OPTI M I S E PRACTICE TEST | Audioscript
PART 1
You will hear people talking in eight
different situations. For questions
1–8, choose the best answer (A, B
or C).
Question 1
You hear a boy talking to a friend
about a smartphone.
Boy: What is wrong with this
phone? It’s stopped working again!
Look! A blank screen. Do you know,
it’s been nothing but trouble since
the day I got it. But all the reviews I
read said it was the best.
Girl: Well, until you sort out what
the problem is, why don’t you
use your old smartphone? It’s a
perfectly good phone and there
was nothing wrong with it when
you replaced it.
Boy: I wish I could, but I gave
it to my cousin when my phone
company offered me a better
model.
Girl: Oh, you shouldn’t have done
that.
Question 2
You hear two people talking about
sports videos.
Girl: Are you watching another
sports video? How many is that?
20? 30?
Boy: Maybe. I’m not counting.
They’re really exciting, especially
this one.
Girl: I don’t doubt that, but aren’t
you sick of them? I know I would
be by now.
Boy: Not at all. I don’t watch the
whole game, just videos of the
highlights.
Girl: Yes, but you know the final
score before you watch. Isn’t it
boring when it’s predictable?
Boy: Maybe to you, but I don’t mind
at all. I can watch my favourite
highlights again and again. This
one is the championship game
that we won with a goal in the last
second of the match!
Question 3
You hear a teacher talking about her
studies.
Woman: I had dreams of making
an important scientific discovery
that would change the world. But,
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sadly, it didn’t work out that way.
At university, I just couldn’t get
interested in my subjects. I’m still
not sure why. Anyway, I dropped
out for a year and went travelling,
mainly to make up my mind what
I really wanted to do. Thankfully,
I found my direction. When I
returned, I changed courses
and began studying history. I
realised that I wanted to share my
knowledge with young people and
help them to see the important
lessons to be learnt from past
events.
Question 4
You hear a customer talking to a
shop manager.
Man: Imagine my disappointment
when I opened the box and found
that the item was broken. And,
what’s worse, when I rang your
shop, your sales assistant enquired
whether perhaps I had dropped
the box and caused the damage
myself. I can assure you that didn’t
happen.
Woman: I’m terribly sorry about
that. It’s not the kind of customer
service we pride ourselves on. Of
course we will replace the item for
you, or give you a full refund if you
prefer.
Man: Thank you. Because it’s very
difficult for me to come back, I’d
like a replacement if you have one
in stock right now. Otherwise, I
would like my money back.
Question 5
You overhear a boy talking on the
phone about a concert.
Boy: I went online and found out
that they’re going to play a lot of
their old hits. I know you’re a great
fan of the band, but not really into
their new album … and neither am
I to be honest. If you want to check
it out, you can go to the band’s
website. It’s got all of the details
about the concerts they’ve already
played in the USA, and the songs
they’ve performed. So how about
we buy tickets before they sell out?
We don’t need to get the expensive
ones for the best seats. I mean, I
don’t mind standing if you don’t.
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Question 6
You hear two friends talking about
exams.
Girl: Your exams are over at last!
You must be so relieved.
Boy: I thought I would be, too, but
although the pressure is off, I’ve
still got to wait for the results.
Girl: Well, don’t get upset about it –
what’s done is done.
Boy: I know I can’t change
anything, but unless I get high
enough marks, I won’t be able to
get into the course I want to do at
university. If that happens, I’ll have
wasted two years of my life!
Girl: Oh, come on. It’s not that
bad. You can apply for a different
course.
Boy: Thanks for the advice, but I
just don’t see it that way.
Question 7
You hear two people talking about
jobs.
Boy: There are two jobs here
online that I can apply for. A
supermarket wants a worker just
for the afternoons, Monday to
Friday, but if I take that, I probably
won’t be able to go to football
training.
Girl: It would be hard, yes. What’s
the other one?
Boy: It’s in a café, eight hours on
Saturday. That would be ideal, but
I’m not sure I’d earn enough money
from it. If I took the other one, my
wages would be higher.
Girl: That’s true, but look where
the supermarket is. It’s on the other
side of the city. It would take you
ages to get there and back!
Question 8
You hear a news report about an
achievement.
Man: 15-year-old Becky Short
has successfully swum across the
English Channel. Becky undertook
the swim from England to France
to raise money for the Children’s
Hospital. Her younger brother
Fred is currently a patient there
and the swim was Becky’s way
of showing her appreciation for
the excellent care he is receiving.
Becky, who hopes to become an
Olympic swimmer, was coached
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OPTI M I S E PRACTICE TEST | Audioscript
by her father Bob – a former
swimming champion. Becky says
it was exhausting, but plans to do
it again next year, with her brother
Fred joining her. She was met in
France by a cheering crowd, and a
medal was presented to her by the
local mayor.
PART 2
You will hear a student called
Charlotte Young talking about
her work experience placement.
For questions 9−18, complete the
sentences with a word or short
phrase.
Hi, everyone. My name’s Charlotte
Young and I’m an engineering
student at university. I’m here to
talk to you about work experience
placements and why they’re
important. But first, a bit about me.
As I said, I’m an engineering
student; now, you probably think
that’s really boring, maybe even
a bit geeky. Actually, it’s neither
of those. What it is, however, is
male dominated. There’s a lack
of female engineers in the UK. I
went from an all-girls high school
to what is basically a university
course for boys. In my engineering
class of 120, there are 10 girls and
hardly any female lecturers in my
department.
Why is that? Well, a lot of people
think if you become an engineer,
you’re going to be fixing cars
or machines, which isn’t true.
The term ‘engineering’ is often
misunderstood. In fact we create
new products that everyone uses
in their everyday lives. We make
everything - from bridges to
engines and IT systems to beauty
products. Engineers use science
and maths to find solutions to all
sorts of technical problems.
There’s another myth that puts
girls off studying engineering at
university – it’s that they aren’t
as good as boys at maths and
science. Again, that’s just not true!
A lot of the girls from my school
were really good at those subjects,
but not one of them is studying
engineering, and it’s such a shame
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because I know that they could do
well.
Oh, and don’t believe what you see
on TV shows like The Big Bang
Theory which portrays scientists as
socially awkward people who just
don’t know how to interact with
other humans!
Now, let me tell you about my
work experience at an engineering
company where, by the way,
everyone was perfectly normal and
not a nerd in sight! As you probably
know, when you study certain
courses, you have the opportunity
to do a work experience placement
so that you can see in practice
what you’re learning in theory at
university. It’s also really valuable
for when you graduate and start
looking for a job because you have
some experience already.
Well, I was pretty nervous on my
first day, as you can imagine. After
being introduced to everyone, I
was given a project to work on. I
had to make recommendations
to improve the project, as well as
give my opinions on the project.
They were very happy for me to
contribute as much as I wanted to,
and were open to any suggestions
and ideas. This instantly made me
feel comfortable and definitely
made me feel as though I was part
of the team.
During the first week on the
project, I was overwhelmed by the
work and the responsibilities that
were given to me, but with the help
of my supervisors, who have had
years of experience, I felt more
confident because I knew my work
would be double checked and any
difficulties explained. By observing
and learning from them, I managed
to pick up tips and learned
different kinds of skills, from
learning to communicate and deal
with other companies, to reading
and understanding many different
types of plans.
The workplace was great. There
were project managers, engineers
and administrative staff all working
in the one office. This range of
people had different strengths and
qualifications, and they worked
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together to organise their work so
that it flowed and was finished on
time. I think that’s what created
such a nice atmosphere there.
I was very happy with how much
I learned, even in such a short
period of time. The best thing of all,
though, is that it led to a permanent
position. They offered me a job
and I accepted. I’ll be starting next
month after I graduate. So overall,
my work experience was really
positive.
So, to finish off, let me just say that
engineering is a great career for
boys AND girls, more and more of
whom are now getting into science,
technology, engineering and
maths-related fields. And that work
placements are great opportunities
for you to learn in the real world
and, hopefully, get your first job.
PART 3
You’ll hear five short extracts in
which people are talking about
leisure activities. For questions 19-
23, choose from the list (A−H) what
each speaker says about them. Use
the letters only once. There are three
extra letters which you do not need
to use.
Speaker 1
These days, everyone takes selfies
and posts them on their social
media. I do too, but I’ve started
taking photos with a real camera.
It’s a challenge learning how to use
all the different features, but I love
it. I’m passionate about wildlife
photography, so my free time is
spent taking photographs outdoors.
By taking up digital photography
I’ve got a project I can really dive
into. If I get good at it, I’ll be able
to use my new skill for extra cash
on the side and, who knows, maybe
I’ll even become a photographer. It
would be incredible to work for a
nature magazine and photograph
animals, different landscapes and
environments.
Speaker 2
I wouldn’t have listened to my
first podcast if a friend hadn’t
recommended it. But since then,
I’ve become addicted and listen to
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OPTI M I S E PRACTICE TEST | Audioscript
them on my way to and from school
every day. There are loads to choose
from. You can learn a foreign
language, sit in on interviews with
your favourite comedians, listen
to radio shows, and basically
anything else you’re interested in
hearing more about. I download
the podcasts directly to my phone
so I don’t need wi-fi or data while
I’m listening. Right now, I’m using
a podcast to learn Spanish and I’m
following the episodes of a crime
mystery on another.
Speaker 3
Have you ever played chess? Most
people are put off because they
think it’s super difficult. Well,
compared to playing a video game
or playing cards, it probably is, but
that’s no reason not to give it a try.
It takes a lot of concentration and
forward thinking. You have to be
able to move your pieces around
the board in a way that keeps
them safe, but at the same time
makes traps for your opponent.
Professional chess players are my
heroes and I hope to be as good as
they are one day. But for now, I’ll
keep playing with my friends.
Speaker 4
Being outdoors is what I enjoy the
most, especially if it’s a physical
activity like hiking. I prefer to
tackle local parks that have hiking
trails with different levels of
difficulty. I started off on the less
challenging trails and slowly built
up. Now that I’m doing some more
difficult paths, I make a day of it
with my friends. It’s more fun with
company and we get to spend some
quality time together, away from
the cafes, shops and cinemas we
usually go to. We have a good laugh,
and we keep fit at the same time.
Speaker 5
My mum’s an artist and I think
she’s passed her creativity on
to me. I can play a couple of
instruments and I’ve even written
some poems, but what I like best
is painting. I’m happy to paint on
anything, not just on a traditional
canvas. When I get going, I find it
hard to put the paint brush down!
The best part about painting? I can
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make it a big, messy, daylong event
while I listen to music. You can’t
believe how relaxing it is!
PART 4
You will hear an interview with a
teenager called Jake Holly, who’s
talking about Olympic sports. For
questions 24–30, choose the best
answer (A, B or C).
Interviewer: My guest is a national
junior athletics champion, Jake
Holly. Jake, welcome. Today you’re
not going to talk about athletics, but
Olympic sports, is that right?
Jake: Yes, that’s correct. I’ve got
some great information about the
Olympics that I think everyone
will find really interesting. It’s not
about world records, incredible
performances or the most medals
won by an individual athlete. It’s
about choosing the sports for the
Olympics and those sports that
have come and gone from the
Olympic programme. Oh, and those
that have come and gone and have
then returned. But let’s start with
one that will probably remain a
part of Olympic nostalgia – the tug
of war.
Interviewer: The tug of war? Do
you mean the activity kids do at
summer camp?
Jake: Exactly. Two teams pull
against each other at the opposite
ends of a rope, and each team tries
to pull the other over a line on
the ground. Well, that was a sport
for six Olympic Games between
1900 and 1920. It was part of the
track and field events, along with
running, the high jump, the discus
throw, etc. The first ever tug of
war gold medal − in the Paris 1900
Olympics − was actually won by a
combined team made up of athletes
from Sweden and Denmark, and
the last winner was Great Britain.
Interviewer: It’s hard to think
of it as a serious sport alongside
all of those we associate with the
Olympics, like archery and diving
and weightlifting.
Jake: Maybe that’s why it was
discontinued. Perhaps it wasn’t
seen as a ‘sport’ in the traditional
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sense like the sports you just
mentioned. But, you know, there
is a Tug of War International
Federation – TWIF – with yearly
indoor and outdoor world
championships and they want it
to be included in the Olympics
again. It raises the question of what
makes a sport a sport.
Interviewer: So what does make a
sport a sport? And who decides if it
is or isn’t?
Jake: That’s the job of the
International Olympic Committee
– the IOC. But first, I have to
explain that what you and I call a
sport, like swimming, for example,
is called something else by the
IOC. The IOC uses the terms
‘event’, ‘discipline’ and ‘sport’ to
organise their competitions. An
event is any competition in which
medals are awarded, such as the
men’s 100-metre backstroke or
the women’s 400-metre freestyle.
These are events in the discipline
of swimming, which includes other
events like the butterfly and the
breaststroke.
Interviewer: So, let me get this
straight. An event is part of a
discipline.
Jake: That’s right. And a discipline
is a branch of a sport. For example,
swimming is a discipline in the
sport known as aquatics, along with
diving, synchronized swimming
and water polo. Most people
consider these as four separate
sports, but in the eyes of the IOC,
they are disciplines. But a sport
and a discipline can be the same
in some cases, like basketball,
because there’s only one form of
basketball – one discipline, one
sport. The same is true for football
and handball.
Interviewer: And who defines a
sport?
Jake: A sport is governed by an
International Federation that is
responsible for each individual
discipline within the sport.
Interviewer: Does a sport have to
be represented by an International
Federation to be included in the
Olympic Games? After all, the tug
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of war has a federation, but it’s not competition in the city streets and
included. squares. I can’t wait!
Jake: A sport has to have a Interviewer: That’s very exciting
federation to be in the Olympics, indeed! I wonder if young
and there are lots of sports with competitors will …
their own federations. But there’s
also the question of popularity.
A sport has to be popular with
men and women in various parts
of the world. To be more specific,
men from at least 75 countries and
women from at least 50 countries
should play the sport on four
continents, so that means four from
Asia, Africa, North America, South
America, Europe and Australia.
The country hosting the games
used to make the decision about
the events to offer, which led to
some rather unusual competitions,
and an unfair advantage too if the
sport was specific to that particular
country, but the IOC is now fully
responsible.
Interviewer: Apart from the tug of
war, what other sports have come
and gone?
Jake: Cricket, polo and lacrosse
were all dropped because they
weren’t popular internationally
but golf, which was last an Olympic
sport in 1904, reappeared at the
2016 Rio Olympics, and baseball
will be back in 2020. There was
talk of dropping wrestling, but a
lot of people – and not all of them
were wrestling fans – objected to
that because not only was it one
of the nine original sports at the
first modern games in Athens, it
was also one of the sports from
the ancient games held at Olympia
thousands of years ago.
Interviewer: And what about
adding new sports that haven’t
appeared at the Olympics before?
Jake: There’s really exciting news
about that. The IOC wants to
make the Games more interesting
to young people. BMX cycling
and mountain biking are already
summer Olympic events, and
snowboarding is a winter event.
But at the next games there’ll be
surfing and skateboarding. The
skateboard events won’t be in
stadiums though, but in urban
settings. Imagine that − an Olympic

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