You are on page 1of 20

1.

New Close-up B1 Workbook


Copyright 2021
National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

1.1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1 What job does Alice’s uncle do?

David: Is that your uncle in this picture Alice?

Alice: Yes, that’s right.

David: Isn’t he a doctor?

Alice: No, that’s my aunt! He was a policeman for a few years but now he’s a firefighter.

Now listen again.

2 What time do they decide to watch the film?

Mark: What time is the film on?

Zak: It depends – there’s an afternoon show at 2 p.m. and then it’s on in the evening.

Mark: When’s the last performance?

Zak: 7 p.m., wait, no sorry, a bit later... at 8.

Mark: No, there are always too many people at those times. Let’s go in the early afternoon.

Zak: OK.

Now listen again.


3 How does Carrie’s brother feel today?

Jeff: Hi Carrie. What’s up with your brother? He’s always so serious these days …

Carrie: I know, he’s having problems at school. Yesterday he was so miserable but, luckily, he was
quite cheerful this morning when I saw him at breakfast.

Now listen again.

4 What job does Maria do?

My name’s Maria. I was a hairdresser in the past but the work was very boring. I’m actually working
as a cook in my local school at the moment but my dream is to be a camera operator.

Now listen again.

5 Where does Marcel work?

Paul: Does your cousin Marcel still work at the shoe factory?

Ben: Well, he found a job in a shop, but the hours were too long.

Paul: What about that job at the local school?

Ben: He applied for it but they didn’t reply, so yes, he’s still making shoes.

Now listen again.

2.1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

You will hear a podcast about a famous food destination.

Santiago, the capital of Chile, is a great mix of Spanish and local cultures and flavours. Located the
same distance between the mountains and the sea, it enjoys the best of both worlds for food
ingredients. The Central Market is in a very modern building and inside there is an amazing range of
fresh meat and fish. You can eat these in one of the many small restaurants inside the market, but
the really smart thing to do is to buy some bread and build your own meal from the many food
sellers in the market area. After that, go to La Vega, a giant indoor market where you can get really
cheap fresh fruit and vegetables, spices and other delicious treats seven days a week.

The Bellavista area of Santiago is completely different from the big apartments and offices you can
find in other areas of the city. There is lots of art and culture including art galleries, small theatres
and boutique shops. Unlike the daytime when it’s fairly quiet, Bellavista really comes alive at night. It
is the best place to go if you want to eat out in the evening as it has all kinds of interesting
2
restaurants offering tasty specialities from the region. One place called the Peumayén restaurant
serves classic dishes from Chile’s past. The menu changes frequently but the chefs always use local
ingredients. Just make sure you go early because you’ll have no chance of finding a free table after 9
p.m.

Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet, loved food in the Bellavista area so much that he even wrote about
it in his poems. Inside, the El Mesón Nerudiano restaurant looks exactly like one of the poet’s
homes. The menu has the same dishes and ingredients that Neruda wrote about.

If you enjoy your food, Santiago is a wonderful place to visit.

3.1

You will hear a programme about Norway and what it is doing about climate change.

For each question, write the correct answer in the gap. Write one, two or three words, or a number
or a date or a time.

Most news reports on the environment are very negative and they often talk of big problems in the
future. But that’s not true for everywhere. Norway is a good example of a country that has really
tried to prevent some of the dangers of climate change.

In fact, for over one hundred years, Norway has been collecting the energy from its many rivers and
turning it into electricity. The country now gets 97 per cent of its electrical energy this way and
power stations can be seen all around the countryside. The rest of Norway’s energy comes from
solar energy and wind farms that you can see all along its coast. Most homes in Norway can collect
solar energy and, in some cases, sell it back to energy companies.

A lot of pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, of course, particularly petrol in cars. Norway’s
solution was electric cars and it said it wanted 50,000 electric cars on its roads by 2017. They actually
reached this figure two years before that and the project has been a big success. But people haven’t
started using electric cars just because they are good for the environment. They pay very little tax on
these cars, so electric cars are much cheaper than in other countries and this explains why the
number increases by 15,000 every year.

Norway clearly does a lot for the environment, but it’s definitely not perfect though. In fact, it
actually produces a lot of fossil fuels, particularly oil and gas, which it sells directly to other European
countries. But Norwegian people will always remain close to nature and try to protect it as much as
possible by using sustainable forms of energy.

3
4.1

For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

1 You will hear Samir talking with a friend about a problem he had at school. How does he
feel about it now?

Samir: Hi Amelia.

Amelia: Hi Samir. How are things?

Samir: Not too bad but I had a big problem at school recently.

Amelia: What happened?

Samir: I got a really bad mark in the last English test. I wasn’t happy at all when I first saw it.

Amelia: Did you speak to your teacher?

Samir: Yes. She told me not to worry. Then she tried to explain some of the problems in my essay,
but I didn’t really understand. I just don’t know what to think right now.

Now listen again.

2 You will hear two friends talking about buying things online. What does the boy never buy
on the internet these days?

Girl: I buy everything online these days. What about you, Ben?

Boy: Well I’ve bought a few nice cotton T-shirts online – you can get some really original
designs. I did have a bad experience with some shoes I bought online because they were
really uncomfortable, so now I always buy them from a shop. I still buy sports clothes
online if I can find something that’s cheaper than the shop but that’s about all at the
moment.

Now listen again.

4
3 You will hear a woman telling a friend about an item she bought. Why did she take it back
to the shop?

F1: Where’s that new blue cotton shirt you bought?

F2: Oh, actually, I wasn’t happy with it and took it back to the shop.

F1: Yes, I remember it was a bit tight when you tried it on.

F2: I know but I bought a bigger size in the end and that was much looser, which is what I
prefer.

F1: So why did you take it back?

F2: Well, when I got home, I realised that there were a couple of buttons missing! Luckily, I
kept the receipt so I was able to return it.

Now listen again.

4 You will hear two friends talking about a new shop in town. What does the girl think about
it?

Girl: Have you been to the new clothes shop by the station?

Boy: Not yet, what’s it like?

Girl: Well, as you know, I’m keen on casual clothes. The new place mainly sells suits, ties, smart
dresses – that sort of stuff, and they’re really not very fashionable! I think I’ll keep buying
from my favourite shop.

Now listen again.

5 You will hear a boy and a girl talking about a present to buy for their mum. What do they
finally decide to buy?

Boy: It’s Mum’s birthday on Saturday and we still need to get her a present.

Girl: I’ve already told you a silk scarf’s the best idea for Mum.

Boy: But what about this coat? It’s made of wool and looks really smart.

Girl: I suppose it’s quite fashionable. How much is it?

Boy: Umm, it’s … €100.

Girl: Whoa! That’s way too much. We’ve only got €30 to spend.

Boy: Well, how about some earrings then? These are quite cheap.

Girl: That’s because they’re made of plastic!

Boy: OK, let’s go with your idea then. We’ll go into town tomorrow.

Now listen again.


5
6 You will hear two friends talking about a book. What do they agree about?

Man: Have you finished the book yet? I haven’t.

Woman: No, not yet. I mean it’s over 300 pages and it’s taking me so long. But I think it’s also
because I have to look up a lot of the words in the dictionary.

Man: The number of pages is OK – it’s a novel after all. But you’re right about the words. I don’t
know why the writer doesn’t just use easier ones that everybody knows.

Woman: I’m enjoying the story though. It’s more interesting than I thought it would be.

Man: Well, I actually find it quite dull and I don’t think I’ll finish it.

Now listen again.

5.1

For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

You will hear a radio interview with an architect who is talking about student accommodation.

Presenter: Welcome to Design Today, our weekly programme about original and creative buildings
around the world. On tonight’s programme, we have architect Jenny Whelan. Welcome
to the programme, Jenny. Now, I know you’ve been looking at university buildings and
in particular student accommodation.

Jenny: Yes. Most people think cheap and ugly buildings are fine for students, I mean, they’re
young after all. But that’s a big mistake because, with some good planning, an architect
can create a nice low-cost space for students to live in and this is important to them.

Presenter: And I believe you’ve found a good example of this in Holland?

Jenny: Yes, that’s right. We’re going to talk about the Spacebox at the University of Utrecht.
Here they’ve put the students in boxes!

Presenter: That doesn’t sound very nice or comfortable!

Jenny: Maybe not and some people do think that when they see them from the outside. But
each box is actually a comfortable living space for a single student. There are 300 units
in all. Each unit is brightly coloured and very cheerful. I thought some students wouldn’t
like them, but everybody I met said they were really happy to live there.

Presenter: So, they’re popular with everyone, are they?

6
Jenny: Now, yes. But at the beginning, local people thought they weren’t very nice. They didn’t
understand how they use space in an intelligent and creative way. For example, each
floor has a very large common area where students can meet and cook food together.

Presenter: What else do the Spaceboxes offer students??

Jenny: Well, on the ground floor of each block there is one washing machine for every five
students. In most universities there’s one or two for the whole building. Every room
also has its own shower, which is also not very common in student accommodation.
They’ve also created a sports centre in the area behind the Spaceboxes, so I believe it’s
a place where students can relax and enjoy themselves too.

Presenter: I imagine that with all those things it costs quite a lot to stay there.

Jenny: Yes, I thought that at the beginning, but the rent is actually less than one-bedroom flats
in the city. This is mainly because the heating is all under the floor and the ceilings are
low, so it’s cheap and easy to keep the place warm in the winter.

Presenter: Well, thank you for all that information about the Spaceboxes, Jenny, I’m sure we will
see more of them in the future.

6.1

You will listen to information about a race in Patagonia. Listen and write the correct information for
each question. You need to write a short answer (one, two or three words), a date, a number or a
time.

The idea for the Patagonian Expedition Race came from a scientist called Stjepan Pavicic – that’s P-A-
V-I-C-I-C. In 2000, he imagined a race that would be perfect in the wild region of south Patagonia in
Chile. He wanted to give people the chance to explore a beautiful natural area, have a real
adventure and also compete together as a team.

A few years later, in February 2004, the first Patagonian Expedition race took place with twenty
teams of four runners each. All the teams came from different countries around the world.

The path of the race changes every year but often includes one of the largest protected forests in
the world called Karukinka – that’s K-A-R-U-K-I-N-K-A.

The race is in February, which is the summer in that part of the world. It’s non-stop and lasts
between nine and fourteen days depending on the route. The shortest race was 520 kilometres in
2004 and the longest 1,112 kilometres in 2007. It’s a mix of mountain biking, walking and kayaking.
It’s been called The Last Wild Race because of the difficult conditions that athletes have to compete
in. When one athlete has finished his or her part, another member of the team continues and the
team has to reach a number of different places. If they arrive first, they score a certain number of
points. The teams find out the exact route of the race 24 hours before it starts, so it’s impossible for
them to try it out before the race.

7
The race has two main goals. The first is to organise an exciting competition in a beautiful natural
part of the world. The second is to promote responsible tourism in the area. The race is set up so
that no damage is done to the environment and future visitors have the opportunity to visit some of
the places in the race as well as practise mountain biking and running in the area.

7.1

For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

1 You will hear two friends talking about a flight. What is Kath’s opinion of the flight?

M: You flew with that new airline, didn’t you, Kath?

W: Yes, that’s right. They call it a low-cost airline but the fare was much higher than I thought it
would be. I mean, on normal flights they give you food and things like that, but with them you
have to pay for everything extra. They try to sell you something every few minutes, duty-free,
drinks, snacks. It becomes a bit stressful on a long flight. The only good thing about it is that
they gave us seats by the exits in the middle, so we had lots of room for our legs.

M: That was lucky as you’re both so tall.

Now listen again.

2 You will hear Ellie telling a friend about her last holiday. What does she say about it?

M: Hi Ellie, you’re back. So how was the holiday?

F: Hi Daniel. Well, I thought there’d be millions of people and the beaches would be really
crowded, but actually there were very few people around. We spent the whole time sitting by
the pool or at the beach and just quietly walking around the shops. The time went really
quickly and we didn’t want to come back!

Now listen again.

8
3 You will hear two friends talking about a trip. Why did the police stop the man at the border?

F: I heard that you had a few problems at Customs. You didn’t forget your passport again, did
you?

M: No, this time I wrote a big note and stuck it on the door before leaving. The journey by rail was
fine, but when I arrived at the border, they wouldn’t let me enter.

F: But you’d got your visa, hadn’t you?

M: Yes, that all seemed OK at first. Then they asked about how much money I had because there
are some limits on how much you can bring in, but I didn’t have much, so that was fine.

F: So, what happened?

M: Well, in the end, it seems I had the wrong visa. I needed a special visa to stay one month, not
just a tourist one. I had to go to an office and pay to change it.

F: Oh no!

Now listen again.

4 You will hear two friends talking about a school trip. What was good about Mitch’s trip?

F: So, Mitch, did you enjoy your school trip?

M: It wasn’t bad. We did the usual things, museums and art galleries. It was OK, I suppose.

F: You stayed in a hotel, didn’t you?

M: It was more like a hostel. It wasn’t very relaxing because there were some really noisy people
staying in the next room and I couldn’t sleep.

F: It sounds like you didn’t enjoy yourself!

M: I never do on these school trips. But they did have this great cook in the hostel and she
prepared some amazing local dishes.

Now listen again.

9
5 You will hear two friends talking about a recent concert. How did the girl get home?

F: Hi Ben. How are you?

M: Hi Michelle. Good thanks. But I hear you had some problems getting home last night.

F: Yes, I checked the bus times online and there were lots of buses until midnight. But the
concert finished quite late, of course.

M: So, you missed the last bus?

F: Well, I stood at the bus stop with lots of other people and after I’d been waiting about twenty
minutes, a bus finally came. But it was really full and didn’t even stop. I thought about
walking, but it’s more than five kilometres so I tried to stop a few taxis, but they were all full
with people from the concert too. So, I had no other way of getting back at that point. My feet
really hurt today!

Now listen again.

6 You will hear Eve talking to a friend about her holiday. What did she think of the campsite?

M: Hi Eve, I haven’t seen you for ages. Where have you been?

F: On holiday in France, don’t you remember? We went camping this year.

M: I can’t imagine you in a tent.

F: Well, Bernie wanted to try it. Anyway, we found this campsite right by the beach. It was
strange because all the other places were full of people, but this was quiet and had lots of
space for our tent. It was also really clean and quite cheap too. But when the sun went down,
we understood why there were so few people. There were thousands of mosquitoes and
other little insects! We had to close the tent and stay inside all evening.

M: Oh, dear!

Now listen again.

10
8.1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1 What hobby has Salwa taken up?

M: Hi Salwa. We never see you these days. What are you up to?

F: Oh, didn’t I tell you about the course I’m doing? Well, I wasn’t sure about doing it at first. I
really wanted to take up squash because I’d love to be good at that, but my local sports centre
closed all the courts. Then I asked about doing a sailing course, but they don’t start until May
and you have to pass a swimming course first. So now I’m having a lot of fun learning new
skills and making all my favourite dishes.

Now listen again.

2 Which activity does Matt find the most enjoyable?

M1: Hi Asim, what are you doing?

M2: Hi Matt, I’m looking for something to do this weekend. My cousin is over from France for a
few days and I want to do something special with her.

M1: Well, I see you’re on a rock-climbing site. I hate that. If you can’t climb very well you won’t
enjoy yourself and it might be dangerous, especially if your cousin hasn’t tried it before.

M2: What about this? Exploring caves. We can do that locally, can’t we?

M1: Yes, I tried that once at Stack Rock and I quite liked it. But they said the weather is going to be
nice this weekend.

M2: Yes, so it’s better to be outside … yes, you’re right. What about this? Sailing for beginners?

M1: Oh, forget it. I can’t stand that. It’s really boring going around in circles on a boat all day.

M2: Now, I really don’t know what to do …

Now listen again.

11
3 Where is Kat’s gym bag?

F: Dad, have you seen my bag?

M: Which one?

F: The one with my gym stuff in.

M: It’s usually behind the door in your bedroom.

F: I know … but it’s not there now.

M: Have you looked under your bed then?

F: It’s not there either. Have you moved it?

M: No, I haven’t touched it. It must still be in the car. You always forget to take it out after gym.

Kat: Ah, yes, you’re right. I remember I left it there last night.

Now listen again.

4 What activity is Dan probably going to take up?

M1: I really want to take up a new hobby this autumn. Any suggestions?

M2: What about the adult drama course? They usually do one starting in September.

M1: I’m not sure I’d be good on the stage. I’m pretty shy, you know.

M2: They also do sculpture courses at night school. You’re quite creative after all …

M1: No way, I hate making things with my hands. And my new activity has to be fun and enjoyable.

M2: What about a cooking course? They set one up at the youth centre, but anyone can join.

M1: No, that’d be awful. I can’t even make a sandwich. I think I’ll go with your first suggestion.
Maybe I can play the part of a shy person.

Now listen again.

12
5 What does Adam need to have for the activity?

F: Hi Adam. Guess what we’re going to do this afternoon?

M: No idea. Go to the shopping centre?

F: No, much better than that. We’re going to do some freerunning with some friends who do it
regularly. I know you’ll get along with them – they’re really nice.

M: I’ve no idea what freerunning is but I guess I can try. Do I need to wear anything special?

F: No, you can come dressed as you are, those trousers are loose so they’re fine. You’ll just need
to change your shoes as you’ll need some sports shoes or trainers for jumping. We’ve got lots
of food and drink, so you don’t have to worry about that.

M: Oh, OK. That sounds really cool. Thanks!

Now listen again.

9.1

For each question, choose the correct answer. You will hear an interview with a woman called
Emma, who is a social media communications expert.

Int: Today we’re going to look at what to share and not to share on social media sites. We’re
going to talk with Emma Morgan, who is a social media communications expert. Emma,
what’s the biggest mistake people make on social media?

Emma: Well, a lot of people think that it’s putting pictures of yourself and friends onto social media
sites or that people put personal details like their date of birth. But actually, the worst thing
you can do is to tell everybody about the great trip you’re going to take next week.

Int: Why? What’s the problem with that?

Emma: Well, you tell people that you will be hundreds of miles from your home on certain days. A
lot of houses have been visited by thieves as a result. This often happens to high-profile
people like football players and actors, but it can happen to anybody.

Int: Yes, that’s a very good point. What else do people get wrong?

Emma: Well, people often forget that when they upload pictures, they often contain satellite
information about the precise location. If, for example, you tell your parents you are
studying hard at home and they see a photo on social media that says you are somewhere
completely different, you may get yourself into trouble …

Int: So it’s best not to upload any photos then?

13
Emma: No, definitely continue to upload photos … social media needs these to be interesting. Just
remember to switch off the location finder when you upload pictures though.

Int: I imagine people also give out too much personal information.

Emma: Again yes, unfortunately. Photos of your 16th birthday party or summer break may not
actually give away too much information about you in the end. But, for example, it’s
common for young people to take pictures of their first driving licence after they’ve passed
the test and then upload this. This is a big mistake because your name, date of birth and
address is being shown to hundreds, maybe thousands of people out there.

Int: But that sounds like an easy mistake to avoid.

Emma: Maybe. But it isn’t difficult to give away personal information when you’re having fun, for
example by doing a quiz.

Int: A quiz?

Emma: Yes, people are often sent a link to a fun quiz on social media sites. This asks them silly
questions like What’s the name of your dog? and What’s your dream job? and then you can
compare with other people who are online.

Int: But I don’t think those things would be very useful to anyone.

Emma: Well, you’d be wrong! These are the types of questions that many websites ask you when
you’ve forgotten your password. If somebody succeeds in collecting lots of this information
about you, then they can probably manage to enter one of your accounts.

Int: So what’s your advice for people who use social media?

Emma: Always think before you do or say something. Social media sites are popular because people
like to communicate with each other and also to make new friends. When you meet
somebody in person though, you probably won’t tell them all your personal things
immediately. For some reason, when we go online we often do exactly that. It’s like we think
we are more protected there. But that’s definitely not the case.

Int: Thanks for all that useful advice, Emma.

14
10.1

For each question, write the correct answer in the gap. Write one or two words or a number or a
date or a time.

You will hear a presenter talking about a music festival.

The NorthSide Music Festival is a popular early summer concert in Aarhus on the east coast of
Denmark. The first event was organised in June 2010. It was just on one day and had five local
Danish bands. It turned out to be very successful, with over 2,000 fans attending, so they decided to
hold it every year. The concert now lasts three days and last year over 30,000 people attended the
festival. Tickets usually sell out several weeks before the festival starts. The bands change every year
but are always popular rock and pop bands from all over the world. The festival also promotes less
famous independent – or ‘Indie’ – bands.

Aarhus is Denmark’s second city and the festival is in several different street locations. It is a city
with a strong musical background and the local people are enthusiastic about the concert.

As well as offering great music, the concert tries to protect the environment and make itself the
most sustainable music festival in the region. Concerts often mean thousands of bags of rubbish that
cannot be sorted and are then thrown away. Visitors to NorthSide have to pay a small deposit for
any plastic cups they use and in all, 70% of the materials used are recycled. All the food and drink is
organic and comes from responsible local companies.

The people who organise the event do not want to make the event any bigger because they think
this will make it impossible to keep the concert sites inside the city centre.

11.1

For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

1 You will hear two friends talking about an IT course. How does the woman feel about it?

M: Have you finished that computer course you were doing?

F: Yes. I was really happy when they accepted me on the course. I know a lot of people were
disappointed because they couldn’t get a place.

M: That’s great!

F: Well, not really. The course was actually for really advanced users. I’m only an intermediate
level, so I couldn’t understand very much. I really think the organisers should have told us that
more clearly at the start.

15
Now listen again.

2 Why didn’t the boy do the course at college?

F: Hey Michael. What are you doing here? Why aren’t you away at college?

M: Didn’t you hear?

F: What?

M: They wouldn’t accept my high-school diploma in the end. They said the mark was too low.

F: And to think your main worry was the fees …

M: I know. They were really high, but I applied for a grant and I got that. I’ll have to look for
something else now.

Now listen again.

3 How did the girl feel during her survival course?

M: Hello Frida. You’re back from your survival course! Did you … um … survive?

F: Hi Jamie. Yes, but I found it very hard in the end.

M: I remember you were really looking forward to it …

F: That’s true. And I was amazed when they actually chose me because I’m no good at that type
of thing. On the first day the instructor gave me a map to follow and I managed to lose it. I
couldn’t find my way back to the camp and they had to send out a guide to find me. I was too
tired to be upset but I did feel a bit silly, because the others all thought it was funny. Luckily
the instructor wasn’t too annoyed.

Now listen again.

4 How does Lindy feel about her exam result?

M: Hi Lindy. How are things?

F: Could be better. I got my exam result this morning. I’m feeling a bit sad because my mark was
lower than I expected.

M: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Do you know why you got a bad mark?

F: Well, I felt really happy when I finished. Then later I realised I’d missed a question at the start.
I’d got a bit confused by it, so I decided to leave it to the end. Then I forgot to go back and do
it!

M: Oh dear, what a pity!

Now listen again.

16
5 What was the main difficulty Alice had during the spoken Italian test?

M: Hi Alice. How did your Italian test go?

F: Well, after failing it three times, I actually passed this time.

M: Was it difficult?

F: The writing was fine, but the speaking test was the difficult part.

M: Why was that?

F: Well, I thought I’d be really nervous on the day, but actually I was fine. The examiner was an
elderly Italian lady. She said my pronunciation wasn’t bad but that I had a really strong accent
and that made it hard for her to follow me. I thought she was going to fail me.

M: Well, she clearly understood most of what you were saying. Well done, anyway.

Now listen again.

6 How does Tomiko feel about her essay mark?

M: Have you had your final essay corrected, Tomiko?

F: Yes, the teacher gave it back to me this morning. I was really angry with myself when I gave it
in because I’d written it in a hurry and I was worried the teacher wouldn’t be able to read my
handwriting. When I saw she’d given me top marks, I just couldn’t believe it.

Now listen again.

17
12.1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1 What part of his body did Miguel hurt in the mountains?

F: Hi Miguel. How are you?

M: Hi Alexa. Not so good really …

F: Yes, I heard you had an accident in the mountains, didn’t you?

M: Yes, that’s right. I’ve been really unlucky this year. I’d only just recovered from a broken arm
playing football at school in January. Anyway, I was climbing at the weekend, I was really close
to the top and I fell. I realised straight away that I’d broken my right ankle. They had to take
me down in an air ambulance!

F: That’s terrible!

M: Yes, it was pretty bad. But at least I didn’t break a leg and I should be back on my feet in about
six weeks.

Now listen again.

2 What did the young child swallow?

F: Did you hear what happened to Ellie?

M: Matt’s daughter?

F: Yes, she ended up in hospital.

M: Oh no, did she break something?

F: No, it wasn’t that. She started to have trouble breathing, so they rushed her to hospital.

M: Oh no! What was it?

F: She’d swallowed something. But they didn’t know what. She’d just eaten some chicken so
they thought it might be a bone from that. But apparently, it was actually a small toy!

M: Not one of those toy cars, I hope.

F: No, it was one of her brother’s plastic soldiers! Anyway, they were able to remove it and she’s
fine now.

Now listen again.

18
3 When is Fabienne’s operation?

M: Hi Fabienne, how’s your back now?

F: Not so good, I’m afraid. I’m going to need an operation on it. I’ll be in hospital for a couple of
weeks

M: Really? When’s that?

F: Well, it’s annoying because they keep changing it. Originally, it was on the 3rd February. Then
they said they didn’t have any free beds so they moved it back to the 15th March. Then I got
an email moving it again to the end of March.

M: That’s really bad!

F: No, but wait! They called me this morning and said the February date was on again because a
bed had become free.

M: Oh, that’s quite soon. I really hope it goes well. I’ll come and visit you.

F: Thanks.

Now listen again.

4 What is Dipesh’s temperature?

F: Wow! You don’t look very good, Dipesh. Is everything OK?

M: No, my throat is really sore and I’ve got a cough. I think I might have flu.

F: Have you taken your temperature?

M: Well, last night I checked it and it was 39 degrees. And then I checked it again this morning
and it was the same. But I looked just now and it had gone down to 38, so that’s good, I guess.

F: You should definitely go and see a doctor if it goes up to 40.

M: Yes, I will. Hope that doesn’t happen, though.

Now listen again.

19
5 How is Jonas going to get fit?

M: Can I ask you something, Isabella?

F: Sure, Jonas, what’s up?

M: Actually, I’d like to lose a bit of weight this summer. Any ideas how I can do that?

F: Well, the first thing is for you to get fitter. You’re always sitting in front of the computer! Why
don’t you come jogging with me in the evenings?

M: Oh, you’re joking. That’s so boring!

F: OK, what about swimming? You like that. Or how about the gym?

M: But I hate doing exercise indoors in the summer!

F: You’re so complicated! Look, they’ve got a really nice new outdoor pool at the sports centre.
It’s amazing. Why don’t you give it a try?

M: Oh, OK. I didn’t know that. I’ll call and see when they’re open.

Now listen again.

20

You might also like