English listening exercise (10) Audition

Question

Here is the audition tape for Susan Boyle.It's a little longer than usual, but I think it's worth it. In this exercise, the transcription is on the conversations before and after the song. Try to fill in the blanks with the missing words. video link

All right, what's your name, 1.___?

My name is Susan Boyle.

Ok, ah, Susan, and where are you 2__?

I'm from Brighton..near Blackburn, West Lothian, . That's a big town..

It's a sort of, a collection of... it's a collection of 3.____. I had to think there.

And, how old are you, Susan?

I am 4___. And that's just one side of me.

Hello.

O, K. What's the 5____?

I am trying to be a 6______ singer.

And why hasn't it worked out so far, Susan?

I haven't been given the chance before, but here's hoping that it will change.

And who would you like to be as 7_____ as?

Elaine Page...something like that.

And what are you going to sing tonight?

I'm going to sing, "I dreamed a dream" from The 8____ of Oz.

O K, Big song..

Yes, Yes

Song:

I dreamed a dream in time gone by

When hope was high and life worth living

I dreamed that love would never die

I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid

When dreams were made and used and wasted

There was no ransom to be paid

No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night

With their voices soft as thunder

As they tear your hopes apart

And they turn your dream to shame

Still I dream he'd come to me

That we would live our lives together

But there are dreams that cannot be

And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be

So different from this hell I'm living

So different now from what it seemed

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

Wait, Hello, Hey, Come back here.Yes, yes, yes..Go back! Go back! Alright, thank you very much, Susan Pierce.

9_____ a 10____ that was the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show. When you stood there with that 11___ grin and said, "I want to be like Elaine Page", everyone was 12____at you. No one is laughing now. That was stunning..an 13.____ performance. Amazing, I am 14_____ from shock. I don't know about you two, but,,

I am so 15____ because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think that we were all being very 16____ and I think that's the biggest 17___ call ever and I just want to say that It was a complete 18____ listening to that. It was instant privilege.

Susan, I knew the minute you walked out...

Oh, Simon..

... on that stage that we were going to hear something 19______and I was right.

He's out of touch.

Susan you are a little tiger, aren't you.

I don't know about that...

You are.

Ok, moment of 20____. Pierce, "Yes" or "No"?

The biggest,"Yes" I have ever given anybody.

Amanda?

"Yes", 21_____...Brilliant

Amanda, you, too!

Susan Boyle, you can go back to the village with your head held 22_____. It's three, "Yeses".

Link to exercise 9

Sanlee, thaks for this listening exercise. It was really interesting. Thanks a lot. :) - iana01, Apr 29, 2012

Thanks Sandy, I enjoy these. I'm coming back later to post.:):) - rac1, Apr 29, 2012

Thank you so much, Sanlee! It was a pleasure for me doing this exercise!!! - Silvia_Tcherneva, Apr 30, 2012

I've watched that video several times, but i can watch it more and more and more. It's amazing. Thanks Sandy. - shama807, Apr 30, 2012

Muchas gracias, Sanlee. Desde luego que ha merecido la pena. Cada vez que veo el vídeo, se me pone la piel de gallina :)))) - Cordobesa, May 1, 2012

I´ve got goosebumps, she was that stunning and unexpected. Yes, it is well worth a listen. Good clean fun and happiness! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

Answer 1

1. darling
2. from
3. villages
4. fourty seven
5. dream
6. professional
7. successful
8. wizard
9. without
10. doubt
11. ??? grin
12. laughing
13. incredible
14. ???
15. thrilled
16. cynical
17. ??? call
18. privilege
19. extraordinary
20. truth
21. definitely
22. high

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Thank you very much indeed, Sanlee. I've watched this video a lot of times, trying to understand all what they were saying. Now the magic is complete. Of course, good exercise. Thank you again.

i think that Pierce says: ...When you stood "(t)here" with that 11___ grin... If so, I think I deserve extra points :) - nelson_rafael, Apr 29, 2012

Welcome to this thread, Nelson! Very good effort! I will listen again and check out #11. I am sending you a PM with the answers. - sanlee, Apr 29, 2012

You are right, Nelson. It is "there" with that 11__grin. I have edited it. Thanks so much! - sanlee, Apr 29, 2012

Hola Nelson, with the accent this one was tough, even for me! Keep up your great work! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

I had to add a new video link as the old one no longer worked. - sanlee, Jul 27, 2013

Answer 2

Hi sanlee, I'm afraid I'll have to skip this. I've seen this a lot of times that I can probably fill the blanks without watching the video again. Lol. It won't be fair.

Also, I heard "Les Miserables" not "Wizard of Oz". Of course, I could be wrong.

Thanks for posting. This is one of my favorite auditions ever.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Yes, I think it is called that too. Thanks, Cheska. - sanlee, Apr 29, 2012

How true! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

Hola bandit! :) - cheskasullivan, May 3, 2012

I totally forgot about this post. I don't know how you all came up with Wizard of Oz..The song is from Les Miserables. It's French and is pronounced as "lay-miz-er-ahb". Sorry, I just felt like I had to say it. I did ask someone to confirm it for me. :) - cheskasullivan, May 3, 2012

Answer 3

1) darling, 2) from, 3) villages, 4) 47, 5) dream, 6) professional, 7) successful, 8) ???, 9) without, 10) doubt, 11) cheeky, 12) laughing, 13) incredible, 14) ???, 15) thrilled, 16) cynical, 17) wake-up, 18) privilege, 19) extraordinary, 20) truth, 21) definitely, 22) high

Thanks, Sanlee, for this listening exercise.

Thank you so much for doing this exercis, iana! You are doing very well. I am sending you a PM with the answers. - sanlee, Apr 29, 2012

Thanks, Sanlee. :))) - iana01, Apr 29, 2012

Great answers! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

Answer 4

My atempt:

1. darling, 2. from, 3. villages 4. 47 5. dream 6. profesional 7. successful 8. wizard 9. without 10. doubt 11. cheeky 12. laughing 13. incredible 14. really 15. thrilled 16. cynical 17. wake up 18. privilege 19. extraordinary 20. truth 21. definitely 22. high

Thank you so much for participating in ths exercise, Silvia. You always do a great job. I am sending you a PM with the answers. - sanlee, Apr 30, 2012

Hola Silvia! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

¡Hola, amigaa! ¡Qué tal!:)) - Silvia_Tcherneva, May 2, 2012

Answer 5

how do people under stand

What is your native language? ¿Cuál es su lengua materna? - sanlee, May 1, 2012

If you are not a native English speaker, keep coming back to this one, and in time it won´t be as frustrating! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

Answer 6

1.darling 2.from 3.villages 4.fourty seven 5.dream 6.professional 7.successful 8.wizard 9.without 10.doubt 11.cheeky 12.laughing 13.incredible 14.reeling 15.thrilled 16.cynical 17.wake up 18.privilege 19.extraordinary 20.truth 21.definitely 22.high

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Thanks for doing this exercise, Rac1. Great job! I am sending you a PM with the answers. - sanlee, Apr 30, 2012

I am happy to see you here, Annie! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012

Answer 7

Había visto este vídeo, pero nunca me había parado a escucharlo bien para entender lo que decían. Muchas gracias por la transcripción, Sanlee

1 – darling 2 – from 3 – villages 4 – 47 5 – dream 6 – professional 7 – successful 8 – Wizard 9 – without 10 – doubt 11 – cheeky 12 – laughing 13 – incredible 14 – ??? 15 – thrilled 16 – cynical 17 – wake-up 18 – privilege 19 – extraordinary 20 – truth 21 – definitely 22 - high

Thank you very much, Cordobesa for doing this exercise. You did very well, Cordobesa! I am sending you the answers in a PM. - sanlee, May 1, 2012

That number 14 was a little hard for me too, but the context makes sense! - bandit51jd, May 2, 2012