Shadowing Practice: IELTS listening practice Part 4 - the A.U.V (answer & transcript) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Autonomous underwater vehicle, or AUV.
2
It actually resembles a miniature airplane that moves deep in the ocean.
3
It's not large enough to have a human crew aboard, and so its behavior is really that of a robot.
4
The AUV is programmed to calculate
5
and record a range of data depending on the mission it is carrying out at any one time.
6
On previous missions, it has been programmed to record water pressure, as well as how much salt there is in the water.
7
On a more recent mission around Bermuda, an AUV was equipped with a special instrument that showed the temperature of the ocean at different depths.
8
It can also assess the quality of the water in general.
9
So, as you see, it is quite a versatile and useful little piece of equipment.
10
We use its measurements to determine
11
and increase our understanding of ocean behaviors as well as its role in and influence on our climate.
12
This instrument also has many other benefits.
13
It can be launched and used relatively quickly.
14
Also, there's no need for cables to physically link it to a boat.
15
There are disadvantages, though.
16
AUVs move at only modest speeds, up to 25 centimeters per second.
17
In addition, the AUV structure cannot collect water samples, so other equipment must be used to conduct a chemical analysis of the water.
18
Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how the AUV actually works.
19
First, let's see how an AUV actually moves.
20
L. It moves by pumping oil between two bladders.
21
This helps the AUV to sink or float.
22
The AUV records the data and measurements that it has been programmed to take while it rises to the surface.
23
At the beginning and end of each dive, it obtains records and transmits its position by exposing an antenna embedded within the tip of the right wing.
24
Okay, so that's the AU.
25
Thank you.
26
Thank you.
27
Thank you.
28
Thank you.
📺 Same Channel
IELTS listening - Driving license (Actual test 11/2024) - with answer and transcriptB2
1

IELTS listening - Driving license (Actual test 11/2024) - with answer and transcript

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The preservation of fossils (answer+ transcript)B2
1

IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The preservation of fossils (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 2: Plan of community centre - hard (answer+ transcript)B1
1

IELTS listening actual test Part 2: Plan of community centre - hard (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening practice Part 4 - Leatherback turtle (answer & transcript)B2
2

IELTS listening practice Part 4 - Leatherback turtle (answer & transcript)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The New Zealand artist Will Burton (answer+ transcript)B2
1

IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The New Zealand artist Will Burton (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 1: washing machine warranty (answer+ transcript)B1
2

IELTS listening actual test Part 1: washing machine warranty (answer+ transcript)

TOEIC PrepBusiness EnglishUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 2: The Mc.Fadden hiking and nature trail (answer+ transcript)B2
1

IELTS listening actual test Part 2: The Mc.Fadden hiking and nature trail (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepTravel EnglishUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The international Space Station ISS (answer+ transcript)B2
9

IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The international Space Station ISS (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 1: working in a summer camp in the US (answer+ transcript)B1
4

IELTS listening actual test Part 1: working in a summer camp in the US (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepInterview EnglishTravel English
IELTS listening actual test Part 3: organising a debate (answer+ transcript)B2
2

IELTS listening actual test Part 3: organising a debate (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 3: 22/02 - VietNam ( answer+ transcript)B2
1

IELTS listening actual test Part 3: 22/02 - VietNam ( answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepHigh School Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 4: Impact of cars (answer+ transcript)B2
1

IELTS listening actual test Part 4: Impact of cars (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 2: vacation jobs (answer+ transcript)B1
6

IELTS listening actual test Part 2: vacation jobs (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepInterview EnglishHigh School Students
IELTS listening practice Part 2: Biblio stack (answer+ transcript)B2
5

IELTS listening practice Part 2: Biblio stack (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
IELTS listening actual test Part 1: Notes on a part-time society (answer+ transcript)B2
2

IELTS listening actual test Part 1: Notes on a part-time society (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening actual test Part 3: Maori carving (answer+ transcript)B2
3

IELTS listening actual test Part 3: Maori carving (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
IELTS listening practice Part 4 -honey bees (answer & transcript)B2
19

IELTS listening practice Part 4 -honey bees (answer & transcript)

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
IELTS listening actual test Part 2: Fitchon railway station (answer+ transcript)B1
2

IELTS listening actual test Part 2: Fitchon railway station (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepTravel English
IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The archeological site of Trimera (answer+ transcript)B2
6

IELTS listening actual test Part 4: The archeological site of Trimera (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS listening practice Part 2: trip to an outdoor education center (answer+ transcript)B2
15

IELTS listening practice Part 2: trip to an outdoor education center (answer+ transcript)

IELTS PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
IELTS LISTENING PRACTICE TEST 2026 WITH ANSWERS | 02.09.2026B2
3
316 sentences

IELTS LISTENING PRACTICE TEST 2026 WITH ANSWERS | 02.09.2026

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
The Australian Quarantine Service | IELTS Listening Practice Tests in 2026B2
1
71 sentences

The Australian Quarantine Service | IELTS Listening Practice Tests in 2026

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
What’s really happening in the ocean’s “dark zones”B2
2
430 sentences

What’s really happening in the ocean’s “dark zones”

American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS Cambridge 10 test 3 section 2B2
2
64 sentences

IELTS Cambridge 10 test 3 section 2

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
TEST 29 PART 3 - LUYỆN TẬP VÀ THỰC HÀNH LISTENING - TỰ HỌC VSTEPB2
6
132 sentences

TEST 29 PART 3 - LUYỆN TẬP VÀ THỰC HÀNH LISTENING - TỰ HỌC VSTEP

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS Listening Practice: Weather Conversation | Podcast VideoB2
2
149 sentences

IELTS Listening Practice: Weather Conversation | Podcast Video

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
IELTS Listening Practice Test 2026 | Section 4 | Coral Reefs | Questions 31-40 | With AnswersC1
4
50 sentences

IELTS Listening Practice Test 2026 | Section 4 | Coral Reefs | Questions 31-40 | With Answers

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Will AI Take Our Jobs?B2
1
33 sentences

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Will AI Take Our Jobs?

American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Underwater Archaeological Sites | IELTS Listening Test Part-4 | 22.03.2025 Real Examination QuestionC1
5
36 sentences

Underwater Archaeological Sites | IELTS Listening Test Part-4 | 22.03.2025 Real Examination Question

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Describe an interesting story that you read or heard in the news cue card-Sept-Dec 2023-IELTS Band 9B2
2
27 sentences

Describe an interesting story that you read or heard in the news cue card-Sept-Dec 2023-IELTS Band 9

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “IELTS listening practice Part 4 - the A.U.V”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Auv, record, programmed, ocean, mission. This video has 28 sentences and 320 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:51. The speaker talks slowly, about 83 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
instrument noun/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/A device used to produce music.
measurement noun/ˈmɛʒ.ə.mənt/The act of measuring.
obtain verb/əbˈteɪn/To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way.
collect verb/ˈkɑlɪkt/To gather together; amass.
physically adverb/ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/In a physical manner.
pump noun/pʌmp/A device for moving or compressing a liquid or gas.
robot noun/ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
sink verb/ˈsɪŋk/To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance.
depend verb/dɪˈpɛnd/To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition
aboard adverb/əˈbɔɹd/On board; into or within a ship or boat; hence, into or within a railway car.
dive verb/daɪv/To swim under water.
assess verb/əˈsɛs/To determine, estimate or judge the value of; to evaluate; to estimate.
modest adjective/ˈmɑdəst/Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
expose verb/ɪkˈspoʊz/To reveal; to uncover; to make visible; to bring to light.
float verb/fləʊt/To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object).

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itis programmed · has been programmed · was equipped
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhas been programmed

Pronunciation to watch

  • Long words — get the stress right: underwater /ʌndɚˈwɔtəɹ/, autonomous /ɔˈtɑnəməs/, miniature /ˈmɪn.(i)ə.tʃəɹ/, disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like instrument, measurement, obtain.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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