Shadowing Practice: Advice on family visit: Đề thi IELTS LISTENING (practice test) kèm đáp án & transcript with location - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Part 1 You will hear a man asking a friend for
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advice on things to do in the city with a family of visitors.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.
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Sandra, I seem to remember you had some family visitors staying with you recently.
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Yeah, that's right.
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My brother and his family were here a couple of months ago.
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Okay, good.
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Well, I wanted to ask your advice.
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I've got my cousin and her family visiting next month, and as I don't have kids, I've no idea where to take them.
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Right.
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What about accommodation?
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Are they going to stay with you in your flat?
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No, thankfully.
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There wouldn't be room.
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My cousin wants me to recommend a hotel.
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Do you know anywhere?
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Yes, I do, actually.
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I always recommend people stay at the King's Hotel.
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Where's that near?
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It's about five minutes' walk from Murray Station, so nice and central.
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It's actually on George Street.
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Oh yes, I know.
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I think they're on quite a tight budget.
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So how much roughly is it to stay there?
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If you book a family room, it's about £125 per night.
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My brother paid for two double rooms in the end, and I think that was around £95 for each room.
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Oh, that's not too bad.
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So how old are your cousin's kids?
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Twelve and nine.
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So I want to organise some trips while they're here.
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I was thinking of doing a bus tour of the city centre, as none of them have been here before.
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Those bus tours are quite expensive.
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I think it's better to do a walking tour.
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It gives you a much better feel for the city.
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There's one that starts from Colton Square.
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It takes a couple of hours and doesn't cost that much.
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Sounds good.
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I'll look that up.
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Thanks.
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If the weather's nice, one thing you could do is visit the old fort.
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You could get there by boat.
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The whole trip takes half a day.
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That's a really good idea.
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I'd like to do that myself.
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And if the weather's bad, I was thinking they could go to the science museum.
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But maybe they could do that when I'm at work.
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Yeah, don't forget, it's closed on Mondays.
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They're here from Saturday for four nights, so Tuesday would be best, I think.
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And it won't be so crowded then.
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Saturdays are terrible.
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I took my kids to the exhibition on old computers there, and it was far too crowded.
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I wanted to go back, but it's finished now.
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That's a shame.
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My cousin's kids would have enjoyed that.
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There's another one starting soon on space, which looks really good too.
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OK, well, I'll mention that to my cousin.
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Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.
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Have you thought about where to take them to eat?
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Well, I really like all the food stalls at Clacton Market.
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My cousin's vegetarian.
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I know it's one of the best places for that kind of food.
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Definitely.
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And there'll be loads of choice for the kids too.
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You need to get there quite early though.
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At the weekend, most of the stores stop serving lunch at 2.30.
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Good point.
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It's all going to need careful planning.
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My cousin said she'd love to take the kids to a show at the theatre, but tickets are so expensive.
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I know.
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But you can get some good deals if you book online with bargain-tickets.com for the following day.
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On some seats there's a 75% discount.
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Really?
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I must try and get some.
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Yeah.
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There are lots of things you can do for free as well.
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No need to spend a fortune.
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Like what?
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They're coming next month, right?
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Well, check and see if it's the same weekend as the Roots Music Festival in Blakewell Gardens.
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R-O-O-T-S?
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Yeah, check it out online.
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It's always a family-friendly event, and there's no entry charge.
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That sounds perfect.
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And if you're in Blakewell Gardens, climb Telegraph Hill.
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You'll be able to look right down on the port.
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Everyone's always really impressed because it's so huge.
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Oh, yeah.
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I've been meaning to do that for ages.
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I've heard the views amazing.
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Yeah, it's really worth the effort.
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Well, that's given me loads of ideas.
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Thanks so much.
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That is the end of part one.
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You now have one minute to check your answers to part one.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.

Context & Background

In the provided video transcript, we get a glimpse of a dialogue between two friends discussing travel plans for a family visit. The speaker, who is seeking advice, is planning activities for their cousin's family, who are new to the city. This conversation highlights several aspects of preparing for a family visit, such as accommodation, sightseeing suggestions, and considerations based on children's ages. The settings and scenarios presented in the dialogue serve as a practical example of everyday English conversations, making it valuable for learners aiming to improve their fluency and comprehension in real-life contexts.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I wanted to ask your advice” - A polite way to request help or suggestions.
  • “Do you know anywhere?” - A common phrase used to inquire about locations or recommendations.
  • “I think it’s better to” - A phrase used to express personal opinions or suggestions.
  • “If the weather’s nice” - A conditional phrase that introduces scenarios based on weather conditions.
  • “Don’t forget, it’s closed on Mondays” - A reminder phrasing that helps emphasize important information.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your English pronunciation and fluency using the dialogue from this video, follow this structured shadowing guide:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by listening to the video carefully. Pay attention to the tone, emotion, and pace of the speakers. This will help you understand how to convey similar emotions in your speech.
  2. Read Along: Use the transcript provided in the video as you listen. Follow the text while you listen to reinforce your auditory skills and familiarize yourself with common phrases and vocabulary.
  3. Repeat and Imitate: Engage in shadow speaking by repeating the dialogue immediately after each sentence. Focus on mimicking their pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. This is a key technique to improve English pronunciation.
  4. Practice In Pairs: If possible, find a language partner to practice the dialogue with. You can alternate roles or take turns asking for advice as demonstrated in the video for a more interactive experience.
  5. Reflect and Refine: After practicing, reflect on your performance. Record yourself to analyze your pronunciation and fluency as you speak. Adjust any phrases or pronunciations that were challenging, aiming to improve with each repetition. Using tools like shadowspeak can magnify the effectiveness of this step.

By consistently applying this shadowing methodology, you can effectively learn English with YouTube content, enhance your speaking abilities, and confidently engage in everyday conversations. Engaging with real-life contexts, like family visits, presents an opportunity to practice common phrases and improve your overall English communication skills.

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.