Shadowing Practice: Cambridge 11 - Listening - Test 1 - Section 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Cambridge English, IELTS 11, Tests 1 to 4 Published by Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English Language Assessment 2016
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This recording is copyright.
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CD 1
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Test 1 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 an official at a village hall
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and a woman who wants to hire a public room.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.
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You will see that there is an example that 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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Oh, hello.
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I wanted to enquire about hiring a room in the village
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hall for the evening of September the 1st. Let me just see.
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Err, yes, we have both rooms available that evening.
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There's our main hall that's got seating for 200 people, or there's the Charlton room.
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The main hall seats 200, so 200 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 6.
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Hello?
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Oh, hello.
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I wanted to inquire about hiring a room in the village hall for the evening of September the 1st.
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Let me just see.
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Yes, we have both rooms available that evening.
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There's our main hall.
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That's got seating for 200 people.
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Or there's the Charlton room.
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Sorry?
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The Charlton room.
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C-H-A-R-L-T-O-N.
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That's got seating for up to 100.
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Well, we're organising a dinner to raise money for a charity, and we're hoping for at least 150 people.
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So, I think we'll go for the main hall.
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How much would that cost?
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Let's see.
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You wanted it for the evening of September the 1st?
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Yes, that's a Saturday.
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So, from 6pm to midnight, that'd be £115.
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That's the weekend price.
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It's £75 on weekdays.
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That's all right.
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And I have to tell you, there's also a deposit of £250, which is returnable, of course, as long as there's no damage.
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But we do insist that this is paid in cash.
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We don't take cards for that.
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You can pay the actual rent of the room however you like, though.
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Cash, credit card, cheque.
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Oh, well, I suppose that's OK.
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So, does the charge include use of tables and chairs and so on?
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Oh, yes.
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And what about parking?
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Yeah, that's all included.
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The only thing that isn't included is.. you said you were organising a dinner?
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Yeah.
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Well, you'll have to pay extra for the kitchen if you want to use that.
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It's £25.
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It's It's got very good facilities, good quality cookers and fridges and so on.
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OK.
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Well, I suppose that's all right.
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We can cover the cost in our entry charges.
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Right.
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So I'll make a note of that.
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Now, there are just one or two things you need to think about before the event.
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For example, you'll have to see about getting a licence if you're planning to have any music during the meal.
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Oh, really?
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It's quite straightforward.
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I'll give you the details later on.
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And about a week or ten days before your event, you'll need to contact the caretaker,
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that's Mr Evans, to make the arrangements for entry.
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He'll sort that out with you.
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And do I give him the payment as well?
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No, you do that directly with me.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions seven to ten.
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Right.
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Now, is there anything I need to know about what happens during the event?
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Well, as you'll be aware, of course, the building is no smoking throughout. Of course.
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Now, are you having a band?
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Yes.
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Well, they'll have a lot of equipment, so rather than using the front door, they should park their van round the back and use the stage door there.
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You can open that from inside, but don't forget to lock it at the end.
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OK.
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And talking of bans, I'm sure I don't need to tell you this,
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but you must make sure that no one fiddles about with the black box by the fire door.
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That's a system that cuts in when the volume reaches a certain level.
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It's a legal requirement.
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Sure.
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Anyway, we want people to be able to talk to one another, so we don't want anything too loud.
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Oh, that reminds me.
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We'll be having speeches.
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Are there any microphones available?
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Yep.
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Just let the caretaker know.
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He'll get those for you.
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Right.
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Now, when the event is over, we do ask that the premises are left in good condition.
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So, there's a locked cupboard and you'll be informed of the code you need to open that.
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It's got all the cleaning equipment, brushes and detergent and so on.
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Right.
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So what do we need to do after everyone's gone?
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Sweep the floors, I suppose?
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Well, actually they have to be washed, not just swept.
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Then you'll be provided with black plastic bags, so all the rubbish must be collected up and left outside the door. Of course.
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We'll make sure everything's left tidy.
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Oh, and I forgot to ask.
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I presume we can have decorations in the room?
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Yes, but you must take them down afterwards.
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Sure.
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And the chairs and tables should be stacked up neatly at the back of the room.
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I'll make sure I've got a few people to help me.
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That is the end of section one.
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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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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Cambridge 11 - Listening - Test 1 - Section 1”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: hall, questions, answer, evening, section. This video has 118 sentences and 999 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:35. The speaker talks slowly, about 104 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| caretaker noun | /ˈkɛɹˌteɪ.kɚ/ | Someone who takes care of a place or thing; someone looking after a place, or responsible for keeping it in good repair. |
| inquire verb | /ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/ | To ask (about something). |
| organising noun | The act or process by which something is organised. | |
| sweep verb | /swiːp/ | To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. |
| cheque noun | /t͡ʃɛk/ | A written order directing a bank to pay money to a person or entity. |
| cooker noun | /ˈkʊkɚ/ | A cookstove. |
| cupboard noun | /ˈkʌb.əd/ | A cabinet, closet, or other piece of furniture with shelves intended for storing cookware, dishware, or food; similar cabinets or closets used for storing… |
| detergent noun | /dɪˈtɜːd͡ʒənt/ | Any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant. |
| fiddle verb | /ˈfɪdl̩/ | To play the fiddle or violin, particularly in a folk or country style. |
| neatly adverb | /ˈniːtli/ | In a neat manner. |
| returnable adjective | Capable of being returned. | |
| weekday noun | /ˈwiːkdeɪ̯/ | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, but not Saturday or Sunday. |
| tidy adjective | /ˈtaɪ.di/ | Arranged neatly and in order. |
| presume verb | /pɹɪˈz(j)um/ | To be so presumptuous as (to do something) without proper authority or permission [with to (+ infinitive)]. |
| microphone noun | /ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/ | A device (transducer) used to convert sound waves into a varying electric current; normally fed into an amplifier and either recorded or transmitted over radio. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We don't take cards for that.
- I'll give you the details later on.
- He'll sort that out with you.
- Sweep the floors, I suppose?
- I presume we can have decorations in the room?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be played · will be given · has been done |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been done · has been written |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should answer · should park · should be |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will hear · will be · will see |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as you'll, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: decoration /ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/, rubbish /ˈɹʌbɪʃ/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, brush /bɹʌʃ/
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 caretaker, inquire, organising.
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.