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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

24:30

290. Treasure Island - chapter 1 (B1 Story)

Practising English ·

2026/01/22

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. My B1-level version.Chapter 1Squire 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.htmContact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts:

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24:30

289. The Black Cat - part 1 (B2 story)

Practising English ·

2026/01/22

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.htmContact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW

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17:12

288. The Lost Ring (B2 story)

Practising English ·

2026/01/16

You can find the audioscript to the B2 story today just here:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-288.htmThe Lost RingMary 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 telling him,

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19:35

287. That's Life! (B1 dialogue)

Practising English ·

2026/01/14

This is the audioscript for today's B1-level dialogue:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-287.htmThat'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

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20:42

286. The Hole (B2 Story) Part 2

Practising English ·

2026/01/05

This is the audioscript for this B2 story (part 2) of The Hole:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-286.htmThe 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

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19:11

285. The Hole (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2026/01/03

This is the audioscript for today's B2 story:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-285.htmThe 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

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20:00

284. A Christmas Surprise (B1 and B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/12/23

This is a B1 and B2 story with phrasal verbs. Here is the audioscripy for the story: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-284.htm A Christmas Surprise Christmas didn't turn out very well for Flora. She lived in the north of Scotland, where the weather can be a problem in the winter months. She lived in Keiss, a fishing village at the northern end of Sinclair's Bay on the east coast of Caithness in Scotland's Highland area. She wanted to spend Christmas with her ageing mother who lived in...

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21:49

283. The Christmas Festival (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/12/18

This is the story text for the B2 story today:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-283.htmThe 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 follow, Miss Jenkins. I understand you used to

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21:12

282. Scrooge and the Turkey (B1 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/12/18

This is the audioscript for today's story and the B1 words studied:Scrooge and the TurkeyScrooge 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

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14:57

281. The Fat One (B2, C1 Story - repeat)

Practising English ·

2025/12/12

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 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 plat...

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23:34

280. A Brief Meeting at Christmas (B1 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/12/10

This is the text for the B1 story today:A brief meeting at ChristmasIt 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 noticed a small brown glove lying on a bench. It looked new, so Lucas picked it up. ‘Maybe someone lost

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20:30

279. Christmas Cheer (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/12/04

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-279.htmThis is a B2 recording today with a story for you to enjoy...Christmas cheerI’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 houses, or

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19:35

287. White Christmas (B1 story)

Practising English ·

2025/12/03

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 with my brothers and sisters in Bath,” he said. “It w...

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13:13

277. Family Breakfast (B2 conversation)

Practising English ·

2025/11/27

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,...

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18:16

276. B1 Linking Words (Part 2)

Practising English ·

2025/11/26

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...

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16:34

275. B2 Linking Words

Practising English ·

2025/11/20

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...

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15:02

274. B1 Linking Words (Part 1)

Practising English ·

2025/11/19

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...

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17:07

273. Priorities (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/11/13

Here is the text for the B2 story today:PrioritiesSteve 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

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18:36

272. The Sandwich Hero (B1 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/11/12

Here is the script for today's B1 story:The Sandwich HeroIn 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

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15:36

271. Chance of a Lifetime (B2 Story)

Practising English ·

2025/11/06

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 such a liar, Tom

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