Practice Listening Business English Exercises for A2 – Money

9 exercices

Audio

A. Listen to It all adds up!, a podcast for consumers on the topic of money. Tick (✓) the topics they speak about.
a)
How to borrow money for emergency expenses
b)
Suggestions for reducing living expenses
c)
Information about how most consumers save
d)
What will happen to interest rates over the next few months
e)
News about currency exchange rates
f)
Tips for changing money when travelling abroad
B. Listen again. Choose the correct option in italics to complete the advice and information from the podcast.
1)
It’s a good idea to walk / take your lunch to work.
2)
Don’t buy things with your credit card / that you don’t need
3)
Buy a used car / cinema tickets online.
4)
In the next few months, interest rates / borrowing will go down.
5)
Mortgages / Holidays will become more expensive.
6)
Now is a good time to visit China / buy Chinese electronics

Audio

A. Liz is a Marketing Consultant to the retail banking industry. Listen to the first part of her presentation to a group of clients and answer the questions.
1)
How does Liz get the attention of her audience at the start?
2)
Which three generations does she talk about in her introduction? Complete the information in slide 1.
3)
Which generation is the main subject of her presentation? Why?
4)
How do the audience describe this generation in terms of:
• lifestyle? • technology? • work? • money?
B. Liz used the approximate words early, mid and late to talk about ages and dates. Can you remember the phrases she used for the following? Listen and check.
1)
17–19-year-olds late teens
2)
21–23-year-olds
3)
1964–6
4)
1977–9
5)
1981–3
6)
2011–13

Audio

A. Listen to Liz present the financial habits of young adults with approximate figures. What are the exact figures? Use the exact figures below and write them on slide 2.
12)
21 29 64 76
B. Listen again and answer the questions.
1)
What do the employment figures for 16–21-year-olds show?
2)
What does Liz say is the most surprising figure in the chart? Why?
3)
What kind of debt are 16–21-year-olds against? Why?
4)
What’s the good news about 16–21-year-olds for the retail banking industry? What’s the bad news?

2 Financial habits(16–21-year-olds)
• paid employment	..76..%
• own savings account	%
• account-holders since age	%
• already saving for retirement	%
• opposed to all forms of debt	%

Audio

A. Listen to the final part of the presentation. What do the figures in slide 3 show?
1)
10.6 =
2)
1 billion =
3)
53% =
4)
42 million =
B. What does Liz say about her client’s marketing strategy?

3 Marketing to young savers

10.6 1bn 53% 42m

Audio 1

Audio 2

A. Read the town councillor’s notes for the meeting. Then listen and complete them.
Topic: Practical ideas and real solutions.
1)
Advertise to attract
2)
Create a local
3)
Set up a bank
4)
Start an online goods – on social media?
5)
Start a Saturday in the town centre
B. Match the ideas (a–e) with the descriptions (1–5) in Exercise A. Listen again and check your answers.
a)
Develop a type of money that’s only for our town
b)
Make it easy for people to trade things they don’t need for things they need
c)
Arrange a place in town for local people to sell things
d)
Invite people from other places to visit our town – and spend money
e)
Get people to share their skills by trading hours of work
C. Now listen to the end of the meeting. Which ideas does the town vote to consider more seriously?

Audio

A. Listen to local residents Ellen and David discussing the projects. Which project does Ellen like the best? Which one does David like the best?
B. Listen again. Who expressed each opinion? Write E (Ellen), D (David) or N (neither).
1)
Local currency
a)
It’s interesting – good for business.
b)
It’s weird – lots of people think this.
c)
It’s old-fashioned – we don’t need it.
2)
Saturday market
a)
It would help to create jobs – people will make things to sell.
b)
It’s easy to understand – people will go to see other people.
c)
It’s not interesting – you can sell stuff online.
3)
Time bank
a)
I’m too busy to use it.
b)
I’d rather just pay people.
c)
It’s a good way to meet people.

Audio

Audio

2)
You will hear eight short recordings twice. For questions 1–8 choose the correct answer.
1)
What does the woman spend most of her income on?
2)
How does the man pay at the hotel?
a)
by credit card
b)
by mobile phone payment
c)
in cash
3)
How is the man going to save more money?
a)
walk to work every day
b)
take his lunch to work
c)
rent a room in his home
4)
Why does the woman like paying by credit card?
a)
She doesn’t need different currency.
b)
It’s light to carry when travelling.
c)
She doesn’t need receipts.
5)
What does the man think he is best at in his job?
a)
public speaking
b)
working with numbers
c)
managing his time
6)
How much have the company’s sales increased over the year?
a)
about 10 percent
b)
nearly a quarter
c)
roughly a third
7)
Who is going to be the lead presenter?
a)
Francisco
b)
Luis
c)
Gaston
8)
How was the budget for the project divided?

Audio

3)
Listen to a radio discussion about spending habits. For each question choose a, b or c.
1)
How have people’s spending habits changed in the last five years?
a)
People spend more.
b)
People save more.
c)
People spend money on different things.
2)
What has risen most in price?
a)
taxes
b)
housing
c)
food
3)
What suggestion does Lena make for saving money on restaurant food?
a)
Use more vouchers.
b)
Go and eat at different times.
c)
Eat more takeaways.
4)
What does Lena think about buying new technology?
a)
People buy new things too often.
b)
It often isn’t worth the money.
c)
Most website offers are bad.
5)
What advice does Lena give for buying a new smartphone?
a)
Buy them with a contract.
b)
Don’t buy one with a brand name.
c)
Buy an older model.
6)
According to Lena, which is the best way to pay when you are overseas?
a)
cash
b)
prepaid card
c)
credit card
7)
According to Lena, where is the worst place to exchange currency?
a)
at an airport
b)
at a hotel
c)
online

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