Turn up
Listen once, then type what you hear.
0:00
Read the transcript
You completed the real listening sample. Open the lesson to continue.
B1 English listening exercises
Follow a short everyday situation, then listen again for the words you missed. Start with a recording below or choose a B1 lesson from the library.
Try a short recording
The first dictation is free to try without an account. Choose an available accent, listen and type the words you hear.
Choose a starting lesson
Start with arrival and meeting phrases. Open Turn up for different meanings, Bump into for an unexpected meeting, or Head back for returning somewhere. These are starting suggestions, not a placement test.
Turn upA late guest can turn up at your door, lost keys can turn up under a sofa, and you can turn up the heating. Context separates arrival, discovery and a higher level.Bump intoIf you bump into an old friend, you meet unexpectedly. If you bump into a table, the surprise may hurt a little more.Head backYou have enjoyed the walk, but it is getting dark. Saying we should head back signals that it is time to start returning, not that you are already home.
What to focus on at B1
Listen for who is speaking, what happened and the main action. On the next replay, check small words around the verb. In turn up and bump into, the whole phrase carries the meaning.
After you check your answer
After checking your answer, explain the sentence in your own words. If most of it is unfamiliar, read the meaning first and return to the recording. If you understood it, replay once at normal speed before moving on.
Killer asteroids
A headline says killer asteroid, but the scientist uses much calmer language. Which statement describes the known risk rather than the headline's emotion?
Start listening
Learn English faster: a daily study plan
Start listening
Leave out
A missing name, ingredient, or detail may be accidental, but a person who is left out can feel unwanted. Context shows whether the omission is practical or social.
Start listening
Less or Lesser: Choose the Right Word
Start listening
Let off
A teacher may let a student off with a warning, while people may let fireworks off at a celebration. The object tells you whether the topic is punishment or an explosion.
Start listening
Listen, then check: capital letters in everyday messages
Start listening
Live up to
Excellent reviews create a picture in your mind before you arrive. The real experience lives up to them only if it is as good as that picture.
Start listening
Live with
Some problems cannot be removed immediately. Learning to live with one means accepting its presence and managing life around it, not enjoying it.
Start listening
Lock out
Leaving your keys inside can lock you out of your home. Too many wrong passwords can create the same problem online: you are outside the access boundary.
Start listening
Look forward to
Plans feel more motivating when you imagine enjoying them. Look forward to turns that positive anticipation into one useful phrase.
Start listening
Look into
When you cannot resolve a problem or answer a question immediately, saying 'I will look into it' is useful and honest. It promises investigation, not an instant solution.
Start listening
Look up to
A role model does more than impress you. You look up to that person because their character or achievements earn your respect.
Start listening
Make up
Friends can make up after an argument, but one of them might also make up an excuse. The object and situation reveal whether something is repaired or invented.
Start listening
Material nouns: rules and simple examples
Start listening
Measure up
A product can have impressive features yet still fail the test that matters. If it does not meet the required standard, it does not measure up.
Start listening
Medicine instructions
A pharmacist gives four connected instructions. Can you match each number and warning to the correct action?
Start listening
Meeting times across time zones
Three times are mentioned, but one is the old schedule and the others describe the same new meeting in two cities.
Start listening
More than or more then: choose the right word
Start listening
Moving Day: Hearing “A Lot” and “Allot”
Start listening
Much, Many, or Several: Choose the Right Word
Start listening
Myself and John: How to Choose
Start listening
N.B. in email: meaning and clear use
Start listening
Nag
One reminder can be helpful. Repeating the same criticism or request again and again may feel like nagging, even when the goal is reasonable.
Start listening
Narrow Down 3
Ten reasonable choices can make a decision harder. Narrowing them down removes the less suitable ones until the best options are easier to compare.
Start listeningBefore you begin
Is this a CEFR level test?
No. These lessons are grouped by their catalogue level. Use the examples and recordings to judge what you need to practice; completing a lesson does not certify your level.
Can I slow down the recording?
Yes. Use the slower playback control when you need another listen, then return to normal speed when you can follow the sentence.
Is every activity free?
The first guided dictation in each lesson is available as a free sample. Other activities may require membership. The lesson shows what is available before you start.
