FCE Listening Test 2 Part 3 (virtuaule.

com)

You will hear five different people talking about concerts they went to.
For Speakers 1-5, choose from the list (A-F) the opinion each speaker expresses about the concert.
Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.

A) The performers got a better reception than they deserved.

B) These musicians are at their best in live performances.

C) The concert improved after a disappointing beginning.

D) I enjoyed the band's choice of material for the concert.

E) I'd like to have seen more bands for the price I paid.

F) I was pleased the concert was raising money for a good cause.

***************************

I was happy enough that the night was all about the old favourites I've listened to so many
times.

They've done some CDs, but they've never yet made a record that really captures what
they do on stage. You're less likely to be impressed by their recordings, but people were
just stunned at the gig, it blew everybody's mind.

The first part was all new stuff - and a bit boring. After a while, we all started getting into
the new material and by the end the audience response was great.

What made the evening worthwhile for me was the fact that all profits from ticket sales
were going to a charity devoted to child care.

It felt a bit like a high-school recital, with the audience clapping and cheering all the time
when there was nothing much to shout about, just second-class musicians.
ANSWER KEY

Speaker 1 - F I was pleased the concert was raising money for a good cause.
What made the evening worthwhile for me was the fact that all profits from ticket sales
were going to a charity devoted to child care.

Speaker 2 - C The concert improved after a disappointing beginning.

The first part was all new stuff - and a bit boring. After a while, we all started getting into
the new material and by the end the audience response was great.

Speaker 3 - A The performers got a better reception than they deserved.

It felt a bit like a high-school recital, with the audience clapping and cheering all the time
when there was nothing much to shout about, just second-class musicians.
Speaker 4 - D I enjoyed the band's choice of material for the concert.
I was happy enough that the night was all about the old favourites I've listened to so many
times.

Speaker 5 - B These musicians are at their best in live performances.

They've done some CDs, but they've never yet made a record that really captures what
they do on stage. You're less likely to be impressed by their recordings, but people were
just stunned at the gig, it blew everybody's mind.

EXTRA
E) I'd like to have seen more bands for the price I paid.

TRANSCRIPT
Speaker 1 The concert went on for three hours and it featured a variety of bands. I'd have
preferred something shorter and of higher quality, to be honest. The first band to come on,
The Beats, didn't seem to have rehearsed their set very well. Nice catchy rhythms, but
otherwise it was a mess. What made the evening worthwhile for me was the fact that all
profits from ticket sales were going to a charity devoted to child care. There was a huge
audience because you don't often get the chance to see so many bands at one venue, and
only for a few dollars.

Speaker 2 This was a concert by Brighton Club, a great rock band just back from a
successful tour of Latin America. But the first part was all new stuff - and a bit boring. And
although everyone was shouting out the titles of songs they wanted to hear, the band took
no notice, which was a shame. I mean it's a bit bad when you finally get the chance to see
your favourite band live and then they refuse to play their best songs. Anyway, after a
while, we all started getting into the new material and by the end the audience response
was great. So I don't think anybody minded the forty dollars they'd paid.

Speaker 3 This was a concert by Celia Samson and her band, who play pop with some
touches of jazz and country. She's got a beautiful voice, but the rest of the band let her
down rather. At times it felt a bit like a high-school recital, with the audience clapping and
cheering all the time when there was nothing much to shout about. All fine and good,
except I don't particularly enjoy paying thirty dollars for a highschool performance where
profits go to second-class musicians. Mind you, I've paid that kind of money in the past for
concerts to help research, or to fight world poverty, but that's a different thing entirely.

Speaker 4 This was a concert by the Brenda Amis band. I wouldn't have wanted to miss
the beginning - a huge cloud of smoke swelled on the stage, and out of it emerged Brenda
Amis, with jet-black hair piled up with a feather and a big flower on top. I know some
people would've wanted her to include her latest songs, but I was happy enough that the
night was all about the old favourites I've listened to so many times. At the end, she had a
short exchange with the audience: 'Thanks so much, guys. You're so nice.', and then she
sang 'Only for Big Girls', and got a standing ovation

Speaker 5 This was a gig by the Sam Barnes Band. Sam's my favourite guitarist right now.
His approach to the instrument is the complete opposite to tradition - he'll hold the guitar
upside down with the neck touching the ground. The music's punk and he's got a great
band, particularly the bass player and the drummer. They've done some CDs, but they've
never yet made a record that really captures what they do on stage. You're less likely to be
impressed by their recordings, but people were just stunned at the gig, it blew everybody's
mind. I only wished they'd played more of my favourite tracks, but you can't have
everything.