B2 First for Schools

Audioscript, Sample Test 2

This is the Cambridge First Certificate in English for Schools - Listening Test.

Practice Test 2.
I’m going to give you the instructions for this test.
I’ll 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’ll hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1 – 8, choose the
best answer (A, B or C).
Question 1 You hear a girl telling her friend about her recent family holiday.
Pause
Tone
M: How was your seaside holiday?
F: OK, thanks …
M: You don’t sound very enthusiastic!
F: Well, the forecast had been for wet weather, so we were prepared, but it didn’t happen in
the end. Lucky, really, as we took absolutely ages to get to the coast. Dad had booked an
early train, but everything was running late. So if the forecast had been right, we’d have been
standing around at the station in pouring rain!
M: Awful …
F: Yeah ... Anyway, then when we got to the hotel, they’d reserved us all a family room, which
we hadn’t asked for, so they found my sister and me a room to ourselves with sea views – at a
reduced rate!
M: Right!
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause

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B2 First for Schools Audioscript Sample Test 2

Question 2 You hear a girl talking about how useful it is to practise when learning something.
Pause
Tone
F: Everyone tells you that if you’re learning something new, it’s essential to practise, on a daily
basis if you can. But I’ve got really mixed feelings about that. I mean, I’ve done a bit of extra
practice at weekends in school subjects I’m not so good at, like maths – and I guess because
I’ve applied myself a bit more, it’s made a difference. But the thing is, I’m also learning to play
the piano at the moment, and my teacher gets me to practise every day– and that’s become
a real pain, to the point where it’s almost put me off playing the piano altogether. So there
you go …
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 3 You hear two friends talking about an unusual Australian lake they’ve read about.
Pause
Tone
F: Have you read this article about the lake in Australia that regularly dries up, and then suddenly
appears again, full of water?
M: I have, yes – amazing! I can’t imagine that happening around here, can you? It’d be really
difficult to live near.
F: Well, there’s not really anywhere around here where a lake might form, so I don’t think you
need to worry about it.
M: Mm, but I guess at least people would start coming to our town just to see the lake. It would
become internationally well-known!
F: Well, I’m not sure about that – but there’d probably be more tourists. And that can bring lots of
jobs, my dad says.
M: And that’s just what we need!
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 4 You hear a boy phoning a friend.
Pause
Tone
M: Hi Michael. It’s Bill. Just wondering if you’re coming to Sam’s party tomorrow? It’s going to be
amazing – or at least, that’s what he’s telling everyone! I really hope it goes well – he’ll be so
disappointed if it doesn’t, but at least all his friends will be there. And people can’t say they
didn’t know about it because we sent out loads of invitations – all designed by me, and they
took absolutely hours, so it’d be interesting to know what you think of them. Anyway, the party
starts at 8, I think, at his house, so I’ll see you then! Bye!

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Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 5 You hear two friends discussing something called rewilding – restoring animals to their
original natural habitat.
Pause
Tone
M: I ’ve just been watching a TV programme about something called rewilding – have you heard
of it? Apparently it’s about bringing wild animals back to where they lived many years ago –
creatures like wolves and eagles.
F:  h, my mum told me a bit about this. She reckons restoring native species could be really good
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for the countryside, but I’m not sure how – I don’t think I understood all the detail. But it still
sounded like a great plan to me!
M:  ut bears used to live in this area many years ago. I don’t want to wake up one morning and
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suddenly find a bear outside my house!
F: Don’t worry – I’m sure that won’t happen!
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 6 You hear two friends discussing a geography lesson they’ve just had.
Pause
Tone
M:  hew! Our geography lessons are sometimes so packed with information, I can’t always
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understand it all. Today wasn’t like that, luckily ...
F: Well, I was pleased I’d done all the background reading about Canada before I came – the
teacher mentioned loads of the stuff I’d read about.
M: Yeah, I didn’t read as much as you, but after what he said I’m keen to discover more. Canada
sounds the perfect place to live.
F: Well, I lived there once, so I knew a lot about it already. So it wasn’t quite as tough a lesson as
I’d thought it would be.
M:
No – and anyway, we do always learn loads with that teacher.
F:
You’re right.
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause

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B2 First for Schools Audioscript Sample Test 2

Question 7 You hear a teacher talking to his class.

Pause
Tone
M: 
Now, everyone, as you know, this week we’re learning about the famous English writer, William
Shakespeare. Now, in your pairs you’ve managed to do quite a bit of background reading
already on different aspects of the writer, so today we’re going to watch a video of a talk given
by an expert in the field. So I’d like you to write down any relevant information you think you’ll
need because remember – next week it’s your turn to do the same as the expert! With the
material you’ll hear today, and the work you’ve already done, each pair should have enough to
get together something interesting to tell us. OK?
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
Question 8 You hear two friends discussing an article about growing vegetables at home.
Pause
Tone
M: Did you see this article about growing vegetables on your balcony, Mia?
F: I did, yeah – and I actually planted loads of seeds, but the results were a bit mixed. Some
things didn’t grow well, although they’d probably have been better if I’d given them a bit more
water. Anyway, I knew some stuff in the article already, like tips on how to grow bigger plants
– but you can always learn more. The thing is, it gives the impression that all you have to do is
sow some seeds and you’ll get loads of vegetables – it’s missed out some of the things that go
wrong, and that’s what I’d have most liked to know.
M: Right ...
Pause
Tone
Repeat
Pause
That is the end of Part One.
Now turn to Part Two.
Pause

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PART TWO You’ll hear a boy called Harry talking about his interest in astronomy – studying
space and the night sky. 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 Harry and I’d like to tell you about my hobby, astronomy – studying the night sky. I’m

not really sure how it started, though. I do remember going to a talk at school about space
because a company was making a TV programme in my area about the night sky. But it wasn’t
until later, when I joined a local club to study what’s in space, that I used a telescope for the
first time. So going there was probably the starting point, I’d say.
After that, I desperately wanted a telescope of my own. But all the ones I looked at were
expensive, and although I had a Saturday job, and my boss paid me well, there was no way
I could save enough. My dad thought telescopes were too much money, but my uncle was
interested in the night sky, so he got me a second-hand one online. And now my older brother
uses it too, so it’s started a new family interest.
In fact, my telescope isn’t that old, so it’s got all the latest technology. But what I particularly
like are its control systems – you can just align it on the Pole Star and key in what you want to
look at, and its computer adjusts the lenses and finds it for you. It’s fun!
Once I’d learnt how to operate the telescope, I hoped to see something exciting, like new stars.
And a few weeks ago, I read about things known as exploding stars – and since then I’ve been
scanning the skies, hoping to spot one. I’m sure it’ll happen one day!
Anyway, in the meantime I finally located the planet Jupiter and even got to see its moons as
they orbited the planet, which was absolutely amazing. I haven’t had a clear view of its bands
of colour on the surface yet, though.
But I guess every amateur astronomer who’s studying space hopes that one day they’ll
make a major discovery – something scientists haven’t seen before, or a great observation of
something experts have missed. For myself, I’d just be happy to make a significant contribution
to what we know about space. That could even be just through taking part in a project.
Of course, when you start taking an interest in something as big as space, it does make you see
other things, too. I’ve always felt planet Earth was pretty small compared with the vastness of
space. But because of this hobby, I’ve also learnt more about nature, which isn’t easy when
you live in a large city like I do.
And living here does create problems for amateur astronomers like me, like the amount of
cloud we get, so you can’t see the night sky at all on some occasions. But there’s not much we
can do about the weather. However, the light pollution here, which means it isn’t easy to find
a truly dark sky, is something that constantly affects us. I’ve begun to see the effects it has on
wildlife, too.
Nevertheless, I still love looking through the telescope and finding something unusual. Some
people say astronomy becomes less interesting when you can’t quite find what you’re looking
for. But for me, no matter what the outcome, it’s always magical – especially considering how
distant and strange some of these objects are.

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So you might be thinking astronomy sounds like just the hobby for you! Well, it may sound
obvious, but to start, you really need access to a telescope. Many people spend a lot of money
on them and it’s important to get one that suits you. But the biggest requirement for really
making a go of your hobby is plenty of patience – apart from anything, you’ll probably want
to build up some familiarity with maps of the night sky and a bit of technical knowledge to
set up your telescope. But once you’ve started, you’ll definitely get a lot of enjoyment from it.
So – good luck!
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 for Schools Audioscript Sample Test 2

PART THREE You’ll hear five teenagers talking about their experiences of doing watersports.
For questions 19 – 23, choose from the list (A – H) how each speaker felt about their
experience. Use the letters 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 One
Pause
I’m quite a good swimmer, but I’d never done much distance swimming. So I joined a group

that were planning to swim along the river. The only thing was, because of my age, it meant
Dad had to come with me. I wasn’t sure that was necessary, really, but I went along with it.
Anyway, the plan was to cover about 6 km, which sounded a lot, and I wasn’t convinced we’d
manage it – but we did. We even got a certificate for it, though whether we deserved it is
another matter, as I’d needed a hand from the coaching team when I got tired. But it was still a
great day!
Pause
Speaker Two
Pause
I spotted an advert for surfing classes while we were on holiday – so off I went. I was hopeful I’d

pick it up quickly, as I’d done lots of watersports before. Once I was standing on the surfboard,
though, I kept falling into the sea! Anyway, I kept going, as I was still just about managing to
keep up with the group, and eventually I started enjoying it – just as the advert had said! So by
the end, I was pretty pleased with myself. Amazingly I was up and surfing along with the rest,
just as if I’d done it all my life!
Pause
Speaker Three
Pause
I found a windsurfing centre at our family holiday resort, and I was keen to have a go. Even so,

I was worried before I went about exactly what was involved and imagined constantly falling
into the water. As it turned out, though, the instructor wouldn’t allow beginners to go any
further than the shallow waters at the edge of the lake where we were having lessons. Once I
knew that, my anxiety completely disappeared, and I focused on enjoying the day – and it was
thrilling, windsurfing alongside my instructor, the wind in my face, even though I knew I wasn’t
that brilliant! But I’m very keen to become an expert now!
Pause
Speaker Four
Pause
I was excited about my first diving trip – swimming underwater with breathing equipment. I’d

practised in a pool locally, but this was my first dive with a group in open water, which I’d been
told wouldn’t be quite so easy! But I knew there was a chance we’d see dolphins, and sure
enough, once we were underwater, we spotted some not far away – thanks to the instructors
and guides there to help us. I hadn’t expected so many of them would come with us, so that
was a real bonus. We’d also been told the area was popular with sharks, not dangerous ones,
luckily, but even so, I was sort of glad they didn’t appear!
Pause

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Speaker Five
Pause
Mum suggested we should go somewhere to learn kayaking – paddling a small boat – and

hopefully to see some wildlife too. So we joined a group trip, with a guide. What Mum hadn’t
mentioned was how wobbly the boat would be, and at first I really thought mine might tip
over! I’m a good swimmer, though, so it wouldn’t have been a problem, and I soon got the
hang of paddling along the coast. But the week before, a group had spotted some whales, and
our guide had told us we were sure to have the same experience. They failed to appear this
time, though, sadly, so we were left with just seabirds to look at!
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 for Schools Audioscript Sample Test 2

PART FOUR You will hear an interview with a girl called Clare Hanson, who is talking about her
interest in a golden yellow stone called amber. For questions 24 – 30, choose the best
answer (A, B or C).
You now have one minute to look at Part Four.
Pause
Tone
M:  oday, I’m with student Clare Hanson, who’s very interested in amber, a yellowish stone that’s
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often found on beaches and gets used in jewellery. Clare, welcome. So – why the interest in
amber?
F:  ell, first let me explain a bit about what amber is. It’s actually a resin – a kind of sticky
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liquid that comes from trees, so it’s 100% natural. And it was formed when there were vast
forests everywhere across Europe, and this resin dropped from the trees into the ground. It
slowly turned into a stone-like substance – became fossilised, in other words. It’s a process
that’s happened over millions of years, which for me has always been the real appeal of it.
But people mostly just love it because it’s just so gorgeous, even though it’s not sparkly like
diamonds, say.
M: And when you were a child, your mum took you on an amber hunt on the beach, didn’t she?
F: Y es – amber’s often washed up onto the beaches near where I live. So one year some people
there held an amber hunt for children, to teach them about it, really. I learnt a lot from that,
although I don’t think that’s what my mum was thinking when we went there – she just
thought it was something enjoyable she and I could do together. And we still do!
M: So did you find anything on that first amber hunt?
F:  ell, quite a number of people were successful, including me – I came across several pieces.
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But thinking about it now, I’m sure the people holding the amber hunt must’ve put some on
the beach for us to find – I’ve never discovered that much amber on a single day since then!
Anyway, I’ve no longer got those pieces – we had to give them back to the organisers.
M: And do you and your mum still go searching for amber?
F: Y es – and it’s not always easy! For example, we recently went to a beach a bit further up the
coast from us. To be honest, it wasn’t an ideal day. When we arrived, the area was covered in
fog, although it soon lifted, so that was good. But it was still tricky – the sea was rough, so we’d
look carefully through all the stones on one area of the beach, only to find a big wave would
suddenly come along and wash even more of them onto the sand, along with pieces of old
wood and shells – although they were really interesting, too. But we did find a few small pieces
of amber!
M: Good! And have you been to shops that actually sell amber?
F:  h yes, and of course, the polished pieces are quite a contrast to the unpolished stuff you
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find on the beach. They’re all shiny and attractive-looking – but what I hadn’t expected the
first time I saw it was that even larger pieces just weren’t the weight I thought they’d be. And
apparently you can sometimes find small insects preserved right inside the amber, but I
haven’t discovered any like that, sadly.
M: So do you ever see big pieces of amber in the shops?
F: Y es! One shop owner had a really huge piece, which he gave me to hold. I think mum was
really worried I’d let it go – as I was, a bit, but I was trying to be careful! But then he told me
how much it was worth, and I really couldn’t believe my ears, as it was thousands of pounds.
That was much more remarkable than how big it was – even though I’d never come across a
piece of those dimensions before!

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M: Right! And have you decided what to do with the pieces you did find on the beach?
F:  ell, my first thought was to get someone to create a necklace from them – much better than
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just keeping them at home somewhere where I’d never see them. But then I decided to let the
local museum borrow them to include in a display, so other people can get some benefit from
them. I can think later about what to do with them.
M: Clare, 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’s the end of the test. Please stop now. Your supervisor will now collect all the
question papers and answer sheets.

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