0:00 Today I am going to test your listening skills all the way from A1,
0:06 the very beginning of English to C2, the most advanced level of English.
0:12 Each audio clip will increase in difficulty,
0:16 and we will analyze some of the most interesting vocabulary, grammar,
0:21 and pronunciation from each clip.
0:23 And if you think you're already at C1 or C2, don't skip ahead.
0:28 You might be surprised by some of the things
0:31 that come up in our lower level clips.
0:34 And I have something I think you will really like.
0:37 I'd like to give you a free ebook.
0:39 It's my B1 to C1 ebook
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0:44 that you need to know in order to pass the B1,
0:48 B2, and C1 levels of English.
0:52 There is so much in there.
0:54 I'm giving it to you for free in preparation for our Black Friday sale.
0:59 This is my biggest event of the year.
1:02 My students literally wait all year for this because they know two things.
1:06 One, I always go a bit mad with the offer.
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1:29 Okay, let's start with the test.
1:31 I'm going to play a series of audio clips.
1:34 The first time I play each clip, there will be no text on screen,
1:39 just a question for you to answer.
1:42 Then I will play it once more with the transcript
1:45 but with some key words missing.
1:48 You need to fill in the gaps
1:50 and then we'll analyze some of the interesting language features.
1:55 Let's begin with an A1 level clip.
1:58 Now if you've ever visited the UK,
2:01 it's possible that you arrived at London Heathro.
2:04 Our first clip is from a documentary called Heathro, Britain's busiest airport.
2:11 So remember, first I'll play the audio with no text on screen.
2:15 Just listen and answer the question
2:18 and make sure you turn off subtitles
2:21 if you want to do this properly.
2:23 The question is, how many people travel through Heathrow airport each year?
2:29 London Heathrow, Europe's biggest and busiest airport,
2:33 transporting more than 73 million passengers every year.
2:36 >> Just your password, please.
2:38 >> That's fine.
2:38 How many passengers?
2:40 >> Okay, the answer is 73 million passengers.
2:46 Passenger is a slightly higher level word around A2 level
2:51 and refers to a person who's traveling,
2:54 not working on a plane, bus, train, and so on.
2:59 Okay, let's listen again.
3:00 Try and fill in the blanks with one word in each space.
3:04 >> London Heathrow, Europe's biggest and busiest airport,
3:08 transporting more than 73 million passengers every year.
3:12 >> Just your passport, please.
3:13 >> That's fine.
3:14 How many passengers?
3:15 >> Six.
3:15 So we have London Heathro, Europe's biggest and busiest airport.
3:20 These are our superlative forms of big and busy.
3:25 And notice the spelling changes there.
3:27 We need to double the G for the comparative and superlative forms.
3:32 And Y becomes I in busiest.
3:35 Be careful because the letter U is pronounced as a short I.
3:40 Busy.
3:42 Busiest.
3:43 Next we have transporting more than 73 million passengers.
3:49 A common error I hear at this level is more that.
3:53 It should be more than.
3:54 For example, I have more than 10 friends.
3:58 The airport worker asks for just your passport please.
4:03 And another worker asks how many passengers.
4:06 Some A1 learners confuse how with who.
4:11 How many with the a diff def thong is used to talk about quantity.
4:16 Who with the long ooh vowel sound is used to talk about a person.
4:22 Okay, did you get all of that?
4:25 Let's step things up a level.
4:27 We'll head into London for the following A2 level clip from Britain's favorite walks.
4:35 Listen and answer the question, where is the speaker walking?
4:40 I grew up in West London,
4:41 so I spent my whole life kind of walking along by the river.
4:44 And it's one of the few places in London you get a bit of
4:46 kind of perspective.
4:47 It's a treasure.
4:48 >> The answer is along or by the river.
4:51 The speaker says both.
4:53 Along is an A2 preposition meaning in a line following the side of something.
5:00 By is a more basic word with a similar meaning near
5:04 or at the side of something.
5:06 Along usually suggests movement, but we can use by to show position.
5:12 For example, I walked along the river with Diego.
5:17 I want a house by the river.
5:20 Oh, and of course, the river in question is the river temps.
5:24 Walking along the rivers is one of my favorite things to do
5:27 when I visit London.
5:28 And a fun fact for you, it actually begins in the Cotswwells,
5:33 not far from where I live.
5:34 Okay, let's listen to the clip again.
5:36 Try and fill in the gaps.
5:38 One word in each space.
5:40 >> I grew up in West London,
5:42 so I spent my whole life kind of walking along by the river.
5:44 And it's one of the few places in London you get a bit of
5:46 kind of perspective.
5:47 It's a treasure.
5:48 >> We have grew up, the past simple of grow up.
5:54 This phrasal verb means to become an adult.
5:57 We normally give more energy to the second word in phrasal verbs.
6:02 I grew up in.
6:04 Some speakers add a soft w sound to glide between the vowel sounds.
6:09 Grew up in.
6:11 Where did you grow up?
6:13 Next, the speaker said he spent his whole life walking along the river.
6:20 He uses the present perfect here to show this is something he started doing
6:25 as a child and still continues to do.
6:29 And notice the collocation spend time, not pass time.
6:35 This is a mistake I hear a lot.
6:37 We generally use spend time
6:39 when we talk about using our time for a particular purpose.
6:44 For example, I enjoy spending time with my mom,
6:49 not I enjoy passing time with my mom.
6:52 And finally, we have one of the few places.
6:56 The structure one of the is followed by a plural noun.
7:02 I often hear students at this level say for example one of the thing
7:07 I love.
7:08 But it's not correct.
7:09 We should say one of the things I love.
7:12 It's one of many.
7:13 Okay.
7:14 Did you still find that pretty easy?
7:16 If so, let's move on to B1.
7:18 The next clip is from an actor and comedian, Steven Mangan,
7:23 and he's answering the question, "What's in my suitcase,
7:27 and lists some items he never travels without?"
7:30 >> What's in my suitcase?
7:31 Well, I always bring a pillow because I'm really fussy like that,
7:35 and I can't stand other people's pillows.
7:37 Also, other people have been sleeping on those pillows.
7:39 Uh, I always bring something to play music on
7:41 because I like to have music.
7:42 And even though some hotel rooms have something, you can never be too careful.
7:46 So far, he's mentioned a pillow and something to play music on.
7:50 Let's jump in at number three.
7:52 Listen and answer the question,
7:54 what other three objects does he always bring when he travels?
7:59 >> Number three, I always bring a pair of sunglasses
8:01 because I've got a quite weird face
8:03 and lots of glasses don't look
8:05 that good on me.
8:07 Four, I always bring about 25 phone chargers
8:12 because I just paranoid
8:15 that I won't be able to charge my phone
8:16 because what am I going to do without my phone?
8:18 Will I exist if my phone runs out of battery?
8:20 I won't.
8:21 I won't exist.
8:22 And five, I was bring a book.
8:24 I like to read a book, especially on a beach.
8:26 >> Well done if you caught sunglasses, phone chargers, about 25 to be precise,
8:33 and a book.
8:34 What five items would you never travel without?
8:37 Let me know in the comments.
8:39 Let's listen again for some more detail
8:42 and fill in each gap with one word.
8:44 >> Number three, I always bring a pair of sunglasses
8:46 because I've got a quite weird face
8:48 and lots of glasses don't look
8:50 that good on me.
8:52 Four, I always bring about 25 phone chargers
8:58 because I just paranoid
9:00 that I won't be able to charge my phone
9:02 because what am I going to do without my phone?
9:03 Will I exist if my phone runs out of battery?
9:05 I won't.
9:06 I won't exist.
9:07 And five, I must bring a book.
9:09 I like to read a book, especially on a beach.
9:11 >> We'll go through the answers for this one a bit differently.
9:15 Here they all are.
9:16 We have weird, paranoid, to be able to, and run out of.
9:23 Now, here's a synonym for each word or phrase.
9:27 Can you match each word from the clip with a word
9:30 that has the same meaning?
9:32 We have can use all of something, worried, and strange.
9:43 So, in the context of this clip, weird means strange, paranoid is worried,
9:51 be able to is can,
9:53 and run out of means to use all of something.
9:57 And remember, can doesn't have an infinitive form.
10:01 So, we can't say I won't can charge my phone.
10:06 Use I won't be able to.
10:08 Instead, run out of is a really useful B1 phrasal verb.
10:12 I wonder if you've heard it before.
10:14 You can run out of time, money, milk, shampoo, ideas, the list goes on.
10:20 Okay, well done if you knew most of those words.
10:23 So, that last clip had basic grammar but more advanced vocabulary.
10:28 Our next B1 plus clip is more challenging
10:32 because of its grammar
10:33 and also because the speaker's delivery is pretty fast.
10:37 We're in the beautiful historic city of Bath at the first dates restaurant.
10:43 Listen to the short clip
10:45 and tell me what problem did they have on the date?
10:49 >> What about your first date?
10:50 >> Oh my god.
10:50 I I think all I remember is just staring at this menu for
10:54 so long.
10:54 I didn't know what you meant to do.
10:55 I was just we just didn't know what to say to each other.
10:58 So, I think if the menus have been taken away,
11:00 we probably would have found something.
11:02 >> Oh, this sounds very uncomfortable.
11:04 They didn't know what to say to each other.
11:07 Maybe they were shy or inexperienced.
11:10 Anyway, it sounds like it was rather awkward.
11:13 We'll listen again now and look at some of the challenging vocabulary and grammar.
11:17 >> What about your first date?
11:18 >> Oh my god.
11:19 I I think all I remember is just staring at this menu for
11:22 so long.
11:23 I didn't know what you meant to do.
11:24 I just we just didn't know what to say to each other.
11:26 So, I think if the menus have been taken away,
11:28 we probably would have found something.
11:30 >> That was quite fast, wasn't it?
11:32 Did you get >> any or all of the missing words?
11:36 First, we have staring.
11:38 This is a B2 level word.
11:40 So, well done if you caught this.
11:42 To stare means to look at someone or something for a long time,
11:48 maybe because you're tired, angry, or confused. for the speaker in our clip.
11:53 She was probably staring at the menu
11:55 as she was too embarrassed to look anywhere else.
11:58 Next, we have meant the past of mean.
12:02 And notice the pronunciation here.
12:05 It's a short e sound, even though we have two vowels.
12:10 Mean, meant meant.
12:13 I didn't know what you were meant to do is the same
12:17 as I didn't know what you were supposed to do.
12:21 I didn't know what was expected in that situation.
12:25 Now, let's take a closer look at the grammar in this final sentence.
12:29 The speaker says, "So, I think if the menus had been taken away,
12:34 we probably would have found something to say."
12:38 This is an example of the third conditional,
12:41 and it's often taught at the end of B1 courses,
12:45 shortly before moving on to B2.
12:47 And speaking of B1 and B2 courses,
12:50 we will be offering an incredible discount over the Black Friday period.
12:56 So, make sure you sign up to the wait list
12:58 and get your B1 to C1 ebook for free.
13:01 The links in the description box or you can scan the QR code there.
13:05 So, how do we form the third conditional?
13:07 Well, in this case,
13:08 we have if plus past perfect plus would have plus past participle.
13:15 And that's quite a lot to put together.
13:17 And this phrase is even more complex
13:19 as we have a past perfect passive had been taken away by the waiter.
13:26 Adding to the difficulty of the clip are the contracted forms the speaker uses.
13:32 Menused would have for example.
13:37 You don't need to use these yourself when speaking especially at B1 B2 level.
13:43 But it's important to be able to recognize them when listening.
13:47 We use the third conditional to imagine a different past.
13:51 No one took the menus away,
13:53 so they didn't find anything to say to each other.
13:56 Okay, are the listenings getting a little bit more challenging for you now,
14:00 or are they still a walk in the park, a piece of cake?
14:04 Next up is a B2 level clip from a documentary series called The Heart
14:09 of Britain.
14:10 Listen and answer the question.
14:12 Where is the speaker, presenter Matt Baker, going?
14:16 >> Across the country, there's over 1 and a half billion train journeys a year.
14:21 And I'm heading to the station in England that's the busiest of them all,
14:24 London's Liverpool Street, to meet the unsung heroes who keep this place on track.
14:29 >> If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through
14:33 here every day,
14:34 you might not notice them,
14:36 but they're always here going the extra mile to get us where we need
14:39 to be.
14:39 People like William in charge of mobility assistance who is a lifeline to many.
14:44 >> Platform three we're after here.
14:47 >> He's heading or going to Liverpool Street train station, London's busiest train station.
14:54 So to head is a B1 kind of more B2 level alternative for to
15:00 go to or to go towards.
15:02 Where are you heading means the same as where are you going.
15:07 Now, I find the B2 level particularly interesting
15:12 as it's when you start to learn some more idiomatic language
15:16 and maybe even start to notice word play,
15:19 which I love.
15:20 Let's listen to the clip again, fill in the gaps,
15:23 and see if you can spot two idiomatic expressions connected to trains
15:30 and train journeys.
15:31 >> Across the country, there's over 1
15:33 and a half billion train journeys a year.
15:35 and I'm heading to the station in England that's the busiest of them all,
15:39 London's Liverpool Street to meet the unsung heroes who keep this place on track.
15:44 >> If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through
15:47 here every day,
15:49 you might not notice them,
15:50 but they're always here going the extra mile to get us where we need
15:53 to be.
15:54 >> People like William in charge of mobility assistance who is a lifeline to many.
15:59 >> Platform three we're after here.
16:02 So Matt's on his way to meet who he calls the unsung heroes
16:07 that work at Liverpool Street.
16:09 An unsung hero is a person who is not praised
16:12 or noticed for their hard work
16:15 but deserves to be.
16:16 The next two phrases are very clever
16:18 as they have both a literal
16:20 and a figurative or idiomatic meaning.
16:25 We have keep this place on track and going the extra mile.
16:31 Trains run on tracks.
16:32 This is the literal meaning.
16:34 But if someone keeps something on track, they make sure everything goes correctly.
16:39 A mile is a measurement of distance.
16:42 But we can use the idiomatic expression to go the extra mile to mean
16:47 to make an extra effort,
16:49 more effort than is expected of you.
16:51 An example, William is the unsung hero who goes the extra mile to assist
16:57 people with reduced mobility.
16:59 These are people who cannot move around easily, often because of age, illness, injury,
17:06 or disability.
17:07 And I just have to mention the last phrase that Matt uses.
17:11 I love it so much.
17:12 He says, "Platform three we're after here."
17:16 So, the informal phrase to be after someone
17:19 or something means to be looking for someone
17:22 or something.
17:23 For example, you're staring into the fridge, Mom.
17:27 What are you after?
17:28 What are you looking for?
17:29 Okay, we're really warming up now.
17:31 This next clip is around B2C C1 level,
17:36 as it contains some really advanced vocabulary.
17:40 We're heading to a beautiful area of Britain,
17:43 the Yorkshire Dales. listen and answer the question,
17:47 why are the Yorkshire Dales considered so significant?
17:52 >> So far on our coast to coast adventure, we've covered the Lake District leg,
17:56 but it's time to join up to 5 million visitors a year by heading
18:00 deep into Dale country.
18:01 The Yorkshire Dales are actually 42% mand some of the country's most important landscapes
18:08 and wildlife along with red squirrels,
18:10 peragan falcans, and many rare plants and mosses.
18:14 The dales are home to some distinctive sheep breeds such
18:17 as swale dales with their black faces
18:20 and curled horns.
18:21 >> The answer is
18:22 because they house some of the country's most important landscapes
18:27 and wildlife.
18:29 And notice I said house with a voiced z sound at the end,
18:35 not house with the unvoiced s.
18:38 Now, that's because this is the verb form meaning to give a place for
18:42 a person or animal to live.
18:45 Landscape is what we can see when we look around, especially in nature.
18:50 For example, mountains, hills, rivers, and so on.
18:54 Wildlife refers to the animals, plants, and insects, etc. that live in nature.
19:00 Let's listen again.
19:01 This time, try and catch the missing wildlife words.
19:05 This is tough.
19:06 You ready?
19:07 So far on our coast to coast adventure, we've covered the Lake District leg,
19:12 but it's time to join up to 5 million visitors a year by heading
19:15 deep into Dale country.
19:17 The Yorkshire Dales are actually 42% mand some of the country's most important landscapes
19:23 and wildlife along with red squirrels,
19:26 paragrin falcans, and many rare plants and mosses.
19:30 The dales are home to some distinctive sheep breeds such
19:33 as swale dales with their black faces
19:35 and curled horns.
19:37 >> First, we have red squirrels.
19:40 Squirrels.
19:41 This is a small animal with a big tail
19:44 and large ears that collects food
19:46 and stores it for winter.
19:48 Now, this word is notoriously difficult to pronounce.
19:51 The squ cluster at the beginning can be hard.
19:56 Squirrel.
19:57 Squirrel.
19:58 Next.
19:59 Peragan falcons.
20:02 Peragrins are a bird of prey that are incredibly fast when diving.
20:07 I wonder if you have them where you live.
20:09 Next up, mosses.
20:12 These are small, soft green plants that grow on damp trees and rocks.
20:17 And finally, sheep breeds such as swale dales,
20:20 a tough breed of sheep from the Yorkshire Dales, famous for its rounded horns.
20:26 Now, we've got even more advanced vocabulary in this clip.
20:30 Words like leg, meaning a part of a journey, and mand,
20:36 a word that describes areas of Britain covered in rough grass.
20:41 So, if you've caught some of these advanced words, well done indeed.
20:46 Okay, are you ready for our final clip, which is our C2 level clip?
20:51 We're going to listen to actor and comedian Danny Dyier.
20:54 He's going to tell us how he likes his tea.
20:57 Now, I warn you, this clip is incredibly challenging on so many levels.
21:03 First, we have Danny Dyier's strong cockney accent.
21:07 We also have some informal colloquial language, some non-standard grammar, and of course,
21:14 some C2 level vocabulary.
21:16 Listen to Danny Dyier explaining his perfect cup of tea, and answer the question,
21:21 how does Danny like his tea?
21:22 I like a strong cup of tea.
21:24 And I know some people are very different.
21:26 Some people leave the tea bag in.
21:27 That's always a nutty one.
21:28 I like my cup of tea.
21:30 It should be the same color as a Wvers.
21:33 A Worther's original.
21:34 Is that a British thing?
21:35 Worthers.
21:35 >> Oh yeah.
21:36 >> Love a Wvers.
21:37 Interesting.
21:37 Worthers because when I do a play,
21:39 you know when it's a matinea
21:40 and it's all the old the old lot in the old girl sitting in
21:43 the front row falling the kit,
21:44 but you get a hit of Worthers as you walk out on the stage.
21:48 It's like makes you faint.
21:49 Although I like the smell of it.
21:51 So I Yeah.
21:52 So, I'd leave the tea bag in
21:53 as long as possible
21:54 and then rinse the life out of it.
21:55 Some people use a tea bag again, didn't they?
21:57 And I get that.
21:58 >> Woo!
21:58 That was tough, wasn't it?
21:59 Okay, feel free to go back and listen again.
22:02 You can even slow the clip down if you want.
22:05 So, when describing his tea habits,
22:08 Danny says he likes a strong cup of tea.
22:11 He likes it to be the same color as a Worther's original.
22:15 That's a great way to describe how you like your tea.
22:18 He is very creative.
22:19 Worthers are a traditional German sweet, but they're very popular in the UK.
22:25 They are delicious.
22:26 They have a caramel color.
22:28 I wonder if you've ever tried them.
22:30 And he leaves the tea bag in the water as long as possible.
22:34 Sounds like my cup of tea.
22:36 Let's listen again and go a bit deeper into some of the expressions Danny
22:41 uses and take a closer look at his accent.
22:43 Are you ready?
22:44 Try and fill each gap with one word.
22:46 >> I like a strong cup of tea.
22:48 And I know some people are very different.
22:49 Some people leave the tea bag in.
22:51 That's always a nutty one.
22:52 I like my cup of tea.
22:53 It should be the same color as a Worthers.
22:57 A Worthers original.
22:58 Is that a British thing?
22:59 Worthers.
22:59 >> Oh yeah.
23:00 >> Love a Worthers.
23:01 Interesting.
23:01 Worthers because when I do a play,
23:03 you know when it's a matinea
23:04 and it's all the old the old lot in the old girls sitting in
23:07 the front row fulling the kit.
23:08 But you get a hit of Worthers as you walk out on the stage.
23:11 It's like makes you faint.
23:13 Although I like the smell of it.
23:15 So I Yeah.
23:16 So, I'd leave the tea bag in
23:17 as long as possible
23:18 and then rinse the life out of it.
23:19 Some people use a tea bag again, didn't they?
23:21 And I get that.
23:22 >> Okay.
23:22 Danny doesn't say, "I like a strong cup of tea."
23:26 He says, "I like a strong cup of tea."
23:29 Dropping the vv sound.
23:31 Cup of tea.
23:32 Some people leave the tea bag in.
23:34 That's always a nutty one.
23:36 So, nutty here is an informal word
23:39 that means a little bit strange
23:41 or crazy.
23:42 I pronounced the th in werethers with a vv sound.
23:48 But did you notice that Danny used a vv instead vv werever's original.
23:55 So this is very common in cocknney and some other British accents.
23:59 He then talks about
24:00 when he does matinea plays
24:03 or should I say matinea with a glottle stop in the middle.
24:08 This is another common feature of cochnney accents.
24:12 Replacing the t in the middle of a word with a glottle stop.
24:16 Matinea.
24:18 A matinea is an afternoon performance of a theater play or film.
24:23 They're popular with families with children and older people and me.
24:28 I'm not one for a late night
24:29 and you can often get tickets a bit cheaper than usual.
24:33 Jing.
24:33 Next, we have the wonderful informal expression falling a kip, which means falling asleep.
24:40 We can use kip
24:42 as an informal word for a short sleep
24:44 or a nap.
24:45 I must say falling a kip is not very common,
24:49 but using kip on its own is fairly common.
24:53 Now, after leaving the tea bag in the water for as long as possible,
24:57 Danny likes to rinse the life out of it.
25:01 So, this is a great informal expression
25:03 that in this context means to squeeze out every last bit of flavor
25:08 and strength from the tea bag.
25:11 And finally, we have didn't they.
25:14 So, this is a non-standard form of the question tag.
25:18 Didn't they?
25:19 Didn't they?
25:20 So notice that according to grammar rules,
25:23 the tail question should technically be formed with don't they in the present simple
25:29 using didn't they is quite common in some dialects.
25:33 I wonder if you've heard it used before.
25:35 Okay, did you pick up on anything else interesting
25:38 or unusual or surprising in
25:40 that clip or any other clips?
25:42 Let me know in the comments.
25:43 And if you managed to pick up the majority of what Danny said,
25:47 then a huge pat on the back to you.
25:49 That was incredibly tough.
25:51 Okay, that brings us to the end of today's video.
25:54 I wonder what level of English listening skills you think you have.
25:58 Don't forget, I'm offering you my B1 to C1 ebook for free.
26:03 It will also sign you up to join my Black Friday waiting list.
26:08 You will be the first to know about my incredible once a year offer.
26:14 Click on the link in the description box or scan the QR code there.
26:18 I really hope you enjoyed this lesson.
26:20 I'll see you in the next one.
26:21 >>
