CLA / Politecnico di Torino

Listening Tutorial
Lesson 2

1
Today’s Lesson
Preparing for the listening section
- Understanding distractors
- Finding synonyms for key words in the questions
- Focus on Question type: Select from a list
- Useful Language: describing location/ following
directions

Practice Test
- Sections 1, 2 & 4
- feedback

- Suggestions for self-study

2
Identifying distractors

3
Identifying distractors – do 1,2 and 3

UNIT 3
Page 22
Exercise 1.1

Put on headphones and

click to listen 4
4
 Ex. 1.1 Answers (distractors in brackets)

1. What date will they leave? 18th July

(When’s the wedding? It’s on the 21st July.»)

2. What day will the tour visit a farm? Wednesday

(We’re going to a wonderful market on Tuesday morning, with all
the local farm produce...»)

3. The students decide to do a project about …

Recycling
(I was going to suggest we do one on the environment.”

“But...»)
5
STRATEGIES for Distractors

1. What date will they

date will they leave?
leave?

Underline the key words in the question.

Your answer should correspond to / confirm

these words.

18th July («It will have to be the 18th»)

6
STRATEGIES for Distractors

The correct answer is not always the first word

you hear connected to the question.

Write any possible answers as you listen,

then highlight the correct answer.

e.g. July 21 – 19 – 20 - 18

7
Identifying distractors

In the Listening paper, you will hear two or more

potential answers to each question, but only one is
correct.
Don’t get distracted!
Keep the question in mind.

8
Synonyms and paraphrase

Synonyms are often used in

the listening.
For example location/place

9
Exercise:
Match words/phrases 1-8 with their synonyms a-h.

1 a price a money
2 a location b to carry
3 funding c a drawback
4 dangerous d a fee
5 a solution e a place
6 to transport f risky
7 disadvantage g an impact
8 an effect h an answer

You will need these words in the next Exercise.

10
 Ex. 2.1. Answers:
these words have simiar meanings

1 a price d a fee
2 a location e a place
3 funding a money
4 dangerous f risky
5 a solution h an answer
6 to transport b to carry
7 disadvantage c a drawback
8 an effect g an impact

11
Synonyms and paraphrase

In the IELTS listening exam,

1. read and underline key words in

the questions.
2. listen carefully for synonyms of
these key words.

The next three slides will show you examples of

words you read and words you hear 12
Synonyms: What you read and what you hear

You read:
1
What do they decide to
organize first? You hear:

A a place to stay
«hotels…
B their airfares
Let’s sort that out
C car hire straight away.»

So your answer is: A a place to stay

13
Synonyms:
Ex. 2.2. Answers
What you read and what you hear

2
What change will they You hear:
make in the garden?

A improve the shade «going to plant

B remove plants trees…»
C add a water feature

14
Synonyms:
Ex. 2.2. Answers
What you read and what you hear

3
What do the students agree
they need to do with their
project? You hear:
A do more research
«We could try to
B make some cuts …include
graphics. OK…»
C add some visual effects

15
Synonyms & Paraphrase

Often the words in the questions are synonyms or

paraphrase (say differently) what you hear in the
text.
Be prepared to listen for alternative
expressions but keep the question in mind.

16
Question type: Selecting from a list
Ex. 3.1

17
Ex. 3.1 Answers

18
Selecting from a list

Listen to the recording and identify which two

disadvantages are mentioned

Put on headphones and

click to listen 19
19
Ex. 3.3 Answers
What you read What you hear…

A It isn’t very user-friendly …easy to use….

B It is very expensive √ … over priced …

C It can’t take photos … can take very

good photos..
D It has a short battery life … didn’t run for
√ very long before
needing to be
recharged …
E It is quite big …fits in your
pocket ..

Answers: B and D
20
STRATEGY : “selecting from a list” questions

o choose two answers

o notice the negative words in the options
o expect the options to be in a different order
to the information in the listening text
o mark all the options as you listen

as wrong, possible or correct

21
Describing location
What can you see in each image?

22
Describing location
Look at the diagrams.

There are words

(toilets, lifts…) and
images (tree, compass…)

Think how to describe

the location of A, B and C,
using expressions like
next to, between, in front of
etc

23
Describing location
Now listen and choose
the correct option

A, B or C

Put on headphones and

click to listen 24
24
Answers …opposite the
toilet…
1.A
2.B
3.C …behind the
tree…

… the eastern
surrounded end…
by bushes…

25
 STRATEGY:
understanding descriptions of locations

 notice the labels in each picture

 think how to describe where options A, B & C
are in relation to the labels in the picture
e.g. A is next to the lifts…
The toilets are in front of A…

26
Following directions

Look at the diagrams

and think of the
language of
directions with
expressions like turn
left, go straight on
etc.

27
Following directions: listening exercise

Listen and decide

which diagram (A, B
or C) shows the
directions described
by the speaker

Put on headphones and

click to listen
28
28
Answer: B

…go up Bridge St
as far as traffic
lights …turn right
…walk along to
next set of traffic
lights… turn
left… second
shop on left

p.27

29
How to follow directions
You need to know…

Prepositions of location:
between, behind, under, on the side of, at the end of

Directions:
Turn right, Walk up/down, until/as far as/to the next

Shapes: circular, square, round…

Points of the compass:

South - southern, North – northern…

30
TEST PRACTICE

The test takes about 30

minutes.
TEST 4
Get ready to write 40
answers.
Remember sections 1,2 and
3 have two separate
listenings; Section 4 has one
longer listening

31
Put on headphones and
click to listen
32
32

32
TEST PRACTICE Answers
Listening Section 1

1. 7.30
2. pencils
3. top
4. August
5. instructions
6. 55/fifty-five
7. beginners
8. Kahui 9. battery 10. show

33
Put on headphones and
click to listen

34
TEST PRACTICE Answers
Listening Section 2

11. B or E 18. E
12. E or B 19. C
13. B or C 20. A
14. C or B
15. G
16. I
17. B

35
Put on headphones and
click to listen
36
36
37
TEST PRACTICE Answers
Listening Section 3

21. C 28. D
22. A 29. C
23. B 30. E
24. C
25. A
26. G
27. A

38
Put on headphones and
click to listen
39
39

39
TEST PRACTICE Answers
Listening Section 4

31. food 39. meeting

32. hero 40. escape
33. feathers
34. shells
35. diamond
36. shark
37. teeth
38. messages

40
Any problems?
A score of 16 /40 is ok!

SCORE BAND
___/40
1 1
2–3 2
4–9 3
10 – 16 4 Sections 1 & 2 should
16 – 24 5 be easier, so try to
25 – 32 6 get as many points as
33 – 37 7
possible here!
38 – 39 8
40 9 41
 Suggestions for self-study

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/2015/06/09/ielts-listening-
labeling-map-plan/

http://ieltsliz.com/ielts-map-listening-practice/

http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-map-labelling.html

http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-listening/directions-maps-and-
plans/

42