Name: ……………………………………….

BOOK 3: LISTENING EXERCISES

(32 tests)
Exercise 1. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Today, I’m going to give you some (1) ……………………….. about record-keeping. Keeping accurate
records is very important, because if a (2) ……………………….. is unhappy about his treatment, he may want to
make a complaint to the (3) ………………………... These records will help us to make a case. Always write your
name, the date and the time on all the records. Don’t use pencil, or colored pens. Use black ink. If you make
a mistake, just cross it out with a single line. Don’t use (4) ……………………….. fluid. Don’t try to file the records
away yourself, or they may get lost. Put them in this box here. The administration manager will make sure
they are filed away (5) ………………………...

Exercise 2. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Good afternoon and welcome to the 6.54 service to London, calling at Nottingham, Leicester,
Bedford and Luton. I’d like to (1) ……………………….. for our late running, which is currently 18 – one eight –
minutes behind (2) ………………………... This was due to a signal failure. However, we are (3) ……………………….. that
we will be able to make up for this lost time and arrive in London on schedule. There is a buffet service
towards the rear of the train in coach C, serving hot and cold drinks and snacks. Coach D is a quiet zone, so
please keep (4) ……………………….. levels down and make sure any music that you are listening to on headphones
is turned (5) ………………………...

Exercise 3. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to welcome you all to our 15th annual (1) ………………………..
of traffic signs and signals. It’s (2) ……………………….. to see so many people here. Let me give you the agenda for
the day. For the first hour we will (3) ……………………….. from our managing director, finance manager and our
C.E.O. Then we’ll break for half an hour at eleven o’clock for tea and coffee. Then we’ll meet again for a (4)
……………………….. lecture about the future of road travel. Lunch will be (5) ……………………….. at 12.30 in the Angel

Room. Go out of the hall, turn right, go down two levels and the Angel Room is on your right.

Exercise 4. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
First I’d like to tell you (1) ……briefly………………….. about the library. The ground floor is a social area
where you can meet for (2) ………discussions……………….., and there are plenty of computers to use. The
information desk is over there, near the stairs. The photocopiers are at the rear. The books are on the two
upper floors. Arts subjects are on the first floor and (3) ………science……………….. subjects are on the second.
Journals and periodicals are (4) ………kept……………….. in the basement. There are also three small meeting rooms
downstairs. You can book these out for no charge. You just need to sign up on the (5) …………timetables……………..
on the door. They aren’t locked; you can go straight in.

Exercise 5. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Well, it’s (1) …………great…………….. to see you, George. I hope you enjoy working for us here. Now, let
me brief you on what we have to do this morning. First, your hours. You will do an eight hour day, but you
can start any time between seven and half past nine, so you can (2) ………organize……………….. your own hours and
leave early if you want. This morning, I’d like you to read some health and (3) ………safety………………..
information on the computer. You’ll need to (4) …………complete…………….. a quiz on the computer after you’ve
read it. Later on, I’ll give you a (5) …………tour…………….. of the building.

Exercise 6. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
You want to get free electricity, and earn money at the same time? We, at PV Lec, would like to (1)
……………offer………….. you a great deal. Install photovoltaic panels on your roof and you can (2) ………

generate……………….. your own electricity from the sun! You will save money on your electricity bills, and you

can sell any electricity you don’t use back to your electricity (3) ………supplier……………….. . If that isn’t a great
enough deal, you’ll also get a tax-free payment from the (4) …………government…………….., simply as a ‘thank you’
for generating carbon-free energy. Call PV Lec now on 08004778599 for a free survey to (5) ……………

determine………….. which size unit is suitable for your home.

Exercise 7. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
And now for the weather. Today it will be another warm, (1) ……dry………………….. day, but it won’t be as
sunny as yesterday. Most areas of the (2) ………region……………….. will be overcast. But temperatures will be high,
around seventy degrees, with some light (3) ………………….. on the coast. Unfortunately this spell isn’t going to
last, I’m (4) ………afraid………………... Tomorrow, a band of rain is going to creep in from the (5) …………South………..

west, and it’s going to feel a lot colder.

Exercise 8. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
I used to own a little clothes shop, but it was in a back street, away from the town (1) ………………
center……….., so we didn’t do very well. One day, I went to my supplier, and bought a hundred (2) ……………

leather………….. jackets for fifty pounds. They were seconds, with broken zips and (3) in the
…………holes ……………..

lining. Then I put an ad in the paper saying that I was selling leather jackets for a pound each. I could have
sold them for more, but I wanted the (4) …………publicity…………….. for my shop. Five days before the sale, I saw
a girl sitting on the street (5) …………outside…………….. the shop. She was waiting to buy a jacket! On the morning
of the sale, there were about 800 girls in the (6) …………queue…………….. and we only had a hundred jackets!

Exercise 9. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
You may be (1) …………interested…………….. in opening a bank account with us. We give 4% interest, as long as
you pay $2500 into your account every month. You don’t even have to worry about (2) …………

switching…………….. over your direct debits and standing orders from your (3) ……………previous………….. bank
account. We’ll do that for you. We’ll also give you $100 if this is your first (4) …………current…………….. account
with us. To be eligible for this deal, you must be over 18 and be a US citizen. Apply online today, and your
(5) …………account…………….. will be set up within one week.

Exercise 10. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
 In the last year, I’m happy to say that sales of our pies have (1) ……………increased………….. . The marketing
team did a great job in promoting our products. (2) ………Unfortunately……………….., however, our costs have
increased too. This is partly due to the advertising costs which were fifty percent higher than we expected to
pay. But the other (3) …………problem…………….. is the growing price of oil. This is increasing the cost of all our
supplies. I think we should consider finding local food suppliers to (4) …………reduce…………….. these costs. As
for packaging, we may be able to find (5) …………cheaper…………….. suppliers overseas.

Exercise 11. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
A group of green charities called Rewilding Britain wants to return a large area of Scotland to how it
was a thousand years ago. The group wants (1) ……………forests………….. and lost animals, birds and fish to return.
One of the (2) ………animals……………….. the group aims to put back into the wild is the wolf. This died out in
Britain in (3) …………1680…………….. after hunters and farmers killed them all. Other species that could return to
Scottish (4) …………Mountain…………….., rivers and seas include the lynx (a wild cat), beavers, bison, sea eagles,
bluefin tuna and grey whales. The charities want the government to return one-twentieth of the country to its
(5) …………natural…………….. state. The area it wants is the United Kingdom's cleanest region. It hopes much of
this can happen by the year 2030.
Not everyone thinks the reintroduction of animals like the (6) ………wolf……………….. and lynx is a good
idea. Farmers are (7) …………worried……….. it would cause them many problems. A farmer's group said it was a
crazy idea to bring back predators to the country because they would start (8) ………killing……………….. farm
animals. They also said that dams built by beavers would increase the risk of flooding (9) ……………

farmland………….., while sea eagles kill lambs. Rewilding Britain spokeswoman Rebecca Wrigley said: "Re-
wilding is really for everyone who cares about our future." She added: "Our ecosystems need us." Ms
Wrigley said it was (10) …………important…………….. to re-wild Britain for, "native forests to regenerate" and to
give "the seas a chance to recover from industrial fishing".

Exercise 12. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Doctors in Britain are worried because British teenagers eat lots of crisps, sweets and fast food. Most
teenagers don't have enough fruit or (1) __vegetables________ and more than one million British school
children are (2) _____overweight_____. Some teenagers say that they don't have time to eat good food, but
kids who have a poor diet often have health (3) _____problems_____ when they are older.
Americans have been (4) ______familiar____ with fast food for a long time, it was born there.
American fast food is now a part of life far beyond the stores of the United States. McDonald's, Pizza Hut
and Burger King have (5) _______restaurants___ all over the world. No one can deny that the idea of fast
food at a fair price has its place around the world. These establishments are (6) ____popular______ not
simply because they are fulfilling a need within a particular country's economy.
A steady diet of (7) ___burgers_______, fries and soda may look delicious, but it won't nourish your
body with vitamins and (8) _____minerals_____ you need to stay healthy. Fast food lacks many important
nutrients. Some parents are (9) _____blaming_____ the growth of fast food restaurants where people eat
high-calorie foods of low nutritional value. Now doctors are giving young people books and games about a
good diet. Having a (10) _____healthy_____, well-balanced diet can help you feel better and live longer.

Exercise 13. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
 Um… I am from Sweden, but not from a big city. I grew up in a peaceful (1) _____town_____ about
an hour away from the capital, Stockholm. There are only about 4,000 people - it's really tiny. If you go
there, you'll find people very kind and (2) ____friendly______ . It's a very nice place to live in because it's
extremely safe and quiet. Moreover, it never gets too (3) ____crowded______ . You will not be stuck in
traffic jam at rush hours.
There are several interesting sights, including an old (4) __castle________ which was built over
(5) ____200______ years ago; it's very large and splendid. It's not far from our school, so my friends and I
often wander around there to take photos. Another popular place is the church, a big old one with a very high
(6) ______tower____ . Every afternoon, local people go there to have a service in which they listen to the
priest, read bibles and think about their life. Whenever I'm there, I feel very (7) ____peaceful______ and
comfortable. Besides, the wonderful and romantic (8) ____fountain______ in the town center is also my
most favorite place. After school, I usually spend some minutes there playing with my friends. We've got a
lot of memories at that fountain.
There are no (9) _____youthclubs_____ or nightclubs in my town, so people just stay at home and
watch TV in the evening. Whereas some people find (10) _____living_____ here quite boring and like to
live somewhere with a more lively nightlife, still I regard it to be the most beautiful town, and I want no
change.

Exercise 14. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Woman: Hello. I'd like to speak to the flat manager, please.
Man: Yes, this is him. How can I help you?
Woman: I'm calling about the flat you advertised in the Sunday newspaper. Is it still
(1) ____available__________?
Man: Yes, it's a lovely flat with two bedrooms, one living room, a dining room, a kitchen, and one
bathroom. It's on the (2) _______2nd_______floor at the back of the building. I think it's quite
(3) ______convenient________. There's a park close by and a big mall that has a supermarket, bank and a
restaurant.
Woman: How much is the rent a month?
Man: It's $700 per month for the two-bedroom flat. We also have one bedroom available with the new
(4) _______carpet_______ and the kitchen was recently renovated. It's only (5) $_____500_________ a
month.
Woman: No, we need a two-bedroom. Um … is it a (6) ____safe__________ area to live?
Man: Well, I can tell you I have been living in this (7) _____neighbourhood_________ for 3 years, and I
have never heard about anybody having a problem.
Woman: Are utilities included?
Man: Water is included but not (8) ______electricity________ and cable TV.
Woman: How much is the deposit?
Man: We require nearly one month's rent in advance as a damage deposit. If you want to sign a one year
lease, the rent is $650 with (9) $ _____550_________ as a damage deposit.
Woman: Does the flat have a lot of windows?
Man: Windows? Yes, there are plenty of windows. But unfortunately, there is another building right next
door. There isn't much light, really, so it's a little (10) _____dark_________ during the day.
Woman: Oh well, I'm never around during the day, anyway. When can I come to see the flat?
Man: How about tomorrow at 5 o'clock p.m?
Woman: Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.
Man: Bye.

Exercise 15. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
 “Flying back to the United States after the first trip to Brazil for me was a long and (1)
_______boring_____ flight. A flight attendant had asked me to move from my assigned seat to allow an
elderly couple to sit together. The attendant sat me in the middle of a large group of Brazilian women on
their way to the States to start their au pair assignments. Normally this would have been (2)
___amazing_________, but after 36 straight hours of performing, partying, and travelling, I was so (3)
_____tired_______, all I wanted to do was sleep.
I was seated next to Anna, an English teacher with big eyes and a (4) __gentle__________ voice. We
got on really well, so I felt very comfortable and (5) ____relax________. We talked for the majority of the
11-hour flight and it was (6) _____suprising_______ how quickly the time went. But after the flight I
realized I'd forgotten to get Anna's contact information. I was really (7) _____depressed_______, so I
decided to contact the airline and got them to help me find her. I found that it was quite (8)
_____embarrasing_______ but I still gave them her seat number, and waited.
After some days, I thought that I would never hear from her but I was (9) _____amazed_______ when she
called me after the airline asked her if she wanted to phone me. We kept in touch and after that she came and
visited my city and we had a (10) _____brilliant_______ time. We got married after 2 years and we're very
happy together.”

Exercise 16. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word. Listen to Lucy and
Mark talking about their plans for summer job. Fill in the missing information in the spaces. You will
hear the recording twice.
Lucy: So, what are you going to do this summer?
Mark: Well, I'm probably going to go on vacation with my family for a week, but I think that I should get
a summer job because I need to get some money. Actually, I haven't decided yet. What about you?
Lucy: I'm going to Thailand for the summer. I'm going to work as a (1) ______waitress________ in a
Thai restaurant for 2 months.
Mark: Really? That sounds great! Is it a (2) ______full-time________ job?
Lucy: Yes. Actually, the work won't be very interesting. It'll be mostly taking orders, serving food and
drinks and dealing with bill (3) ______payments________. My manager is so generous to
(4) _____offer_________ me $800/ month.
Mark: Great! I wish I could get a job with such a high (5) _____salary_________ like that. It'll be like a
holiday, but you'll be earning money too.
Lucy: Yes, it's a chance to go abroad and maybe meet some new people. I think that I won't be under job
(6) _____pressure_________ because my hours are 5 hours per day, so I'll have plenty of time
during the day to go walking.
Mark: How did you find out about it?
Lucy: I read about it in a book called Summer Work Abroad. It tells you about all kinds of different jobs
in different places. You can work as a (7) _____shop assistant_________ in Bangkok. They need
people who can speak English well.
Mark: Oh! I like the sound of that!
Lucy: Yes, of course the problem with that sort of work is that it is a (8) _______part-time_______ job so
you're paid hourly. And If you like it, you should (9) ____apply__________ now.
Mark: Oh! I haven't decided yet.
Lucy: You know within just 2 days, we have received more than 200 (10) _____applications_________.
Mark: OK. Anyway, it's worth a try. Thank you, Lucy.

Exercise 17. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Alice: So, Michael, what sport do you play?
Michael: I play badminton, football, boxing and tennis but football is my (1) _______favourite_______
because it is a team game, so you can play it with your friends and enjoy team work.
Alice: It is quite a competitive game as well, right?
Michael: Yeah. It's a (2) ______competitive________ game and that's another reason why I really enjoy it.
Alice: I know it is really exciting to watch a football match. Is it exciting to play it?
Michael: Yeah, definitely. Run, pass, kick and score. Oh! That's wonderful.
Alice: Where do you play, then?
Michael: I play at local (3) ______stadiums________ and sort of play in international youth football
tournaments around Asia.
Alice: You mentioned you played in international youth (4) ______tournaments________ – now do you
do quite well in the tournaments?
Michael: Yes, I've played for Hanoi youth football club and we've got through to the semifinals of different
Vietnam tournaments, and for U19 - my other football team, we've actually won a few (5)
______championships________. So, yes, I have done quite well.
Alice: Oh well done! What are the important qualities of a football player?
Michael: Well, first of all you need to have the (6) ________knowlegde______ of the game, the skill,
mental ability and fitness.
Alice: What do you mean by the skill?
Michael: The player should have good vision to receive and to pass the ball well; a good player will be able
to (7) _______maintain_______ technical efficiency while they are under pressure.
Alice: Pressure?
Michael: Yes. The pressure is from the (8) ______movement________ of the ball, the time and the
competitiveness of the other side.
Alice: It sounds like playing football is easy to get injured.
Michael: Yes, we have learnt many ways to (9) _______prevent_______ football injuries.
Alice: Yes, all right. So how often do you play football then, Michael?
Michael: Well, during the (10) _____season_________, which is about September to June, I play 4 times a
week. Two of those are trainings and two of those are matches.
Exercise 18. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
There are many popular leisure time activities, but one of the most (1) ______enjoyable________ is
family time. Most people enjoy being with their families. There are many things to do with your family too.
Families can go to the movies, travel, visit (2) _____museums_________ and play sports together. The most
common family activity is probably camping. Many families like camping. It is a (3)
____chance__________ for the whole family to work together. They can stay in the wild. Children
(4) ______collect________ dry wood for the fire. Their parents set up the (5) ______tents________. Then
the whole family gathers around the fire. They enjoy a (6) _____special_________ meal together. Then,
they set off into the woods with a compass and a map. After (7) ______hiking________ the trails, everyone
gets a fishing pole. Each person casts the fishing line out into the river. Who gets the biggest fish? It's a great
(8) ______contest________. Later, the children clean the fish by the river. They take the scales off the fish.
Mom fried the fish over the (9) _______campfire_______. Dad cleans up when everyone finishes. You don't
want wild animals coming to eat your leftovers! Then everyone goes into their tents for a restful night. While
there are many things that families can do together, camping is probably the most (10)
______exciting________.

Exercise 19. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Kim: Is that your brother - the man standing near the table?
Michael: Oh, yes, my brother - Ben. You know him?
Kim: No, I mean, you look (1) ______similar________ to him.
Michael: Do you think so?
Kim: In fact, you have different hairstyle. His is (2) ______fashionable________, yours is formal.
Michael: And Ben's isn't (3) _______curly_______, like mine.
Kim: No, but your faces are like twins, no difference.
Michael: I don't think so. His eyes are different color to mine. His eyes are blue and mine are (4)
_____brown_________.
Kim: Yes, I'm not talking about the eye color. I mean the shape of your faces. His face is (5)
______longer________, yes, but you have the same mouths, and the same noses.
Michael: Look! He is fatter than me.
Kim: Maybe, and he isn't as (6) _______tall_______ as you.
Michael: Absolutely.
Kim: Are your personalities the same?
Michael: No! We have no similarities at all. Ben is a humorous and (7) _____sociable________ person. He
makes everyone like him by his sense of humor. I'm (8) ______quieter________. I do not have as
many friends as Ben.
You must have some things in common.
Well, we both like playing football and playing the guitar, and we're both (9)
____optimistic__________. We like watching the same TV programs, have the same taste in food
and we have similar (10) _____political_________ opinions. I suppose we have those things in
common. What about you? Do you have a brother or a sister?

Exercise 20. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Hello everyone. As you may have heard, due to the (1) _____increasing_________ cost of
aluminum, many of our company’s prices will change next month. We’ve tried to avoid this over the last
few months, but aluminum’s cost has (2) ______remained________ high, and we now have no other choice
but to raise our prices. For example: the price of the File Master large filing cabinet will go up to $300. For a
full list of the new prices, please check your email tomorrow – we will be sending all of you an updated
copy of our price catalog. All price changes will take (3) _____effect_________ on the first of next
month. All sales (4) _____representatives_________ should remember to mention this to all of their
customers before the 15th of this month. The old prices will be (5) _____accepted_________ for orders
placed before the first of the month, but the new prices will apply starting on that day.

Exercise 21. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
When you are making a sales pitch to (1) ______________, there are a few key things to keep in
mind. First, avoid making long (2) ______________. You don’t want to bore them or drown them with
detail. Just talk about the most important points, and (3) ______________ them clearly and
concisely. Second: study your audience. Before your meeting, learn as much as possible about each client’s
needs. That way, you’ll be ready to talk about how our products will benefit them. A good sales pitch
doesn’t just talk about the (4) ______________ or the details of the product, it spends a lot more time (5)
______________ on how it will benefit the customer. You want them to feel like you are there to help them,
not to get their money. Finally: always address clients by their name. Sure, it’s important to show (6)
______________, but you want to try to make the client think about you as a friend, and that’s an easy way
to start.

Exercise 22. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
President Karl Newberg and all the employees of Express Shipping are proud to (1)
______________ the completion of construction of the largest cargo ship in the company’s history. The ship
was named “The James Smith Express” in (2) ______________ of our founder and will be launched from
London before the end of this year. The ship has a (3) ______________ of over 500,000 tons of cargo, yet it
can travel faster than many smaller vessels. This will speed up shipping times on our London to New York
route and make us more (4) ______________ than ever. All employees are invited to come to the company’s
dock in London on the first of December to meet the new captain and help (5) ______________ the launch
of this magnificent new addition to our fleet.

Exercise 23. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Good morning employees. Two weeks from now, on October 5th, the offices’ fire ______________
system will be updated to meet new fire ______________. Next Thursday, workers will be installing most of
the new fire suppressant devices all morning. Because this first step ______________ that the electricity be
turned off, the office will be closed that morning. Everyone can take the morning off - don’t report to work
before 1 pm. On the 5th, the workers will ______________ tests on the alarm system at different times
throughout the afternoon. These tests will be noisy, but they will be brief, and it will still be possible to work
during the tests. We really appreciate your ______________ and understanding.

Exercise 24. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Hello students and (1) ______________. As of today, food or drinks may no longer be brought into
the computer room. We have recently had to (2) ______________ three keyboards due to hot drinks being
carelessly spilled on them. We know that these were accidents, but we cannot (3) ______________ to keep
replacing equipment. You can store food and drinks in the refrigerator that is outside the computer room. To
keep the computers working for everybody and to keep your tuition costs down, please remember to wash
your hands after eating and before using the computers. Smoking is strictly (4) ______________ while using
the computers, and please keep the office door closed and the fan on at all times. If you have any questions,
please see Karen in the (5) ______________ office. Thanks!

Exercise 25. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
May I have your (1) ______________ please? This is an emergency. There is a fire on the tenth floor
of our building, and the fire department is on its way. The fire is (2) ______________ small but for safety
reasons we are evacuating the building. Everyone is required to leave the building at once. The building
manager will be switching off the electricity in two minutes to help (3) ______________ the fire, but the
emergency lighting system will guide you outside. Please walk calmly to the nearest staircase and exit the
building immediately. Do not run, and do not use the (4) ______________. Once you are out of the building,
please report to your department’s designated assembly area. Your manager will have a checklist to make
sure that all members have arrived safely. If you notice that any staff members are missing, please report it
right away to your (5) ______________ supervisor.

Exercise 26. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Good afternoon employees, this announcement is to let you know that the (1) ______________ lot
on the west side of the building will be closed starting this Thursday, February 25th for construction. The
construction is expected to last (2) ______________ weeks while they remodel the shops on our building’s
ground floor. Everyone will need to park their cars in the (3) ______________ garage so that customers can
use the parking lot on the east side of the ground floor since they have the top priority. Because space in the
garage is quite (4) ______________, we ask that anyone who lives near our office consider walking or using
public transportation. All other employees should consider carpooling. To help make carpooling easier, Mrs.
Ross in office 327 will be creating a list of employees who are interested and the neighborhood in which
they live. This will help you (5) ______________ fellow employees whose route to work is similar to yours.
Thanks for your understanding.

Exercise 27. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Hello everyone, just a quick announcement. The sales (1) ______________ has reported on its sales
figures for the first half of the year, and they are well (2) ______________ expectations. For the first two
quarters of this year, the (3) ______________ of lower costs and higher sales means we are heading toward
our highest profit margins ever! I want to send a big congratulation to Steve Goldberg the sales department
manager, and to all sales department employees – we really appreciate your hard work, and thank you for
your (4) ______________ and the great job you’ve done so far this year! I’m still working on the exact
numbers with Steve, but I can promise you that the entire sales division will receive a (5) ______________
bonus at the end of the year.

Exercise 28. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Hello. Many employees have (1) ______________ an interest in having more food choices in our
snack bar downstairs. Several different staff members offered some very good suggestions about how it
should be organized, and the management has now decided to (2) ______________ the snack bar into a full-
service lunchroom. We will be offering several hot and cold main courses, a salad bar, desserts, and hot and
cold drinks everyday from 11am to 1pm. We also want to (3) ______________ that the food prices will be
very (4) ______________. We have kept the profit margins to a minimum since our priority was to offer
healthy and convenient meals for our wonderful staff. A daily menu will be posted on the notice board in the
staff room and you can always make suggestions for specific foods or general suggestions about the new
lunchroom by using the comment box near the (5) ______________.

Exercise 29. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Good evening employees! As you know, there are only four days left until Christmas. Today, the
company was approached by the St. Vincent de Paul Society with an (1) ______________ request. St.
Vincent’s Christmas Appeal aims to provide the homeless with blankets and a hot meal on Christmas Day.
However, this year they do not yet have enough blankets to meet the (2) ______________. If you are
interested in contributing to this worthy cause, we (3) ______________ you to check the cupboards in your
home for any blankets you can spare. Blankets must be clean and in good condition, and they will be greatly
appreciated by this worthwhile (4) ______________. If you would like to donate a blanket, you will see
some large yellow bins in the lobby of our building (5) ______________ tomorrow and Friday. Thank you
for your generosity during this holiday season.
Exercise 30. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
There is a saying in England which goes; ‘the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain'. I can tell you
now that it is a lie. The rain in Spain seems to (1) ______________ mostly on me. I am spending a year in
Galicia and, although it is certainly a beautiful part of the world, I think it rains more than in England. And
that is pretty (2) ______________.
There are no plains here. It is a coastal area, and (3) ______________ and storms get pushed in from
over the ocean with force. Right now there is a (4) ______________ flashing and crashing above my head. I
have three umbrellas: Two big ones and a little one which I keep on me at all times, just in case. Believe me
when I tell you that this is not excessive.
The problem is that very often, umbrellas are not much help. The wind pushes the rain until it is
(5) ______________ horizontal, and the best umbrella in the world becomes useless. And so, often I arrive
at work with a dry head and shoulders (6) ______________ by my umbrella, but with wet feet and legs. The
rain falls hard and fast, and there is no escaping it. I am (7) ______________ considering investing in some
plastic trousers.
When people from England think of Spain, they imagine beaches and (8) ______________. Those
things are a world away from my (9) ______________ here in Galicia. But I'm not complaining. It's because
of all this rain that the countryside here is so green and beautiful. There are beautiful beaches here in Galicia,
although there probably isn't anybody (10) ______________ on them at the moment.

Exercise 31. Listen to the recording twice. Fill in the blanks with no more than two words or numbers.
 HISTORY HOMEWORK
Age: (1) ……………………….…
Name: (2) ……………………….… Smith (my grandfather)
Lived where? in a (3) ……………………….… in south London (only two bedrooms)
Family: five (4) ……………………….… and parents
First job: (5) ……………………….…
Hobbies: driving (6) ……………………….…, looking at my old stamps

Exercise 32. Listen to the recording twice, fill in the blank with a suitable word.
Our subject today is whales. We discuss a report on the effect of noise from ships on the (1)
……………………….… of whales. And, we visit a whaling museum on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts.

Passenger ships, trade ships, and fishing boats are a (2) ……………………….… part of life on the open sea. However,
all their activity creates a great deal of noise underwater. Scientists from the United States and Canada
recently reported their (3) ……………………….… that the ocean is getting noisier. That is sound recorded with (4)
……………………….… placed underwater near the busy shipping lanes off Vancouver Island in Canada. Scientists at

the University of Victoria have studied the recordings. They say engine noise is continuous (5) ……………………….
… the day, and a little less intense at night.