Shadowing Practice: [VOL 5] IELTS Listening Test 8 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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This is the IELTS Listening Test.

You will hear a number of different recordings and you will have to answer questions on what you hear.

There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions and you will have a chance to check your work.

All the recordings will be played once only.

The test is in four parts.

At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

Now turn to part one.

Part one.

You will hear a woman telephoning an ecofarm.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

Good afternoon.

Lakeside Eco Farm.

Mark speaking.

Oh, good afternoon.

My name is Helen.

I was listening to a programme the other day and it said that you are a member of the Northern Hotel Group.

Yes, that's correct.

Are you a member of the group?

Yes, I am.

And I would like to find out about staying with you for a week during the school holidays.

No problem, Helen.

May I have your full name?

Helen Pennington.

That's P -E -N -N -I -N -G -T -O -N.

Thank you, Helen.

And your email address?

Helen123 at email .com.

No dashes or underscores.

Oh, sorry, actually it's probably better if I give you my work email address, which is more convenient for me.

That is helen123 at greenfield .com and greenfield is one word.

OK, and your home address?

It is 66

Lake Road, Sheffield.

May I ask where you heard about us?

You mentioned a programme.

Is it on TV or...?

Actually, I heard about you on the radio

and I thought it might be a good place to take my children during the summer holidays.

What kind of activities do you have?

Well, here we have lodges in the woods,

a couple of lakes, lots of activities and great food so I'm sure your whole family will love it.

I can give you prices for all these but first could I have your membership number?

Oh yes, I think it's UK 765 042 GE, but I will just check.

It has been a while since I used it.

Just a moment.

Ah, actually it is UK 765 024 EG.

That's fine, thank you.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to

Now listen carefully and answer questions 6 to 10.

Can you see my information on your system?

Yes, I've found you.

So, regarding accommodation here at Island Eco Farm,

for families I recommend our family chalets as they are large and suitable for both adults and children.

Ah, OK, that sounds nice.

But a lodge is probably too big for us and I don't think we have much time and energy for cleaning,

so we would like to stay in a flat, preferably near the farm.

I'm afraid there's no accommodation near the farm.

Would you want to be located near the lake?

It's got a great view.

Actually, my daughter would prefer to stay in the forest if possible.

That's fine.

We have some lovely log cabins with room for four people, which would suit your family.

Yes, that's the kind of thing we want.

I hope you have a wide range of food available.

My husband is a meat -eater, I like seafood and my children like organic food, including plenty of vegetables.

Yes, we cater for all different types of diet, so you can get all of those preferences here, don't worry.

Great!

So what is the transport situation?

Can we get there by ferry or van, for instance?

No, the best way is by train.

There's a regular service from Sheffield, or there is a bike trail all the way here.

It generally takes about six hours to ride here from Sheffield.

That sounds good, but it might be difficult with our luggage.

It's a pity you don't have vans or ferry boats, but I think we will take the train.

So, what activities do you have there?

We have a gardening course on planting flowers.

Would that be suitable?

I was hoping for something a little more energetic to give us more exercise – a dance course, for example.

That is something guests requested in the past, but it's not something we are doing at the moment.

I will bear that in mind for the future, though.

OK, that would be great.

I need to get back to work, so can you email me through the prices and all the details?

Certainly.

I'll send all the details through to your work email address right now.

Great, thank you.

You're welcome, and we hope to see you here at Lakeside Ecofarm soon.

Thanks, goodbye.

That is the end of part one.

You now have one minute to check your answers to part one.

Part 2.

You will hear an introduction from a tour guide about suggestions for an island.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.

Now, listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

Hello everyone, I'm Hazel, the guide from Travel Light Agency.

Since we mentioned the trip to Munna Island in the last programme, we've received several online messages from those who have been there.

As a result, we've collected some helpful do's and don'ts for new visitors,

which will hopefully help you to know the island better and enjoy your stay to the fullest.

The first suggestion is about tips.

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Although tipping is required in most circumstances in Moona Island, the amount you should give differs significantly.

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If you take a taxi, there is no set rate on how much you should leave to the driver.

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Someone may give a generous tip if he thinks the service is fantastic.

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It's up to you entirely.

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However, if you go to the hairdressers or enjoy a meal in the restaurant and the bill comes with no service charge,

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a 10 % tip is advisable.

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Moon Island has got relatively good medical service.

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If you get sick, the quickest way is to ask the hotel to arrange an English -speaking doctor for you.

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But remember, it's not a complimentary service.

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The other alternative is to visit the local clinic and you have to prepare for the charge as well.

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I should remind you that the medical service on the island can be pricey,

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so it's better to buy your insurance before you leave. When you visit

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Moon Island, You'll see the notice nearly everywhere.

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Tap water is safe to drink, but you might not get used to its weird taste because it contains minerals.

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In this case, you can buy bottled water sold in every shop, but you'd better make sure the sealed lid is untouched,

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as the locals often put tap water into the bottle.

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Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

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Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

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Then I'll focus on transportation in Munna Island.

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The bus is the most commonly used means of transportation for local residents.

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Although there aren't many boss lines, they're always on time.

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However, some people complained that the road was so bumpy that they even got nausea and dizziness.

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As a result, it's not a good choice if you want to sit peacefully and relax on the way.

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And another thing is, before you jump on the boss, inquire of the driver about where the boss will go.

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Unlike most cities, here in Moon Island, you cannot find the destination shown in front of the bus or at the bus stop.

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Maybe you found the bus service is not so enjoyable.

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In that case, you can always rent a car.

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If you choose this way, I advise you to prepare well beforehand.

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Although some taxi companies provide car rental services, many visitors sometimes find nobody answering the phone,

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so leave this way when you are in a hurry.

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It's wise to compare several car rental companies online beforehand, as the price may vary a lot.

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Booking via hotel may be overcharged, as it contains a 10 % commission,

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so it's also not advisable.

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More importantly, don't forget to check with the company what the price covers in detail,

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like daily rental expenses, car insurance,

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commission, etc. It usually includes unlimited mileage too, but fuel is excluded.

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If you don't want to drive, a taxi is the quickest and most comfortable way, although few are available on Muna Island.

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If you want to find a taxi quickly, it's not a good idea to reserve through the taxi company,

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as sometimes you'll have quite a wait, especially in the rush hour.

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The easiest way is just waving your hands on the street to stop the taxi.

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Otherwise, the driver will drive away directly after he drops off the guests.

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Oh, another thing is, I have to remind you that there is no meter for taxis in Moon Island.

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So before you jump in the taxi, you'd better negotiate with the driver about how much you're going to pay.

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For example, if you take a taxi from the airport at night, it may cost you.

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So confirm the price before you get in.

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OK, that's all about the tips for Moona Island that I want to share today.

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And are there any questions?

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That is the end of part two.

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You now have half a minute to check your answers to part two.

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Part Three You will hear two students called Jeannie and Dan discussing some research on the effects of music on consumer behaviour.

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First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

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Thank you.

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Hi, Dan.

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How's it going?

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Hello, Jeannie.

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Pretty well, thanks.

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Have you finished your research yet?

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Yes, it's all done.

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I've spent several weeks on it, from the very beginning of deciding the topic to carrying out the research and writing the essay.

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Congratulations.

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Seems like a big project.

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I know the research has to do with music, but what is it exactly about?

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Well, at first I didn't have a specific purpose until one day I read a report that said,

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if appropriate music is played while people are eating, it may cause some changes in their behaviour.

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But the report didn't illustrate the changes in detail.

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So, I wanted to carry out a thorough investigation into this.

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That's quite unique.

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So, how did you conduct your research?

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I started by looking for five different restaurants

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and then went to each of the restaurants to order some food and observe other people.

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I mainly focused on how the music is played instead of how people eat.

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Findings of my observations indicate that the five restaurants have something in common.

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They all have a special section to play the music.

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More importantly, although the music is played at different times, the volume is unchanged.

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Sounds attractive.

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I've never read anything about this before.

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In addition to observation, what other research methods have you used?

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I also distributed the survey questionnaire to people dining there.

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What questions are posed in your questionnaire?

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Well, the first section of the questionnaire asks subjects to indicate the number of times they have been to the restaurant previously,

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the number of people they dine with, and whether they think they will return to the restaurant.

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These early questions don't involve musical preferences, but largely act as distractors,

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the intention being that subjects will be less inclined to think that the survey is about the music being played.

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That sounds very reasonable.

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Did you design the questionnaire by yourself?

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Actually, no. I read an assignment a student wrote last year, which was just kept beside a dictionary in the library.

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I came across it when I was looking something up in the dictionary.

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Oh, you were so lucky.

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Is there any other question included in the questionnaire?

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Yes.

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Subjects are also asked why they choose to dine at a particular restaurant.

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Several reasons are listed in the questionnaire.

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I thought people would put service first, but that's not the case.

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Only about 12 % of them have chosen this reason,

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while the majority of respondents think whether they will pick this restaurant depends on how many available seats it has.

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They think it's terrible to eat in a crowded place.

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Yes, everyone wants to enjoy a meal comfortably then I guess maybe the location of a restaurant is an important factor,

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since no one likes to waste too much time on the way?

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It used to be, but nowadays nearly every household has a private car, so they don't have to be worried about the traffic problem.

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What I find interesting, however,

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is that a large percentage of people say they will compare different restaurants in the neighbourhood on the Internet first.

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If one of them stands out from its rivals, they will choose it.

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Wow, it's really interesting.

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Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.

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Now, listen and answer questions 27 to 30.

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What else there?

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Well, the second section of the questionnaire asks subjects to respond to the music being played by rating

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so that the relationship between music and perceived atmosphere could be examined directly.

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As a means of examining purchase intention, the final section of the questionnaire asks them to indicate the maximum amount of money

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they are prepared to spend on their main meal.

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So, what have you finally discovered?

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I collected all the questionnaires and analysed people's answers to get a clear idea of their reactions to different music conditions.

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The result shows that music has become an indispensable part of restaurants.

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If people find there isn't any music during the meal, they will think the restaurant charges too much.

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Yes, now music is everywhere in our life.

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Is there any difference in people's attitudes towards different musical styles?

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Yes.

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Most people think that if jazz is being played when eating,

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They tend to stay at the restaurant longer and order more food to enjoy the music.

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But this is quite the opposite of what happens when classical music is played.

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Many customers think if the restaurant plays classical music, they wouldn't like to stay there for another minute,

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but to finish the food quickly and hurry away, because they don't like this type of music at all.

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And lastly, about pop music.

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It's very popular these days, especially among young people, as I've noticed in restaurants.

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They like listening to this type of music during their meals.

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As a result, this greatly increases the possibility of their presence at the same restaurant.

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Great.

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I've learned a lot from your research.

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I think it's meaningful and innovative.

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Thanks for telling me, Jeannie.

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You're welcome, Dan.

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That is the end of part three.

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You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part three.

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Part 4 You will hear an engineering student giving a presentation

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about a research project on design features of the International Space Station.

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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. For my presentation,

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I'm going to summarize the findings of a research project on

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life aboard the International Space Station in the early days of its operation, its teething problems as it were.

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I'll start by giving a little background information.

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The space station crew were essentially a constantly changing team of

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scientists from different countries who lived on the space station for several months at a time.

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And they conducted a number of experiments, including some studies of living conditions in space, which is what I'm going to be looking at now.

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So, what was life like on board in the very confined conditions of the space station?

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Well, the early impressions recorded by the astronauts were very different from what people had expected.

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They'd expected that the air would smell stale or artificial.

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but the astronauts found that it was fresh, so that was one very positive finding.

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And although they were in such a confined space and people worried that it would get very hot,

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in fact, they found that it was very easy to turn the temperature up

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or down in order to keep it within a comfortable range.

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The feedback on the food was also positive.

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Astronauts on previous space stations had described the meals as boring, But the International Space Station meals were praised for their variety.

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So, that was another good piece of feedback.

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And something which is taken for granted today, but was a key morale booster in those days, was communication between the space station and Earth,

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which the astronauts said was clear and reliable.

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So, in the early days, it seems that the mood was overall very positive.

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However, after a few days, the difficulties and frustrations became clearer.

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Above all, the crew complained about the constant noise caused by the air filters,

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which used to rattle and buzz 24 hours a day, interrupting their sleep.

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As well as that, the astronauts complained that the Velcro fasteners, which were positioned all over the station, didn't work well.

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And so, a lot of the time, objects weren't secure in the cabin, but floated about.

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A particularly serious problem was that the systems used on the space station had been developed in a number of different countries,

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and they didn't always work well together.

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For example, it was impossible to mix the water produced from different systems, because it contained different sorts of preservatives,

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and these reacted together and blocked the pipes.

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Another problem was connected to repairs.

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At the best of times, these took up an inordinate amount of time on the station, and the crew complained that many of the tools

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that they'd been provided with weren't suitable for the jobs they had to do.

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So, they had to improvise, which meant that jobs took a lot longer than they needed to.

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Another related problem was to do with access to equipment that needed maintaining.

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Because the instructions on the equipment were often located in places where they were difficult to read, like on the back of equipment,

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it was often difficult or impossible to read them.

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So, having identified these problems,

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the researchers came up with a number of suggestions about how conditions could be improved on subsequent missions.

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First, it became clear that although there had been a great deal of consultation with the crews,

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the systems and equipment on the space station needed much more wide -ranging testing.

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Then, the whole issue of language training came under review.

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Astronauts from different countries had to be able to talk to the controllers on Earth and to understand them.

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Now, although they'd had extensive language training,

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the astronauts sometimes had problems comprehending what was said because they weren't familiar with the accent of the speaker.

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And this, sometimes, led to quite dangerous misunderstandings.

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Finally, and this is the point I found most surprising,

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the researchers felt that the designers of the space station were paying too much attention to safety, rather than considering operating issues.

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That is, how the station could be run comfortably and smoothly.

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And the recommendation was to make changes here at quite a fundamental level.

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So, those were the main points I covered in the...

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That is the end of part four.

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You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.

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Thank you.

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That is the end of the listening test.

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In the IELTS test, you would now have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

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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 “[VOL 5] IELTS Listening Test 8”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: restaurant, answer, station, island, space. This video has 292 sentences and 3268 words to shadow. The speech runs for 30:04. The speaker talks slowly, about 109 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 86% 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
taxi noun	/ˈtæksi/	A vehicle that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, particularly one with an automated meter to calculate the fare.
meal noun	/ˈmiːl/	Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity.
astronaut noun	/ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/	A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
carefully adverb	/ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/	With care; attentively, circumspectly.
complain verb	/kəmˈpleɪn/	To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
suitable adjective	[ˈsjuː.tə.bɫ̩]	Having sufficient or the required properties for a certain purpose or task; appropriate to a certain occasion.
indicate verb	/ˈɪndɪˌkeɪt/	To point out; to discover; to direct to a knowledge of; to show; to make known.
suggestion noun	/səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/	Something suggested (with subsequent adposition being for)
rental noun	/ˈɹɛntəl/	Something that is rented.
compare verb	/kəmˈpɛɚ/	To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
sheet noun	/ʃit/	A thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper.
remind verb	/ɹəˈmaɪnd/	To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person).
behaviour noun		British standard spelling of behavior.
intention noun	/ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/	A course of action that a person intends to follow.
feedback noun	/ˈfiːdˌbæk/	Critical assessment of a process or activity or of their results.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
carry out verb	/ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/	To hold while moving it out.
come across verb		To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition.
come under verb		To come underneath (something).
come up with verb		To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
drive away verb		To force someone or something to leave
drop off verb		To fall asleep.
get back to verb		Return to (an activity)
take up verb		To pick up.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Are you a member of the group?
May I have your full name?
May I ask where you heard about us?
What kind of activities do you have?
Can you see my information on your system?

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 be · used to rattle
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has been · I've found · we've received
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	will be played · will be given · be located
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	address, which is · those who have · year, which was

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 44 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thorough /ˈθʌɹoʊ/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/, teethe /tiːð/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/, sheet /ʃit/, intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: importantly /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt.li/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, dictionary /ˈdɪk.ʃəˌnɛ.ɹi/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/

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 taxi, meal, astronaut.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: [VOL 5] IELTS Listening Test 8 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?