Shadowing Practice: Cambridge 17 Listening Test 2 part 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
48 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.
2
Now listen and answer questions 11 to 14.
3
Good morning and welcome to Oniton Hall, one of the largest estates in the area.
4
My name's Nick and I'm one of the guides.
5
I'll give you a brief introduction to the estate while you're sitting down and then we'll walk round.
6
The estate consists of the house, gardens, parkland and farm, and it dates back to the 14th century.
7
The original house was replaced in the late 17th century, and of course it has had a large number of owners.
8
Almost all of them have left their mark, generally by adding new rooms,
9
like the ballroom and conservatory, or by demolishing others.
10
The farm looks much as it's always done, although the current owner has done a great deal of work to the flower beds.
11
In the 17th century, the estate was owned by a very wealthy man called Sir Edward Downes.
12
His intention was to escape from the world of politics, after years as an active politician,
13
and to build a new house worthy of his big collection of books, paintings and sculptures.
14
He broke off contact with his former political allies and hosted meetings of creative and literary people,
15
like painters and poets.
16
Unusually for his time, he didn't care whether his guests were rich or poor, as long as they had talent.
17
Big houses like Oniton had dozens of servants until the 1920s or 30s,
18
and we've tried to show what their working lives were like.
19
Photographs, of course, don't give much of an idea, so instead, as you go round the house,
20
you'll see volunteers dressed up as 19th century servants going about their work.
21
They'll explain what they're doing and tell you their recipes or what tools they're using.
22
We've just introduced this feature to replace the audio guide we used to have available.
23
I see there are a number of children here with you today.
24
Well, we have several activities specially for children,
25
like dressing up in the sorts of clothes that children wore in the past, and as it's a fine day,
26
some of you will probably want to play in the Adventure Playground.
27
Our latest edition is child-sized tractors that you can drive around the grounds.
28
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 15-20.
29
Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.
30
We'll also be going into the farm that's part of the estate, where there's plenty to do.
31
Most of the buildings date from the 18th century, so you can really step back into an agricultural past.
32
Until recently, the dairy was where milk from the cows was turned into cheese.
33
It's now the place to go for lunch, or afternoon tea, or just a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade cake.
34
The big stone building that dominates the farm is the large barn, and in here is our collection of agricultural tools.
35
These were used in the past to plough the earth, sow seeds, make gates and much more.
36
There's a small barn, also made of stone, where you can groom the donkeys and horses to keep their coats clean.
37
They really seem to enjoy having it done, and children love grooming them.
38
The horses no longer live in the stables, which instead is the place to go to buy gifts,
39
books, our own jams and pickles, and clothes and blankets made of wool from our sheep.
40
Outside the shed, which is the only brick building,
41
you can climb into a horse-drawn carriage for a lovely relaxing tour of the park and farm.
42
The carriages are well over a hundred years old.
43
And finally, the parkland, which was laid out in the eighteenth century with a lake and trees that are now well established.
44
types of cattle and sheep that are hardly ever found on farms these days.
45
We're helping to preserve them, to stop their numbers falling further.
46
Okay, well, if you'd like to come with me, we will start… That is the end of part two.
47
You now have half a minute to check your answers.
48
Thank you.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
C13
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-2) (Part-4) with Answers
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B25
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-3) (Part-1) IELTS Practice British Council
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B113
Cambridge 15 Listening Test 4 ( part 1) IELTS Practice | British Council
IELTS PrepTOEIC PrepCambridge Exam Prep
B111
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-2) (Part-1)
TOEIC PrepBusiness EnglishInterview English
B25
Cambridge 17 listening (Test-1) (Part-3)
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
B11
Cambridge 17 listening test 4 part 1
TOEIC PrepCambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
C12
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-1) (Part-3)
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
Cambridge 17 listening test 4 part 3
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
B22
Cambridge 17 Listening Test 3 part 1
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B25
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-2) (Part-2)
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B22
Cambridge 17 listening test 4 part 2
TOEIC PrepCambridge Exam PrepBusiness English
B2Cambridge 15 listening (Test-1) (Part-2)
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B28
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-1) (Part-4)
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
B24
Cambridge 15 listening (Test-2) (Part-3)
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B22
Cambridge 17- Listening Test 3 part 3
Cambridge Exam PrepBusiness EnglishInterview English
C19
Cambridge 17 listening (Test-1) (Part-4)
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B15
Cambridge 17 Listening Test 2 part 1
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B27
Cambridge 17 listening (Test-1) (Part-2)
Cambridge Exam PrepTravel EnglishUniversity Students
B2Cambridge 15 Listening Test 4 ( part 2) IELTS Practice | British Council
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B22
70 sentences
Listening part two (Oniton Hall) @ieltslisteningpro.24
IELTS PrepTravel EnglishHigh School Students
B21
307 sentences
Cambridge 16 Listening Test 1 with Answer | #english #ieltslistening
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B21
45 sentences
Cambridge IELTS 11 | Listening Test 4 Section 2 | Audio, Questions, Answer Key and Transcript
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B21
64 sentences
Cam 19 Listening Test 1 Part 1 Hinnchingbrooke Country
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B21
63 sentences
Cambridge IELTS 11 | Listening Test 3 Section 2 | Audio, Questions, Answer Key and Transcript
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B22
262 sentences
Cambridge IELTS 16 Listening Test 4 with answer | #ieltslistening
IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
296 sentences
Cambridge IELTS 12 | Listening Test 1 | With Answers | HD
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B22
244 sentences
cambridge 9 test 2
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B21
302 sentences
Cambridge IELTS 14 Test 4- LISTENING TEST WITH ANSWERS -Tự học IELTS
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B23
57 sentences
Cambridge 18 Test 4 Section 2 Listening
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B21
271 sentences
Cambridge IELTS 17 | Listening Test 2 | With Answers | HD
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B21
284 sentences
New IELTS Listening Test 2026🎧| Full Practice Test to Score High🔥 #english #ielts #fyp #foryou
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Cambridge 17 Listening Test 2 part 2”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: farm, century, estate, questions, horse. This video has 48 sentences and 697 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:30. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| parkland noun | Land suitable for use as a park. | |
| groom verb | /ɡɹum/ | To attend to one's appearance and clothing. |
| barn noun | [ˈbɑɹn] | A building, often found on a farm, used for storage or keeping animals such as cattle. |
| cloth noun | /klɒθ/ | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes… |
| servant noun | /ˈsɝvənt/ | One who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation. As opposed to a slave. |
| cow noun | /kaʊ/ | An adult female of the species Bos taurus, especially one that has calved. |
| sheep noun | /ˈʃiːp/ | A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis. |
| conservatory noun | /kənˈsɝ.vəˌt(ɔ.)ɹi/ | A school or clinic for orphans. |
| demolish verb | /dɪˈmɒl.ɪʃ/ | To destroy (buildings, etc.), especially in a planned or intentional fashion. |
| eighteenth adjective | /ˌeɪˈtiːnθ/ | The ordinal form of the number eighteen. |
| pickle noun | /ˈpɪkəl/ | A cucumber preserved in a solution, usually a brine or a vinegar syrup. |
| plough noun | /plaʊ/ | A device pulled through the ground in order to break it open into furrows for planting. |
| ballroom noun | /ˈbɔːlɹuːm/ | A large room used for dancing and banquets. |
| donkey noun | /ˈdɑŋ.ki/ | A domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse. |
| unusually adverb | /ʌnˈjuːʒuəli/ | In an unusual manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| break off verb | To remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping. |
| dress up verb | To put on special or fancy clothes. |
| go round verb | To physically swirl or rotate. |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
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 | was replaced · was owned · was turned |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has had · have left · has done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | shed, which is · parkland, which was |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, we'll, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: cloth /klɒθ/, eighteenth /ˌeɪˈtiːnθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sheep /ˈʃiːp/, demolish /dɪˈmɒl.ɪʃ/, unusually /ʌnˈjuːʒuəli/, specially /ˈspɛʃəli/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: conservatory /kənˈsɝ.vəˌt(ɔ.)ɹi/, unusually /ʌnˈjuːʒuəli/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/
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 parkland, groom, barn.
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.