Practising English
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© 2026 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 ...
For the full transcript of the story go to: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-292.htm These are the phrases I study from the B1 story today: get rid of – I want to get rid of these old clothes because I never wear them. run (a business) – She runs a small business with her sister. unpleasant – The weather was cold and unpleasant all day. set the table – Can you help me set the table before dinner? unfriendly – The waiter was unfriendly and didn’t smile at all.&...
1The second and final part of my B2-level adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat: The B2 phrases studied are: The Black Cat (B2-Level- Part 2) · fall into hopeless despair After losing his job and the apartment in the same week, he fell into hopeless despair. · draw their attention to The teacher pointed at the board to draw the students’ attention to the maths problem solution. · fill somebody with shock and terror Th...
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. My B1-level version. Chapter 1 Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and some other gentlemen asked me to write down the whole story of Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end . I must leave out only the exact position of the island, because there is still treasure there... https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-290.htm Turn Any Doc Into a Private Audiobook. No Subscriptions. Try WithAudio on Your Mac/PC.100% Local AI. No cloud. No tracking. Conve...
First part of my B2 version of The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe: For the most strange, yet also ordinary, story that I am about to write, I do not expect belief, nor do I ask for it. To tell the truth, I would be foolish to expect anyone to believe me... Read story transcript with B2 words in bold: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-289.htm Turn Any Doc Into a Private Audiobook. No Subscriptions. Try WithAudio on Your Mac/PC.100% Local AI. No cloud. No tracking. Convert URLs, PDF...
You can find the audioscript to the B2 story today just here: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-288.htm The Lost Ring Mary Grams, a woman from Alberta, Canada, lost her diamond engagement ring in 2004 while she was working in her garden. The ring slipped off her finger, but although she made a long search for it, in the end, she believed it had gone missing forever. Mary was very disappointed about the disappearance of her ring, but she did not want to worry her husband. Instead of te...
This is the audioscript for today's B1-level dialogue: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-287.htm That's Life! Mary: 'Morning, Anna. You don't look very well today. Are you sick? Anna: 'Morning, Mary. Oh, yes. I feel terrible. I'm suffering from this backache and my head hurts. I think it's an illness caused by this awful, cold weather. Mary: Oh dear. I've got problems too. I can't breathe properly, and I have to blow my nose all the time. I know I'm always complaining of my poor healt...
This is the audioscript for this B2 story (part 2) of The Hole: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-286.htm The Hole (Part 2) I hurriedly set up the equipment from out of my bags. 'Can I help, señor?' Pedro stepped forwards. 'Please. Undo these two ropes. One has a harness and the other is fixed to this small sack, while I set up the laptop and monitor.' I then had to think fast. After I had the computer equipment ready, I knelt down at the side of the borehole and felt the walls. Cemen...
This is the audioscript for today's B2 story: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-285.htm The Hole 'We're arriving, señor,' said the helicopter pilot. 'It's down there, by that hill. I'll land as close as I can get. Time is going to be crucial.' The helicopter dropped down vertically and bounced once before finally settling on the grassy slope. There were a number of people gathered about fifty metres further up the hill, and several vehicles: cars, police vehicles, two ambulances and a...
This is the story text for the B2 story today: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-283.htm The song in today's podcast is an arrangement by Dmitry Taras - check it out at Pixabay. The Christmas Festival 'So, Miss Jenkins,' said the mayor. 'As the town's new Councillor for cultural events, it'll be your turn this year to organise the Christmas town festival.' 'Yes, Mr Mayor. I'm aware of that,' Jenny Jenkins answered. 'Councillor David did a marvellous job last year. A difficult act to f...
This is the audioscript for today's story and the B1 words studied: Scrooge and the Turkey Scrooge ran to the window, opened it, and put his head outside. There was no fog or mist. The air was clear, bright, and cold. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the bells were ringing happily. 'Oh, how absolutely wonderful!' cried Scrooge in a cheerful voice. 'What day is it?' he shouted down to a boy wearing his Sunday clothes, who was standing in the street. 'Eh?' said the boy, very surprised...
Not able to bring my new B2 podcast today so I'm leaving you with an older Christmas story (repeat). Audioscript at: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-70.htm Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm 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 enoug...
This is the text for the B1 story today. Who was the mysterious girl in the park? https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-280.htm A brief meeting at Christmas It was two days before Christmas, and Lucas, a sixteen-year-old boy, was feeling rather lonely. His parents were busy at work, and his older sister was studying in London. To pass the time, Lucas decided to take a walk through the snowy park. Everything was quiet and peaceful, and the trees were covered in white. As he walked, he noti...
https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-279.htm This is a B2 recording today with a story for you to enjoy... Christmas cheer I’m standing in a peaceful, wealthy suburb a few miles from Bristol city centre. Without doubt, It’s going to be a white Christmas, or rather it is already a white Christmas thanks to a generous amount of snow that has fallen on this Christmas Eve. The quiet, snowy road has a number of luxury cars parked on either side, and on my right and left stand those sort of ho...
https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-278.htm This is the story text I'll be using with the B1 words in bold: White Christmas Steve Matlock worked in a car factory in Bristol. Every day at lunch, he sat in the canteen with his colleagues. They had discussions about their families, their aims, and their dreams. It was Christmas Eve, and the canteen felt warm and cheerful. “What are you doing for Christmas, Steve?” one colleague asked. Steve smiled politely. “I intend to spend Christmas wit...
This is the formal conversation studied today: “Beginning morning food consuming cycle,” said the father as he entered the kitchen. “Please gather at the table for an efficient distribution of resources.” Mother replied, “Indeed, I have organised a balancedcombination of carbohydrates and proteins, which should provide ideal operating for the day.” The ten-year-old entered next. “Parents, I request information regarding today’s academic schedule. My timetable indicates elementary programming,...
Here is the text we are studying today. The Best Way to Learn a New Language If you want to build confidence in English language speaking, rather than silent study, choose conversation activities instead. And try writing short messages instead of only memorising vocabulary lists. Practice speaking whenever you find someone willing to talk, and use new words wherever you go. It does not matter whether the conversations are long or short; every moment helps. Keep studying, unless you are feelin...
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...
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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.