¿Quieres practicar tu comprensión auditiva en inglés B2? En esta primera parte de B2 Listening Exercises encontrarás dos ejercicios de listening en inglés diseñados para ayudarte a mejorar tu capacidad para comprender conversaciones y discursos en situaciones habituales.

Los ejercicios trabajan diferentes habilidades de comprensión auditiva, como identificar la idea principal, localizar información específica, comprender opiniones y distinguir detalles importantes.

Cada actividad incluye un audio, preguntas de comprensión y las soluciones. Después de realizar el ejercicio, podrás consultar la transcripción para comprobar qué partes del audio te han resultado más difíciles.

Los ejercicios están pensados para un nivel B2 de inglés y pueden ser útiles tanto para mejorar tu listening general como para preparar pruebas de certificación de inglés como Aptis General y Aptis Advanced.

Listening B2 – Exercise 1

En este ejercicio escucharás a tres hablantes diferentes: Laura, Christian y Emma, que cuentan sus experiencias personales trabajando desde casa.

Transcripciones

Laura – Working from Home

I started working from home three years ago. At first, I was very happy because I didn’t have to spend almost an hour travelling to work every morning. I could get up later, have breakfast calmly, and start working without rushing. I also saved money because I didn’t need to pay for transport or buy lunch near the office. However, after a few weeks, I realised that working from home wasn’t always easy. My biggest problem was concentration. I work at the kitchen table, so I can see everything that needs to be cleaned. Sometimes I stopped working to do the washing up or tidy the house. I also found it difficult to stop working at the end of the day. When I was in the office, leaving at five clearly meant that work was finished. At home, I often checked my emails in the evening. Now I have a better routine. I work from home three days a week and go to the office twice. I think this is the best solution for me because I get flexibility but still have contact with my colleagues.

Christian – Working from Home

I’ve been working from home for almost two years, and I really enjoy it. I have two young children, so being at home makes family life much easier. If something unexpected happens, I am already nearby. The biggest advantage is the time I save. I used to spend about ninety minutes every day travelling to work. Now I can use that time to exercise, prepare food, or simply relax. This has made my daily life much less stressful. Of course, there are some disadvantages. Some people think that because you are at home, you are available all day. Friends and relatives sometimes call me during working hours or ask me to do things. Online meetings can also be difficult. People interrupt each other, microphones stop working, and internet connections sometimes fail. Even so, I wouldn’t go back to working in an office every day. I have a small room that I use as my office, and when I close the door at the end of the day, I know that my work is finished.

Emma – Working from Home

I worked from home for almost a year, but my experience was quite different. At first, I thought I would become more productive because I wouldn’t have anyone watching me. Instead, I found it difficult to organise my time. I also missed my colleagues. At home, if I had a quick question, I had to send a message and wait for an answer. More importantly, I sometimes felt lonely. I live alone, and there were days when I could work from morning until evening without having a real conversation with anyone.

After several months, my motivation became lower. I started looking forward to going back to the office, which surprised me because I had originally been very excited about remote work. My company eventually introduced a hybrid system. I decided to work from home on Fridays and go to the office during the rest of the week. This arrangement suits me much better. I enjoy having a quiet day at home, but I also need the social contact I get at the office. I don’t think working from home is bad. It simply isn’t the best option for everyone. Different people need different working environments. 

Listening B2 – Exercise 2

En este ejercicio escucharás a David, que habla sobre el impacto de las redes sociales en los viajes.

Transcripción

 David – The Impact of Social Media on Travel

I’ve always loved travelling, but the way I plan my trips has changed dramatically over the last few years. I used to buy a guidebook, choose a few places I wanted to visit, and then simply explore. Nowadays, I usually start by looking at photographs and recommendations on social media.

There are obvious advantages to this. Social media allows you to discover places that you might never find in a traditional guidebook. I’ve found small restaurants, quiet beaches and interesting neighbourhoods simply because someone posted about them online. It can also be useful to hear from people who have recently visited a particular destination.

However, I’ve become increasingly aware of the disadvantages. One problem is that popular places can become overcrowded almost overnight. A location may appear in thousands of photographs, and suddenly everyone wants to visit exactly the same spot. As a result, some beautiful places are becoming less enjoyable for the people who actually live there.

There’s another issue that I find particularly interesting. Photographs on social media don’t always represent reality. People usually share the most attractive view, taken at the perfect moment, rather than showing the crowds, the noise or the long queue behind the camera. This can create unrealistic expectations.

For that reason, I’ve changed the way I use social media when travelling. I still look for recommendations, but I no longer assume that a place will be exactly as it appears online. I also try to explore less famous areas instead of following the same list as everyone else.

In my opinion, social media isn’t necessarily making travel worse. It depends on how we use it. If we treat other people’s posts as inspiration rather than instructions, they can help us discover new experiences without allowing an algorithm to decide our entire trip.

Perhaps the most valuable thing I’ve learned is that sometimes the best travel experiences are the ones you don’t see online at all.