Shadowing Practice: IELTS Listening Practice Section-1(Copying photos to digital format) with answers - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Part 1 You will hear a woman phoning a company that converts old photographs to digital format.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 3.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 3.
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Hello, picture rep.
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Can I help you?
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Oh, hi.
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I saw your advertisement about copying pictures to disk, and I'd like a bit more information about what you do.
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Sure.
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What would you like to know?
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Well, I've got a box full of old family photos that's been up in the attic for years.
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Some of them must be 50 or 60 years old And I'd like to get them converted to digital format Sure,
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we can do that for you Right, and what about size?
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The photos are all sorts of sizes Are there any restrictions?
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Well, the maximum size of photo we can do with our normal service is 30 centimetres
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And each picture must be at least 4 centimetres That's the minimum we can cope with Well, that should be fine.
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And some of them are in a frame.
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Should I take them out before I send them?
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Yes, please.
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We can't copy them otherwise.
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And also the photos must all be separate.
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They mustn't be stuck into an album.
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OK, that's not a problem.
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So can you give me an idea of how much this will cost?
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I've got about 360 photos, I think.
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We charge £195 for 300 to 400 photos for the basic service.
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OK.
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And does that include the disc?
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Yes, one disc, but you can get extra ones for £5 each.
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That's good.
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So do I need to pay when I send you the photos?
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No, we won't need anything until we've actually copied the pictures.
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Then we'll let you know how much it is, and once we've received the payments, we'll send the parcel off to you.
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Right.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 4 to 10.
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Thank you.
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Now listen and answer questions 4 to 10.
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Is there anything else you'd like to ask about our services?
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Yes, I've roughly sorted out the photos into groups according to what they're about.
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So, can you keep them in those groups when you copy them?
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Sure.
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We'll save each group in a different folder on the disk, and if you like, you can suggest a name for each folder.
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So, I could have one called Grandparents, for instance?
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Exactly.
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And do you do anything besides scan the photos?
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Like, can you make any improvements?
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Yes.
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In the standard service, each photo is checked, and we can sometimes touch up the colour a bit or improve the contrast.
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That can make a big difference.
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OK.
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And some of the photos are actually quite fragile.
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They won't get damaged in the process, will they?
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No. If any look particularly fragile, we'd do them by hand.
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We do realise how precious these old photos can be.
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Sure.
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And another thing is we can make changes to a photo if you want.
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So if you want to remove an object from a photo or maybe alter the background, we can do that.
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Really?
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I might be interested in that.
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I'll have a look through the photos and see.
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Oh, and talking of fixing photos, I've got a few that aren't properly in focus.
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Can you do anything to make that better?
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No, I'm afraid that's one thing we can't do.
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Okay.
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Any other information I can give you?
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Err, oh, how long will it all take?
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We aim to get the copying done in ten days.
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Fine.
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Right, well, I'll get the photos packed up in a box and post them off to you.
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Right, if you've got a strong cardboard box, that's best.
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We've found that plastic ones sometimes break in the post.
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OK.
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Right, thanks for your help.
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Bye.
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Bye.
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That is the end of part one.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers to part one.
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Thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking with the provided video on converting photographs to digital format offers a unique opportunity to engage with real-life scenarios. In this context, the dialogue revolves around customer service and inquiries, vital for learners aiming to enhance their conversational skills. By shadowing the speaker, you can improve your speaking fluency and comprehension. Listening to authentic conversations helps learners grasp the natural flow of speech, leading to better retention and application of vocabulary and phrases in everyday interactions. Additionally, this practice allows for the reinforcement of listening skills, enabling learners to better identify key details in conversations.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Engaging with the video helps to highlight various grammatical structures and expressions relevant to English learning:

  • Question Formation: The speaker utilizes different forms of questions, such as, "Can I help you?" and "What would you like to know?" This structure is essential for learners to practice when seeking information or clarification.
  • Use of Modals: Phrases like "we can do that for you" and "you can get extra ones" illustrate the practical use of modal verbs. Understanding modals allows learners to express ability, permission, and suggestions effectively.
  • Conditional Clauses: The speaker mentions, "if you like, you can suggest a name for each folder." This conditionals usage is crucial for expressing possibilities, a fundamental aspect of English grammar.
  • Descriptive Language: The phrases "all sorts of sizes" and "some of the photos are actually quite fragile" exemplify how descriptive adjectives provide clarity. Learners should focus on enhancing their vocabulary with relevant adjectives to make descriptions more vivid.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As learners work to improve their English pronunciation, several words and phrases from the video can present challenges:

  • “Photographs”: Be mindful of the stress on the second syllable. Practice saying it multiple times to develop fluency.
  • “Convert”: The 'v' sound may cause difficulties; ensure you pronounce it clearly to distinguish it from 'c' sounds.
  • “Fragile”: This word can be tricky due to its soft 'g' sound. Practice with shadow speech, emphasizing the correct pronunciation and rhythm.
  • “Album”: Pay attention to the vowel sounds, particularly the 'a' and 'u'. Shadowing can help refine this pronunciation.

By actively engaging with these structures and sounds during your practice sessions, you can significantly improve English pronunciation and become more confident in your speaking abilities. Incorporate the video into your shadowing site practices to reap the benefits of contextual learning through shadow speak and enhance your linguistic skills effectively.

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.