SHORT CONVERSATIONS Exercise 5

DIRECTIONS TO GIVE THE TEST In this section you will find a number of listening comprehension tests which are based on the third part of the Test Of English for International Communication. These tests will help you practice and improve your business listening skills and you will also learn many new phrases. In the audio, you will hear a short conversations. On the screen, you will see a question and four possible answers. Choose the best answer to the question.

1) What does the woman want to do? A. Buy a house B. Rent a home C. Pay a deposit D. Place an ad 2) What does the man say about the cleaning deposit? A. It is $5,000 B. It is fully refundable C. He will waive it D. He will keep half of it 3) What will the speakers probably do next? A. Pay first and last months' rent B. Clean the home C. Make an appointment D. Collect a deposit — Hello? I'm calling about the two-bedroom rental you have advertised on the Home Base website. Is that still available? — Yes it is. If you'd like to see it , we can make an appointment for this afternoon. — OK, but before I see it, I'd like a little more information. The ad said it was $1,500 a month, plus the first and last month rent in advance, plus a cleaning deposit. How much is the cleaning deposit? Also, how many bathrooms does it have? — It has two bathrooms, and the cleaning deposit is $500, half of which is non-refundable. Answers – 1)b 2)d 3)c

4) Who most likely are the speakers? A. Supervisor-employee B. Mother-son C. Salesman-client D. Doctor-patient 5) What problem does the man have? A. His computer is broken B. He is late with a project C. He lost expensive reports D. He cannot concentrate 6) What does the woman offer to do? A. Give the man the rest of the day off B. Finish the man's work for him C. Have a colleague help the man D. Take the man out for lunch.  — Damon, how are you coming with the expense reports? — I'm afraid I'm a little bit behind. I'm having trouble with the Excel spreadsheets. — Would you like Sasha to give you a hand? — Yes, that would be great. Thank you. Answers -- 4)a 5)b 6)c

7) What are the speakers mainly discussing? A. An electricity bill B. A gas bill C. A broken thermostat D. A weather forecast 8) Why might the man make a call? A. To inquire about a price increase B. To request a repair service C. To ask for a copy of the bill D. To complain about electricity 9) What does the woman want the man to do? A. Change service companies B. Pay for her gas bill C. Tell her what he discovers D. Lower her rate   — I got a bill from the gas company in the mail today. Heating your home with natural gas is so expensive! — Yes, my bill is expensive too. I guess that's because the weather's turning colder, so I've been turning up the thermostat lately. — So have I. But I still don't think my bill should be this high. Maybe I should call the gas company and ask if the rates have gone up. — Yeah, that's a good idea. I've called them before, and they have good customer phone service. Let me know what you find out. Answers -- 7)b 8)a 9)c

10) What are the speakers discussing? A. Plans for a party B. A dinner reservation C. A conference schedule D. A hotel booking 11) What does the woman suggest the man do? A. Call a different restaurant B. Reserve a table near the window C. Book reservations online D. Come to the restaurant on another day 12) What information does the woman ask for? A. The table number B. The man's name C. The number of attendees D. The man's credit card number — Hello? Yes, I'd like to book a table for four on Thursday night. — I'm sorry sir, but we have a private party reserved for that evening. Can I recommend that you consider another day? We're open from four to 11 in the evening. — In that case, let's make it Friday evening at 6:30. — All right, sir. And whose name shall I book the table under? Answers -- 10)b 11)d 12)b

13) Who are the speakers talking about. A. The woman's husband B 13) Who are the speakers talking about? A. The woman's husband B. The woman's supervisor C. The man's colleague D. The man's roommate 14) What is the relationship between the speakers? A. Colleagues B. Friends C. Neighbors D. Classmates 15) What does the man suggest? A. Getting a promotion B. Making more money C. Having dinner D. Catching a bus — Hi Thomas! I haven't seen you in awhile. — Hey Debbie. Yes, it has been a long time. How's Gabe doing? I heard he got a promotion at the Business News. — Yes, he's going to be the special-sections editor. It's a great opportunity for him, and we can really use the extra money. — Tell him congratulations for me. We should get together for dinner sometime soon and catch up. Answers -- 13)a 14)b 15)c

16) Why is the woman in Boston? A. For vacation B. On business C. To visit friends D. To attend school 17) What does the woman plan to do? A. Drink coffee B. Talk to management C. Register D. Take a trip 18) What will the man probably do next? A. Check in B. Get more information C. Eat donuts D. Give directions — Good morning. Welcome to Boston. Are you here for the management convention? — Yes, I am. Where do I go to check in? — The registration tables are on the left side of the room. After you register, go to the tables on the right for a schedule of seminars and more information about convention activities. There's free coffee and donuts in the foyer. — Thank you. Before I start, I need to use the restroom. Answers – 16)b 17)c 18)d

19) What position does the woman hold? A. Manager B. Sales person C. CEO D. Secretary 20) What is the main purpose of the discussion? A. To set appointments B. To revise a schedule C. To move a conference call D. To change a meeting time 21) When does the man want to hold the conference call? A. Monday morning B. One o'clock Tuesday C. Wednesday afternoon D. 8 a.m. Thursday — Wanda, something personal's come up, and I need to rearrange my schedule for Wednesday. Could you please call Jim Haskell and move our Wednesday morning meeting to 8 a.m. Thursday? — Sure. Eight Thursday with Mr. Haskell. What about your Wednesday afternoon conference call with Ms. Witherspoon and Mr. Dirks? — Oh yes. See if you can push that forward to one o'clock Tuesday. If you can, reschedule any current Tuesday afternoon meetings to next week. — OK. One on Tuesday. I'll see what I can do, and I'll let you know in a few minutes. Answers – 19)d 20) b 21)b

22) Where is this conversation probably taking place. A 22) Where is this conversation probably taking place? A. At a formal restaurant B. In a school cafeteria C. At a fast-food restaurant D. At a picnic 23) What problem does the man have? A. A broken appliance B. No money for change C. Sold out of Coke D. Fries aren't ready 24) What does the woman say about her order? A. She wants a large root beer B. She asks to change the size of her fries C. She wants a triple cheeseburger D. She agrees to substitute a Coke for a milkshake — Yes, I'd like a double cheeseburger, small fries, and a chocolate milkshake please. — I'm sorry, our milkshake machine is broken. How about a Coke instead? — I think I'll have a medium root beer. Also, could you make the fries a large, please? — No problem. So, that's a double cheeseburger, large fries and a medium root beer. Would you like anything else today? Answers -- 22)c 23)a 24)b