General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Woman: So, what’s your usual day like? You always seem so busy.

Man: Well, I usually get up around 5:00 a.m. and work on the computer until 6:00.

Woman: Why do you get up so early?

Man: Well, I have to leave home at twenty to seven (6:40 a.m.) so I can catch a bus at 7:00 o’clock . It takes me about twenty minutes to walk to the bus stop from my house.

Woman: And what time do you get to work?

Man: Uh, my bus takes about an hour to get there, but it stops right in front of my office.

Woman: That’s nice. And what time do you get off work?

Man: Uh, around 5:00 o’clock. Then, we eat dinner around 6:30, and my wife and I read and play with the kids until 8:00 or so.

Woman: So, when do you work on your website? You said one time that you create it at home?

Man: Well, my wife and I often watch TV or talk until 10:00 o’clock. She then often reads while I work on my site, and I sometimes stay up until the early hours of the morning, but I try to finish everything by one or two.

Woman: And then you get up at 5:00 a.m.?

Man: Well, yeah, but it’s important to live a balanced life. I enjoy what I do, but you have to set aside time for the family and yourself.

Woman: I agree.

Man: But I think my wife has the toughest job. She spends her whole day taking care of the family . . . taking the kids to school, working in the garden, buying groceries, taking the kids to piano lessons . . . [Wow!] That’s a full-time job, but she enjoys what she does.

Woman: Well, it sounds like you’re a busy, but lucky man.

Man: I think so too.

• catch (verb): to get on
  – I have to catch a bus in front of the bus station.
• get off work (verb): finish work
  – She seldom gets off work before 6:00 p.m.
• dinner (noun): sometimes supper
  – We seldom eat dinner after 8:00 p.m.
• stay up (verb): not go to bed
  – I almost never stay up past midnight.
• set aside (verb): reserve, allow, or give a certain amount to
  – You have to set aside enough time to study for your classes.
• toughest (adjective): most difficult, hardest
  – The toughest part about being a parent is setting aside time for both work, family, and self.
• take care of (verb): watch, look after
  – You should take care of yourself so you don’t get sick.
• groceries (noun): food and other items at a supermarket
  – Mom is going to pick up some groceries from the store for dinner.