FCE Listening Practice Test 20

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear a woman talking about her job. How does she feel about it?
A It’s boring.
B She likes it.
C She finds it difficult.

2 You overhear a man telling a friend about a film he saw recently. What type of film was it?
A a romance
B an action film
C science fiction

3 You hear a man telling his colleague about his holiday. What was the problem with it?
A He became ill.
B He argued with his partner.
C He couldn’t see all the things he wanted to see.

4 You overhear a conversation in a supermarket. What are they discussing?
A returning an item
B breaking an item
C buying an item

5 You hear an advertisement on the radio. What is being advertised?
A a festival
B a new music album
C a cake

6 You overhear a woman talking on the phone about her new boss. What is she worried
about?
A losing her job
B being given extra work to do
C her boss is inexperienced

7 You hear an actor talking on the radio about his new film. What does he say about preparing
for the role?
A He had to learn a new skill.
B He did lots of research.
C It was physically challenging.

8 You overhear two people talking about a car. Why are they talking about the car?
A It’s the man’s first car.
B It’s a brand new car.
C It has broken down.

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FCE Listening Practice Test 19

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear someone talking about women’s football. What is she doing when she speaks?
A encouraging young girls to support a team
B suggesting how to attract young girls to the sport
C asking young girls to take the sport seriously

2 You hear a man talking on the radio about a bag made for use on walking trips. How does this new bag differ from others?
A It has pockets on the side.
B You can take off the rain cover.
C There are some extra features.

3 On the radio, you hear a man discussing a cartoon film about dinosaurs. What aspect of the film disappointed him?
A the design of the backgrounds
B the quality of the sound effects
C the size of the dinosaurs

4 You overhear a couple talking about keeping fit. What do they agree about?
A the need to be more active
B the benefits of joining a gym
C the dangers of too much exercise

5 In a radio play, you hear a woman talking on the phone to a friend. Where does the woman want her friend to meet her?
A on the beach
B at the bank
C in a shop

6 You hear a student talking to his friend about a meeting with his tutor. What was the student’s purpose in meeting his tutor?
A to see if there was a part-time job available
B to ask for financial assistance
C to request more time to complete coursework

7 You hear a man talking about learning how to paint landscapes. What does he say about it?
A It proved easier than he had thought.
B It showed him he had some talent.
C It opened up opportunities for him.

8 You turn on the radio and hear a man talking. What is he talking about?
A finding friendship
B solving problems
C helping others

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 18

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear some information about a country on a travel programme. Where do most people spend the summer months?
A at the seaside
B in the capital city
C in the mountains

2 You hear part of a radio programme about chewing gum. What is the speaker doing?
A outlining its history
B describing why it has changed
C explaining its popularity

3 You hear part of a radio programme where listeners phone in with their opinions. What does the man want to do?
A express his disappointment
B complain about his situation
C encourage other listeners

4 You hear a woman speaking on the radio about buying a painting for the first time. What opinion is she expressing?
A A painting can be a worthwhile investment.
B Only buy a painting if you have room for it.
C Take your time when buying your first painting.

5 You hear a man being interviewed on the radio. What does he say about his mother?
A She helped him become an artist.
B She persuaded him to do research.
C She wanted him to make money.

6 You hear part of an interview with a woman who is talking about her day. What is her profession?
A a teacher
B a doctor
C a farmer

7 You hear a man talking on the radio about teaching beginners to surf in the sea. What does the man say about beginners?
A They are very sensitive to criticism.
B They need to be given appropriate goals.
C They often start off with the wrong attitude.

8 You hear part of an interview with a crime novelist. What point is he making about his novels?
A They are based on real-life crimes.
B They include accurate descriptions of life in the past.
C They vary in length depending on the historical period.

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 17

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You overhear a woman talking to her husband on a mobile phone. What is the background to the conversation?
A The family’s holiday may have to be cancelled.
B The woman wants to buy their son a computer.
C Their son has schoolwork to complete before the start of term.

2 You hear a phone-in programme on the radio. Why has the man phoned?
A to complain about the traffic scheme
B to express his support for the traffic scheme
C to question the aims of the traffic scheme

3 On the radio, you hear a woman talking about her house. What has she recently done?
A decided to move to another area
B solved a problem that she had
C made improvements to her house

4 You overhear two people discussing a friend. What language does their friend usually speak at home?
A French
B English
C Italian

5 You hear a man talking about an activity holiday he went on as a child with his family. How did he feel during the holiday?
A bored by the climbing
B upset with his father
C disappointed with the rowing boat

6 You hear the beginning of a radio programme. What is the programme going to be about?
A child development
B the environment
C a form of entertainment

7 You hear a man being interviewed about a new project he has set up. What is the purpose of the project?
A to help people find accommodation in Scotland
B to tell people where to stay in Australia
C to advise people how to set up a flat agency

8 You switch on the radio in the middle of a programme. What kind of programme is it?
A an arts review
B an interview
C a quiz show

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 16

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear a restaurant manager talking about the cooks who work for him. What does he say about them?
A They dislike cleaning tasks.
B They have a choice of jobs.
C They help to decide the menu.

2 You hear a woman talking about a new book. What does she particularly like about the book?
A It is educational.
B It is well organised.
C It is enjoyable.

3 You hear the writer of a television soap opera being interviewed about the programme. What will happen next in the story?
A Someone will make an important decision.
B Someone will go away unexpectedly.
C Someone will learn the truth at last.

4 You hear part of a radio interview. Who is speaking?
A a taxi driver
B a porter
C a tourist guide

5 You hear a woman talking about how she keeps fit. Why did she decide to take up line dancing?
A She thought the pace would suit her.
B She had heard about it on television.
C She wanted to try exercising to music.

6 You overhear a conversation in a restaurant. What does the woman think about the food she has just eaten?
A It was expensive.
B It was delicious.
C It looked wonderful.

7 You turn on the radio and hear a man talking. What is he talking about?
A drawing pictures
B writing fiction
C composing music

8 You overhear a student phoning her parents. What is her opinion of the place she is living in while at college?
A She is not sure she will have enough room to study.
B She has difficulty in working because of the noise.
C She does not get on well with her room-mates.

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 15

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear a man talking about a book.What does he particularly like about it?
A It’s amusing.
B It’s well written.
C It’s informative.

2 You hear a caller on a radio phone-in programme. Why has she called?
A to criticise the appearance of a new building
B to question the purpose of a new building
C to explain the location of a new building

3 You overhear a conversation about families. What language does the man usually speak at home?
A Dutch
B English
C Spanish

4 You hear a woman talking about learning how to make jewellery. What does she say about it?
A It’s made her realise that she lacks practical skills.
B It’s easier to do than she had expected.
C It’s created new opportunities for her.

5 You hear a man talking about a new car he’s just bought. The man was most attracted to this model by
A its economy.
B its reliability.
C its size.

6 You overhear two sales assistants talking about their new manager. What does the woman say about him?
A He’s well qualified for the job.
B He’s been very polite so far.
C He seems very efficient.

7 You hear a man talking about a tennis competition. What does he say about it?
A It was less successful than a newspaper suggested.
B More people should have taken part in it.
C The players enjoyed it.

8 You hear a cycle mechanic talking to a customer. What does he say about the customer’s bike?
A It’s not worth repairing.
B It would be impossible to repair.
C It’s difficult to get the parts needed for the repair.

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 14

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You need to see a doctor urgently. You telephone a surgery and hear this answer-phone message. What are you advised to do?
A go to 217 Jordan Street
B contact another doctor
C telephone 622919

2 You hear part of a news broadcast on TV about an accident at a chemical factory. The speaker is speaking
A in the chemical factory.
B outside the chemical factory.
C in the nearby town.

3 You are staying in Britain with a host family. You hear the father speaking to one of his children. The day of the week they are speaking on is
A Tuesday.
B Thursday.
C Wednesday.

4 You overhear a man at a call box telephoning an emergency break-down service to ask for a mechanic to fix his car. Where is the car?
A near the Green Lion pub
B opposite the Green Lion pub
C opposite the high street

5 Listen to a man outside a supermarket talking to a housewife. What does the man want to do?
A sell her some washing powder
B ask her about her family’s washing habits
C visit her home

6 You are with a group of friends. One of them is telling you about something that happened to her at work. She works
A as a secretary.
B as a railway employee.
C for the police.

7 Listen to this man being interviewed on the radio. The man is
A a singer.
B a film star.
C an actor.

8 You are on a bus tour of a British historical city. You are currently looking at Saint Christopher’s Memorial Hospital. The speaker’s opinion of that building is that
A she is not clear on its appearance.
B the gardens are exceptionally beautiful.
C the architecture is a masterpiece.

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 13

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You are in a shop when you overhear this man answering the telephone. What does the caller want to buy?
A a book about playing a guitar
B a book about guitar music
C a cassette of guitar music

2 You are listening to the radio when you hear this man speaking. What is he talking about?
A history
B shipbuilding
C politics

3 You are sitting in a cafe when you hear this woman speaking. She is telling her friend about
A the weather.
B buying a new coat.
C new windows.

4 Listen to this woman introducing a college lecture. The visiting lecturer
A has recently changed career.
B has made a new discovery.
C was late for the lecture.

5 You will hear someone talking about soap operas. What does the speaker think about them?
A They are boring and meaningless to everyone.
B The plot Is very exciting and unpredictable
C People become addicted to them without realising it.

6 You are staying in the home of a British family. You hear the mother answering the phone. The caller wants to take her daughter
A to the cinema.
B to a party.
C to a restaurant.

7 Listen to a policeman being interviewed on the evening television news. What is he describing?
A a car crash
B a bomb explosion
C a serious fire

8 You overhear this exchange in a major London railway station. The cause of the delay is
A snow.
B flooding.
C an accident.

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 12

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear a hotel manager talking about the staff who work for her. What does she say about them?
A They get to do a range of tasks.
B They often suggest new ideas.
C They sometimes arrive late.

2 You overhear a student talking on the phone. What does he say about life at college?
A He’s made a lot of new friends.
B His teachers are pleased with his progress.
C He finds his accommodation is very convenient.

3 You hear a caller on a radio phone-in programme. Why has she phoned?
A to disagree with a previous caller
B to warn other listeners about something
C to explain how she feels about something

4 You hear a man talking about a wildlife documentary. What aspect of it disappointed him?
A the animals which were featured
B the quality of the photography
C the style of the commentary

5 You overhear two people talking in a cafe. The man has just come from
A his workplace.
B a shopping centre.
C the house of a friend.

6 You hear a man talking about how he designs light shows for music concerts. He usually gets his ideas by
A watching films of previous shows with similar music.
B listening to the music for the show several times.
C asking the performers to describe the audience.

7 You hear two friends talking about a new ‘free bike-hire’ scheme. What do they agree about?
A the effect it might have on levels of bike crime
B who should be responsible for paying for it
C how much it would improve their city

8 You hear a woman talking about her favourite movie. Why does she like it?
A It’s very romantic.
B It’s very funny.
C It’s very exciting.

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript

FCE Listening Practice Test 11

The old, print-friendly test

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

1 You hear two friends talking about a book. What does the boy like about it?
A It’s short.
B It’s educational.
C It’s amusing.

2 You hear a man talking about family holidays as a teenager. What part did he find most enjoyable about them?
A the journey
B being outdoors
C watching films

3 You hear two friends talking about a hotel they stayed in. What do they agree about it?
A The location was convenient.
B The staff were friendly.
C The room was comfortable.

4 You hear a woman talking about a new film. How did she feel after seeing it?
A confused
B frustrated
C sad

5 You hear a woman telling a friend about her job in a supermarket. What was she doing there this morning?
A working on the checkout
B filling the shelves
C serving at the fish counter

6 You hear a man talking about a band he saw at a concert. What is he critical of?
A the image of the band
B the quality of the music
C the length of the show

7 You hear a sports instructor giving advice. What is he doing?
A giving feedback on a technique they’ve tried
B describing a technique they might find useful
C explaining why a technique might be inappropriate

8 You hear a woman talking about being at university. What surprised her about it?
A how quickly time passed
B how much money she spent
C how many friends she made

For this task: Answer Keys :: Tapescript