B2
English Listening Exercises for B2 – Press intrusion
5 exercises
Practice B2 (Upper-Intermediate) English listening with "English Listening Exercises for B2 – Press intrusion". 5 audio comprehension exercises with instant answers. Free, no signup.
1. Complete the text with the words below.
- harassed interest investigative journalists laws
- libel paparazzi scandal tabloid
- The pop star invited 1) from several newspapers to discuss the stories about him in the 2) press. The star denied taking drugs and sued the papers for 3) He also complained of being repeatedly 4) by the 5) outside his house since publication of the stories. Furthermore, he said that privacy 6) needed to be strengthened for all celebrities. However, the judge ruled that the tabloid’s story was 7) journalism rather than just a celebrity 8) , and therefore it was in the public 9)
Listening Strategy
When you listen, pay attention to what words each speaker uses to express his/her attitude. Words with a similar meaning may have different connotations.
2. Read the Listening Strategy. Then listen to five dialogues and choose the word the second speaker uses.
Audio
- 1)The second speaker describes the new person she met as shy / bad-mannered
- 2)The second speaker says that the singer’s costume was creative / colourful
- 3)The second speaker describes the footballer as being shrewd / judgemental
- 4)The second speaker thinks the politician is open-minded / single-minded
- 5)The second speaker says that newspapers offer us propaganda / information
3. For each speaker, choose the correct attitude (a-c). Use your answers to exercise 2 to help you. Listen again and check.
Audio
- 1)The second speaker was when she met her friend’s new partner.
- c) 2) The second speaker the singer’s outfit.
- c) 3) The second speaker is when talking about the footballer.
- c) 4) The second speaker is in her attitude to the politician.
- c) 5) The second speaker is with tabloid news.
- c
4. Say these lines from the dialogues. Try to express the attitude in brackets.
- 1)Hey, did you enjoy the party? Who was there? Tell me all about it! (enthusiastic)
- 2)Did you see the outfit that Rihanna was wearing at the Music Awards? Rather bright, wasn’t it? (critical)
- 3)I wish that footballer would keep his views to himself. He’s always got too much to say about the other players. (annoyed)
- 4)The Education Minister is now saying that teachers deserve a pay rise. That’s a complete change of opinion! (surprised)
- 5)I’m so tired of the tabloid news. It’s very one-sided. (weary)
5. Listen and match speakers 1-4 with sentences A-E. There is one extra sentence.
Audio
- A The speaker is angry about the lack of accuracy in news reporting.
- B The speaker is critical of people’s lack of interest in improving society.
- C The speaker admits to an interest in celebrity gossip.
- D The speaker feels that news about celebrities is unrealistic.
- E The speaker feels that news reporting is pessimistic.
How to Practice
- 1Read each question carefully
- 2Write your answer or select the correct option
- 3Click 'Show Answer' to check your work
- 4Review any mistakes and try similar exercises
- 5Move to the next exercise when ready
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