Podcast 77 - How to do Cambridge B1 listening Part 4

Advice on how to do the test

Today I've got a special episode for you, we're going to look at the B1 Cambridge exam, and specifically the listening and more specifically still part four, multiple choice, long text. So we're going to actually do one of these together. Or rather, we're going to do part of one, and then I will let you do the rest. And you can check the answers on [this page].

Girl feeling sad

First of all, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the standard advice of how to do this part of the test of the B1 Cambridge exam. So what do you have to do? Well, you have to listen to an interview, it's always an interview, and you [listen] to the answers. And you have to choose from a multiple choice questions A, B, or C and choose which is the right answer. So there are six questions. And each question has three options each for you to choose from.

Now, the standard strategy, or the way of approaching this is, you do have a very short time to read through the text before the audio starts. And if you are going to classes where you are receiving some instruction on how to do this type of exam, well, then your teacher will advise you to go through the options and underline important words, keywords, which will help you to find the answer.

Now, this is the confusing part. And I'd like to tell you an anecdote. That is a little story, which will help you remember how these listening texts work. This is a story of once when I went to an Andalusian village, and I asked somebody the way to the town hall.

Andalusian village street

'Could you tell me the way to the town hall, please?'

I said in Spanish. And he answered me in Spanish, but I'm going to tell you what he said in English. He was a very nice gentleman, and he wanted to help. And he pointed down the road. And he said,

'Go down this road. And can you see that turn on the right?'

I said, 'yes'. Yes, I can see that one.

'It's not that one.'

'Oh, it's not that one?'

'Nope. Go further on down the road. And you'll see another turn on the left. Can you see it just past the blue car?'

'Yes, I can see it.'

'It's not that one either. Don't go down there!'

'Oh, okay.'

'Go further on down the road, right to the end, right to the end of the road, where you can see that red brick building. Can you see it?'

'Eh, yes, I can see it.'

'Go right there. And the town hall is just down there on your left hand side. You can't miss it!'

Well, what a way of explaining or giving directions! To tell somebody the streets that you shouldn't go down before actually telling you or finally telling you which is the correct one!

What I think is interesting is we could make a comparison with that little anecdote and the exam. Because in this exam, you may think that the answer is A, for example, and you will think the answer is A because there are some words in the option, which sound like words from the listening audio. Then you'll think the answer is C, because there are some words there, or they suggest that it might be C. And then you'll find out, if you've heard correctly, [if] you have understood correctly, that the answer is actually B.

So that's an interesting anecdote. I think that if you remember that, that will help you, not only in the B1 listening tests, but also in B2, and C1 and C2, because they all work in the same way!

The reason why you can become confused into thinking that one option is correct, at the beginning, is because they will use words that you will actually hear in that option. So does that mean that we can say that if you hear one or two words, in the audio, which are the same as the words in one of the options, that is not the answer? Well, that's something which perhaps I shouldn't commit myself to, because maybe one day I will be proved wrong. But usually, that's the case. Be very careful of options that you read, which have words in them, which are the same words used in the audio.

Listen for synonyms

In fact, what you're really listening for, are synonyms, or different ways of saying things. And the correct option usually, will be that one, which does not have the same words in the option, and the audio. Now, what I'm going to do, I'm going to do a text with you - or rather, a listening test with you. I'll do the first one, and then we'll see how this works. I'll start the test now. I'll do number one, and then 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 you can do by yourselves. You will be able to find the answers to the test at Practicing English.com, podcast number 77.

So, remember that each question is repeated, so you'll hear it twice. So here goes.

B1 Preliminary exam, listening, part four - question 1

1, Professor Stevens says that people

A) cannot enjoy a rest during the holiday because they have to plan for Christmas.

B) enjoy preparing for Christmas.

C) may become depressed during times of family celebrations.

Hello, everybody, and today I am happy to have in the studio, the psychiatrist, Professor Mary Stevens, who has just written and published a book called A Life Looking Forwards. Professor Stevens, in your book you say that holidays and celebrations such as Christmas do not always end happily.

Hello, and thank you for inviting me to the programme. Holidays are usually happy times for many people. We don’t have to work and often we can look forward to a time of rest. In countries that celebrate Christmas, people have other things to look forward to at holiday time, for example, buying presents, planning meals and decorating their homes. But when that time is over, we may feel negative about things and even become depressed.

Okay, so that's the end of the first question. To know what the options are, obviously, you'll need to be reading this in podcast 77 at Practicing English.com. And if you are, you will see there are A, B and C. And the first answer says, Professor Stephens says that people cannot enjoy a rest during the holiday because they have to plan for Christmas - cannot enjoy a rest. And indeed, Professor Stevens did say, a time of rest in the audio. But she actually says, we can look forward to a time of rest. So, if you've heard that correctly, you'll know it's not that one.

And then option C says, Professor Stephens says that most people may become depressed during times of family celebrations. And in the audio, she did say, but when that time is over, we may feel negative about things and even become depressed. But that is not the answer we want. C is not the answer we want. Even though we have the word depressed, which is the same as the word in the audio depressed. Because in the audio, it says we may feel negative about things and even become depressed but when that time is over - so when that time is finished. And Option C says may become depressed during times of family celebrations. So it's a bit confusing, but those are not the right answers. The answer is, in fact, B) enjoy preparing for Christmas.

You'll notice that Professor Stevens did not mention the word preparing at all. But she said it in a different way. She said, people have other things to look forward to at holiday time, for example, buying presents, planning meals, and decorating their homes. So all those things are obviously preparing. So you'll understand what I mean now, I think, about thinking first of all, it could be one option, because we hear those words, but in the end it isn't. And the option which is right has words in it, which are not used at all in the audio, but they are similar meaning words or synonyms.

Okay, that's all I'm going to do for you to help you with this test. I would like you to continue with questions 2 to 6. You can hear them twice. And then the answers will be also on the page for podcasts. 77. Thank you very much for listening, and good luck with the little test!

B1 Preliminary exam, listening, part four - questions 2 to 6

2, Professor Stevens believes that

A) people don’t enjoy making plans for family events.

B) after we achieve our aim, we frequently become negative.

C) the excitement of the event is not good for us.

3, Professor Stevens says that

A) having plans is not enough.

B) we should make plans in January for next Christmas.

C) if we make plans for January, we will be happy again.

4, Professor Stevens says that one way not to put on weight is to

A) frequently check the kilos you may gain during the holiday.

B) control your negative feelings.

C) eat less after the holiday.

5, Professor Stevens says that

A) we should choose a totally vegetarian diet after the holiday.

B) eating less will help us to feel more positive about life.

C) it’s better to choose a diet that contains more vegetarian food.

6, Professor Stevens says that it’s important to

A) ask for help from other people who feel the same way.

B) know that feeling unhappy after the holiday is not unusual.

C) explain the reasons why we feel depressed to others.

Solutions and audio script of test...

2) B

So, what is the reason for these negative feelings?

One reason people feel this way may be due to goals. Humans need to set goals for the future. Having goals and seeing progress towards them mean we become more positive about life in general. The excitement of planning for a family celebration and getting together with family can be one of these goals. The problem is, when those goals are reached, we often lose those positive feelings. [= B) after we achieve our aim, we frequently become negative]

3) A

What can people do to feel better about themselves?

One way to fix this is by creating another goal. After Christmas, for example, we should have a new goal for January or the New Year. This will help us lose some of those negative feelings. However, there are other things that can change our mood. You need to look after your body too. [= A) having plans is not enough]

4) A

What can we do to feel healthy after the Christmas holidays?

The effect the body has on the mind can also leave you feeling negative. Many people put on weight during the holiday. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to lose those extra kilos. If you eat too much, you can become unhappy afterwards. One solution is to control your weight by weighing yourself regularly at this time. [= A) frequently check the kilos you may gain during the holiday]

5) C

So if we control our weight, will that help bring happiness back?

Well, it will definitely help. But if we have put on a kilo or two during the holiday, going on a normal diet of eating less may also make us feel unhappy. Research shows that a diet close to a vegetarian diet is the best option. Eating smaller quantities of meat and increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables in our diet can help us feel positive about life again. [= C) it’s better to choose a diet that contains more vegetarian food]

6) B

What final piece of advice can you give to people who are feeling negative after the holiday?

Feeling a little depressed after a holiday period is something that happens to people very often for the reasons I have explained. It’s important to realize this. If we can understand that these moods are normal, and many other people also feel the same way, this will help us do something about it. It’s as simple as that. [= B) know that feeling unhappy after the holiday is not unusual]

Professor Stevens, thank you very much!