Having trained your ears through extensive exposure to native speakers, It is time to familiarize yourself with the tricks involved in the IELTS Listening test. In fact, if you learn the few tricky ways the speakers use to confuse you, you will have no difficulty understanding right from wrong
For example, the correct answers are often paraphrased so that you hear different words and the speaker repeats the same word from some of the wrong options to give you the false feeling that the wrong option is correct. Or in some cases, the speakers add some extra details to some of the options, and later on, they use these details to support the correct answer
Let’s now see one example of a multiple-choice question
Q: You will hear two media students, Maria and Simon, discussing three space expeditions in the news with their tutor, Dr. Anita Thornton. They are deciding on a study topic. Listen and identify their final choice, A, B, or C
A: Moon expedition
B: Mars expedition
C: Pluto expedition
Audio Script
Maria: Hello Simon
Simon: Hi Maria
Maria: OK. What topic do you think we should choose for the project we’re starting next week? I think we need to make sure that it’s going to last over the next few months so that we can complete the project. Simon: Well, there are several possibilities. Have you heard of the Pluto expedition? The spacecraft is about to arrive there and it’s going to send back pictures that we’ve never seen before. It should be really interesting
Maria: That sounds like a good idea. What do you think, Dr. Thornton
Dr Thornton: Well, I’m not so sure about that one. I mean, it’s already been going for ten years and I think we should look at something which is planned for the future but hasn’t started yet. It would give you a better chance to study it in-depth and do far more analysis for your monthly update reports
Simon: I don’t think that’s a problem. There’ll be a lot of coverage on the news over the next few weeks
Maria: Hmm … that’s true … but we really need something to last for a few months. On second thought, maybe Dr. Thornton’s right.. Perhaps we should look at something which hasn’t started yet. Isn’t there something I heard about a new Mars expedition? I think there’s a group of people out in America somewhere who are preparing for a trip to Mars
Simon: Yes. It was in the news last week. They’ve built a sort of camp in the desert in Arizona. There are ten people living there for six months, just like they would be together on the trip to Mars and after they arrive there
Dr Thornton: That’d be ideal. Six months is just right for you. You could follow their progress and how the project develops. From what I know, the Pluto project is already a success, but with the Mars one, you can assess how successful it is as it progresses and you can write it up for your final report
Maria: Hmm … yeah … that sounds promising
Simon: OK, but before we decide, I’d just like to mention one more. I heard that the Chinese are planning an expedition to the moon
Maria: What? Another man or woman on the moon? That’s already been done. I don’t think the moon’s particularly interesting these days
Dr Thornton: Simon has a point. I mean, the Chinese are coming up now and they’ve got some new ideas. I don’t think they’re sending any astronauts. I think it’s just an expedition with robots and machines to find the best place to start a colony
Maria: Yes, but I don’t think that’s particularly interesting. I mean, no one has ever seen Pluto close up and no one has tried to go to Mars, so I think they’d be more interesting expeditions to do
Simon: You have a point. Perhaps it would be better to focus on one of the other two
Dr Thornton: OK, if you ask me, I’d prefer to see how a group of people get along living together in a difficult situation like they’ll be doing in Arizona in preparation for their trip. I think you’d get far more out of that, but the final decision is yours. What do you think
Maria: I agree. I’d prefer to go for that one
Simon: So that’s agreed then. Good. Let’s make a start
Dr Thornton: Excellent. I’ll make a note of that. We’ll meet again next Wednesday and you can give me your project outline. I’m looking forward to seeing it
گزینه صحیح B میباشد.
