50-minute English Lesson
This active listening skills lesson has a quiz about numbers. Test yourself!

Read the questions
Numbers
Here is a general knowledge test about numbers. There are 12 questions divided into 3 groups. The answers are in the file at the bottom of this lesson page.
Group 1
1. How many months are in a year?
2. A busy farmer needs to divide 30 potatoes into 6 equal groups. How many potatoes will be in each group?
3. My younger cousin signed up for a weekly science magazine. How many times per year will he receive the journal?
4. Two math teachers purchased 12 packs of computer paper. Each pack has 50 sheets. How many pages do they have in total?
Group 2
1. What is 50% of 200?
2. My aunt had half a dozen red pens in a plastic package. She gave 4 to a close friend. How many pens does she have left?
3. My friend’s mom goes to the fruit and vegetable market to buy oranges. One box has 7 sweet oranges and costs 8 dollars. If she buys 63 oranges, how much will she spend?
4. Before going on a long walk, I buy some water. My bag is full of gear and weighs 6 kilograms. I go inside the store and pay for a 2-litre bottle. If I place that inside my bag, how much will it weigh?
Group 3
1. How long does it take light to travel from the sun to Earth: a. 8 seconds, b. 8 minutes or c. 8 days?
2. How many hours per week does the average American watch television: a. 14, b. 28 or c. 35?
3. My brother has a beautiful wooden desk with a chessboard on top. How many black squares are on the chessboard?
4. Where was the number 0 invented: a. India, b. Greece or c. China?
Listen without reading
Active Listening Skills
Audio
Here is the listening file for this lesson.
Audio file: 2:28 min
Story length: 298 words

English listening lesson: Gap Fill
LISTEN TO THE STORY AGAIN AND FILL IN THE BLANKS.
Group 1
1. How many __________ are in a year?
2. A busy farmer needs ______ __________ 30 potatoes into 6 __________ groups. How many potatoes will be in each group?
3. My younger cousin signed up for a __________ science magazine. How many __________ __________ __________ will he receive the journal?
4. Two math teachers purchased ________ __________ of computer paper. Each pack has ______ __________ . How many pages do they have in total?
Group 2
1. What is ________ __________ of 200?
2. My aunt had ________ _______ __________ red pens in a plastic package. She gave 4 to a close friend. How many pens does she have __________ ?
3. My friend’s mom goes to the fruit and vegetable market to buy oranges. One box has __________ __________ oranges and costs 8 dollars. If she buys __________ oranges, how much will she __________ ?
4. Before going on a long walk, I buy some water. My bag is full of gear and __________ ________ kilograms. I go inside the store and pay for a 2-litre bottle. If I place that __________ my bag, how much will it __________ ?
Group 3
1. How long does it take __________ ______ __________ from the sun to Earth: a. 8 seconds, b. 8 minutes or c. 8 days?
2. How many hours per week does the average American watch television: a. __________ , b. __________ or c. __________ ?
3. My brother has a beautiful __________ desk with a chessboard on top. How many __________ __________ are on the chessboard?
4. Where was the number 0 __________ : a. India, b. Greece or c. China?
ESL discussion questions
TALK ABOUT THE Active Listening Skills story.
- Do you have a lucky number?
- Are some numbers like 13 and 4 really unlucky?
- What’s the difference between an even and odd number?
- Are you good at math?
- Base on a question in the listening story, can you guess how many pieces a chess player has when they start a new game?
Synonym match
MATCH THE WORD OR PHRASE ON THE LEFT WITH THE CORRECT SYNONYM.
1. divide 2. journal 3. equal 4. purchase 5. total | a. publication b. separate c. acquire d. sum e. uniform |
English listening lesson anagrams
MOVE THE LETTERS. MAKE A WORD FROM THE ENGLISH LISTENING lesson.
- NOZED
- RNUOLAJ
- IADNI
- RLOGKAMIS
- CEIVERE
- EICESCN
Writing practice
WRITE THE FIVE SENTENCES. PUT THE WORDS IN THE CORRECT ORDER.
- a / desk / brother / chessboard / My / beautiful / a / with / top / on / has / wooden
- months / are / year / many / a / in / How
- How / year / journal / per / the / many / he / receive / will / times
- purchased / of / packs / computer / teachers / Two / paper / 12 / math /
- If / spend / how / will / buys / much / she / oranges / she / 63
Another ESL listening story
Another free actively listening skills lesson? Try this free English listening comprehension lesson about gunpowder.
Watch a short video and take notes
Did you like this active listening skills lesson based on numbers? Click here to watch a YouTube video and try to solve the math question.
- Watch the video.
- Take notes.
- Make a list with at least eight facts.
Get the worksheet
Want to print out these ESL listening activities? Click to download the PDF worksheet.
Click to see the answers.
Copyright Notice
This text and audio file are copyrighted. They may be used for non-commercial educational purposes. They may not be used or adapted for any commercial purpose.