Shadowing Practice: IELTS Cambridge 9 test 4 section 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Section 2
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You will hear a man who owns a holiday home talking on the phone to a woman who is staying there.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 13.
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Now listen
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carefully and answer questions eleven to thirteen.
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Hello?
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Hi, it's Laura Carlton here.
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We've just arrived at the holiday flat, but I can't get the hot water and heating to work.
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Oh, right.
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That's easy.
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Don't worry.
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In the upstairs cupboard, you'll find the water heater.
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You'll see three main controls on the left at the bottom of the heater.
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The first one, the round one on the far left, is the most important one for the heating and hot water.
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It's the main control switch.
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Make sure it's in the on position.
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The switch itself doesn't light up, but the little square below will be black if the switch is off.
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That's probably what's happened.
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It's got switched off by mistake.
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The middle one of these three controls, you'll see it's slightly larger than the first controls controls the radiators.
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If you feel cold while you're there and need the radiators on, this needs to be turned to maximum.
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The last of the three controls, the one on the right, is usually on about a number four setting, which for the water in the taps is usually quite hot enough.
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Below the heating controls in the middle is a small round plastic button.
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If there isn't enough water in the pipes, sometimes the heater goes out.
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If this happens, you'll need to press this button to reset the heater.
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Hold it in for about five seconds and the heater should come on again.
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Then there's a little square indicator under the third knob that's a kind of alarm light.
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It'll flash if you need to reset the heater.
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It sounds complicated.
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I'm sure you won't have any problems with it.
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There should be some more instructions on the side of the heater.
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Call me back if you can't make it work.
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OK.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 14 to 20.
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Now listen and answer questions 14 to 20.
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While you're on the phone, we haven't managed to find a few things we need, like extra pillows for the beds and some washing powder.
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Is there any here?
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Pillows, yes.
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If you look in the cupboard, the large white one upstairs, to the left of the bathroom door, there should be four or five on the top shelf.
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And if you want to do some washing, there's some powder for that, um, probably by the back door.
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There's a kind of shelf there above the sink.
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In fact, I'm sure there's some there in a large blue box.
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You need about half a cupful for each wash.
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Oh, and that reminds me.
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The spare key to the back door is hanging on a hook on the wall by the sitting room window.
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Please make sure to put it back when you've used it.
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The previous guest lost it in the garden and I had to get another one made.
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And if you have any trouble with the lamps, you'll find some spare bulbs in a large cardboard box.
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It's on top of the washing machine with all kinds of useful things in it.
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Oh, and another thing I forgot to mention when we last spoke.
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Yes?
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I've left you a local map so you'll be able to find your way around easily.
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It shows the whole area.
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I put it in the top drawer of the chest under the TV in your bedroom.
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There's a whole file of local information in there too.
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Thanks.
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What about visiting the town?
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Can you give us any advice?
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Yes.
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You'll need to take the car.
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It's too far to walk from the flat, really.
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You have to pay to leave your car in all the car parks now, I'm afraid.
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I like the one that's by the station best, and you can walk to the town centre from there in five minutes.
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That's where all the best restaurants are.
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But if you want a takeaway, the Italian one does really good pasta and pizzas.
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Call 73 22 81 for that one, or 766 119 for the Chinese.
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They're both good, and they'll both deliver to the flat.
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As for places to visit, yes, do go and see the Railway Museum.
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The exhibition is small but really good.
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It gets very crowded on Sundays, so I suggest you visit it on a quieter day, later in the week, but not on Thursdays, which is market day.
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You won't find anywhere to park.
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And it's also the only day of the week when they're not open.
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Anything else?
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Not for the moment, thanks.
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That is the end of section two.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 3.

Real-Life IELTS Speaking Practice: A Holiday Home Dialogue

The video features a practical conversation between a holiday home owner and a guest troubleshooting issues like hot water, heating, and finding household items. This everyday scenario is perfect for IELTS speaking practice, as it mirrors the kind of natural communication you’ll need to master for the test. The dialogue is packed with useful phrases and step-by-step instructions, making it ideal for honing both listening and speaking skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Make sure it's in the on position" – A common way to give clear instructions, essential for explaining or following directions.
  • "Hold it in for about five seconds" – Useful for describing actions with time frames, great for IELTS speaking tasks involving processes.
  • "Is there any here?" – A natural way to ask for items, perfect for daily interactions and role-plays.
  • "Please make sure to put it back" – Polite yet firm, ideal for giving reminders or requests.
  • "You need about half a cupful for each wash" – Specific and practical, great for talking about quantities in real-life situations.

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video

Shadowing is a powerful technique to boost your speaking fluency, and this video is a fantastic resource. Here’s how to use it with a shadowing app or even just your phone:

  1. Listen first: Watch the video once to understand the context. Focus on the guest’s questions and the owner’s clear responses.
  2. Repeat immediately: Pause after each sentence and repeat it aloud, mimicking the tone and pace. For tricky phrases like "the little square below will be black," use shadow speak to break them down—say each word slowly, then speed up.
  3. Focus on intonation: Notice how the speaker emphasizes key words (e.g., "most important one"). Copying this will make your speech sound more natural, a key IELTS speaking skill.
  4. Practice with a partner: Role-play the dialogue, taking turns as the guest and owner. This simulates real conversation and helps you think on your feet.
  5. Review and refine: Record yourself shadowing and compare it to the video. Use a shadowing app to get feedback on your pace and pronunciation—small tweaks can make a big difference!

With consistent practice, you’ll not only master the phrases in this dialogue but also build the confidence to handle similar situations in the IELTS test. Start shadowing today and watch your speaking skills soar!

¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?

Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.

Técnica de shadowing: lee la guía completa paso a paso →