Shadowing Practice: Water Heater | IELTS LISTENING TEST | SECTION-2 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Now turn to section 2.
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98 sentences
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Now turn to section 2.
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Section 2.
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You will hear a man who owns a holiday home talking on the phone to a woman who is staying there.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 13.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 13.
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Hello?
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Hi, it's Laura Carlton here.
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We've just arrived at the holiday flat,
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but I can't get the hot water and heating to work.
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Oh right, that's easy.
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Don't worry, in the upstairs cupboard you'll find the water heater.
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You'll see three main controls on the left at the bottom of the heater.
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The first one, the round one on the far left,
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is the most important one for the heating and hot water.
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It's the main control switch.
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Make sure it's in the on position.
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The switch itself doesn't light up,
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but the little square below will be black if the switch is off.
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That's probably what's happened.
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It's got switched off by mistake.
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The middle one of these three controls,
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you'll see it's slightly larger than the first one, controls the radiators.
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If you feel cold while you're there and need the radiators on,
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this needs to be turned to maximum.
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The last of the three controls,
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the one on the right,
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is usually on about a number four setting,
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which for the water in the taps is usually quite hot enough.
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Below the heating controls in the middle is a small round plastic button.
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If there isn't enough water in the pipes,
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sometimes the heater goes out.
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If this happens, you'll need to press this button to reset the heater.
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Hold it in for about five seconds and the heater should come on again.
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Then there's a little square indicator under the third knob that's a kind of alarm light.
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It'll flash if you need to reset the heater.
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It sounds complicated.
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I'm sure you won't have any problems with it.
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There should be some more instructions on the side of the heater.
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Call me back if you can't make it work.
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Okay.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation,
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you have some time to look at questions 14 to 20.
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Now listen and answer questions 14 to 20.
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While you're on the phone,
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we haven't managed to find a few things we need,
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like extra pillows for the beds and some washing powder.
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Is there any here?
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Pillows, yes.
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If you look in the cupboard,
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the large white one upstairs,
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to the left of the bathroom door,
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there should be four or five on the top shelf.
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And if you want to do some washing,
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there's some powder for that,
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um, probably by the back door.
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There's a kind of shelf there above the sink.
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In fact, I'm sure there's some there in a large blue box.
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You need about half a cupful for each wash.
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Oh, and that reminds me.
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The spare key to the back door is hanging on a hook on the wall by the sitting room window.
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Please make sure to put it back when you've used it.
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The previous guest lost it in the garden and I had to get another one made.
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And if you have any trouble with the lamps,
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you'll find some spare bulbs in a large cardboard box.
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It's on top of the washing machine with all kinds of useful things in it.
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Oh, and another thing I forgot to mention when we last spoke.
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Yes?
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I've left you a local map,
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so you'll be able to find your way around easily.
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It shows the whole area.
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I put it in the top drawer of the chest under the TV in your bedroom.
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There's a whole file of local information in there too.
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Thanks.
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What about visiting the town?
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Can you give us any advice?
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Yes.
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You'll need to take the car.
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It's too far to walk from the flat, really.
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You have to pay to leave your car in all the car parks now, I'm afraid.
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I like the one that's by the station best,
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and you can walk to the town centre from there in five minutes.
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That's where all the best restaurants are.
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But if you want a takeaway,
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the Italian one does really good pasta and pizzas.
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Call 7362-81 for that one,
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or 766-119 for the Chinese.
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They're both good, and they'll both deliver to the flat.
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As for places to visit,
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yes, do go and see the Railway Museum.
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The exhibition is small, but really good.
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It gets very crowded on Sundays,
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so I suggest you visit it on a quieter day,
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later in the week, but not on Thursdays, which is market day.
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You won't find anywhere to park.
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And it's also the only day of the week when they're not open.
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Anything else?
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Not for the moment, thanks.
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That is the end of section 2.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English listening and speaking skills through a conversation about managing a holiday home. The dialogue revolves around practical vocabulary related to household appliances, particularly a water heater, and the various controls it has. You will learn how to give instructions, describe issues, and communicate effectively in a domestic context. This exercise is not only beneficial for the IELTS listening test but also for real-life situations where you might need to explain or ask about household functionalities. By engaging with this content, you will enhance your comprehension and speaking abilities in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Water heater: An appliance that heats water for domestic use.
  • Main control switch: The primary switch that activates the water heater.
  • Radiators: Devices used to heat up the rooms by distributing warm air.
  • Reset button: A button used to restart the heater if it stops working due to low water.
  • Indicator light: A light that signals whether the heater is functioning properly.
  • Pillows: Soft cushions used for comfort while sleeping.
  • Washing powder: A detergent used for laundering clothes.

Practice Tips

To make the most of the content from this video, try using the shadowing technique. This method involves listening and repeating what you hear to improve your pronunciation and fluency. As the conversation moves at a moderate pace, focus on mimicking not only the words but also the tone and emotion conveyed by the speakers. Start with shorter phrases and gradually work your way up to longer sentences. Using a shadowing app can enhance this practice by allowing you to replay specific segments as many times as you need.

Additionally, pay attention to the pauses and intonations within the conversation. Practice speaking along with the audio, ensuring that your speech matches the speed and rhythm of the dialogue. This technique will help you learn English with YouTube more effectively, as it promotes active engagement with the material. Remember, mastering vocabulary related to everyday situations, like those found in this transcript, is key to improving your overall language skills.

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.

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