Cambridge IGCSE™

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE 0510/21

Paper 2 Listening May/June 2024
TRANSCRIPT Approximately 50 minutes (including 6 minutes’ transfer time)

This document has 14 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

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R1 Cambridge Assessment International Education, Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second

Language, Paper 2, Listening.

[BEEP]

Exercise 1

You will hear eight short recordings. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B, C
or D, and put a tick () in the appropriate box.

You will hear each recording twice.

R1 Question 1

What do the teenagers decide to buy for their mother?

PAUSE 00’03”

M: male, approximately 15 years old, UK accent

F: female, approximately 15 years old, UK accent

M *It’s mum’s birthday soon. Let’s get her something nice – maybe a gardening book? She’s keen on
growing stuff.

F Mm, that’s her hobby, but her bookshelves are full! And she hasn’t got much space left in the
garden to grow anything else, otherwise some gardening tools would’ve been a good present.
Anyway, there’s a flower show in town soon – we could get her a ticket to go there.

M Sounds more exciting than my other suggestion – a big plant!

F She’d love that! But maybe my idea would be more special.

M You’re right … **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 Question 2

What is the new advert for?

PAUSE 00’03”

M: male, 16 years old, UK accent

F: female, 16 years old, UK accent

M * It’s amazing how many food ads there are on TV now!

F Yeah, they always make me hungry! Especially those ones for pizzas – they look delicious, all that
lovely cheese on top.

M I know!

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F I saw an ad yesterday, though, that’s never been on TV before ... for some ice cream that comes
in loads of unusual flavours!

M I’d love that – it’d be great with my favourite fizzy drink.

F Ugh! Don’t know how you can drink that stuff.

M Well, the advert for it is always on TV – and that’s why so many people drink it. **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05

R1 Question 3

What will the weather be like tomorrow afternoon?

PAUSE 00’03”

F: female, early twenties, light US accent

M: male, early twenties, light US accent

F * Have you checked the weather for tomorrow afternoon’s race?

M Yes, I really wasn’t looking forward to running under hot sun – and not in a strong side wind, either.
That’d practically blow me over! I know I’ve run in those conditions before – but luckily for me
it’s not going to be like that. But I’m still wondering if the race will go ahead, even after the early
morning mist has cleared. It looks as if there’ll be heavy rain at some point after lunch – which
won’t be great! **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 Question 4

What event is the boy inviting the girl to?

PAUSE 00’03”

F: female, 18/19 years old, UK accent

M: male, 18/19 years old, UK accent

F * Are you going to Tom’s party on Saturday?

M I’d already agreed to play football that evening, unfortunately, so I don’t think Tom’s too happy with
me. I couldn’t go to his picnic in the park last weekend, either – the one I mentioned to you? I’d
completely forgotten I had a swimming race.

F You’re so busy!

M Mm ... anyway, I’ve got some tickets for the match I’m playing in. Do you fancy coming along?

F OK! I think another friend of mine’s going there too, instead of to the party, so it’ll be cool. **

PAUSE 00’05”
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REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 Question 5

Which TV programme do the friends decide to watch?

PAUSE 00’03”

F: female eighteen years old, UK accent

M: male eighteen years old, UK accent

F * What do you want to watch tonight? There’s a good detective series on TV.

M I don’t tend to watch those – too long! There’s a quiz show on – they can be quite entertaining.

F Oh, right – I often start off watching those and then get bored with them.

M Really? I’d prefer that to a music show, I think. Anyway, there’s a good comedy show on, too.

F Fine – although I don’t think I’ve seen any good ones on TV for a while.

M Well, let’s give it a try and see what it’s like. **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 Question 6

What will the girl use to make her picture?

PAUSE 00’03”

M: male, approximately seventeen years old, UK accent

F: female, approximately seventeen years old, mild Australian accent

M * What are you doing?

F Experimenting with different ways of making a picture. I’m fed up with just getting my paints out – I
wanted to try something different. I mean, I’ve still got that picture I made from cutting up photos
and rearranging the pieces – that worked well. Anyway, I’ve just been out and collected all these
leaves from the trees outside – I’m not sure they’ll be easy to work with, though, so these shells
are what I’ve chosen instead – I’ll stick them on the paper to create an image.

M Great! **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

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R1 Question 7

What has the boy recently bought for his bicycle?

PAUSE 00’03”

F: female, approximately fifteen years old, UK accent

M: male, approximately fifteen years old, UK accent

F * Have you got a new bike?

M No way! Oh, you think it looks different? It certainly needed a few things doing to it. I haven’t
managed them all yet – my light isn’t working brilliantly, and needs replacing. But I’ve just spent
my savings on some wheels – the old ones were damaged.

F I didn’t notice – I was looking at those smart new bags.

M I’ve had those for ages! My dad got them for my books, at the same time as he changed my old
bike seat.

F Right – maybe it’s a while since I’ve seen your bike! **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 Question 8

Where is the girl’s brother now?

PAUSE 00’03”

M: male, mid twenties, light Australian accent

F: female, mid twenties, light Australian accent

M * Was that your brother I saw earlier today, at the cinema? I was just leaving when I thought I
spotted him.

F Well, he’s often there on his day off, although in fact he’s gone to the coast for the day with his
friends, for a change. I had breakfast with them in a café before they left.

M Well, lucky him, spending a whole day there!

F Yeah, although he called earlier to say the weather isn’t great there, so they’re already on their
way back – his mate’s driving them.

M Right. **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 That is the end of Exercise 1. Now turn to Exercise 2.

PAUSE 00’05”
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R1 Exercise 2

You will hear five short recordings. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B
or C, and put a tick () in the appropriate box.

You will hear each recording twice.

PAUSE 0’05”

R1 You will hear two people talking about cooking for friends.

Now look at Questions 9 and 10.

PAUSE 00’15”

F: female, mid twenties, UK accent

M: male, mid twenties, UK accent

F * I’ve asked some friends to come for dinner tomorrow. I saw a curry recipe online, but I’d have
to buy too much extra stuff like spices so I’m making something familiar – it’s safer. And I’m sure
what I’ve decided to cook will be OK – it does take a while to make, but I know my friends’ll be
happy to chat if it’s not ready when they arrive!

M Right … well, when I last cooked for friends, I did something I often make on the barbecue. I
didn’t think it was that unusual, but they absolutely loved it – unbelievable! Maybe I did something
slightly different – I can’t remember what though, so I’ll never be able to recreate it exactly! **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 You will hear a young man talking about travelling.

Now look at Questions 11 and 12.

PAUSE 00’15”

M: male, mid twenties, light US accent

M * I had an interesting trip home from my vacation. I travelled back by train – three trains actually,
so I was worried one would be late and I’d miss the others, but I managed to avoid that. The thing
was, I hadn’t realised two were commuter trains – they were packed! On the second one I stood
up for an hour – not great, as I was really tired. Knowing me, though, I’d probably make the same
mistake again!

Anyway, I’ve got another trip coming up next month, and I’m wondering about it now. I’ll probably
still go, but I might think again before booking such a complicated route! I may even fly – who
knows! **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

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R1 You will hear two friends talking about shopping for clothes.

Now look at Questions 13 and 14.

PAUSE 00’15”

M: male, mid twenties, UK accent

F: female, mid twenties, UK accent

M * I went to that clothes shop in town yesterday - I was beginning to feel Iike the only person who
hadn’t been. They have nice stuff, so maybe you should have a look? You can come with me – or
maybe it’d be better if you went on your own so you have more time to look around. I might get
some new clothes there myself next week.

F Well, could do, but I’m not so keen on clothes shopping these days – I’ve made so many expensive
mistakes, I spend ages trying things on and then make the wrong decision. So I rarely go unless I
have to – although I know that other people enjoy it.

M Right. **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

R1 You will hear a young woman talking about an exhibition she went to.

Now look at Questions 15 and 16.

PAUSE 00’15”

F: female, mid twenties, light Australian accent

F * I went to an exhibition of old photographs yesterday – all taken around the area where I grew
up. I was expecting to be fascinated by it – I thought it’d bring back memories. In fact, there were
more pictures of people than places, with not many photos that captured the mood of the time.
However, at least it was quiet the day I went.

Anyway, there were copies of the original photos to buy in the gift shop – quite a few really, for
such a small exhibition. I quickly found one I liked – I noticed it as soon as I’d arrived. The place in
it was unfamiliar, though, so I’ll look into the location – and go on a visit! **

PAUSE 00’05”
REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’05”

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R1 You will hear a woman leaving a message for her friend Josh about a cinema trip.

Now look at Questions 17 and 18.

PAUSE 00’15”

F: female mid twenties, UK accent

f * Josh, it’s Sally. I’m sorry to do this again, but I can’t make it to the cinema tomorrow after all. I put
the date in my diary, but I hadn’t put in something else happening on the same day – my friend’s
graduation! I can’t believe I overlooked that – so silly of me! Anyhow, the film we wanted to see is
on all week, so let’s just reschedule.

And when we do see the film, let me take you to a new restaurant afterwards, where I had a lovely
meal with my family. I’ll book a table outside in the beautiful garden, which I know you’ll like – and
I’ll get the bill! Speak soon! **

PAUSE 00’05” REPEAT FROM * TO **

PAUSE 00’05”

R1 That is the end of Exercise 2. Now turn to Exercise 3.

PAUSE 00’05”

R1 Exercise 3

You will hear a young woman called Sylvia Trent giving a talk about improving a city park
called Cuckoo Park. For each question choose the correct answer, A, B or C and put a tick
in the appropriate box.

You will hear the talk twice. Now look at Questions 19–26.

PAUSE 00’40”

F: female, mid–late twenties, UK accent

F * I’m Sylvia Trent, here to talk about improving a park in my city called Cuckoo Park.

My interest in the park was inspired by my childhood hobbies. I used to collect wild flowers, then
find poems about them. And my books were mostly about science, rather than fiction – like guides
to plants. So I’ve returned to all that again.

I remember Cuckoo Park from when I was younger. In those days there were two lakes there, and
a few trees, but that was all. I’d often walk there with friends – we were keen on ball games. But
the park wasn’t looked after so it wasn’t somewhere you’d go if you had other options – but at the
time, we didn’t.

Two years ago I went back to the park again, for a walk – and was delighted to see how rich it was
in wildlife. There was lots of plastic waste and stuff lying around as I’d expected. But I knew once
that’d been cleared, it had great potential. So I started making plans and asked for volunteers to
help tidy the park, which they did.

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Since then, the park’s become popular with local people. They can go running or walk around,
and chat to neighbours. And there are regular guided walks with conservationists, who tell people
about the birds and trees there. So there’re things happening!

I’m currently focusing on specific environmental aspects of Cuckoo Park. For example, the lakes
there attract birds, but these places need looking after, as the water can dry up during hot summers.
So I work with the local environmental agency to prevent that! Bird populations everywhere need
our help, partly because of pollution, so volunteers do things like building shelters for them in our
park.

When I found out about a plan for more parking spaces, I knew I had to do something to stop it as
it meant losing part of Cuckoo Park. Given how easy it is to reach the park on public transport, or
by bike, I felt it wasn’t really required – even though it wasn’t going to be expensive. At least they
planned to build them behind some trees. So the park would’ve been almost as quiet as it is now.
Fortunately, though, the plan was rejected!

I’m also pleased with recent progress in Cuckoo Park! Far more people are going there, as we’d
hoped, and one group’s growing fruit and vegetables and selling them – that’s popular. For me,
though, the most impressive are the painting and photography groups, based in the park – great!

I must admit, though, my Cuckoo Park projects fill my life! I have a full-time job, and I’m also
studying for another degree, so it’s hard to fit in things like seeing people I know – I feel I’m
ignoring them. But they understand I need to do whatever I can to keep the park functioning. **

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Now you will hear the talk again.

REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’10”

R1 That is the end of Exercise 3. Now turn to Exercise 4.

PAUSE 00’05

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R1 Exercise 4

You will hear six people talking about their first experience of attending a major classical
music concert.

For questions 27–32, choose from the list (A–H) which idea each speaker expresses. Write
the correct letter (A–H) on the answer line. Use each letter only once. There are two extra
letters which you do not need to use.

You will hear the recordings twice. Now read statements A–H.

PAUSE 00’30”

R1 Speaker 1

M: male, late twenties, UK accent

* For my birthday, my friend took me to my first classical concert. To be honest, I didn’t look at
the evening’s programme in advance so I didn’t realise that what the orchestra was going to play
would be totally unfamiliar to me. Anyway, it didn’t matter – it was beautiful! And our seats couldn’t
have been any nearer to the stage. But the pianist – a big name in the music world – didn’t look
quite as impressive as I’d expected, somehow!

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Speaker 2

F: female, mid twenties, mild Australian accent

Being at a classical music concert was a great experience, but a strange one too. For example,
I realised it’s forbidden to clap after a really good bit. You’re supposed to wait until right at the
end, even if the musicians have played one part brilliantly – a little confusing, really. Anyway, I
put on my best silk suit, as I’d been advised to, luckily. And there are tickets available for another
performance next month, so we may go again.

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Speaker 3

M: male, early thirties, mild US accent

We got seats near the front even though the musician performing was world famous. I wasn’t
really into a couple of the pieces she played, but the rest was awesome. And some people sitting
nearby were almost as interesting as events on stage. They’d brought written copies of the music,
and were following those. I didn’t understand that – why not just enjoy the music? Anyway, it was
a great experience, but I’m unsure whether I’d rush to book another event.

PAUSE 00’10”

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R1 Speaker 4

F: female, late teens, UK accent

I was aware before the concert that there were some things I shouldn’t do – like making a noise
during the performance, obviously. And actually, everyone was super-quiet then. But when it was
over, they all just stood up, clapping, whistling and shouting! I’d never seen anything like it! Awful!
It was an amazing performance, though, even if I wasn’t that familiar with some pieces they played
– but then all classical music sounds fantastic to me!

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Speaker 5

M: male, early twenties, UK accent

Classical concerts always look so formal on TV, and everyone seems to know exactly what to
do, so I thought I’d feel nervous. Luckily, I got a few tips before I went, although I forgot to ask
how I was supposed to dress – so I just copied what I’d seen on TV, and more or less got it right.
Our tickets meant we ended up a long way from the stage, though, so we missed out on the
atmosphere, really.

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Speaker 6

F: female, early twenties, mild US accent

I was convinced I wouldn’t enjoy the concert I went to – classical music’s not my thing, really. Even
so, I found out a little about the star violinist who was playing, and what he’d play – stuff I’d heard
of, at least. Anyway, once I got inside, the whole experience – the front-row seats, the lights, the
orchestra – so amazed me that by the time I left, I’d already booked to see something else the
following week! **

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Now you will hear the six speakers again.

REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’10”

R1 That is the end of Exercise 4. Now turn to Exercise 5.

PAUSE 00’05

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R1 Exercise 5

You will hear an interview with a young man called Harry Soames, who recently went on a
group trip, in small boats, along a river. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B
or C, and put a tick in the appropriate box.

You will hear the interview twice. Now look at questions 33–40.

PAUSE 00’45”

F: female, thirties, mild Australian accent

M: male, late twenties, mild Australian accent

F * I’m with Harry Soames, who recently joined a group boat trip, along a river. Harry, tell us about
your trip. What were your boats like?

M Well, we each had our own small inflatable boat. You pump it full of air to use, and you can pack it
up and carry it to quiet areas of water away from other people. You can’t reach the same speed as
with some other boats, but they’re great to use. Not many people know about them yet, though.

F How far along the river were you intending to go?

M Well, I was keen to keep going until the river reached the sea, although that was unrealistic as we
only had three days – so we let that set the limit as to how far we could get. And we knew if we
reached a place where the water became dangerously fast-flowing, we might have to turn back, or
walk along the bank for a bit.

F And you had two guides with you?

M Yeah, David and Ben, who clearly both loved their job. And even though I didn’t live that far away,
they had a much greater familiarity with the place! I’d probably done as much on water as they
had, though, like windsurfing and sailing – and those sports had taught me how to keep clothes
and stuff dry in a waterproof bag while you’re on water – very useful for the trip!

F And before you set off, you did some sightseeing?

M Yes, our guides took us right to the very top of the river valley where we could look down and see
where we were heading. We took a few pictures, although it was impossible to capture the beauty
of it. But I was also keen to actually follow the river all the way back to where it began, from a lake
nearby, so I did that before I joined the group – I’d guessed there’d be no opportunity later on.

F And once you’d started going along the river, how was it?

M Wonderful – so quiet and calm, after all the rush of the preparations. And we got to stretches of
river that are much easier to reach if you’ve got a boat – although in fact there were still more
walkers around than I’d expected. And I guess I’d imagined being able to see for miles, although
the views were occasionally blocked by overhanging trees. But the trip was definitely still worth it!

F But eventually, the river became rocky, and unsafe for your boats – so you got out and walked, is
that right?

M Yes – through the nearby town. That was weird – it was so noisy, and very different from what
we’d left. I thought we might miss out on some of the animals and birds, too, although our guides
assured us that that wasn’t the case. Even so, I was keen to get back and carry on learning as
much as I could about the river.

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F So what did you particularly like on your trip?

M Well, I can’t say our tents were great – I felt tired during the day from lack of sleep! I was so
relieved though that the whole group got on so well together – that doesn’t always happen. And it
didn’t rain, although it wasn’t that warm – but then travelling in the heat would’ve been difficult.

F And did you remember everything you needed?

M Well, I realised I’d left behind a fascinating novel I was halfway through, which would’ve really
helped me relax in the evenings! And I was glad of my thick sweater and socks then too. The
thing was, though, we were only given freeze-dried meals, which we could carry easily – and they
weren’t that tasty! But we did have delicious pizzas together on the last evening.

F Harry, thanks. **

PAUSE 00’10”

R1 Now you will hear the interview again.

REPEAT FROM * TO **
PAUSE 00’10”

R1 That is the end of Exercise 5.

You now have six minutes to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet. I will
remind you when there is one minute left.

PAUSE 05’00”

R1 You have one more minute left.

PAUSE 01’00”

R1 That is the end of the examination.

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