My New Hobby – B1/B2 Listening
In this B1/B2 English listening lesson, you will find out about Jade’s hobby. Jade talks quite quickly and naturally, so you will need to listen very carefully. After you’ve done the exercises, read the final transcript at the end, and check what you heard is correct.
Listen and understand
Answer the questions about Jade’s new hobby. Check answers when you have finished the questions.
How does Jade feel about breadmaking now compared to before?
What attitude does Jade express about learning something new?
Why does Jade recommend breadmaking as a hobby?
What problem did Jade have when she first tried baking bread?
Which type of bread did Jade find the most difficult?
What does Jade say about making food from scratch?
What’s the best part of breadmaking for Jade?
What surprised Jade about getting into breadmaking?
Train your ear
Listen and complete ONLY the missing words.
I decided to
But over time, I
I got the hang of it
But bit trickier
One of about making bread
Dictation and transcript
Listen to the speaker again, and write what you hear. Then check your answers. Pause, replay or restart if you want to.
Words and phrases
Here are some useful words and expressions from the text that you can learn and use when you talk about hobbies like baking.
Words
a hassle (n) – something that is difficult or annoying
dough (n) – a soft mix of flour and water for bread
flat (adj) – not high or not risen
a hobby (n) – something you like doing in your free time
from scratch (phrase) – starting with basic ingredients, not ready-made
wholemeal (adj) – made from whole grain flour
malt loaf (n) – dark, sweet bread made with malt
sourdough (n) – bread made with a fermented mix
knead (v) – press and fold dough with your hands
rise (v) – get bigger when air goes in the dough
patience (n) – being calm and waiting
satisfying (adj) – making you feel happy with the result
homemade bread (adj + n) – bread made at home, not from a shop
a while (n) – some time
loads of butter (phrase) – a lot of butter
Phrases
get into (something) – start to enjoy or be interested in something
too much hassle – too difficult or annoying to do
give it a go – try something new
struggle with (something) – find something hard to do
to be honest – I’m telling the truth
get (something) right – do something correctly
turn out (well / badly) – end in a good or bad way
over time – slowly; after some time
stick at (something) – keep trying and not stop
get the hang of (something) – learn how to do it well
make (something) from scratch – cook using basic ingredients
mix things up – do something in a different way
have a go at (something) – try something new
It took me a while – I spent a long time doing it
work (something) out – understand or find the answer
require patience – need time and calm effort
the best thing about (something) – the part I like most
you can’t beat that – nothing is better than that
Phrases
Grammar from the transcript
Below are some of the key grammar points that appear in this transcript.
Past Simple
- I decided to give it a go.
- I struggled with it a little bit at first.
- It took me a while to work that out.
Modal verb + base form pattern
- I couldn’t get the dough right.
- If you don’t do it in the right way, the bread won’t rise.
- I’d definitely recommend bread making. (would + recommend)
Learn more about using verbs with modals here.
Verb + to-infinitive pattern
- I decided to give it a go.
- I like to mix things up a bit.
Learn more about verb patterns here.
Comparatives and intensifiers
- a bit better
- too hard
- too flat
- quite a relaxing hobby
Learn more about intensity modifiers here.
Defining Relative Clauses
- one of those things that older people do
Learn more about relative clauses here.
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