Shadowing Practice: IELTS Listening Podcast Ep 45 Practice Test | Luyện nghe tiếng Anh thụ động | Full Test & ASMR #ib8 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

C1
Shadowing Controls
0% completed (0/190 sentences)
Music Music
⏸ Paused
All Sentences
190 sentences
1
Music Music
2
Part 1 You will hear a telephone conversation between a customer and an agent at an environmental services company.
3
Good morning.
4
Clear Air Environmental Services.
5
How can I help?
6
Hi.
7
I need to book a mould inspection for my property.
8
I've noticed some damp patches recently.
9
I can certainly help you with that.
10
Can I start by taking your full name, please?
11
Yes.
12
It's Jared Carney.
13
That's spelled K-E-A-R-N-E-Y.
14
Thank you, Jared.
15
Now, could you tell me the exact address of the property we'll be inspecting?
16
Of course.
17
It's 42 Bramble Road in the West End.
18
Got it.
19
Now, which part of the house is most affected by the mould?
20
Well, I initially saw some spots in the bathroom, but the worst of it is actually down in the basement, so I'd like the inspector to focus there.
21
Understood.
22
Do you have any idea what might be causing the dampness?
23
I had a plumber check the pipes recently and they were fine, but he noticed a crack in the roof that's letting rain in.
24
I'm pretty sure that's the culprit.
25
That's very common, unfortunately.
26
Have you experienced any health issues since noticing the mold?
27
My wife has been okay, but I've developed a persistent cough over the last few weeks.
28
I'm sorry to hear that.
29
We offer a few different testing options.
30
We can take surface swabs or we can conduct air testing to check for invisible spores.
31
Since I'm breathing it in, I think air testing would be the most appropriate choice.
32
Let's go with that.
33
Perfect.
34
Let's look at availability.
35
When suits you best next week?
36
I'm taking time off on Tuesday the 14th, so that would be ideal.
37
Tuesday the 14th works.
38
Would you prefer a morning or afternoon appointment?
39
Our first slot is at 8am.
40
8am is a bit early for us.
41
Could we do 9.30 instead?
42
9.30 is booked.
43
Can I just grab a contact number so the inspector can call you?
44
Sure.
45
My mobile is 07954-823-104.
46
Wait, sorry, I just changed my number.
47
It's actually 07954-823-199.
48
Great, thanks.
49
Finally, how did you find out about our services?
50
I was driving home and heard your advert on the radio, so I decided to give you a ring.
51
excellent well that's all booked in for you Jared the inspector will see you next Tuesday brilliant thanks very much for your help bye goodbye
52
part 2 you will hear a talk by a council officer about a city water
53
saving campaign good morning everyone I'm Claire Benson from the City Council
54
I'm going to explain why we've launched the water saving campaign what support is available
55
and what you can find at the campaign center today as you know recent dry years
56
have put real pressure on our water supply so while water quality remains high and bills haven't changed,
57
the main reason for introducing this campaign is the unusually low rainfall we've had across the area.
58
Because of those dry conditions, the Council has set a clear goal, we're asking households across the city to work together to cut the amount of water they use at home.
59
The specific target is a reduction of 15%, which we believe is realistic if people make a few simple changes.
60
To help residents do that, we're offering several kinds of support.
61
One of the most popular is our free home water check, where an advisor visits your property and points out easy ways to save water.
62
These visits are open to any household in the city but you do need to book a time before someone can come round.
63
We're also running a series of public workshops over the next few months.
64
These are practical sessions showing people how to fit simple devices.
65
If you'd like to join one,
66
make a note that they take place on Saturday afternoons not during the week or on
67
Sunday mornings in June will hold a city-wide competition to find the most water efficient household
68
the winners won't get help with their water bills or a set of kitchen machines instead the prize will be a package of water saving equipment together with a home consultation from one of our advisors
69
Now, let me turn to the campaign centre itself.
70
It's useful to know where everything is.
71
At the reception desk, staff hand out printed leaflets and answer general questions.
72
If you'd rather see equipment in action, head for the exhibition hall.
73
There you can watch demonstrations of low-flow shower heads, dual-flush toilets and other devices.
74
For people who prefer short guided sessions, the education room is the right place.
75
Talks are held there regularly and one of the most useful ones explains how to identify hidden leaks around the home.
76
If you decide to buy something, there's a small shop on site.
77
It sells a range of products including tap timers, rain barrels and moisture sensors for gardens.
78
The shop is open every afternoon and the staff are very knowledgeable if you need advice on which product suits your home.
79
Finally, don't miss the outdoor display area.
80
It includes a model garden showing how drought-resistant plants can replace ordinary lawns along with efficient irrigation systems.
81
Part 3.
82
You will hear two university students discussing how to check and format their citations for their upcoming sociology assignment.
83
Hi Tom, thanks for meeting up.
84
We really need to sort out the referencing for our sociology assignment.
85
I agree.
86
I initially thought we should use that new automatic citation software everyone is talking about.
87
Our professor penalised us quite heavily for incorrect formatting last semester because the software glitched.
88
That's exactly why we need to review it manually early on.
89
Right, let's do it ourselves.
90
I bought the updated APA manual, the 7th edition.
91
Have you looked at it?
92
I have.
93
I was glad they removed the publisher locations for books, but what truly caught me off guard was seeing an entire chapter dedicated to referencing social media posts like tweets and podcasts.
94
Yeah, referencing a video feels so strange for an academic paper.
95
Anyway, let's look at our draft.
96
Which part needs the most work?
97
Your data section is fine because it's mostly our own primary research.
98
The methodology is also solid.
99
However, I went through the literature review last night and almost half of the citations there are either missing or formatted incorrectly.
100
Ah, that makes sense, since we synthesised so many different articles there.
101
I'll focus on fixing that section today.
102
Also, I struggle a bit when we don't use direct quotes.
103
You mean paraphrasing?
104
Finding the right synonyms can be tedious.
105
My biggest issue is completely changing the sentence structure adequately, so it doesn't look like I just swapped a few words from the original author's text.
106
Exactly.
107
Altering the grammar while keeping the meaning is the toughest challenge.
108
OK, let's create a systematic process, a flowchart for checking everything before we submit on Friday.
109
What's the first step for the in-text citations?
110
Well, obviously we need to make sure the author's surname and the publication year are there.
111
Yes, but the most common mistake is forgetting the exact location for direct quotes.
112
we must verify that every single quotation includes a precise page number, otherwise it's invalid.
113
Good point.
114
I'll check those numbers.
115
After that, we need to look at the type of material.
116
A book is cited differently than a website.
117
Right, so we must ensure the formatting perfectly matches the specific source we are referencing.
118
OK.
119
Moving on to the reference list at the end of the essay, I usually just list them in the chronological order of when I read them.
120
Oh no, you definitely can't do that.
121
The guidelines are very strict.
122
You have to organise all the entries in alphabetical order based on the author's last name.
123
Ah, right.
124
I will rearrange them.
125
And what about the font styles?
126
You absolutely must double-check that all the journal titles are formatted in italics.
127
That's a strict requirement.
128
Italics.
129
Got it.
130
Finally, the submission phase.
131
Should we just email it to the tutor?
132
Not yet.
133
First, we are required to run the entire document through the university's official plagiarism software to ensure our similarity score is adequately low.
134
Ow, of course.
135
Turn it in.
136
I completely forgot about that mandatory step.
137
And after we get the report?
138
Even if the digital report is clean, staring at a screen makes you miss typos.
139
I highly recommend we print out a physical copy so we can do a final manual proofread together.
140
That sounds like a solid plan.
141
Let's get to work.
142
Part 4.
143
You will hear a lecture about pollen forecasting and why it matters for public health.
144
In today's lecture, we will look at pollen forecasting.
145
We will focus on how scientists predict pollen levels in the air and why this is important.
146
To begin with, pollen is a very fine powder.
147
It is produced by plants for their reproduction process.
148
It is released into the air and carried by the wind or insects to other plants.
149
For many people, breathing in this pollen causes allergic reactions like hay fever.
150
The symptoms usually include sneezing, itchy eyes and severe difficulties with breathing.
151
Because of this, predicting when pollen levels will be high is a very important scientific goal.
152
Historically, people noticed seasonal plant cycles thousands of years ago.
153
However, the true scientific study of pollen began much later.
154
In the 19th century, major improvements in microscopes allowed scientists to observe pollen grains in clear detail.
155
Researchers could see different shapes and structures.
156
This helped them understand plants better and laid the foundation for modern research.
157
In the early 20th century, doctors began linking pollen in the air to human diseases.
158
They collected air samples and compared the pollen counts with medical records from hospitals.
159
These studies found a very clear relationship between seasonal increases in pollen and the sudden rise in breathing problems among patients.
160
As a result, monitoring pollen levels became a big priority.
161
The earliest monitoring methods used simple outdoor collection devices.
162
These instruments captured the flying particles on sticky surfaces.
163
Later, scientists took the collected material into the lab, put it under a lens and counted the grains one by one.
164
Although this method produced valuable information, it was very slow.
165
In addition, these early monitoring systems were quite limited because they depended almost entirely on local observations.
166
They could only describe what happened in one small town, but could not easily forecast future levels for wider regions.
167
A major development in forecasting happened when scientists started studying the exact timing of biological events, such as when flowers open.
168
Scientists discovered that plant development is heavily influenced by environmental conditions, particularly the weather.
169
By analysing climate records, researchers identified patterns that helped predict when specific plant species would release pollen.
170
Temperature plays a crucial role in this process.
171
Many plants require a certain accumulation of warmth before they can begin flowering.
172
Scientists carefully measure the amount of heat during the spring months.
173
By calculating this total accumulation, they can estimate exactly when flowering will start and when the pollen release is likely to begin.
174
Wind conditions also influence how pollen spreads through the sky.
175
Strong winds can carry the light pollen grains across very long distances, sometimes across different regions or even national borders.
176
This means communities can be affected by pollen blown in from miles away.
177
Humidity and rainfall also matter a lot.
178
Heavy rain can temporarily remove the pollen from the air, which lowers human exposure for a short time, while dry conditions encourage the pollen to fly further.
179
Modern models therefore combine multiple weather variables to improve their accuracy.
180
Technological advances in the late 20th century improved the monitoring systems greatly.
181
Automated pollen traps were developed to collect and analyse the particles continuously.
182
At the same time, computer modelling completely transformed the forecasting process.
183
Researchers developed mathematical models that combine biological information and weather data to predict pollen production.
184
Many modern forecasting systems also use satellite data to look at vegetation patterns and land use over very large areas from space.
185
Climate change has introduced new challenges.
186
Rising global temperatures can extend the flowering seasons.
187
In many regions, the pollen seasons now begin earlier and last much longer than in the past.
188
Urbanisation also affects pollen distribution due to higher city temperatures.
189
Today, pollen forecasts are widely available through weather services and public health agencies on the internet.
190
Looking ahead into the future, researchers expect that new computers will improve forecasting accuracy even more by analysing huge data sets and finding complex relationships between the environment and pollen release.
4.9/5 on App Store & Google Play

Shadowing English On Mobile

Learn English anytime, anywhere with the Shadowing English app. Improve your communication skills today!

Track your learning progress
AI grading and error correction
Rich video library
Download on theApp Store
GET IT ONGoogle Play
Shadowing English Mobile App

Why practice speaking with this video?

In this episode of the IELTS Listening Podcast, listeners are presented with a realistic telephone conversation between a customer and an agent. Practicing with this video is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in a common speaking context that may arise in everyday situations. Engaging with such content not only helps in understanding specific vocabulary related to environmental services but also strengthens your listening and speaking abilities. By repeating phrases and intonations, you can enhance your fluency and confidence in conducting similar conversations. This is especially useful for English learners preparing for the IELTS exam or those aiming to improve their conversational skills. Additionally, the calm ASMR background music facilitates a focused learning atmosphere, making it easier to grasp subtle nuances in speech.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the dialogue, several key grammatical structures and expressions emerge that are invaluable for learners:

  • Polite Requests: The phrase “Can I start by taking your full name, please?” demonstrates a polite request form that is essential in formal conversations.
  • Present Perfect Tense: The customer uses “I’ve noticed some damp patches recently,” highlighting the use of the present perfect to relate past experiences to the present. This structure is crucial for discussing ongoing situations.
  • Conditional Statements: The agent’s response, “If I grab a contact number, the inspector can call you,” showcases conditionals, which are often used to discuss hypothetical situations in English.
  • Direct Speech: The natural flow of conversation, “I think air testing would be the most appropriate choice,” illustrates how to express opinions succinctly and assertively.
  • Informal Language: Phrases like “could we do 9.30 instead?” exemplify how to suggest alternatives in a friendly manner, which is valuable for conversational practice.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As with any spoken English, certain words and phrases may present challenges in pronunciation. Here are key points to watch out for:

  • Difficult Words: The word “mould” may be pronounced differently based on regional accents. Pay attention to how this word is articulated to improve your pronunciation.
  • Numbers: The phone number sequence “07954-823-199” illustrates the importance of enunciating numbers clearly, especially in verbal situations.
  • Contractions: The use of contractions like “that’d be ideal” in the conversation highlights a natural spoken rhythm that can be tricky for non-native speakers.

To truly benefit from this practice, try to shadow the speakers in the video. This technique, known as shadowspeak, involves mimicking the rhythm and intonation while focusing on improving English pronunciation. Engaging with such videos regularly allows you to learn English with YouTube effectively and gain confidence in your speaking abilities.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee