Shadowing Practice: Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Listening Test 4 | Full Answers & Transcript - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Test 4.
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This is the IELTS Listening Test.
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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 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.
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Now turn to part one.
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Part one.
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You will hear a supervisor in a supermarket talking to a new worker on her first day.
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First, you have some time to look at questions one to six.
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Thank you.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.
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Hello, Charlotte.
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I'm Caden, one of the supervisors.
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Welcome to the team.
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Hi, Aidan.
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It's Caden.
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I'm so sorry.
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Don't worry.
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People often get my name wrong.
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They never know how to spell it.
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It's K -A -E -D -E -N, in case you ever need to write it.
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I'll try and remember.
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So, there are a few practical things you need to sort out this morning.
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Then I'll show you what you're going to do today.
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The email I received said to go to the front desk to show my letter of appointment and pick up my badge.
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You'll need that for the staff room and other areas of the supermarket where shoppers aren't allowed.
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So, after you've finished at the front desk, I'll take you to the staff room.
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Put your coat and rucksack in one of the lockers there.
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Take whichever one is free.
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Will I have a key?
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Yes.
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Try not to lose it.
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At the end of the day, leave it in the door for the next person to use. Will do.
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You also need to go to the HR department to see Tiffany.
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She's really helpful.
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I was told to bring my passport with me.
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HR need to take a note of the number in it.
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That's right.
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Or you can show your ID card.
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I don't have one of those.
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OK.
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Tiffany will give you a uniform.
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They have lots in different sizes, so you just tell her what you need.
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I won't come with you to HR.
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I've got to go and sort something else out.
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Um, problem with a bread slicer.
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Is the HR office near the staff room?
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The staff room's on the first floor, and HR are a couple of floors above that, on the third floor.
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There's a staircase outside the staff room.
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OK.
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When you're finished with HR, come and find me in the bakery section of the shop.
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I'm looking forward to getting started.
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I'll just give you my phone number in case you can't find me.
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Have you got your phone there?
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Yes.
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OK.
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Ready?
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It's 0412 665903.
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OK.
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Done.
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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 7 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.
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So, Charlotte, your tasks today are in the bakery section, on the sushi counter and on the meat and fish counters.
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The first job is to check sell -by dates on the bread and cakes.
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If any of the dates are today's, put a new price label on the packaging.
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What if any of the labels are yesterday's dates or older?
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Do I throw those items away?
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Yes, but that shouldn't happen.
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We check the stock every day.
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When something needs a new price label, put a yellow one on the package next to the original price.
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OK.
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After that you'll go to the sushi takeaway counter.
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Will I be preparing boxes of food?
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For today you'll just be helping the staff.
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Yes, of course.
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You'll see lots of flat cardboard boxes at one end of the counter.
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Beneath those is where we keep the plastic boxes.
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We run out of those really quickly so you should bring more from the storeroom.
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Is that my only task on the sushi counter?
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No, you also need to clean the area where they prepare the dishes.
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There are cloths and bottles of spray by the sink.
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Oh, and please make sure you clean that, too.
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Sure.
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That's important, isn't it?
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Absolutely.
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But you mustn't wash up knives.
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You have to do some training before you're allowed to touch sharp objects.
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What should I do if there are any?
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Ask someone to put them in the dishwasher.
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OK, thanks.
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I don't want to get anything wrong.
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Don't worry, you'll be fine.
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And I'll be around to help.
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Right.
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Er, finally the meat and fish counters.
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You need to clean the area where staff serve customers, including wiping the weighing scales.
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OK.
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Anything else?
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Erm, the fish is laid on ice, but when that starts to melt you'll need to get more from the cauldron.
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I know the staff on the food counters wear a hat.
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Will that be the same for me?
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You won't be serving customers directly, so no. But make sure you put on thermal gloves when you take anything out of the cold room.
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The temperature's low enough in there to get frostbite from touching things.
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Understood.
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advice about taking up running and giving information about her club.
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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.
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My name's Liz Fuller and I'm a running coach with Compton Park Runners Club.
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Welcome to my podcast.
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If you're thinking about taking up running, I'm here to help.
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There are many training programmes available online which aim to help people build up to running five kilometres.
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Some of them are great
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and thousands of people of all ages are taking part in five kilometre races across the country as a result.
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People like them because they're easy to follow and don't push them too hard.
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However, they don't work for everyone, especially if you suffer from something like a heart condition or asthma,
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because they're aimed at people with average fitness and running ability.
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Another thing is that everyone is different, and if you have any specific questions related to your needs, there's no one to provide any answers.
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I have a couple of simple tips I always give to new runners.
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I expect you've been told to run very slowly until your fitness increases.
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Well, I find that can prevent progress.
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You should run at a speed that feels comfortable, but time yourself and try to run a bit faster each time.
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Listening to music can be very helpful.
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It takes your mind off things and helps your body get into a rhythm.
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I'd say that is better than running with a friend, especially as most people are competitive and that's not what you want when you're just starting.
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I don't think the time of day is especially important.
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Some people are better in the evening while others are morning people.
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But you need to be consistent, so aim to train regularly.
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Twice a week is enough to begin with.
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Before you hear the rest of the podcast, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.
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Thank you.
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Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.
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New members often say to me that they've been put off running either
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because they lack confidence or they don't have time or they think they dislike running.
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Kerry, for example, joined the club two years ago at the age of 40.
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She'd always enjoyed running at school, but wasn't sure if she'd be able to do it.
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She was worried about being left behind and being the slowest runner.
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But, she says, she was made to feel so welcome, she soon forgot all about that.
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James had always hated the idea of running, but a friend encouraged him to come along for a taster session and he hasn't looked back.
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He never misses a training session, despite having a really demanding job.
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Leo was worried about having to commit himself to training sessions every week
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and wasn't sure he'd be able to fit training into his busy schedule.
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But, after experiencing a lot of stress at work, he came along to us and gave it a go.
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Now he says he feels much more relaxed and he looks forward to his weekly run.
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Mark is quite typical of our new members.
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He's never considered himself to be a sporty person
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and it was only when he retired that he decided to take up the challenge of trying to run five kilometres.
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It took him months to find the courage to contact us but felt reassured immediately,
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as there were other people his age who were only just taking up running for the first time.
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My own journey hasn't been easy.
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I did my first marathon when I was 37, after having had two kids.
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My husband had been running marathons for years, but I never dreamed I'd be doing one with him.
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I managed to complete it in four hours, but I felt like giving up halfway through.
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It was only the support of the spectators that kept me going.
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I do think signing up for a race of whatever length is motivating, whether it's 5k or 25k,
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because it's good to have something to work towards and it gives you a sense of achievement.
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I did my first 10k after only six months, which was certainly very challenging and not something I'd necessarily recommend.
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But after you've been training for a few weeks, it's worth putting your name down for a 5k.
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Some people find they only need a few practice runs before taking part in a race, but I'd give yourself a couple of months at least.
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Well, I hope that's given you a really good idea of what...
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That is the end of part two.
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You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part two.
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Part three.
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You will hear two students called Jane and Kieran talking about books.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.
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Thank you.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
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So, Jane, you'll be off to Denmark soon to do your work placement.
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Yes, I'm really looking forward to it.
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And I've just started packing up all my books to put in storage.
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Well, I hope they don't get spoiled.
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It's OK.
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My grandfather works in a bookshop and he told me how to pack them.
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Oh, that's helpful.
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He says you have to support the spine, otherwise the paper can come away from the cover.
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Yeah, that's obvious.
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He also told me to pack them flat in the box, not on their side.
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Again, because they can bend and if you leave them like that for,
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say, a year, it's quite hard to get them back to their normal shape.
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Well, it's pretty clear that ruins them.
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But a lot of people just can't be bothered to protect their books.
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He always says it's such a shame that publishers don't use better quality paper.
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It's the acid in the paper that causes the problem, isn't it?
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Yeah, that's why old books go yellow.
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You know, some of the books my grandfather's given me are like that already.
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Oh.
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I should dump them, really, if they're going to deteriorate further.
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But I'd feel bad.
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They'll always remind me of him.
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He's quite a collector, you know.
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Well, if they're important to you.
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Yeah, I'd regret just throwing them away.
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You know, maybe it's because I was taught to treasure books, but I hate seeing students force open the pages of paperbacks.
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They press so hard they end up breaking the spine.
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I know.
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But unfortunately, paperbacks aren't designed to last a long time, and people know that.
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Hardbacks aren't quite as weak.
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Yeah, they're different, I suppose.
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But I still don't think people value hardbacks like they used to.
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Well, they aren't decorative, are they, like other objects?
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Plus, nowadays, people don't keep them out on shelves as much as they used to.
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That's such a pity.
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When I visit someone, if they have, say, a colourful book on a table, it's the first thing I'm drawn to.
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I agree.
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And book covers can be a work of art in themselves.
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Some are really eye -catching.
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I've always been taught to handle books carefully.
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If you watch someone take a book off a shelf, well, they usually do it wrong.
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My grandfather says you should put your hand right over the top of the book.
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Or, if you can't do that, pull the other books on the shelf aside, so that you can hold the whole cover.
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When did you learn all this?
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He watched me pull a heavy book off the shelf
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when I was small and it fell on the floor and broke apart
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Oh dear I can still remember it
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You know what I really like?
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What?
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The smell of new books
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Me too My parents used to laugh at me
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when I was a kid because I loved putting books up to my nose almost as much as reading them
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New books aren't cheap though, are they?
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I guess we're lucky we can buy them
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My grandfather stocks second -hand books as well as new ones, and they don't smell quite as good.
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Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.
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Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.
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I'd love to have a bookshop like your grandfather.
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What's it like?
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Well, it's quite big.
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It's got two floors and an attic.
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And he stocks all kinds of books, really.
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I guess he treasures things like first editions and other rare books.
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Yeah, you might think he'd keep those in the attic or somewhere.
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So they'd be hidden?
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Yeah, but he likes people to know that he has them.
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So he puts them out in the shop, but makes sure you need a ladder to get them.
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Right, that would prevent any thefts.
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Uh -huh.
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Does he stock books for children?
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He does.
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He particularly likes to encourage kids to read.
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He always says
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that he used to sit under the stairs as a child with a pile of books and read them all.
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Is that where he keeps them then?
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Not exactly.
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He's got a dedicated area on the ground floor with cushions so that parents can enter with their toddlers,
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go there and spend some time reading to them.
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Oh, cool.
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And then there's a place for pushchairs by the front door.
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and a cafe if anyone needs refreshments.
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That's good to know.
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As I said, it's a big shop, and there's a storage area out the back as well.
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Oh, what does he keep there?
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Books he wants to throw away?
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He hardly ever throws anything away.
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He just leaves unwanted books by the front door for customers to take.
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Well, that's very nice.
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Yeah, and books people or institutions have requested, they all go at the far end.
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Oh.
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He thinks it's best to keep these out of the main shopping area as they're boxed and new.
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Did you get your course books from him?
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Naturally.
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He stocks books for a lot of the colleges.
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He used to keep these books on the first floor, but now there's a new university in my hometown.
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He's moved them downstairs to attract the students.
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They're actually part of the coffee shop on low shelves all around it.
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Pretty central then.
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You'll have to take me there sometime.
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You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part 3.
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Part 4.
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You will hear part of an environmental studies lecture on tree planting.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
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Thank you.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Tree planting now dominates political and popular agendas, and is often presented as an easy answer to the climate crisis,
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as well as a way for business corporations to offset their carbon emissions.
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But unfortunately, tree planting isn't as straightforward as some people think.
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When the wrong trees are planted in the wrong place, it can do considerably more damage than good,
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failing to help either people or the environment.
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Reforestation projects are currently being undertaken on a huge scale in many countries, and it's crucial that the right trees are selected.
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A mix of species should always be planted,
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typical of the local natural forest ecosystem and including rare and endangered species in order to create a rich ecosystem.
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It's important to avoid non -native species that could become invasive.
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Invasive species are a significant contributor to the current global biodiversity crisis,
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and are often in competition with native species and may threaten their long -term survival.
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Restoring biodiversity that will maximise carbon capture is key when reforesting an area,
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but ideally any reforestation project should have several goals.
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These could include selecting trees that can contribute to wildlife conservation,
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improve the availability of food for the local community, and maintain the stability of soil systems.
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Meeting as many of these goals as possible, whilst doing no harm to local communities,
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native ecosystems and vulnerable species, is the sign of a highly successful tree planting scheme.
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To ensure the survival and resilience of a planted forest,
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it's vital to use tree seeds with appropriate levels of genetic diversity,
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the amount of genetic variation found within a species essential for their survival.
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Using seeds with low genetic diversity generally lowers the resilience of restored forests,
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which can make them vulnerable to disease and unable to adapt to climate change.
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Choosing the right location for reforestation projects is as important as choosing the right trees.
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Ultimately, the best area for planting trees would be informally forested areas that are in poor condition.
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It's better to avoid non -forested landscapes, such as natural grasslands, savannas or wetlands,
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as these ecosystems already contribute greatly to capturing carbon.
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It would also be advantageous to choose an area where trees could provide other benefits, such as recreational spaces.
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Reforesting areas which are currently exploited for agriculture should be avoided,
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as this often leads to other areas being deforested reforested.
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Large -scale reforestation projects require careful planning.
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Making the right decisions about where to plant trees depends on having the right information.
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Having detailed and up -to -date maps identifying high -priority areas for intervention is essential.
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Drone technology is a useful tool in helping to prioritise and monitor areas of degraded forest for restoration.
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In Brazil, it's being used to identify and quantify how parts of the Amazon are being devastated by human activities,
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such as rearing cattle and illegal logging.
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A good example of where the right trees were picked to achieve a restored forest is in Lampang province in northern Thailand.
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A previously forested site, which had been degraded through mining, was reforested by a cement company,
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together with Chiang Mai University.
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After spreading 60 centimetres of topsoil, they planted 14 different native tree species,
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which included several species of fig.
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Figs are a keystone species because of the critical role they play in maintaining wildlife populations.
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They are central to tropical reforestation projects as they accelerate the speed of the recovery process by attracting animals
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and birds which act as natural seed dispersers.
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This helps to promote diversity through the healthy regrowth of a wide range of plant species.
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Unlike the majority of fruit trees, figs bear fruit all year round.
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providing a reliable food source for many species.
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At this site, for example, after only three rainy seasons, monkeys started visiting to eat the fig fruits,
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naturally dispersing seeds through defecation.
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Reforestation projects should always aim to make sure that local communities are consulted and involved in the decision -making process.
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The restoration of mangrove forests in Madagascar is an example of a project
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which has succeeded in creating real benefits for the community.
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Destruction of the mangrove forests had a terrible impact on plant and animal life,
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and also badly affected the fishing industry, which was a major source of employment for local people living in coastal areas.
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The reforestation project involved hiring local people to plant and care for the new mangrove trees.
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Millions of mangrove trees have now been planted, which has resulted in the return of a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
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The mangroves also act as a defence against the increased threat of flooding caused by climate change.
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What's more, the local economy is more stable and thousands more Madagascans are now able to send their children to school.
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One other important point to consider...
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That is the end of part four.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Listening Test 4”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: tree, questions, answer. This video has 334 sentences and 3442 words to shadow. The speech runs for 29:12. The speaker talks at a steady 118 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| carefully adverb | /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ | With care; attentively, circumspectly. |
| shelf noun | /ʃɛlf/ | A flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects. |
| ecosystem noun | /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/ | A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit. |
| grandfather noun | /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/ | A father of someone's parent. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| label noun | /ˈleɪ.bəl/ | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| seed noun | /siːd/ | Any propagative portion of a plant which may be sown, such as true seeds, seed-like fruits, tubers, or bulbs. |
| survival noun | /sɚˈvaɪ.vəl/ | The fact or act of surviving; continued existence or life. |
| genetic adjective | /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/ | Relating to genetics or genes. |
| diversity noun | /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/ | The quality of being diverse or different; a difference or unlikeness. |
| runner noun | /ˈɹʌnɚ/ | A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete. |
| sushi noun | /ˈsuːʃi/ | A Japanese dish made of small portions of sticky white rice flavored with vinegar, usually wrapped in seaweed and filled or topped with fish, vegetables or… |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| package noun | /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/ | Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope. |
| encourage verb | /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ | To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take up verb | To pick up. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
| book off verb | To call off from work. |
| break apart verb | To dismantle something into its base components. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| leave behind verb | To abandon. |
| look back verb | To think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Will I have a key?
- Have you got your phone there?
- Do I throw those items away?
- Will I be preparing boxes of food?
- Is that my only task on the sushi counter?
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 laugh · used to sit · used to keep |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've finished · you've been told · they've been put |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be played · will be given · aren't allowed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | months, which was · areas which are · industry, which was |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 85 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you'll, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: grandfather /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, beneath /bɪˈniːθ/, marathon /ˈmæɹəθən/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shelf /ʃɛlf/, sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, restoration /ɹɛstəˈɹeɪʃən/, sharp /ʃɑɹp/
- Long words — get the stress right: ecosystem /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/, diversity /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, restoration /ɹɛstəˈɹeɪʃən/, supermarket /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/
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 carefully, shelf, ecosystem.
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.