B2 Practice Tests

Test 2 audioscript
2.01

You are going to answer eight questions. You have 10 seconds per question for questions 1 and 2, and 20
seconds per question for questions 3–8. Start speaking when you hear the tone.
Question 1: What’s your name?
Question 2: Which country do you come from?
Question 3: I’m going to ask you some questions about fashion. Can you describe the type of clothes you
usually wear?
Question 4: Where do you prefer shopping for clothes?
Question 5: What would you wear to attend a wedding in your country?
Question 6: I’m going to ask you some questions about weather. What is your favourite kind of weather?
Question 7: How do you think the weather makes life difficult for people in your country?
Question 8: Can you tell me about a time when you experienced very hot temperatures?
2.02

You are going to leave a voicemail message. First read and listen to the task, then decide what you want
to say. You have 40 seconds to leave your voicemail. Start speaking when you hear the tone.
You were recently asked to attend a job interview. However, you are now unable to attend the interview.
Leave a voicemail message for the manager of the company. In your message, you should: say who you are;
explain why you are unable to attend the interview; suggest an alternative date for the interview.
You now have 20 seconds to think about you want to say.
2.03

You are going to reply to a voicemail message. First read and listen to the task, then decide what you
want to say. You have 40 seconds to leave your voicemail. Start speaking when you hear the tone.
Listen to the message from your friend about a holiday. Then, leave a voicemail message for your friend. In
your message, you should: accept your friend’s invitation; ask for information about the cost; tell your friend
when you can go.
Now listen to the message.
F Hi, it’s Jo. I think we should get away for a couple of days. How about going to London? We could book a
weekend break … I’ve seen a really cheap deal online. I can’t do next weekend, but I’m free the one after that.
Would that suit you? Let me know, OK?
You now have 20 seconds to think about what you want to say.
2.04

You are going to give a talk. Read and listen to the task, and start speaking when you hear the tone.
You are going to give a talk to your English class about different inventions.
Choose two photographs. Tell your class how these inventions have improved our lives.
You now have 30 seconds to think about what you want to say.
You now have one minute to give your talk.
2.05

You are going to answer six questions about your talk. You have 30 seconds to answer each question.
Start speaking when you hear the tone.
Question 1: Your talk was about inventions. What is an invention that you find particularly useful in your
everyday life?

1  Oxford Test of English  B2 Test 2 audioscript  © Oxford University Press

 Question 2: Which personal qualities do you think are necessary to be a successful inventor?
Question 3: Do you think an inventor learns more from their successes or their failures?
Question 4: How can technology help educate people?
Question 5: Many people say that technology has made people lazy. Do you agree?
Question 6: In what ways do you think technology will change our lives in the future?
2.06

Listen and choose the correct picture, A, B, or C.

Question 1
A brother and sister are discussing which film to watch on TV. Which film do they decide on?
M There are loads of movies on later. What do you fancy watching?
F Well, the trailer for that action movie looked really good so I wouldn’t mind that, actually.
M I agree … it definitely did. But it’s bound to be on again soon.
F How about the historical drama then? Luke Porter’s in it and he’s always brilliant.
M Er, I wouldn’t normally be keen on that sort of thing, but just this once …
F Yes, go on, try something different! Anyway, I’d have said forget the love story. That’ll just be the same old,
same old.
M Exactly.
Now listen again.
Question 2
A husband and wife are discussing which food items need to be bought. What should the man buy?
M I’ll pop into the supermarket on the way back from the gym. What do we need?
F I was thinking of doing an omelette for lunch, so we’ll need a few more eggs. Oh, and pick up some cheese,
too.
M We can’t need more already? Eggs, I mean. I bought a box the other day.
F My mistake, then. We’re definitely out of onions, though.
M I used the last of them in that curry yesterday. Right … I’ll make a note of those things. See you later.
F See you.
Now listen again.
Question 3
A man is leaving a voicemail message for his boss. Which part of his body is painful?
M Hi, it’s Stefan. I’m just letting you know that I won’t be in today as I’m still not feeling a hundred per
cent. That awful headache … the worst I’ve ever had in fact … has cleared up, thankfully. And my stomach’s
settling down, slowly, admittedly, but it’s mainly fine. That was no fun at all. It’s my throat that’s playing up
now and I wouldn’t be much use to you in the presentation when I’m like this. Anyway, I’ll let you know how
things are looking for tomorrow. Hope you have a good day.
Now listen again.
Question 4
A brother and sister are discussing jobs. Which job is the man most interested in?
F Have you chosen a course for next year yet?
M There are loads of great options and I’ve started to narrow it down – basic electrical training looks good,
for example.
F Yeah, I’ve heard that course is excellent and electricians are certainly in demand.
M That’s right … Remember when Dad was trying to find someone to sort out the garage lights? Frankly
though, I see myself more in construction.
F You’d make a good living from plumbing, but I’m not sure it’s your strength.
M You’re never going to let me forget that issue with the kitchen sink, are you?
Now listen again.

2  Oxford Test of English  B2 Test 2 audioscript  © Oxford University Press

 Question 5
A railway station employee is making a passenger announcement. Which train service has the longest delay?
F We regret to announce that this morning’s National Rail Line 10:15 service to London Paddington has
been severely disrupted. The 10:25 Cross Country service to Manchester departing from Platform 13 is
currently running behind schedule by approximately seven minutes and the 10:29 National Rail Line local
service to Oxford is operating on time.
Now listen again.
2.07

Listen to a manager of a store telling his staff about some changes to the services the store provides to
customers. Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each gap (1–5). The first one has been done for you.
You now have 30 seconds to look at the task.
M Good evening everyone and thanks for staying behind after hours. I won’t keep you long. I just need to
tell you about some important changes coming up to the services that Browns offers its customers.
The first thing to say is that we’re changing the way our loyalty card works. Customers will still get points for
every purchase they make, and, as before, those points can be used anywhere in the store. What’s different
is that the points will now also be accepted by all the other stores in the Jackson Group, so we’ve effectively
doubled the benefits.
We’re expecting a bit of a rush to get the new card. To manage this efficiently, customers will be able to pick
up a card in store but they’ll need to finish the sign up process online. We’ll give you all the information you
need to help them if you’re asked to advise on how to go about this. You may also want to reassure customers
that we won’t pass on information about where they live or any other personal details.
Here in the shop, one major change that’ll take place will be to our eatery. Feedback indicated that shoppers
wanted something other than just snacks, so the café’s going to get a complete upgrade and become a
restaurant, though we’ll still do lighter bites, too. And we’re planning a brand new coffee shop for the ground
floor.
We’re also introducing a ‘personal shopper’ service, initially for ladies only. Customers will be able to book
time with a personal shopper by completing an online form. They’ll have to give some basic information
regarding their size, shape, and preferred styles, and select a payment option, although they won’t be
charged until after their session. We’ve already had quite a few phone enquiries about this service, so I think
it’ll be a big hit.
We’re also improving our home design service. Until now, we’ve provided a soft furnishings service … blinds
and other window dressings, bedclothes, pillows, and so on. But we’re moving towards complete interior
design. That means we’ll help the customer choose their colour scheme, furniture and floor covering …
everything to complete a room’s look.
And talking of all things house-related, starting next month, we’re going to be running a series of home
skills classes. We’ve got a team of experts lined up to teach a range of workshops, such as cooking according
to the time of year. We wanted to start off by covering some of the basics, so the first session is on keeping
ingredients safely. The following week’s session on quick dinners should be a real crowd pleaser, especially for
those who work long hours.
So, are there any questions at all?
Now listen again.
2.08

Listen to a man and a woman talking about their holiday. Match the people (woman, man, or both) to the
opinions below. The first one has been done for you. You now have 30 seconds to look at the task.
M Well, that’s another holiday over and done with. I’m glad to be home again. It’s nice to have a bit of peace
and quiet.
F Yeah, who’d have thought there’d be that many people there? The whole point of us going in September
was to try and avoid peak season.
M We’ve been there several times now and it’s always been packed … well, as far as I remember anyway.
What did you think of the new fitness room? It only opened a few days before we arrived.
F It was always clean which is pretty good considering how many people pass through there, but it was
what it was. It had all the basic equipment, and what more does it really need?
M I’d have thought that for such a busy resort they could have given it more space. A couple of mornings
when I got there, I had to turn around and leave again as it was full. So, that was a bit of a let-down.
F What about the other changes? There’s certainly more work to do, isn’t there? I thought that the end of
the building we were in could certainly have done with a bit of attention.

3  Oxford Test of English  B2 Test 2 audioscript  © Oxford University Press

 M I think the new section’s beautiful. They’ve done a great job there … very nice, calming colours and so on.
But the other bit hasn’t been done up in ages, that’s for sure.
F Do you know what, though? It’s perhaps because we’ve been to the resort so often, it sort of feels like
home. And you can’t fault the staff for their effort. They go out of their way to make sure that everyone has
what they need and is having a good time.
M That’s what being in the service industry’s all about, surely? As I see it, they’re just doing their jobs. I
wouldn’t expect anything less.
F I suppose. By the way, I’ve just checked our credit card statement … you might get a shock!
M Oh, I don’t mind overspending when we’re on holiday. As long as we have a good time, that is.
F I have no problem with us blowing our budget either … occasionally, anyway. What I do mind, is when
the experience just isn’t worth the expense. But we can hardly say that was the case on this occasion.
M Well, it’s back to normal on Monday. I can’t say I’m thrilled at the thought of going back to work.
F Me neither. Well, though, hopefully we’ll be able to get away for a week or so early next year.
M I wonder if we should give fancy hotels a break and go for something completely different next time
round … Like one of those apartment swap things. There’s loads of information about it online and a couple
of the guys at work have done it.
F And how did they get on?
M Very well, actually. They could come and go as they pleased and obviously they spent less on eating out.
F It might be just the thing for us too, then. Anyway, we’re just back from this holiday, so we have plenty of
time to think about the next one.
M We certainly do.
Now listen again.
2.09

Listen and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C).

Question 1: A husband and wife are talking about a new fitness class. How does the woman feel about
joining the class?
A anxious about causing herself an injury
B worried that she’ll be the oldest member
C concerned that she’ll be unable to keep up
M You’ve got your extreme fitness class tomorrow, haven’t you?
F Yeah. I must have been mad to sign up for it. What was I thinking?
M Well, you said you wanted to challenge yourself.
F Oh, it’ll be a challenge alright. I mean, I’m hardly a teenager anymore.
M Look, it’s all about attitude. Tell yourself that you’re as good as the others and you will be.
F I’ll certainly give it my best shot … just as long as I don’t overdo it and end up being off work for weeks.
That’s the main thing.
M You’ll be fine.
Now listen again.
Question 2: A girl is leaving a voicemail message for her father. What does she want her father to do?
A help her to gather data
B pay an unexpected bill
C call the internet provider
F Dad, it’s Laura, I need you to do me a favour. Our Wi-Fi’s gone down again and I really need to get on with
my project. I’ve still got tonnes of research to do and I need some support. It’s getting ridiculous … we’re
being charged a lot for this service. Can you sort it out, please? I don’t want to have to go to the library … I
know it won’t have everything I need. But at this rate I might have no choice. Anyway, let me know what they
say. Text me, OK?
Now listen again.
Question 3: A husband and wife are discussing home repairs. The woman says that the man …
A has to build the bookcase
B ought to try to fix the front door
C needs to focus on the floorboards
M I’m planning to do some DIY tomorrow. There are a few things that need fixing.

4  Oxford Test of English  B2 Test 2 audioscript  © Oxford University Press

 F Well, better late than never, as they say.
M OK, I’ll put that bookcase together, shall I?
F Someone hasn’t been in the study recently! Anyway, the front door seems to be sticking. It’s probably
swollen in the summer heat. You sorted out the back one last year, right?
M That’s right. I’ll have a go at those loose floorboards, too.
F Actually, the guy who fixes those is coming round next week.
M Oh, OK.
Now listen again.
Question 4: A woman is leaving a message for the manager of a company. What is the main purpose of the
woman’s message?
A to request a personal visit
B to ask for her call to be returned
C to enquire about a range of products
F Hello, this is Sylvie Rodriguez speaking. My elderly mother’s just come to live with me and she’s having
some difficulty getting up and down the stairs. I’m thinking of having a stairlift fitted, so she’ll be able to
manage by herself. You’ve got quite a selection and there are a few that look promising. I think it would be
helpful for you to see the situation for yourself. Meanwhile, I’ll have another look through your catalogue to
narrow down my options. Anyway, I’ll confirm all this in an email. I look forward to your reply.
Now listen again.
Question 5: A brother and sister are talking about a science magazine. What is the subject of the article they
mention?
A the planets
B the weather
C the atmosphere
M This new natural science magazine’s great!
F Yeah, I thought it looked interesting.
M Who knew there was so much going on all around us.
F You mean in terms of gases and stuff? It’s all a bit complex for me, actually … science never was my best
subject.
M I know, but it’s all explained in a way that you can get your head around. Like that piece on how lightning
forms and its effects. You know … the one you read recently.
F Our world’s amazing, isn’t it?
M It is. I find our entire solar system very interesting actually.
Now listen again.

5  Oxford Test of English  B2 Test 2 audioscript  © Oxford University Press