Listening for mep student

April class.........

Neil : Hello and ....................1to The English We ................ 2I'm Neil.

Li : And I'm Li. Neil, is that a new .............3?
Neil : Yes I got it from my p....................4
Li : Oh that's n............5
Neil : Did I ............6 you I'm going on ............... 7soon?
Li : No, where?
Neil : To Hawaii.
Li : Wow, how can you .............. 8a holiday to Hawaii?
Neil : My in-laws ............ 9for it. We told them it was too ................ 10but, you know, we just
need a .......................11
Li : Hmm… so your in-laws have .................... 12for your h................. 13too…
Neil : I'm .................14 of giving up work ...............15, Li.
Li : Giving up ...........16? What about the cost of ...............17?
Neil : Oh my ............ 18can work. You know what, Li? I really .........19 to move into a ..........
20house in a nicer part of ................21

Li : But you just said you're.......... 22to give up work! How can you afford a new ...............23
if you have no job?
Neil : My .................. 24will give me some money. They always do.
Li : Neil, there's a word for .............. 25like you. You're a ................26!
Neil : A sponger!? .......................26!

A : When I was at ...................... 27I had no money at all. I had to................ 28second-hand
clothes and I could never ...............29 to go out for a .................... 30even .......... 31I had a part-
time job.
B : Yeah me too, but there were all these other students with cars and ............. 32labels
eating in .................. 33restaurants all paid for by...............34
A : What a bunch of s.............35
B : Yeah.

Li : A sponger is a person who gets ...................36, food and other things from other
...............37without paying. Often it's used very ................... 39to describe people who live off
state benefits.
Neil : Just like a ................40
Li : Yes, a sponge.
Neil : A sponge ....................41 up the water all .............. 42it. A sponger soaks up gifts, food
and money without ............... 43And it can also be used as a verb – to sponge off ....................44
Li : It's also a verb 'to ................. 45off someone.' Be ...........46to use the word 'off' with this
verb.
Neil : Whether it's a verb or a noun, it's still not a nice thing to ...... about someone, Li.
Li : Well I'm .................... 47to be ..........48, but it's.........49 – you are a sponger.
Neil : You're right. I'm a sponger but I'm ............ 50of it. Do you fancy .............. 51me out for
dinner? There's a ................52restaurant I've been ....................... 53to go to. It's very
..................,54 but you can ................ 55it Li.
Li : He's t................. 56to ....................57 a meal off me! What a sponger…
Neil : Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I'm Neil.
Li : And I'm Li. Neil, is that a new watch?
Neil : Yes I got it from my parents.
Li : Oh that's nice.
Neil : Did I tell you I'm going on holiday soon?
Li : No, where?
Neil : To Hawaii.
Li : Wow, how can you afford a holiday to Hawaii?
Neil : My in-laws paid for it. We told them it was too expensive but, you know, we just need
a holiday.
Li : Hmm… so your in-laws have paid for your holiday too…
Neil : I'm thinking of giving up work actually, Li.
Li : Giving up work? What about the cost of living?
Neil : Oh my wife can work. You know what, Li? I really need to move into a bigger house in a
nicer part of London.
Li : But you just said you're going to give up work! How can you afford a new house if you
have no job?
Neil : My grandparents will give me some money. They always do.
Li : Neil, there's a word for people like you. You're a sponger!
Neil : A sponger!? How rude!

A : When I was at university I had no money at all. I had to buy second-hand clothes and I
could never afford to go out for a meal even though I had a part-time job.
B : Yeah me too, but there were all these other students with cars and designer labels
eating in expensive restaurants all paid for by Daddy.
A : What a bunch of spongers.
B : Yeah.

Li : A sponger is a person who gets money, food and other things from other people
without paying. Often it's used very negatively to describe people who live off state benefits.
Neil : Just like a sponge.
Li : Yes, a sponge.
Neil : A sponge soaks up the water all around it. A sponger soaks up gifts, food and money
without working. And it can also be used as a verb – to sponge off someone.
Li : It's also a verb 'to sponge off someone.' Be careful to use the word 'off' with this verb.
Neil : Whether it's a verb or a noun, it's still not a nice thing to say about someone, Li.
Li : Well I'm sorry to be rude, but it's true – you are a sponger.
Neil : You're right. I'm a sponger but I'm proud of it. Do you fancy taking me out for dinner?
There's a fantastic restaurant I've been meaning to go to. It's very expensive, but you can afford
it Li.
Li : He's trying to sponge a meal off me! What a sponger…