hello and welcome to the Sports Day Podcast with me, Barry Stephenson. I’ve got a very special guest here today. Her name’s Andrea Murray. She’s Britain’s number one teen tennis player. Hello, Andrea. Welcome to the show.

Andrea:   Hi, Barry. It’s good to be here. I always listen to your show.

Barry:   That’s great. So, Andrea, our listeners want to know about your family.

Andrea:   Well, Barry, my family is sporty. My mother, Sandra, plays badminton and goes sailing. My father, Tony, plays rugby for a team in our town.

Barry:   Do you have any brothers and sisters, Andrea?

Andrea:   Yes, I do. I have a brother and a sister.

Barry:   Do they do sports?

Andrea:   Yes, they do. My brother, Dan, goes snowboarding and skating. And my sister, Amy, plays volleyball.

Barry:   What a fit family! Can you tell us about a typical day for you?

Andrea:   I’m often very busy and I never get up late. I always play tennis for two hours before school.

Barry:   What time do you get up?

Andrea:   I usually get up at five o’clock.

Barry:   Five o’clock? That’s early!

Andrea:   Yes. I get up at five o’clock from Monday to Friday and I get up at six o’clock at the weekend.

Barry:   Do you play tennis at the weekend?

Andrea:   Yes, I do. On Saturdays, I usually cycle to the tennis courts after breakfast and then I play tennis all day. On Sundays, I do my homework in the morning and then I usually play tennis after lunch. Practice is very important.

Barry:   Do you get very tired, Andrea?

Andrea:   Yes, I’m usually tired, but I love playing tennis. I want to be the best tennis player in the world.

Barry:   What do you do in your free time?

Andrea:   Sleep! But I love reading and going to the cinema with my friends too.

Barry:   Well, thanks for talking to us, Andrea. Good luck!