Shadowing Practice: C1 Advanced (CAE) Listening Test 52 with answers - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
Now open your question paper and look at part 1.
2
You will hear three different extracts.
3
For questions 1 to 6, choose the answer A, B or C, which fits best according to what you hear.
4
There are two questions for each extract.
5
Extract 1.
6
You hear part of an interview with James Finn, a young musician.
7
Now look at questions 1 and 2.
8
I recently heard you say that you never watch TV.
9
Is that right?
10
Yep, I threw it out a while back.
11
I'm not saying there aren't any good things about it, but the negatives outweigh the positives in terms of what it does to society.
12
It encourages us to be passive, so although I haven't taken a particularly moral step to not have a TV, I'm happy to do without it.
13
TV's all about programming people to buy certain things, far more so than it used to be, and it makes us become more materialistic,
14
not a great value, I think.
15
And not having one lets me appreciate how addictive I did find it.
16
Like if I went to a house and the TV was on, I'd find myself drawn to that and drawn out of the conversation.
17
Don't your friends find your lack of a television set a bit weird?
18
Honestly, a lot of my mates don't have one either.
19
I'd be willing to bet that TV is coming to the end of its lifespan as the major form of entertainment.
20
Eventually, all digital media will go onto the internet.
21
So what'll be the point of having a TV?
22
That's not to say that everything on the net is
23
or will be of superior quality to what we get now on the TV, but at least you can ignore the advertising on the net.
24
I recently heard you say that you never watch TV.
25
Is that right?
26
Yep.
27
I threw it out a while back.
28
I'm not saying there aren't any good things about it, but the negatives outweigh the positives in terms of what it does to society.
29
It encourages us to be passive, so although I haven't taken a particularly moral step to not have a TV, I'm happy to do without it.
30
TV's all about programming people to buy certain things, far more so than it used to be.
31
And it makes us become more materialistic, not a great value, I think.
32
And not having one lets me appreciate how addictive I did find it.
33
Like, if I went to a house and the TV was on, I'd find myself drawn to that and drawn out of the conversation.
34
Don't your friends find your lack of a television set a bit weird?
35
Honestly, a lot of my mates don't have one either.
36
I'd be willing to bet that TV is coming to the end of its lifespan as the major form of entertainment.
37
Eventually, all digital media will go onto the internet.
38
So what'll be the point of having a TV?
39
That's not to say that everything on the net is
40
or will be of superior quality to what we get now on the TV, but at least you can ignore the advertising on the net.
41
Extract 2 You hear part of an interview with Martin Greenwood, an education specialist.
42
Now look at questions 3 and 4.
43
Martin Greenwood, why do we need this campaign to get more male teachers into secondary schools?
44
Look at the ratios.
45
For every ten female teachers, there's one male, and that's been the case for too long.
46
The government has made progress in offering better financial incentives,
47
but the number of young men currently enrolled on teacher training courses is still depressingly low.
48
I think the image of the teaching profession in our society is pretty poor.
49
No one wants to go to work and be disrespected.
50
In the past, and still in some cultures, people look up to teachers.
51
But not here in the UK, not anymore.
52
But surely it's the quality of the teacher that counts, not the gender.
53
Look, let me give you an example.
54
I was observing a playground recently, and a couple of young boys got into a bit of a fight.
55
Not too serious, just some pushing around.
56
One of the female staff went running over and told them both off for being violent.
57
But a male teacher would have known they had to sort things out for themselves.
58
They know that boys fight and then get on with things.
59
Martin Greenwood, why do we need this campaign to get more male teachers into secondary schools?
60
Look at the ratios.
61
For every ten female teachers, there's one male, and that's been the case for too long.
62
The government has made progress in offering better financial incentives, but the number of young men currently enrolled on teacher training courses is still depressingly low.
63
I think the image of the teaching profession in our society is pretty poor.
64
No one wants to go to work and be disrespected.
65
In the past, and still in some cultures, people look up to teachers, but not here in the UK, not anymore.
66
But surely it's the quality of the teacher that counts, not the gender?
67
Look, let me give you an example.
68
I was observing a playground recently, and a couple of young boys got into a bit of a fight.
69
Not too serious, just some pushing around.
70
One of the female staff went running over and told them both off for being violent.
71
But a male teacher would have known they had to sort things out for themselves.
72
They know that boys fight and then get on with things.
73
Extract 3 You hear part of an interview with a woman called Shelley Sumner, who appeared on a TV reality show.
74
Now look at questions 5 and 6.
75
It's been, what, two months since you won the show, Shelley?
76
Have you spent all the prize money yet?
77
Yeah, that soon went.
78
It wasn't a lot in the first place.
79
That's not why I did it.
80
It was actually for a dare.
81
I said I'd have a go at getting in if my friends, Sandra and Jasmine, did.
82
You know, you have to send in a video, you talking about yourself, that kind of thing, but I never thought I'd hear back.
83
And then someone from the show rang me up and I'd got an interview.
84
And when the others found out, even though they hadn't got onto the show, they wouldn't let me quit.
85
They like the idea of having a famous mate.
86
And are you still seeing those same people, or have you moved up in the world?
87
No, nothing's changed there.
88
We still hang out together.
89
But I do feel like a new member of the royal family sometimes.
90
Well, it's not like I'm getting into exclusive restaurants for free, but it's the tabloids that get on my nerves.
91
I could be out doing the shopping, and suddenly there's someone across the road taking your photo.
92
Basically, it's quite intrusive, but I guess that's what happens.
93
It's been, what, two months since you won the show, Shelley?
94
Have you spent all the prize money yet?
95
Yeah, that soon went.
96
It wasn't a lot in the first place.
97
That's not why I did it.
98
It was actually for a dare.
99
I said I'd have a go at getting in if my friends, Sandra and Jasmine, did.
100
You know, you have to send in a video, you talking about yourself, that kind of thing, but I never thought I'd hear back.
101
And then someone from the show rang me up and I'd got an interview.
102
And when the others found out, even though they hadn't got onto the show, they wouldn't let me quit.
103
They liked the idea of having a famous mate.
104
And are you still seeing those same people or have you moved up in the world?
105
No, nothing's changed there.
106
We still hang out together.
107
But I do feel like a new member of the royal family sometimes.
108
Well, it's not like I'm getting into exclusive restaurants for free.
109
But it's the tabloids that get on my nerves.
110
I could be out doing the shopping and suddenly there's someone across the road taking your photo.
111
So basically it's quite intrusive, but I guess that's what happens.
112
That's the end of part one.
113
Now turn to part two.
114
Part two.
115
You will hear a historian called Sarah Potts giving a lecture about Easter Island.
116
For questions seven to fourteen, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
117
You now have 45 seconds to look at part 2.
118
Thank you.
119
Hello, my name's Dr Sarah Potts and in today's lecture we're going to focus on the history of Easter Island.
120
Most people have heard of this island.
121
We know it for its huge stone statues or, to be exact, its stone heads that were built and erected along the coastline.
122
Anyone looking at them cannot fail to be impressed by the incredible carving, these images of power and mystery.
123
Who or what do they represent?
124
Going by the art in other Polynesian cultures,
125
most archaeologists conclude that what we're seeing are the ancestors of the people who made them.
126
But once you've got past admiring the statues, you have to ask yourself, how did they get there?
127
You see, Easter Island has no trees, and in pre-industrial societies, We can't move heavy objects without them.
128
We know that there were trees, that there were once millions of palms across the island.
129
There are researchers who claim that climate change was responsible for their disappearance, but I'm not convinced we have the evidence for that yet.
130
There's no dispute that many trees were used in the construction and transportation of the stone heads.
131
Not only did they provide wood, but also the bark of the palm trees could be used to make rope.
132
You need both things for creating the kind of machine that could move several tonnes of stone.
133
And of course the people needed wood for housing and fuel too.
134
But was man responsible for the loss of all the trees?
135
Another theory has been put forward, and the evidence comes from the shells of palm seeds.
136
not one shell that hasn't been found without tooth marks, all from the teeth of rats.
137
They probably arrived on the island by boat, hiding in the canoes of the Polynesian settlers.
138
So it's seriously been suggested that they simply ate all the seeds and that's why the trees disappeared.
139
Once all the trees were gone, for whatever reason, there was nothing to stop harsh winds from sweeping across the island
140
and destroying the crops that the people had planted.
141
What else could they eat?
142
Well, we know from the thousands of bones that have been found
143
that great colonies of sea birds used to inhabit the island.
144
But they soon became the main part of the islanders' diet and eventually all died out.
145
Worse was to come.
146
When the Europeans arrived, they introduced diseases that had previously been unknown on the island,
147
and the native population naturally had no immunity.
148
This is one of the absolutely tragic situations where local people were absolutely defenceless and could do little to save themselves.
149
We really can't say yet with certainty what got rid of all the trees,
150
But they did go, and this deforestation largely contributed to the downfall of Easter Island.
151
It does seem to me to be a symbol of our current situation.
152
Aren't we experiencing the same kind of destruction on a global scale?
153
Hello, my name's Dr Sarah Potts, and in today's lecture we're going to focus on the history of Easter Island.
154
Most people have heard of this island.
155
We know it for its huge stone statues or, to be exact, its stone heads that were built and erected along the coastline.
156
Anyone looking at them cannot fail to be impressed by the incredible carving, these images of power and mystery.
157
Who or what do they represent?
158
Going by the art in other Polynesian cultures,
159
Most archaeologists conclude that what we're seeing are the ancestors of the people who made them.
160
But once you've got past admiring the statues, you have to ask yourself, how did they get there?
161
You see, Easter Island has no trees, and in pre-industrial societies, you can't move heavy objects without them.
162
We know that there were trees, that there were once millions of palms across the island.
163
There are researchers who claim that climate change was responsible for their disappearance, but I'm not convinced we have the evidence for that yet.
164
There's no dispute that many trees were used in the construction and transportation of the stone heads.
165
Not only did they provide wood, but also the bark of the palm trees could be used to make rope.
166
You need both things for creating the kind of machine that could move several tonnes of stone.
167
course, the people needed wood for housing and fuel too.
168
But was man responsible for the loss of all the trees?
169
Another theory has been put forward, and the evidence comes from the shells of palm seeds.
170
There's not one shell that hasn't been found without tooth marks, all from the teeth of rats.
171
They probably arrived on the island by boat, hiding in the canoes of the Polynesian settlers.
172
So it's seriously been suggested that they simply ate all the seeds and that's why the trees disappeared.
173
Once all the trees were gone, for whatever reason, there was nothing to stop harsh winds from sweeping across the island
174
and destroying the crops that the people had planted.
175
What else could they eat?
176
Well, We know from the thousands of bones that have been found that great colonies of seabirds used to inhabit the island.
177
But they soon became the main part of the islanders' diet and eventually all died out.
178
Worse was to come.
179
When the Europeans arrived, they introduced diseases
180
that had previously been unknown on the island and the native population naturally had no immunity.
181
This is one of the absolutely tragic situations where local people were absolutely defenceless and could do little to save themselves.
182
We really can't say yet with certainty what got rid of all the trees,
183
but they did go, and this deforestation largely contributed to the downfall of Easter Island.
184
It does seem to me to be a symbol of our current situation.
185
Aren't we experiencing the same kind of destruction on a global scale?
186
That's the end of part two.
187
Now turn to part three.
188
Part three.
189
You will hear part of a radio interview in
190
which a young man called Toby Burrow is talking about a year he spent doing voluntary work in Madagascar.
191
For questions 15 to 20, choose the answer A, B, C or D, which fits best according to what you hear.
192
You now have 70 seconds to look at part 3.
193
Thank you.
194
Thank you.
195
Thousands of students are about to take their final exams.
196
But then what?
197
Will they begin their search for a well-paid job, or will they choose to take a year off before entering the labour market?
198
I'd like to welcome Toby Burrow to the studio, who is here to talk about the year he spent doing voluntary work in Madagascar.
199
Hi, Andrea.
200
First of all, before I say anything that might come across as a bit negative, I completely recommend Madagascar.
201
In fact, I just saw in the paper today that there's a documentary on it tonight, so any interested students should have a look.
202
I sort of chose it partly because it was so far away from England and exotic, but mainly
203
because the kind of work on the volunteer programme there looked like it was really going to stretch me
204
and take me out of my comfort zone, like a test of character.
205
And it wasn't like anyone could give me any advice.
206
The students I knew from the year before us had gone off travelling, but only on a backpackers tour.
207
I'm sure that many parents are anxious when their children announce that they're going off to distant lands.
208
How did yours react?
209
Honestly, they were fine about it.
210
I suppose Dad tried to talk me out of it at first.
211
He thought I should be getting on with finding a secure job, that kind of thing.
212
But Mum was all for it.
213
I think she would have loved to have travelled herself, but she missed out on that by having me and my sisters.
214
Actually, she really got into it by getting out books from the library and going online.
215
and I'd come home and she'd be telling me about the history and the culture and that was quite handy really.
216
The only thing I had to prepare for was getting all my vaccinations done and taking a course of malaria tablets.
217
And when you arrived in Madagascar was it what you expected?
218
Sort of.
219
The organisation which was running the volunteer programme had been quite clear about the teaching work I'd be doing.
220
But I admit I'd led a sheltered life up to then and living in the village was quite an eye-opener.
221
There was no running water and no sanitation, and that took quite a bit of getting used to.
222
I didn't mind so much the fact that I was sleeping in a room with the other volunteers.
223
Coming from a large family, I'm used to sharing my living space.
224
And in fact, I actually need background noise to get off to sleep.
225
Otherwise, I can't help but feel rather lonely.
226
Was there any time that you wanted to come running home?
227
No, I can't say there was.
228
I remember I once went off sailing for a day.
229
there were six of us all from Europe some mates from the program
230
and some guy I didn't know who worked for a hotel in the city
231
when we got back to shore I found
232
that my wallet had disappeared someone had obviously taken it I felt
233
that I couldn't directly accuse anyone
234
so I ended up saying nothing a few days later I heard
235
that the hotel guy had been arrested for stealing other stuff and eventually I got my empty wallet back.
236
I realised that, whereas in England I was always careful about not leaving my stuff around, I'd got used to the honesty of the people in Madagascar.
237
It was sad to be reminded that not everyone is like that.
238
And after all that, when you finally got home, did it take long to readjust to, if you like, normal life?
239
In a sense.
240
There were many things I missed about Madagascar, although I knew that part of my life was definitely over.
241
The odd thing was my attitude towards England.
242
After Madagascar, I could see the enormous gap in consumption between the UK and African countries, and knew that if everyone in the world lived like a UK citizen,
243
then there'd be no resources left to use.
244
It was good seeing my family.
245
It's a selfish thing, but even though you've changed, you don't want anyone else to, and I like the familiarity of home, but I didn't immediately get in touch with my friends from university.
246
Being in Madagascar was a life-changing experience, and when I got back I felt rather disconnected to people I'd known previously, at least initially.
247
And now you can speak from experience, what should prospective gap-year travellers know?
248
That's a hard one to answer because your experience is what you make it, and very much to do with the kind of person you are.
249
Some graduates just go off and have fun for a year, and if that's what you're into fine there's hardly a moral obligation to do charity work but
250
if you do volunteer for example to do something for a
251
local community don't for a moment think you're superior in some
252
way you need to recognize what you're gaining in return from
253
the people you're living with i'd also avoid signing up for a project with a friend
254
because that way you won't make the effort to get to know new people
255
and make sure you choose a reputable company to go with otherwise you'll just end up miserable
256
and probably out of pocket
257
it's that time of year again
258
when thousands of students are about to take their final exams
259
but then what will they begin their search for a well-paid job
260
or will they choose to take a year off before entering
261
the labor market i'd like to welcome toby burrow to the
262
studio who is here to talk about the year he spent doing voluntary work in Madagascar.
263
Hi Andrea.
264
First of all, before I say anything that might come across as a bit negative, I completely recommend Madagascar.
265
In fact, I just saw in the paper today that there's a documentary on it tonight, so any interested students should have a look.
266
I sort of chose it partly because it was so far away from England and exotic, but mainly
267
because the kind of work on on the volunteer programme there looked like it was really going to stretch me
268
and take me out of my comfort zone, like a test of character.
269
And it wasn't like anyone could give me any advice.
270
The students I knew from the year before us had gone off travelling, but only on a backpackers tour.
271
I'm sure that many parents are anxious when their children announce that they're going off to distant lands.
272
How did yours react?
273
Honestly, they were fine about it.
274
I suppose Dad tried to talk me out of it at first.
275
He She thought I should be getting on with finding a secure job, that kind of thing, but Mum was all for it.
276
I think she would have loved to have travelled herself, but she missed out on that by having me and my sisters.
277
Actually, she really got into it by getting out books from the library and going online, and I'd come home and she'd be telling me about the history and the culture,
278
and that was quite handy really.
279
The only thing I had to prepare for was getting all my vaccinations done and taking a course of malaria tablets.
280
And when you arrived in Madagascar, was it what you expected?
281
Sort of.
282
The organisation which was running the volunteer programme had been quite clear about the teaching work I'd be doing.
283
But I admit I'd led a sheltered life up to then, and living in the village was quite an eye-opener.
284
There was no running water and no sanitation, and that took quite a bit of getting used to.
285
I didn't mind so much the fact that I was sleeping in a room with the other volunteers.
286
from a large family, I'm used to sharing my living space.
287
And in fact, I actually need background noise to get off to sleep, otherwise I can't help but feel rather lonely.
288
Was there any time that you wanted to come running home?
289
No, I can't say there was.
290
I remember I once went off sailing for a day.
291
There were six of us, all from Europe, some mates from the programme and some guy I didn't know who worked for a hotel in the city.
292
When we got back to shore, I found that my wallet had disappeared.
293
Someone had obviously taken it.
294
I felt that I couldn't directly accuse anyone, so I ended up saying nothing.
295
A few days later, I heard that the hotel guy had been arrested for stealing other stuff, and eventually I got my empty wallet back.
296
I realised that, whereas in England I was always careful about not leaving my stuff around, I'd got used to the honesty of the people in Madagascar.
297
It was sad to be reminded that not everyone is like that.
298
And after all that, when you finally got home, did it take long to readjust to, if you like, normal life?
299
In a sense.
300
There were many things I missed about Madagascar, although I knew that part of my life was definitely over.
301
The odd thing was my attitude towards England.
302
After Madagascar, I could see the enormous gap in consumption between the UK and African countries, and knew that if everyone in the world lived like a UK citizen,
303
then there'd be no resources left to use.
304
It was good seeing my family.
305
It's a selfish thing, but even though you've changed, you don't want anyone else to, and I like the familiarity of home, but I didn't immediately get in touch with my friends from university.
306
Being in Madagascar was a life-changing experience, and when I got back I felt rather disconnected to people I'd known previously, at least initially.
307
And now you can speak from experience, what should prospective gap year travellers know?
308
That's a hard one to answer because your experience is what you make it, and very much to do with the kind of person you are.
309
Some graduates just go off and have fun for a year, and if that's what you're into, fine.
310
There's hardly a moral obligation to do charity work.
311
But if you do volunteer, for example, to do something for a local community, don't for moment think you're superior in some way you need
312
to recognize what you're gaining in return from the people you're
313
living with i'd also avoid signing up for a project with a friend
314
because that way you won't make the effort to get to know new people
315
and make sure you choose a reputable company to go with otherwise you'll just end up miserable
316
and probably out of pocket That's the end of part three.
317
Now turn to part four.
318
Part four.
319
You will hear five short extracts in which various people are talking about problems of living in a city.
320
Look at Task 1.
321
For questions 21 to 25, choose from the list A to H the problem being described.
322
Now look at Task 2.
323
For questions 26 to 30, choose from the list A to H the reaction the speaker has had to the problem.
324
While you listen, you must complete both tasks.
325
You now have 45 seconds to look at part 4.
326
Thank you.
327
Speaker 1 Speaker 1 We came up here from Cornwall when I was a kid, when I was about ten years old.
328
So I was old enough to remember what it was like, the beach, the long walks in the countryside.
329
You could walk and walk and not meet another living soul.
330
But you see, where our kids are growing up, there's nowhere for them to really play or run about run about.
331
When they built these flats, I don't think they had kids in mind.
332
It's all concrete and not a bit of grass in sight.
333
Anyway, just last week we made the decision to pack up and head back to Cornwall.
334
The money won't be as good, but at least we won't be squashed up like rats in a cage.
335
Speaker 2 It drives me absolutely crazy.
336
And the worst thing is, I find I'm losing my temper a lot at work with my wife and it's not fair on them.
337
It's not their fault.
338
You see, I work nights, so I really, really do need my sleep during the day.
339
I get home about 8am
340
and I see my wife for about 30 minutes before she goes off to work
341
and then I'll get to sleep about 11am.
342
I'm just about in a really deep sleep when it starts.
343
You can hear it through the walls really loud and it's not just the sound.
344
The walls, the floor, the bed, they actually vibrate because of how loud it is.
345
We've asked them to turn it down, and they do for a day or two, and then it's back to square one.
346
I'd be happy to move, only we just bought the place eighteen months ago.
347
Speaker 3 It wasn't as bad as this when I started out.
348
You could get from A to B in twenty minutes, No problem.
349
Now it takes twice as long.
350
And you can see the passengers in the mirror.
351
They're sitting there in the back, fuming because they're stuck in a jam and the fare's going up.
352
I'm not saying I know what the solution is.
353
The government are talking about restricting access to the city centre, not letting private vehicles in.
354
But I don't think that's practical.
355
The public transport's already overcrowded.
356
The other day I had a word with a mate of mine.
357
I heard he was looking for some help on a construction site, when he said I could start whenever I liked.
358
I'm considering it, to tell you the truth.
359
Speaker 4 There's no need for it.
360
People are just lazy.
361
Our society has just become completely reliant on the private car, and it's not necessary.
362
You hear a lot of complaints about air quality.
363
People can't breathe.
364
But they're not prepared to do anything about it.
365
I live in a village, and the traffic isn't that bad, to be honest.
366
But I still have to wear a mask on the bike because of the lethal fumes some vehicles chuck out.
367
It's just unbearable.
368
It's got to the point where I've kind of given up.
369
I mean, I've stopped cycling during the week, and it's having an effect on my weight and my general fitness, and I resent that.
370
Speaker 5 When I was stationed in the village, all I had to deal with was a few bicycle thefts and lost dogs.
371
So when they told me I was being transferred to the city, I was certainly pleased about it.
372
But to be honest, I found that life here isn't all it's cracked up to be.
373
It's a massive city with a huge population, but you can still feel isolated.
374
I like my colleagues, but it's not like we really socialise after work.
375
Maybe it's my fault.
376
I'm often really exhausted and just go home.
377
The odd thing is, I've actually got used to it.
378
I'm quite fond of my own company these days, so I'll probably stick at the job for a while longer.
379
Speaker 1 We came up here from Cornwall when I was a kid, when I was about ten years old.
380
So I was old enough to remember what it was like, the beach, the long walks in the countryside.
381
You could walk and walk and not meet another living soul.
382
But you see, where our kids are growing up, there's nowhere for them to really play or run about.
383
When they built these flats, I don't think they had kids in mind.
384
It's all concrete and not a bit of grass in sight.
385
Anyway, just last week we made the decision to pack up and head back to Cornwall.
386
The money won't be as good, but at least we won't be squashed up like rats in a cage.
387
Speaker 2 It drives me absolutely crazy.
388
And the worst thing is, I find I'm losing my temper a lot, at work, with my wife, and it's not fair on them.
389
It's not their fault.
390
You see, I work nights, so I really, really do need my sleep during the day.
391
I get home about 8am
392
and I see my wife for about 30 minutes before she goes off to work
393
and then I'll get to sleep about 11am.
394
I'm just about in a really deep sleep when it starts.
395
You can hear it through the walls really loud.
396
And it's not just the sound.
397
The walls, the floor, the bed, they actually vibrate because of how loud it is.
398
We've asked them to turn it down and they do for a day or two and then it's back to square one.
399
I'd be happy to move, only we just bought the place 18 months ago.
400
Speaker 3 It wasn't as bad as this when I started out.
401
You could get from A to B in 20 minutes, no problem.
402
Now it takes twice as long.
403
And you can see the passengers in the mirror.
404
They're sitting there in the back, fuming because they're stuck in a jam and the fare's going up.
405
I'm not saying I know what the solution is.
406
The government are talking about restricting access to the city centre, not letting private vehicles in.
407
But I don't think that's practical.
408
The public transport's already overcrowded.
409
The other day I had a word with a mate of mine.
410
I heard he was looking for some help on a construction site, and he said I could start whenever I liked.
411
I'm considering it, to tell you the truth.
412
Speaker 4 There's no need for it.
413
People are just lazy.
414
Our society has just become completely reliant on the private car, and it's not necessary.
415
You hear a lot of complaints about air quality.
416
People can't breathe, but they're not prepared to do anything about it.
417
I live in a village, and the traffic isn't that bad, to be honest.
418
But I still have to wear a mask on the bike because of the lethal fumes some vehicles chuck out.
419
It's just unbearable.
420
It's got to the point where I've kind of given up.
421
I mean, I've stopped cycling during the week, and it's having an effect on my weight and my general fitness, and I resent that.
422
Speaker 5 When I was stationed in the village, all I had to deal with was a few bicycle thefts and lost dogs.
423
So when they told me I was being transferred to the city, I was certainly pleased about it.
424
but to be honest, I've found that life here isn't all it's cracked up to be.
425
It's a massive city with a huge population, but you can still feel isolated.
426
I like my colleagues, but it's not like we really socialise after work.
427
Maybe it's my fault.
428
I'm often really exhausted and just go home.
429
The odd thing is, I've actually got used to it.
430
I'm quite fond of my own company these days, so I'll probably stick at the job for a while longer.
431
That's the end of part four.
432
There'll now be a pause of five minutes for you to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet.
433
Be sure to follow the numbering of all the questions.
434
I'll remind you when there's one minute left so that you're sure to finish in time.
435
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “C1 Advanced (CAE) Listening Test 52 with answers”. This video has 435 sentences and 5768 words to shadow. The speech runs for 39:16. The speaker talks at a steady 147 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| extract noun | /ˈɛkstɹækt/ | Something that is extracted or drawn out. |
| fume verb | /fjuːm/ | To expose (something) to fumes; specifically, to expose wood, etc., to ammonia in order to produce dark tints. |
| statue noun | /ˈstæt͡ʃu/ | A three-dimensional work of art, usually representing a person or animal, usually created by sculpting, carving, molding, or casting. |
| disappear verb | /dɪsəˈpɪɹ/ | To vanish. |
| burrow noun | /ˈbʌɹoʊ/ | A tunnel or hole, or a system of tunnels, often as dug by a small creature for use as a home. |
| toby noun | A drinking mug, in the shape of a human head with a hat atop; a Toby jug. | |
| voluntary adjective | /ˈvɑ.lənˌt(ɛ)ɹi/ | Done, given, or acting of one's own free will. |
| ancestor noun | /ˈæn.sɛs.tɚ/ | One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather; a forebear. |
| archaeologist noun | /ˌɑɹ.kiˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/ | Someone who studies or practises archaeology. |
| backpacker noun | A traveler whose luggage consists of a backpack; especially, such a traveler who uses hostels, public transport, and other inexpensive services. | |
| defenceless adjective | /dɪˈfɛnsləs/ | Without defence; undefended. |
| deforestation noun | /dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/ | The process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else, especially with an agricultural system. |
| depressingly adverb | In a depressing manner. | |
| disconnect verb | /dɪskəˈnɛkt/ | To sever or interrupt a connection. |
| enroll verb | /ɪnˈɹəʊl/ | To enter (a name, etc.) in a register, roll or list |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go off verb | To explode. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| get on with verb | To proceed with; to begin or continue, especially after an interruption. |
| come across verb | To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| die out verb | To become extinct. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| get back verb | Return to where one came from. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Have you spent all the prize money yet?
- That's not why I did it.
- Aren't we experiencing the same kind of destruction on a global scale?
- Otherwise, I can't help but feel rather lonely.
- Was there any time that you wanted to come running home?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to be |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't taken · that's been · has made |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be disrespected · were built · be impressed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who made · organisation which was |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 156 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: lethal /ˈliː.θəl/, tooth /tuθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: deforestation /dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/, socialize /ˈsoʊʃəlaɪz/, sanitation /ˌsænɪˈteɪʃən/, vaccination /ˌvæk.sɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, squash /skwɔʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: voluntary /ˈvɑ.lənˌt(ɛ)ɹi/, archaeologist /ˌɑɹ.kiˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/, deforestation /dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/, familiarity /fəmɪliˈæɹɪti/, materialistic /məˌtɪəɹ.i.əˈlɪs.tɪk/
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 extract, fume, statue.
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.