Unit 6 - Listening

Unit 6: Exercise 1

In this unit, you will learn about IELTS Listening Sections 3 and 4 and practise the skills you
need to answer three-option multiple choice questions and a map labelling task. The topic
of this unit is university life.

Complete the table with the words and phrases in the box.
an interview a seminar a tutor a campus an accommodation officer an

administration block a lecturer a lecture halls of residence

People places event

an accommodation officer a campus a seminar

A tutor halls of residence a lecture

a lecturer administration block an interview

Unit 6: Exercise 2

Read the information. Then look at the plan of a university campus and label the
features 1–5 with the words in the box.
In the IELTS Listening test, you may have to label a plan or map, which may include one
or more of the following:

● places that are already labelled, e.g. café, reception, main entrance, etc. ● features
that are not labelled but can be seen in the drawing, e.g. a statue, a forest, a hill, etc.
● buildings or other places that are a particular size (e.g. small, large) or shape
(e.g. round, square)
● compass directions, i.e. some plans and maps may include north, south, east
and west.

Before you listen, it is a good idea to look carefully at the plan or map to identify the
objects you can already see.
 Bridge fence lake river small park

1.
Bridge

2.
river

3. lake

4.
small
park

5.
fence

Unit 6: Exercise 3

Listen to a guide describe where different places are on a university campus plan. Write
the correct letters next to the locations.
A speaker may describe a plan or map in two ways:
 ● the speaker gives directions on how to get to different places
● the speaker describes the positions or locations of different places on the map
or plan.

When a speaker gives directions, you will hear language such as turn left, go straight
ahead or walk past. When a speaker describes positions or locations, you will hear
language such as at the top/bottom of the map, on the left of the plan or above the
small park.

Announcer:

You will hear a guide giving students some information about a university
campus.

Guide: OK, so we’re going to have a look at the plan of the City University
Campus. Can everyone see a copy? Great. Right, let’s start by finding the
Browning Lecture Hall. For a lot of you science students, that’s where all your
lectures are going to be. So, at the bottom of the plan, you can see the
administration block, and at the very top of the plan, you can see a river, and
going across the river is a small bridge. Just below that bridge – but slightly to
the right, not directly underneath, is the Browning Lecture Hall. Got it? It’s
actually a great building for lectures – really modern and bright.

OK, the Dining Hall. A very important place for hard-working, tired and
hungry students! So, see where the administration block is? To the right of
that, you’ve got two quite big buildings – and you can also see that there’s
a fence. The Dining Hall is the building that has a fence on two sides – so
the building that’s a bit closer to the top of your plan.
 1. the Browning Lecture Hall _________

2. the Dining Hall _______

Unit 6: Exercise 4

For an IELTS Listening labelling task, it’s a good idea to learn adjectives that describe
shapes. Label the shapes with the correct adjectives in the box.
L-shaped circular rectangular semi-circular square

L-shaped

1.

rectangular

2.

semi-circular

3.

square

4.

circular

5.

Unit 6: Exercise 5

Listen to the recording. Write the correct letters next to the locations.
Announcer: You will hear a guide giving students some information
about a university campus.
 Guide: OK, so I’m sure you’ll want to know where the Halls of Residence

are. As you probably know, these rooms are for all first-year students and
also some students in their third year at university. OK, so across the top
of the plan, you’ve got three fairly large buildings, all just below the river.
You’ve got that rectangular building in the middle, and then on the left of
that there's a square-looking building. That second building’s the Halls of
Residence. Your name and room number will be on the list outside the
building, by the entrance.

OK, how about the Seminar Rooms? You won’t be going to your first
seminar until the second week of term, but it’s useful – obviously – to know
where they are. OK, in the right-hand corner – the corner at the top of the
map, I mean – you can see that building that looks like an upside-down 'L',
next to a little group of trees. Part of that is used as the rooms for students
studying French, Spanish, Arabic – Modern Languages, you know. But the
other part is where you go for your seminars. You’ll have a nice view of the
lake from there.

Um, I guess that some of you are here for the Arts course. I would really
recommend that you join the Arts Society if you are. It used to be in that
semi-circular building, but not any more, sadly. It’s moved to that
square building in the centre of the plan – the one that’s been divided
into two parts. The Art Society is in the room nearer the bottom of your
plan. OK, does anyone have any questions about …?

1. Halls of Residence ___g_____

 2. Seminar Rooms ________

3. Art Society ________

Unit 6: Exercise 6

Read the information. Then listen to a conversation between two students on a

university campus. Choose the correct answers.
Announcer: You hear a conversation between two students on a
university campus.

Ann: Excuse me. Can you help me? I’m a bit lost.

John: Sure.

Ann: That’s great, thanks.

John: So where do you need to be?

Ann: Well, actually, I’m looking for a person – Professor Sarah

Carter? John: Oh, yes, I know her. Are you one of her students?

Ann: Oh, no, I’m not. Or not yet! I’m here to meet her. She’s expecting me.
That’s actually the main reason why I've come here today. I’m supposed to
be meeting her at 1.30. I’d like to be a student on her course next year and
she wants to know more about me. You know, ask me questions about the
subjects I’m doing at school, about my interests, about why I want to do
the course – that kind of thing.

John: I see, OK. In that case, you should go to her office. It’s quite near
the administration block. Right next to the library.

Ann: The library? I think I walked past it already. Is it that huge, glass
building near the car park?

John: Yes, that’s the one. So if you’re going to meet Professor Sarah
Carter, does that mean you want to study History of Art?

Ann: Yes, that's right! In fact, I was planning to get here a bit earlier so
that I could go to Professor Carter’s lecture this morning. She was going
to talk about painting at the end of the 19th century. That’s my favourite
period of time in art history because so many things changed.

John: Oh, yes? In what way?

Ann: Oh, well, photography had become more popular by that time and
that made a really big difference. In fact, by the 1860s, photography was
already quicker and cheaper than painting. In fact, there were quite a few
amateur photographers at that time. Anyway, it was because of
photography that a lot of painters decided to change the way they made
their pictures – they didn't

need to look like photos any more. So art became much more exciting
and imaginative in those years. But – oh! – the traffic on the way here
was absolutely terrible, so I was late and I missed the lecture!

John: Oh, dear! What a shame!

Ann: I know! So what about …

Remember that:

● cues (key words) in the question tell you when you should listen carefully for
the answer
● the words in each option will probably be expressed in different words in
the recording (i.e. they will be paraphrased).

In an IELTS three-option multiple choice task, the questions follow the same order as the
recording. For example, in the questions you will hear the woman explain why she has
come to the university before you hear her talk about painting in the 19th century.

However, the options A, B and C may not follow the same order as the recording. For
example, you may hear words or phrases connected to an interview (option C) before
words or phrases connected to books (option A) or a new job (option B).

1. Why is the woman at the university?

o A to borrow some books
o B to start a new job
o C to have an interview
2. According to the woman, 19th-century paintings
o A developed in an interesting way.
o B were as popular as photographs.
o C became an affordable hobby for the average person.
Unit 6: Exercise 7

Two of the options in an IELTS three-option multiple choice will be distractors. A distractor
is an option that seems to match part of the recording but it does not answer the question.

Read the answers and distractors. Then read the extracts from the conversations. Match
the extracts with the correct answers and the distractors.
After you complete the exercise, notice:

● how the order of the options does not follow the order of the
conversation ● how each option has been paraphrased.

1. Why has the woman come to the university?

A to borrow some books

B to start a new job

C to have an interview

2. According to the woman, 19th-century paintings

A developed in an interesting way.

B were as popular as photographs.

C became an affordable hobby for the average person.

1. She wants to know more about me. You know, ask me questions about the subjects
I'm doing at school, about my interests, about why I want to do the course – that
kind of thing. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

2. In that case, you should go to her office. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

3. The library? I think I walked past it already. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

4. Photography had become more popular by that time … 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

5. In fact, by the 1860s, photography was already quicker and cheaper than painting. In
fact, there were quite a few amateur photographers at that time.
1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

6. … a lot of painters decided to change the way they made their pictures – they didn't
need to look like photos any more. So art became much more exciting and
imaginative in those years. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

Unit 6: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then read the sentences carefully. Decide if the words and phrases
in bold in each question or sentence are Facts or Opinions. Choose the correct answers.
IELTS three-option multiple choice questions test different kinds of listening skills. For
example, some questions test your understanding of facts, while other questions test
your understanding of a speaker’s opinion.

For example:

1 Why has the woman come to the university? (Fact)

2 According to the woman ... (Opinion)

1. What time does the lecture start?

o Fact
o Opinion

2. What is the man’s attitude towards the project?

o Fact

o Opinion

3. How does the woman feel about the book called History Revisited?

o Fact

o Opinion

4. In the student’s view, the lecture on sociology was …

o Fact

o Opinion

5. Where did the research take place?

o Fact

o Opinion

6. According to the tutor, the problem with the US study is that …

o Fact

o Opinion

7. The two students agree that the most interesting finding is …

o Fact
 o Opinion

8. The number of students that answered the survey was …

o Fact

o Opinion

9. The deadline for the project is the …

o Fact

o Opinion

10. Most students taking the Arts course have already visited …

o Fact

o Opinion
Unit 6: Exercise 9

Listen and answer questions 1–2.

Announcer: You hear a conversation between two students on a
university campus.

Ann: But – oh! – the traffic on the way here was absolutely terrible,
so I was late and I missed the lecture!

John: Oh, dear! What a shame!

Ann: I know! So what about you? Have you been a student here for
long? Or are you new here?

John: I’m in my third year – but it’s not my final year. Most courses at
the university are three years, but my course is one year longer. It’s
because I’m studying Chinese and Japanese. All language students do
four years because we spend one year living abroad. So last year, I
spent six months in Beijing and six months in Tokyo.

Ann: How exciting! I’ll be starting my course here next January. I’m a
bit nervous, to be honest.

John: Don’t worry! Most people feel the same way. It’s a new
experience for everyone when they start university.

Ann: How did you feel – about your first week?

John: Let me think. I remember they gave us a lot of different things to

 read – even before we moved onto campus and started classes. But
actually, it made me feel more confident about starting. And in your first
week, you’re not really expected to write or produce very much at all.
It’s really just a time when you get to find your way around the campus,
move into the Halls of Residence, you know. The work doesn’t come
until later on. I think what I found really amazing was just how kind
everyone was. I mean, the other students in my seminar group and the
lecturers. I thought they were very easy to talk to. So I guess that was
my main feeling about the first week here.

University Life

1. How long is the man’s course?

o A one year

o B three years
o C four years

2. How did the man feel about his first week at university?

o A He was confused by all the information he was given.

o B He was impressed by the friendliness of other people.

o C He was worried about the amount of work he had to do.

Unit 6: Exercise 10

Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Choose the words in the box to complete the information.

a speaker describing locations. a speaker giving directions. in fact questions. in

opinion questions. or describe positions of things on a plan or map. the same

order of the information in the recording.

to identify things you can already see. vocabulary for shapes and sizes.

your understanding of facts or opinions.

1. When you have a plan or map, use the time before you listen
_________________________________________
2. A speaker may give directions to places
_________________________________________

3. Turn right and go straight ahead are examples of

_________________________________________

4. At the top and on the left are examples of

_________________________________________

5. For labelling a plan or map, it is a good idea to learn

_________________________________________

6. In an IELTS three-option multiple choice test, the options may not follow
_________________________________________

7. IELTS three-option multiple choice questions may test

_________________________________________

8. Words like view, attitude and according to are often used

_________________________________________
9. Words like what time and the number of are often used
_________________________________________