Pratica di Shadowing: Transport Form Highgate Village Listening Test - Impara a parlare inglese con i video

Now turn to section 1.

Section 1.

You will hear a conversation between a clerk at the help desk of a transport

and travel agency and a woman who is asking for travel information.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.

On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.

Good morning.

Good morning, madam.

How can I help you?

Well, I'd like to get Camden Town from Highgate Village tomorrow before 10am.

Did you say Highgate Park or Highgate Village?

I said Highgate Village from Camden Town.

You sure?

Yes, I should know where I'm going.

Right, so Highgate Village from Camden Town.

No, no, sorry, I should have said Camden Town from Highgate Village.

That's what I thought you said.

And how are you planning to get there, by bus or train?

The woman wants to go to Camden Town.

So, Camden Town has been written in the space.

Now we shall begin.

You should answer the questions as you listen,

because you will not hear the recording a second time.

Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

Good morning.

Good morning, madam.

How can I help you? you?

Well, I'd like to get to Camden Town from Highgate Village tomorrow, before 10am.

Did you say Highgate Park or Highgate Village?

I said Highgate Village from Camden Town.

You sure?

Yes, I should know where I'm going.

Right, so Highgate Village from Camden Town.

No, sorry, I should have said Camden Town from Highgate Village.

That's what I thought you said.

And how are you planning to get there, by bus or train?

Oh, it doesn't bother me which way I travel as long as I get there sooner rather than later.

Well, if you take a fast train,

you'll get there in under an hour.

Now, there's a King's Cross Express train leaving the station at 8.30 from Platform 9.

How does that sound?

Great.

Which station does that leave from?

King's Cross.

It's the railway station nearest to you.

Did you say King's Crossed?

No, King's Cross.

That's C-R-O-S-S.

Are you not from round here?

No, it's my first time in England, I'm afraid.

So, could you point out the best way to get to King's Cross Station?

Yes, of course I could.

Just give me a second to look it up.

Right, well, it looks like you have two options.

You could take the 999 bus from the Highgate Village Central Square to Gower Street Underground Station.

At Gower Street, take a train to King's Cross.

Alternatively, you could walk to Gower Street and get straight on the train going to King's Cross.

Go to Platform 6 on the Northern Line.

How long would the walk take?

About half an hour or so.

Oh no, that's too long.

I don't want to be walking around streets I don't know for half an hour.

Actually, the walk there is not complicated.

Just go down Holloway Road until you come across Gower Street.

The road, not the station.

On your right.

The station is about five minutes walk up the road on your left.

That does sound easy.

It'll be better for me to get some exercise as well.

What time do I catch the tube?

There are trains every five minutes,

so it doesn't really matter what time you get there from that point of view.

However, it might be very busy at that time in the morning,

so you may want to get there early just in case.

Sometimes the trains are too full to take everyone waiting on the platform.

If I were you, I'd get there for seven o'clock.

Seven o'clock.

OK.

Well, thank you very much.

You've been most helpful.

Before listening to the rest of the conversation,

you have some time to look at

questions 6 to 10.

You're welcome.

Is there anything else I can do for you?

Actually, yes.

How much will it cost me?

Well, you can get a ticket on the bus for £2 and you'll need £11 each way for the train.

Unless, that is, you have an international student travel card.

No, I haven't, but I can probably get one before tomorrow.

Well, that's good, because that will cut the cost of travelling right down.

The bus will cost £1.40 each way,

and the train to Camden Town...

Actually, I'm sorry, I was mistaken.

There's no discount offered when travelling during morning peak time,

so I'm afraid it will still cost you £11.

But you'll probably want to return after peak hours, won't you?

So your return train ticket might cost you considerably less.

100

What are off-peak hours, then?

101

Either before 5 o'clock in the afternoon or after 8 o'clock in the evening.

102

Oh good.

103

I've no intention of coming back until long after 9,

104

so that'll work out nicely.

105

So, what discount will I get?

106

Your return train journey will only cost you £6.05 with your card.

107

But do make sure you don't forget to buy an international student travel card before 7am tomorrow.

108

Oh, I won't forget.

109

In fact, I'll get one today as soon as possible.

110

Well, good for you.

111

Is there anything else I can help you with?

112

Actually there is.

113

Do you know if I can use my International Student Card on boats?

114

Well, if you're thinking of the regular Thames boats that go back and forth between the East and West Bank,

115

then the answer is yes.

116

But you can't use it on the tourist ferries linking the North and South Banks, I'm afraid.

117

A one-way trip east or west of the Thames costs £6,

118

but with your card you'd make a 20% saving and pay only £4.80.

119

So, £4.80 for the regular ferry.

120

Do the ferries linking the North and South Banks offer sightseeing tours?

121

Yes, but like I said,

122

there's no discount offered on those.

123

And you can only book using cash or credit card.

124

But I can't book them for you.

125

We don't work with them.

126

Oh, I see.

127

You wouldn't happen to know the cost of a tour by any chance, would you?

128

In actual fact, I do,

129

because I took my girlfriend on the trip three weeks ago.

130

We bought the half day tour and that was £45 each.

131

But I'm told that you can do the whole day for £75.

132

Well, thank you again.

133

You really have been most helpful.

134

Don't mention it.

135

Have a nice day now.

136

That's the end of section 1.

137

You have half a minute to check your answers.

138

Now turn to section 2.

139

Section 2.

140

You will hear a university counsellor talking to a group of students.

141

First, you will have some time to look at questions 11 to 16.

142

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16.

143

Hello everyone, I'm the Counselling Administrator here at King's College

144

and I've been asked to come and talk to you about our counselling team and the services that we offer.

145

The University Counselling Service is available to all our students and it is free of charge.

146

It is our belief that if you can function well psychologically

147

then you will find it easier to fulfil your potential both personally and academically.

148

Our services include email counselling.

149

We believe it is helpful to be able to write down your issues

150

and see your own words so you can reflect on them and do so in your own time.

151

Face-to-face individual counselling.

152

We believe it is beneficial to talk about your issues in person at a pre-scheduled appointment time for 50 minutes.

153

Group therapy

154

Particularly valuable if you want to consider how you function in relation to others

155

and if you are keen to invest in long-term personal development.

156

Self-help resources Helpful if you are interested in finding out more about your issues and seeking strategies to help yourself.

157

Accessible 24-7 and with links to a range of resources.

158

Specific Issue Workshops

159

Suitable

160

if you want to learn about specific issues in a supportive

161

learning environment with a small group of others who are interested in developing strategies to help manage similar concerns.

162

I must stress at this point that you can only register for one of these options at any one time.

163

Before you hear the rest of the discussion,

164

you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20.

165

Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20.

166

We have three professional counsellors here at King's College.

167

Deirdre Blythe, Bobby Foyle and Samantha Stewart.

168

Deirdre Blythe specialises in seeing new students and offers an introductory session during

169

which she explains the counselling process and what you can expect to achieve through counselling.

170

This can be particularly helpful for those who are concerned about the counselling process.

171

During that first session she also establishes what it is that's led you to seek counselling.

172

Deidre is also the only counsellor available outside office hours.

173

She's usually available early Monday morning before classes begin and late Tuesday evening after class.

174

Bobby is available all day long during term time.

175

If you feel the need to drop in and talk to someone,

176

then see Bobby about it.

177

Bobby will either see you himself or place you with the next available counsellor.

178

If you want to be sure to see the same counsellor on each visit,

179

then we strongly recommend that you make an appointment ahead of time.

180

Anyone who is trying to deal with examination stress or any type of anxiety should see Samantha Stewart.

181

Sam has an extensive background in stress management and relaxation techniques

182

and her repertoire includes a full range of techniques to help you cope,

183

such as body awareness, time management and positive reinforcement.

184

Well, that's it.

185

Thanks for your time.

186

If you have any questions or want more information about our services,

187

do come and see us at the Counselling Service.

188

That's the end of Section 2.

189

You have half a minute to check your answers.

190

Now turn to section 3.

191

Section 3.

192

You will hear a conversation between a tutor and two students about how to write an English literature essay.

193

First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

194

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.

195

Hello Alfred and Alice.

196

Glad you could make it.

197

So the two of you think you need help with essay writing, correct?

198

Yes, we do.

199

I mean, all the lecturers expect us to write essays,

200

but no one has bothered to explain what's required in an English literature essay.

201

Right, well let's get started shall we?

202

Now, how basic do you want this tutorial to be?

203

As basic as possible.

204

Different people, I mean different fellow students of course,

205

seem to disagree on what makes a good essay, so I'm very confused.

206

Well, your number one priority is readability.

207

But what is it that makes an essay readable?

208

Well, it's got to be interesting and enjoyable to read and easy to understand.

209

Write an essay that you yourself would want to read.

210

If you wouldn't want to read your own essay,

211

you can rest assured that no one else will.

212

No one wants to read an essay.

213

This is a mere reiteration of facts,

214

lecture notes or other people's opinions.

215

The second important point to bear in mind when writing your English literature essay is planning.

216

Don't start writing without a goal or an idea of the key points to cover.

217

Make a list of all the key points and ideas before you start writing.

218

Plan your paragraphs.

219

Look at the whole picture before you begin.

220

Give yourself a deadline for the first 300 words.

221

One moment, could I write this down please?

222

Yes of course.

223

So I'll start again.

224

1. When should you aim to have the first 300 words written by?

225

2. Make a list of all the key points and ideas before you start writing.

226

3. Plan your paragraphs.

227

4. Consider the whole picture before you begin.

228

5. Decide what your argument is going to be.

229

6. Who is your reader?

230

That's a tough one.

231

I never know who my reader is supposed to be.

232

I usually write for myself.

233

A lot of students make that mistake,

234

and because they know what they mean to say,

235

they do not bother to explain it clearly.

236

No, your reader is the person who is actually going to read it,

237

that is, your lecturer and fellow students.

238

In your case, it's me and Alice.

239

Before you hear the rest of the discussion,

240

you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.

241

Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.

242

The next thing to talk about is paragraph size.

243

Rather basic to writing a good essay, I would say.

244

If you have re-read a paragraph and got lost on the way,

245

then it is probably time to consider dividing it into two paragraphs.

246

Paragraphs are there to help you and your reader make sense of the text.

247

They divide up your thoughts neatly and section each part of your argument into readable chunks.

248

Remember, you should never have a paragraph that is longer than an A4 page.

249

I'm usually OK with most of the things you mentioned,

250

but the problem with my essays is that they usually lack flow.

251

Same here.

252

Well, what you need to do is make sure that the transition between your paragraphs and sentences makes sense.

253

Each thought should seem to follow on effortlessly from each previous thought.

254

And it is at this point that we might want to use connective words and phrases such as In addition,

255

in spite of this, however,

256

on the other hand, and so on.

257

Well, yes, but you need to be very careful when using connectives.

258

Don't just use them for the sake of using them,

259

as many students often do.

260

Use them only when it makes sense to use them.

261

Otherwise, you're better off not using them at all.

262

Last, but not least, your argument should be perfectly clear.

263

Instead of offering a one-sided rant,

264

however, make sure you include several possible sides of the discussion.

265

A great English literature essay on the set text is a lively and thought-provoking conversation.

266

That's the end of Section 3.

267

You have half a minute to check your answers.

Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?

Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.

Pratica di Shadowing: Transport Form Highgate Village Listening Test - Impara a parlare inglese con i video

Informazioni su Questa Lezione

Vocabolario e Frasi Chiave

Consigli per la Pratica

Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?