Inglese

  1. Boy: Oh, by the way, I borrowed your dictionary yesterday.
    Girl: Well, it might have been nice if you'd asked first.
  2. Man: If you're worried about walking home on your own, why don't you take a taxi?
    Woman: I can't afford to take a bus, let alone a taxi!
  3. Woman: How often do you go away for the weekend?
    Man: Oh – usually once a month.
  4. Man: Not many students can write a good story.
    Woman: True. What they really need is help in writing creative storylines.
  5. Man: Now remember – under no circumstances are you to open this fire door unless there is an emergency.
    Woman: Yes, I've already been told that.
  6. Woman: How did the meeting go with the new client?
    Man: Well, they finally signed the contract despite some earlier differences.
  7. Husband: Has Sam said anything about when I should pick him up from the airport?
    Wife: Yes. He said he meets you at the airport at five o'clock.
  8. Man: I was just watching the local news on TV.
    Woman: Anything to report?
    Man: There's been another outburst of the flu.
  9. Woman: I've got loads of old discs in my cupboard.
    Man: What are you going to do with them?
    Woman: I don't know – it seems like no sooner than we get used to one thing, something new comes along!
  10. Woman: Why is Jane so upset this morning?
    Man: Apparently she's had her flat broken into.
  11. Doctor: Now, keep this bandage on for a week and then make another appointment.
    Patient: OK. What about washing my hand?
    Doctor: That would be ill-advised.

    What does the doctor mean by his SECOND comment? You should keep your hand dry.
  12. Man: I hear the company president has decided to call it a day.
    Woman: I'm afraid you can't believe everything you hear.

    What does the man mean? The company president is going to leave the company.
  13. Man: What's wrong with your personal assistant?
    Woman: I'm not happy with his performance at work and I've just let him know in no uncertain terms.
    Man: Well, you don't exactly mince your words, do you?

    What does the woman mean? I've told my personal assistant exactly why I'm unhappy with him.
  14. Man: Timothy's business seems to be thriving.
    Woman: Actually, I think he's only just about breaking even.

    What does the woman mean? It's hardly making any money.
  15. Man: I'm going to throw my hat in the ring for the Managing Director job. What do you think?
    Woman: Well, to be honest, I think it's a bit of a long shot.

    What does the woman mean? I think you're unlikely to succeed.
  16. Woman: Well, was skydiving everything it was cracked up to be?
    Man: Pretty much – all over in a flash though.

    What does the man mean? It didn't last very long
  17. Woman: Don't you need to leave now if you want to see the beginning of the play?
    Man: Don't worry about it. It doesn't start until 8 pm.

    What does the man mean? I'm not going to miss any part of the play.
  18. Female teacher: I don't think much of the new principal, do you?
    Male teacher: No – he's always running people down.

    What does the male teacher mean? The principal's far too critical of people.
  19. Woman: You know, I'm up to here with flashing lights and thumping music – what about you?
    Man: Well, we knew it would be like this, didn't we?
    Woman: That doesn't mean we have to hang around.

    What does the woman mean by her FIRST comment? I've had enough of this. What does the woman mean by her SECOND comment? Why don't we leave now?
  20. Fiona Singleton is only eleven years old and she is already a brilliant pianist. However, she lives in so a small flat that there is certainly no room for a piano. So, every single day after school, Fiona rides the bus across town to see her aunt, where grand piano is always available to her. Sitting by herself in her aunt’s enormous living room, she spends an hour concentrating on pieces she needs to perform at her next concert. But then she stays for another hour and plays together with her aunt, who has a successful career as a top concert pianist. Fiona dreams that she will one day lead a life just like her aunt’s, but of course in her dreams, she is the best pianist in the whole wide world!

AUDIO

  1. A man and woman are speaking about a recent children's party. What does the man say about the entertainer that was hired for the party?
    She didn't make the effort he'd expected. 
    
 

WOMAN   
So how was the children’s entertainer for Mary’s party last week then?


MAN   
Well, at least she turned up, and the kids couldn’t get enough of her, but ...


WOMAN   
Oh yes, of course, the guy you hired last time arrived just when everyone was leaving, didn’t he!


MAN   
Mm, unbelievable! No, this one was ... well, you expect a certain something for your money, don’t you.


WOMAN   
and she was ... what? ... because you said the kids were happy as could be.


MAN   
Even so, she should have put more into it; she was clearly just going through the motions.


WOMAN   
Well, maybe you could do it next year.


MAN   
Maybe I will, and cut costs into the bargain.
  2. A woman is talking about going to the gym. What does she say about it?
    She is encouraged by the support of other users. 
    

F:         I've been going to that new gym by the station quite a lot recently.

 

M:        Really? I thought you hated gyms. How are you getting on?

 

F:         The aerobics classes are quite fun - we have a laugh together when we can’t do some movements, which helps!

 

M:        What about the instructors? Are they good? 

 

F:         They're very nice and kind, though keeping up with them's a real challenge for me.

 

M:        But you like going on the equipment - the running machines and stuff?

 

F:         Now I've learnt how to adjust the controls, they're manageable, though they're just so dull, I’m afraid!
  3. Two company owners are discussing how to set up a business. What point is made during the discussion?
    ???
    Risposte possibili:
A   	It's important to learn from any mistakes that are made.  

C   	The free advice available online is trustworthy.

D   	Having a clear, achievable goal is essential. 

Testo



F          Young people often ask how to go about setting up a business and it's tricky to advise them.

 

M         Right, because everyone makes slips of one kind or another on the way and that's inevitable.

 

F          And worthwhile too, providing you don't dwell on the errors but absorb the key points from them.

 

M         Personally, I think people hesitate too long before launching their company. The 'perfect' moment hardly ever comes.

 

F          However, it's vital to draw up a proper business plan, though investing in professional  assistance may be unnecessary.

 

M         Absolutely, because the Internet's got a vast number of sites now, that offer examples of plans and tips.

 

F          Though it's best to be wary. There are an awful lot of scams being practised on young entrepreneurs.

 

M         I'd say the crucial thing is to tell people to follow the dream and never let setbacks get in the way.
  4. A man and woman are talking. The woman says that Sandra is ...
    inefficient
    Risposte possibili


A   unfriendly.

B   dishonest.

D   inefficient.

Testo

MAN
By the way, didn’t Sandra use to work for you?

WOMAN
Yes, some time ago.

MAN
Naomi’s looking for someone to help her clean the house and I know that Sandra could do a couple of days. What’s she like?

WOMAN
Oh she’s OK. Talks a lot.

MAN
I mean, is she reliable?

WOMAN
Oh yes, completely honest and never missed a day’s work. It was just that she didn’t seem to get a lot done. But I suppose that could have been partly my fault.
  5. A young man and woman are talking about a musical charity event the previous evening. What happened at the event?
    ??? The event was rescheduled ???
    Risposte possibili


A   The event was rescheduled.

B   The venue became overcrowded.

D   It was cancelled because of crowd trouble.

Testo

MAN
That was a shame about the charity night – I was really looking forward to it.


WOMAN
Yeah, I couldn’t believe it when that guy got on stage and he’s like, ‘Sorry, the band hasn’t turned up.’


MAN
Yeah, ‘You’ve all got to go home, the singer’s got his dates mixed up’. Unbelievable! Then those kids…


WOMAN
Yeah, they start shouting and throwing stuff. Good job he offered refunds.


MAN
Yeah, and of course that caused chaos.


WOMAN
Anyway, they’re going to try again at the Sports Centre, which is better anyway.


MAN
Yeah, much bigger venue. That’ll please my cousin – he was one of the ones who missed out.
  6. Two people are talking about an exhibition of paintings that they have been to. They agree that…
    the paintings are displayed in an effective way.
    Risposte possibili

A   	

the paintings are displayed in an effective way.

B   	

there are too many different styles of painting.

C   	

the technical quality of the paintings is generally good.

Testo

MAN
I realise that the overall theme of the exhibition is “The City in the twenty-first century”, but most of the paintings seemed to be about either buildings or traffic, and not much else. It seemed a bit narrow to me.


WOMAN
There was only one section devoted to buildings, wasn’t there? The rest of the exhibition had portraits and street scenes and urban nature and so on.


MAN
What I wanted actually was a bit more consistency in style. I mean, there were abstract paintings, very realistic landscapes, rather surreal images – a real mish-mash.


WOMAN
Yeah, but I like that kind of diversity - it reflects what cities are really like.

MAN
Maybe. But it’s too mixed up for my taste. Having said that, I liked the gallery itself. There’s space to move around and the paintings are hung at just the right height.


WOMAN
And the lighting’s good so you can see them really well.


MAN
So well, you can see how amateurish they are. Some of those so-called artists just can’t paint.


WOMAN
Oh, that’s very harsh. Most of the work there was very accomplished I thought. There were only one or two exceptions to that.
  7. A man and woman are talking about holiday villas. What does the man say about the villas that Dimitri rents out?
    They are just adequate.
    What does the man say about Villa Constantia?
    ???
    Risposte possibili
 A    Its best feature is its location.

C    It is big enough for two families.

D    There are nice views of the sea.

Testo

WOMAN
You know you went to Cephalonia a couple of years ago …


MAN
Yeah?


WOMAN
What was the villa you stayed in?


MAN
Um … I can't remember the name. Have you got the brochure there?


WOMAN
Yeah.


MAN
Let's have a look ... the thing you've got to remember is that you're not going to get five star luxury with any of Dimitri's villas.

WOMAN
I don't suppose it matters - it's only for a couple of weeks.


MAN
Exactly, and most of the time you and the children will be out or outside at least. Oh, here we are ... Villa Constantia.


WOMAN
Oh, that looks quite nice.


MAN
Yeah, it's OK ...the only potential downside is that it’s divided into two, so you're going to end up sharing the garden.


WOMAN
Oh well, that would be all right, cos we're going with the Goodmans and they could have the other half.


MAN
That’d be ideal. It’s on a good size plot too, and you can sit outside and have barbecues.


WOMAN
Oh right, and is it near the beach?


MAN
Yeah, not exactly - it's a bit of a trek, but there's a pretty path through the olive trees and as you walk down there are some glimpses of the sea, so it's not too bad.
  8. Two people are talking at the gym. What does the man think about his gym membership?
    ???
    Risposte possibili



A   	The fees are more than he can afford.

B   	Being a gym member fits his life well.

C   	The money could be better spent on social activities.

Testo


MAN
Haven’t seen you here for ages, Suzie!

WOMAN
It’s not my favourite place, I’m afraid.

MAN
I know, I do get irritated when I can’t get on the machine I want to use.

WOMAN
Yes, that can be a pain though I usually just move on to a different machine while I'm waiting. No, for me, it's the tediousness of the whole thing that gets me - going through the same old motions every time.

MAN
Mmm. I know what you mean.

WOMAN
I thought I’d at least be grateful to get away from the housework on a Saturday morning, though even doing a load of laundry seems to be more of a draw somehow. In the end I come because I’ve paid the fees.

MAN
Speaking of which, have you heard that they’re about to increase yet again?

WOMAN
Really?

MAN
Yes, my wife thinks I should cancel my membership and take up cycling instead. Then we could use the money for something else like going out with friends.

WOMAN
Well, I can see it from her angle.

MAN
And she’d be right if I were a ‘self-motivator’. Then I’d get just as much exercise on my own. I’m not though, so coming here’s still worth it for me.
  9. A boy is moving home with his family. The boy tells the girl about ...
    ????
    Risposte possibili

 A   a room in his new home.

B   the size of his new school.

C   a student in his new school.

Testo




GIRL
Hey, Sam, I hear you’re moving away!


BOY
Yes, we’re going to live in Spain, in Madrid actually.


GIRL
Oh you’ll love it there! I’ve been to Madrid a few times.


BOY
Well, I’m feeling a bit nervous actually.


GIRL
What school are you going to?


BOY
I can’t remember the name. It’s a really nice school – but very different from this one. Anyway, I had to go and meet my new teacher when I was there. She’s very nice. I couldn’t understand her English very well but she says I’ll like the new students in my class which is good. But I’m going to miss you all …


GIRL
And whereabouts are you living?


BOY
Well we’re renting a place in the centre to start with. I haven’t seen it yet, but dad says it’s near the main shopping area. And I do know my new bedroom’s much bigger than my old one so that’ll be good!


GIRL
Cool! …. I’ve got some friends in Madrid actually. I can give you their address if you like?


BOY
Really? Are they English or Spanish?


GIRL
Spanish – they’ve never been to England and they can only speak a bit of English but that’d be good for your Spanish. They’ve got this big apartment in the city – you’d love it there - and they’ve also got a little house by the sea so you could visit them there as well!


BOY
That sounds good for a holiday!


GIRL
Yeah, they go there every summer. Anyhow … next time I visit them, I can visit you too.


BOY
Oh that’d be really great!
  10. Two people are talking about what they have been doing. Where are they?
    in a supermarket
    Risposte possibili


A   in a café

B   at a hospital

C   in a supermarket


Testo




WOMAN
Mike!

MAN
Hi Gina! Fancy seeing you here. It’s been ages.

WOMAN
I know. We used to bump into each other quite often at the Italian café by the outdoor market.

MAN
That’s right. I always liked that place – something to do with the wonderful smells of pizza coming from the kitchen…

WOMAN
 ... and ripe strawberries wafting from the market stalls. It’s a real shame that closed down.

MAN
Yeah, a real pity. Anyway, we're standing next to some strawberries now, look! Though, it's a lot different in a supermarket.

WOMAN
Not as fresh though, are they? Hey, I heard you got a new job.

MAN
Yeah, that's right. I loved working at the children's hospital. Working with the kids was so rewarding, but the hours were terrible ...

WOMAN
Must have been hard to spend time with the family…

MAN
Yeah and however much I begged to change my hours, they wouldn’t do it and that was really getting to me.

WOMAN
Tell me about it. And the pay in the health service wasn't great either, was it?

MAN
Oh it was okay actually, though it's a bit better where I am now. But my journey to work’s a bit longer.

WOMAN
Talking of journeys. I’d better go. My shift starts soon and I can see the queue at the check-outs building up. Take care, Mike.

MAN
You too, Gina.
  11. A man is speaking at an event. What type of event is he speaking at?
    a staff retirement party 
    Testo




Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been asked to start things off this evening and remind you all why we’re here. I must say it’s an enormous privilege to be in this position, having been a student at this college over 20 years ago. I remember very clearly standing on this very stage, trembling with fear before the curtain went up on a production of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, in which I was playing the lead. You must be feeling very glad that I’m not about to do that tonight, as indeed am I! This stage has seen many end-of-year ceremonies at which prizes were given to students who’d excelled at art, music and drama, a considerable number of which - in the latter category - were achieved thanks to the skill and devotion of the person we’re here to celebrate tonight. She has won a name as an inspired director and teacher, so much so that the governors saw fit to name the new rehearsal room block after her a few years ago. That will honour her as will the students who take the techniques they learnt from her out into the world. So, although the college will miss her enormously and tears will undoubtedly be shed later this evening, let us remember her contribution with gratitude. Now, let me hand over to the Principal who will say a few words.
  12. A man is talking about running his own restaurant. What does he imply about his career in the restaurant business?
    He had a better opportunity to learn innovative techniques working abroad.
    Risposte possibili

A  	If he'd accepted the airport contract, it would have been a disaster. 

B  	He had a better opportunity to learn innovative techniques working abroad. 

C  	If he'd had less adventurous menus, he wouldn't have achieved what he has. 

Testo




I've been called a celebrity chef but it's a term that really winds me up. I did do a lot of work on TV - but you do it because you like getting people excited about food. It's not about grabbing glory for the sake of it. I like to think that the customers who come to my restaurant welcome my approach to food. I don't want the place to be intimidating in any way. What I try to do is base the menu on really fresh seasonal ingredients. That's why I spend an awful lot of time visiting early morning markets. I think that was the reason I got offered the stint on TV.

I do quite a bit of travelling - for work. Years ago, other countries were so far ahead in the restaurant game that you had to go and work abroad. People used to ask me if I was ever going to go back and practice my trade in my own country. But I never had any intention of staying away forever. I was determined to make a success of things here one day. But I think my secret is keeping things simple and not overreaching myself. When I was approached to oversee the restaurant at the new air terminal I just laughed and said 'I don't do airport food!' But when they explained what they had in mind, I soon changed my mind.
  13. A man is talking on the radio about a man with a new business idea. Why did the investors decide to support the man's business idea?
    They found his personality very appealing.
    How does the man now view the future of his business?
    He is determined to expand his business. 
    Risposte possibili seconda domanda

A 	He is determined to expand his business.

B 	He is unwilling to change his business approach. 

D 	He is worried he won't be able to repeat his first success. 

Testo




Fans of the television show, ‘Back Me’, in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to potential investors, will remember Rodney Sharp, the 50 year-old Jamaican musician,
 who persuaded two investors to back his fledgling business making and selling hot chilli sauce. 
Within months, Sharp had achieved such impressive sales figures that his backers agreed to invest in a second, milder sauce, which hits the shops this week.
So what did these unsentimental investors see in this unlikely entrepreneur who openly admitted that he didn’t think his plans would amount to much? 
After all, as a visit to any supermarket will prove, hot chilli sauces are not hard to come by and Sharp’s investors knew that most ventures in this niche sector are loss makers. 
His backers said they just felt Sharp had ‘great warmth and charisma’, which was enough to win them over.
Charisma may be useful, but Rodney Sharp realises that to ensure his company continues to grow, which now seems to be his chief concern, he will have to adjust the way he does things. 
He has already, for example, put together a small, experienced team to help him. 
Given this and the popularity of the first sauce, Sharp sees little reason why the new sauce should not prove to be a hit, and, 
despite advice from his team that limiting the range of sauces is likely to be the most profitable way forward, he has such self-belief that he plans to launch further sauces in the coming months. 
It does, however, remain to be seen just how many more …
  14. A woman is talking about how to save time. The woman's main purpose is to advise people how to ...
    find ways to do everything they need to. 
    Testo




Do you wish you had more time for exercise? Is your family always complaining that you don't have enough time for them? 
If the answer is yes to either of these questions, and I expect it probably is, then you may need to go on one of the time management courses which are springing up all over the place. 
These courses are a modern and not too expensive way of making the most of each day. 
A lot of people are getting interested in them as a way of managing their lives better, so they might be worth considering.

However, here are a few tips you can follow right now to create more time for yourself. 
Firstly, think about the time you spend watching TV or surfing the Internet. 
Switch off the TV and the computer and do something useful instead. 
Make a list of things you need to do and attempt all of them, not just the easy ones. 
Try getting up half an hour earlier every day, not because you might manage to get a couple of extra tasks done, but because if you do, you'll start the day more calmly. 
Remember you do have time to fit everything in if you manage your time properly.
  15. A woman is talking about the influence her mother had on her. What did the woman learn from her mother about work?
    a natural ability to work hard
    Risposte possibili



A   a natural ability to work hard

B   only to work if she was getting paid

C   making money is the most important thing


Testo




I come from a long line of strong, matriarchal women who had huge responsibilities in their lives. 
My mother instilled in me a strong work ethic.  
I learned from her that you have to work for things - you don't get things handed to you on a plate. 
Any pocket money I got had to be earned by making all the beds in the house. 
And from the age of 12 I was working in the family's shop. My father was often ill, so Mum ran the shop single-handed and took the economic responsibility for the whole family.



It may sound strange but it was more than a shop - more than just a way of making an honest living. 
It was very much a central part of the community. 
People would come into the shop and linger for ages chatting to my mum. She's a great listener and she's always cheerful. 
She realised the importance of this in business terms, but she was also genuinely interested in helping people. 
This has been instrumental in the way I've chosen to live and work - 
I would say that my whole belief system is based on women as the 'caretakers of society'.