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ALPT B1 study materials
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ALPT B1 practice questions

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Question 1Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The meeting has been pushed back to Thursday." What does the speaker mean?

  1. The meeting will take place in a different room.
  2. The meeting has been cancelled entirely.
  3. The meeting will now happen on Thursday. Correct answer.
  4. The meeting happened earlier than planned.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "push back" means to postpone something to a later time or date. Since the speaker gives Thursday as the new time, the meeting is moved to Thursday.

Question 2Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "I'd rather take the train than fly." What is her preference?

  1. She prefers flying to taking the train.
  2. She has no preference between the two.
  3. She prefers the train over the plane. Correct answer.
  4. She wants to avoid both forms of travel.

Explanation

The structure "would rather X than Y" expresses a preference for X over Y. Here X is taking the train, so she prefers the train.

Question 3Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I'm afraid I can't make it to your party." What is he doing?

  1. Asking for directions to the party.
  2. Declining an invitation politely. Correct answer.
  3. Confirming he will attend.
  4. Offering to host the party.

Explanation

"I'm afraid I can't make it" is a polite way of saying you are unable to attend. "Make it" means to be able to come to an event.

Question 4Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "Turn left at the second set of traffic lights." What is the listener being given?

  1. A weather report.
  2. A set of directions. Correct answer.
  3. A description of a building.
  4. A warning about traffic.

Explanation

Instructions about where to turn at traffic lights are navigational directions. The listener is being told how to reach a place.

Question 5Listening Comprehension

A receptionist says: "The doctor is running about twenty minutes behind schedule." What does this tell the patient?

  1. The appointment will start later than planned. Correct answer.
  2. The doctor has already left for the day.
  3. The doctor is seeing patients ahead of time.
  4. The appointment has been moved to another day.

Explanation

"Running behind schedule" means a person or service is delayed. The patient should therefore expect to wait roughly twenty minutes longer.

Question 6Listening Comprehension

A colleague says: "Could you give me a hand with these boxes?" What does she want?

  1. A description of the boxes.
  2. Help carrying the boxes. Correct answer.
  3. Permission to borrow boxes.
  4. An opinion about the boxes.

Explanation

The idiom "give someone a hand" means to help them. She is asking for physical assistance with the boxes.

Question 7Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The shop is open every day except Sunday." On which day is the shop closed?

  1. Monday
  2. Sunday Correct answer.
  3. Saturday
  4. Friday

Explanation

"Every day except Sunday" means all days are included apart from Sunday. Sunday is therefore the day the shop is closed.

Question 8Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "I've been feeling under the weather lately." How does she feel?

  1. Angry about the weather.
  2. Confused about a decision.
  3. Excited about a trip.
  4. Unwell or slightly ill. Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom "under the weather" means feeling ill or not well. It does not refer to actual weather conditions.

Question 9Listening Comprehension

A man says: "By the time we arrived, the film had already started." What happened first?

  1. They arrived and the film started at the same moment.
  2. They arrived, then the film started.
  3. The film never started.
  4. The film started, then they arrived. Correct answer.

Explanation

The past perfect "had already started" shows an action completed before another past action. The film started before their arrival.

Question 10Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "Unless you book now, you won't get a seat." What is the speaker advising?

  1. Buying two seats instead of one.
  2. Booking now to secure a seat. Correct answer.
  3. Waiting until later to book.
  4. Avoiding the event altogether.

Explanation

"Unless X, Y" means Y will happen if X does not. Here, failing to book now means no seat, so the advice is to book now.

Question 11Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "It's not that I don't like the idea; it's just that we don't have the budget." What is her attitude toward the idea?

  1. She has not understood the idea.
  2. She thinks the idea is too expensive to understand.
  3. She strongly opposes the idea itself.
  4. She supports it but sees a practical obstacle. Correct answer.

Explanation

The structure "It's not that X; it's just that Y" softens a refusal by denying the first reason. She is saying she likes the idea, but money is the problem.

Question 12Listening Comprehension

A guide says: "We'll spend the morning at the museum and have lunch there, then head to the castle in the afternoon." Where will the group be at midday?

  1. On the bus.
  2. At the castle.
  3. At the museum. Correct answer.
  4. At the hotel.

Explanation

Lunch is scheduled at the museum during the morning visit, so at midday the group is still at the museum. The castle comes in the afternoon.

Question 13Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I was going to call you, but then I saw your message." Why didn't he call?

  1. He saw the other person's message. Correct answer.
  2. He lost the phone number.
  3. He forgot his phone.
  4. He was too busy at work.

Explanation

"I was going to X, but Y" means the plan X was interrupted or made unnecessary by Y. Seeing the message meant the call was no longer needed.

Question 14Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The tickets cost twenty pounds each, but students get half price." How much does a student pay for one ticket?

  1. Twenty pounds
  2. Fifteen pounds
  3. Ten pounds Correct answer.
  4. Five pounds

Explanation

Half price means fifty percent of the full price. Half of twenty pounds is ten pounds.

Question 15Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "I wish I had taken the earlier train." What does she mean?

  1. She took a later train and regrets it. Correct answer.
  2. She plans to take the earlier train tomorrow.
  3. She is glad she missed the earlier train.
  4. She took the earlier train and enjoyed it.

Explanation

"I wish I had + past participle" expresses regret about a past action. She did not take the earlier train and now regrets the choice she made.

Question 16Listening Comprehension

A colleague says: "I'll take your word for it." What is he doing?

  1. He is refusing to believe the speaker.
  2. He is asking for written proof.
  3. He is accepting what the speaker said as true. Correct answer.
  4. He is promising to repeat the speaker's words.

Explanation

The idiom "take someone's word for it" means to trust what they say without further proof. He is accepting the statement as true.

Question 17Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The flight was delayed, so we ended up missing our connection." What was the result of the delay?

  1. They cancelled their whole trip.
  2. They arrived earlier than planned.
  3. They caught their connecting flight.
  4. They missed their connecting flight. Correct answer.

Explanation

"End up + -ing" describes a final result. The delay led to them missing the connecting flight.

Question 18Listening Comprehension

A teacher says: "Feel free to drop by during my office hours if you have any questions." What is she offering?

  1. A homework assignment.
  2. A chance to visit and ask questions. Correct answer.
  3. A written exam.
  4. A warning about being late.

Explanation

"Drop by" means to visit informally, and "feel free" signals an open invitation. She is inviting students to come and ask questions.

Question 19Listening Comprehension

A man says: "It's up to you whether we eat out or cook at home." Who will decide?

  1. They will decide together.
  2. The listener will decide. Correct answer.
  3. The speaker will decide.
  4. A third person will decide.

Explanation

"It's up to you" means the decision belongs to the other person. The speaker is leaving the choice to the listener.

Question 20Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "I couldn't help laughing when I saw his costume." What does she mean?

  1. She refused to laugh at the costume.
  2. She helped him choose the costume.
  3. She found the costume impossible to see.
  4. She laughed without being able to stop herself. Correct answer.

Explanation

"Can't help + -ing" means being unable to prevent or control an action. She laughed involuntarily.

Question 21Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "Had I known about the roadworks, I would have left earlier." What is true?

  1. He knew about the roadworks and left early.
  2. He did not know about the roadworks and left late. Correct answer.
  3. He does not know about the roadworks yet.
  4. He knew about the roadworks but left late anyway.

Explanation

The inverted third conditional "Had I known..." means "If I had known...". It describes a past situation that did not happen, so he did not know and did not leave early.

Question 22Listening Comprehension

A manager says: "I'm not saying the plan won't work; I'm just playing devil's advocate." What is she doing?

  1. She is rejecting the plan outright.
  2. She is raising objections to test the plan. Correct answer.
  3. She is supporting the plan without question.
  4. She is asking someone else to present the plan.

Explanation

"Playing devil's advocate" means arguing against an idea to test its strength, not necessarily because you disagree. She is challenging the plan to examine it.

Question 23Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The proposal was met with a lukewarm response, to put it mildly." What does this suggest?

  1. The response was neutral and unimportant.
  2. The response was actually quite negative. Correct answer.
  3. The response was extremely enthusiastic.
  4. The response was not yet known.

Explanation

"To put it mildly" signals that the speaker is understating something stronger. A "lukewarm response" is unenthusiastic, so the real reaction was worse than mild.

Question 24Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I'd have thought the report would be finished by now, given how long you've had it." What is his tone?

  1. Warmly encouraging
  2. Mildly critical Correct answer.
  3. Completely indifferent
  4. Openly amused

Explanation

"I'd have thought... given how long" implies the speaker expected more progress and is gently complaining. The tone is mildly critical rather than neutral.

Question 25Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "Not only did she finish the project early, but she also helped two colleagues with theirs." What is emphasised?

  1. That the project was cancelled.
  2. That she refused to help others.
  3. That she finished late.
  4. That she did more than expected. Correct answer.

Explanation

The "not only... but also" structure highlights two achievements, stressing that she exceeded expectations. Both finishing early and helping others are praised.

Question 26Listening Comprehension

A receptionist says: 'The manager is tied up at the moment. Would you like to hold?' What does 'tied up' mean here?

  1. He is busy and cannot take the call. Correct answer.
  2. He is on holiday and will return soon.
  3. He is in a meeting and will call you back.
  4. He is unavailable because he is unwell.

Explanation

'Tied up' is an idiom meaning occupied or busy with something and therefore unable to attend to other matters. In this context, it indicates the manager cannot speak right now.

Question 27Listening Comprehension

A woman says: 'The weather forecast said it might rain, so take an umbrella just in case.' Why does she mention the umbrella?

  1. To advise the listener to leave the umbrella at home.
  2. To suggest that the listener should prepare for possible rain. Correct answer.
  3. To remind the listener that it is already raining.
  4. To warn the listener that it will definitely rain.

Explanation

'Just in case' means as a precaution, so she is advising the listener to take an umbrella because rain is possible, not certain.

Question 28Listening Comprehension

A man says: 'I've been trying to get hold of you all morning. Where have you been?' What is the man's main purpose?

  1. To invite the listener to lunch.
  2. To find out why the listener was unavailable. Correct answer.
  3. To ask the listener to call him back later.
  4. To complain about the listener's phone being broken.

Explanation

The question 'Where have you been?' shows he wants to know the reason the listener could not be reached. The statement about trying to get hold of them provides context for that question.

Question 29Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: 'The meeting has been put off until Thursday.' What does this mean?

  1. The meeting will now happen on Thursday. Correct answer.
  2. The meeting has been cancelled and will not happen.
  3. The meeting will happen before Thursday.
  4. The meeting will happen on Thursday but at a later time.

Explanation

'Put off' means postponed, so the meeting is moved to a later time or date, in this case Thursday.

Question 30Listening Comprehension

A woman says: 'I was wondering if you could possibly help me with this report.' What is she doing?

  1. Offering to help someone else with the report.
  2. Making a polite request for assistance. Correct answer.
  3. Asking for permission to read the report.
  4. Complaining that the report is too difficult.

Explanation

The phrase 'I was wondering if you could possibly...' is a polite way to ask for help. It is a request, not an offer or a complaint.

Question 31Listening Comprehension

A man says: 'I'm afraid I can't make it to the party on Saturday.' What does he mean?

  1. He has not decided whether to go.
  2. He will arrive late to the party.
  3. He is unable to attend the party. Correct answer.
  4. He does not want to go to the party.

Explanation

'Can't make it' is an idiom meaning unable to attend or be present. It expresses inability, not unwillingness or indecision.

Question 32Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: 'The lecture was supposed to start at nine, but it didn't get underway until half past.' What happened?

  1. The lecture lasted for thirty minutes.
  2. The lecture started earlier than planned.
  3. The lecture began thirty minutes late. Correct answer.
  4. The lecture was cancelled at the last minute.

Explanation

'Supposed to start at nine' indicates the planned time, and 'didn't get underway until half past' means it actually began at 9:30, so it was thirty minutes late.

Question 33Listening Comprehension

A woman says: 'I'd rather you didn't mention my promotion to anyone yet.' What does she want?

  1. She wants the listener to keep the promotion secret for now. Correct answer.
  2. She wants the listener to tell everyone about her promotion.
  3. She wants the listener to congratulate her publicly.
  4. She wants the listener to apply for a promotion too.

Explanation

'I'd rather you didn't' expresses a preference for something not to happen. She prefers that the listener does not tell others about her promotion yet.

Question 34Listening Comprehension

A man says: 'The hotel was nothing to write home about.' What does he mean?

  1. The hotel was far from home.
  2. The hotel was mediocre. Correct answer.
  3. The hotel was very expensive.
  4. The hotel was excellent.

Explanation

'Nothing to write home about' is an idiom meaning not especially good or impressive, so the hotel was only average.

Question 35Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: 'The new policy is intended to reduce paperwork; however, it seems to have had the opposite effect.' What does the speaker imply?

  1. The policy has had no impact on paperwork.
  2. The policy has increased paperwork. Correct answer.
  3. The policy has been abandoned.
  4. The policy has successfully reduced paperwork.

Explanation

The phrase 'opposite effect' indicates that the result was contrary to the intention, so paperwork has increased rather than decreased.

Question 36Listening Comprehension

A woman says: 'Had it not been for your help, I would never have finished the project on time.' What does she mean?

  1. She would have finished the project earlier with more help.
  2. She finished the project on time because of the listener's help. Correct answer.
  3. She did not finish the project on time despite help.
  4. She finished the project on time without any help.

Explanation

The third conditional 'Had it not been for...' means 'If there had not been...', so without the help she would not have finished on time; therefore, the help enabled her to finish.

Question 37Listening Comprehension

A man says: 'The instructions were clear enough; it's just that I didn't follow them properly.' What does he mean?

  1. He followed the instructions correctly.
  2. The instructions were too confusing to follow.
  3. He did not read the instructions at all.
  4. He made a mistake despite clear instructions. Correct answer.

Explanation

He acknowledges that the instructions were clear but admits that he did not follow them properly, so the error was his.

Question 38Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: 'The committee's decision was hardly surprising, given the strength of the opposition.' What does the speaker suggest?

  1. The committee's decision was postponed.
  2. The committee ignored the opposition entirely.
  3. The decision was expected because of strong opposition. Correct answer.
  4. The decision was surprising because opposition was weak.

Explanation

'Hardly surprising' means not surprising at all, and 'given the strength of the opposition' provides the reason: strong opposition made the decision predictable.

Question 39Listening Comprehension

A man says: 'I'm not convinced the proposal is as watertight as it appears.' What is he expressing?

  1. Doubt about the proposal's reliability. Correct answer.
  2. Confusion about the proposal's purpose.
  3. Confidence in the proposal's success.
  4. Enthusiasm for the proposal's details.

Explanation

'Watertight' means having no weaknesses or loopholes. Saying he is 'not convinced' it is watertight indicates he doubts its reliability.

Question 40Listening Comprehension

A woman says: 'The feedback was peppered with caveats, which made us wonder how committed they really were.' What does she imply?

  1. The feedback contained many qualifications, suggesting limited commitment. Correct answer.
  2. The feedback was too brief to be useful.
  3. The feedback was given in writing only.
  4. The feedback was entirely positive and supportive.

Explanation

'Peppered with caveats' means the feedback was full of conditions or qualifications. This made the team question the other party's commitment.

Question 41Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'Maya arrived at the station early, but the train was already gone.' What happened first?

  1. Maya arrived.
  2. Maya bought a ticket.
  3. The train left. Correct answer.
  4. The station closed.

Explanation

The word 'already' signals that the train's departure happened before Maya's arrival, so it is the earlier event. The passage gives no information about tickets or the station closing.

Question 42Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'The library was silent except for the soft turning of pages.' What does this sentence mainly describe?

  1. A noisy argument
  2. The quiet atmosphere Correct answer.
  3. A closed building
  4. A busy street

Explanation

The phrase 'silent except for' shows that the only sound is a small one, which creates a quiet setting. The details point to calm and stillness, not conflict or activity.

Question 43Reading Comprehension

Which sentence states a fact rather than an opinion?

  1. The museum is the most beautiful in the country.
  2. Visiting museums is better than watching films.
  3. Everyone should visit the museum this year.
  4. The museum opens at nine every morning. Correct answer.

Explanation

A fact can be checked and proven true or false, and an opening time is verifiable. The other sentences contain value judgements or recommendations that people could reasonably disagree with.

Question 44Reading Comprehension

Read: 'Tomas packed a raincoat, boots, and an umbrella before leaving.' What does this suggest about the weather?

  1. It was very hot.
  2. It was snowing heavily.
  3. It was windy and dry.
  4. It was likely to rain. Correct answer.

Explanation

Raincoats, boots, and umbrellas are items used for wet conditions, so the reader can infer that rain was expected. The other options describe weather that would not require these items.

Question 45Reading Comprehension

Read: 'Please return all borrowed books to the front desk by Friday.' What is the reader being asked to do?

  1. Buy new books
  2. Read books at the desk
  3. Borrow more books
  4. Bring books back by Friday Correct answer.

Explanation

The instruction uses 'return' with a deadline of Friday, meaning the books must be brought back by then. No other action is requested in the sentence.

Question 46Reading Comprehension

Read: 'The old bridge was closed, so we took the longer route along the river.' Why did they take the longer route?

  1. They wanted to see the river.
  2. The river route was faster.
  3. The bridge was closed. Correct answer.
  4. They were lost.

Explanation

The word 'so' introduces a result caused by the first clause: the bridge closure forced them to choose another route. The river is simply part of the alternative path.

Question 47Reading Comprehension

Read: 'Unlike her brother, who chatted with everyone, Ana stayed near the door and said little.' How is Ana described?

  1. Reserved Correct answer.
  2. Talkative
  3. Cheerful
  4. Rude

Explanation

The contrast with her chatty brother and the detail that she 'said little' show Ana is quiet and reserved. The text describes her behaviour without judging it as rude or commenting on her mood.

Question 48Reading Comprehension

Read: 'The shop will be closed on Monday for repairs and will reopen on Tuesday at noon.' When does the shop reopen?

  1. Tuesday at noon Correct answer.
  2. Monday morning
  3. Tuesday morning
  4. Monday evening

Explanation

The passage gives a specific reopening time: Tuesday at noon. Monday is the day of closure for repairs.

Question 49Reading Comprehension

Read: 'Although the recipe looked simple, the dish required careful timing and constant attention.' What is the writer's point?

  1. The dish needs no attention.
  2. The dish is harder than it appears. Correct answer.
  3. The recipe was badly written.
  4. The dish is easy to prepare.

Explanation

'Although' sets up a contrast: the simple appearance is misleading because the cooking demands care. The main point is that the dish is more demanding than it looks.

Question 50Reading Comprehension

Read: 'The company reported a modest profit this year, a slight improvement over last year's figures.' What does 'modest' mean here?

  1. Imaginary
  2. Very large
  3. Unexpected
  4. Fairly small Correct answer.

Explanation

'Modest' in financial contexts means moderate or not large, and 'slight improvement' confirms the profit was small. The word describes size, not surprise or truth.