Practising English
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 pronunciation practice, advice and help for passing B1 and B2 English examinations: Cambridge, IELTS and Trinity. Start practising and improving your British English listening, vocabulary and speaking levels today!
Practising English
271. Chance of a Lifetime (B2 Story)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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. You said you’d gone to Italy on business for a few days!’
Tom nodded his head. ‘I did go. That was part of the surprise. I was planning something for you.’
He handed her an envelope. Inside was a plane ticket to Italy and a letter inviting her to an international art exhibition — her paintings had been chosen to be displayed.
For a moment, Sophie couldn’t speak. She had always lived for her art, but never believed it would lead anywhere. ‘I can’t accept this,’ she whispered.
‘Just enjoy it,’ Tom replied gently. ‘Don’t worry about work. You can’t live on stress forever.’
That evening, Sophie realised this was the chance of a lifetime — and she wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. Last but not least, she now knew that Tom was a guy worth holding on to.
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