Practice Listening English Exercises for A2 – Tricky Jobs

a the vet   b the trapeze artist   c the vet

d the trapeze artist   e the combat soldier

Audioscript

A

      How many of us used to dream of joining the circus when we were children? Well, Chris Sayers, a trapeze artist at Zippo’s Circus, did just that. It took him ten years of training before he felt confident enough to perform six metres above the ground. Since then he has become one of the few people in the world who can do four somersaults one after the other. There are many risks involved in this job. Trapeze artists need to work with a partner they can depend on. When flying through the air at 60 mph, they have to be sure their partner will catch them. “Many times in the past, if I hadn’t had a partner I could trust, I would have fallen and probably hurt myself seriously,” says Chris. People who work in the circus love the risks and the thrill of their profession. Broken bones are part of the job. “I just wish they didn’t take so long to mend,” Chris explains. He earns £500 per week, but it is certainly not easy money.

B

      There are only two hundred combat soldiers in the British Army who can parachute into the sea, dive for hours in freezing waters and then spy in enemy territory successfully. James Rennie is one of them. This isn’t his real name because his own identity has to be kept secret. “It’s a very exciting job, but it’s also tough and dangerous. You have to be courageous,” says James. It takes five long years of training before such a soldier can go on a special mission. According to James, the toughest part of the business is spying. “I’ve been on a lot of missions that involve this kind of work. If the enemy had caught us, they would have killed us.” £45,000 per year might sound like a lot, but few people would risk their lives for less.

C

Most patients are thankful for the care they get from their doctors, but when it comes to animals it’s a different story. Every vet knows that animals are much more likely to turn round and bite rather than thank them. Steve Divers is an experienced vet and has been bitten by countless cats and dogs. With more dangerous animals, though, he takes special care. For example, with poisonous snakes, he keeps them in a cloth bag, and uses a metal instrument to keep the head down and the teeth away from his hands. “If I didn’t know how to handle some animals, I would probably have permanent scars by now,” Steve says. Although it takes many years of study to become a vet, it is a very rewarding and well-paid career. “All animals in need must be treated. I would never ignore a sick animal, even if it was dangerous enough to kill me,” says Steve.

1 exciting   2 people   3 different   4 dangerous   5 short

6 well paid   7 save   8 tiring

Audioscript

Teacher:   As a part of our careers’ advice week we have two guests with us here today to tell us a bit about their work. Our first speaker is Miss Rachel Banner who’s going to talk about her work as a news reporter.

Miss Banner:   Thank you for inviting me here today, Mr Peacock. Well, first of all, I’d like to say that one of the best things about being a news reporter is that it’s so exciting. I get to travel around the world and meet lots of people. My job is interesting too. The news stories I do are different every day, so it never gets boring. Of course, there are disadvantages – as there are with any job. It is often very stressful as we have to do everything in a very short time. It can be dangerous, too, because we often have to work in places where there are wars.

Teacher:   Thank you Miss Banner. Next we have Dr Geoff Chalmers who is a surgeon at Branston City Hospital. Thank you for coming, Dr Chalmers.

Doctor:   Thank you. Well, I must admit that I am very well paid, but there’s a good reason for that: the job needs a lot of skill, and for that you need to spend many years studying. It’s a very rewarding job too as it’s great being able to save people’s lives. Unfortunately, there are also a couple of things that I don’t like much about my job. Firstly, it is tiring because we work long unsteady hours. It can also be stressful as you are responsible for people’s lives.

Teacher:   Thank you Dr Chalmers. Now, if you have any questions …