Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close
Practice Test B - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts

Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving

You will hear a conversation between a female customer and a male ticket seller. It is taking place in the box office of a local theatre company.


Section 1:

MAN: Hello. May I help you?

WOMAN: Well, I have a problem with these tickets. I got them for my birthday, and they’re for tomorrow evening, but I can’t come tomorrow. Is there any way I can exchange them?

MAN: Of course. That’ll only take a few minutes . . . On which day would you like to see the show?

WOMAN: Tuesday or Wednesday of next week would be best.

MAN: Unfortunately, the show isn’t being performed on either of those days. It plays the rest of that week and then it closes.

WOMAN: Darn, that doesn’t work for me. Too bad. My friend saw the show a few weeks ago and said it was amazing! Could I get a refund then?

MAN: I’m sorry, we have a policy of no refunds. Only exchanges.

WOMAN: Isn’t there anything you can do?

MAN: Well, let me speak to my manager. I’ll be right back.

WOMAN: Thanks.


Now answer questions 1-3.

1- Why is the woman speaking to the ticket seller?
2- What is most likely true about the show?
3- Why does the man go speak with his manager?

Section 2:

MAN: Sorry that took so long. Unfortunately, my manager says we can’t offer you a refund. But you can exchange these tickets for another show in our season, regardless of ticket price. Would that be ok?

WOMAN: I guess so. What other shows are playing this year?

MAN: Our next play is MacBeth—

WOMAN: (hmm) A tragedy? No, I wouldn’t like that.

MAN: We also have Blithe Spirit, which is a comedy, and Beauty and the Beast, a musical.

WOMAN: I love musicals! I’d like to see that one!

MAN: On which day would you like to see the show? It runs the entire month of February.

WOMAN: I’ll need a minute—why don’t you help the next person in line.


Now answer questions 4-5.

4- Why does the man give the names of several shows?
5- Why does the woman need a minute?

Section 3:

WOMAN: Hi, I’m back! I’d like tickets for the February 4th performance.

MAN: Alright . . . Now let me turn my computer screen around so you can see . . . there. This is our online seating chart. All of the seats in green are currently available; the ones in red are taken. Unfortunately, our balcony will be closed for renovations during February.

WOMAN: Let’s see . . . I’d like those two in the fifth row in the middle — no, sorry, I mean at the end. The two at the end.

MAN: Okay . . . done! Now, just a reminder that you aren’t allowed to bring cameras into the theatre. Food and drink are also prohibited, but can be enjoyed outside in the lobby. Cell phones are allowed but must be turned off. Anything else I can do for you?

WOMAN: Actually, now that I think of it, I’d like to get a third ticket for the same performance. My daughter would love to see it.

MAN: No problem . . . that’ll be sixty-eight dollars, then.

WOMAN: Here you go.

MAN: Thanks! Enjoy the show!


Now answer questions 6-8.

6- Where does the woman choose to sit?
7- What can the woman bring into the theatre?
8- What is the woman likely to do next?

Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation

You will hear a conversation between a husband and wife. They have guests coming over for dinner tonight.

MAN: Hey honey, I'm back! The wine was on sale, so I bought two bottles instead of one. How's the pizza coming?

WOMAN: I just ruined it! I put the oven temperature way too high by accident. The crust is all black and burnt! It's totally inedible! And Judy and Paul are supposed to arrive any minute now!

MAN: Don’t worry, it's not the end of the world! Do we have anything else to prepare for dinner? Is there any pizza dough left? Maybe we could make the pizza again.

WOMAN: I used up all the dough. There's no more tomato sauce or cheese either. All we have is salad, and a whole frozen chicken, but that won't thaw fast enough.

MAN: Well, we could always go out for pizza! There's that place a few blocks down the road, Golden Pizza House.

WOMAN: Ugh, not that place. We went there before, remember? The pizza was soggy and the sauce was too salty.

MAN: Yeah, you're right. It wasn't very good. Well, there aren't that many other restaurants around here, except for sushi. But we have chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Cheesecake doesn't really go very well with sushi. Hmm . . . We still have vegetables, right?

WOMAN: Yeah, there are plenty of vegetables. Isn't that a bit boring, though?

MAN: It’ll be fine. Judy used to be a vegetarian when I first met her in college. In fact, she taught me how to cook quite a few dishes! All I ever ate was beef pasta and canned soup before we became friends. Anyways, let's see. We can make stuffed zucchini, and cream of mushroom soup. That will go nicely with dessert!

WOMAN: Really? You're such a good cook now! I bet you wouldn't have burnt the pizza. But you’re right, let’s make the best of it. Stuffed zucchini sounds yummy! And we still have the salad, too!

MAN: Exactly. And we have two bottles of wine. See? Dinner isn't ruined. It's going to be delicious! Let's start on the vegetables, before Judy and Paul get here.


Now answer questions 1-5.

1- Why is the woman troubled?
2- What is the man’s first suggestion?
3- Why did they decide against Golden Pizza House?
4- What do the couple decide to do?
5- How did the man meet one of the guests?

Part 3: Listening for Information

You will hear a conversation between a man and a woman. The woman is looking for volunteer work.

MAN: Hello, Juicy Apple Orchards, this is Michael speaking! How may I help you?

WOMAN: Hi there! My name is Anna Howard. I’ve been backpacking in Canada for the past three months, and I really wanted to experience working on an organic farm this summer! I met another traveler who told me about your farm and that you take volunteers. Is that right?

MAN: That’s right! We’ve been offering free accommodation and food in exchange for fruit picking for the last ten years! It’s a great way to have fun, experience what life is like in the Canadian countryside, and meet amazing people from around the world.

WOMAN: I would love to do that! How many hours a week is it, and what are the duties to be done?

MAN: We ask our volunteers to work 4 to 5 hours a day, and we schedule rotating shifts for people. As we’re primarily an orchard, every shift will involve apple picking. The early morning shift workers also feed the chickens, the noon workers also turn the compost, and the evening workers also feed the goats!

WOMAN: That sounds really fun! So how do I start?

MAN: You could start anytime! We’ve got quite a few volunteers right now. Still, there are five rooms left in our volunteer guest house! But I have to ask you first, are you over the age of 18, and are you a Canadian resident?

WOMAN: I’m 23, and I’m from the States. I’m on a holiday visa. Is that acceptable, or do I need a working visa?

MAN: Great! No, you don’t need a working visa to volunteer on Canadian farms as long as you don’t stay longer than four weeks.

WOMAN: That works perfectly, as I’m going back home in three weeks anyways! Your farm is in Peachland, right? I’m in Castlegar right now, visiting a friend. It’s Tuesday today . . . would I be able to arrive on Friday?

MAN: Yes, we’re in Peachland! Friday sounds good! We’ll prepare a room for you. See you then!


Now answer questions 1-6.

1- Where does the woman want to volunteer?
2- What does the man offer the woman?
3- Why is the woman in Canada?
4- What time will the woman start work each day?
5- Where does the woman come from?
6- Why does the woman want to volunteer?

Part 4: Listening to a News Item

You will hear a news item about a bear problem.

Residents living on the outskirts of Chapel Hill are being asked to put a tight lid on their garbage because of an increase in black bear sightings. Parks and Wildlife Official, Gary Hampton, explained that the recent heat wave has dried up several of the black bears’ natural food sources, such as berry bushes and fishing streams, forcing the bears to seek food near urban areas. Hampton warns residents of Chapel Hill that, “Garbage provides a variety of appetizing foods for a hungry bear and the best way to avoid problems with bears in the backyard is to keep garbage cans in the garage or the house until they can be collected by city workers.” A local resident, Sandra Nelson, complains that keeping her garbage in the house is not an acceptable solution. Yet, what smells bad to most people can be very appetizing to a hungry bear. The aroma of garbage can attract bears from far away. So, if residents must put their garbage outside, Hampton advises them to purchase animal-proof garbage cans. These cans have lids that are difficult for animals to remove. Not only do the cans keep animals away from the garbage, but they also keep the garbage smells from attracting the animals.


Part 5: Listening to a Discussion

You will watch a discussion among three people. There are two women and one man. They are at their office.

Lynn: Hello, you must be Ivan! I’m Lynn, Chemistry.

Ivan: Hello, Lynn. Yes, Ivan. Math.

Reena: And I’m Reena, Biology. Sorry that I’m late — I had a little trouble finding the room! So . . . we’re the new part-time instructors! Congratulations to us!

Ivan: Hear! Hear! I think we should all go out and celebrate, once we get this all figured out [gesturing the space]!

Lynn: [looking around] I can understand why the Human Resources person wanted us to meet. It’s awfully tight in here, isn’t it? I don’t even think there’s room enough for three desks! [pause] At least there’s window though!

Reena: I don’t even think there’s enough room for two desks. Let’s hope that our schedules work out and one person wants to use the office in the mornings, another in the afternoons, and a third in the evenings. This carpet is ancient! I love it!

Lynn: Let’s ask for a desk that at least has drawers on both sides. I could use the ones on the left . . .

Ivan: And Reena can take the drawers on the right. And I’ll take one of the draws on the filing cabinet. That still leaves one drawer for each of us for our files! I think that should be enough. I would imagine most of us use our laptops for our files.

Reena: Sounds good. Do you think then that means we could have three bookcases, one for each of us?

Ivan: I’d like that! I don’t mind sharing the desk or a filing cabinet, but I want my own bookcase!

Lynn: Me too. If we move the filing cabinet over here and the table over there, maybe there’s room on that wall for three bookcases. Um, we’ll also need a chair for the desk and one for students, for office hours, to go over papers, answer questions . . . And a whiteboard over there?

Reena: So much better than a blackboard! I hate getting chalk all over your fingers, and then all over your clothes . . .

Ivan: Well . . . I guess I can get used to a whiteboard. I also think we should have a bulletin board over above the desk? For notices, schedules, meetings, what have you. And . . . we’re gonna need some whiteboard markers and thumbtacks . . .

Lynn: Good idea. I can bring a coffee maker. A tin of biscuits . . . That table is pretty small but I think it’ll do . . .

Reena: I hope your coffee maker is not too big. I’d like to bring a tea kettle, and I’m sure we all have our mugs we want to put there.


Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints

You will hear a report about multiculturalism policies.

Multicultural societies are more prevalent around the globe than ever before. Canada is often credited for instigating this movement back in 1971 when Prime Minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, declared Canada to be a multicultural nation. Trudeau envisioned a country which recognized and respected the contribution by various ethnic groups to the cultural enrichment of Canada, and he implemented policies to safeguard that contribution.

However, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, recently declared the policy of multiculturalism a failure. There have been significant demographic changes in many countries over the last decades; unfortunately, in some nations, this has resulted in inter-cultural tensions. Thus, other European countries have also condemned multiculturalism as a passing fad that does not actually promote unity in today's diverse societies.

Sociologist Arlene Brandon argues that these countries cannot condemn a practice that they've never really attempted to properly implement. Brandon's research on the success of multiculturalism has shown a strong correlation between citizenship and multiculturalism. The nations that have most successfully adopted a policy of multiculturalism are those that have allowed immigrants to eventually become citizens, thus creating a strong sense of unity and inclusion. Presently, Canada and Australia are the most multicultural countries and, because of their policies, their demographic changes have generally occurred peacefully and positively. France, Norway, and Germany, on the other hand, have failed to truly adopt multiculturalism since they treat foreigners as temporary labour and not as future citizens. Brandon says these countries should not blame multiculturalism for their problems, but, rather, their poorly designed policies.

However, not everyone agrees that Canada's multiculturalism has been successful. According to controversial author Nora Alkabar, present day multiculturalism, as practiced in Canada, encourages segregation and hyper political correctness. Alkabar argues that multiculturalism and diversity are not the same thing. She says that diversity refers to differences in thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints, whereas multiculturalism involves equality and mutual respect among a population's cultural groups. She maintains that multiculturalism should mean engaging with others in a meaningful way about their assumptions and goals. Alkabar says that Canadians today are so worried about offending someone or saying the wrong thing that they don't engage with other cultures or ask questions they may have, which she finds disrespectful. Alkabar claims that a true multicultural society is built on mutual respect and hopes that the next generations engage with each other more honestly.

What do you think, Canada? Is it time to have a frank and honest conversation about multiculturalism in our nation? We'd love to hear from you after this commercial break.

Practice Test B - Listening Transcripts

Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving

You will hear a conversation between a man and a woman. The man is a customer at a store, and the woman works at the store.


Section 1:

MAN: Hello! I bought one of your bicycles last week. I guess I didn’t look at it carefully enough, because yesterday when I had to ride home in the rain, I realized it doesn’t have any of those . . . uh . . . things that cover the wheels . . . you know . . . fenders. My clothes got all wet and dirty.

WOMAN: I’m sorry to hear that! None of the bikes we sell include fenders. They have to be purchased on their own.

MAN: Really? I just assumed they’d be part of the bike, like the handlebars.

WOMAN: I’m afraid not. [pause] We do have packages that include front and back fenders, and all the hardware you need to install them yourself.

MAN: All right, I guess I need to buy that package.


Now answer questions 1-2.

1- What does the man want?
2- What surprises the man?

Section 2:

WOMAN: Hello again! Oh . . . is there a problem with the fenders you bought?

MAN: No, they’re fine, but I had to ride home last night in the dark, and then I realized that the bike doesn’t have a light.

WOMAN: Yes, they’re extra as well. We have battery-operated lights that go on the front of the bike—they’re white—and we have reflector lights that go on the back—they’re red.

MAN: This is ridiculous! Soon you’ll be selling bikes and saying the wheels and seats are extra! Speaking of which, the seat on the bike is narrow and hard. It’s uncomfortable.

WOMAN: I can special order a seat for you that’s wider and has more cushioning.

MAN: How much is it?

WOMAN: Well, it is expensive—$70—but this padded seat cover is only $17.

MAN: Hm . . . I have a long ride . . . Can I return the seat cover if it doesn’t do the job?

WOMAN: Well, we’re supposed to allow returns only on equipment that’s still brand new, but if you try it only for a few minutes and keep the original packaging, I suppose that it will be okay.


Now answer questions 3-5.

3- How many kinds of lights does the woman describe?
4- What does the man want?
5- What does the store refuse to take back?

Section 3:

MAN: It’s me again. I’d like to get that seat you mentioned. If I order it today, when will it be here?

WOMAN: Friday. Would you like it in black or grey?

MAN: Black, please. Now, while I’m here, is there any other important thing that didn’t come with the bike?

WOMAN: The only other thing I can think of is that some people like to have a small horn or bell to warn pedestrians of their approach.

MAN: Oh, that’s a good idea. I don’t want to run into anyone by accident! I’ll buy whichever is loudest.

WOMAN: That would be the horn. Will there be anything else?

MAN: No, I’m not thrilled about how much all this is costing, but I’m happy to finally have everything I need.


Now answer questions 6-8.

6- Why does the man return to the shop this time?
7- What drives the man’s decision to buy a horn?
8- What best describes the man in the end?

Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation

You will hear a conversation between two neighbours.

MAN: Hi Janice. It looks like summer's over, doesn't it?

WOMAN: Yes, it does. Pretty soon it'll be time for nice warm fires in the fireplace, right?

MAN: Yeah. Hey, you know that old tree in my backyard? The one that keeps its needles all year long? I forget what it's called, but it looks like a Christmas tree.

WOMAN: Your evergreen is a fir tree. I love looking at it through my kitchen window when I'm doing the dishes. The birds enjoy the tree, too, especially the sparrows.

MAN: Well, I know nothing about trees or birds, but this tree looks kind of old. Maybe it should be cut down before a strong wind or a storm takes it down. What do you think?

WOMAN: Well, it's easy enough to cut down because it's a softwood tree. But do you really want to cut down your beautiful fir tree?

MAN: Well, you know we just had a woodstove installed, and I thought it would be good for firewood! However, John across the street said this kind of wood isn't good for woodstoves. What do you think?

WOMAN: I agree with John because softwood has a lot of resin, or sticky sap. When it burns, it messes up the inside of your chimney. This causes a problem that has to be cleaned out by a chimney cleaning specialist or you'll have a chimney fire.

MAN: Wow, I'm glad I asked you! You sure know a lot about firewood! Doesn't the chimney have to be cleaned out every year, though, for safety and insurance reasons?

WOMAN: Definitely, but your chimney will stay cleaner if you burn only hardwood. All that firewood we have stacked beside our garage is hardwood. Take some of that, if you like, because we have more than enough.

MAN: That's very generous of you, but Mary wants us to have our own woodpile. I thought cutting down that tree would be a good start.

WOMAN: Well, although it's your tree, I really love it! Perhaps you could take a big stack of our firewood in exchange for leaving the tree as it is? Then we'll all be happy!


Now answer questions 1-5.

1- What is the man’s purpose in talking to the woman?
2- Why does the man want to cut down his tree?
3- Why does the man need his chimney cleaned?
4- What information has the man learned?
5- What solution does the woman suggest?

Part 3: Listening for Information

You will hear a conversation between a man and a woman. The woman is a child behaviour expert and the man is a father.

MAN: Thank you for meeting with me. I wanted to ask for your advice about how to teach my kids some financial responsibility. They keep coming to me for money because they keep exceeding their maximum internet allotment. Every time they ask me, I give them my credit card to make the purchase. Oh my!

WOMAN: I take it your children are teenagers? I would advise not giving a credit card to a child. The concept of buying on credit would be beyond their comprehension.

MAN: I have two children. One is fifteen; the other is ten. Both have problems understanding money, but yes, only the teenager uses the credit card.

WOMAN: I see. What have you done to this point to teach them financial responsibility?

MAN: Well, I remind them that money doesn't grow on trees, that I can't keep giving them money.

WOMAN: And then you do just that? Keep giving them money?

MAN: Well, yes. They don't have jobs . . .

WOMAN: They should! They should have chores, jobs at home that they need to do in order to get their allowance. You give them an allowance, right?

MAN: Well, actually . . . I thought that would be the wrong thing to do — to just give them money every week.

WOMAN: Only part of it should be given, no matter what. The rest of it should be earned. It should be payment for doing the assigned chores. If they have never had to work for the money they get, you can see why they don't value it, right?

MAN: Yes, you're right . . . I did try giving them chores to do at one time, but they just . . . didn't do them. We got into awful fights.

WOMAN: If they don't do their chores, then they shouldn't get paid. You should withhold that portion of their allowance. If they had to work for their money, and if you insisted they put some of it aside for Savings, some for Charity, and the rest for Fun. . .

MAN: Then they would develop some self-discipline. They would learn that money doesn't grow on trees!

WOMAN: Exactly! And if they know there's only so much they can earn, they would choose more carefully how to spend it.


Now answer questions 1-6.

1- What problem does the man have?
2- What does the man likely mean when he says, “Oh my?”
3- Why does the woman discourage giving credit cards to a child?
4- What kind of allowance does the woman suggest?
5- Why does the man stop assigning chores to his kids?
6- Why does the woman mention savings and fun?

Part 4: Listening to a News Item

You will hear a news item about a Pine Lake resident.

When Pine Lake resident Kim Chu noticed what she thought was a dog stranded on a chunk of floating ice, she paddled out in her kayak to provide help. As she approached, she realized it was a fox! "I wasn't keen on having a wild animal in the kayak with me," Chu said. "It didn't look sick, but you never know." She thought maybe it would just step onto the prow for a ride back to shore, but the animal backed away at Chu's approach, then paced back and forth, clearly distressed.

She returned to shore, tied a Styrofoam surf board to her kayak, put some food on it, then paddled back out. "I pulled up beside the ice, then just waited," Chu said. Eventually the fox stepped onto the board and started nibbling. Chu carefully paddled away, back toward shore. "The little fox just surfed its way back, behind me!" she said. Chu speculates that the fox chased after some geese only to discover that the ice had shifted away from shore. "And I don't blame it for not wanting to swim back," she said.


Part 5: Listening to a Discussion

You will watch a discussion between three people: two men and one woman. They are the owners of a family-run convenience store. The conversation is taking place in the break room.

Ron: So . . . it’s official! This April, a Supershop is opening up . . . just a block from us.

Jeremy: Well that’s great, there goes half our customers! Who’s gonna shop here when “grocery heaven” is up the street? We won’t stand a chance!

Tina: Actually, I think we’ll be OK! I mean, sure, a Supershop offers a lot more variety than us, and customers probably like to be able to buy clothes for their kids in the same place as their milk, but, we offer a different form of convenience.

Ron: Like what? We offer far fewer products.

Tina: Well, yeah. We might not have the space to offer as much selection, but what if what we do offer is exactly what the customer wants, it saves them time! It’s way quicker to find what you want in our store than in one with endless aisles and every kind of dish detergent under the sun.

Jeremy: True. But we still need a plan. I don’t want to just sit in this chair and watch our customers pass by on their way to the Supershop.

Ron: Well, we’re already open all day every day, so extending our store hours isn’t possible. But I agree with Tina . . . we want to make sure we stock exactly what the customer wants.

Tina: Yeah, so . . . we’d probably have to make a few changes, since what we sell now is the same as what you’d find in a Supershop. But I’m thinking . . . we’re located in a culturally diverse community . . . we have people from all over the map that shop here. What if we were to specialize in international foods?

Jeremy: It’s true, this is a really diverse area. Actually, just the other day, there was a man who moved to Canada recently from Ethiopia. He was telling me - he drives across town every week to pick up fresh injera – it’s an Ethiopian bread he misses. What if we were to go to his supplier and stock injera bread in our store? He could buy it here from us! Way more convenient!

Ron: This could actually work. (laughs) I don’t imagine you’ll be able to find injera bread at the Supershop anytime soon. Maybe we could even start a survey . . . ask our customers what products they’d like to purchase, but can’t find at a regular grocery store.

Tina: Great idea! See, we’ve got nothing to worry about . . . (laughs) It's the Supershop that should watch out for us!

Jeremy: Yeah . . . !


Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints

You will hear a presentation about a controversial wage issue.

Canadian labour law stipulates the lowest hourly rate employers can pay their employees. Any increase in this minimum wage invariably draws attention, which invariably sparks suggestions that Canada implement a maximum wage. Philosopher Judith Meyer argues that such a proposal is consistent with principles of justice. There is a limit to how hard people can work, so there should be a limit to how much they are paid. If it is impossible for someone to work twenty times harder than everyone else, then that person shouldn't be paid twenty times more than everyone else. Meyer points out that many high-income earners in Canada are paid two hundred times the average Canadian. She also points out that limiting the pay of CEOs, or Chief Executive Officers, to one hundred times the minimum wage would still enable them to make about $1.5 million per year.

Sociologist Michael Mishin counters that effort shouldn’t be the measuring stick. Using athletes' exorbitant high incomes as an example, he suggests that it doesn’t matter if someone works harder than everyone else to run a hundred metres in under ten seconds. If that doesn’t contribute to society in any way, why should we pay the person anything at all, let alone more than everyone else? Measuring contribution to society, however, requires consensus about values, and Mishin admits such a consensus is unlikely.

Economist Ethel Ellis presents yet another view. If we reduce the income of our high-income earners, we reduce the amount of money they can put back into circulation by spending, she says. However, this assumption that money trickles down from high-income earners to the rest of us is challenged by several studies. Furthermore, Ellis says, if we reduce the income of our high-income earners, we reduce the amount of taxes they pay. That is a consequence we should think very carefully about. Cynics respond, however, that high-income earners are already paying reduced taxes because they know very well how to take advantage of loopholes in the tax laws.

Yet another argument against a wage ceiling is that it would reduce the drive to do more and to do better. A worst case scenario is that the high-income earners would leave and move to a country without a wage ceiling. Recalling Meyer’s point, though, surely $1.5 million per year provides motivation enough. And if not, perhaps people should re-evaluate their priorities. As they say, money can’t buy happiness—and I can certainly attest to that!