B2 First · Listening · Module 4, Lesson 1

Part 1: Short Extracts

Eight unrelated short recordings, one multiple-choice question each. The examiners are testing whether you can catch the gist, a specific detail, or a speaker's opinion — each extract only gives you one chance to prove it before the next begins.

8 items 1 mark each (8 total) ~8 min target 3 options, A–C · heard twice
Learn

What this part really tests

Part 1 plays eight completely unrelated extracts — a voicemail, a radio segment, a tour guide, a conversation — each with one question. You hear every extract twice, back to back, then move straight on. There is no time to dwell on one you found hard.

The examiner's method

  1. Read the question and all three options before you press play, so you know exactly what to listen for.
  2. Use the first listen to get the overall gist and confirm the general topic matches what you expected.
  3. Use the second listen to pin down the exact detail, number, or opinion the question actually asks about.
  4. The correct option is almost always a paraphrase — different words, same meaning. Don't wait to hear the option's exact wording spoken aloud.
  5. If you miss a word, keep listening. One missed word rarely costs the answer; panicking and losing focus for the rest of the extract does.
  6. Never leave a blank. If you're unsure, choose your best guess before the next extract starts.

Traps that cost marks

Word-match trap
An option repeats a word you definitely heard, but it answers a detail the question didn't ask about.
Changed detail
An option is almost right, but changes one fact — a number, a name, or a time — from what was actually said.
Early mention, later correction
A speaker raises an idea, then says "but actually…" — the real answer is what comes after the correction.
Too general or too specific
An option is technically related to the topic but is broader or narrower than what the question is really asking.

Worked example

"This is a travel update for the ring road. There's heavy congestion following an earlier accident near junction six, though vehicles are getting through slowly. Drivers heading to the north side should expect delays of around twenty minutes, but we're told the road should be fully clear by early afternoon."

Question: What does the reporter say about the delay for north-bound drivers?

A It has only just started B It should last around twenty minutes C It won't clear until this evening
  1. The question asks specifically about the north-bound delay, a number you need to catch precisely.
  2. The reporter gives an exact figure: "expect delays of around twenty minutes."
  3. Option C is the changed-detail trap — the text says "clear by early afternoon," not evening.
  4. Answer: B.
Try

Micro-trainer — four short extracts

Read each question first, then play the recording. Each extract is heard twice, exactly as in the real exam.

Try score: 0 / 4
Ready for the real thing? Scroll down to Apply — eight brand new extracts in exact exam format, against the clock.
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Exam-format practice

Eight new extracts, official Part 1 format. Aim to finish before the timer runs out — then check your answers below.

08:00

Your result

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This is a practice estimate for one exam part only. Your official Cambridge result is calculated across the whole exam on the Cambridge English Scale.

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