Shadowing Practice: Cambridge official Listening test- 7 :with Answers: Hostel Accommodation in Darwin - Learn English Speaking with Video
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306 sentences
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you will hear a telephone conversation between two friends called Julie
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and Nick about cheap accommodation in the city of Darwin Australia
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first you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6
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Hi Nick, it's Julie.
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Have you managed to find any information about accommodation in Darwin?
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Hi.
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I was just going to call you.
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I found some on the internet.
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There were quite a few hostels for backpackers there.
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The first possibility I found was a hostel called Top End Backpackers.
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Okay.
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It's pretty cheap.
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You can get a bed in a dormitory for $19 per person.
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Private rooms cost a bit more.
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But we'll be okay in dormitories, won't we?
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Sure.
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So, that hostel has parking, though that doesn't really matter to us, as we'll be using public transport.
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Yeah.
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Are there any reviews on the website from people who have been there?
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Well, yes.
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They aren't all that good, though.
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Some people said they didn't like the staff.
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They had an unfriendly attitude.
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Hmm.
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That's quite unusual in a hostel.
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Usually all the staff are really welcoming.
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That's what I thought.
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People said they liked the pool and the fact that the rooms had air conditioning.
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But the problem with that was that it was very noisy, so they were kept awake.
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But it was too hot if they turned it off, so they had to put up with it.
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Someone told me there's another hostel called Gumtree something.
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Hmm, Gumtree Lodge.
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It costs a bit more. $45 a person.
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What?
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Oh, no. That's for private rooms.
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It's $23.50 for the dorms.
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That's more like it.
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It looks to be in quite a good location.
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A bit out of town and quiet, but with good transport and quite near a beach.
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Has it got a pool?
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Yes, and its own gardens.
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The reviews for that one are mostly okay.
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Except for one person who said they couldn't sleep because there were insects flying around in the dormitories.
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Not for me, then.
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And I'd rather be somewhere central, really.
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Right.
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There's a place called Kangaroo Lodge.
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They've got dorms at $22.
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And it's downtown, near all the restaurants and clubs and everything.
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So that should suit you.
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and it doesn't close at night.
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So there's always someone on reception?
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That sounds good.
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The only criticism I saw was that the rooms were a bit messy and untidy, because people just left their clothes and stuff all over the beds and the floor.
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Don't hostels usually have lockers in the bedrooms, where you can leave your stuff?
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Yeah, they do usually, but apparently they don't here.
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Still, hostels are never particularly tidy places, so that doesn't bother me.
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And the same person said that the standard of cleanliness was pretty good, and especially the bathrooms.
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They were excellent as far as that went.
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Right.
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Yeah, I reckon Kangaroo Lodge sounds the best.
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Me too.
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Quite a lot of people reviewing it said it was really fun there.
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Like, every night everyone staying there got together and ended up having a party.
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So it sounds like it's got a really good atmosphere.
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Okay, let's go for that one.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you will have some time to look at the questions 7 to 10.
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Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.
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Did you get the address of Kangaroo Lodge?
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Yes, it's on Shadforth Lane.
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Can you spell that?
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S-H-A-D-F-O-R-T-H It's near the transit centre,
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where the intercity buses and the airport buses drop you off.
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Cool.
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I'm really looking forward to this.
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I've never stayed in a hostel before.
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Do they provide bed linen, sheets and things?
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Yeah.
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And you can usually either bring your own towel or hire one there.
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But they don't usually provide those for free.
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OK.
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And what happens about meals?
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Well, you don't have to pay extra for breakfast.
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It varies a lot in different places, but generally it's okay.
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And there's usually a cafe where you can buy a snack or a hot meal for lunch.
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But actually, if you're really travelling on the cheap, usually for every five or six rooms, there's a kitchen where you can knock up a snack.
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And that saves a lot of money.
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Great.
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Right.
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Well, shall I go ahead and book that?
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That is the end of section one.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 2.
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Recording 64 You will hear a guide at an outdoor sculpture park talking to a group of visitors.
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First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16.
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Hello everyone and I'm to the Anglia Sculpture Park.
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Right, well, the idea behind the Sculpture Park is that it's a place where works of art, such as large sculptures and carvings,
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can be displayed out of doors in a natural setting.
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As you'll have noticed when you drove here, most of the land around the park is farmland.
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The park itself belonged to a family called the De Quince's, who had made a lot of money from manufacturing farm machinery
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and who also owned substantial stretches of forest land to the north of the park.
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They built a house in the centre of the park, not far from where we're standing now, but this burnt down in 1980,
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and the De Quince's then sold the land.
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The Anglia Sculpture Park isn't the only one in the country.
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Several of the London parks sometimes display contemporary sculptures,
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and there are a couple of other permanent sculpture parks in England.
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But we're unique in that some of our sculptures were actually created for the sites they occupy here,
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and we also show sculptures by a wider range of artists than anywhere else in the country.
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For example, at present we have an exhibition by Joe Tremaine of what he calls burnt sculptures.
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These are wood and stone sculptures that he's carved
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and marked with fire to illustrate the ferocity and intensity of the forces that have shaped our planet over millions of years.
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They look really dramatic in this rural setting.
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To see some of the sculptures, you'll need to follow the path alongside the lower lake.
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We had to renovate this after the lake overflowed its banks a couple of months ago and flooded the area.
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The water level's back to normal now and you shouldn't have any trouble.
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The path's very level underfoot.
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You should be back at the visitor centre at about four o'clock.
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If you have time, it's worth taking a look at the centre itself.
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It's not possible to go upstairs at present, as builders are working there adding another floor, but the rest's well worth seeing.
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The architect was Guy King.
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He was actually born in this part of England, but he recently designed a museum in Canada that won a prize for innovation in public buildings.
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If you want to get something to eat when you get back, like a snack or a sandwich, the terrace room is currently closed,
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but you can go to the kiosk and buy something,
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then sit on one of the chairs overlooking the lower lake and enjoy the view as you're eating.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you will have some time to look at the questions 17 to 20.
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Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20.
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Now, let me just tell you a bit about what you can see in the sculpture park.
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If you look at your map, you'll see the visitor centre, where we are now, at the bottom, just by the entrance.
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Since we only have an hour, you might not be able to get right around the park, but you can choose to visit some of the highlights.
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You might like to take a look at the Joe Tremaine sculptures, which are displayed on this side of the upper lake,
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just behind the education centre and near the bridge.
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They're really impressive, but please remember not to let your children climb on them.
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One of our most popular exhibitions is the Giorgio Catalucci bird sculptures.
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They're just across the bridge on the north side of the lower lake.
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I love the way they're scattered around in the long grass beside the lake, looking as if they're just about to take to their wings.
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You could also go to the Garden Gallery.
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It's on this side of the upper lake.
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From the visitor centre, you go to the education centre, then keep on along the path and you'll see it on your right.
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There's an exhibition of animal carvings there which is well worth a look.
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We also have the longhouse.
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That's quite a walk.
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From here, you go to the bridge and then turn left on the other side.
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Soon you'll see a winding pathway going up towards the northern boundary of the park.
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Go up there and you'll find it at the top.
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They have some abstract metal sculptures that are well worth seeing if you have time.
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OK, well, now...
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That is the end of section two.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 3.
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Recording 65.
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You will hear a first-year marketing student called Leo talking to a second-year student called Anna about his marketing report.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.
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Thank you. about it.
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That's okay, Leo.
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So what do you have to do?
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Choose a product or service, then compare two organisations that produce it.
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I'm doing instant coffee.
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But haven't you got a weekend job in a clothing store?
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Why didn't you choose clothing?
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That was my first thought, because I thought it'd give me some practical examples.
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But when I searched for men's clothing on the internet, there were hardly any articles.
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So then I looked for coffee, and I found there were tons.
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Yeah, there are so many brands on the market now.
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Okay, so how much have you actually written?
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I've done part one on economic and technological factors.
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I found some good data on technological changes, how in Australia fewer people are buying instant coffee
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because of cheap coffee percolators that they can use to make real coffee at home.
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But there's also a movement away from drinking coffee.
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Switching to things like herbal teas instead because they think it's healthier.
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But that's not really to do with technology.
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It's more cultural.
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Anyway, for part two, I'm comparing two instant coffee companies, Coffee Now and Shaffers, and I've made this table of products.
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Right.
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Let's see.
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So you've got the brand names and prices and selling size and descriptions.
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OK, the table looks good.
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You'll get marks for research there.
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Where will it go?
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In the section on the marketing mix, under product.
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Not in the appendix?
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No. Okay, but it's too factual on its own.
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You need to add some comment in that section about the implications of the figures.
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Right, I'll do that.
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Now, I want to say that I think that Shaffers is more of a follower than a leader in the coffee industry.
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Now, I'm putting that in the section on market share.
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Does that seem okay?
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Let's see.
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So, you've begun by explaining what market share is, that's important.
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But you've got to be careful how you give that opinion.
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Do you think it should go in another section?
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Well, it's fine where it is, but you've got to back it up with some data, or they'll say your report lacks weight.
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OK.
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One thing I'm worried about is finding anything original to say.
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Well, since this is your first marketing report, you're not expected to go out and do interviews and things to collect your own data.
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you're just using published data.
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So the analysis you do might not throw up anything that people didn't know before.
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But the focus is more on how you handle the data.
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I mean, you might take something like a graph of sales directly from a website.
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But what makes your work original is the perspective you provide by your interpretation of it.
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Oh.
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You know, it's all so different from business studies assignments at school.
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It's really surprised me.
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What?
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How much research you have to do?
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I expected that.
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It's more, I knew exactly what I had to do to get a good grade at school.
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And I knew I'd be expected to go more deeply into things here.
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but I haven't got information on how the lecturer is going to grade my work, what he's looking for.
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Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
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Well, one thing you have to remember is that in a marketing report,
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you've got to have what they call an executive summary at the beginning.
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I forgot that and I got marked down.
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Yeah, I've drafted it.
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I've got an overview.
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Have you got something about the background there?
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Yeah.
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Good.
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So, I've just made a summary of the main points.
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I wasn't sure whether or not I should have my aims there.
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No, that's too personal.
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The executive summary is just, like, what a manager would read to get a general idea of your report if he was in a hurry.
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Right.
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Then I'm okay for the first main part, all of the macro environment stuff.
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But it's when I get onto the problem section, I've listed all the problems that Kofi Now and Shafas are facing. But then what?
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Well, you have to prioritise.
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So indicate the main problems, and then you analyse each one by connecting it with a theory.
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That's where your reading comes in.
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OK.
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Have you done your implementation section yet?
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I've thought about it.
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So that's where I write about what could be done about the problems.
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Yes.
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And it's got to be practical, so don't forget to specify things like who would be involved,
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and the cost, and the order that things would be done in.
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Right.
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Well, that shouldn't take long.
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You'd be surprised.
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Actually, that's the bit that tends to get badly done because people run out of time.
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That and the conclusion.
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Oh, any hints for that?
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Well, it's got to draw out the main points from your report, so it's got to be quite general.
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You need to avoid introducing new stuff here.
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It's got to sum up what you've said earlier.
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OK.
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Thanks, Anna.
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That's been a big help.
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That is the end of Section 3.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 4.
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Recording 66 You will hear part of a lecture about the history of fireworks in Europe.
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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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An interesting aspect of fireworks is
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that their history tells us a lot about the changing roles of scientists and technicians in Europe.
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Fireworks were introduced from China in the 13th century.
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Up to the 16th century, they were generally used for military purposes, with rockets and fire tubes being thrown at the enemy.
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But they were also sometimes a feature of plays and festivals, where their chief purpose was related to religion.
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By the 17th century, the rulers of Europe had started using fireworks as a way of marking royal occasions.
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technicians were employed to stage spectacular shows
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which displayed aspects of nature with representations of the Sun snow
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and rain these shows were designed for the enjoyment of the nobility
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and to impress ordinary people but fireworks also aroused the interest of scientists who started to think of new uses for them.
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After seeing one firework display where a model of a dragon was propelled along a rope by rockets,
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scientists thought that in a similar way humans might be able to achieve flight, a dream of many scientists at the time.
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Other scientists, such as the chemist Robert Boyle, noticed how in displays one firework might actually light another,
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and it occurred to him that fireworks might provide an effective way of demonstrating how stars were formed.
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Scientists at the time often depended on the royal courts for patronage,
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but there was considerable variation in the relationships between the courts and scientists in different countries.
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This was reflected in attitudes towards fireworks and the purposes for which they were used.
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In London, in the middle of the 17th century, there was general distrust of fireworks among scientists.
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However, later in the century, scientists and technicians started to look at the practical purposes for which fireworks might be employed,
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such as using rockets to help sailors establish their position at sea.
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It was a different story in Russia,
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where the St. Petersburg Academy of Science played a key role in creating fireworks displays for the court.
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Here, those in power regarded fireworks as being an important element in the education of the masses,
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and the displays often included a scientific message.
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Members of the Academy hoped
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that this might encourage the Royal Family to keep the Academy open at a time
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when many in the government were considering closing it.
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In Paris, the situation was different again.
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The Paris Academy of Sciences played no role in staging fireworks displays.
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Instead, the task fell to members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.
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As in Russia, the work of the technicians who created the fireworks was given little attention.
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Instead, the fireworks
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and the spectacle they created were all designed to encourage the public to believe in the supreme authority of the King.
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However, science was also enormously popular among the French nobility,
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and fashionable society flocked to demonstrations such as Nicolas Lemery's display representing an erupting volcano.
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The purpose of scientists was basically to offer entertainment to fashionable society,
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and academicians delighted in amazing audiences with demonstrations of the universal laws of nature.
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in the course of the 18th century the circulation of skills
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and technical exchange led to further developments fireworks specialists from Italy
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began to travel around Europe staging displays for many of the European courts the architect
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and stage designer Giovanni Servandoni composed grand displays in Paris featuring colourfully painted temples and triumphal arches.
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A fireworks display staged by Servandoni would be structured in the same way as an opera
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and was even divided into separate acts.
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Italian fireworks specialists were also invited to perform in London, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
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As these specialists circulated around Europe, they sought to exploit the appeal of fireworks for a wider audience,
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including the growing middle classes.
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As in the previous century, fireworks provided resources for demonstrating scientific laws and theories, as well as new discoveries,
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and displays now showed a fascinated public the curious phenomenon of electricity.
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By the mid-18th century, fireworks were being sold for private consumption.
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So the history of fireworks shows us the diverse relationships which existed between scientists, technicians and the rest of society.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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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 official Listening test- 7 :with Answers: Hostel Accommodation in Darwin”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: firework, sculpture, park. This video has 306 sentences and 3161 words to shadow. The speech runs for 30:22. The speaker talks slowly, about 104 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| firework noun | /ˈfaɪɚˌwɚk/ | A device using gunpowder and other chemicals which, when lit, emits a combination of coloured flames, sparks, whistles or bangs, and sometimes made to rocket… |
| sculpture noun | /ˈskʌlpt͡ʃɚ/ | A three-dimensional work of art created by shaping malleable objects and letting them harden or by chipping away pieces from a rock (sculpting). |
| hostel noun | /ˈhɑstəl/ | An overnight lodging place for travelers, with dormitory accommodation and shared facilities, especially a youth hostel. |
| technician noun | /tɛkˈnɪʃən/ | A person who studies or practises technology; an expert in a particular technology. |
| visitor noun | /ˈvɪzɪtɚ/ | Someone who visits someone else; someone staying as a guest. |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| backpacker noun | A traveler whose luggage consists of a backpack; especially, such a traveler who uses hostels, public transport, and other inexpensive services. | |
| dormitory noun | /ˈdɔɹ.mɪˌtɔɹ.i/ | A room containing a number of beds (and often some other furniture and/or utilities) for sleeping, often applied to student and backpacker accommodation of… |
| nobility noun | /noʊˈbɪlɪti/ | A noble or privileged social class, historically accompanied by a hereditary title; aristocracy. |
| carving noun | /ˈkɑɹvɪŋ/ | A carved object. |
| dorm verb | /doɹm/ | To reside in a dorm. |
| fashionable adjective | /ˈfæʃənəbl̩/ | Characteristic of or influenced by a current popular trend or style; in fashion; in vogue. |
| employ verb | /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ | To retain (someone) as an employee. |
| technological adjective | /ˌtɛk.nəˈlɑ.dʒɪ.kəl/ | Of, relating to, or involving technology, especially modern scientific technology. |
| demonstration noun | /dɛmənˈstɹeɪʃən/ | The act of demonstrating; showing or explaining something. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| draw out verb | To make (something) last for more time than is necessary; to prolong; to extend. | |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| get back verb | Return to where one came from. | |
| get together verb | To meet, to gather together, to congregate. | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| knock up verb | /nɒk ʌp/ | To put together, fabricate, or assemble, particularly if done hastily or temporarily. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why didn't you choose clothing?
- Do you think it should go in another section?
- How much research you have to do?
- Have you got something about the background there?
- Have you done your implementation section yet?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you managed · have been · I've never stayed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were kept · can be displayed · were actually created |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who have · person who said · sculptures, which are |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 67 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'm, you'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: technician /tɛkˈnɪʃən/, fashionable /ˈfæʃənəbl̩/, demonstration /dɛmənˈstɹeɪʃən/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, implication /ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: dormitory /ˈdɔɹ.mɪˌtɔɹ.i/, nobility /noʊˈbɪlɪti/, technological /ˌtɛk.nəˈlɑ.dʒɪ.kəl/, demonstration /dɛmənˈstɹeɪʃən/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/
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 firework, sculpture, hostel.
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.