CEPT Practice B2 Level Listen and select about an Australian sheep farmer

 

1 What does Gina say about sheep farming in Australia? 

A It is a growing source of employment. 

B It takes place all over the country. 

C It is restricted to cooler areas. 

2 What is the main challenge facing farmers who produce wool? 

A competition from artificial materials 

B falling production levels 

C increasingly dry weather 

3 Gina says that in the future wool will have most  potential in 

A manufacturing carpets. B insulating buildings. C making clothes. 

4 What alternative form of energy is Gina investigating? 

A solar power B water power C wind power 

5 What made Gina become interested in a new source of energy? 

A She wanted to help other farmers in her area. 

B It fitted in with her green view of life. 

C She hoped to make money from it. 

6 What does Gina say about the advice she has received in England? 

A It has encouraged her to lead a more ecofriendly lifestyle. 

B It has taught her to analyse  financial issues. 

C It has convinced her that she has to give up farming. 

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Audioscript

Interviewer: And on today’s Green Magazine programme, we have Gina Ellis, an Australian sheep farmer. 

Welcome, Gina.

Gina: Thank you.

Interviewer: So Gina, tell our listeners something about sheep farming in your country.

Gina: So I’m from New South Wales, where over 30% of sheep farming takes place. But in fact there are large sheep farms right across the country, and it doesn’t only go on in the places where the temperatures are lower. But the number of sheep farmers is in decline and some farmers are moving over to cattle instead. 

Interviewer: I see. And I believe sheep farmers are experiencing problems at the moment?

Gina: Yeah, that’s right. There are two: one to do with markets and the other with the environment. There’s a good market for meat, but the wool industry is struggling. Although Australia still produces about 10% of the world’s wool, including nearly half of the top quality merino wool, demand is falling – consumers often prefer synthetic clothing, like fleeces, which are cheaper than woollen jumpers and equally warm. But the biggest issue for all of us farmers is climate change – there are major water shortages in farming areas, so it’s becoming harder to find enough for our animals.

Interviewer: Let’s talk about the market problems a bit more. Are you looking for new uses for your wool?

Gina: I am, yes. It’s been put to many different uses over the centuries. Of course carpet manufacture still takes a high percentage of our product, as it always has, and now we’re looking for other domestic uses. The most promising seems to be the idea of using it in buildings as a form of insulation. Companies developing this have found it very effective. And there’s also interest in eco-clothing – you know, clothing made from all natural products and produced organically. But it’s a specialised market and may turn out to be uneconomic in the end …

Interviewer: And why are you over here in the UK at the moment? Are you looking for solutions to your business problems?

Gina: Well, yes. I’m working in co-operation with ten other large farms to see if we can develop an alternative energy system which will produce enough electricity to sell as well as meeting our own needs. Clearly hydro-electricity isn’t for us, given the lack of rain and the water shortage, so I’ve been looking into ideas for using wind power. Britain has a lot of expertise in that area, so that’s why I’m here. Of course, we have potential for solar power, but I don’t think we could produce enough to sell on top of our own needs.

Interviewer: That’s interesting. What made you consider these options?

Gina: Well, if the predictions about global warming are correct, farmers in Australia will have to diversify – that is, look for other ways of earning a living. That’s my reason for looking into wind power as a form of income, generating enough energy to sell some. Of course, since then I’ve begun to realise that being self-sufficient, producing enough energy for ourselves and not having to rely on other power sources at all, is attractive, and I’m starting to think in a greener way.

Interviewer: I see. And what do you feel about the advice you’ve been given?

Gina: It’s certainly given me a lot of food for thought and, er, taught me the advantages of a more ecologically aware approach to life and work. And now that I have the information, I’ve worked out that the financial investment is possible. We should be able to cut back on the number of animals we raise and still make a living, which as you can imagine is good news.

Interviewer: Great. So how would you sum up your feelings about your project?

Gina: Well, to my delight, it seems our basic plans are good and we can carry on very optimistically, without making any major alterations to them. And fortunately, the costs involved do seem to be lower than we’d feared. 

Interviewer: Gina, we wish you luck, and thanks for coming in today.

Gina: Thank you

Long Listening Answers

l B 

2 C 

3 B 

4 C 

5 C 

6 A 

7 C

CEPT Practice B2 Level Listen and select about a woman's call

 

You overhear a girl leaving a voicemail message. 

Why is she calling? 

A to issue an invitation 

B to ask for some advice 

C to change an arrangement

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Audioscript

Hi Nadia. Just wanted to talk to you about my birthday party on Saturday. We’re all going to the Mansion Restaurant, as you know, and I’ve booked for twelve. Well, Helena has just said she can’t come and I was wondering about inviting Niki instead. She’s fun but you know what I mean, don’t you when I say she can be a bit loud and not everyone gets on with her. I think I know what you’ll say but let me know what you think. Ring me back as soon as you can, won’t you? Hope you can still come.

Answer - B

CEPT Practice B2 Level Listening Gap fill about a geography trip in New Zealand

You will hear a tutor talking to a group of students about a geography trip to New Zealand. For questions 1-10, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP

New Zealand was chosen because of the range of (1) _________ which can be seen.

The first week concentrates on changes in (2) ________ over the last thirty years.

The second week is spent studying the (3) _______ on the west coast.

There is a limited chance of seeing a particular kind of (4) _______ on the boat trip.

People are often not prepared for the (5) ________ on the west coast.

Students should try to take a photograph of the (6) _________ if possible.

Students need to write a (7) _________ before they leave for New Zealand.

Most students choose to go (8) _________ on their free weekend.

Everyone needs to bring at least one (9) _________ with them.

Accommodation will be in (10) _________ for most of the trip

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 Good morning. I know you have a folder with all the information about our geography trip to New Zealand but I want to go over the main points. As you know, our flight departs at 10.30 so we need to be at the airport at 8.30.

Firstly, why New Zealand when it’s so far away? We could of course go to the European Alps to see mountains, but in New Zealand we can see a huge variety of landscapes, not only mountains but also volcanoes, and of course it’s surrounded by oceans. So that’s why we’ve chosen it – there’s plenty to keep us busy.

During our first week we’re staying in a very rural area on the South Island which has stayed much the same over the last thirty years – there is some tourism now but agriculture remains the main employer although the emphasis isn’t quite the same. Where most farmers used to keep sheep, there are now more cows and recently also deer. So we will be looking at why that has happened.

We are spending our second week in an even more remote part, on the west coast. There, our main focus will be the beaches. Many of them are surrounded by forests and are quite difficult to get to but there are roads or tracks down to all the ones we want to study.

While we are in that part of the island we’re going on a couple of boat trips. You’ll be able to see the amazing trees which cling to the cliff sides, and the birds of course. You might be lucky and catch sight of a penguin – the yellow crested ones which live round there and are not often seen.

The weather on the west coast is very changeable so it’s important to have clothes for every season – hats and sunglasses as well as waterproofs as I expect we’ll have some rain – but most people are aware of that. What they don’t expect is the insects – they’ll be waiting for us so you need a very good repellent to stop them biting. We’ll be working all day and we’ll go for a walk every evening. If it’s fine I hope you’ll get some good shots of the sunset – it’s one of the best places in the world for that. And if you’re interested in bird watching you’ll have time for that too. Maybe we’ll see some of the fishing boats too as they return after a day at sea.

Our last week is in Queenstown. It’s really important that you have a questionnaire ready so make sure you prepare that this week before we start travelling. You’ll be going out talking to visitors and businesses and when you get back you’ll write a report, which you can use as the basis for a dissertation about tourism later on.

There’s a free weekend when we arrive in Queenstown which is a very active place. Most tourists have a go at some of the extreme sports like sky diving and river surfing but our students usually decide to go walking, probably because it’s cheaper but also the scenery is stunning and you really get to see more of it on foot than if you’re jet skiing at top speed.

You all have a list of essential equipment. We’re staying in fairly remote areas so we probably won’t get a chance to buy much. Bring comfortable walking shoes and make sure you have a bag to carry everything in. You need a minimum of one notebook – ideally, one with a hard cover that won’t fall apart if it rains. And of course plenty of pens and pencils. We’re hiring everything we need for our overnight stays, the majority of which will be spent in tents – four people in each – but we are also spending the odd night in hostels and basic hotels.

Now, any questions?

1 landscapes 

2 agriculture 

3 beaches 

4 penguin 

5 insects 

6 sunset(s) 

7 questionnaire 

8 walking 

9 notebook 

10 tents 

CEPT Practice B2 Level Listen and select about a woman's job

 

You hear a woman talking about her job. How does she feel about it?

A It’s boring.

В She likes it.

С She finds it difficult.

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Before I came here I worked in sales and really I found the monotony getting to me. Every day was essentially the same. So I took a complete change of direction, retrained and here I am. It’s been almost 4 years now and I can honestly say that no day is like the one before. What’s particularly rewarding is that I’m helping people who find themselves in difficult situations, due to any number of reasons... health problems, unemployment, to name just two. What’s great is that, more often than not I can make some sort of difference to their lives.

Answer = B

CEPT Practice B2 Level- Confusing pairs and false friends test 3

 

24. nature / countryside

We must try to protect ________ and the environment.

The English ________ is beautiful in spring.

25. pass / take

She had to ________ her driving test three times before she was able to ________.

26. practice / practise

You need more ________ before you’re ready to take the exam.

Don’t forget to ________ your phrasal verbs.

27. priceless / valueless

Be very careful with that painting; it’s ________ .

Her jewels were all imitations; they were quite ________ .

28. principal / principle

She refuses to eat meat on ________ .

The ________ wants to see you in her office.

The country’s ________ products are paper and wood.

We talked about the ________s of nuclear physics.

29. raise / rise

Does the sun ________ in the east or the west?

The airline are going to ________ their fares again next year.

30. recipe / receipt

Goods cannot be exchanged unless a sales ________ is shown.

I gave her an Indian ________ book for her birthday.

31. remember / remind

Would you ________ me to finish early tonight?

Did you ________ to switch off the kitchen light?

32. scenery / view

I adore the beautiful ________ in the Lake District.

You can get a good ________ of the sea from the church tower.

33. sensible / sensitive

She’s very ________ and is easily upset.

Staying indoors was a ________ thing to do in this terrible weather.

34. take / bring

Can you ________ this cheque to the bank for me please?

Can I ________ my girlfriend here for tea?

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 24. nature / countryside 

25. take / pass 

26. practice /

practise (in American English, practice can be both

a noun and a verb) 

27. priceless / valueless 

28. principle / principal / principal / principle 

29. rise / raise 

30. receipt / recipe 

31. remind / remember

32. scenery / view 

33. sensitive / sensible 

34. take / bring

CEPT Practice B2 Level- Confusing pairs and false friends test 2

 

11. conduct / direct

Von Karajan will ________ the Berlin Symphonic Orchestra at the concert.

It took two policemen to ________ the traffic.

12. continuous / continual

She has been in ________ pain for three days.

I am getting fed up with her ________ complaints.

13. driver / chauffeur

The ________ brought the Rolls Royce to the hotel’s main entrance.

He’s got a job as a bus ________ .

14. formidable / wonderful

They had a ________ holiday by a lake in Sweden.

The castle is surrounded by ________ walls and gates.

15. fun / funny

I didn’t have much ________ on my birthday.

He made ________ faces and made the children laugh.

16. go / play

Shall we ________ jogging or swimming?

Neither. Let’s ________ tennis.

17. come along with / follow

Would you like to ________ me to the cinema tonight?

Make sure the dog doesn’t ________ me to the shops.

18. harm / damage

Don’t ________ my sunglasses if you borrow them.

He didn’t mean to ________ your little girl.

19. invent / discover

Did Alexander Fleming ________ penicillin?

When did she ________ the new computer terminal?

20. job / work

He goes to ________ every day on his bicycle.

She’s got a ________ in the supermarket.

21. kind / sympathetic

You should always be ________ to little children.

I’m very ________ to her problems.

22. lay / lie

I’m very tired; I’ll just go and ________ down for a few minutes.

My father is going to ________ a new carpet in the dining room.

23. lend / borrow

Can I ________ you car to go to the shops?

He asked me if I would ________ him £5 till Monday.

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11. conduct / direct 

12. continuous /

continual 

13. chauffeur / driver 

14. wonderful /

formidable 

15. fun / funny 

16. go / play 

17. come

along with / follow 

18. damage / harm 

19.

discover / invent 

20. work / job 

21. kind /

sympathetic 

22. lie / lay 

23. borrow / lend

CEPT Practice B2 Level- Confusing pairs and false friends test 1

 

Complete the following sentences with the appropriate word.

1. actually / now

Please can we go home ________ ?

It looks quite small, but ________ it is over 5 metres high.

2. advice / advise

My grandfather gave me a very useful piece of ________ .

I ________ you to put all your money into a deposit account.

3. affect / effect

The cuts in spending will have a serious ________ on the hospital.

The strike will seriously ________ the train service.

4. already / yet

I haven’t seen her ________ this morning.

I’ve ________ done my shopping.

5. afraid of / worried about

I am ________ snakes.

She’s ________ the baby; he doesn’t look very well.

6. avoid / prevent

The police will ________ anyone from leaving the building.

You should travel early to ________ the traffic jams.

7. beside / besides

Come and sit down ________ me.

________ managing the shop, he also teaches in the evening.

8. bring / fetch

It’s your turn to ________ the children from school.

Don’t forget to ________ the books to school with you.

9. chance / possibility

Our team has a good ________ of winning tonight.

There is always the ________ that the plane will be early.

10. channel / canal

You can take a boat trip around the ________s of Amsterdam.

Can you switch the television to ________ 4 for the news?

England and France are separated by the ________ .

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1. now / actually 

2. advice / advise 

3. effect / affect

4. yet / already 

5. afraid of / worried about 

6. prevent / avoid 

7. beside / besides 

8. fetch / bring

9. chance / possibility 

10. canal(s) / channel /Channel

CEPT Practice B1 Level LISTENING GAP FILL ABOUT A BUSINESS STUDIES COURSE

 

You will hear a telephone message about a Business Studies course. 

For each question, fill in the missing information in the numbered space. 

Business Studies Course 

Course start date:         (1) ________ 

 

Course begins with:         (2) ____ about business 

What students mustn't bring to class:     (3) ___ 

Visitors' car park:         next to the (4) ___ 

Language classes available :         Spanish and (5)__ 

Name or Business Studies secretary:         

Sonia (6) ______

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AUDIOSCRIPT

Woman: Hello, this is Greenhill College. I'm leaving this message in answer to your enquiry about the Business Studies course. Firstly, you asked when the course starts. It begins on the 12th of June, and finishes four weeks later on the 7th of July. 

According to your letter, you're free at this time, so I hope those dates will be all right. 

At the beginning of the course, there are no lectures because we spend time watching business videos. So you won't need to bring anything for the class, as everything is provided. Don't forget, however, that although you can bring your own laptop if you wish, mobile phones are not allowed in the classroom. I'm afraid these can disturb the classes, so they've now been banned. 

You said you're coming by car. Well, as it's only a short course, you can use the visitors' car park which is just beside the main entrance. We're only a short walk away. 

Just turn right after the science and technology centre, cross the staff car park, and you'll see the door to the Business Studies Department in front of you. 

Finally, you also wanted to know if it's possible to attend a language course while you are here. Well, the answer is yes, but we only have room on our Italian classes. 

Oh, no actually . .. there's one place on the Spanish course too. We usually offer French and Japanese as well, but there aren't enough students for those classes this summer. 

So, I think that's all. But if you need to ask any further questions, please call Sonia Ashleigh - that's spelt A-S-H-L-E-1-G-H. She's the secretary in the Business Studies department, and she'll be happy to help. Thank you for your enquiry. 

1 12(th) (of) June 

2 video/film 

3 (mobile) phone 

4 entrance 

5 Italian 

6 Ashleigh 

CEPT Practice B1 Level EXTENDED LISTENING ABOUT THE SHOWS RACHEL PUTS ON FOR CHILDREN

 

1 Before her children were born, Rachel worked as 

A an art teacher.

        B a painter.

        C an actor.

2 Who first thought of doing a show at a party? 

A Rachel's husband

        B Rachel's children

        C Rachel's parents

3 Rachel's neighbour, Lena, helps by 

A making some dolls for the shows.

        B performing in the shows.

        C writing the music for the shows. 

4 When Rachel did a play about a lion 

A the children laughed too much.

        B the children were frightened.

        C the children's parents complained.

5 How do Rachel's daughters help her? 

A They show new dolls to their school friends.

B They think of ideas for new stories. 

C They give her their opinions on her new plays. 

6 Rachel thinks her shows are successful because 

A she enjoys doing them so much.

        B she does a show daily.

        C they are suitable for all ages. 

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AUDIOSCRIPT

Man: Rachel, tell us how your shows for children started. You studied art at college, didn't you? 

Woman: That's right. But I gave up my career as an artist when my twin daughters were born. Painting took up too much time when I was looking after them. I thought about teaching art classes part-time, but instead I started making dolls for my daughters. I love acting, so I often invented little plays for the dolls, doing the voices myself. 

Man: And when did you start doing shows for other people? 

Woman: When our daughters were five, my husband suggested using the dolls to entertain the children at their birthday party. I wrote a little show and he built a dolls' theatre. My daughters and their friends loved it. As a result, other parents asked me to come and do the show at their children's parties. That's how it all began. 

Man: It must be a lot of work for you? 

Woman: Yes. I love making the dolls, but I decided that I needed someone to help me with the shows. Luckily my neighbour, Lena, was keen to perform with me. Her husband records the music to go with the shows. It would be impossible to do everything on my own. 

Man: Have you ever had any problems? 

Woman: Only once. I did a show for a group of three-year-olds, and I'd written a story about a lion. Unfortunately, the children were really afraid of the lion and started crying. I was worried the parents might complain, but luckily they were all able to laugh about it afterwards. 

Man: And what did you learn from that? 

Woman: The experience taught me that I had to find out beforehand just what children enjoy. 

Like me, Lena has two daughters, so whenever we've invented a new story, we show it to our four girls first. They always tell us exactly what they think of it. And sometimes I take new dolls to the local primary school to check that children like them.

Man: And the shows continue to be successful? 

Woman: They do. I have a range of different shows for five to nine-year-olds. In fact, the shows have become so successful I could do one every day, but I don't want to do that. The reason the shows have become popular, I think, is because I love every minute of every show, and so other people love them too. I certainly didn't realise when I organised that birthday party for my daughters all those years ago that it would change my life so much!

1 B 

2 A 

3 B 

4 B 

5 C 

6 A

CEPT Practice B1 Level LISTEN AND SELECT ABOUT A DIVING TRIP

 

You will hear a girl telling her friend about a diving trip.  How did the girl feel about it? 

A sure she will go again 

B glad she went with a relative 

C pleased with her diving skills 

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AUDIOSCRIPT

Boy: How was the diving trip?

Girl: It was great, but I learned to dive in a swimming pool where the water doesn't move around much. Going underwater in the sea was a completely different experience. I seemed to become totally unable to do all those things that I got so good at in the pool.

Boy: So is it something you'd like to have another go at?

Girl: I'll think about it, but if I do, I need to make sure I go with my cousin

Martin again. It gave me a bit more confidence to be underwater with

someone I knew.

The correct answer is B.

CEPT Practice B1 Level LISTEN AND SELECT ABOUT A TRIP TO A CITY

 

You will hear a boy talking about a trip to a city with his family. 

Why did the boy's family get lost? 

A They couldn't understand their map. 

B Someone gave them the wrong directions. 

C The guidebook contained incorrect information.

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Girl: How was London?

Boy: Great, except we got lost.

Girl: Oh no! How?

Boy: My dad had this guide book which was at least 20 years old. We told him lots of things would be different now, so most of what was in it would be wrong. Even though it was old, it was probably more accurate than the information a guy on the street gave us for getting to Big Ben - we ended up somewhere completely different! We only used the book for getting around on the Underground in the end - the map's almost the same as it was back then.

The correct answer is B.

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH PLACEMENT TEST Practice A2 Level Short and Long Listening Training 1

 

How much does the man spend?

A ₤5.75

B ₤7.50

C ₤13.25

AUDIOSCRIPT

Narrator: How much does the man spend?

Man: Hello. Can I have two tickets for the new Pixar film which starts at 8:30, please?

Woman: Yes, of course. Are you students? Student tickets are £5.75 and you get a free drink too.

Man: I am, but my sister isn’t.

Woman: OK that’s £13.25 please. Adult tickets are £7.50 at the weekend.

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C ₤13.25

Audioscript

Where is Justin S sister now?

Mum: Where's your sister, Justin? Dinner's nearly ready,

Boy: She was in her bedroom ... oh, I can hear her. She's coming down the stairs.

Mum: Good. Can you both put the plates, knives and forks on the dining-room table, please?

Boy: All right.

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B - the stairs

LONG LISTENING

AUDIOSCRIPT

Jack: Hi Martin, Have you heard the new ‘Sunny Days’ song? I love the drums!

Martin: Yeah, it’s great! My brother has already learnt to play it on the piano and he knows all the words too! I’m learning to play it in my guitar class.

Jack: Cool! I’ve got an old guitar at home, but I can’t play it!

Martin: You should learn, Jack! I love it! I go to classes in the Old Music School with Steve from football. We’re in the same class. Our teacher, Peter, is fantastic! He used to play with the group The Tall Trees.

Jack: Really? Wow! They were a great band! Is there a class on Friday?

Martin: I don’t know. I go on Tuesdays now, but I have to change to Thursdays next term because I’ve just passed the Level 5 exams.

Jack: You must be very good. How often do you practise?

Martin: Every day! I spend an hour and sometimes two in my room and on Saturday mornings my band spends three hours practising. We’re called The Red Chillies!

Jack: Cool.

Martin: Actually, we’re playing in the town music festival on Saturday. I’ve got a free ticket. Do you want to come?

Jack: Yes! Thanks very much. Is it at the music school?

Martin: No. Last year it was in the music school, but this year it’s in the park, near the shopping centre. It’s going to be great. Can you bring your camera to take photos?

Jack: Of course! What time will you be on stage?

Martin: Well, I need to arrive at quarter past six and there’s a singing competition at quarter past seven, but I think we’re starting at quarter to eight.

Jack: OK. We can have dinner in the Street Café afterwards.

Martin: That sounds great. See you on

Saturday!

Jack: OK. Bye.

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2 A 

3 C 

4 B 

5 C

CEPT Practice A2 Level LISTEN AND SELECT ABOUT A GIRL'S FAVORITE SUBJECT

 

1 You will hear a girl telling her uncle about school. What is her favourite subject?

A history

B art

C science

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Audioscript

1 You will hear a girl telling her uncle about school. What is her favourite subject?

Steph: Hi Uncle Jamie.

Uncle: Hi Steph, how’s school these days? 

Steph: Well, science lessons have got really hard, so I’m losing interest in them. But art classes are the opposite. They give me a chance to relax, and are the best part of my week. I really like my history teacher, but I’m not so interested in this term’s topic.

Uncle: I see!

Narrator: Now listen again.

Answer- B