Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – On screen

1   a 6   b 3   c 1   d not needed   e 2   f 5   g 4

2   1 B   2 C   3 B   4 C   5 C   6 A

Audioscript

1   You will hear two friends talking about a film.

Girl:   I wonder what’s on at the cinema?

Boy:   I’ll have a look. Mmm … What about After Dark?

Girl:   Isn’t that the horror film that Matt was talking about? He said he’d never seen anything as scary as that.

Boy:   I know. He said he was terrified! I’ve read comments about it online, though, saying it’s worth seeing, and that’s from people who tell you if they think a film’s rubbish.

Girl:   Wait a minute. It says here you have to be 18 to watch it.

Boy:   Oh well, that’s it then. We’ll have to find something else to watch.

2   You will hear two friends talking about reality shows.

Boy:   Did you see Soundbites last night?

Girl:   No, I can’t stand reality shows! I know they’re very popular and they probably make the TV companies loads of money, but they’re not for me.

Boy:   Which shows have you watched then?

Girl:   Well none, but there are always stories about reality stars online and I’ve watched the clips.

Boy:   But how can you say that you don’t like something when you’ve never really watched it?

Girl:   I don’t need to. It’s well known that the people who appear in reality shows don’t have anything interesting to say and they shouldn’t really be on TV at all.

3   You will hear two friends talking about taking part in a short film.

Girl:   Did you see the ad for that short film they’re making?

Boy:   No. What short film?

Girl:   They’re making a short film and it’s about our school – you know, facts and information about what it’s like to study here. It sounds quite cool. They’re looking for students to interview. Do you want to be in it?

Boy:   Oh, I dunno. Maybe. Are they offering any money?

Girl:   The ad didn’t say! My guess is no. I think you’d do it just for the experience. Are you interested? There’s going to be a presentation by the producer.

Boy:   Hmm. Might be. When’s the presentation?

Girl:   Tomorrow at 7.30, before school, in the assembly hall …

Boy:   Before school? I’m not getting up that early!

4   You will hear two friends talking about a sci-fi film they’ve seen.

Boy:   Wow! That film went on for ages!

Girl:   Did you think so? It was only an hour and fifty minutes.

Boy:   It felt much more than that! I nearly fell asleep. But I have to say, the music was pretty cool for a sci-fi movie.

Girl:   Yeah, I’m not a big fan of the typical music in sci-fi films. That wasn’t true in this case, though. I thought it was pretty original.

Boy:   I saw your face when the alien’s head exploded!

Girl:   What do you mean?

Boy:   You looked terrified!

Girl:   No, what happened was, I felt my phone starting to ring in my pocket, and it was a bit embarrassing, that’s all.

5   You will hear two friends talking about the news.

Boy:   Are you following what’s happening in Florida?

Girl:   You mean with the storm? Yes, I can’t stop watching the news. It’s absolutely awful.

Boy:   I know. I’ve never really been into what’s happening in the news, but I feel so sorry for all the people who’ve lost their homes.

Girl:   I know. It’s the first time I’ve ever paid attention to world events. Usually it’s all politics and business, but this makes you realise how we need to pay attention to what’s going on around us.

Boy:   I totally agree. I’m going to keep up with the news more in future.

6   You will hear two friends talking about going to the cinema.

Boy:   What shall we watch then …? Er …

Girl:   What about Silly Money? It’s a comedy.

Boy:   That sounds good. I love comedies.

Girl:   Me too. It’s on at … 4.30, 7.15 and 10.30.

Boy:   Mm, ten thirty’s too late. Shall we go at 7.15?

Girl:   Yes. Good idea.

Boy:   I wonder if it will sell out?

Girl:   Maybe we should get the tickets before we go.

Boy:   Good idea. My mum’s booked things online for my sister before. I’ll see if she’ll do it for us.

Girl:   Great. I can’t wait.

Jerry’s Vacation

Audioscript

Girl 1:   So, what shall we watch for our movie night? What about Planet Alpha?

Girl 2:   Mmm, I’m not sure. I don’t really like science fiction films. I don’t think it’ll be very good. It looks too violent for me.

Girl 1:   How about Superdog?

Girl 2:   I’m not really a fan of animated films, and I’m not sure about this one. It’s for younger kids really, don’t you think? But I guess it’s a possibility. What else is there?

Girl 1:   OK. Well, I don’t really want to see Watching You. It sounds too scary to me.

Girl 2:   I agree. I really don’t like thrillers because I just want to relax when I watch a film. Do you think Jerry’s Vacation sounds good?

Girl 1:   Yeah, I think it might be funny.

Girl 2:   OK, so let’s decide. It’s between Superdog and Jerry’s Vacation.

Girl 1:   Well, I’d prefer to watch Jerry’s Vacation.

Girl 2:   OK. I think we’re both happy with that.

Girl 1:   Yes, that’s a good choice.

1 B   2 C   3 A   4 C   5 C   6 A

Audioscript

1

F:   I saw Miracle Street yesterday.

M:   The film with all the rap music? I thought that was great.

F:   There are actually quite a lot of films with rap soundtracks. For some reason, it goes well with certain kinds of story.

M:   What did you think of the ending?

F:   It was sad when the guy had to leave all his friends and look for a new life.

M:   It had to end like that, didn’t it?

F:   I suppose so. And the whole film was very realistic – the main characters all seemed like real people.

M:   So the actors did a good job?

F:   Yes, I think they did.

2

M:   I went to the new cinema on Sunday.

F:   Is that the one with six screens?

M:   Yes. There was only one film that I wanted to see. But I suppose people have different tastes.

F:   Are the seats comfortable?

M:   Yes, and the screen was big. We had some bad luck, though – the people sitting in front of us talked really loudly during the film.

F:   That’s annoying. Were the tickets expensive?

M:   About the same as in other cinemas. We had to queue for ages to get them, though. The people in the jacket office apologised but they need to do something about that.

3

M:   Don’t you think being a film actor would be cool?

F:   Oh, I wouldn’t like it. I’d hate the idea that loads of people were seeing my face on films, on the internet, in magazines and newspapers all the time.

M:   That wouldn’t bother me. But it’s not about being famous. I just think all sorts of interesting people must work in the film business and you’d get to know many of them.

F:   Maybe. But don’t forget, it’s really hard to become a successful actor.

M:   I know. The top film stars are very well paid, but that’s not what I’m interested in.

4

F:   Hi, Peter. Joe and Sally told me you’re not going with us on Saturday to see the new Zookeeper film.

M:   No, I don’t really fancy it.

F:   But don’t you remember last year when we all went together see the first Zookeeper film? We all had a great time.

M:   I’m not so keen on films like that any more. I’m into more serious stuff now.

F:   Well, I know Zookeeper Two won’t be serious. It’s supposed to be a comedy. But I’m sure it’ll be fun. And we’ll all go and have a burger or something afterwards.

M:   Listen. I’ll think about it.

5

M:   Do you watch Future Stars?

F:   Everyone our age watches it – teenagers, I mean. I doubt if older people like it much.

M:   I watch it with my parents and they enjoy it.

F:   Anyway, I really admire those people who go onto the stage and sing, knowing thousands of people around the country are watching.

M:   I’d never have the courage to do that. Especially when you think of how cruel some of the comments can be.

F:   From the judges, you mean?

M:   Yeah. They can be really nasty.

F:   I think they’re just honest. And anyone going on the programme knows what it’s like.

6

F:   Did you watch the dinosaur film last night?

M:   No. I haven’t watched TV for three days.

F:   Really? You usually watch lots of TV, don’t you?

M:   Yeah. But I realise I’ve wasted so much of my life in front of the TV rather than actually doing more interesting things. So I’ve set myself a limit of four hours a week.

F:   Wow. What do your mum and dad think about that?

M:   They’re big TV fans themselves. I’m hoping they’ll do the same as me. If you think about it, however interesting or uninteresting some TV might be, it can never compare with real life.

1 A   2 C   3 A   4 B   5 A

Audioscript

Woman:   Question 1. The Lumière brothers invented filmmaking in France in 1895. The first films didn’t have any sound, and the pictures were black and white.

Question 2. The Australian silent movie, The Story of the Kelly Gang, from 1906, was the first full-length movie ever made. It told the story of Australia’s most famous gangster, Ned Kelly.

Question 3. The first film with speaking and music was the 1927 American film The Jazz Singer and most films were in black and white until the 1950s.

Question 4. Sherlock Holmes has appeared in the most films. He has appeared in more than 215 movies and he has been played by more than 75 actors.

Question 5. There are more cinema visits per person in Iceland every year than in any other country, with more than five visits per person. The world average is one point five cinema visits per person per  year. The USA has four point three cinema visits per person per year.

1   princess, general, farmers, samurai

     (NOT: doctors, king, monsters, queen)

2    1   false (1958)

      2   true

      3   false (500 years ago)

      4   true

      5   false (They are funny characters.)

      6   false (It was the fourth most popular.)

Audioscript

Teacher:   All right, Jack. Go ahead, when you’re ready, please.

Jack:   Thank you. My presentation today is about a classic films – I watch them all the time with my dad. He’s a cinema fan and he’s got a huge collection of films.

Anyway, The Hidden Fortress is a film from Japan. It’s a typical action-adventure story with martial arts and samurai battles. They became popular in Japan in the 1950s, and one of the most popular directors was Akira Kurosawa. He was already famous when he made The Hidden Fortress, in 1958. It was filmed in many different locations, but all of them were in Japan, because that helped to save money. Umm …

Teacher:   And what about the setting of the film, Jack? Can you tell us where and when it takes place?

Jack:   Yes, it’s a historical film, and it takes place in Japan during the 16th century, so about 500 years ago, when there was a civil war. The two main characters of the film are a princess and one of her generals, who protects her. Their names are Princess Yuki and General Rokurota. At the beginning of the film, they are travelling to a hidden fortress in the mountains, where they will be safe. They are also carrying a lot of gold, but they must keep it secret.

Teacher:   And what other characters are important in the story?

Jack:   Well, there are also two poor men who travel with the General and the Princess. I like the farmers because they’re quite funny characters – they’re always arguing, having problems and making mistakes. And they’re also very interested in money, so the general promises them a big reward for their help.

Teacher:   And did the film do very well?

Jack:   Yes, it did. It was the 4th most popular film in Japan in 1958, and Kurosawa’s most successful film until that time. It also became famous in other countries, and it won the award for the best foreign film at the Berlin Film Festival, in Germany.

Teacher:   And why did you like the film so much?

Jack:   Well, I love the action scenes, especially with samurais. I’m really into martial arts. The story is quite exciting, but there are some funny moments that always make me laugh. I really recommend the film. It’s a great classic and it had a big effect on many other action films that came after it.

Teacher:   Thank you, Jack. Are there any questions?