Practice listening to English conversations on 10 common topics

Link audio: 1.mp3

• Mom: Wake up, it’s time for school.

• Jake: I’m so tired. Let me sleep for five more minutes. 

• Mom: You have to get up and get ready for school. 

• Jake: I know, but just five more minutes. 

• Mom: I can’t let you go back to sleep, because you won’t wake back up. 

• Jake: I promise I’ll wake up, in five minutes. 

• Mom: You still need to eat breakfast, take a shower, and get dressed.

• Jake: I realize that, and I can do all that when I wake up in five minutes.

• Mom: I don’t want you to be late for school today. 

• Jake: I’m not going to be late today. 

• Mom: Fine, five more minutes.

• Jake: Thank you. 

Link audio: 2.mp3

• Amy: Did you hear the news?

• Kate: What happened?

• Amy: Our cousin went into labor and had her baby last week.

• Kate: She did? Why didn’t anyone tell me?

• Amy: I would’ve thought that somebody would have told you.

• Kate: No, I had no idea.

• Amy: Well, she did, her baby was 8 pounds 6 ounces.

• Kate: Oh my God, that’s great!

• Amy: Are you going to go and visit her and the baby?

• Kate: I think that I might.

• Amy: Good! I just thought I’d let you know. 

• Kate: Thanks for telling me.

Link audio: 3.mp3

• Mike: Excuse me. Could you tell me where the library is?

• Ariel: Yes, it’s that way. You go three blocks to Washington Street, then turn right. It’s on the corner, across from the bank.

• Mike: Thanks! I’ve only been in town a few days, so I really don’t know my way around yet. 

• Jade: Oh, I know how you feel. We moved here a year ago, and I still don’t know where everything is!

Link audio: 4.mp3

• Waiter: May I get you anything to drink?

• Guest: Yes, please. May I get a glass of lemonade?

• Waiter: Would you like an appetizer?

• Guest: May I get an order of barbeque wings?

• Waiter: Sure, would you like anything else?

• Guest: That’ll be fine for now, thank you.

• Waiter: Tell me when you want to order the rest of your food.

• Guest: Excuse me. I’m ready to order.

• Waiter: What would you like?

• Guest: Let me have the baby-back ribs.

• Waiter: Sure, will there be anything else that I can get you?

• Guest: That will be it for now.

Link audio: 5.mp3

• A: I am not certain, but I think I might ask to be considered for the new job.

• B: Why are you considering trying for it?

• A: I think that I might like it, but I am still thinking about it.

• B: What is it about this job that appeals to you?

• A: I think that I would enjoy the position but there isn’t a lot of creativity involved.

• B: Yes, you could be right. There is a lot to consider.

• A: I am also wondering about the pay.

• B: Would a slight decrease in pay be worth it for a new opportunity for growth?

• A: I am thinking that might be the case.

• B: I think you should give it a shot. What do you have to lose? You can always change your mind. 

Link audio: 6.mp3

• A: There’s a new girl in school, have you seen her yet?

• B: I haven’t seen her yet.

• A: I think that she is very pretty.

• B: Tell me how she looks.

• A: She’s kind of short.

• B: What height is she?

• A: She’s probably about five feet.

• B: That’s nice, but tell me what she looks like.

• A: The first thing I noticed was her beautiful brown eyes.

• B: I think I might’ve bumped into her before.

• A: Are you telling me that you’ve seen her before?

• B: I believe so. 

Link audio: 7.mp3

• A: How often do you read books?

• B: I read books almost every night before I go to bed.

• A: What’s your favorite type of book?

• B: I love reading about different cultures.

• A: What can you learn from books?

• B: Books can broaden my horizon about thousands of things around the world, and books are also my best friends.

• A: Where do you read books?

• B: I read books at home, sometimes in the library.

• A: What’s the most interesting book you have ever read?

• B: I think that would be Nepal, a book written about the country of Nepal, published in 1999.

• A: How long does it take you to finish a book?

• B: Well, it depends on the length of the book, but it usually takes me a week to finish a 300-page book.

• A: Do you usually bring books with you when you travel?

• B: Yes, I do. When I’m at the airport or bus station, I read books to kill time.

• A: Is there any bookstore or library in your area?

• B: Unfortunately, there are none near my house. The nearest one is 3 kilometers away.

Link audio: 8.mp3

• A: What sport do you like?

• B: I like playing badminton.

• A: Is it easy to play that sport?

• B: Yes, it’s pretty easy to play.

• A: Is that sport popular in your country?

• B: Yes, it is.

• A: How long have you been practicing that sport?

• B: I have been practicing it for 5 years.

• A: Who do you play sports with?

• B: I play badminton with my friends, sometimes with my brother.

• A: How often do you play that sport?

• B: I play badminton every weekend.

• A: What benefits can you get from that sport?

• B: It helps strengthen my muscles because while playing, I have to move continuously. It is good to burn calories as well.

• A: Do you like watching football? Online or offline?

• B: Yes, I do. I prefer watching football offline and online. Going to the stadium, shouting and cheering are good to release stress.

• A: What is your favorite football team?

• B: I like the Manchester United Football Club, also known as “The Red Devils”.

• A: Why is sport important?

• B: Sports are sources of recreation. People can learn how to encourage team spirit when they play sports, too.

Link audio: 9.mp3

• A: How many popular festivals are there in your country?

• B: There are many: New Year’s day, Martin Luther King day, Valentine’s day, St. Patrick day, Easter, etc.

• A: What is the most important festival in your country?

• B: I believe that New Year’s day is the most important one since it’s a chance for family reunions and parties. People gather together to welcome the new year.

• A: When does it take place?

• B: It occurs on January 1st. 

• A: Where’s the festival celebrated?

• B:  B: The New Year’s day is celebrated all over the country. Each family has its own way to celebrate the day.

• A: What do people do to prepare for the festival?

• B: Before New Year’ day, people go shopping for food and drinks, repair the house or put up decor.

• A: Who can join the festival?

• B: It’s a day for everybody.

• A: What do people do in the festival?

• B: On New Year’ Eve, people have a party with traditional food and drinks. After that, they may visit friends or relatives, go to the movies or watch sports.

• A: What’s special about that festival?

• B: It marks the end of a year and celebrates a new year. People believe that the things they do on the first day will bring good luck and prosperity to them during the whole year.

• A: Is the festival culturally related?

• B: Sure, the festival is an integral part of culture.

• A: Why is a festival important?

• B: It adds structure to our social lives and connects us with our families and backgrounds. 

Link audio: 10.mp3

• A: How many kinds of pollution are there?

• B: There are many types of pollution: land, water, noise, air, light, and thermal pollution.

• A: What type of pollution is popular in your country? 

• B: The most popular one is water pollution, I guess.

• A: Have you ever littered?

• B: Yes, I have, but when I was taught the lesson of protecting Mother Nature, I quit littering.

• A: What can you do to help prevent pollution?

• B: Reduce and reuse whatever I can to eliminate the amount of waste is what I can do to prevent pollution. 

• A: What does the government do to encourage people to protect the environment?

• B: They organize some campaigns to raise the awareness of people. Everything should start from education.

• A: Are people in your country aware of the environmental issues?

• B: Yes, they are. They care about what happens to the environment around them.

• A: Is there any law to force people to protect the environment?

• B: Yes. The environment law states punishments to people doing harm to the environment.