LISTENING EXAM ADVANCE 04

Created by JC: https://www.facebook.com/jose.cuba.3532

answers are in red

Part 1
You will hear people talking in eight different situations.
1 You hear a man and a woman talking about a department
store.
Man: I got a great pair of shoes in that store, reduced to half
price.
Woman: That must’ve been during the sales. You don’t often
see bargains there, though I will say they always seem to have
whatever it is you’re looking for.
Man: Yes, though it took me quite a while to find the pair I
needed. I asked two of the assistants if they had my size in stock
but neither of them made much of an effort to find out.
Woman: That’s fairly typical of the kind of people who work
there. Perhaps they’re not paid very much.

2 You hear a woman asking a man questions in a city-centre

street.
Woman: Hello, could you tell me whether you came into town by
bus today?
Man: Yes, I did. On the 86.
Woman: That’s the one that stops just round the corner there,
isn’t it?
Man: Yes, that’s right.
Woman: And do you take the same bus every day?
Man: Yes, I do. It’s a pretty good service. It’s usually on time, and
not too crowded.
Woman: What about facilities for disabled passengers? Are they
up to standard?
Man: They seem to be, yes.
Woman: And one last thing: is the fare good value for money?
Man: I’d say so, yes.
Woman: Fine, that’s all thanks. Have a good day.

3 You hear part of a radio interview with a newspaper’s science

reporter.
Nowadays we hear some fairly extreme views on climate change.
On the one hand, some green politicians say the damage has
already been done and all we can do is prepare for the terrifying
consequences. That’s too pessimistic, I feel. Then there are
those – none of them scientists, I should add – who believe it’s
all part of a natural cycle that involves periods of global warming
followed by global cooling. Unfortunately, the latter view enables
politicians in certain countries to claim there’s nothing much to
worry about, and avoid taking the strong, possibly unpopular,
measures that are so clearly needed if the planet is to avoid
disaster.

4 You hear a recorded message when you phone a hotel.

Welcome to the Seaview Hotel information line. Our operators are
all occupied at the present time, so please press the appropriate
number and we will deal with your call as quickly as possible.
To make a room reservation, book a restaurant table or arrange
for transport to or from the hotel, please press one. To alter the
arrival or departure date of an existing booking, request a larger
or smaller room, or arrange for a late check-out, please press
two. For all other services, including cancellation of bookings,
please press three.

5 You hear two parents talking after watching their son play in a
football match.
Man: It was a pity the ref didn’t give our boys that penalty right at
the end, wasn’t it?
Woman: Well, I think he got that right, and anyway it would’ve
been a bit unfair on the other team who, let’s face it, played
better throughout the game.
Man: A draw might have been a fairer result.
Woman: Perhaps, but it was a shame our David had to be on the
losing side.
Man: Right. He was the only one of them that put in a decent
performance.

6 You hear a man talking on the radio about a castle by the sea.
The castle really is a spectacular site in a magnificent location,
set against a stunning background of huge mountains right next
to the rocky coast. There’s a track that runs along the top of the
cliffs for miles and it’s a delightful walk, but it doesn’t actually
lead anywhere. Nor is the bus an option since the local company
went out of business. That was a pity, because there were some
great views for passengers, so now there’s no alternative to
driving, which is a real shame. Perhaps one day they’ll re-open
the old railway line, but we’ve been saying that for years and it’s
unlikely to happen anytime soon.

7 You hear a woman talking about her computer.

I only had ten minutes before I had to go out and I needed to
email Sarah. I was getting nervous and it took me three goes
to log in because I kept hitting the wrong keys when I saw
‘enter password’, but eventually I was able to get in and write
my message. I clicked ‘Send’ but nothing happened. With time
running out I began to panic, wondering whether my laptop was
the latest victim of that bug which was going round, but then I
noticed a little icon on the screen that meant I wasn’t connected
to the Internet. At that I gave up and rushed out of the house.

8 You overhear a man leaving a message on an answering

Machine
Hi, I’m calling because I’ve been doing some thinking about
working at the office and, to cut a long story short, I’m afraid I’m
starting to get fed up with it. It’s not my colleagues’ fault at all,
but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention this to any of them.
Anyway, the thing is I know you once felt the same way about a
job you had so I’m wondering how you coped with it and what
the pros and cons are of changing jobs. I’m sorry to bother you
with this, but I know I’ll regret it if I don’t do something about it,
and soon.

PART 2
You will hear a man called André Laroque taking about a luxury
railway journey in Canada.
At the height of its popularity in the 19th century, the Royal
Canadian Pacific was sometimes described as ‘the most
beautiful railway route in the world’, but during the 20th
century it had declined to the point where passenger trains no
longer ran along its 20,000 kilometres of lines. Then, in 2000,
(9) a thousand-kilometre passenger service started again,
and this was the one I travelled on in my own private sleeping
compartment, sharing a coach with fifteen other people. The
four-day journey began and ended in Calgary, the largest city
in Alberta and one that has received international praise for
being a pleasant place to live. The Economist magazine recently
placed it equal fifth in a list of the world’s top cities to live in,
while (10) according to another study that looked at which is the
cleanest, it came top. It is located close to the Rocky Mountains,
which are crossed at two different points by the railway line. At
various points along the route the peaks rise over a kilometre
straight up from the line, so although they aren’t as tall as
those in the U.S., (11) they’re so steep that their appearance
is breathtaking. Scenes of trains winding their way through
beautiful green valleys next to spectacular snow-covered peaks
are of course often associated with Canada, especially in films,
and (12) the Canadian Pacific has become known throughout
the world as a result of images of it appearing on the nation’s
stamps.

So it was with some excitement that I boarded the train that

morning, and immediately I was impressed by the luxury of the
accommodation. It was like stepping back into another age, apart
from the fact that each of the eight coaches had air-conditioning.
The weather there in August was hot, so (13) that was a welcome
feature, as was the fact that I’d have a shower to myself. The
furniture was old but of extremely high quality, and the chairs and
beds were highly comfortable. The meals, naturally, were superb,
and were always prepared on board by top chefs. We had our
own waiter in each coach, of course, but (14) what I hadn’t
expected was that all of us would be served at a single large
dining table, which could also be used for business meetings.
The sixteen of us soon came to enjoy sitting together for evening
meals as these were actually more like dinner parties, with
everyone in formal dress, and live music as entertainment. On
other journeys, apparently, they sometimes have performances
of classical guitar, though (15) on this occasion it was violin. The
next day we travelled along a river valley with marvellous views
of the mountain scenery until we reached Emerald Lake, where
the train stopped for us to go on a forest trek to observe the local
wildlife. There were plenty of salmon splashing about in the river,
and we saw a mountain goat on a track high above us. (16) It
would’ve been great to have spotted a bear but on that particular
day we were out of luck, though I’m sure I saw a wolf, and there
was certainly an eagle flying overhead at one point. Back on the
train, we went up and over Kicking Horse Pass, descending what
is known as the Big Hill. Each of the coaches weighs a hundred
tons, so (17) when the driver used the brakes to slow down
they sent up a cloud of black smoke which was clearly visible to
those of us sitting by the windows. On our last evening, we came
to another remarkable sight near Lethbridge, Alberta’s fourth
biggest city. Looking like a giant spider’s web, (18) the mile-long
bridge across the Oldman River is larger than any other of that
type in the entire continent. The following morning we arrived
back in Calgary, after what must surely be the most wonderful
train journey in North America.

QUESTIONS
1 You hear a man and a woman talking about a department store.
What is the woman's opinion of the store?
A The prices are generally reasonable.
B There is a wide range of items on sale.
C Most of the assistants are very helpful.

2 You hear a woman asking a man questions in a city-centre street. She wants him to
A take part in a survey.
B give her directions to a bus stop.
C use public transport more often.
3 You hear part of a radio interview with a newspaper's science reporter. He thinks that it
is
A less of a problem than some scientists say.
B not taken seriously enough by governments.
C now too late to stop it happening.

4 You hear a recorded message when you phone a hotel.

What should you do if you want to stay there an extra night?
A press one
B press two
C press three

5 You hear two parents talking after watching their son play in a football match. What do
they agree about?
A Their son was the best player in his team.
B The referee was unfair to their son's team.
C Their son's team should have won the game.

6 You hear a man talking on the radio about a castle by the sea. How does the speaker
suggest visitors get to the castle?
A by car
B on foot
C by public transport

7 You hear a woman talking about her computer. Why couldn't she email her friend?
A Her computer wasn't online.
B A virus had damaged her computer.
C She couldn't remember her password.

8 You overhear a man leaving a message on an answering machine. Why is he phoning?

A to apologise for something he has done
B to ask the other person for some advice
C to thank the person for something they did

Considerar
1 misma pregunta, sinónimo
2 que piensa de los buses en relación a las acomodaciones para los pasajeros
discapacitados
3 que significa ser un “green politician”
4 que hacer en caso de querer un cuarto más grande
5 El hijo llegó a perder o a ganar?
6 Donde queda ubicado el castillo?
7 misma pregunta, sinónimo
8 cuál es la razón por la que desea cambiar de trabajo?

PART 2
Andre says that the route his train took is (9) 1000/A THOUSAND kilometres Iona.
Andre says that Calgary was placed first in a list of the world's (10) CLEANEST cities.
Andre was particularly impressed by how (11)STEEP the mountains along the route are.
Andre says that pictures of trains on (12) (THE NATION’S) STAMPS have made the
Canadian Pacific internationally famous.
Andre was pleased to find that he had his own (13) SHOWER in his compartment on the
train.
André was surprised that there only one (14) (LARGE)(DINING) TABLE for the sixteen
Passengers.
During dinner on the train. Andre listened to live (15) VIOLIN music.
Andre was disappointed not to see a (16) BEAR when the train stopped so passengers
could go on a walk.
As they went down a hill called Big Hill. Andre. saw a lot of (17) (BLACK) SMOKE coming
from the train.
Towards the end of his journey. Andre saw the biggest (18) BRIDGE of its kind in North
America.

Considerar
9 cuando fue popular y cuando el servicio de 1000 km volvió a aperturar
10 el magazine lo puso en el top de ciudades para vivir, el otro estudio como la más limpia
11 no son tan altos como lo son en US
12 él abordó el tren en la mañana
13 ‘each of the eight coaches had air-conditioning’
14 single large dining table, misma pregunta
15 fueron 16 pasajeros
16 tener en cuenta el salmon y los animales que vio y los que no vió
17 el humo negro era visible para los que se sentaban cerca de las ventanas
18 “looking like a giant SPIDER’S WEB”

PART 3
You will hear five short extracts in which people talk about why they changed their job.
Choose from the list the main reason each person gives for their last change of job.

Speaker 1
In many respects there isn’t a great deal of difference between
my previous job in a large insurance company and this one,
certainly in terms of my duties, my chances of promotion and
the salary, which remains just about adequate for my needs. The
only real exception is that in my current one I have 26 days off
annually compared to 20 before. That was the crucial factor when
I made my decision, as I love to spend my free time out of doors
– especially after sitting in an office nine to five every day.

Speaker 2
Making the change actually meant taking a drop in salary, but
I feel it was worth it. Although the work I used to do at the
advertising agency was sometimes interesting, after five years I
felt I’d managed to do everything I was likely to achieve there and
it was time I took on something new. I needed to really test my
ability and skill rather than just receive a good salary for a job well
done, even if it involved working slightly longer hours and taking
fewer holidays, and with little chance of promotion. I also had to
move to another city, but as I don’t have kids that wasn’t a major
problem.

Speaker 3
I’m making a good living now, certainly in comparison to the
situation at my previous company where I barely brought in
enough to live on. I also get five weeks off a year instead of
four, though that was a less significant factor in my decision to
move, as was the two-hour reduction in the working week. I’m
still working in the import-export business, though dealing with
customers over the phone, by email or by video conferencing
rather than in their own countries.

Speaker 4
I’m still in the same flat I was in before I began work here, though
I actually don’t mind that because it’s a pleasant enough place
and with only a slight increase in my salary I couldn’t afford
anywhere bigger anyway. What really appealed to me when I
saw the job ad was the chance to be in the fresh air all day, so
I applied immediately in spite of the fact that the working hours
are considerably longer than in most other kinds of work, and the
prospects of promotion are rather limited.

Speaker 5
In the small manufacturing firm where I used to work I’d long felt
that I wasn’t really going anywhere, so when the opportunity to
work here came along I took it straight away. Not that the salary
or the conditions such as the working hours or holidays were
particularly attractive, but they were offering in-company training
that should eventually ensure, perhaps in a few years, that I reach
a higher position. The only disadvantage of that would be that
I’d probably have to move to a bigger city, but overall it’d be
worthwhile, I think.

PART 4
You will hear a radio interview with Lily Jenkins, whose favourite sport is windsurfing

Man: Today I have with me Lily Jenkins, who will be talking to

me about the sport she loves: windsurfing. First of all, Lily, let’s
go back to when you were a complete beginner. What was it like
windsurfing for the first time?
Lily: Well, some beginners have the wrong idea. Some imagine
they’ll be racing across the ocean waves on the very first day
and are then disappointed to discover they won’t, but I already
knew it would take practice to reach that stage. Others initially
feel nervous about standing on a wet board; they’re convinced
they’ll slide off, when in fact nowadays all boards are designed
to avoid that happening. Fortunately, I’d been shown a DVD
for learners so I knew in advance more or less what to expect,
though of course there were still some surprises.

Man: So do you need to spend a lot of time practising before

you’re any good at it?
Lily: There’s certainly a lot to learn and people always seem to
end up needing more time to reach an adequate level than they
thought, but I suppose it depends on the individual in terms
of their fitness, previous experience in related sports such as
sailing, and of course how much effort they put in. Interestingly,
buying expensive, high-quality boards and sails doesn’t seem to
make much difference to the progress beginners make.

Man: What in particular helped you progress?

Lily: Well, it’s a highly technical sport so I didn’t make the
mistake of thinking that just because I could surf waves I could
teach myself to windsurf, or that I could learn from a friend, no
matter how expert she might be. Instead I signed up for a
six-month course at a local windsurfing centre, and it was money
well spent.

Man: I imagine safety aspects featured in that. Do you have any

tips?
Lily: Yes, before you go always check the weather forecast and
tides. Also, let somebody on shore know what time you’re
due back and, just in case the rescue services have to search
for you, what colours your board and sail are so they know it’s
you. There are also some myths concerning windsurfing, such as
starting out on lakes because they’re calm. They can be freezing
cold, too, so ignore that. Also, modern sails are light and easy to
pull out of the water, so don’t worry when it falls in – it happens
to all of us.

Man: Looking back, do you think you made any big mistakes
when you were starting out?
Lily: Well, I began by buying the right kind of equipment, that’s
to say a large board with a small sail, but within three months
I was ready to move up to the next level of kit, with a board
that’s smaller and a sail that’s bigger. That, unfortunately, meant
I had to sell my original equipment at quite a big loss, so it
would’ve made more sense to have hired it for that initial period
of time.
Man: Tell me, what is it about windsurfing that gives you most
pleasure?
Lily: Oh lots of things, such as the feeling of becoming physically
fitter and stronger, or discovering how to do things I’d never tried
before. But if I had to choose one it’d be the way it lets you
empty your mind of all the stress and concerns of daily life, and
just enjoy being out there on the open water.

Man: Finally, Lily, how do you see your future in windsurfing?

Lily: Well, I’ve thought of coaching but that would mean spending
a lot of time in practice pools, whereas the place I like to be is
the open sea, perhaps racing other people. In fact, that’s
probably what I’ll do once I’ve developed my skills a little more. I
may not win any prizes but I’ll certainly enjoy it. And windsurfing
is something you can keep doing even when you’re quite old.
Because unlike land-based sports, if you crash you’re very
unlikely to hurt yourself.
Man: Thank you, Lily.

QUESTIONS
(NOTA DEL CREADOR: EN ESTA PARTE LAS RESPUESTAN SUELEN CAMBIAR EN ORDEN Y EN
CONTENIDO EN FORMA DE SINONIMO)

A to work outdoors
B to have more responsibilities
C to work fewer hours each week
D to have longer holidays
E to earn more money
F to move to a new location
G to improve career prospects
H to have a new challenge

SPEAKER 1 D
SPEAKER 2 H
SPEAKER 3 E
SPEAKER 4 A
SPEAKER 5 G

Considerar
Sinónimos, orden de las alternativas, consejo: leer que dice cada speaker y captar la idea
claramente (USAR TRADUCTOR EN CASO SEA NECESARIO).

PART 4
24 How did Lily feel when she first tried windsurfing?
A worried that her feet would slip off the board
B glad that she had watched a training film first
C impatient to start moving quickly over the water

25 According to Lily, how long does it usually take to learn to windsurf?

A It depends on the equipment you use.
B It takes less time than you expect.
C It varies from person to person.

26 Lily believes she quickly learnt the basics of windsurfing because

A she had lessons at a windsurfing school.
B her friend was an excellent teacher.
C she was already an experienced surfer.

27 What safety advice does Lily give beginners?

A Try to make sure your sail never falls into the water.
B Tell someone on land how you can be identified at sea.
C Practise windsurfing on lakes rather than at sea.

28 Lily now thinks that as a complete beginner she should have

A used a bigger sail.
B rented a board and sail.
C bought a smaller board.

29 Nowadays, what does Lily most enjoy about windsurfing?

A learning new techniques
B developing her muscles
C forgetting everyday worries
30 Lily thinks that eventually she will
A become a windsurfing instructor.
B take pail in windsurfing competitions.
C have to give up windsurfing.

Considerar
24 algunos beginners quedan decepcionados al descubrir que el deporte no es lo que
imaginaban.
25 la experiencia previa y el fitness ayudan a alguien a mejorar
26 ella pasó algunos meses aprendiendo, ella no aprendió por si misma ni por un amigo
27 sinónimo, es bueno avisarle a alguien cuando vas a volver
28 ella se arrepiente y podría recomendar a un principiante alquilar un equipamiento en
vez de comprarlo
29 sinónimo, ella usa el windsurfing para relajarse y liberarse del stress
30 sinónimo, ella desea poder participar en competiciones/torneos/eventos en donde se
enfrente a otros deportistas