Shadowing Practice: Cambridge IELTS 17 | Listening Test 1 | With Answers | HD - Learn English Speaking with Video
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265 sentences
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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 parts.
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At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
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Now turn to part one.
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Part 1.
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You will hear a woman called Jan phoning a man about their local conservation group.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
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Hello.
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Oh, hello.
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My name's Jan.
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Are you the right person to talk to about the Buckworth Conservation Group?
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Yes, I'm Peter.
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I'm the secretary.
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Good.
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I've just moved to this area and I'm interested in getting involved.
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I was in a similar group where I used to live.
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Could you tell me something about your activities, please? Of course.
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Well, we have a mixture of regular activities and special events.
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One of the regular ones is trying to keep the beach free of litter.
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A few of us spend a couple of hours a month on it, and it's awful how much there is to clear.
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I wish people would be more responsible and take it home with them.
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I totally agree.
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I'd be happy to help with that.
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Is it OK to take dogs?
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I'm afraid not, as they're banned from the beach itself.
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You can take them along the cliffs, though, and children are welcome.
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Right.
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We also manage a nature reserve, and there's a lot to do there all year round.
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For example, because it's a popular place to visit, we spend a lot of time looking after the paths and making sure they're in good condition for walking.
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I could certainly help with that.
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Good.
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And we have a programme of creating new habitats there.
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We've just finished making and installing nesting boxes for birds to use, and next we're going to work on encouraging insects.
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They're important for the biodiversity of the reserve.
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They certainly are.
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Oh, and we're also running a project to identify the different species of butterflies that visit the reserve.
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You might be interested in taking part in that.
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Sure.
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I was involved in something similar where I used to live, counting all the species of moths.
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I'd enjoy that.
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Another job we're doing at the reserve is replacing the wall on the southern side, between the parking area and our woodshed.
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It was badly damaged in a storm last month.
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OK.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
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Then, as I said, we have a programme of events as well, both at the weekend and during the week.
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Right.
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I presume you have guided walks.
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I'd like to get to know the local countryside, as I'm new to the area.
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Yes, we do.
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The next walk is to Ruston Island a week on Saturday.
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We'll be meeting in the car park at Dunsmore Beach at low tide.
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That's when the sands are dry enough for us to walk to the island without getting wet.
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sounds good the island's a great place to explore it's quite small and it's got a range of habitats
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it's also an ideal location for seeing seals just off the coast or even on the beach okay
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and is there anything we should bring like a picnic for
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instance yes do bring one as it's a full day walk
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and of course it'll be wet walking across and back so make sure your boots are waterproof.
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I must buy a new pair.
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There's a hole in one of my current ones.
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Well, I'd definitely like to come on the walk.
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Great.
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Then, later this month, we're having a one -day woodwork session in Hopton Wood.
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I've never tried that before.
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Is it OK for beginners to take part?
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Definitely.
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There'll be a couple of experts leading the session, and we keep the number of participants down, so you'll get as much help as you need.
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Excellent.
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I'd love to be able to make chairs.
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That's probably too ambitious for one day.
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You'll be starting with wooden spoons and, of course, learning how to use the tools.
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And anything you make is yours to take home with you.
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That sounds like fun.
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When is it?
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It's on the 17th from 10am until 3.
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There's a charge of £35, including lunch, or £40 if you want to camp in the wood.
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I should think I'll come home the same day.
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Well, I'd certainly like to join the group.
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It sounds like you...
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That is the end of part one.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers to part one.
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Part 2 You will hear a tour guide, Lou Miller,
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speaking to a group of people about a boat trip they are going to take around the Australian island of Tasmania.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14. So, hello everyone,
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my name's Lou Miller
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and I'm going to be your tour guide today as we take this fantastic boat trip around the Tasmanian coast.
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Before we set off, I just want to tell you a few things about our journey.
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Our boats aren't huge, as you can see, we already have three staff members on board, and on top of that,
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we can transport a further 15 people, that's you, around the coastline.
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But please note, if there are more than 9 people on either side of the boat, we'll move some of you over,
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otherwise all 18 of us will end up in the sea.
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We've recently upgraded all our boats.
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They used to be jet black, but our new ones now have these comfortable dark red seats
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and a light green exterior in order to stand out from others and help promote our company.
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This gives our boats a rather unique appearance, don't you think?
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We offer you a free lunchbox during the trip, and we have three types.
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Lunchbox 1 contains ham and tomato sandwiches.
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Lunchbox 2 contains a cheddar cheese roll and lunchbox three is salad based and also contains eggs and tuna.
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All three lunchboxes also have a packet of crisps and chocolate bar inside.
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Please let staff know which lunchbox you prefer.
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I'm sure I don't have to ask you not to throw anything into the sea.
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We don't have any bins to put litter in, but Jess, myself or Ray,
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our other guide, will collect it from you after lunch and put it all in a large plastic sack.
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Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.
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You Now
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listen and answer questions 15 to 20.
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The engine on the boat makes quite a lot of noise, so before we head off, let me tell you a few things about what you're going to see.
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This area is famous for its ancient lighthouse, which you'll see from the boat as we turn past the first little island.
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It was built in 1838 to protect sailors, as a number of shipwrecks had led to significant loss of life.
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The construction itself was complicated, as some of the original drawings kept by the local council show.
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It sits right on top of the cliffs in a very isolated spot.
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In the 19th century, there were many jobs there, such as polishing the brass lamps,
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chopping firewood and cleaning windows that kept lighthouse keepers busy.
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These workers were mainly prison convicts until the middle of that century,
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when ordinary families willing to live in such circumstances took over.
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Some of you have asked me what creatures we can expect to see.
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I know everyone loves the penguins, but they're very shy and unfortunately tend to hide from passing boats,
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but you might see birds in the distance, such as sea eagles, flying around the cliff edges where they nest.
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When we get to the rocky area inhabited by fur seals, we'll stop and watch them swimming around the coast.
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They're inquisitive creatures, so don't be surprised if one pops up right in front of you.
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Their predators, orca whales, hunt along the coastline too, but spotting one of these is rare.
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Dolphins, on the other hand, can sometimes approach on their own or in groups as they ride the waves beside us.
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Lastly, I want to mention the caves.
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Tasmania is famous for its caves and the ones we'll pass by are
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so amazing that people are lost for words when they see them.
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They can only be approached by sea, but if you feel
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that you want to see more than we're able to show
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you then you can take a kayak into the area on another day
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and one of our staff will give you more information on
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that what we'll do is to go through a narrow channel past some incredible rock formations
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and from there we'll be able to see the openings to the caves
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and at that point we'll talk to you about what lies beyond That is the end of part two.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers to part two.
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Part 3 You will hear two veterinary science students called Diana and Tim discussing their work placements and their course modules.
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First you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.
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So, Tim, we have to do a short summary of our work experience on a farm.
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Right.
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My farm was great, but arranging the work experience was hard.
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Thank you.
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One problem was it was miles away, and I don't drive.
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And also, I'd really wanted a placement for a month, but I could only get one for two weeks.
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I was lucky.
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The farmer let me stay on the farm, so I didn't have to travel.
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But finding the right sort of farm to apply to wasn't easy.
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No, they don't seem to have websites, do they?
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I found mine through a friend of my mother's, but it wasn't easy.
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No. My farm was mostly livestock, especially sheep.
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I really enjoyed helping out with them.
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I was up most of one night helping a sheep deliver a lamb.
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On your own?
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No, the farmer was there, and he told me what to do.
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It wasn't a straightforward birth, but I managed.
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It was a great feeling to see the lamb stagger to its feet and start feeding almost straight away, and to know that it was okay.
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Then another time a lamb had broken its leg
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and they got the vet in to set it and he talked me through what he was doing.
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That was really useful.
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Yes, my farm had sheep too.
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The farm was in a valley and they had a lowland breed called Suffolks, although the farmer said they'd had other breeds in the past.
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So were they bred for their meat?
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Mostly, yes.
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They're quite big and solid my farm was up in the hills
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and they had a different breed of sheep they were cheviots oh
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i heard their wools really sought after yes it's very hard wearing
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and they use it for carpets right i was interested in the amount of supplements they add to animals feed nowadays
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like even the chickens got extra vitamins and electrolytes in their feed yes i found that too too, and they're not cheap.
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But my farmer said some are overpriced for what they are, and he didn't give them as a matter of routine,
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just at times when the chickens seem to particularly require them.
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Yes, Mai said the same.
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He said certain breeds of chickens might need more supplements than the others, but the cheap and expensive ones are all basically the same.
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So did your farm have any other livestock, Diana?
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Anna?
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Yes, dairy cows.
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I made a really embarrassing mistake when I was working in the milk shed.
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Some cows had been treated with antibiotics, so their milk wasn't suitable for human consumption and it had to be put in a separate container.
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But I got mixed up and I poured some milk from the wrong cow in with the milk for humans,
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so the whole lot had to be thrown away the farmer
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wasn't too happy with me I asked my farmer how much
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he depended on the vet to deal with health problems I've read reports
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that the livestock's health is being affected as farmers are under pressure to increase production well he didn't agree with
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that but he said
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that actually some of the stuff the vets do like minor
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operations he'd be quite capable of doing himself yeah my My farmer said the same, but he reckons vet skills are still needed.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions twenty -seven to thirty.
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Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
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Now we've got to give a bit of feedback about last term's modules, just short comments apparently.
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Shall we do that now?
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OK.
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So, medical terminology.
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Well, my heart sank when I saw that especially right at the beginning of the course, and I did struggle with it.
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I thought it would be hard, but actually I found it all quite straightforward.
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What did you think about diet and nutrition?
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OK, I suppose.
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Do you remember what they told us about pet food
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and the fact that there's such limited checking into whether or not it's contaminated?
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I mean, in comparison with the checks on food for humans, I thought that was terrible.
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Hmm.
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I think the module that really impressed me was the animal disease one, when we looked at domesticated animals in different parts of the world,
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like camels and water buffalo and alpaca.
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The economies of so many countries depend on these, but scientists don't know much about the diseases that affect them.
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Yes.
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I thought they'd know a lot about ways of controlling and eradicating those diseases, but that's not the case at all.
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I loved the wildlife medication unit.
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Things like helping birds that have been caught in oil spills.
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That's something I hadn't thought about before.
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Yeah, I thought I might write my dissertation on something connected with that.
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Right.
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So, actually, I was thinking something along the same lines.
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That is the end of part three.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers to part three.
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Part 4 You will hear an anthropology student giving a presentation on spiral path designs known as labyrinths.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Labyrinths have existed for well over 4 ,000 years.
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Labyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been found in regions as diverse as modern -day Turkey, Ireland, Greece and India.
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There are various designs of labyrinth, but what they all have in common is a winding spiral path which leads to a central area.
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There is one starting point at the entrance, and the goal is to reach the central area.
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Finding your way through a labyrinth involves many twists and turns, but it's not possible to get lost, as there is only one single path.
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In modern times, the word labyrinth has taken on a different meaning and is often used as a synonym for a maze.
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A maze is quite different, as it is a kind of puzzle with an intricate network of paths.
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Mazes became fashionable in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe
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and can still be found in the gardens of great houses and palaces.
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The paths are usually surrounded by thick, high hedges so that it's not possible to see over them.
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Entering a maze usually involves getting lost a few times before using logic to work out the pattern
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and find your way to the centre, and then out again.
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There are lots of dead ends and paths which lead you back to where you started.
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The word maze is believed to come from a Scandinavian word for a state of confusion.
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This is where the word amazing comes from.
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Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a very different function.
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Although people now often refer to things they find complicated as labyrinths, this is not how they were seen in the past.
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The winding spiral of the labyrinth has been used for centuries as a metaphor for life's journey.
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It served as a spiritual reminder that there is purpose
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and meaning to our lives and helped to give people a sense of direction.
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Labyrinths are thought to encourage a feeling of calm
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and have been used as a meditation and prayer tool in many cultures over many centuries.
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The earliest examples of the labyrinth spiral pattern have been found carved into stone from Sardinia to Scandinavia,
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from Arizona to India to Africa.
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In Europe, these spiral carvings date from the late Bronze Age.
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The Native American Pima tribe wove baskets with a circular labyrinth design that depicted their own cosmology.
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In ancient Greece, the labyrinth spiral was used on coins around 4 ,000 years ago.
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Labyrinths made of mosaics were commonly found in bathhouses, villas and tombs throughout the Roman Empire.
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In Northern Europe, there were actual physical labyrinths designed for walking on.
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These were cut into the turf or grass, usually in a circular pattern.
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The origin of these walking labyrinths remains unclear, but they were probably used for fertility rites, which may date back thousands of years.
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Eleven examples of turf labyrinths survive today, including the largest one at Saffron Walden,
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England, which used to have a large tree in the middle of it.
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More recently, labyrinths have experienced something of a revival.
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Some believe that walking a labyrinth promotes healing and mindfulness, and there are those who believe in its emotional and physical benefits,
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which include slower breathing and a restored sense of balance and perspective.
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This idea has become so popular that labyrinths have been laid into the floors of spas, wellness centers, and even prisons in recent years.
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A pamphlet at Colorado Children's Hospital informs patients that walking a labyrinth can often calm people in the midst of a crisis.
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And apparently, it's not only patients who benefit.
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Many visitors find walking a labyrinth less stressful than sitting in a corridor or waiting room.
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Some doctors even walk the labyrinth during their breaks.
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In some hospitals, patients who can't walk can have a paper finger labyrinth brought to their bed.
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The science behind the theory is a little sketchy, but there are dozens of small -scale studies which support claims about the benefits of labyrinths.
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For example, one study found that walking a labyrinth provided short -term calming, relaxation and relief from anxiety for Alzheimer's patients.
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So what is it about labyrinths that makes their appeal so universal?
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That is the end of part four.
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You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Cambridge IELTS 17”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: labyrinth, questions, answer. This video has 265 sentences and 3199 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:25. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| labyrinth noun | /ˈlæb.ə.ɹɪnθ/ | A complicated irregular network of passages or paths, especially underground or covered, in which it is difficult to find one's way. |
| farmer noun | /ˈfɑɹ.mɚ/ | A person who works the land and/or who keeps livestock; anyone engaged in agriculture on a farm. |
| spiral noun | /ˈspaɪɹəl/ | A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point. |
| lunchbox noun | /ˈlʌntʃˌbɒks/ | A container for transporting meals, especially lunch. |
| breed verb | /ˈbɹiːd/ | To give birth to; to be the native place of. |
| maze noun | /ˈmeɪz/ | A labyrinth; a puzzle consisting of a complicated network of paths or passages, the aim of which is to find one's way through. |
| sheep noun | /ˈʃiːp/ | A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis. |
| module noun | /ˈmɑd͡ʒul/ | A self-contained component of a system, often interchangeable, which has a well-defined interface to the other components. |
| lamb noun | /ˈlæm/ | A young sheep; especially, one younger than nine months. |
| cliff noun | /klɪf/ | A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face. |
| coastline noun | The shape, outline, or boundary of a coast. (The term coastline is generally used to describe the approximate boundaries at relatively large spatial scales.) | |
| lighthouse noun | /ˈlaɪthaʊs/ | A tower or other structure exhibiting a light or lights to warn or guide sailors. |
| litter noun | /ˈlɪt.ɚ/ | Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals. |
| turf noun | /tɝf/ | A layer of earth covered with grass; sod. |
| straightforward adjective | /ˌstɹeɪtˈfɔː(ɹ)wə(ɹ)d/ | Proceeding in a straight course or manner; not deviating. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| head off verb | To begin moving away. |
| mix up verb | To mix or blend thoroughly and completely. |
| pop up verb | To come up with a "pop" sound. |
| see over verb | To inspect something fully. |
| set off verb | To leave; to set out; to begin a journey or trip. |
| take over verb | To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force. |
| throw away verb | To discard (trash, garbage, or the like), to toss out, to put in the trash. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Could you tell me something about your activities, please?
- I'd be happy to help with that.
- There's a hole in one of my current ones.
- This gives our boats a rather unique appearance, don't you think?
- Shall we do that now?
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 live · used to be · used to have |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've just moved · We've just finished · have guided |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be played · will be given · was involved |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 67 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'd, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: labyrinth /ˈlæb.ə.ɹɪnθ/, anthropology /ˌænθɹəˈpɑləd͡ʒi/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sheep /ˈʃiːp/, fashionable /ˈfæʃənəbl̩/, dissertation /ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən/, relaxation /rᵻˌlækˈseɪ.ʃən/, meditation /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: contaminate /kənˈtæmɪneɪt/, antibiotic /ˌæn.taɪ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/, inhabited /ɪnˈhæbɪtɪd/, anthropology /ˌænθɹəˈpɑləd͡ʒi/, terminology /ˌtɝ.məˈnɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/
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 labyrinth, farmer, spiral.
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.