General Listening Quiz

Imagine you have been asked to organize a picnic? Where would you hold the picnic and what food, appetizers, and drink would you buy? Make a list and discuss it with a partner.

1. 1. Picnics are more fun than eating at a restaurant.
   2. Picnics are only enjoyable when the weather is perfect.
   3. It’s better to bring homemade food to a picnic than to buy it.
   4. Parks are the best places for picnics.
   5. A picnic is not complete without games or activities.
   6. Eating outdoors makes food taste better.
   7. Picnics are more enjoyable with a big group than with just one or two people.
   8. Insects and animals make picnics less enjoyable.
   9. Picnics are a good way for families to spend quality time together.
   10. A picnic at the beach is better than a picnic in the park.

“gift of gab” = skill of interesting conversation
“Not only was Allen a great cook, he also has the gift of gab that keeps a crowd entertained.”

“not your cup of tea” = not be the kind of thing you like
“I’m sorry, but playing volleyball at a picnic isn’t my cup of tea.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• supermarket (noun): a place where you buy food or other household goods, also grocery store
  – She went to the supermarket to buy food for dinner.
• talk about (phrasal verb): discuss
  – Let’s get together after class to talk about tonight’s party.
• pound (noun): a common measure of weight in the US, also 16 ounces
  – The turkey weighs over 25 pounds, so there should be enough to feed all our guests.
• package (noun): a container often used for food
  – He said he bought three packages of cookies to feed the kids an afternoon snack.
• you better (modal of advice): informal for “you had better” or “you’d better” and is generally used when there could be a negative consequence or result if the advice isn’t followed
  – I told her that she better make enough food for 20 people, or some of the guests won’t be happy or satisfied.
• whip up (phrasal verb): prepare quickly
  – There’s no time to fix a big dinner, so I’ll just have to whip up a simple salad.
• bet (verb): strongly believe or have faith in
  – This cake has a nice flavor. I bet she added some cinnamon to the recipe.
• knockout (noun): a very attractive or beautiful woman
  – Hey, you’ll love her roommate. She’s a real knockout, and she isn’t dating anyone.
• nah: informal for “no”
  – Nah, I don’t want to go out to eat. Let’s just eat something easy at home.
• hit it off (phrasal verb): get along well
  – I thought they would hit it off and go on another date, but it turns out that they didn’t have much in common.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  |  Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Plan a picnic or barbecue with a friend or classmate. Where would you have your picnic? What foods would you buy or prepare for the picnic? What activities or games would you plan to entertain your friends? Share your ideas with your class.

Although most people know the meaning of the word, barbecue, what people do, where they have a barbecue, and what they eat often varies from culture to culture. Use the internet to find out how people hold barbecues in three different countries or cultures.