CEPT Practice B1 Level Extended Listening about an interview with a singer

 

You will hear an interview with a singer called Nick Parker who plays in a band called Krispy with his sister Mel. For each question, choose the correct answer A, B or C.

1 When Nick and Mel were younger,

A they studied music at school.

B their father took them to live concerts.

C their mother encouraged them to play music.

2 When Nick and Mel started writing music together, they

A disagreed about the style they should have.

B didn't want to be the same as other bands.

C were influenced by different kinds of music.

3 The band Krispy was started after

A Nick began studying at music school.

B two other musicians heard Nick and Mel playing.

C Nick and Mel advertised for the band members.

4 In the band's first year together,

A concert audiences liked their music.

B they signed a recording contract.

C their national tour was very successful.

5 What does Nick say about life in the band today?

A The older members look after him and Mel.

B He's pleased to have the chance to travel.

C There's no opportunity for them to relax together.

6 What disappointment has the band had?

A They haven't yet had a number one single.

B Their first album sold under a million copies.

C A health problem delayed their album recording.

TRANSCRIPT

Interviewer: I'm talking to Nick Parker, the singer with the band called Krispy. Nick your sister, Mel, plays guitar in the band too, doesn't she?

Nick: Yeah. Mel's a year younger than me. We've been playing and singing together since we were ... eight, nine. Dad is a guitarist and took us to hear the great bands playing live. Mel and I put on shows at school, which was a lot of fun. Mum thought we were good, but

she didn't want us to get too serious about our music because of the hard lives professional musicians have.

Int: When did you start writing music?

Nick: I've been writing since I was ten. And later Mel started working with me. We didn't have the same influences - I liked rock music and she loved world music, especially bands from Africa. But we found good ways of mixing the styles.

Int: Your band, Krispy, has two guys and two girls in it. How was it formed?

Nick: Mel and I were playing in a concert at our college and there were two students from music school in the audience. They came to see us after the show and asked if we'd like to form a band with them. We weren't sure at first because we were much younger than

them. But we agreed to try it out, and it was brilliant.

Int: Was the band an immediate success?

Nick: Well, we spent the first year practising and writing music. During that time we all had studying to do. We played in local concerts, and the audiences enjoyed what we did. Then during one holiday we recorded two songs and sent them to a music company. They offered us a contract, but our parents said we had to finish college first.

Int: You've been together a few years now and you're one of the top bands. What's that like?

Nick: Hard work. We travel to concerts all round the world and are never in one place for more

than a few nights. The others are like an older brother and sister to me and Mel, which is

good. They help us relax on our days off, and make sure we eat well. They're strict about

practising too.

Int: Have you had any disappointments?

Nick: Everything we've recorded has done well. Three singles have gone to number one, and

our first album has sold over a million copies. Our second album was due out this

winter, but I've been ill recently so we've started recording late, which is a pity. But for

the rest, everything's fine.

c

h

e

c

k

y

o

u

r

a

n

s

w

e

r

s

1 B      2 c     3 B     4 A    5 A     6 c