LISTENING TASK 1 (General)

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 1 (General)

1 Michelangelo didnt like spending money.

2 Michelangelo could have been one of the richest artists in history.

3 Details of Michelangelos bank accounts were found after a thorough search.

4 The hospital Santa Maria Nuova also operated as a bank.

5 Michelangelos bank account details were found in a bookshop.

6 There is evidence that Michelangelo held bank accounts in other cities.

7 Michelangelo was unhappy that Leonardo and Raphael earned more than

he did.

8 Michelangelos life was filled with luxury.

9 There is evidence that Michelangelo lived frugally.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 2 (General)

1 Banda stole money from the state to educate Malawis gifted children.

2 Anyone who spoke out against Banda was murdered.

3 Kamuzu Academy was closed after Bandas death.

4 Everyone expected the Academy to open again some day.

5 Todays pupils come mainly from privileged backgrounds.

6 Talking politics is banned at the school.

7 The head boy studied engineering in Britain.

8 Teachers at the school are highly paid.

The speaker thinks the dictators Academy is a good thing for Malawi.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 3 (General)

The bodies were discovered in separate graves.

2 Napoleon felt that it was fortifying Vilnius that saved his army.

3 Napoleon gave his aide guns to shoot him if he were cornered.

4 Archaeologists know that the graves corpses are of different

nationality.

5 The speaker says that the Poles were on the side of Napoleon.

6 Napoleons troops did not have enough to eat during the winter.

7 Archaeologists will excavate other parts of Vilnius at the request

of the French government.

8 The skeletons of the dead soldiers are too damaged to offer

any information on life in a 19^th century army.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 4 (General)

1 The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is finding is hard to cope with requests for aid.

2 The WFP is asking for more help than ever before.

3 There is a serious water shortage in the Horn of Africa.

4 The WFP needs help to distribute food next year.

5 More serious than the drought is the famine in Ethiopia.

6 One serious problem for the WFP is that it can respond only

to priority countries.

7 People are tired of giving money to one cause after another.

8 The WFP has had to focus its assistance on Central America to

the detriment of Africa.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 5 (General)

1 Shabbaz Iqbal comes from Glasgow.

2 The speaker thinks the boy was trying to travel to Reading.

3 The boy travelled in empty train carriages.

4 The police were already searching for the boy while he was

on the train to Reading.

5 When the boy was found in Cheshire he was very distressed.

6 The boy was taken back to Glasgow to be reunited with

his mother.

7 Virgin trains said that passengers were alarmed the boy was

travelling alone.

8 The boy was helped onto the train by some adults.

9 The superintendent was surprised that such a young boy could

travel so far in such a short space of time.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 6 (General)

1 Most British families now eat the correct daily amounts of fruit and vegetables.

2 People aged between 19 and 24 take more vitamin supplements than fruit and

vegetables.

3 Not enough money is being spent on educating people of the value of eating

more fruit and vegetables.

4 A major issue is actually getting people to think about what they eat.

5 Only a few people know about the recommended intake of fruit and

vegetables.

6 We all know what we should and shouldnt eat.

7 Surprisingly, fewer British women are dieting than before.

8 Adults are now drinking more health drinks than before.

9 The food you prepare for your own children is determined by

what you ate as a child.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 7 (General)

1 Professionals are now buying pets as an alternative to having children.

2 Dogs are more popular than cats.

3 As people become wealthier, their pets benefit from a wider choice of

food.

4 People are spending more money on feeding their pets.

5 You can now buy special food for old dogs.

6 More and more pets are expected to be insured.

7 People who havent started a family are buying more pets.

8 Dog ownership has increased in the past ten years.

9 A university lecturer has claimed that pets are now being used as

substitutes for children.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 8 (General)

For South Africa's president, islands of wealth are the way ahead.

The president stressed the need for a two-tier world.

There was an element of hypocrisy at the summit with delegates

living in splendour and locals in nearby slums.

Environmental campaigners have placed their trust in Europe

and the USA.

Protests at the summit were encouraged in the spirit of democracy.

The speaker thinks there is a gulf between developed and

developing countries.

There is still a serious global problem concerning the supply of

drinkable water.

The worry is that Europe and America will only supply money

to nations with improved governmental systems.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 9 (General)

1 The recording opens with examples of vandalism.

2 Its hard to find people who want to rent houses in Wood End.

3 The housing estate is an example to others.

4 Many Wood End residents live in fear.

5 Residents are afraid to report incidents to the police.

6 The houses have been boarded up to protect them.

7 When one resident left, children vandalised his home almost

immediately.

8 A lot of the buildings on the estate will be pulled down.

9 The estate was once a pleasant place to live.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 10 (General)

Russian doctors have identified the gas used by Russian Special Forces in the theatre siege

115 people were killed by fentanyl

The gas believed to have been used by the Special Forces

is an opiate.

It is said that the gas could be a nerve agent

The Russians have co-operated fully with the authorities 

A top Russian medical official said it was necessary to know the

exact composition of the gas

The Russians were happy to let foreign embassies take the injured

out by aircraft

Munich experts ruled out the use of fentanyl

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 11 (General)

1 Sir Francis Drake

a died at sea

b was killed in Peru

c drowned

2 A TV company wants to find

a Drakes coffin

b an old casket

c Drake enthusiasts

3 The production company

a is short of funds

b makes lead caskets

c is interested in the BBC

4 To move Drakes tomb, the production company has to

a approach the Panamanian MoD

b get permission from the Panamanian government

c bless Panamas waters where the casket lies

5 Drakes body is believed to be lying

a 129 miles off Panama

b with his ships

c in the hold of the Elizabeth

Experts are unsure

a whether Drakes coffin will disintegrate

b about using laser technology in the search

c whether the coffin has already been found

7 The TV producer said that his company

a could not promise to return Drakes body to the UK

b would find him and bring him back to England

c might not even find Drakes body

8 The TV producer thinks that Drake would have liked

a to be left where he died

b to be buried at home

c his body to remain undiscovered

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 12 (General)

Australians are afraid that the cane toad

a is facing possible extinction

b will suffer from a deadly plague

c will take over a wilderness

The toads can

a lay up to 40,000 eggs a month

b breed better in wet conditions

c turn into tadpoles in three days.

The toads

a have no defence against poison

b annoy people with the noise they make

c are not native to Australia

The toads have been known to spread by

a taking lifts in cars

b moving into the Sydney suburbs

c moving at 60 mph

The toads were introduced to

a save Australias sugar cane crop

b infest Australias sugar cane crop

c Australia by grubby beetles

Among the few things the toads dont eat is/are

a sugar cane

b grubs

c cane beetles

Kakadu Park is unique because it is virtually free from

a non-native species

b eco-tourists

c bush fires

The arrival of the toads in Kakadu park would

a be a blessing in disguise

b become a major eco-tourist attraction

c destroy native Australian wildlife

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 13 (General)

1 The speaker thinks that the launch of text messaging

a was a memorable event

b went unnoticed

c was badly marketed

2 Nokia

a was a household name in the 1980s

b used to be a subsidiary of Ericsson

c survived bankruptcy

3 The telecommunications industry claims that texting is

a almost instant

b a new layer of communication

c the most popular messaging system

4 A major snag about texting is that you

a receive news flashes and football results

b may abuse the service

c get unwanted commercial messages

5 Critics think that text messaging will

a make native English spellers spell worse

b improve communication skills in the UK

c guess what you want to say before you say it

6 The speaker thinks that the success of texting lies in its

a relative informality

b speed of exchange

c ability to communicate

7 The speaker thinks that texting may survive because

a its cheaper than phoning

b a message is conveyed briefly

c it has become so popular with teenagers

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 14 (General)

1 Although skin parasites may be imaginary

a their effects are real and infectious

b they may infest factories and offices

c their sensations are almost untreatable

2 In 1966, laboratory workers

a found insects crawling all over them at work

b attributed their crawling sensation to cable mites

c exterminated a mite infestation using DDT among other things

3 The cable mite infestation disappeared as soon as

a signs of actual attacks were scientifically verified

b the office was insulated with rock wool

c the laboratory had been cleaned and staff informed

4 In a textile factory, workers were

a bitten by insects imported in cloth bolts

b affected by dermatitis according to their social group

c unable to trace the parasite that had caused skin lesions

5 The clerical staff

a simply imagined that they were ill

b found that their skin had been irritated by paper splinters

c found that their skin had been irritated by paper mites

6 The feeling of insects crawling over ones skin

a is a sure sign of delirium tremens

b can be caused by many factors

c is often simply an illusion

7 Reflex contagion means that

a when you react to something your colleagues also do unwittingly

b the spread of imaginary illnesses is limited to ones reflexes

c amphetamine-user-like symptoms can easily be experienced

8 Re-enforcing ones illusions of illness over the internet can only be stopped

a when one realises they are illusory

b by swift medical treatment

c when epidemics have been conquered

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 15 (General)

1 The MP believes that the under fives

a are more commercially aware than we think they are

b are easily manipulated by toys on TV

c cannot distinguish between TV ads and programmes

2 The advertising industry feels that the under fives

a are easy prey to TV ads

b should be allowed to watch more TV

c are not easily brainwashed by TV ads

3 Disney feels that a ban on TV ads aimed at children would result in

a lower quality kids TV programmes

b advertisers investing more in childrens TV

c a huge protest by parents

4 British children are

a exposed to more TV ads for toys than some European counterparts

b actually treated as commercial-free zones by TV advertisers

c less likely to pester parents for Toys than Greek children

5 The Swedish TV industry considers the ban on TV advertising for children as

a painful but realistic

b ineffective

c a setback

6 It has been proven that the more TV ads children watch, the more

a presents they want

b suspicious they become

c inured they become

7 In Europe ___________ children are exposed to the most TV ads.

a British

b Swedish

c average

8 Researchers believe that the less children watch TV, the less likely they

are to ask for

a commercial messages

b toy advertisers

c branded products

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 16 (General)

1 British customs officials recently ____________ EU rules.

a showed contempt for

b questioned

c satisfied

2 HM customs random searches are ____________ with travellers.

a popular

b unpopular

c replete

3 British citizens find the behaviour of customs officials to be

a too heavy-handed

b smug

c a necessary evil

4 A recent test-case involving British booze cruisers found the behaviour of

customs officials to be

a completely justified

b illegal

c overly lenient

5 The British government is attempting to crack down on

a customs officials

b booze cruisers

c illicit smuggling

6 The British go on the booze cruises because alcohol and cigarettes in France

a are cheaper than in the UK

b can be bought in bulk

c are both duty-free

7 The French charge ____________ duty on wine than the British.

a more

b less

c zero

8 Customs officers have been told to stop

a carrying on with tourists

b carrying out random searches

c looking for smugglers

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 17 (General)

People _________________ technology.

a are passionately interested in

b take a mild interest in

c are ambivalent about

2 Personal digital assistants didnt sell well in spite of

a the amount of promotion they had

b their versatility of use

c their advanced technology

3 Palm pilots are successful due to

a ease of access

b their diary entries

c their desirability

4 The speaker thinks that consumers care about

a digital technology

b what extras digital technology provides

c differences between DVD and videotape

5 The extra time we gain from innovations

a allows us more free time off work

b is filled up by additional work

c gives us longer on the internet

Future technology will tend towards

a more human features

b unconsciousness

c miniaturisation

7 The speaker thinks that mobile phones

a will be replaced by personal digital assistants

b will be with us in the future

c are already becoming things of the past

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 18 (General)

1 The problem about fitness crazes is that

a they never last

b your friends never take them up

c you dont see them coming

2 Unlike yoga, running gives you

a a fantastic way of relaxing

b crucial new elements

c a way of getting back to basics

3 The best thing about running is that it

a is a god fitness trend

b allows you to develop a personal technique

c burns calories fast

4 For runners, a heart rate monitor is

a a must

b recommended

c not too expensive

5 You should spend at least 60 on shoes if you

a run regularly

b are fashion conscious

c want a strong pair

6 Martin Seaton hopes that running

a is here to stay

b will fizzle out like other fitness crazes

c will become cheaper than gym exercises

7 The difference between running and jogging is

a that only serious athletes run

b imaginary

c a surprisingly wide one

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 19 (General)

Sam lives in a

a cemetery

b toilet

c van

2 This year the homeless of Cambridge will be without

a gypsies

b winter shelters

c Christmas lunch

3 Since leaving his family, Sam has been

a working as a mechanic

b gardening whenever he can

c living on the streets

4 When it rains heavily some of the homeless sleep in

a Jesus College

b toilet cubicles

c deserted swimming pools

5 The homeless of Cambridge think that the city councils estimates of those sleeping rough are

a reasonably accurate

b spot on

c way out

When the speaker walked through Cambridge with Sam they saw

a some homeless people fighting

b a couple of drug addicts with syringes

c Jamaican gangsters

7 The homeless people left the shelter because they thought

a it was time to get up

b the police would eject them

c they could get hurt in the rumpus

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 20 (Military)

One example of Light troops in the British Army in the 1740s was the

a Fontenoy

b Highlanders

c Colonials

One disadvantage for the British troops in the 1750s was

a the colour of their uniforms

b poorly-made equipment

c heavy equipment

To fight the Indians and the French, a small corps of troops was recruited from the

a settlers

b army

c infantry

Light companies were specially selected for their ability, among other things

a to react quickly to orders

b to act on their own initiative

c to form broad tactical plans

5 For early communications, the Light Companies used

a a drum

b smoke

c a bugle

After Napoleons invasion of Spain, the Light Infantry

a improved even more

b became less important

c were given more firepower

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 21 (Military)

The speaker suggests that

a anyone can train to be a spy

b the course is very realistic

c you could be hurt during the course

By the end of the course you will

a be a green beret

b be a contract mercenary

c have had a lot of fun

The speaker asks you to imagine you have been selected for the course by

a an army unit

b an irregular unit

c a secret-service unit

During the course, you will learn how to

a drive at speed through towns and in the country

b question suspected terrorists

c disguise yourself for under-cover operations

At Tucson airport, you will be met by

a your private chauffeur

b someone you dont know

c one of your trainers

Transport to the training area

a is by car and aircraft

b is by bus and helicopter

c may be by any means

After a nights sleep, your first day will be:

a physically tiring

b intense

c taken up with administration

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 22 (Military)

1 British soldiers have been deliberately helping habitual law-breakers.

2 The British soldiers treat the law-breakers better than expected.

3 The law-breakers are unusual.

4 The animals are familiar with the mountain passes in the region.

5 The smugglers of Kosovo are taking very big risks.

6 The animals involved in smuggling are all set free.

7 Pigs have also been used to smuggle contraband.

8 The Bondsteel detention facility was the perfect home for the

animals.

9 The problem with the farm was that they overfed the animals.

10 The animals are eventually all put down.

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 23 (Military)

The treatment of all terrorist groups by the police and armed forces is the same

2 The IRA declared a ceasefire in 1997

3 Punishment crimes occur in Ireland

4 It is suggested that levels of violence will soon rapidly decrease

5 The RUC and Army have plans to reduce their anti-terrorist activities

6 Terrorist group weaponry in the UK and Ireland is still rather basic

7 The IRA and other groups make booby-traps for cars

From 1990 to 1994, more Protestants were murdered by  

terrorists than Catholics

STANAG 3 - LISTENING TASK 24 (Military)

1 Mutt and Jeff worked as spies for the

a British

b Germans

c Norwegians

2 Mutt and Jeff led the Nazis to believe that Britain

a was going to invade Norway

b was about to invade Germany

c had just invaded Norway

3 The Germans were led to believe that the D-Day landings would be made in Calais through

a false intelligence in Normandy

b the British double-cross system

c MI5-issued instructions

4 Germany appears to have believed the codenames for fictitious British operations

a even after being informed they were false

b after discovering stolen secret files

c despite their ridiculous names

5 Mutt and Jeff

a were uncovered as enemy agents by MI5

b informed authorities that they were German agents

c were caught by MI5 via radio interception

The Nazis ordered Mutt and Jeff to

a blow up a power station in Suffolk

b infiltrate Operation Bunbury

c sabotage an electricity generating station

7 Newspapers didnt want to report the explosion because

a of national pride

b they thought it was insignificant

c they knew the police had something to do with it