Test 1 Training Listening Part 1

Task information
• In Part 1 you hear eight short unrelated extracts from monologues or exchanges. There is one
multiple-choice question per extract, each with three options. You hear each extract twice.
• Part 1 tests your understanding of: gist, detail, opinion, attitude, function, purpose,
relationship, topic, place, situation, agreement, etc.
• The question includes information about the situation (e.g. a phone call, a radio programme,
an extract from a play, etc.) followed by a direct question (e.g. How does she feel?).

Understanding distraction
1 Study this multiple-choice question and the recording script below.
Why is B correct? Why are A and C wrong?
You hear a man talking about buying a bicycle.
What most attracted him to this bike?
A its special features
B its condition
C its price

‘I saw it advertised in the local newspaper and I thought I’d ring C

the seller to see if it was still for sale and whether he’d drop the
price because it seemed a bit high to me. He wouldn’t, but I
A
liked the sound of it and we arranged a time for me to call round
later. Well as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It was just
an ordinary bike really, nothing remarkable about it at all, but it’d
obviously been very well looked after. It was a few years old, but B Tip! Don’t choose your
answer until you’ve
you really couldn’t tell. So I bought it there and then.’ heard the whole text at
least once.

2a 1 02 Look at the next question and listen twice to the recording. Which is the correct answer,
A, B or C? Why?
You overhear a conversation in a café between two people.
Why didn’t she call him?
A She didn’t have his number.
B It was too late in the evening.
C Her phone wasn’t working.
Tip! You won’t hear the
b 1 02 Listen again. Why are the other two answers wrong?
same words as the
words in the question,
so listen for the same
idea.

50 Test 1 Training Listening Part 1

 Test 1 Exam practice Listening Part 1

Action plan
1 For each question, quickly read the first line. 4 Check your answer the second time you listen,
What’s the situation? Will you hear one person making sure that you have not made a mistake
or two? Female or male? – speakers may use words connected with more
2 Look at the direct question and stem (e.g. Who than one option.
is the woman?) and underline the key words. 5 If you’re still not sure which is the correct answer,
3 When you first hear the recording, try to think cross out any you are sure are wrong and guess.
of an answer to each question in your own 6 When the recording has finished and you have
words. Then choose (from A, B or C) the option chosen your answer, forget about that question
most like your answer. and concentrate on the next one.

1 03 Follow the exam instructions, using the advice to help you.

Tip! Before you listen, think of other expressions for the words in the question,
You will hear people talking in eight
e.g. ‘What does he do?’ – he works in …, his job is …, he’s employed as
different situations. For questions 1–8, …, etc.
choose the best answer (A, B or C).
Tip! Make sure you always know which question and situation you are
listening to.

1 You hear a customer talking to a shop assistant about a coat she bought.
What does she want?
A a different kind of item
B the same item but in a different size
C her money back

2 You hear a weather forecast on the radio.

Advice
Tomorrow, the weather in the east of the country will be 1 Be careful with the
assistant’s suggestions. The
A stormy in the morning. customer rejects two of these.
B sunny in the afternoon. 2 You need to listen for the
C foggy in the evening. correct region, weather and
time of day.
3 You hear an office worker talking about cycling to work. 3 Listen for an activity similar
What does she enjoy most about it? to one of those in A–C.

A getting some exercise each morning 4 Don’t be misled by numbers

that seem to give the answer.
B avoiding the traffic into town
C thinking about the day ahead

4 You hear a radio announcer talking about a competition for writers of short stories.
The man says that one of the rules is that
A you have to be over sixteen to enter.
B you can submit more than one entry.
C your entry must be emailed.

Listening Part 1 Test 1 Exam practice 51

5 You hear a conversation about reading. Advice
The man enjoys reading books which 5 Remember that the question
is about the present.
A have characters that remind him of people he knows.
6 Both mention all of A–C, but
B describe situations that he finds highly amusing.
the woman disagrees about
C are set in places that he is unlikely ever to visit. two of them.
7 Base your answer on what
6 You hear two people talking about watching films on the Internet. happened this time, not on a
What do they agree about? previous occasion.
A the advantages of buying films online 8 Listen to everything the
B the usefulness of reading film reviews speaker says about each point.

C the pleasure of watching films at home

7 You hear a woman at an airport talking on the phone.

Why did she miss her flight?
A She was held up by traffic.
B There was a long queue at check-in.
C She went to the wrong terminal.

8 You hear a man talking about his new job.

What attracted him to this job?
A the type of work
B the opportunities for promotion
C the salary offered

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 Test 1
2 Exam practice Listening Part 1

Page 50 Task information

Page 51 Action plan

1 Read the first two lines of questions 1–8 below. For each one, answer these questions where possible.
1 What is the situation? Tip! Read the question and try to imagine the situation.
2 Will you hear one female, one male, or two speakers? Who’s talking to whom? Where? Why? When? How
do they feel?
2 What is the focus of the question in the second line?
Tip! Remember that you can change your mind about
Example: question 1: language function an answer while you listen for the first or the
second time.
3 1 14 Follow the exam instructions, using the advice to help you.

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best answer
(A, B or C).

1 You hear part of a conversation in a watch repair shop. Advice

What is the man doing?
1 Always listen to the end
A refusing to accept the watch for repair before choosing an answer.
B encouraging the customer to buy a watch 2 Listen for an expression
C advising the customer to have the watch mended elsewhere used to ask someone a
favour.
2 You are on a train and you hear a woman leaving a message on an answering machine. 3 Focus on the speaker’s
own opinion, not that of
Why is she calling?
other people.
A to arrange a lift from the station
4 Concentrate on the main
B to change the time of her evening meal subject, not other matters
C to find out bus times from the station the speaker may mention.
5 Think of words for the
3 You hear a talent show judge commenting on a performance she has just seen. main parts of A–C, and
phrasal verbs often used
What does she think of the man’s performance? with each.
A He lacks confidence.
6 Which other structure
B He chose the wrong song. might be used for each of
C He has a weak singing voice. A–C?
7 Listen for what they agree
4 You hear the beginning of a talk in a community centre. they like, not what they
dislike.
What will the talk be about?
8 Listen for reasons why
A local history two of A–C are wrong.
B transport problems
C modern agriculture

94 Test 2 Exam practice Listening Part 1

5 You hear a man talking about saving money.
He wants to buy
A a motorcycle.
B a bicycle.
C a car.

6 You hear a woman talking about a concert being cancelled.

What does she think about this?
A She is glad it will not take place.
B It should be re-arranged for a later date.
C She should have been told sooner.

7 You hear a man and woman talking about a flat they are considering renting.
What do they both like about it?
A the size
B the low rent
C the furniture

8 You hear a woman talking about her tablet computer.

How does she feel about it?
A She finds something about it annoying.
B She wants to get a more powerful model.
C She spends too much time using it.

Listening Part 1 Test 2 Exam practice 95

 Test 3 Listening Part 1

2 01 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best answer,
A, B or C.

1 You hear a film review on the radio.

What criticism does the reviewer make?
A the acting is poor
B the music is unsuitable
C the story is difficult to follow

2 You hear two students talking about a holiday abroad.

What do they agree about?
A Foreign travel is harmful to the environment.
B It is becoming more expensive to travel abroad.
C Holidays are more enjoyable if you go abroad.

3 You hear a woman talking on the radio about a place called Dolphin Bay.
Where did she first hear about Dolphin Bay?
A on the Internet
B on the radio
C on television

4 You overhear a woman talking outside the post office.

Why had she gone to the post office?
A to collect a parcel
B to buy stamps
C to send a parcel

5 You hear part of a discussion on local radio.

What is the programme about?
A building new housing
B protecting wildlife
C improving road safety

6 You hear a man talking about motorcycling.

What does he regret?
A riding his motorcycle too fast
B doing a particular journey by motorcycle
C buying a motorcycle

7 You overhear a student talking about her new college.

How does she feel about the college?
A She is finding some of the lessons difficult.
B Some of her new classmates are unfriendly.
C It is too far away from her home.

8 You overhear a driving instructor talking to a learner after the lesson has ended.
What mistake did the learner make?
A He ignored a road sign.
B He was driving too fast.
C He failed to look in the mirror.

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 Test 4 Listening Part 1

2 05 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best answer,
A, B or C.

1 You hear a man and a woman talking about a department store.

What is the woman’s opinion of the store?
A The prices are generally reasonable.
B There is a wide range of items on sale.
C Most of the assistants are very helpful.

2 You hear a woman asking a man questions in a city-centre street.

She wants him to
A take part in a survey.
B give her directions to a bus stop.
C use public transport more often.

3 You hear part of a radio interview with a newspaper’s science reporter.

He thinks that it is
A less of a problem than some scientists say.
B not taken seriously enough by governments.
C now too late to stop it happening.

4 You hear a recorded message when you phone a hotel.

What should you do if you want to stay there an extra night?
A press one
B press two
C press three

5 You hear two parents talking after watching their son play in a football match.
What do they agree about?
A Their son was the best player in his team.
B The referee was unfair to their son’s team.
C Their son’s team should have won the game.

6 You hear a man talking on the radio about a castle by the sea.
How does the speaker suggest visitors get to the castle?
A by car
B on foot
C by public transport

7 You hear a woman talking about her computer.

Why couldn’t she email her friend?
A Her computer wasn’t online.
B A virus had damaged her computer.
C She couldn’t remember her password.

8 You overhear a man leaving a message on an answering machine.

Why is he phoning?
A to apologise for something he has done
B to ask the other person for some advice
C to thank the person for something they did

Listening Part 1 Test 4 139

 Test 5 Listening Part 1

3 01 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best answer,
A, B or C.

1 You hear a man talking on the radio about a new airport terminal.
Why does he compare the terminal to a factory?
A to criticise the way people are treated there
B to emphasise the enormous size of the building
C to describe its efficiency in processing passengers

2 You hear a man being interviewed for a job.

He left his previous job because
A he wanted to work in a smaller town.
B he did not get on with his boss.
C he thought his salary was too low.

3 You hear a woman talking about a city she enjoys visiting.

What does she like most about the city nowadays?
A its food
B its people
C its architecture

4 You hear a man and a woman talking about a hotel they have recently stayed at.
They agree that
A the location was convenient.
B the price of the room was reasonable.
C the meals were good.

5 You hear a woman talking about buying a clock on the Internet.

What does she say about it?
A The clock had been damaged when it arrived.
B The postage cost more than she had expected.
C The item cost her less than what it was worth.

6 You hear a bus driver talking about his job.

Which aspect of his work does he sometimes really dislike?
A driving in city traffic
B dealing with passengers
C starting work early

7 You hear a man talking on the radio about his early life.
What does he say about his school days?
A He regrets not studying harder.
B He remains friends with some classmates.
C He disliked some of his teachers.

8 You hear a man telling a woman about an art gallery he has visited.
The man says the art gallery
A was too crowded.
B had recently moved.
C had too few works on display.

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 Test 6 Listening Part 1

3 05 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best answer,
A, B or C.

1 You hear two teenagers talking about a lost scarf.

Where does the girl think she lost it?
A on the bus
B in the street
C in a shop

2 You hear two people talking about a proposed new motorway.

What is the man worried about?
A the noise from fast-moving traffic
B the loss of local sports facilities
C the permanent harm to the countryside

3 You hear a radio announcer giving a traffic update.

Who is his advice for?
A People going shopping.
B People going to watch football.
C People going to a music festival.

4 You overhear a woman talking on the phone.

What does she want the other person to do?
A to meet her somewhere
B to give someone else a message
C to buy something for her

5 You hear two people talking about holidays.

What is the woman encouraging the man to do?
A visit particular countries
B go on an environmentally-friendly holiday
C travel with a large group of people

6 You hear an art critic talking about a famous painting.

Why does he think it is so popular?
A It reflects a common human experience.
B It is worth an enormous amount of money.
C It is a particularly brilliant work of art.

7 You overhear a salesman talking about his job.

How does he feel about it?
A keen to find work elsewhere
B worried that he might be replaced
C confident he will soon be promoted

8 You hear two people talking about a ferry ride to an island.

What does the man say about the experience?
A He felt rather ill when he was on board.
B The ship had limited facilities for passengers.
C The crossing was no longer than he had expected.

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