BEC Vantage Testbuilder, Jake Allsop, Tricia Aspinall, MACMILLAN, 2004 Listening Task: TEST 1

Test 1 LISTENING 40 minutes (including 10 minutes’ transfer time)

Exam information

In Part One of the listening test you hear three conversations or messages. For each conversation or message, there is a gapped text with four spaces that you have to fill with one or two words or a number. The gapped texts are either forms, sets of notes, invoices or diary extracts, etc. The aim of this part of the test is to assess your ability to retrieve factual information. The answers are very specific and must be spelt correctly if the spelling is given during the recording. The gapped text does not repeat the words used in the recording exactly so you need to listen carefully and be prepared to reformulate some of what you hear.

In the exam you will hear each recorded conversation or message twice.

A detailed study

1. Read through the gapped texts carefully and decide what sort of answer is expected. For example, in Conversation 1 you should look for the following sorts of words:

1 a number or a mixture of letters and numbers

2 a word which goes with ‘course’ and describes what John Briggs does

3 a location

4 a word that describes the type of equipment they will be using

2. Now read Conversations 2 and 3 and do the same thing.

Conversation 2

5 _______________________ 7 _______________________

6 _______________________ 8 _______________________

Conversation 3

9 _______________________ 11 _______________________

10 _______________________ 12 _______________________

Listen to the recording for Conversation 1 and fill in the gaps. How many of the gaps require more than one word? Does the order of the recording always follow the order of the text?

Now you are ready to listen to Part One of the listening test and answer questions 1—12.

PART ONE Questions 1—12

• You will hear three telephone conversations or messages.

• Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.

Conversation One (Questions 1—4)

• Look at the form below.

• You will hear a woman asking questions about a training course.

Personnel Department Training Section Date: 10/4/04

Personnel Officer: David Jones Course: Health and Safety

Course code: (1) _______________________

Course (2) _______________________ John Briggs

Seminar room: (3) _______________________

Please wear clothes* suitable for activities which may involve contact with the floor and use of (4) ___________________ equipment.

* e.g. track-suits

Conversation Two

(Questions 5—8)

• Look at the note below

• You will hear a man leaving a message on a telephone answering service.

Message received for: Paul Ryman

From: Mark Nolan (Winston House)

Wants to know how many delegates for the plenary sessions. Has reserved three rooms for you..

Choice is between the (5) ______________________________ (will hold up to 100) or the

Garden Room in the (6) ___________________________. The two other rooms are on the second floor of the main hotel and there is (7)_______________________________ for wheelchair users.

As soon as he has some idea of how many are coming by car he will (8) __________________________. You can call him on extension 457.

Conversation Three

(Questions 9—12)

• Look at the form below

• You wilt hear a man telephoning about an incorrect order.

Order Amendment Form

Our Ref: AZ56W/402

(9) _______________________: 1005016900

Order Number: W36936Q (10) _______________________

Code Product Qty Price Post & packing Total

6694 Parnell Corner Desk 1 £394

6693 Parnell (11) ___________ 1 £189 (12) _______________ £583

Comment: Customer received incorrect invoice. Please annul original order form.

PART TWO Questions 13—22

Section One

Questions (13—17)

• You will hear five short recordings.

• For each recording, decide what the speaker’s Job

• Write one letter (A—H) next to the number of the recording.

• Do not use any letter more than once.

13 _______________________ 14 _______________________ 15 _______________________ 16 _______________________ 17 _______________________

A Conference Organizer B Personal Assistant C Chief Executive D Warehouse Manager E Personnel Officer F Accounts Clerk G Software Technician H Hotel Receptionist

Section Two

(Questions 18—22)

• You will hear another five recordings.

• For each recording, decide what aspects of a colleague each speaker is complaining about.

• Write one letter (A—H) next to the number of the recording.

• Do not use any letter more than once.

18 _______________________ 19 _______________________ 20 _______________________ 21 _______________________ 22 _______________________

A poor communicator B unpunctual C untidy D unfriendly E lazy F disorganized G unreliable H bossy

PART THREE

Questions 23—30

• You will hear a conversation between two senior managers discussing how to make their business more successful.

• For each question 23—30, mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer.