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Unit 07
Listening: Strategies & Distractors
four sections, question types and how to avoid traps
The Four Sections
| Section | Situation |
|---|---|
| 1 | An everyday conversation between two people (e.g. booking a room). |
| 2 | An everyday monologue (e.g. a guide describing a museum). |
| 3 | A conversation of up to four people in an academic setting (e.g. students planning a project). |
| 4 | An academic monologue, such as a university lecture — usually the hardest. |
Five Strategies
- Read ahead: use the pauses to read the next questions and underline key words.
- Predict the answer type: a number, a date, a name, a noun or an adjective?
- Wait for corrections: speakers often change their mind — the final information is the answer.
- Spelling counts: names spelled letter by letter and numbers must be written exactly.
- Check the word limit (e.g. ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER) before writing the answer.
Signals That the Answer Is Changing
| Signal | Example |
|---|---|
| Actually… | It's on Tuesday — actually, no, it's been moved to Wednesday. |
| Sorry, I meant… | The number is 15 — sorry, I meant 50. |
| It used to be… but now… | It used to cost £20, but now it's £25. |
| Not … but … | It's not next to the bank but opposite it. |
| In the end… | We expected 100 people, but in the end over 150 came. |
About the Audio Tests
Tests B and C are real listening tasks: press Play and answer while you listen. The audio is generated by your browser's English voice, so it may sound slightly different on each device. Turn on exam mode to hear the recording only once, as in the real test; the transcript opens after you check your answers.