Recording : Achievement test 1, Listening exercise 1 A

Carol: Tony, what would you like?
Tony: Umm, chicken soup – and pasta with prawns, I think.
Carol: Yes, the soup’s a good idea. But I’m a vegetarian so I’d like the vegetable soup, I think. And a large cheese salad …
Waiter: Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Would you like to order now?

Recording 4: Achievement test 2, Listening exercise 2

Interviewer: Today I’m joined by musician Markus Wainwright. Welcome to the programme, Markus.
Markus: Thank you.
Interviewer: We’ll talk more about your work a little later, but first of all, let’s get to know a bit more about you. So, where were you born?
Markus: Well, I was born in Amsterdam in the Netherlands on August the 13th, 1983.
Interviewer: Can you tell us about your family?
Markus: Of course. I am the youngest child of four. I have two older brothers and one older sister. My mother was a nurse and my father was an electrician.
Interviewer: And did you enjoy school?
Markus: Oh yes, I loved it. I really enjoyed music and science. They were my favourite subjects!
Interviewer: And when did you decide to start playing the guitar?
Markus: Well, my music teacher wanted every student to learn to play an instrument. He asked us what we would like to play and I knew it had to be the guitar.
Interviewer: How old were you at the time?
Markus: Erm…. Well, it was the first year of secondary school so I was about eleven.
Interviewer: And how did your parents feel about this?
Markus: I think they were a bit surprised at first because we aren’t a musical family. No-one in my family was interested in music. Anyway, they asked me why I wanted to play the guitar and I said I wanted to become a famous musician.
Interviewer: Did they think you were being serious?
Markus: I think so.