Practising English
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© 2025 M. A. Bilbrough
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Listening practice for learners of B1 intermediate and B2 upper-intermediate levels of British English. Learn British English by listening to stories. Original and exciting stories written for learners and students of British English. Practise and prepare for Cambridge: B1 PET Preliminary and FCE First Certificate exams. IELTS: level 4, level 5 and level 6. Includes English grammar explanations and practice exercises, examples of vocabulary use, phrasal verbs and collocations help, British English pronunciation practice, advice and help for passing B1 and B2 English examinations: Cambridge, IELTS and Trinity. Start practising and improving your British English listening, vocabulary and speaking levels today!
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The Visitors This is the full version of my story The Visitors recorded in October of last year. The level is B2, but my B1 students are also invited, of course! ;-) These are the comprehension questions: (the answers are further down - but don't look at those yet!! 1) Who said he didn't want to be rescued and why? 2) What is the bridge of a ship, and why did the scientists and naval officers all go there? 3) Where was the alien ship when the ship's crew first detected it? 4) Why did ...
B2 conjunctions City Life Compared to Country Life Many people wonder whether they would be happier living in the city or in the countryside. City life offers a fast rhythm and many opportunities, and it can be exciting, though it often feels crowded and noisy. Some people imagine that they would enjoy the peace of rural areas, when, in fact, they admit they enjoy the crowds and the lively lifestyle a city provides. Life in the countryside is usually quieter, whereas cities are full of cultur...
This is part 1 of my TWO podcasts on B1 linkers: The text for today is: Many people want to learn a new language, yet they often wonder what method works best. One helpful idea is to treat the language as you would a musical instrument, practising regularly. Learning can also happen as you travel or do other activities, as practice is important because it keeps the language fresh in your mind. In addition, using a mix of reading, listening, and speaking gives you a balanced approach. In addit...
Here is the text for the B2 story today: Priorities Steve was a talented guitarist who had spent years trying to make it big. When his band finally got an album deal, he felt his dreams were coming true. But his wife, Laura, was tired of being alone with their two children. One night, she told him enough was enough: 'Spend time with us, or you'd better leave. We can't go on like this.' Steve didn’t know what to say. He loved Laura. He had fallen for her at once years ago. He'd come across a l...
Here is the script for today's B1 story: The Sandwich Hero In our town there used to be this chap, Tom. Every day, he sat near the market asking for coins or for a sandwich to eat. His clothes were dirty, and his hair was messy, I noticed he smelled a bit too. People didn’t pay him much attention. I couldn’t say I was fond of him, but I did feel sorry for him. He looked a bit depressed. I wondered if he’d had a difficult life. I used to give him money now and again. I remember one cold winter...
Here is the B2 story for today: A chance of a lifetime (B2) Sophie had always led a busy life. Between her job at the hospital and her evening art classes, she hardly had a moment to relax. One Friday, after a long shift, she received a last-minute call from her boyfriend, Tom. He insisted she came to the old café by the river. When Sophie arrived, the place was quiet, and Tom was waiting with a big smile. ‘You’ll never guess what’s happening,’ he said. Sophie laughed sharply. ‘You’re s...
1This is the B1 story I'm going to read to you today and the vocabulary I'll look at: A helpful ghost (B1) Detective Sam Green liked to hang around any place where strange things happened. One autumn morning, he arrived in a small town surrounded by a beautiful landscape of snowy mountain peaks. The people there seemed friendly, but whenever Sam asked about the old castle on a nearby hill, they were silent. At night, lights could be seen in the windows, yet nobody had lived there for hun...
The B1 story today: The Girl in the Painting Sophie had been meaning to visit the old house on the hill for years, and she was surprised to see the door open, as though inviting her to visit. Inside, the air was heavy and quiet. She glanced around the dusty room and saw an old mirror. In the glass, she saw a handsome young man smiling at her. She turned suddenly, however, there was no one there behind her. She turned back to the mirror. There was the same young man dressed in a smart dinner j...
This is a B2 level podcast: The Magic of True Friendship Have you ever stopped to think what really makes a good friend? We all have people we hang out with, but genuine friendship goes beyond just having fun together. A good friend is someone you can count on, no matter what. They listen when you need to talk, cheer you up when you’re feeling down, and tell you the truth — even when it’s hard to hear. Trust and honesty are key. After all, what’s friendship without trust? With good friends, y...
Today, I'm going to read an article, which is similar to the articles you have to write if you're doing the B1 Cambridge PET exam. Many people enjoy playing games in their free time. Some prefer board games like chess or Monopoly, while others like video games such as Minecraft or FIFA. But which type of game is more interesting to play? Board games are great for spending time with family and friends. You can sit together, talk, and have fun face to face. These games often need players to thi...
A B2-level short story for you today... A True Champion Sofia had always dreamed of becoming a professional tennis player. She trained every morning, even when she was tired, because she knew success would depend on her hard work. Some people tried to discourage her from doing so much training, saying she was wasting her time, but Sofia refused to listen. Her first big tournament didn’t go well. She suffered a terrible defeat, and her confidence began to decline. Deep down, she felt that mayb...
The Mystery of the Lake Day after day, Lily walked past the old lake near her village. The elderly people of the village said it was dangerously deep, and that in its depths lived an enormous monster. In all her life, Lily had never seen anything, although she often wondered why there were never ducks or swans on the lake. One summer morning, she decided to take her small boat and explore the lake herself. As her tiny boat moved further from the lake’s edge, dark clouds began to form. T...
The audioscript for today's B2 story: If only we could go back On Tuesday morning, Alice decided to call in sick, not because she was ill, but because the clouds outside looked like elephants marching across the sky. Today she felt like the little girl that she used to be many years before. She simply couldn’t be bothered to sit at her office desk when such wonders were happening around her. She set off to the fields near her country home, carrying a picnic basket. A rabbit wearing a red jack...
The story audioscript for the story. The B1 words are shown in black. The missing actor Detective Anna Jones had a long career solving strange crimes. One rainy night, the police had called her to a dark hotel outside the village to help them. A film actor and celebrity, John Kelly, had disappeared from his locked room. The manager had knocked on the door, to bring his dinner, but there had been no reply. Unfortunately, the local police had been careless, and Anna realised they had touc...
B2 story and vocabulary today. Here is the audioscript of the story and the B2 words in bold. The Crown Thief Detective Harris was on the point of leaving the police station when the phone rang. A robbery had taken place at the old museum. He grabbed his coat and hurried out. At the scene, the guard looked bad-tempered. “This is a disgrace!” he shouted. “The thief just walked in and out. Nobody stopped him. There are three of us, but the robbery happened the other side of the museum. My colle...
A B1-level podcast today with a story and a test on the B1 words and expressions: A frightening experience at the airport Read the audioscript of the story at: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-260.htm Support the show My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams). To read more abou...
This is the B2 podcast for this week. Aidioscript: The Fresh-food Market See audioscript with B1 words highlighted at https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-259.htm Support the show My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams). To read more about my book, click here (you can access it f...
I'm back from my holidays! Today I'm publishing the first B1 podcast of season 5 - five years helping intermediate students pass Cambridge exams. I also have news of my new book just published on Amazon "B1 English Vocabulary Builder" 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam. Hear more on the podcast! See audioscript with B1 words highlighted at https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-258.htm Support the show My NEW book: "B1 English ...
This favourite story for learners of B1 will be the last of the summer episodes before my return for season 5 next week. Enjoy the story! Support the show My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams). To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform): http...
Here are some words that are not B1 and you'll need to understand the story. Words which are outside the A1 to B1 levels *Greenhouse - a building with glass sides and roof for growing plants in. *Skin - the outside of some types of vegetable and fruit. *String - a long piece of material used for tying things together. *Ultraviolet (light) - a blue light with wavelengths shorter than violet light. *Allotment - an area of land in a town which a person can rent or buy in order to grow vegetables...
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Glad to find these podcasts 🙌 really useful for me 🙏
Really helpful 👌 thanks
I will listen to all episodes
you are amazing 👏 🤩
Thank you. I really enjoy and like your podcast.
It was soooo practical.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Please keep going!🙏🏻❤❤
It was a great story. I enjoyed it a lot. I hope there is a second book in the future. I'm keen to hear the rest of it.