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PODCAST

Practising English

M. A. Bilbrough

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

education language learning

All Episodes

00:31:57

222. A Window on Time (complete version) B2 level

Practising English ·

2025/01/05

Strong B1 to B2-level story. Today, as I'm still on holiday, I'm offering you the complete version of the very popular story I published in September - A Window on Time. Read and listen to the comprehension questions before you start listening.1) What was the bad news Geoffrey received at the beginning of the story? 2) What physical changes happened to Geoffrey when he entered the classroom for the first time? 3) Why did Geoffrey stay in the classroom and not make an attempt to get back to his

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00:27:06

221. Victims of Nature (complete version) B1, B2

Practising English ·

2024/12/29

Victims of Nature Complete Version (B1, B2) This is the full version of the two story parts published last September. Comprehension questions 1) What reasons did Alberto's mother give Alberto for leaving the Alpujarra? 2) What did Gustavo mean by the comment "we're just victims of nature"? 3) The story says, "When Alberto saw the pink clouds at dawn, he knew bad weather was on the way". What was the saying mentioned in the story which told Alberto there was going to be a storm? 4) Why was

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00:22:44

220. A Christmas Carol - The end of it (Part 2) B2 story

Practising English ·

2024/12/22

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.B1 B2-level story with exra Christmas idioms included. I have re-written this story for my English students.Ebenezer Scrooge visits his nephew for Christmas dinner and surprises Bob Cratchit with some astonishing news.Phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase in the story? You can see the answers after you listen in the audioscript below. 1) Give somebody the cold shoulderTo be rude to somebody by ignoring them....

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00:20:46

219. A Christmas Carol - The end of it (Part 1) B2 story

Practising English ·

2024/12/16

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion."Scrooge jumped out of bed and rushed over to the window, opened it, and put his head out. There was no fog, no mist; it was a clear, bright, cheerful day...."This is the last chapter of Charles' Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol adapted to B2 level. B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each word?1) seasonal - refers to a time of year e.g. seasonal decorations (during the Christmas season)2) remarkable - a wonderful

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21:38

218. Coming Home (part 2) B1 B2-level story

Practising English ·

2024/12/08

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.Jonathon goes to the bank to claim his prize, but he comes away with something he didn't expect. B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1, get rid of - try to make disappear2, be taken in - makes you believe something bad3, live for - be a very important thing in your life4, fall apart - collapse, disappear so it exists no longer5, see to something - make something happen6, let somebody down - not help somebody

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21:02

217. Coming Home (part 1) B1, B2-level story

Practising English ·

2024/12/01

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.English podcast story for B1, B2 levels (intermediate - upper intermediate) - Jonathon Baxter has spent ten years walking around Britain, playing his harmonica to survive. Then he decides to return to his home, but what will he find?B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1, more or less (finished etc.) = nearly2, obliged to = you have to3, not have the slightest intention = (used in the neagative) not want or will not

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23:28

216. Candle Burning (part 2) B1-level story

Practising English ·

2024/11/24

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.B1 words and expressions studied:In this B1-level podcast today, I'll also discuss 6 interesting intermediate B1-level words, which you can listen for while you listen to the short story.Intermediate-level words and expressions:lack of something - not enough of somethingget rid of somebody - tell somebody to leaveout of work - to have lost your jobtry your best - do a task the best way you canstay behind - to wait after others have

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21:24

215. Candle Burning (part 1) B1-level story

Practising English ·

2024/11/17

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.In this B1-level podcast today I'll use lots of important vocabulary and expressions to talk about daily actions. I'll also discuss 10 interesting B1-level words, which you can listen for while you listen to the short story.I'll analyse these intermediate-level words and expressions:no going back - you cannot go to where you were earlier, or if you start something, you cannot leave it but must carry on.warning - a notice or

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22:27

214. The Second-hand Shop (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/11/10

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.The upper-intermediate phrsal verbs studied in today's episode are:look up to - admire somebody because of their qualitiesfall apart - to break into pieces, probably because it's olddate from - saying how old something is, from what year something isthink sth over - consider something carefullytake on - offer a contract of work to somebodymiss out - not to take advantage of an opportunity which would bring benefitscome across -

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23:02

213. B1 Intermediate-level Phrasal Verbs 2 (with story)

Practising English ·

2024/11/03

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.This is another podcast on B1 intermediate phrasal verbs - those a little difficult to learn. The ones I will talk about are:put on - to switch on or activate some device (electrical?)sign up - to join or becme part of a club etc.show up - to arrive somewhere unexpectedly.deal with - to try to resolve a problemtake up - to begin a new sport, hobby or other activitycarry on - to continue, often when things seem difficult.Listen to the

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24:09

212. B1 Intermediate-level Phrasal Verbs (with story)

Practising English ·

2024/10/27

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.The six B1 phrasal verbs studied are:give up - stop doing some activity e.g. smoking, or a game because you are losing.end up - to finish in a place probably you didn't expect to find yourself in.put off - to do some activity at a later time.set off - to start a journey.run out - to find you have no more of something e.g. petrol in your car, milk in the fridge.look forward - wait excitedly for an event to happen.For story transcript

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25:28

211. The Visitors (part 2) B1 B2 upper-intermediate...

Practising English ·

2024/10/20

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.Intermediate (B1) and upper-intermediate (B2) English expressions and vocabulary. Words to explain:binoculars - a device used to see objects far awayUFO - unidentified flying object (alien spaceship)What the hell is going on? - What is happening?fin - wing-like structure of a creature that lives in the seaB2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1, failed to comprehend2, under the impression 3, get straight to the

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27:22

210. The Visitors (Part 1) B1 B2 story

Practising English ·

2024/10/13

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.Words to explain:extraterrestrial - from another planetalien - life from another planetlife forms - beings which are livingelectro-magnetic field - this surrounds the Earth and protects us from harmful rays from spaceorbit - going around the sun etc.meteorite - an object that may crash into the Earthevolve / evolution - life that grows and changes over long periods of timecosmic - from the universecomet - a huge ball of us that flies

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23:21

209. A Window on Time - Part 2 (B1 B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/10/06

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.The second part of my story A Window on Time. Strong B1 and B2-level story.Words to explain: detention - in schools this was (is?) a punishment for children. We had to stay in a classroom during the lunch-break and do extra homeworkB2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1) to feel faint2) Naturally,3) tremble with excitement4) hit it off5) stick together6) stand by somebodyThe vowels (a, e, i, o, u) have been taken

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20:45

Podcast 208 A Window on Time - Part 1 (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/09/30

Send me a text.B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context they are used in during the story.1) deep in thought2) Strangely enough,3) strictly forbidden4) an exception to the rule5) the situation had become unbearable6) the truth of the matter wasB1 words from the story: what are they?1) prvs adj. what happend before2) shckd n. very surprised in a bad way3) prvntng v. stopping4) apprchd v. got closer5) aplgs v. say sorryB2 words from the story: what are they?6) rclld v. remember7) prsmbly adv

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21:19

Podcast 207 Victims of Nature - part 2 (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/09/23

Send me a text.Part 2 of my exciting story Victims of Nature for students studying B1 and B2 English.Words to explain: shepherd = somebody who looks after sheep in the countrysideraft = a small flat boatflock of sheep = a group of sheepwaterfall = where water falls vertically down from a high rockB2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1) All of a sudden2) scared him stiff3) To make matters worse4) it went without saying5) Out of breath6) shout at the top of his voiceThe vowels

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21:05

Podcast 206 Victims of Nature - part 1 (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/09/16

Send me a text.A Strong B1 and B2-level story based on a real event this summer in the Alpujarra mountain region of Southern Spain (Granada).Words to explain:shepherd = spmebody who looks after sheep in the countrysideraft = a small flat boatflock of sheep = a group of sheepwaterfall = where water falls vertically down from a high rockB2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1) The reality of the situation...2) take charge of...3) he held on for dear life...4) What’s the point

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28:05

Podcast 205 Every Dog has his Day (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/09/09

Send me a text.One way or another, Norman imagined that other people regarded him as an underachiever. He became obsessed by what his colleagues at the supermarket might call him when he was not listening. What about Norman Nobody or Norman Nothing in Particular. Norman was a man who was of the opinion that life had not treated him fairly...This is a strong B1 to B2-level story.B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?1) talk things over with2) kept in good shape3) push himself4)

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29:45

Podcast 204 Winds of Bolonia (full story)

Practising English ·

2024/09/02

Send me a text.The Winds of Bolonia (B1 Story with new comprehension questions)I wanted to publish this story together with the Para-olympics in Paris. I was watching it on television. It shows how positive attitudes, strength, determination are not qualities limited to those athletes in the Olympics we saw earlier this summer, but that persons with disabilities are no different and share the same qualities.The heroine in my story today, The Winds of Bolonia (B1 level) is about a young girl in a

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29:54

Podcast 203 Never Go Back (Complete B1 Story)

Practising English ·

2024/08/26

Send me a text.Comprehension questions and answers for the complete story.1) Why did Benjamin decide to go back to the hotel?2) How did Jessica know Benjamin was staying in the Borromeo Hotel?3) Where did Benjamin move to when fe left school?4) What did Benjamin think the old woman was doing on the stairs?5) What did Benjamin plan to do with Jessica?6) Why did Benjamin's son, Logan, leave the car at the end of the story?You can see the answers to these questions at

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