B2 First

Audioscript, Sample Test 2

This is the Cambridge First Certificate in English Listening Test. Practice Test 2.
I am going to give you the instructions for this test.
I shall introduce each part of the test and give you time to look at the questions.
At the start of each piece you will hear this sound:
Tone
You will hear each piece twice.
Remember, while you are listening, write your answers on the question paper. You
will have five minutes at the end of the test to copy your answers onto the separate
answer sheet.
There will now be a pause. Please ask questions now because you must not speak during
the test.
Pause
Now open your question paper and look at Part One.
Pause

PART ONE You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1 – 8, choose the
best answer (A, B or C).
Question 1 You hear a musician talking about learning to play the drums.
Pause
Tone
M:  he link between musical training and educational success has been documented a number of
T
times, particularly when it comes to learning maths. According to one study, students learning
music tend to master multiplication tables and fractions more easily. Not that that applies
to me as I’ve been out of school for a number of years. For me, drumming’s something really
powerful. The act of playing a loud beat demands that you have a positive mindset, and the
increased self-belief it’s given me is something that’s carried over into other areas of my life.
Interestingly, fellow drummers have often reported that drumming has relieved frustration,
disappointment and tension.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 2 You hear two students talking about working part-time.
Pause
Tone

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B2 First Audioscript Sample Test 2

F: I ’m glad I found a part-time job. Aside from the money, it’s forced me to manage my time
effectively. It’s always a struggle to keep up with college work, of course.
M: Y ou’re right. But sometimes the more you have to do, the more you manage to fit in. And my
marks this term have actually improved.
F:  ine haven’t changed. It’s my leisure time that’s most affected, I suppose. I rarely get the
M
chance to see friends. When I graduate though, I’ll be able to demonstrate qualities that are
useful to employers.
M:  hat’ll give us the edge over other applicants. So I don’t mind going out less in the evenings
T
and at weekends.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 3 You hear a journalist talking about tourism in Antarctica.
Pause
Tone
F: 
I’ve been researching tourism in Antarctica, which has become a popular destination. It’s a
fragile environment and could easily be damaged by large numbers of tourists. The cruise
ships can only take passengers ashore in a few places in Antarctica, and so tourists become
concentrated in the same areas. Because the limited tourist season occurs at the same time
as the breeding season for Antarctic birds, there is the potential for disturbance of the nest
sites, and this could have devastating consequences and is something that troubles me deeply.
There’ve been a few incidents with oil spills, but I accept cruise ship companies have acted
responsibly and cleaned these up.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 4 You hear two friends talking about a new TV series about science.
Pause
Tone
M: Did you watch the first episode of ‘Cosmos Live’?
F: Yes. Amazing computer graphics! It was like a science fiction film in places.
M: They were a bit unnecessary – astronomy itself is more than fascinating. I did really appreciate
the way the scientists presented the information.
F: By not assuming the audience were experts.
M: Exactly. For once I understood nearly everything.
F: 
Me too. But I didn’t understand why different sections of the programme needed to be shot in
different places. I know there are telescopes all over the world, but we didn’t need to see them.
M: Well, I didn’t mind that. It actually made me want to go to the Canary Islands.

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Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 5 You hear a psychologist talking about extreme sports.
Pause
Tone
M: 
The number of people taking part in extreme sports is on the rise, and their motivation for
engaging in risky activities is something that interests me greatly. It’s human nature to be
careful and to want to protect ourselves. So what would be the advantage of doing something
unsafe? We tend to think of people who do extreme sports as pleasure seekers, who just do it
for the thrill they get. When I looked into this in more detail, I actually discovered it’s not the
excitement of risk-taking they’re after, but the feeling of being closer to nature and greater self-
awareness that doing extreme sports offers them.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 6 You hear two friends talking about traffic problems in their town.
Pause
Tone
M: It took me forty-five minutes to get through the traffic jams on my way to work this morning.
F: You have to wonder whether it was worth the council adding extra lanes to the main
road through the town centre. It hasn’t made a difference. If anything, it seems to create
more traffic.
M: I’ve heard that said before. It’s hard to know what to do for the best though.
F: Yes, but we’re not the experts, so what’s the point in asking residents for suggestions? There
are people whose job it is to plan and manage the road system.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 7 You hear a review of a book about time management.
Pause
Tone
F: 
There are many books about time management on the market but Make Time by Martha
Bryant is one of my all-time favourites. Unlike other books which promise quick fixes for
minimal effort, Make Time promotes a whole new way of life. Though it requires effort to
follow the author’s recommendations, doing so will give you a sense of satisfaction, control
and calmness. It’s therefore suited to those who need to completely rethink their approach
to time management, rather than just increasing personal efficiency in a few areas of life.
I’ve found it a huge help.

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Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 8 You hear a student talking to his friend about a history project.
Pause
Tone
F: Are you OK, Richard?
M: 
Erm, I’ll be better when my history project’s finished. I’m pleased with the subject I’ve chosen
– economics in the Middle Ages – it’s something I’m interested in, and no-one else has chosen
that topic. The thing is, the historical sources I need aren’t available online, so I’m having to
use the reference section in the library. I’ve been there every evening ’til closing time.
F: 
Well, if you need someone to read through it when it’s completed, to check it makes sense, let
me know.
M: Thanks for the offer. I’ll probably be rushing to get it done, though.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
That is the end of Part One.
Now turn to Part Two.
Pause

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 B2 First Audioscript Sample Test 2

PART TWO You will hear a woman called Zoe Barnes talking to marine biology students about a
turtle conservation project. For questions 9 – 18, complete the sentences with a word or
short phrase.
You now have 45 seconds to look at Part Two.
Pause
Tone
Hi. I’m Zoe Barnes and I’m a marine biologist currently working for an international
organisation that protects endangered species. I’m here to talk about my project on sea turtles
in Costa Rica in Central America – hopefully you’ll be inspired to get involved in our work!
I first learnt about sea turtles during my marine biology degree. My tutor was a sea turtle
specialist, but I was more interested in my project on dolphins at the time. A few years into
my career, I was looking for a new project to get involved in, and a colleague, who’d seen a
documentary on sea turtles, suggested I should join this one in Costa Rica.
Sea turtles are amazing creatures and they make a vital contribution to ecosystems. They help
to make sand dunes stable and they’re good for vegetation on sea shores, as well as promoting
the spread of seagrass on the sea bed.
Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the water, which is why it’s hard to collect data about
their behaviour. But we know that, like salmon, they return to the nesting ground where they
were born. Their diet consists of things like jellyfish, crabs, snails, algae and so on. Depending
on the species, they range in size from 76 cm to 1.8 m in length and can live up to 80 years.
Larger species can weigh around 900 kg.
Sea turtles are slow and clumsy on land, but they’re excellent swimmers, remaining
underwater for as long as five hours before resurfacing. You won’t be surprised to hear that,
sadly, they’re under threat from modern problems such as climate change and pollution. And,
as we know, plastic in the oceans is very bad for all sea-life. But an even greater risk they face is
from fishing nets, which is something that gets less publicity.
So, let me tell you some things about what volunteering on our conservation project involves.
When the female sea turtles come ashore, they lay their eggs and bury them in the sand. We
collect these, take them back to our conservation centre, where our volunteers are in charge
of caring for them ’til the tiny baby turtles emerge. This frees up the full-time staff to take care
of the newborns and young turtles until they’re ready to be put into the sea, and also gives us
time to build and maintain the tanks.
Volunteers have irregular working hours – patrolling beaches at night, which is when they’re
visited by sea turtles. But that’s not a bad thing – it’s much cooler to work then than in the day.
Sea turtles look cute and, in my experience, don’t show aggression to humans, but their smell
is something you never get used to. It’s disgusting. But it’s very rewarding work, and volunteers
do get time off. They often go shopping or sightseeing in the local town, and obviously there’s
plenty of beaches to visit. I occasionally go on excursions in my free time, but every chance I
get to go diving, I grab it with both hands – it’s an amazing activity.
Well, what kind of person makes a great volunteer? Many volunteers come to us with a degree,
which isn’t strictly necessary. Whether you’ve completed a marine biology course or done
work experience already, you won’t succeed without a positive attitude, and that’s something
I look for most when considering which volunteers to take on. You also have to be prepared
to live in quite basic conditions. And when talking to local communities about conservation
issues, it’s essential for volunteers to listen to their views politely and take their opinions into
account. They’ve lived there longer than us, after all.

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If you’re feeling motivated to apply for a volunteer position, do be aware that there are
numerous opportunities available. Don’t make any decision without first reading reviews
because some projects are better than others. I always recommend government projects or
ones run by internationally recognised charities. Don’t just go for the first project you see an
advertisement for in the newspaper.
Pause
Now you will hear Part Two again.
Tone
Repeat
Pause
That is the end of Part Two.
Now turn to Part Three.
Pause

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 B2 First Audioscript Sample Test 2

PART THREE You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about the game of chess.
For questions 19 – 23, choose from the list (A – H) why each speaker enjoys playing chess.
Use each letter only once. There are three extra letters which you do not need to use.
You now have 30 seconds to look at Part Three.
Pause
Tone
Speaker 1
Pause
I started playing chess when I was eleven. I played against anyone I could, online or with my
mates at school. Of course, I lost more battles than I won, but I didn’t mind about that because
I could learn from those defeats. My only objective was to improve my playing style, so I
studied the techniques day-in, day-out. What chess really does is show you how important it
is to take your time – to wait calmly for the opportunity to make that winning move, instead of
rushing in without thinking and then finding you’ve given the game away to your opponent.
A useful skill in life.
Pause
Speaker 2
Pause
I’ve always been a bit hyperactive, I suppose. When I was younger, I couldn’t sit still or shut up
for long at all. My maths teacher thought it would be good for me to take up chess, to keep me
quiet. I don’t think playing chess has really altered my personality in that regard, but I would
say to others thinking about whether chess is for them, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable thing to do
with your time. With all the teach-yourself books and online chess engines there are available,
you can pick up the concepts so quickly, and there are ways to get round not having friends to
play against.
Pause
Speaker 3
Pause
I think one of the great chess masters once said you can’t win big matches in chess if you don’t
love the game. I’m a big fan of chess because you don’t have to invest in a lot of resources
in order to be able to enjoy a game with your friends. It’s even possible to make a board and
pieces out of junk at home. And it’s not like other sports, where you have to get a group of
friends together and make the effort to find somewhere to play. Also, if you use chess websites,
you never have to wait long to find someone to play against.
Pause
Speaker 4
Pause
My best friend taught me how to play chess when we were both teenagers, so I haven’t actually
been playing for that long and I still have lots to learn. I find it takes a lot of concentration, so
it’s not exactly a relaxing leisure activity. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m totally enthusiastic
about the game and I think other people should try it too. When you’re playing a match, the
only things you hear are the ticking of the clock and the light scraping of the chess pieces
across the board. The time spent playing in that environment is a welcome break from
everyday life.
Pause

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Speaker 5
Pause
Chess may look like a peaceful game, but it’s actually a battle – one in which I have to employ
my full brain-power to defeat my opponent. It’s great because it teaches you to be strategic
and to maintain focus at all times, unlike many other games today, which just occupy your
eyes and hands and let you switch off. It’s a beautiful sport that takes a lifetime to become
good at – you never stop learning. I have chessboards at home and in my office, and I even
have a portable one that’s easier to take with me when I’m travelling if I can find someone to
play against.
Pause
Now you will hear Part Three again.
Tone
Repeat
Pause
That is the end of Part Three.
Now turn to Part Four.
Pause

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 B2 First Audioscript Sample Test 2

PART FOUR You will hear an interview with a man called Steve Howden, who works as a theatre set
and costume designer. For questions 24 – 30, choose the best answer (A, B or C).
You now have one minute to look at Part Four.
Speaker 1
Pause
Tone
F: 
My guest today is the theatre designer Steve Howden, who in his 20-year career has won
dozens of awards for his theatre sets and costumes for plays, operas and ballets. Welcome
Steve.
M: Thanks.
F: Could I ask, did you always want to be a theatre designer?
M: 
No. From an early age my ambition was to become a dentist. But at secondary school, I knew
I was quite artistic and had entered paintings into competitions. At that time I’d rarely set foot
inside our local theatre but when my drama teacher asked me to volunteer to build and paint
the scenery for the annual play, it was like a light switched on in my head. After school, I did a
degree in Scenic Design, as it’s called.
F: You got a job straight after graduating from Art College, didn’t you?
M: 
I couldn’t have been luckier. A director called Sam Peters was looking for a designer to work on
a musical. It was all very low-budget, and I’ve never been fan of that type of theatre, but it was
my big break. Sam had a reputation for being bad-tempered and fussy, though that wasn’t a
side of him I ever saw.
F: And after that show, you worked for the famous theatre designer Tom Gold.
M: 
Yes, I was Tom’s assistant designer for two years, during which time I learnt loads. Tom was
really busy, so he kept the really good productions for himself and passed the lower-profile
shows to me. It meant I had an extraordinary degree of freedom at an early stage of my career.
I discovered that Tom and I had quite different styles, but that never caused any tension, and
when he did come to check up on what I was designing, he always encouraged me.
F: For the last few years, you’ve been designing for operas and ballets. Is that what you enjoy best?
M: 
It’s been an absolute privilege to be asked to design for some of the best opera and ballet
productions for decades. The schedule for these productions is more generous than for other
types of theatre, which is wonderful, as it gives me more space to take my designs to a higher
level, to do things no-one’s done before. Of course, I’m still working on the costumes up to the
last minute. That’s because I can’t always tell whether they’ll be bold enough ’til I actually see
the singers or dancers wearing them on stage and moving around according to the director’s
instructions.
F: What’s your studio like?
M: 
It’s a room in my home – not particularly big, and my children wander in and out sometimes.
They’re still a bit young to take an interest in my designs, but I appreciate the fact that there’s
no door to the room, so in no way do I feel sealed off from them and what’s going on in the
house. Having said that, there are times when I wish it wasn’t quite so noisy!
F: I read this is your twentieth year as a theatre designer.
M: 
That’s correct. But even if I carry on for another twenty years, I don’t think I’ll get to the end of
the list of shows I’d like to work on, or directors I’d like to collaborate with. I’ve recently taken
on a couple of apprentices to do more routine tasks, though long days still aren’t unusual for
me, especially in the weeks before opening night.

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F: Steve, is there anything you wish someone had told you when you entered this profession?
M: 
Good question ... Well, even though I’m very well-established, I can never slow down. I didn’t
quite realise that as soon as one job was finished, I’d have to get on with the next one, even
when I was exhausted – there’s always bills to pay. Also, I encourage young people choosing
this career to get to know as many people in the business as possible, like I did, because a
strong network is invaluable. The last thing I’d say is some designers get terribly upset when
they read negative reviews about them, but I’ve always known what I wanted to achieve with
my design ideas.
F: Steve, thanks so much …
Pause
Now you will hear Part Four again.
Tone
Repeat
Pause
That is the end of Part Four.
There will now be a pause of five minutes for you to copy your answers onto the separate
answer sheet. Be sure to follow the numbering of all the questions. I shall remind you
when there is one minute left, so that you are sure to finish in time.
Pause
You have one more minute left.
Pause
That is the end of the test. Please stop now. Your supervisor will now collect all the
question papers and answer sheets.

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