Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Small Talk

Introduce: 1, 3, 5, 7

Greet: 2, 4, 6

1 Haven’t met     2 Have met

3 Haven’t met     4 Have met

5 Have met      6 Haven’t met

Transcript

1

A:   Hi. I don’t think we’ve met, have we?

B:   No, I don’t think so. My name’s Mia.

A:   Nice to meet you, Mia. I’m Tim Clark.

2

A:   Hey, you’re Mike Thompson, right?

B:   That’s right. And you’re Jenny.

A:   Yeah! Jenny Lindsay.

B:   Yeah, right. We met at Jake’s wedding.

A:   It’s great to see you again!

B:   Great to see you, too!

3

A:   Haven’t we met somewhere?

B:   No, I don’t think so.

A:   Aren’t you Kevin Grant.

B:   No, my name is Greg. Greg Brown.

A:   Oh, I’m sorry. I was positive we’d met before.

4

A:   Jeff! Hi. Remember me?

B:   Sue? Sue Thomas?

A:   That’s right. We were in that computer class together.

B:   Yeah. Boy, was that class boring!

A:   Sure was. So how’ve you been?

B:   Pretty good, thanks.

5

A:   Oh, hi. You’re Jonathan, aren’t you?

B:   Yes, and you’re Wendy.

A:   Yeah. We met at the conference in Hawaii last summer.

B:   Right. Nice to see you again.

A:   Nice to see you, too.

6

A:   Hi! Don’t we work in the same building?

B:   Yes, I think we do.

A:   I’m Gary James. I’m in accounting.

B:   Hi. I’m Lynn Williams. I’m in marketing.

1 a   2 b   3 a   4 c   5 b   6 b

End the conversation: 1, 3, 5

Continue the conversation: 2, 4, 6

Transcript

1

A:   Hey, Annie, that looks really nice on you. Is it new?

B:   Yeah, I got it on sale at George Brothers Department Store. I never miss their sales. They’ve got really good prices.

A:   Well, you made a good choice. That color looks great.

B:   Thanks.

A:   Oh! Look at the time. I didn’t realize it was so late. I’ve got to run. Good seeing you!

2

A:   What are you taking this year?

B:   Mostly literature courses.

A:   Oh, really. Are they any good?

B:   Some of them are. Except for Professor Scott’s class. I mean, the books are interesting, and the lectures are great, but his tests are so hard.

A:   Really? Are they essay or short answer tests?

3

A:   What an awful month we are having.

B:   It’s pretty bad, isn’t it? So hot and humid. It’s hard to sleep at night, too. I wish I had air conditioning.

A:   Me, too.

B:   Funny, it’s not usually this hot in the fall.

A:   That’s true. Well, I think I’m going to get some more chips. Enjoy the party!

4

A:   So tell me, Kim. What’s he like?

B:   Well, he’s really fun to be with. He always says funny things and makes me laugh.

A:   He sounds really nice.

B:   He is. And he’s always giving me little presents. But I guess the gifts will stop when he knows me better.

A:   Yeah, probably. So how long have you known him, anyway?

5

A:   So, are you still doing the same thing, David?

B:   Yeah, I am, unfortunately. I wish I was doing something more challenging.

A:   So why don’t you look for something else?

B:   I really should. I feel stuck in that office because I’m not moving ahead. That’s the worst thing about it.

A:   Well, good luck to you. If I hear about any jobs, I’ll let you know.

6

A:   So, everybody’s fine at home, Sarah?

B:   Yes, they are, thanks. Oh, some exciting news! My sister Jenny’s getting married!

A:   Really? When?

B:   Next month. She’s marrying a guy she met when she was studying in Canada, and we’re all going to Toronto for the wedding. It’ll be fun.

A:   Sounds great. And how about your brother? What’s he been doing lately?

1 b   2 a   3 b   4 a   5 b   6 b

1 a   2 a   3 b   4 a   5 c   6 a

Transcript

1

Yes, I do. I really enjoy living here. So far everything has been fine. The downtown area is really pretty, and I love all the cafes and restaurants there. The other thing I like is that the town’s small, so it’s easy to get to know people.

2

Yes, I do. It’s a very difficult language to learn, but I guess all languages are difficult. I tried to learn Japanese once, and it was really hard. These days, though, it’s easier to learn a foreign language because you can buy some fantastic courses online and on DVD.

3

I have two children, a girl and a boy. They’re both going to school, so they keep us very busy. My husband comes from a big family and would love to have more children, but I think two is enough.

4

I have a small design company. We design menus, calendars, and things like that. There are just three of us in the company. Last year was a very quiet year for us, but it looks as if business is really improving this year. Would you like to visit our office sometime?

5

Oh yeah, I’ve been having a great time since I arrived. Everyone’s been very helpful, and I’ve made some wonderful new friends. I still have a few more days here, so I’m thinking of renting a car and driving up to the mountains.

6

I’m from a town called Cairns, on the northeast coast of Australia. It’s a small town, but I enjoying living there. It’s not far from the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the most famous places in Australia. You should go there sometime.

A:   Hi, haven’t we met before?

B:   Yeah, I think we met a Kate’s wedding.

A:   That’s right! Have you seen her lately?

B:   No, I haven’t seen her in months. But I talked with her husband last week.

A:   Oh, really? How’s he doing?

B:   He’s doing really well. He told me that he got a great new job.

A:   I’m happy to hear that. Well, I’ve got to go, but it was great to see you.

B:   Yeah, you, too! If you see John again, tell him I said hello.