Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Technology

A

Speaker 1:   text messages

Speaker 2:   Skype

Speaker 3:   a blog

Speaker 4:   social networking sites

B

Benefits

Speaker 1:   quick and cheap; texts are quiet

Speaker 2:   can see his grandchildren; it’s free

Speaker 3:   a great way to tell people about your travel experience; you can put up photos of the people you meet and the places you visit; as soon as you write the blog, people all over the world can read it

Speaker 4:   found friends she hadn’t seen for years, and it was great to get in touch again

Negative points

Speaker 1:   gets annoyed when you’re talking to someone and they’re texting someone else

Speaker 2:   Internet sometimes crashes during the phone call, or he can’t see the picture properly

Speaker 3:   can’t do it if they can’t find an Internet café

Speaker 4:   keeps checking it when she should be working

Audioscript

G = Girl     M1 = 1st man     M2 = 2nd man     W = Woman

1

G:   I use my phone for everything. I text most of the time because it’s quick and cheap, so I text my friends and my boyfriend. I like texts because they’re quiet; nobody knows what you’re saying. My mom used to call me all the time to check that I’m OK, but now she can text me, which is much better. I get really annoyed when you’re talking to someone though, and they’re texting someone else. I think that’s really rude.

2

M1:   I use the Internet a lot. I use Skype to keep in touch with my family because my daughter lives in France, so I don’t see her very often. And the phone is expensive. With the Internet, I can see my grandchildren; it’s wonderful. My son sets up the computer for me. I haven’t learned how to do that yet. And sometimes it crashes during the phone call, which is annoying, or I can’t see the picture properly. But usually it’s fine. Generally, I think technology is wonderful. When I was younger, we only dreamed of having video phone calls, but now it’s possible, and it’s free.

3

M2:   We use a blog. It’s a great way to tell people about your travel experiences. We’ve been to so many places already, and it’s nice to tell people about them. And you can put photos there of the people you meet and the places you visit. The best thing is that, as soon as you write the blog, people all over the world can read it. The only problem we have is when we can’t find an Internet café.

4

W:   I’ve just started to use social media sites like Facebook. I found some friends I haven’t seen for years, and it was great to get in touch again. The only problem is that I keep checking it when I should be working.

A

1 T   2 T   3 F   4 T

B

1, 4, 5, 6

Audioscript

M1 = 1st man     M2 = 2nd man     W = Woman

M1:   I use the Internet all day at work, and I still get my work done.

M2:   Yeah, me, too.

M1:   I’m sorry, but I really don’t see what the problem is.

W:   I think the problem is that lots of workers spend all day surfing the Internet and wasting their time instead of doing their work.

M1:   Hmm.

W:   And students at college are failing their courses because they spend all their time checking Facebook and watching videos that friends send them.

M2:   Yes, that’s true, but … um … I don’t think that the problem is the Internet. You know, I think the problem is with the websites like Facebook.

M1:   Yeah, definitely, like YouTube.

M2:   Some companies and colleges stop you from using certain websites. And, in my opinion, that’s OK.

W:   But, it’s so easy to waste time. I don’t think you should use the Internet when you’re trying to work, unless you need it for your work, for research or something.

M1:   I’m not sure about that.  Going on the Internet sometimes gives you a break. It’s like having a cup of coffee or talking to someone in the office. People should use the Internet as much as they like.

W:   I don’t think so …

M2:   Yes, that’s right. I think it’s good. I run a small business and my staff uses the Internet as much as they want to. I don’t check what they are doing. They do all their work  and they are happy. I don’t think it’s a waste of time at all. It’s the same as going to a bookstore…

W:   No, but …

M2:   … or looking through a pile of magazines.

W:   I’m afraid I totally disagree. The problem is that people are addicts. People aren’t addicted to reading books, but the Internet is different. People spend too much time in front of their computer or their phone. They choose the Internet over sports and going out. They forget how to live in the real world, and I think it’s a real problem.

Speaker 1:

essential: smartphone, microwave, laptop;

not essential: television, DVD player, digital camera, tablet

Speaker 2:

essential: smartphone, TV, DVD player, laptop;

not essential: tablet, digital camera, microwave

Audioscript

1

OK—smartphone? That’s essential. I love it. I use it all the time, for everything. I talk to people, chat, text, take photos. I couldn’t live without my phone. Microwave? That’s essential. I don’t have lots of time for cooking, so I use the microwave a lot. Television? Not essential. I don’t watch much television. DVD player no … not essential. Digital camera? Not essential. I use my phone. So, what else? Umm… laptop? That’s … essential really. I use my laptop for work, so, yes, I need that. Tablet? Hmm. I guess it’s not essential.

2

Which are essential? All of them! Goodness. Right. Smartphone? Essential. I don’t go anywhere without my phone. I need it in case there’s an emergency and I have to call someone. Or if there’s a problem with one of the children. Yes, I definitely need my phone. TV? That’s essential really. I couldn’t live without my television and DVD player. Umm. Laptop? Well, I need a computer really, so, yes, that’s essential. Tablet. Well, no that’s not essential. Digital camera? I suppose I don’t need that. Someone else can take the photos! What else? Microwave. No. I can live without that.

1 b   2 e   3 a   4 c   5 f   6 d

Audioscript

1   I get bored very easily. I prefer being busy, so I’m always doing things. Some people just like to sit down and do nothing. But I can’t do that. I need to be active.

2   I feel lonely sometimes if my partner goes away for work and I’m on my own at home. But, then I call a friend or my sister. Or I speak to someone I haven’t spoken to for a long time. Then I don’t feel lonely anymore.

3   I get really confused when I have to do anything with numbers, like check bills or bank rates and things like that. I hate that kind of thing. I do find numbers confusing.

4   I am always amazed by nature—the beauty of nature. You can just stand in a beautiful place and look at it, and it’s just amazing.

5   I get nervous when I have to organize a social event—like if I’m having a party or lots of people over for dinner. I get nervous about what I’m going to cook and if I’ll have time to do everything.

6   I worry about all kinds of things. Often I feel worried about the world when I see the news and all the problems. There are so many problems in the world, and, a lot of the time, I try not to think about them. And then, suddenly, I’ll start to worry.

A

Robert:   1 yes   2 no   3 yes   4 yes

Miriam:   1 no   2 yes   3 yes   4 no

B

1 changed   2 sociable   3 interests   4 talk

5 violent   6 computer   7 me   8 prefer

Audioscript

R = Robert   M = Miriam

R:   I think they’ve already changed the way we live. I mean, a lot of people, like me, spend a lot of their free time playing online games. And this has made me a more sociable person. It’s difficult to play modern computer games alone. When you start the game, you also join a network of other people playing online, and you can join a team to play with other people around the world. I work as a truck driver, so I spend a lot of time alone on the road. When I used to play computer games, when I was younger, I sat in my bedroom, closed off from the world. Now when I play, I’m constantly talking to other players in real time. Because of this, I spend most of my free time talking to other people with the same interests. I used to be quite shy, but these days I find it easier to talk to people I don’t know. So, yes, I think computer games are changing the way we live, and it’s a good thing.

M:   Well, they’re not changing the way I live very much. I mean, they’re just games, like any other game. I quite like computer games—some of them. There are lots of games I don’t like, like the violent games, but, for me, it’s just the same as the other things I do. I mean, sometimes I read a book or watch television to relax. Sometimes I go out for a walk, and sometimes I play a computer game. It’s not changing my life. I don’t spend all my time on the computer. I use a computer for work, so I don’t want to be on the computer all the time at home, too. And I think a lot of people are like me. In our free time, we prefer to do other things.