Listening Tapescript Sample B2 NOCN

ESOL International

Sample English Listening Examination

Level B2 Independent User

Texts to be used with the examination

The texts are to be recorded and sent to the centre on a disk prior to the examination.

Instructions are written in underlined italics and should not be recorded.

The recording must be played to learners in full from start to finish.

This is the NOCN ESOL International Independent User Level Listening examination.

Please check that your name and other details are on your mark sheet.

The invigilator will have explained how to fill in the mark sheet.

Do not write on your examination paper.

The Listening examination will now begin.

Part 1

You will hear ten sentences.

Read the replies on your examination paper.  You have two minutes to read the replies on your examination paper.

Pause for two minutes

Listen to the sentences.  You will hear the sentences in full twice.  Choose the best reply for the situation.  Then you will have two minutes to check your answers.

Record the sentences (three seconds between each sentence)

1.    Is this music loud enough? (10 seconds)

2.    He asked me how much they paid me.

3.    The party was a great success!

4.    (Excitedly) Your favourite cousin is coming in just two days!

5.    Are you going for a picnic tomorrow?

6.    Can you smoke in public places in your country?

7.    You look a bit pale today.

8.    You need to make a decision.

9.    You’d better take an umbrella.

10. That was the worst meal I have ever had.

Pause for five seconds after the first reading

Now listen to the sentences again.

Record the sentences again

Now check your answers.  You have two minutes to check your answers.

Pause for two minutes after the second reading

Part 2 – Conversation 1

This is Conversation 1.  Read the questions and answers on your examination paper.  You have two minutes to read them.

Pause for two minutes

Listen to the conversation.  You will hear the conversation twice.  Answer the questions.  Then you have two minutes to check the answers.

Record the conversation

Dr - Good afternoon, Mr Smith. How can I help you today?

Mr S - Good morning, Dr Nelson. It’s my daughter Emma. She doesn’t feel very well.

D - What seems to be the problem?

M - She was sick most of the night last night and she had a high temperature.

D - Does she have any other symptoms? Dizziness, cough?

M - Yes, she complained of a headache.

D - Could it be something she ate, like food poisoning?

M - I don’t think so; we all had the same meal.

D - Lie down on the bed, young lady, so I can check your tummy. (Pause)  She has got a stomach bug.

M - What do I need to do?

D-You need to give her plenty to drink to make sure she is not dehydrated. In a couple of days she’ll be as right as rain.

M - And what about her temperature?

D - Paracetamol should be fine. Have you got any at home?

M - I don’t think I have.

D - I’ll give you a prescription. If the symptoms persist, please do come back. And try not to worry.

M - Thank you very much, doctor.

D - You are welcome.

Pause for five seconds after the first reading

Now listen to the conversation again.

Record the conversation again

Now check your answers.  You have two minutes to check your answers.

Pause for two minutes after the second reading

Part 2 – Conversation 2

This is Conversation 2.  Read the questions and answers on your examination paper.  You have two minutes to read them.

Pause for two minutes

Listen to the conversation.  You will hear the conversation twice.  Answer the questions.  Then you have two minutes to check the answers.

Record the conversation – the interviewer is male and Steffi Graff is female

(Interviewer) We are going to talk to Steffi Graff who became a professional tennis player at 13 and, in a career spanning 17 years, won 22 Grand Slam singles titles. In 1988 she became the first woman to achieve the Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and Olympic gold. She is married to Andre Agassi, has two children and lives in Las Vegas. She runs the charity Children for Tomorrow.

I - Steffi, when were you happiest?
S-My happiness lives in the present. It's my life this morning, this evening, with Andre, my kids.

I - What is your greatest fear?
S - That the world we are passing on to our children is not the world we hoped for, for them.

I - Which living person do you most admire, and why?
S - The man I know the best: Andre.

I - Property aside, what's the most expensive thing you've bought?
S - The first racket Andre used in a pro match at 16 and the one from his last game – the bookends of his career.

I - What is your most treasured possession?
S - My memory.

I - If you had three wishes what would you do?
S - Eradicate the effects of war. Then eradicate war. Then eradicate the reason for war.

I - What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?
S - Catwoman. Cher. Björk. Halloween at our house is intense.

I - What was the best kiss of your life?
S - The kiss of a parent, the kiss of your husband, the kiss of your children: you receive them in that order in life, and they each make you feel alive in a different way.

I - Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
S - My five best friends – I love those girls so much!

I - Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
S - "Next question."

I - How do you relax?
S - I find more peace in the rumble of our busy lives than in a quiet house.

I - How would you like to be remembered?
S - As a happy, caring mother and wife.

I - Where would you most like to be right now?
S - Around the kitchen table with Andre, the kids, their friends, our families.  It's noisy, fun and carefree, and there's not another place I'd rather be.

I - Thank you very much, Steffi.

Pause for five seconds after the first reading

Now listen to the conversation again.

Record the conversation again

Now check your answers.  You have two minutes to check your answers.

Pause for two minutes after the second reading

Part 3 – Broadcast 1

This is Broadcast 1.  You will hear a broadcast read twice.  Read the questions and answers on your examination paper.  You have two minutes to read them.

Pause for two minutes

Listen to the broadcast.  You will hear it twice.  Answer the questions.  Then you have two minutes to check the answers.

Record the broadcast

Health Anxiety

Most of us worry about our health from time to time. But for some people, this worry never goes away and becomes a problem in itself.

Health anxiety (hypochondria) is obsessive worrying about your health, usually to the point where it causes great distress and affects your ability to function properly.

Some people with health anxiety have unexplained physical symptoms, such as chest pain or headaches, which they assume are a sign of serious disease despite the doctor's reassurance.

Others may just be permanently anxious about their future health, worrying about things like 'What if I get cancer or heart disease?'

What causes health anxiety?

There are many reasons why someone worries too much about their health.

You may be going through a particularly stressful period of your life. There may have been illness or death in your family, or another family member may have worried a lot about your health when you were young.

Personality can play a role; you may be vulnerable to health anxiety because you are a worrier generally. You may find it difficult to handle emotions and conflict, and make everything seem like a catastrophe when faced with problems in your life.

Sometimes, health anxiety can be a symptom of a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety disorder, which needs recognizing and treating in its own right.

Pause for five seconds after the first reading

Now listen to the broadcast again.

Record the broadcast again

Now check your answers.  You have two minutes to check your answers.

Pause for two minutes after the second reading

Part 3 – Broadcast 2

This is Broadcast 2.  You will hear it twice.  Read the questions and answers on your examination paper.  You have two minutes to read them.

Pause for two minutes

Listen to the broadcast.  You will hear it twice.  Answer the questions.  Then you have two minutes to check the answers.

Record the broadcast

Alnwick hosts society wedding

Hundreds of people had lined the street leading up to the church in Alnwick. They had to be quick to get their photos of William and Harry. The princes arrived at a brisk pace, which was partly because they had to keep up with the groom, Thomas van Straubenzee, going for a date he couldn’t be late for.

Some of the crowd’s loudest ‘oo’s and ‘aa’s were reserved for the elves. And then came the bride, Lady Mellissa Percy, Duke of Northumberland’s second daughter.

The well-wishers said: ‘We like to come out and support our families.’

‘It’s just a lovely atmosphere. Everybody’s come out to wish them well. It’s just like the Jubilee all over again.’

The weather wasn’t quite so kind when the new husband and wife left the church but that didn’t stop the smiles. The Duke of Cambridge, without his wife Kate, who is due to give birth, next month, had travelled to New Zealand with the groom during his gap year before university. Prince Harry might be third in line to the throne, but he was far further back in the queue for the lift to the reception. Alnwick has come to the standstill for this society wedding of the year.

Pause for five seconds after the first reading

Now listen to the broadcast again.

Record the broadcast again

Now check your answers.  You have two minutes to check your answers.

Pause for two minutes after the second reading

That is the end of the Listening examination.  Please check your mark sheet is completed correctly.  Put your pens down.

                                                End of Examination

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