Test 1 answer key with extra explanations

Listening

Part 1
Questions 1–7

1 The correct answer is B: In the recording, you hear a man talking about losing his wallet
when he was travelling by train. He tells us what he did at the train station. He says that, first of
all, he got off a train and went to buy a sandwich. He then went to sit in the waiting room and
he says: ‘I remember putting my wallet down. I probably left it there’. When he says this, he’s
referring to the waiting room. So B is correct. The man explains that he had his wallet when he
bought the sandwich and this happened after he got off the train. So A is not correct. He then
remembers putting his wallet down in the waiting room. So we know that he didn’t leave it at the
sandwich shop, so C is not correct.

2 The correct answer is B: In the recording, you hear two friends discussing a talk to be held at
their local Nature Society. The woman is encouraging the man to attend the society’s next talk.
He mentions that he attended and enjoyed a previous talk on the topic of rivers, so we know that
C is not correct. The man also mentions a talk on the subject of the rainforest, but the woman
explains that this will happen ‘next month’, so it isn’t ‘tomorrow’s talk’. So A is not correct. When
the woman says: ‘this one will deal with something closer to home – wild flowers in parks and
gardens’ she is referring to tomorrow’s talk. So B is the correct answer.

3 The correct answer is A: In the recording, you hear two people in a restaurant. They’re
deciding what to order for lunch. The question is asking you to listen for what the woman
chooses. She mentions some of the things on the menu, including tomato soup and a cheese
and tomato sandwich. She says that these ‘sound nice’, but she doesn’t choose either of them.
The man also tells us that everything on the menu ‘comes with fresh bread’ – and we see this
bread in A and B. After talking about the different things on the menu, they each decide what
to order. When the woman says: ‘I’ll go for my normal choice’, she’s referring to the man’s first
comment ‘You normally have salad for lunch, don’t you?’. So, A is correct. The man decides to
have soup, so B is not correct as this is not what the woman orders. The man and the woman
don’t order a sandwich, so C is not correct.

4 The correct answer is C: In the recording, you hear a woman telling a friend about an
exhibition at her local art gallery. She’s suggesting they go and see the exhibition together. The
question is asking how the woman found out about the exhibition – so where she got information
about it. She talks about the gallery website, but says she ‘didn’t see anything about it’ there.
When she talks about ‘it’ she’s referring to the exhibition, so A is not correct. She also talks
about posters, but says that ‘they haven’t advertised it’ in that way. So B is not correct. When
she says: ‘according to what I heard on the radio, it’s only on for a couple of days’, she’s talking
about the exhibition, and also telling us where she found the information about it. Therefore,
C is correct.

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5 The correct answer is A: In the recording, you hear a woman telling a friend about her
brother’s new job. She tells him that her brother is working in a shop that sells ‘designer clothes’.
But, when she says ‘the one that sells’ she’s referring to a shop, not to her brother’s job. In
fact, she corrects her friend’s mistake when he assumes that her brother is a shop assistant,
explaining that the shop needed a security guard. So B is not correct. When she says her brother
was given ‘that job’ she’s referring to the job of security guard, so A is correct. C is not correct
because, although the shop sells designer clothes, her brother isn’t a designer.

6 The correct answer is A: In the recording, you hear a woman leaving a phone message. She’s
explaining that she may be late for a meeting. She tells us that her train has been ‘cancelled’
so we know that C is not correct. She also tells us that she’s tried to get a taxi instead, but that
there’s a long queue. When she says ‘it’ll be quicker to rush home and get my own car’, she is
explaining what she intends to do. So A is correct. When she says ‘rather than get a taxi’ she’s
telling us that B is not correct.

7 The correct answer is B: In the recording, you hear a man telling a friend about the winter
sports he does. The man talks about snow-boarding, which he’s recently learnt to do, so C
not correct. He clearly enjoys the sport because he says ‘I find it hard to stop’ he’s referring
to snowboarding. He also talks about ice-hockey, which he says was ‘too fast’. When he says
‘I gave it up in the end’, he’s referring to ice-hockey, so B is correct. The man also talks about
ski-ing, but when he says ‘I can’t get enough of it’, he’s telling us that he wants to do more, so A
is not correct.

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Part 2
Questions 8–13

8 The correct answer is C: In the recording, you hear two friends talking about the man’s
plan to buy a bicycle. The man explains that he’s been to a local bike shop, but that he wasn’t
satisfied with the help he was given by the assistant. The woman is surprised because she
thinks it’s a good shop but she doesn’t suggest going to a different one. So B is not correct.
The man talks about looking online as a way of getting more information about bikes to buy. The
woman doesn’t think this is a good idea because she thinks ‘there’s too much information there’,
so A is not correct either. Instead, the woman suggests: ‘what about talking to my brother who’s
a professional cyclist?’ The expert is the woman’s brother. So C is correct.

9 The correct answer is A: In the recording, you hear a man talking about a Welsh language
course he’s joined. The man is enjoying the course and he says: ‘[not] too bad actually’. He tells
his friend that although he expected the grammar to be hard, it ‘actually it isn’t too bad’, so C is
not correct. He feels that the classes are rather short, explaining that: ‘our classes are only an
hour long … just when I’m getting into the lesson, it’s over’. So B is not correct either. When he
explains, that his ‘main issue’ on the course is the teacher, he is saying that this is a problem. He
says: ‘if she spoke more slowly, I’d understand a lot more. I miss a lot’. So A is correct.

10 The correct answer is C: In the recording, you hear a woman telling a work colleague about
her weekend. Firstly, she tells us about a trip to a new street market, during which it rained
and the family got wet. When she says ‘I was happy to leave’, she’s talking about the market
which she didn’t like the experience of. So A is not correct. She then talks about watching TV
all afternoon. When she says: ‘that was something I really needed to do’, she’s referring to the
‘chance to relax’, so C is correct. Although she talks about her children, she tells us that they
were ‘coughing’ and had ‘arguments’, so B is not correct – the children don’t seem to have
enjoyed themselves.

11 The correct answer is A: In the recording, you hear two friends talking about a new
restaurant. The man begins by talking about the price of the food which he thinks is ‘good value’
and the woman agrees that ‘they don’t charge too much’, so C is not correct. The man says
that he found the service ‘slow’, but the woman says ‘it was quick enough when I went’, so they
don’t agree on that point and so B is not correct either. The woman then talks about the food,
saying that it seemed to be ‘out of a tin’ or ‘frozen’ or ‘cooked in a microwave’, all of which
suggests it wasn’t ‘fresh’. When the man says ‘you’re absolutely right’ he’s agreeing with her
about the food, so A is correct. They both think the restaurant would be better if the food was
fresh.

12 The correct answer is B: In the recording, you hear two old friends talking at a party. The
woman mentions his jacket, ‘I thought you’d have a new one after all these years’, and so C is
not correct. The style of his clothes hasn’t changed and he confirms this when he says: ‘fashion
has never interested me that much’. The man then mentions that the woman is wearing glasses,
so clearly her appearance has changed. But when he adds: ‘I’m still not really used to mine’, he’s
referring to his own glasses and telling us that he has started wearing glasses recently. When the

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woman says ‘they look good on you’, she’s referring to his glasses in a way that suggests she
hasn’t seen him wearing them before. So B is correct. She also mentions the man’s beard but
she says that he has shaved it off, not that he has recently grown one, so A is not correct.

13 The correct answer is C: In the recording, you hear two work colleagues talking about
a meeting. At the beginning of the conversation, the woman is assuming that the meeting
is cancelled due to illness. When she says: ‘but surely we’re not going to have it now’ she’s
referring to the meeting. When the man tells her that it’s happening as planned, she says: ‘I can’t
believe that’, showing that she is surprised. So C is correct. She talks about her presentation,
but says that it’s ready. When she says ‘I think everyone will like it’, she’s referring to the
presentation. She’s not worried about it and so B is not correct. She mentions feeling annoyed
when she says ‘that really made me mad’, but she’s referring to her laptop when she says this,
not to the meeting, so A is not correct.

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Part 3
Questions 14–19

14 The correct answer is B R O K L Y: Question 14 comes under the heading Teachers, so

the speaker is talking about who will teach each part of the course. Firstly, he talks about jazz
classes and mentions that Robert Park is the teacher. The prompt refers to another class on
the course and the teacher’s first name ‘Susan’ is given. You’re listening for her family name or
‘surname’. The speaker mentions the teacher’s name twice and the second time tells you how to
spell it. When he says ‘her surname’s spelt’, he’s referring to Susan, and you hear the individual
letters after this.

15 The correct answer is half past eight or eight-thirty or 8.30: Question 15 comes under
the heading Concert, so the speaker is talking about the concert that will be performed. The
prompt therefore refers to the concert. The day (Friday) and the time of day (p.m.) are given in
the notes, so you’re listening for the exact time on Friday evening when the concert will take
place. The speaker mentions two possible times, but only one of them is the correct answer to
this question. When he says ‘it’ll begin at half past eight’ he is referring to the concert. So ‘half
past eight’ or ‘eight-thirty’ is the correct answer. The speaker also gives some information about
the time that the venue opens to the public before the concert. He says: ‘if your guests want to
get the best seats to watch you, theatre doors open at eight o’clock’. But this doesn’t refer to
the start time of the concert itself, so it is not correct.

16 The correct answer is blue: Question 16 comes under the heading Concert, so the speaker
is talking about the concert that will be performed. The speaker is telling the students what they
should wear on the night of the concert. He says: ‘we want you to feel relaxed – T-shirts are fine’.
But he explains that everyone should wear the same colour. He mentions two colours, but only
one of them is correct. When he says: ‘we ask that they’re blue, so everyone looks similar’, he’s
referring to the T-shirts. So blue is the correct answer. He also mentions the colour black, but
this is not correct because this is the colour that people usually wear for concerts: ‘the traditional
colour is black’ and he explains why the singers aren’t being asked to wear it on this occasion:
‘We think that’s a bit dark.’

17 The correct answer is receptionist: Question 17 comes under the heading Other General
Information, and the speaker says ‘now for some other information’ to tell us that he’s going to
talk about this. The first thing he talks about is the building and how to find your way around it.
He mentions that there’s a map to help with this: ‘which you can get from the receptionist’, he
is referring to the map, so receptionist is correct. He also talks about the security guard and the
teachers, who may also help students find their way, but these people don’t give out maps, so
security guard and teachers are incorrect.

18 The correct answer is hall: Question 18 asks about the lunch break for students on the
course and the speaker says that this will be at 1p.m. The prompt is asking for the place where
the students can have their lunch. The speaker explains that there is no café, so this is not
correct. Students can prepare food in a kitchen, but there is nowhere to eat it there, so this is
not correct either. So when the teacher says: ‘take your sandwiches or whatever to the hall’ he’s
referring to the food for lunch, so the correct answer is hall.

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19 The correct answer is 3 or three: Question 19 is asking about the cost of car parking and
you see the £ sign before the gap, telling you that you’re listening for a price in pounds. The
speaker talks about three different prices. £20.00 is the price of a monthly pass and £15.00 is
the price of parking for a week, so these are not correct. When the speaker says ‘which is three
pounds’, he’s referring to the daily price, so parking costs £3.00 per day. So 3 or 3.00 is correct.

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Part 4
Questions 20–25

20 The correct answer is A: In the recording, the interviewer’s first question to Mickey is why
he became a hairdresser. Mickey explains that his parents were both hairdressers, but he also
says that: ‘I really expected to do something completely different’. So B is not correct. He also
explains that his parents ‘worked with lots of well-known TV stars’, but this isn’t why he decided
to become a hairdresser, so C is not correct. Mickey explains that when he was out of work: ‘a
friend said I could help in his hairdresser’s shop, so I did’ adding the phrase ‘I ended up staying’
to show that this is how he became a hairdresser. So A is correct.

21 The correct answer is C: In the recording, the interviewer’s second question to Mickey
is what his normal working day is like. Mickey explains how busy the salon is and how the
hairdressers decide who will deal with each client. He says that: ‘it’s best if we mix things up –
do a few women’s cuts, some men’s, some colour’. This shows that C is correct. Because each
hairdresser sometimes cuts men’s hair, women’s hair, and may also colour, so each of them
does ‘a range of jobs’. Mickey mentions breaks: ‘stopping for a coffee or a rest can be difficult
but I always make time for that’. So A is not correct because he does take breaks. Mickey also
mentions his working hours: ‘I often stay late to prepare things for the next day too’, but he isn’t
complaining about this, indeed he adds ‘that’s fine with me’. So B is not correct.

22 The correct answer is B: In the recording, the interviewer asks Mickey what’s the best
part his job. Mickey talks about ‘people who come back regularly’ and how much he enjoys
‘exchanging news’ with them. This makes B correct. Mickey talks about customers who ask
him to be creative, but he explains that he’s ‘not keen on that’ so A is not correct. When Mickey
says he likes people to ‘choose one from a picture’, he’s referring to haircuts. So he doesn’t like
‘using his imagination’ and C is not correct.

23 The correct answer is A: In the recording, the interviewer asks Mickey if there is there
anything he doesn’t like about his job. Mickey talks about rude customers and says that some
hairdressers don’t like dealing with them, but when he says ‘I never let that bother me’, he’s
referring to that problem – so C is not correct. Mickey says, however, that doing health and
safety courses is ‘extremely dull’ – telling us that he doesn’t find them interesting and so doesn’t
like doing them. A is therefore correct. Mickey talks about ‘sharing ideas with colleagues’ but
says that ‘I prefer cutting hair, but I don’t mind’. So, although it’s not his favourite part of the job,
he doesn’t dislike it so B is not correct.

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24 The correct answer is C: In the recording, the interviewer asks Mickey how it feels when
he has finished a haircut. Although Mickey says that he’s: ‘always trying … to keep customers
satisfied’, he doesn’t say that he’s worried about them getting annoyed, so A is not correct.
Mickey is very realistic about what he achieves in each haircut, and he says: ‘when the customer
walks out of the door, the hair’s already growing back.’ He doesn’t say that he’s proud of each
haircut, so B is not correct. But Mickey does say that he always feels he ‘could do better’ and
that he’s always ‘trying to improve’. So C is correct because Mickey is ‘keen to continue learning’.

25 The correct answer is B: In her final question, the interviewer asks Mickey what advice he
has for people who would like to become hairdressers. Mickey talks about studying hairdressing
and finding your first job, but he doesn’t say whether or not young hairdressers should take ‘the
first job they’re offered’, so A is not correct. Mickey also talks about how much hairdressers can
earn, saying ‘the money can actually be quite good’. So C is not correct. Finally, Mickey says
that: ‘people make the mistake of thinking they’ve learnt all there is to learn’ which Mickey says
‘that’s rarely true’. So B is correct.

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