File Tests Audioscript

File 1
Listening 1

Speaker
The Shangri-La Hotel is in Toronto. It has sixty-six floors and 200 rooms. It is popular with business
travellers because it is located in the city’s business district.

Inside, this Canadian hotel has a Chinese feel. There is Chinese art in the guest rooms and also in
the public areas. There are beautiful paintings and vases. The workers at the hotel wear uniforms that
look like the Chinese art. They were the idea of Sunny Fong, a fashion designer who lives and works
in Toronto. The female staff in the hotel reception wear blue and white dresses that look like the
Chinese vases. The waitresses in the hotel bar have black and gold dresses that look like the
Chinese paintings.

The beautiful uniforms are not for special occasions – the hotel employees wear them every day. In
hotels, it is very important that staff are comfortable at all times. Each worker is given three uniforms,
but they can choose their own shoes.

File 1
Listening 2

1 Kyle What do you think of this one?

Bianca It’s beautiful. Is it very old?
Kyle Err … The sign says it was painted in 1850. A picture of the artist’s garden in Paris.
Bianca That’s interesting. I really like all the greens and blues.

2 Marin I hope you like Chinese food.

Cassie Yes, I do. This is a great choice.
Marin Oh good. And it’s not too busy this evening.
Cassie That’s good too. We can have a quiet conversation. I want to find out more about
you.

3 Reception Hello, reception. How can I help?

Jenny The wi-fi isn’t working in my room. I’m in room 17.
Reception I’m sorry, madam. I’ll send somebody up to help you right now.

4 Ada Where’s my work bag?

Raj It’s over there, next to the sink.
Ada Oh yes. Thanks. And … can you see my glasses?
Raj They’re on the table between the cereal and the milk. Here, let me help you.
Ada Thanks. OK, I’m leaving now. See you this evening! Bye!

5 Mr Ken Excuse me, sorry, do you know where I can find room 4C?
Brodie Yes. Actually, I’m going there now. I have a lesson there.
Mr Ken I have a lesson there too. It’s my first day. I’m Mr Ken. Pleased to meet you.
Brodie Nice to meet you, Mr Ken. I’m Brodie and this is Louise. We’re both in your class!
File Tests Audioscript

File 2
Listening 1

Han Laura likes completely different holidays to me.

Laura It’s true. We’ve been dating for three years, but we don’t agree on holidays. For
example, when we’re sightseeing Han looks at everything through his phone. It’s very
annoying! He takes hundreds of photos every day. I don’t take many.
Han That’s because you look at my pictures. Laura doesn’t really like cities anyway.
Laura Well, I definitely enjoy beach holidays. I like being lazy when I’m on holiday.
Han Beaches are lovely sometimes, but I prefer somewhere friendly and noisy. We went
to Rio de Janeiro last year – it was great. But Laura spent hours texting her sister
back in Naples.
Laura She was ill! Family holidays are the best. It’s good to relax with people you know
really well.
Han But we see your sisters every weekend already. I prefer to travel with friends. I like to
rent an apartment so it’s like a home, you know, like you live in that new place.
Laura Oh no. I prefer hotels. I love hotel breakfasts. Do you remember the breakfasts in
Rio? That was a great hotel. And an amazing city! I had a great time with just the two
of us. That was my last holiday, in fact. But Han went on holiday recently.
Han Yes … Last month I went to a big family party for my grandfather. Oh dear. My
mother thought the house we rented was too small, my grandmother thought the food
wasn’t right, my brother thought my sister’s children were too loud. Everyone argued
for the whole weekend. It was terrible.
Laura Poor Han.

File 2
Listening 2

1 Moya Look at the information board, Lukas! Our flight isn’t there.
Lukas Well, we’re over an hour late because of the traffic. I think our gate is closed.
Moya I don’t know what to do! Lukas, this is terrible.
Lukas Let’s find an information desk. We need to ask for help.

2 Owen I don’t really want to go sightseeing this afternoon.

Matt What’s wrong?
Owen I don’t feel very well. My head hurts. I’m really tired.
Matt Poor you. OK, you go to bed and I’ll make you some tea.
Owen Thanks. I think that’s a good idea.

3 Chris Oh, no. We have to go back to the hotel. Can you see a taxi?
Verity But we’ve just arrived. What’s the problem?
Chris I can’t find my passport. I think it’s next to my bed in the hotel.
Verity Well, that’s OK. Let’s have dinner and then …
Chris No. I need to go back to the hotel right now. Taxi!
Verity OK. But please don’t worry.

4 Marissa Can you hear that?

Ruby Oh wow. Is that rain?
Marissa Yes. I don’t want to visit the Tower of London in this weather.
Ruby I agree. Let’s go and watch a film instead. There’s a cinema near our hotel.
File Tests Audioscript

5 Alex I can’t wait to send a picture of this ice cream to my mum. She loves ice cream.
Hannah I love all Italian food …
Alex [annoyed]
Hannah Are you OK?
Alex The camera won’t take a picture. I don’t know why.
Hannah It’s OK. You can use my phone. Here!

File 3
Listening 1

Elsa Let’s check the plans for next week.

Harman So … we’re travelling all day on Monday. We’re catching the train from Fredrikstad to
Oslo in the morning. We’re arriving in Oslo at around 11.30 and we’re going straight
to the airport. Our flight arrives in Edinburgh at 3.20 in the afternoon. That means
there’s no time to finish writing the report on Monday.
Elsa I agree. But I’ve organized a room for us in the Edinburgh office. We can use that all
day on Tuesday.
Harman Good. So we can finish the report on Tuesday morning, and on Tuesday afternoon
we can practise our talk. Then … Wednesday is the big day. We have a taxi
organized for 8.30 a.m. from the hotel. The first meeting starts at 9.30. In the
morning we’re discussing our report with the finance team, and in the afternoon
we’re giving our talk to the managers.
Elsa Excellent. I’m looking forward to it. And I’m also looking forward to our free day on
Thursday. My favourite writer is from Edinburgh and I’m going on a book tour of the
city. Guess what? We’re going to the café where J. K. Rowling wrote the first Harry
Potter book! She wrote the book in a café because her flat was so cold! I can’t wait!
Do you want to come?
Harman Actually I have a plan for Thursday too. I’m going on an underground history tour.
Edinburgh has lots of tunnels and you can learn about the history of the city by
visiting them. Ollie … Ollie from the office … went on the tour last year and he says it
is very funny and full of information.
Elsa That sounds like fun!

File 3
Listening 2

1 Staff Good morning, sir.

Igor Hello. We want to go to the third floor but my son has a broken leg. We can’t use the
stairs.
Staff Of course, sir. You need to turn right and follow the signs.

2 Staff Please remove your coat and place it in the tray with your hand luggage.
James Of course. And I have this water bottle.
Staff Sorry, sir, no water. Please leave the bottle in the bin over there. You also need to
put your phone and watch in the tray.

3 Jen I’m so happy to be off the plane. OK, let’s collect our bags.
Bella I can’t wait to see Hong Kong. Where do we go to get our luggage?
Jen Can’t you see the green sign above us with a picture of a suitcase?
Bella Oh yes. I see it.

4 Megan This is it. Look, the sign says 25A.

Tomasz I’ll check the screen. Yes, flight 2025 to Prague. This is the right place. Let’s find a
seat and wait to get on the plane.
Staff Passengers travelling in rows A to N can now come to the desk.
Megan We have seats in row H. We can get on the plane now.
File Tests Audioscript

5 Tao It’s so busy. Where do we need to go?

Chen Look. Lots of people are waiting over there. Yes, I can see passengers coming
through those big doors. We can wait for Aunt Jia over there.
Tao OK. Her flight arrived twenty minutes ago, so we should see her soon.
Chen Good. Let’s get ready to wave and call her name.

File 4
Listening 1

Archie Hi, Mum. Have you finished cleaning the bathroom yet?
Mum No, Archie. As you can see, I’m still cleaning the bathroom. But I’ve already cleaned
your bedroom. It looks really tidy now. There’s nothing on the floor at all. Please can
you help me to make your bed?
Archie Yes. And I can put my school clothes away. I haven’t done that yet. But please can
we do those jobs later? Because, guess what, Mum? I’ve got some really exciting
news.
Mum Yes. This sounds interesting. Have you been trying to use my phone?
Archie No, Mum. I’ve made you lunch!
Mum What?
Archie Yes, I’ve just made you a sandwich. Well, Sophie helped a bit too – but she’s only
five — so really it was me.
Mum Well … thank you, Archie. I’m sure lunch will be delicious. And then you and Sophie
can help me clean the kitchen.

File 4
Listening 2

1 Sara What was that noise?

Ellie It was me. I’ve just dropped a plate. Look at the mess on the floor.
Sara Don’t worry. I’ll help you tidy it up. You put the bits of broken plate in the bin and I’ll
clean the floor.

2 Mum Oscar? Have you finished your science homework?

Oscar No, Mum. Not yet. But I’ve already done my English homework. Can I go and
play football now?
Mum Sorry, Oscar. Science homework first, then football.

3 Tess There! All done. I’ve just ordered a skirt for Scarlett’s party.
Marco OK. Before you put your laptop away, please can you buy us some food? We need
pasta and fruit, and some potatoes …
Tess Slow down. I need to find the supermarket website first.

4 Will I’m back! Can you give me a hand?

Felix Hi. Are you OK? You’ve been gone for two hours.
Will Yes, I’m fine. The supermarket was just really busy. I had to wait for a check out. Can
you put the food in the fridge?
Felix Sure. Let’s have a coffee, and then I’ll put all of this into the fridge.
Will Thanks.

5 Eliott Have you taken out the rubbish yet? I have some paper for the recycling.
Keli No. Give it to me, I’ll do it next.
Eliott I found all this paper under my bed. I’ve just done the hoovering upstairs.
Keli Oh, thanks. I hate hoovering.
File Tests Audioscript

File 5
Listening 1

Val How’s your coffee?

Seb Delicious. This is my one cup of coffee for today. I’m drinking more water and less
coffee. Are you still drinking three or four cups of coffee every day?
Val Yes. I know, I drink too much coffee. But you drink too much coke.
Seb Hey! I only drink one can a day. I know the sugar in coke is bad for teeth. But you
drink too much coffee and all the caffeine will keep you awake at night. At least I drink
more water than you. I try to drink 1 litre of water a day. Some studies say we should
drink more than that.
Val No, 1 litre of water is enough. I don’t think you can drink more than that in a day. It’s
impossible. And you can’t believe every scientific study you read.
Seb No, I’m sorry Valentina, that’s not right. I read sensible news sites with good
information. The medical advice says that we should drink around 2 litres of water a
day.
Val OK, OK. I’ll try to drink a bottle of water after my evening gym sessions. And at least I
do regular exercise. You spend too much time in the office.
Seb It’s easier for you, your job finishes at 5 every day. Sometimes I’m still at work at 9
p.m.
Val You need to spend less time at work and more time having fun with real friends. Like
me!

File 5
Listening 2

1 Janet OK. Which is the most exciting city in the world?

Marco Well, for me it’s either Mumbai or Mexico City.
Janet Let’s put Mexico City. Although Mumbai definitely has the best vegetarian
restaurants.
Marco Better than Vancouver? We had some wonderful vegetarian food there.
Janet Yes, I think so. Mumbai was the best.

2 Liam You’ve put Seoul as the cleanest city.

Bea Don’t you agree?
Liam Not entirely. I think the subway and places like that in Seoul are amazing. But for the
whole city … I think Hong Kong is the winner there.
Bea Well, we can put Hong Kong as the cleanest city and I’ll write a note that Seoul has
the cleanest public transport system.
Liam That sounds right.

3 Taz Here’s a difficult question. Which is the most beautiful city? It has to be Paris.
Farouk What about Venice?
Taz Oh yes. But Paris is my answer.
Farouk Venice would win the prize for best sea food. They have wonderful fish restaurants
there. Is there a question for that?

4 Juan Which city has the friendliest people?

Lola Hmmm. Rome, perhaps. Or Aukland. How about Cuzco?
Juan Oh yes! Everyone is lovely to tourists in Cuzco. And so helpful, especially if you’re
travelling with children.
Lola I agree. It’s a great city for families to visit.
File Tests Audioscript

5 Amina This question is for you, Brad. Which city has the best art galleries in the world?
Brad Well, I’d like to say New York but I think the answer has to be London. The galleries
are amazing, and – even better – most of them are completely free to visit.
Amina Yes, and most of the things to do in London are so expensive.
Brad New York is as bad as London for that. Which city do you think is the best value for
money?
Amina Err … perhaps Santiago? The hotels and restaurants there were cheap. No, I think
Istanbul. It’s not expensive and the history and culture are amazing.

File 6
Listening 1

Dr Ruiz Please tell me about your dream.

Tanis I’m outside – it’s cold. I’m waiting at a train station. I’m uncomfortable because I’ve
got a heavy bag on my back. But I don’t want to put the bag down because I’m also a
little bit frightened. I don’t have a ticket. There’s a man looking at me.
Dr Ruiz What does the man look like?
Tanis Umm … I’m not sure. He’s wearing a uniform. It’s a green suit. I think he works at the
station and he’s going to ask to see my ticket. But then, suddenly everything is OK,
because the train arrives and I’m safe. I’m not in the train, I’m on top of it. I’m lying on
my stomach on the roof. We’re going really fast! It’s like flying! It’s a wonderful feeling
and I’m really happy. The bag is not there and the cold has gone. I turn my head and
I can see horses running next to the train. Finally, I ask the train to stop … and it
does! What do you think it means?
Dr Ruiz Well, I think this is a very positive dream. Sometimes, dreams about a fast journey
mean that life is moving too fast. But in this dream, I think your fast train means an
exciting adventure. At first, at the station, you are worried that you are not in control.
But then, when the train is moving, your worries are gone. You feel free … you are in
control of the train, and so you are in control of your life.

File 6
Listening 2

1 Dephne Hi. Are you coming to the cinema tonight?

Janis Yes, I’m looking forward to it.
Dephne Please can you bring the £20 you borrowed from me last week?
Janis I’m so sorry. Yes, I promise I’ll bring it tonight.

2 Simon Hi. Why isn’t Tom coming to your birthday party? He’s really upset.
Gregor What? Of course he’s coming.
Simon Well, Tom says he doesn’t have an invitation.
Gregor There must be a mistake. I promise I’ll print one out again. I can take it to his house
after college.

3 Alain Alain speaking.

Jodie Alain, it’s Jodie. Sorry, we need to catch an earlier train tomorrow. The meeting is at
10 now, not at 11. And it’s in the North Building, not in Marcia’s office.
Alain Hmmm.
Jodie Please write it down, Alain.
Alain It’s OK. I promise I won’t forget: the meeting is at 10 in the morning in the North
Building.

4 Lars It’s too difficult. I can’t do it. I give up.

Dan Don’t worry. I promise I’ll help you later. It’s easy to repair a bike.
File Tests Audioscript

5 Noor …And so I asked for a refund but the man said …

Sophia Hi! Sorry to interrupt you, Noor, I can see you’re on the phone. But I really need to
speak to you.
Noor Lizzie, I have to call you back. Yes, I promise … in 10 minutes. Bye!
Sophia Thanks Noor. This won’t take long.

File 7
Listening 1

Holly
Hi. Welcome to ‘Holly’s English’. My name’s Holly Jenkins, I’m 22 and I’m a student at Manchester
University, in England. My language videos will help you to practise listening to real people, talking in
real English. They’re particularly useful for anyone studying in the UK. All the people you will see in
my videos are students here at the university. We come from all over the world, so we speak English
with different accents. Don’t forget to listen to other video bloggers with different accents too – hearing
different English voices will help you to improve faster.
First, there are my ‘At home’ videos. This is where I help you with pronunciation. I say each word
slowly, then again more quickly. It’s a good idea to join in and say the words with me. You can see all
the words at the bottom of the screen.

Next are my ‘Street English’ videos. In these videos, you listen to groups of students having real
conversations. The talking is fast! It’s not important to understand every word – but do try to listen for
the phrases I’ve typed at the bottom of the screen for you.
I upload new videos twice every month. If you want to try something more intensive, I also organize
survival language days here in Manchester. Visit my Facebook page to find out more.

File 7
Listening 2

1 Well, you probably think I love crowds. After all, I sing in front of people all the time. But, in
fact, I get very nervous before I perform. I’m usually OK after the first few minutes, but when I
first step onto the stage and see all those faces … it can be scary.

2 Being successful in my job makes me happy. But it also means a lot of international travel.
This is a problem for me because I don’t really like flying. Being on a plane makes me really
nervous. I’m always so happy when I arrive at my destination airport.

3 My job isn’t stressful. The people are lovely and I have made some good friends. But I’m still
nervous about speaking English in the office. I use a dictionary app on my phone quite a lot.
Speaking to people on video calls is even worse. If I forget the correct English word my face
turns red. It’s so embarrassing!

4 I love travelling. I enjoy visiting new countries and seeing new sights. But it’s funny … I get
nervous when I drive to a new place in my own country. I think I’m worried about getting lost. I
don’t like going the wrong way.

5 I’ve been a teacher for 15 years now. But I’m still nervous at the start of a new course. Will
the students like me? Do they want to learn? When I talk to a new class, sometimes I talk too
loudly because of my first day nerves. Isn’t that silly!
File Tests Audioscript

File 8
Listening 1

Nick Hi, Fabio. Are you OK?

Fabio Hi, Nick. Er, can I talk to you about something?
Nick Sure. What’s the problem?
Fabio It’s about James. You know he’s been missing classes for around a month now.
Nick Of course … he’s been really ill.
Fabio Well, I’m not sure that’s true. I saw him in town on Saturday, in a bar with his football friends,
laughing and joking. There’s nothing wrong with him.
Nick Oh, no. If the college finds out, he’ll have to leave the course.
Fabio Do you think I should speak to Miss Street? She’s a great teacher and I’m sure she’ll know
what to do.
Nick That isn’t a very good idea, Fabio. If you speak to Miss Street, and James finds out it was
you, he’ll never speak to you again. It’ll make things worse than they are already.
Fabio OK, what’s your advice, then?
Nick You should speak to James. The two of you have a good relationship in class. There might be
more to this situation than you know. I’m sure he’ll explain. Why don’t you send him a text?
Fabio No, I don’t think a text is the right thing to do. He won’t reply. If he has a problem, he won’t tell
me about it in a text. I think I need to meet him, and actually ask him what’s happening.
Nick If he isn’t ill, perhaps he’ll be at the park this evening. There’s football training at 6.30, I think.
Fabio Yes, you’re right. I’ll stop at the park on my way home. It’s too early to leave now so I’ll go to
the college library for an hour. If James is at the park, I’ll speak to him. And if he isn’t there, I’ll
leave him a voicemail and try to meet him at the weekend.
Nick Don’t worry. If James isn’t ill, he can explain why he’s missing classes. I’m sure everything
will be all right. Come on, I’ll go to the library with you.

File 8
Listening 2

1 Listen, I’m at the bus stop in town. I know it’s late. I’m trying to get home but there’s no bus
for 25 minutes. I don’t like it here. The shops are closed and there aren’t many people
around. It’s expensive, but do you think I should get a taxi? Or should I wait at the bus stop?

2 Guess what? Nathan asked me to go to the cinema with him. It’s great news because I really
like him. But there’s a problem. He wants to go and see a horror film but, you know me, I hate
anything that’s frightening. If I tell him, he’ll think I’m stupid and he won’t want to see me
again. Should I go anyway?

3 I’m so angry. I’ve just found out that Mike is paid more than me. Can you believe it? He
started work here at the same time as me. I know we have the same qualifications. It’s not
fair. I think I should write an email to my boss and complain about this right now. You agree
with me, right?

4 I’m really tired. My neighbour had another party last night. The music was really loud. I’m
thinking about calling the police. She doesn’t know I work at the weekends, but she must
realize that her music is too loud. What do you think I should do?

5 I think I’m ill. I have a headache and a cough. Lots of people at college have colds at the
moment but I’ve checked my symptoms online and it could be serious. Do you think I should
call an ambulance?
File Tests Audioscript

File 9
Listening 1

Dr Potts Welcome to the Phobia Clinic, Kylie. As this is your first appointment, today we will
mostly be talking about what your phobia is like. I’ll also ask you about the history of
your fear. How long have you been scared of dogs?
Kylie Well, I remember a particular experience from when I was a teenager. But my mum
says I’ve been nervous around dogs for much longer than that. When I was five, we
spent the summer at my grandmother’s farm. She had several dogs and they were
quite fierce. That was 21 … no 22 years ago now.
Dr Potts And what is the problem like today?
Kylie Um … I don’t feel too bad if I see someone with a dog on a lead. I usually stand very
still and wait for the person and the dog to go. But if the dog isn’t on a lead, or if the
dog is big or black … black dogs are more frightening … I really start to panic. I feel
hot and dizzy. I need to go somewhere safe, like my car.
Dr Potts Have you visited a therapist before?
Kylie Actually, no I haven’t. That’s probably because my phobia doesn’t affect me every
day. I live in the city, I drive to work. But now I’ve started to avoid the park and the
beach. Something has to change. When your clinic opened last year, it helped me to
make a decision.
Dr Potts OK. As you know, we are the only phobia clinic in this area that uses a virtual reality
programme. This technology has been used successfully with phobia sufferers for
around 25 years now. We use a head set and a computer environment – a virtual
reality environment – to help you experience your phobia safely.
Kylie Yes, I’d actually heard of the technology a couple of years ago. Isn’t it also used with
people who have depression?
Dr Potts That’s true. But, in fact, the technology was invented for phobia treatment. In the
early 1990s, one of the first doctors to use the technology cured his own fear of
heights.
Kylie How many times will I use the virtual reality programme?
Dr Potts Well, I expect to see you around 10 times. And we won’t use the head set for the first
few visits – there’s also a lot of talking as part of the treatment. Most patients use the
computer programme four or five times. And you also have to practise in the real
world.
Kylie OK, I’m ready.

File 9
Listening 2

1 Anya How long have you worked in the film industry, Tilda?
Tilda Since I was 22 years old. That’s when I bought my first dog – Disney. He was so
beautiful, I just knew he had to be a star! Now I train all kinds of animals for film and
television. This is Monty, one of my snakes.
Anya And how old is Monty?
Tilda About two years. Would you like to hold him?

2 Nico Welcome to the cat café! Take a seat and I’ll bring you a drink and one of our
cats.
Sally How many cats do you have?
Nico When we opened two years ago we had three cats, because they were already my
pets. But now we have twelve. Our customers love them. Last year we won an
award.
Sally It’s such a good idea. Great for people who can’t own their own pet.
File Tests Audioscript

3 Amber How long have you been afraid of birds, Fei?

Fei Not long. Since I moved to England, about four years ago. And I’m not frightened of
all birds – I just don’t like pigeons. I hate the way they move.
Amber Oh dear. And they’re everywhere in the cities.
Fei Yes, there were two of them inside the train station this morning. They were flying
everywhere trying to get out. It was terrifying.

4 Don Have you been a police officer long?

Malik Yes, I suppose so. I first joined the police ten years ago. But I didn’t work in the dog
unit then. Three years ago, I became what we call a police dog handler. So now I
have Laika. Don’t I, Laika? She’s my work partner and my best friend.
Don Hi, Laika. Good dog.

5 Ella Good morning, water police, how can I help you?

Rob Yes, I’ve just seen a shark near the beach. It was really big. I’m sure it was a Great
White.
Ella Thank you, sir. Which beach is this?
Rob Er … it’s Bar Beach, near Newcastle. Sorry, I don’t know more, I’m on holiday visiting
my brother. I’ve only been here for two days.
Ella That’s OK, sir. Let me take a few more details from you.

File 10
Listening 1

Interviewer On the programme today, we’re talking to top gymnast Natalya before she competes
in the Olympics. Good morning, Natalya. Shouldn’t you be in the gym right now?
Natalya Actually, I am in the gym. I’m here every morning, every day of the week. I usually get
up at 7 and I’m here just before 9.
Interviewer What do you eat for breakfast?
Natalya Fruit and yoghurt. Or toast. As I’m sure many athletes will tell you, there are three
main things that help us perform at the highest level: training, sleep and food!
Everything I eat is designed to help my body perform well.
Interviewer How many hours do you sleep at night?
Natalya At least nine. And I also have a short sleep after lunch. I think many athletes at the
highest level have a nap during the day. That’s true for male athletes too.
Interviewer Gymnastics is one of the few sports where the women’s events are more popular
than the men’s – many more people watch female gymnastics during the Olympics. Is
that sometimes a problem?
Natalya Um … no, not for me. I mean, the men’s sport is very different to the women’s. You
can’t really compare them. On the other hand, I’d like to see a gymnastics
competition with men and women on the same team.
Interviewer You’d like to perform in the same events as the men?
Natalya No, no, that’s not what I mean. Look at the team medal in ice skating at the Winter
Olympics. Men and women skaters are on the same team, they perform in their own
events – but the scores are added together to give a team score. I think that could
work in gymnastics too.
Interviewer It sounds like you’re interested in the way your sport is organized. Will we ever see
you as a coach? You’re 25 now, which is quite old for a gymnast. You’re one of the
oldest members of the women’s team. Will you retire after this Olympics?
Natalya I don’t feel old. I have no intention of giving up yet.
File Tests Audioscript

File 10
Listening 2

1 I work on a breakfast television show. So, in fact, I get up during the night most of the
time. My alarm goes off at 3 a.m. I get up, get dressed and go to work. I enjoy driving on the
quiet roads. I usually arrive at the office by 4. I don’t mind – I’m an early bird!

2 As I get older, I sometimes struggle with sleep. I think it’s because I’m not as active
during the day as I was when I was younger. It doesn’t bother me at all. I usually go
downstairs and sit in my favourite chair. I turn on the radio, or I drink a nice mug of hot
chocolate. I stay awake for an hour perhaps, and then I go back to bed.

3 I don’t enjoy waking up during the night. If I don’t get enough sleep I feel awful the next day. If
I can’t sleep, I don’t get up. I stay in bed until I feel sleepy again. Sometimes I read a book
for a few minutes until my eyes want to shut.

4 I’m a nurse, and a few years ago I worked at night in a hospital. Sometimes, I still
wake up during the night time and I feel very energetic. I’ve found that going outside is the
best thing to do. I put on my coat and stand in my garden for a few minutes. It’s dark and
quiet … and sometimes it’s cold. I soon want to go back to bed and go to sleep.

5 Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I feel nervous and worried. If I
don’t check the whole house I don’t go back to sleep. So I get up and I walk all around the
house. I visit every room and make sure everything’s OK. I check all the doors to make sure
they’re locked. As soon as I’m sure I’m safe, I can go back to sleep.

File 11
Listening 1

Hester It was funny when that shop assistant said we look like twins. I’ve never heard that before.
Dorcas Sometimes people say we look like sisters.
Hester Yes, they do. Even my mum says we look quite similar, but that’s probably because we wear
similar clothes – like we’re both wearing ripped jeans today. But our faces are different, and
we don’t have the same hair. We definitely have a similar personality, though. You laugh at
the same jokes as me …
Dorcas … you like the same music as me, that sort of thing. Well we need to look identical in the
school play. Mr Stafford says we need the same white shirts by Wednesday. The first
performance is on Friday.
Hester I thought that sounded like a simple job, but we can’t even find white shirts. This shop is
enormous. I think shops want to make shoppers confused. They’re designed like that. They
want you to get lost and look at clothes you don’t really need. I find shopping quite stressful.
Dorcas So do I. It’s hard to make any choices when there are so many options. But it’s better if you
buy nothing – it’s not good if you buy things you don’t need.
Hester You sound like my mum. She only ever shops with a list – and she only buys the things on
the list. But it’s even harder to make a decision if you’re in a hurry, like today. Don’t you think?
Hester Yes. It’s better if you just choose a few items and take them to the changing room.
Dorcas Yes, it’s easier if you try things on. As soon as you see the clothes on your body, you know if
they fit well or don’t suit you.
File Tests Audioscript

File 11
Listening 2

1 Abby I didn’t hate school at all. Did you, Owen?

Owen I quite liked the lessons. But … do you remember, in primary school we used to hate
the lunches.
Abby Oh yes! The awful cafeteria, full of big children and noise. We were quite frightened.
Owen And the food was really bad too. I still don’t eat mashed potato.

2 Huan Which subject at school was your least favourite, Liang?

Liang Well, for me the main problem was after school. We used to get hours of homework
every week. It was very difficult to finish it all. You had to be really organized.
Huan And you aren’t a very organized person.
Liang You’re right. The maths homework was particularly bad. We used to have pages and
pages of maths to do.

3 Guille Did you use to have lots of exams at school?

Kate Erm … not really. I hated school though – it was a bad time for me.
Guille That’s sad. What was the problem?
Kate Oh, there was a bully. It was another girl from my class. She used to say really mean
things to me on the school bus. The journey to school was so awful I used to invent
reasons to stay at home.
Guille I’m so sorry, Kate. Thanks for telling me.

4 Tyler Well, the thing I didn’t use to like at school was the sport.
Alma Really? But you play lots of sports now.
Tyler I know, but our PE lessons were terrible. They used to make us wear bright green
shorts and socks and shirts. We all looked like little green vegetables running
around.
Alma So you liked the sport but you didn’t like the clothes you had to wear?
Tyler Exactly. It seemed important at the time.

5 Sarah I wasn’t very confident at school. Mum says I was always a quiet child.
Alfred Was that a problem for you?
Sarah No, not most of the time. I didn’t use to like performing in school plays or concerts,
though.
Alfred Because of all the people watching?
Sarah Yes. But I’m far more confident now.
File Tests Audioscript

File 12
Listening 1

Host Today we’re talking about the power of gossip. With me in the studio is Doctor Rahim
Anders. Dr Rahim, you have studied the advantages and disadvantages of gossip.
Tell us more.
Dr Rahim Well, gossiping is a very important social activity. According to some scientists,
human language and gossip are closely linked. In fact, some researchers think that
people learned to talk so that we can talk about each other! Gossip helps us to
understand our position in a particular group. Usually, the aim of gossip isn’t to hurt
the person in the middle of the story. Instead, the intention is normally to help the
person telling the story, and the person listening to the story.
Host Let’s talk to a listener. Rebecca, do you agree with Dr Rahim?
Rebecca Yes. In my experience, gossiping can be a positive thing. I’ll give you an example ...
Last year I told my best friend Andrea a secret. I told her I liked a boy – Tony – in my
class at university. Andrea said she wouldn’t tell anyone but, of course, she couldn’t
keep the secret, and she gossiped to her other friends. Of course, her friends told
Tony! Fortunately for me, the gossip was actually a good thing. One day after class,
Tony told me what had happened. Then he invited me to go out to the cinema. We’ve
been together since then! I think people are probably programmed to gossip, like Dr
Rahim said.
Host Thanks, Rebecca.
Dr Rahim That’s a really good example of positive gossip and there are some useful lessons in
that story. Firstly, the gossip didn’t cause any problems because the story was true.
False gossip can be very harmful and people who tell false stories are not liked by
other people in their group. Also, all the people in Rebecca’s story wanted to help
Rebecca and Tony. Good gossip can be very useful and can cause positive change,
at work, at school and perhaps even in society as a whole.
Host Very interesting. Let’s speak to another caller now …

File 12
Listening 2

1 Orla I can’t hear it. What did he say?

José He said his new song was called “You’re the one”. He’s going to play it now.
Orla Please can you turn it up so I can hear? And can you go back to the beginning
again?
José The screen on my phone is too small. Let’s go and watch it on my laptop.

2 Angus OK. Have you bought the food?

Rosa No, when I got to the supermarket last night they’d run out of lots of things we need:
fresh fruit, paper plates. The shop assistant said there would be more today – so I’ll
go back there later.
Angus Good. Lucas said he would buy the present and Matteo said he would organize the
music. Hopefully we’ll be finished in time.
Rosa It’ll be OK. Who arrives on time for parties anyway?

3 Jamie Fran, you said you would help me.

Fran I am helping you. I need to check you understand the ideas first. What do you want to
write in the first paragraph?
Jamie Er … what did you write?
Fran I said I would help with the essay. I didn’t say I would write it for you. Now, tell me two
negative things about gossip.
File Tests Audioscript

4 Louis Marlon said he’s not coming.

Vicky Oh, OK. Actually, can I tell you something? I think he’s broken up with Nisha.
Louis I really don’t think so.
Vicky Leah said she saw Marlon at the cinema with another girl. She said the girl was really
pretty and they seemed very friendly with each other.
Louis You’re wrong. When I spoke to Marlon earlier he said he had visitors staying this
week. The girl is his cousin.
Vicky Ah … Oh … I’ll call Leah and tell her.

5 Kenshi But Elise, you told me it was too expensive. You said it was best to wait for another
six months.
Elise I know. But now the engine has started to make strange noises in the morning when I
drive to work.
Kenshi I called the garage last week and the mechanic said it would cost at least five
hundred pounds to fix it. You said we didn’t have five hundred pounds. You said it
wasn’t a big problem and …
Elise I know what I said but I’ve changed my mind!
Kenshi Well you can call the garage and tell them that.