My Latest Gadget – B1/B2 Listening

In this B1/B2 English listening lesson, you will listen to Emily. She has recently bought a new gadget (an air fryer). Listen to Emily’s talk and see how much you can understand!

Listen and understand

Answer the questions about Emily’s new gadget. Check answers when you have finished all of the questions.

What is Emily’s overall opinion of her air fryer?

It’s fine for some meals but not reliable

She loves using it and finds it very convenient

She prefers using her oven most of the time

What does Emily suggest about learning to use the air fryer?

It has a long learning curve

It’s simple and easy, even for beginners

You need special training

What limitation does Emily mention about air fryers?

They use too much electricity

They’re difficult to clean

They’re small and can’t cook large meals

What does Emily say about the size and weight of her air fryer?

It’s heavy and takes up a lot of space

It’s compact and easy to move

It’s large and hard to store

How does Emily describe the way the air fryer cooks food?

It uses hot air and doesn’t need much oil

It boils food very quickly

It works with microwaves

Why did Emily used to find cooking slow and annoying?

Her kitchen was too small

Her old appliances took too long

She didn’t enjoy cooking at all

How does Emily clean the air fryer?

She takes out the basket and gives it a quick wash

She wipes it with a cloth while it’s still hot

She needs special cleaning products

What does Emily say about using the air fryer when she’s tired?

She usually avoids cooking then

It lets her cook something quickly with no effort

She orders takeaway instead

Train your ear

Listen and complete ONLY the missing words:

My favourite gadget’s my air fryer

I wasn’t sure if I really needed one

I spent a playing around with it

I just fell in love , you know?

So for example, this little tray

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.

DRE Dictation

Words and phrases

Here are some useful words and expressions from the text that you might want to learn and use

Words

gadget – a small machine that helps you do something
air fryer – a kitchen machine that cooks food with hot air instead of oil
bulky – large and hard to move or store
worktop – a flat surface in the kitchen for preparing food
crispy – hard and crunchy on the outside
healthy / healthier – good for your body / better for your body
weird – strange or unusual
handy – useful or convenient
recommend – say something is good and others should try it

Phrases

my favourite gadget’s got to be… – I think my best gadget is…
I use it all the time – I use it very often
I wasn’t sure at first – I didn’t know in the beginning
to be honest – I’m telling the truth
I spent a bit of time playing around with it – I used it for a while to see how it works
fell in love with it – really liked it a lot
it’s not really like a proper oven – it’s different from a normal oven
not too big or bulky – not heavy or difficult to move
fits quite nicely on my worktop – is a good size for my kitchen surface
slides in and out – moves in and out easily
set the time or temperature – choose how long or how hot to cook
even if you’ve never tried one before – it’s easy for beginners
Bob’s your uncle – it’s easy / And that’s it!
works by cooking the food with hot air – cooks food using hot air
comes out really nice and crispy – is cooked well and crunchy
took ages – took a long time
throw something in – put food in quickly
Bang! It’s ready in minutes. – it cooks very fast
give it a quick wash – clean it quickly
all in all – overall; thinking about everything
I’d definitely recommend – I really think you should try it
a bit of a shame – a little disappointing