B1 Preliminary (PET) Practice Paper 39

alice: I heard you started volunteering as a tour guide. How did you get involved? george: I saw an advertisement asking for volunteers and thought it might help with my fear of public speaking. alice: That's brave! How did your first tour go? george: Honestly, it was quite difficult. My voice was shaking and I forgot some details I had memorised. alice: Did you consider giving up after that? george: I thought about it, but I decided to keep going and see if it improved with practice. alice: What changed things for you? george: A more experienced guide suggested understanding the topic deeply instead of memorising a script exactly. alice: That sounds like useful advice. Has it helped in other areas of your life too? george: Definitely, I feel much more confident speaking up in meetings at work now as well. alice: That's a wonderful result from something that started so difficult.

After struggling for years with a fear of public speaking that had limited her career advancement, Yuki made the deliberate decision to volunteer as a tour guide at a local history museum, reasoning that regular, low-stakes practice speaking to visitors might gradually reduce her anxiety more effectively than avoiding the situation entirely. Her first few tours were, by her own admission, genuinely difficult experiences, with her voice noticeably shaking and her mind occasionally going blank regarding details she had memorised thoroughly beforehand. Rather than giving up after these uncomfortable early experiences, Yuki committed to leading at least two tours weekly, reasoning that consistency mattered more than immediate comfort or perceived success. An experienced fellow volunteer offered Yuki a particularly useful piece of advice: rather than attempting to memorise a rigid script exactly, she should focus on genuinely understanding the historical content deeply enough that she could discuss it naturally, adjusting her exact wording each time based on visitor questions and reactions. This shift from rigid memorisation towards genuine understanding significantly reduced Yuki's anxiety, since occasional imperfect phrasing felt considerably less catastrophic than forgetting a memorised script entirely. After six months of regular practice, Yuki reports genuine transformation, not only in her museum tours but in professional meetings at work, where she now contributes ideas confidently rather than remaining silent out of fear as she previously did. She emphasises that overcoming her fear required consistent practice specifically in low-stakes situations, rather than attempting to immediately tackle her most anxiety-inducing professional presentations directly.

Overcoming a fear of public speaking ___1___ one of the most commonly cited personal development goals among working professionals. When my colleague, Marco, ___2___ to volunteer at a local charity event requiring him to speak briefly to small groups, he hoped it might help with his own long-standing anxiety. His first attempts ___3___ noticeably nervous, with his hands shaking slightly as he spoke. Rather than avoiding similar situations afterwards, Marco ___4___ to accept every opportunity to practise speaking to small groups over the following months. A mentor eventually ___5___ him that focusing on the audience's needs, rather than his own nervousness, could shift his attention productively. Marco ___6___ this advice gradually, noticing that his anxiety decreased slightly with each subsequent attempt. After a year of consistent practice, Marco ___7___ confidently at his own team meetings, something that would have seemed impossible previously. He now ___8___ that gradual, repeated exposure works far better than avoiding uncomfortable situations entirely.