Credit where its due P ATPL what you've written there is constructive and useful.
The 'what level' ATC query is a classic sim check distraction tactic during the high workload environment of the departure.
You could have said - "Dave just ask him to standby a minute or two" (Daves your sim partner BTW) after thats done "Thanks, just concentrating on the departure and configuring"
In doing so, youve mentioned your pals name thus adding to the cohesion of the team (Dale Carnigy - How To Win Friends And Influence People) as well as verbalising your prioritisation of the tasks at hand.
Secondly - a bit cruel of them to give you such a bitch of a SID, which one was it?
Thirdly re the continuous descent approach vectors, you could have said...
"ATC sound pretty quiet, there's a chance of them cutting us in short - lets be proactive and let them know this is a training sector and that we want a 10 mile final and clearance to 3000 ft by early base leg" "The period of level flight will allow us keep our energy in-check and configure, ready in time for the slope"
This would do several things. One demonstrate you sharing your mental model, two demonstrate you're awareness of the CDA threat, three show you taking charge of the fluid situation (even if ATC said no, you've demonstrated you tried to). All of which BA would label as operating at the 'think ahead' level of the NUTA acronym - Notice, Understand, Think Ahead.
So that everyones aware of NUTA, its not just another BA sickly sweet tool its actually quite useful. A simple example using a 20 knot tailwind component on base...
Nigel Notices (N) - "That winds been chasing us the whole way down" - good that he noticed but so what?
Nigel Understands (U) - "If this keeps up our groundspeed gonna be slick during base leg" - getting better, but.....ideally....
Nigel Thinks Ahead (TA) - "Dave I know I said lets be flap 1 and 180 knots in the briefing but in light of the wind lets be flap 2 and 170 with the option of the gear if we need it" - by jove I think hes got it - hes spotting those threats, sharing them with his mate and coming up with a gameplan to mitigate!
Again, I reiterate your comments were useful and the above is just my ramblings.