OET Listening Part A
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You hear a general practitioner talking to a patient called Elena Marsh. Complete the notes with a word or short phrase that you hear.
Dr Whitfield
Good morning – Elena, isn’t it? Take a seat.
Elena
Thank you, Doctor.
Dr Whitfield
Now then – what can I do for you?
Elena
Well, it’s my right shoulder. It’s been sore for about four months now, and it’s slowly getting worse.
Dr Whitfield
I see.
Elena
I think I know how it started. We decorated the spare room in spring, and I spent a whole weekend painting the ceiling above my head. I didn’t feel anything at the time, but within a week my shoulder started playing up, and it hasn’t got better since. Most of the time it’s a dull ache that never really goes away, all the way from my shoulder down to my elbow.
Dr Whitfield
OK. And is it worse with certain movements?
Elena
Yes, it is. If I reach behind – doing up a zip, tucking my blouse in – I get these twinges out of nowhere, sharp enough to make me cry out. They only last a moment, but they’re really painful, and I never know when they’re coming. And the only thing that helps a little – but it doesn’t last long – is a hot shower. While I’m under it the whole arm loosens up nicely, but as soon as I’m out, the pain comes straight back. Ordinary painkillers don’t really help at all, so I don’t bother with those anymore. Oh, and now it isn’t only my shoulder. At first I thought I was imagining it, but this last month my neck has started to hurt as well. My arm has got so stiff that I think I must be standing awkwardly to protect it. And nights are difficult. If I roll onto that side, I’m wide awake, and most nights my sleep is broken.
Dr Whitfield
That sounds exhausting. And outside the house – hobbies and so on?
Elena
Well, I’ve had to stop the badminton – I played every Tuesday evening for fifteen years, and I really miss it. Work is difficult, too. I’m on reception at a dental practice, and I can’t reach the high shelves anymore, so one of my younger colleagues gets those files down for me. I feel like such a nuisance. I’ve tried a few things myself, though. I rub in ibuprofen gel morning and night – I can’t honestly say it does much, but it feels like I’m doing something.
Dr Whitfield
What about vitamins, supplements, other therapies – anything like that?
Elena
Well, I’ve tried a couple of things. My sister kept telling me to try fish oil – she takes it herself and swears by it – so I took the capsules every day for six weeks. They made no difference at all, though I did finish the whole tub. And I paid to see an osteopath a couple of times as well. He was very nice, but at forty-five pounds a visit it was more than I could afford, so I didn’t go back.
Dr Whitfield
I see. Now, your health in general – any other conditions, any surgery in the past?
Elena
Well, I’ve got high blood pressure – I’ve had that for several years now. I take water tablets every morning and it stays at a safe level. The nurse checks it regularly, and it’s always fine – to be honest, I hardly think about it. Apart from that I’ve been very lucky. The only time I’ve ever been in hospital was when I had my knee done, back in 2019, and it healed well – it hasn’t given me any trouble since.
Dr Whitfield
OK, let me examine you. Arm out to the side as far as it goes… now above your head… and behind your back… and now keep your elbow tucked in at your side and rotate the arm outwards for me… yes, that’s very restricted.
Elena
That last one hurt, I’m afraid. What’s wrong with it, Doctor – and will it get better?
Dr Whitfield
Well, what you’ve got is a frozen shoulder. The lining around the joint has become inflamed and tight, which is why every movement is limited. It will get better, though not quickly – but you’re at an early stage, which helps. OK, so first I’ll send you for an X-ray, just to be sure nothing else is going on inside the joint.
Elena
Whatever you think is best, Doctor. And is there anything we can do about the pain in the meantime?
Dr Whitfield
Well, one option is a steroid injection, which can ease the pain a great deal while the shoulder recovers – have a think, and we’ll decide together at your review.
Elena
OK, I will. And should I just rest it apart from that?
Dr Whitfield
Quite the opposite. I’m referring you to the physiotherapy team, who’ll start you on a program of gentle movements. They’ll show you a few simple stretches to do at home as well, and they’ll build things up gradually as the shoulder eases. Depending on progress, they may also offer you hydrotherapy. And do try not to be disheartened – I know it’s been a miserable few months, but the worst of the pain usually settles well before the stiffness does, so you should be sleeping properly again before too long. Now, before you go, let me print off a leaflet…
You hear a surgeon talking to a patient called Raymond Kerr. Complete the notes with a word or short phrase that you hear.
Dr Lindqvist
Come in, Mr Kerr, come in – have a seat.
Raymond
Thank you, Doctor.
Dr Lindqvist
Now, I’ve had the letter from your GP, and I’ve looked at your scan – but I’d like to hear about these attacks in your own words.
Raymond
Well, they’re getting worse, if anything, Doctor. I had another attack on Friday night. They follow a pattern now: the pain sits just under my ribs, on the right side, and it comes on fast – soon I can hardly speak. And it’s a gripping kind of pain – that’s the best word for it. It doesn’t come and go in waves. It stays at full strength from the first minute to the last.
Dr Lindqvist
And is it over quickly, or does it go on?
Raymond
It goes on, Doctor. The worst ones go on for as long as three hours before the pain finally stops – and all that time I’m walking around the house, because I can’t sit still and I can’t lie down. My wife has learned just to leave me alone. I sweat right through my shirt, and every attack ends the same way – vomiting, I’m afraid.
Dr Lindqvist
And how long have you been having them?
Raymond
A couple of years now, Doctor – though it took the two of us a while to take them seriously. The first one we assumed was just trapped wind: it passed by the morning, and we forgot all about it – at the time that seemed reasonable. But they’ve been coming closer together ever since – first they were months apart, then only weeks. These days there’s just a fortnight between them, at most. As for what starts them off – I’ve thought about it a lot. My wife and I even kept a food diary for a few weeks, writing down every meal. And the only thing I’m really sure about is cheese. I’ve stopped eating it completely. That’s helped a little, but the attacks still come.
Dr Lindqvist
And what about everyday life, between the attacks – what has it changed?
Raymond
Quite a lot, if I’m honest. On Sunday mornings my grandson and I always went swimming together – I’ve had to stop that, because I can’t risk an attack while I’m looking after him. And we’ve cancelled the holiday we’d booked abroad for the spring. My wife says it would be no fun being far from home if I’m ill, and I can’t really argue with that. As for medicine when an attack comes – nothing seems to work. My son got me some peppermint capsules from the chemist a while ago. I took them for a whole month, and they did nothing at all. Apart from that, I just wait for it to pass.
Dr Lindqvist
Right – everything you’ve described fits with what your GP found on the scan: a number of stones in the gallbladder – gallstones – and they’re what’s been causing these attacks. Your GP also arranged some blood tests, and those didn’t show up any problems, which tells us the stones aren’t causing any trouble beyond the attacks themselves.
Raymond
Yes, that’s what he told me. It was a relief to have a name for it, to be honest. So, what do we do about the stones?
Dr Lindqvist
Well, your GP asked for my opinion on whether an operation is the right way forward – and I think it is. When the attacks come as often as yours, the usual answer is to remove the gallbladder. I’ll add you to my list here at City Hospital. A letter will come in the post with the date of your operation.
Raymond
OK. And will the operation happen soon?
Dr Lindqvist
Quite soon – but before anything goes ahead, the anaesthetist will see you to go over your general health.
Raymond
Fair enough. And while I’m waiting – is there anything I should do, or not do?
Dr Lindqvist
Yes – keep your meals light and simple, and stay away from fatty foods for the time being.
Raymond
I will – my wife will make sure of that. She’s already been reading all about it, and planning my meals for me. Now, Doctor, how long will it be before I’m properly back on my feet? It’s my daughter’s wedding at the end of September, you see, and I really want to be well again by then.
Dr Lindqvist
I’d be very surprised if you weren’t. Most people are back to their usual routine well within a month. As for the operation itself, let me explain what I’ll actually be doing. The gallbladder lies just beneath the liver…
You hear a general practitioner talking to a patient called Pauline Webber. Complete the notes with a word or short phrase that you hear.
Dr Mackay
Come in, Mrs Webber – it’s Pauline, isn’t it? Have a seat.
Pauline
Thank you, Doctor.
Dr Mackay
So, tell me what’s been happening.
Pauline
Well, I’ve been having these dizzy spells. They started about six weeks ago, and I’ve had dozens of them now. The first time, I’d just woken up, and I turned over to look at the clock, and the whole room went round. I honestly thought I was having a stroke – I lay there too scared to move, until it passed. Since then it’s happened most days, sometimes twice, and I never know when the next one is coming – that’s the worst part. My husband says I’ve gone very quiet, and he’s right.
Dr Mackay
And how long does each one go on?
Pauline
Not long, really – it’s all over inside thirty seconds, though it feels much longer while it’s happening. I’ve learned to keep absolutely still and shut my eyes, and just wait for it to stop – there’s nothing else you can do. Once the room settles, though, I’m left wobbly, and that goes on for a good hour – I have to hold on to the furniture to get across the kitchen. It’s the same every time – turning over in bed brings it on, and so does looking up, or bending down – I even get it loading the dishwasher. With the bad ones I get horrible nausea as well, which takes a while to pass – I just sit quietly until it does. Ordinary walking about is fine, though.
Dr Mackay
I see. And your hearing – any change, any ringing in the ears?
Pauline
No, nothing like that. My hearing’s as good as it’s ever been, and I’ve never had any ringing.
Dr Mackay
And what about everyday life – has it changed things?
Pauline
Um, well, it’s changed a great deal. I’m a hairdresser – I’ve got a little place on the high street – and I’ve had to hand part of the job over to my apprentice, because leaning forward starts me off straight away. I’ve stopped driving, too, because I can’t turn my head to look behind, and I didn’t feel safe – not with the kids in the back. And I won’t go on escalators at all now – the moving steps make me feel very strange – so I take the stairs, however long it takes. I feel foolish, but I’d rather that than fall.
Dr Mackay
Have you tried anything for it – anything at all?
Pauline
Yes, a couple of things. My mother sent off for some wristbands for me – she’d read about them somewhere – and I wore them for two whole weeks, but I can’t say they made any difference. The one thing that does seem to help is sleeping propped up on an extra pillow – I’ve done that for a month now, and the night-time ones aren’t nearly so bad as they were. That’s about it, really – I felt a bit silly asking at the chemist.
Dr Mackay
Now, your health in general – ear infections, any knock on the head, anything you take regularly?
Pauline
No ear trouble, never, and I’ve never hit my head – I’ve been lucky that way. The only thing is an underactive thyroid – I take a tablet for that every morning, and it’s never been any bother. Apart from that, I’m very well – I hardly ever come to the surgery.
Dr Mackay
I’d like to try something – it may start one of your spells, but only briefly. Sit on the couch, turn to look over your right shoulder… and I’ll lie you back quickly, with your head just over the end. Eyes open, look at my nose… there – your eyes are flicking from side to side.
Pauline
Oh – that’s done it, Doctor. That’s exactly what happens at home – the room’s going round now.
Dr Mackay
I’m sorry – but it’s told me what I need to know, and it means I won’t need to send you for a scan at this stage. What you’ve got is called BPPV – tiny crystals inside the inner ear have come loose, so whenever you move, they send your brain the wrong message.
Pauline
Well, that’s a relief – I was imagining all sorts of terrible things. So, what happens now?
Dr Mackay
It’s very common, and it can usually be put right – in fact, I can do something straight away. It’s called the Epley manoeuvre – a set of movements that roll the crystals back where they belong – and the whole thing is over in about five minutes, here and now. You may feel dizzy while we go through it, but that’s expected.
Pauline
All right, if you think it will help. And if it comes back later on?
Dr Mackay
Then we do it again. And if it still hasn’t settled in a month or so, I’ll ask the balance clinic to see you. Meanwhile, stay sitting upright for the rest of today, and for a couple of weeks avoid anything where a sudden spell could be dangerous – up a ladder, that sort of thing. Now – if you sit on the edge of the couch, I’ll talk you through each step as we…
You hear a sleep specialist talking to a patient called Dennis Holloway. Complete the notes with a word or short phrase that you hear.
Dr Farah
Mr Holloway? Come through, have a seat. I’m Dr Farah. Your GP’s letter says your wife is worried about your breathing at night. Is that right?
Dennis
Thank you. I’ll be honest, Doctor – I’d never have made this appointment without my wife pushing me.
Dr Farah
Well, snoring is exactly what we look at here. Tell me what your wife’s noticed.
Dennis
She says I’ve snored for years – five, at least – and it’s got louder. But what worries her is that I stop. She’s timed it, and it can be twenty seconds before I breathe again. She lies there listening to it, apparently, and that’s the part she can’t get used to – she nudges me, and sometimes she actually shakes me, just to check.
Dr Farah
I see. Actually, it’s the pauses, rather than the noise, that interest me most. Go on.
Dennis
And when I do start again, it’s with this great snort – that’s her word for it, not mine – and then it’s quiet for a bit, and the whole thing starts over. She says it goes on like that all night. She’s started wearing earplugs.
Dr Farah
And do you wake up at all yourself – do you notice any of this happening?
Dennis
I don’t wake up from the snoring – but I’m up and down to the bathroom, two or three times most nights, and I don’t remember that ever happening before. And I wake up with a really dry mouth, day after day. I could sleep for nine hours and still feel as though I’d had none.
Dr Farah
That’s a familiar story. And how are you during the day?
Dennis
That’s the bit I don’t like admitting. I’ve actually nodded off in meetings – twice now – and my boss noticed. I’m a supervisor at the depot, so I’m supposed to be the one keeping everyone else going. And last month I started drifting off at the lights – it took a honk from the car behind to get me moving. And my wife says I’ve been snappy lately, and she’s right, though I hate to admit it. The kids have noticed it too.
Dr Farah
OK. And what about the two of you – has all this changed things between you?
Dennis
Well, yes. I’m in the spare room now – have been since Christmas. She said she couldn’t take another night of it, and I can’t blame her. It’s not much fun, eating breakfast with someone who’s been awake half the night because of you. And I’ve had to give up gardening – I just haven’t got the energy for it anymore. I was out there every Sunday for years, and now the whole place is a mess, which my wife points out most weekends.
Dr Farah
And have you tried anything for the snoring – things you’ve picked up yourself, that sort of thing?
Dennis
Oh, all sorts. I got a chin strap from the drugstore. I wore it every night for a month, without fail, and it made no difference at all – except that I looked ridiculous, which my wife found very funny.
Dr Farah
Anything else?
Dennis
Then the dentist fitted me with a splint, which wasn’t cheap, but it just wasn’t for me – it made my jaw ache – so it sits in a drawer. I’ve tried sleeping on my side, too, with a tennis ball sewn into the back of my pyjamas – that was my wife’s idea. And I’ve stopped having a beer after work, apart from Fridays, and that hasn’t helped either. I’ve spent a fair bit on all this, one way or another, and none of it has done a thing.
Dr Farah
OK. And what about your health generally – any other problems, past or present, and is there anything you take regularly at the moment?
Dennis
Not much, really. I had asthma as a kid, but I grew out of it years ago and never think about it now. Ah, what else. I gave up smoking ten years back – best thing I ever did – though I’ve put on a fair bit of weight since, probably 30 pounds or so. Oh, and in the summer I use a nasal spray for my allergies, but that’s all.
Dr Farah
Right – that’s all very helpful, and it fits together more than you might think. What I’d like to do now is have a look at you – I’ll measure round your neck, then look at the back of your…