English Listening Exercises for A1 – Spelling and pronunciation

1. Complete the housework activities with the verbs below.

clean     cook     do (x2)     go     load / unload     set     tidy     wash

1) _____ bedroom

2) _____ dinner

3) _____ the dishes

4) _____ the washing

5) _____ to the supermarket

6) _____ the table

7) _____ the dishwasher

8) _____ the house

9) _____ the ironing

Show answers

1) tidy   2) cook   3) wash   4) do   5) go   6) set

7) load / unload   8) clean   9) do

Listening Strategy 1

In English, you cannot always predict how a word sounds by looking at the spelling. Learning how words are pronounced will allow you to understand them when you hear them.

2. Read Listening Strategy 1. Look at the underlined letters in the words in the table. Put the words below in the correct group.

at     break     bus     can     cool     find     foot     France     good     in

jeans     June     know     month     mother     music     park     pool

print     right     run     so     steak     teach

Spelling

Sounds like

Sounds like

oo

school

look

 

1) _____

2) _____

3) _____

4) _____

a

father

grandson

 

5) _____

6) _____

7) _____

8) _____

i

wife

Italy

 

9) _____

10) _____

11) _____

12) _____

o

go

son

 

13) _____

14) _____

15) _____

16) _____

ea

eat

great

 

17) _____

18) _____

19) _____

20) _____

u

university

mum

21) _____

22) _____

23) _____

24) _____

Show answers

1) cool   2) pool   3) foot   4) good   5) France   6) park

7) at   8) can   9) find   10) right   11) in   12) print

13) know   14) so   15) month   16) mother   17) jeans

18) teach   19) break   20) steak   21) June   22) music

23) bus   24) run

3. Circle the word with the different vowel sound.

1)  a book      b soon      c cook      d wood

2)  a car      b cat      c bag      d am

3)  a big      b sit      c child      d is

4)  a one      b phone      c come      d love

5)  a ruler      b student      c computer      d Sunday

Show answers

1) soon   2) car   3) child   4) phone   5) Sunday

Listening Strategy 2

Some words sound similar, but have very different meanings. Being able to detect the small difference in pronunciation will help you to understand them when you hear them. Use the context to help you too.

4. Read Listening Strategy 2. Circle the word you hear.

1)  a and             b end

2)  a match        b much

3)  a park           b pack

4)  a let b late

5)  a eat             b it

Show answers

1) end   2) match   3) park   4) late   5) it

5. Listen to a dialogue between a teenager and her mother. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1) Anna is happy to unload the dishwasher.

2) Anna’s brother loads the dishwasher every evening.

3) Anna thinks her brother isn’t tidy.

4) Anna’s mum wants her to cook dinner.

5) Anna’s mum can’t help Anna with maths.

6) Anna’s brother isn’t at home.

Show answers

1) F   2) T   3) T   4) F   5) F   6) T

Transcript

Anna What’s for dinner, Mum?

Mum Steak, chips and peas ___ Anna, can you unload the dishwasher, please?


a Oh, Mum, can you ask Luke? I’m busy with maths homework. It’s very difficult.

m Anna, it’s your job to unload the dishwasher every day. You know Luke loads it after dinner.


a I know, but I tidy bedroom every day. But is Luke’s bedroom tidy? No, it isn’t! And I clean the bathroom. But where are Luke’s clothes? On the bathroom floor!

m Now, Anna, that isn’t very nice. This isn’t about Luke. I want you to help me in the kitchen. I’m busy and I’m tired and I need your help. I cook dinner every day, and I hate cooking!


a OK. Sorry, Mum. I’m just worried about maths homework. I can’t do it.

m Well, let me cook dinner first, then I can help you with your homework. Or Luke can help you this evening. He’s good at maths.


a OK. But where is Luke?

m He’s with Dad.


a And where’s Dad?

m At the supermarket!

6. Look at the pairs of words. Are the underlined sounds the same or different? Tick the correct answers.

Same

Different

1)

please

clean

2)

unload

supermarket 

3)

bedroom

cook

4)

bathroom

maths

5)

nice

tired

6)

worried

clothes

Show answers

1) same   2) different

3) same (bedroom can also be pronounced ˈbedruːm)

4) different   5) same   6) different

Extra exercises

Strategy

Before you listen, underline the key words in the questions and think about what the speakers might say about these things.

1. Read the Strategy. Then read the exam task in exercise 2 and underline the key words in the questions (A-G). Match A-G with the examples 1-7 below.

1) music, sport, cinema

2) how to cook, play the guitar, speak French

3) slowly, quickly, in a rush

4) teacher, doctor, journalist

5) Candy Crush, chess, Fallout 4

6) straight, wavy, curly

7) friendly, patient, sensible

Show answers

1) E   2) G   3) C   4) D   5) A   6) B   7) F

2. Listen to six people talking about who they are like in their family. Match speakers 1-6 with A-G. There is one extra sentence.

Speaker 1

Speaker 2

Speaker 3

Speaker 4

Speaker 5

Speaker 6


a enjoys playing the same game as someone else in their family.

b has the same hair as someone else in their family.

c moves like someone else in their family.

d has the same job as someone else in their family.

e looks like someone else in their family, but they have different interests.

f has a similar personality to someone else in their family.

g learns from someone else in their family.

Show answers

1) C   2) B   3) F   4) E   5) A   6) G

Transcript

1) People often say I’m like grandfather. They say we’ve got the same walk. grandfather always puts his hands in his pockets when he walks, and so do I. Apart from that, I can’t see the similarity.

2) I look more like mum than dad. Her hair is grey now, but it’s still curly, like mine. We’ve both got the same blue eyes and the same nose too. People say I look like her when she was young.

3) Yeah, I think I’m most like dad. He’s very patient, and so am I. We don’t often get angry about things – we try to laugh instead. We’re both very tall – and very good looking, of course!

4) I often go out with cousin, Sarah, and most people think that we’re sisters. We look quite similar, I suppose, because we’re both quite small and thin. She doesn’t like sport though, and I do.

5) I’ve got an older brother, but we don’t look anything like each other. He’s got fair hair and I’m dark, and we’ve got completely different personalities. But we both love playing chess!

6) I’m more like aunt than mum, really. aunt’s a fantastic cook, and I like cooking too. I often watch her when she’s in the kitchen and then I make the same thing at home – delicious!

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