Shadowing Practice: cambridge 9 test 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Test 2.

You will hear a number of different recordings, and you will have to answer questions on what you hear.

There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions, and you will have a chance to check your work.

All the recordings will be played once only.

The test is in four sections.

At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.

Now turn to section one.

Section one.

You will hear a student talking to the student accommodation officer at a college.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.

On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.

Good morning.

Can I help you?

Yes.

I've just been accepted on a course at the university, and I'd like to try and arrange accommodation in the Hall of Residence.

Yes, certainly.

Please sit down.

What I'll do is fill in a form with you to find out a little more about your preferences and so forth.

Thank you.

The student wishes to arrange accommodation in a hall of residence, so hall has been written in the space.

Now we shall begin.

you should answer the questions as you listen

because you will not hear the recording a second time listen carefully

and answer questions one to five good morning can i help

you yes i've just been accepted on a course at the university

and i'd like to try

and arrange accommodation in the hall of residence yes certainly please

sit down what i'll do is fill in a form with

you to find out a little more about your preferences and

so forth thank you

so first of all um can i take your name it's

anu bat could you spell your name please yes a n u b h a double t thanks

and could ask your date of birth the 31st of march 1972 thank you

and where are you from india oh right

and um what will you be studying i'm doing a course in nursing right thank you

and how long would you want to stay in hall do you think well it'll take three years

but i'd only like to stay in hall for two i'd

like to think about living outside for the third year fine

and what did you have in mind for catering do you want to cook for yourself

or have all your meals provided that's full board is there

something in between yes you can just have evening meal provided

which is half board that's what i'd prefer yes a lot of students opt for

that now with

that in mind do you have any special diet anything we

should know about yes i don't take red meat no red meat Before you hear the rest of the conversation,

you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.

Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.

Now, thinking about the room itself, we have a number of options.

You can have a single study bedroom or you can have a shared one.

These are both what we call simple rooms.

The other alternative is to opt for a single bedsit, which actually has more space and better facilities.

There's about £20 a week difference between them.

Well, actually, my grant is quite generous, and I think the bedsit sounds the best option.

Lovely.

I'll put you down for that, and we'll see what availability is like.

Now, can I ask some other personal details which we like to have on record?

Yes, of course.

I wonder if you could let us know what your interests are.

This might help us get a closer match for placing you in a particular hall.

Um, well, I love the theatre.

Right.

And I enjoy sports, particularly badminton.

Ah, that's worth knowing.

Now, what we finish with on the form is really a

list from you of what your priorities are in choosing a hall.

And we'll do our best to take these into account.

Well, the first thing is I'd prefer a hall where there are other mature students, if possible.

Yes, we do have halls which tend to cater for slightly older students.

And I'd prefer to be out of town

That's actually very good for you Because we tend to have more vacancies in out -of -town halls Lucky Yes Anything else?

Well, I would like somewhere with a shared area A TV room, for example, or something like that It's a good way to socialise It certainly is That's it?

Now, we just need a contact telephone number for you Oh, sure I'll just find it.

Um, it's, uh, double six, seven five, four nine.

Great.

So we'll be in contact with you as soon as possible.

That is the end of section one.

You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Now turn to Section 2.

Section 2 You will hear a man giving a talk to new members of a wildlife club in the south of England.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 13.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 13.

Hello.

I'm delighted to welcome you to our wildlife club and very pleased

that you're interested in the countryside and the plants and creatures of this area.

I think you'll be surprised at the variety we have here, even though we're not far from London.

I'll start by telling you about some of the parks and open spaces nearby.

One very pleasant place is Halland Common.

This has been public land for hundreds of years, and what you'll find interesting is that the River Ouse, which flows into the sea 80 kilometres away,

has its source in the common.

There's an information board about the plants and animals you can see here, And, by the way, the common is accessible 24 hours a day.

Then there's Holt Island, which is noted for its great range of trees.

In the past, willows were grown here commercially for basket -making, and this ancient craft has recently been reintroduced.

The island is only open to the public from Friday to Sunday, because it's quite small, and if there were people around every day,

much of the wildlife would keep away.

From there, it's just a short walk across the bridge to Longfield Country Park.

Longfield has a modern replica of a farm from over 2 ,000 years ago.

Children's activities are often arranged there, like bread -making and face -painting.

The park is only open during daylight hours, so bear that in mind if you decide to go there.

100

Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 14 to 20.

101

Now listen and answer questions 14 to 20.

102

Longfield Park has a programme of activities throughout the year, and to give you a sample, this is what's happening in the next few days.

103

On Monday, you can learn about herbs and how they've been used over the centuries.

104

You'll start with a tour of our herb garden, practise the technique of using them as colour dyes for cloth,

105

and listen to an illustrated talk about their use in cooking and medicine.

106

Then on Wednesday you can join local experts to discover the variety of insects and birds that appear in the evening.

107

We keep to a small number of people in the group, so if you want to go, you'll need to phone the park ranger a few days ahead.

108

There's a small charge which you should pay when you turn up.

109

I'm sure you're all keen to help with the practical task of looking after the park, so on Saturday you can join a working party.

110

You'll have a choice of all sorts of activities, from planting hedges to picking up litter, so you'll be able to change from one to another when you feel like it.

111

The rangers will be hard at work all day, but do come and join in, even for just a short while.

112

One thing, though, is to make sure you're wearing something that you don't mind getting dirty or torn.

113

And finally, I'd like to tell you about our new wildlife area, Hinchingbrook Park, which will be opened to the public next month.

114

This slide doesn't really indicate how big it is, but anyway, you can see the two gates into the park and the main paths.

115

As you can see, there's a lake in the north -west of the park with

116

a bird hide to the west of it at the end of a path, so it'll be a nice quiet place for watching the birds on the lake.

117

Fairly close to where refreshments are available, there's a dog walking area in the southern part of the park, leading off from the path.

118

And if you just want to sit and relax, you can go to the flower garden.

119

That's the circular area on the map, surrounded by paths.

120

And finally, there's a wooded area in the western section of the park between two paths.

121

OK, that's enough from me, so let's get on and have a look.

122

That is the end of section two.

123

You now have half a minute to check your answers.

124

Now turn to section 3.

125

Section 3

126

You will hear the Director of Studies in an English Language Centre and a student representative talking about their self -access centre.

127

First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.

128

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

129

Hi, Yun.

130

As you know, I've asked you here today to discuss the future of our self -access centre.

131

We have to decide what we want to do about this very important resource for our English language students.

132

Can you tell me what the students think about this?

133

Well, from the students' point of view, we would like to keep it.

134

The majority of students say that they enjoy using it

135

because it provides a variation on the classroom routine and they see it as a pretty major component of their course.

136

But we would like to see some improvements to the equipment, particularly the computers.

137

There aren't enough for one each at the moment

138

and we always have to share well yes the teachers agree

139

that it is a very valuable resource but one thing we have noticed is

140

that a lot of the students are using it to check

141

their personal emails we don't want to stop you students using it

142

but we think the computer should be used as a learning resource not for emails some of us also think

143

that we could benefit a lot more by relocating the self

144

-access center to the main university library building how do you think the students would feel about that, Yun?

145

Well, the library is big enough to incorporate the self -access centre, but it wouldn't be like a class activity anymore.

146

Our main worry would be not being able to go to a teacher for advice.

147

I'm sure there would be plenty of things to do, but we really need teachers to help us choose the best activities.

148

Well, there would still be a teacher present and he or she would guide the activities of the students.

149

We wouldn't just leave them to get on with it.

150

Yes, Yes, but I think the students would be much happier keeping the existing set up.

151

They really like going to the self -access centre with their teacher and staying together as a group to do activities.

152

If we could just improve the resources and facilities, I think it would be fine.

153

Is the cost going to be a problem?

154

It's not so much the expense that I'm worried about, and we've certainly got room to do it,

155

but it's the problem of timetabling a teacher to be in there outside class hours.

156

If we're going to spend a lot of money on equipment and resources, we really need to make sure that everything is looked after properly.

157

Anyway, let's make some notes to see just what needs doing to improve the centre.

158

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.

159

Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

160

Now, what about the computers?

161

I think it might be a good idea to install some new models.

162

They would take up a lot less room, and so that would increase the workspace for textbooks and so on.

163

That would be great.

164

It is a bit cramped in there at times.

165

What about other resources?

166

Do you have a list of things that the students would like to see improved?

167

Yes.

168

One of the comments that students frequently make is

169

that they find it difficult to find materials

170

that are appropriate for their level especially reading resources

171

so I think we need to label them more clearly well that's easy enough we can get

172

that organized very quickly in fact I think we should review

173

all of the study resources as some of them are looking

174

a bit out of date definitely the CD section especially needs

175

to be more current I think we should get some of the ones

176

that go with our latest course books

177

and also make multiple copies good now I was also thinking about some different materials

178

that we haven't got in there at all what do you think of the idea of introducing some workbooks if

179

we break them up into separate pages

180

and laminate them they'd be a great resource the students could study the main course book in class

181

and then do follow up practice in the self -access center

182

that sounds good okay now finally we need to think about

183

how the room is used I'll have to talk to the teachers

184

and make sure we can all reach some agreement on a timetable to supervise the center after class

185

but we also need to think about security too especially

186

if we're going to invest in some new equipment um what

187

about putting in an alarm good idea the other thing I'd like to do is talk to our technicians

188

and see whether we could somehow limit the access to email I really don't want to see

189

that resource misused what about if we agree to only use it before

190

and after class yes that would be fine okay anyway that's great for now we'll discuss it further when we've managed

191

That is the end of section 3.

192

You now have half a minute to check your answers.

193

Now turn to section 4.

194

Section 4.

195

You will hear the beginning of a lecture about business cultures.

196

First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.

197

Thank you.

198

Now listen carefully, and answer questions 31 to 40.

199

Good morning, everyone.

200

Now, whether you are going to university to study business or some other subject, many of you will eventually end up working for a company of some kind.

201

Now, when you first start working somewhere, you will realize that the organization you've joined has certain characteristics.

202

And we often refer to these social characteristics as the culture of the organization.

203

This includes its unwritten ideas, beliefs, values, and things like that.

204

One well -known writer has classified company cultures by identifying four major types.

205

The first type is called the power culture, and it's usually found in small organizations.

206

It's the type of culture that needs a central source of power to be effective.

207

And because control is in the hands of just one or two people, there aren't many rules or procedures.

208

Another characteristic is that communication usually takes the form of conversations rather than, say, formal meetings or written memos.

209

Now, one of the benefits of this culture is that the organization has the ability to act quickly,

210

so it responds well to threat or danger on the one hand and opportunity on the other.

211

But on the negative side, this type of organization doesn't always act effectively, because it depends too much on one or two people at the top.

212

And when these people make poor decisions, there's no one else who can influence them.

213

And the kind of person who does well in this type of business culture is one who is happy to take risks, and for whom job security is a low priority.

214

The next type is known as role culture.

215

That's R -O -L -E, not R -O -L -L, by the way.

216

And this type is usually found in large companies, which have lots of different levels in them.

217

These organizations usually have separate departments that specialize in things like finance or sales or maintenance or whatever.

218

Each one is coordinated at the top by a small group of senior managers.

219

And typically, everyone's job is controlled by sets of rules and procedures.

220

For example, there are specific job descriptions, rules for discipline, and so on.

221

What are the benefits of this kind of culture?

222

Well, firstly, because it's found in large organizations, its fixed costs, or overheads as they're known,

223

are low in relation to its output or what it produces.

224

In other words, it can achieve economies of scale.

225

And secondly, it is particularly successful in business markets where technical expertise is important.

226

On the other hand, this culture is often very slow to recognize the need for change, and even slower to react.

227

What kind of person does this type of culture suit?

228

Well, it suits employees who value security and who don't particularly want to have responsibility.

229

You Moving on now to task cultures, this type is found in organizations that are project -oriented.

230

You usually find it where the market for the company's product is extremely competitive, or where the products themselves have a short lifespan.

231

Usually, top management delegates the projects, the people, and other resources, and once these have been allocated,

232

little day -to -day control is exercised from the top, because this would seem like breaking the rules.

233

Now, one of the major benefits of this culture is that it's flexible, but it does have some major disadvantages too.

234

For instance, it can't produce economies of scale or great depth of expertise.

235

People who like working in groups or teams prefer this type of culture.

236

And finally, the fourth category is called the person culture.

237

That is the end of section 4.

238

You now have half a minute to check your answers.

239

That is the end of the listening test.

240

In the IELTS test, you would now have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

241

Thank you.

242

Thank you.

243

Thank you.

244

Thank you.

✨ Recommend Video

314 sentences

Cambridge 11 Listening test 1 Full clear Audio with answers | Full Screen HD | Comment your Score

University StudentsWorking Adults+1

665 sentences

Complete IELTS Bands 5 6 5 Workbook Mark Harrison

IELTS PrepUniversity Students+2

279 sentences

Cambridge 20 listening test 02|Full clear audio with answer key|Comment your score...🌸

IELTS PrepUniversity Students+2

294 sentences

CAMBRIDGE BOOK 20 LISTENING TEST 4 || RECENT LISTENING TESTS WITH ANSWERS 2025 ||

IELTS PrepUniversity Students+2

286 sentences

Cambridge IELTS 17 Listening Test 4 With answer |

University StudentsWorking Adults+1

231 sentences

IELTS CAMBRIDGE LISTENING BOOK 18 TEST 3 WITH ANSWERS

IELTS PrepUniversity Students+2

267 sentences

Transport Form Highgate Village Listening Test

IELTS PrepTOEFL Prep+3

273 sentences

Cambridge IELTS 15 Listening Test 1 | Full Practice Test with Answers

TOEFL PrepUniversity Students+2

262 sentences

Cambridge IELTS 16 Listening Test 4 with answer | #ieltslistening

IELTS PrepUniversity Students+2

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: cambridge 9 test 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Cambridge 11 Listening test 1 Full clear Audio with answers | Full Screen HD | Comment your Score

Complete IELTS Bands 5 6 5 Workbook Mark Harrison

Cambridge 20 listening test 02|Full clear audio with answer key|Comment your score...🌸

CAMBRIDGE 1 LISTENING TEST 1 WITH ANSWERS

Cambridge 17 Listening Test 2 part 2

HỌC FCE 1 TEST 1 PART 1

CAMBRIDGE BOOK 20 LISTENING TEST 4 || RECENT LISTENING TESTS WITH ANSWERS 2025 ||

Cambridge IELTS 17 Listening Test 4 With answer |

IELTS CAMBRIDGE LISTENING BOOK 18 TEST 3 WITH ANSWERS

Transport Form Highgate Village Listening Test

Cambridge IELTS 15 Listening Test 1 | Full Practice Test with Answers

Cambridge IELTS 16 Listening Test 4 with answer | #ieltslistening

Exploring a Student Accommodation Dialogue: Real-Life English in Action

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Dialogue

What is the Shadowing Technique?