Shadowing Practice: ACTUAL TEST 7 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Test 1.
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You will hear a number of different recordings and you will have to answer questions on what you hear.
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There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions and you will have a chance to check your work.
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All the recordings will be played once only.
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The test is in four sections.
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At the end of the test, you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.
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Now turn to section 1.
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Section 1.
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You will hear a telephone conversation between a travel company employee and a customer.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.
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You will see that there is an example which has been done for you.
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On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.
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Hello?
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Hi, good morning.
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This is Talia from Parabay Travel Agency.
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Is Robert Goddard there?
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Yes, speaking.
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The man says that he is Robert Goddard.
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So, Robert Goddard has been written in the space.
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Now we shall begin.
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You should answer the questions as you listen, because you will not hear the recording a second time.
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Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
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Melbourne.
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Was this your first visit to Melbourne?
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No, I have actually been there twice before.
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I see.
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Now, what would you say was your favourite part about Melbourne?
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Well, I did like seeing the exotic wildlife, and there are great sights to see, but I have to say I was most impressed by the amazing weather.
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Yeah, the weather there is amazing.
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Which of the sights listed as part of our official tour did you see?
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And of those, which was your favourite?
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First I saw the theatre, which was beautifully designed.
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It was not nearly as cool as the Town Hall, though.
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The building is a huge part of Melbourne's history.
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Definitely my favourite.
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I saw the aquarium too, but wasn't too impressed.
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I see.
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Yes, people often have great reviews of Town Hall.
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Now, I would like to ask you about your dining experience.
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Did you enjoy the food there?
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Absolutely, I loved it.
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I'm glad to hear it.
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Could you tell me a little bit about what you most enjoyed about the food?
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Being such an international city, I loved the variety.
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I could find any type of food I wanted, whether I wanted seafood, burgers or anything else.
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You name it and they had it.
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Did you drive to Melbourne?
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No, I flew.
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I thought about going by train, but in the interest of time, I decided to go by plane.
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Right, I see.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
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And would you mind telling me whether you are under 20?
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between the ages of 20 and 40 or older than 40?
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It would be nice if I was still under 20.
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My vacation probably would have been quite different.
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Actually, though, I just turned 41 last week.
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Oh, happy birthday!
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So did you treat yourself and fly first class?
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Ha!
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No way!
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I would love to have a budget that high.
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I'm more in the mid-range income level.
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I wasn't always, though.
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I spent much of my life in a low-income household.
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I see.
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That answers my next question then of income level.
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And what was the purpose of this visit?
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I had to go there on business a lot before and decided I would go there for tourism this time.
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I see.
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And what is your occupation?
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I am mainly a computer programmer.
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I also write for a travel magazine on the side, which is why I visited Melbourne before, but it's not my main source of income.
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I see.
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Wow, it sounds like you work a lot.
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Yes, I am very busy, which is exactly why I took a nice week-long vacation to Melbourne.
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I completely agree.
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Would you care to comment on your accommodation?
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My hotel was a good value.
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Staying in the city can get really expensive, so it was nice to find such a good price for the location and quality.
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I'm glad I didn't end up in some cheap motel in the middle of nowhere.
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I'm glad you didn't either.
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Well, thank you for taking part in our survey.
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And I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation.
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No problem.
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Take care.
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That is the end of Section 1.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 2.
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Section 2 You will hear a talk about the main points of interest and the improvements made in the area.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
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Thank you all for coming to our community meeting.
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As you know, we're excited to unveil our improvement plan as we look forward to the influx of tourists in the summer months.
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I'll start with a quick overview of the main points of
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interest in the area for anyone who may not quite know his or her way around yet, and then I'll get to the improvements made.
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First off is my favourite, the Science Museum, which is on the corner of St George Road.
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If you have not visited yet, I encourage you to go before the busy season.
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It is absolutely spectacular.
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There is even a flight simulator you can try out.
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Just west of the Science Museum is the National History Museum.
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It's a sight not to be missed as well, with each floor devoted to a different era in our nation's history.
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There are special exhibits for children with interactive games and fun history lessons too.
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If you're looking for parking, it is available on the intersection of Queen Street and South King Street in the car park.
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Standard hourly and daily rates do apply.
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The best place for souvenirs is the shopping mall, though it gets extremely busy during peak times.
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You can get there from the Tube or the entrance on Timber Road, just south of Cornwell Road.
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This area has students everywhere, usually from the primary school across the street from the shopping mall.
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Classes often take field trips and engage in guided tours through the area.
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So that's the overview of the main sites, and hopefully by now I've given you a general idea of the area.
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Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.
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Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
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Now I'm going to outline the improvements we have made in
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our efforts to make the experience even better for each and every one of our visitors.
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You probably noticed when you first drove into the car park this morning
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that there is now additional signage to help avoid confusion.
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The directions were not entirely clear at first, so we have increased the number of one-way signs indicating the correct direction of traffic flow.
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Not far from there, in line with our mission of giving back to the community, we constructed a brand new playground for the primary school.
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It is really something to be excited for.
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The equipment is state-of-the-art and includes swings, a small climbing wall and even an obstacle course.
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Now we'll head north and take a look at the Science Museum.
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In response to our feedback from past visitors to the museum, there is now free information available outlining not only upcoming IMAX showings,
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but also natural wonders like meteor showers, eclipses and other cool natural events.
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the science museum isn't the only museum improving the experience of
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its visitors the National History Museum has added an entire new
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wing to its facility to accommodate the large crowds of people gathering to see the Civil War exhibit
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inventions timeline exhibit
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and other wonderful sections of the museum the increase in space
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will definitely give a more calm comfortable experience for visitors
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and finally remember
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when there was actually a line at the mall entrance from
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the tube station it was terrible trying to get anywhere from the tube
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because foot traffic got so backed up sometimes we have addressed
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that by adding another entry point into the mall from the other end of the platform to disperse the crowd
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so those are the major improvements we have made
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clearly having too many people that want to visit
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and enjoy what our community has to offer the public is a good problem to have
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and I am confident
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that we have made the changes necessary to accommodate the growing
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interest in the area as always we welcome any questions comments
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or concerns about the new improvement plan in a few minutes I will open up the floor for questions
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but you can also contact me or any other board member by email or through the city Thank you for coming,
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and I now encourage you to stay for the questions and answers panel occurring between now and 10.30.
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That is the end of section 2.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to Section 3.
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Section 3.
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You will hear two students called Jane and Mark talking to their tutor about the project assignments for their senior thesis.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 23.
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Thank you.
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Now, listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 23.
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So, you were both given your project assignments for your senior thesis today, right?
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Yes, and we already have to submit our topics next week.
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But how could they give us a grade this soon?
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No, next week's due date will not be counted towards your final grade.
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The teachers are just going to read your topic and give you feedback.
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Oh, I see.
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So, first we should come up with our topics, and then what?
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Well, once you know what you want to study, you need to think about how you'll study it.
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You need to decide on your research methods.
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The methods will be the main part of your paper.
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What about the results section?
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Well, I can give you feedback on that, but you will be the one carrying out an experiment and thus will have to produce the results on your own.
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What I would like to do today is practice writing research papers before you even begin your report.
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I'll give you samples of old data from past experience, and you can practice writing results and drawing conclusions.
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I think that would be really helpful.
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Yeah, it sounds like a lot of extra work, but I'm sure it would make an actual project easier.
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You're exactly right.
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So let's get started.
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First, let's try this simple experiment on fruit flies.
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Read the information and then take 25 minutes to summarise a results and conclusion section.
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That's really important.
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Pay attention to the time limit.
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OK.
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Does it still have to be 6,000 words?
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No, don't worry about that.
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What if we get off topic?
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I wouldn't worry too much.
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You'll have so much information to write about that it should be easy to stay on topic.
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Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 24 to 30.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 24 to 30.
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But what about other sources?
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Well, for this assignment, you can use the one from your textbook.
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In your actual paper, you should find old experiments that support your topic.
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So, do we need to find different types of sources?
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For instance, should I be conducting lots of interviews to use in my paper?
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No, there's no need to conduct lots of interviews or anything like that.
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OK, I'm ready to get started.
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I'm still a little confused, though, on how we should format our paper.
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Don't worry about it for now, but on your final paper, make sure to pay attention to the format.
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It should follow the guidelines exactly.
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Oh man, I'm starting to understand why they give us all semester to do this.
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Are there any other small details like that that we should know about?
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Not a whole lot.
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Make sure you provide two copies.
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One for your teacher, of course, but one for yourself as well.
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And of course, you know the due date, right?
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It's April 11th, right?
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What?
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No, it's May 11th, right?
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Yes, the due date is May 11th.
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Write it down.
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Oh wow, yeah, I need to note it.
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Also, I'm having trouble finding information on my topic.
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What if I can't find enough good sources?
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It's alright to change your topic, just make sure to do it before the beginning of April.
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Oh really?
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Wow, I'm definitely going to change it then.
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Just make sure to write a note to your teacher letting him or her know.
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OK, so getting back to writing this sample paper, where do we start?
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Should I just explain the experiment and what happened?
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Well, you need to start with your hypothesis, what you think will happen, and then describe your procedure.
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Then you can write up the results and your conclusions.
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Oh boy, I don't know if I can handle any more instructions.
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That is the end of section 3.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 4.
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Section 4.
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You will hear part of a lecture about factors you should consider
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when creating advertising materials and the effects they can have on your product sales.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
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Thank you.
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Hello class and welcome back to Marketing Strategies.
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This week I will expand upon last week's lecture by talking about factors you should consider
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when creating advertising materials and the effects they can have on your product sales.
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Lesson 1.
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Limit your advertising to the geographic area of your target market.
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Though you may have a product that people want in a large area,
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the distance that customers are willing to travel is a significant factor in their choice of where to purchase that product.
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Take this example.
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If you're really hungry and decide you want a burrito, would you choose the restaurant that is a block from your apartment, or the one that is just as good,
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or even slightly better, across town.
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Of course, you'd pick the closer restaurant.
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Next, there's the method of communication to your target market.
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How do you decide among radio ads, TV commercials, flyers, or even word of mouth?
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While we often think of the visual presentation of ads, there's much more to advertising than the look.
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Studies show that consumers are much more likely to remember advertising slogans if there's also a sound plate.
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Did you know that your sense of smell is closely linked with memory?
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Think about Mandy's candy store up the road.
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Every time you walk past it, you can just smell the chocolate, right?
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I bet you can almost smell it now.
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Just mentioning the name brings about the smell memory and, in turn, a chocolate craving.
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What better way to sell chocolate bars?
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Obviously, sometimes appealing to the senses isn't the most practical way to advertise.
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For example, it's a good idea to come up with a marketing strategy that adapts to the product, especially digital products.
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The flexibility of this kind of products is extremely important, so it's very common for advertisers to form one single layout for all of their ads,
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the visual, the medium, even the majority of the content, and simply update the ad each time they come out with a new version.
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Remember, advertising is all about stirring up the right feeling in your potential customers, whether by stimulating the senses,
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appealing to the intellect and so on.
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Once the customer experiences the ad, the important thing is his or her reaction.
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Someone could love the ad you made, but unless he or she considers buying the product, you failed to get the reaction you were looking for.
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So once you have successfully reached your target customer and you have his or her business, often you will want to expand to a larger market.
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More often than not, the same marketing strategies you used in your small campaign may not work for a larger audience.
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The larger you scale your product, the more factors you must consider.
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For instance, Apple operates worldwide, so they must tailor their advertising for each market they enter.
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Often you'll see Apple ads on international flights that appear not only in English, which is the lingua franca of most regions,
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but also in the native languages of the majority of passengers.
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I travelled to Russia last week
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and it was really interesting to see the same Nike ad that I've seen a hundred times, except this time it was in Russian.
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OK, going back to the medium of the advertisement, even after choosing to create print ads instead of radio announcements,
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television commercials, etc., there is more to consider.
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If you print your ad in a newspaper, it will be read by a far different audience than if you print your ad in a popular magazine.
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Would you put an ad for the new Justin Bieber album in a newspaper?
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Probably not, because that product is most suitable for youths.
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Let's face it, do you know anyone under the age of 25 that buys a newspaper?
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No. Now let's try a few strategy exercises.
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Imagine you're a company that is aiming to improve the environment by making products that reduce human waste.
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How would you advertise your product?
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Clearly it would send the wrong message if you put up flyers or other materials that caused lots of waste paper.
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Consider instead putting commercials on the health channel or buying ad space on websites like UNESCO. Or here's another example.
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What is one great place to advertise suntan lotion?
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How about a swimming pool?
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It has the exact group of people that need the product.
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Alright, one last thing.
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Let's say you're filming a commercial for a water filter pitcher.
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What would be good scenery to use for the background?
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Think about somewhere calm and relaxing with clean, fresh water.
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Can't you see how much more effective a commercial with the beautiful scenery
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and flowing rivers of a national park would be than, say, water dripping from a tap?
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So to wrap things up today, think about the geography of your target market, the type of marketing material you should use,
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and the most effective way to appeal to the customer in order to make a successful ad campaign.
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That is all I have for you today.
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Make sure to read through chapter 8 for Monday if you have not done so already.
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OK, now I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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That is the end of section 4.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Thank you.
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If you want to download free PDF files for questions and scripts or explanations,
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please visit my Google Drive as you can see in the description of this video.
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Don't forget to like us and subscribe.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “ACTUAL TEST 7”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: answer, section, product. This video has 291 sentences and 3179 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:08. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 44 of its 291 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| visitor noun | /ˈvɪzɪtɚ/ | Someone who visits someone else; someone staying as a guest. |
| advertise verb | /ˈædvɚˌtaɪ̯z/ | To give (especially public) notice of (something); to announce publicly. |
| exhibit verb | /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/ | To display or show (something) for others to see, especially at an exhibition or contest. |
| assignment noun | /əˈsaɪn.mənt/ | The act of assigning; the allocation of a job or a set of tasks. |
| flyer noun | /ˈflaɪə(ɹ)/ | That which flies, as a bird or insect. |
| scenery noun | /ˈsiːnəɹi/ | View, natural features, landscape. |
| outline noun | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ | A line marking the boundary of an object figure. |
| impress verb | /ɪmˈpɹɛs/ | To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably. |
| accommodate verb | /əˈkɑməˌdeɪt/ | To render fit, suitable, or correspondent; to adapt. |
| thesis noun | /ˈθisɪs/ | A proposition or statement supported by arguments. |
| overview noun | /ˈoʊ.vɚˌvjuː/ | A brief summary, as of a book or a presentation. |
| lecture noun | /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/ | A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group. |
| instruction noun | /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/ | The act of instructing, teaching, or providing with information or knowledge. |
| advertiser noun | /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzɚ/ | One who advertises. |
| burrito noun | /bəˈɹi.toʊ/ | A Mexican dish consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped around a filling of meat and/or beans, cheese etc. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. | |
| carry out verb | /ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/ | To hold while moving it out. |
| come out with verb | To say (something) unexpectedly. | |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) | |
| get off verb | To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Did you enjoy the food there?
- Would you care to comment on your accommodation?
- What if we get off topic?
- What if I can't find enough good sources?
- Should I just explain the experiment and what happened?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been done · has been written · have actually been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be played · will be given · has been done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | example which has · those, which was · theatre, which was |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 42 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thesis /ˈθisɪs/, hypothesis /haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, lotion /ˈloʊʃən/, intersection /ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/, invention /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: accommodate /əˈkɑməˌdeɪt/, advertiser /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzɚ/, aquarium /əˈkwɛɹ.i.jəm/, simulator /ˈsɪmjəˌleɪtɚ/, advertisement /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like visitor, advertise, exhibit.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.