Hi,
i am practicing listening..but still feel there are somewhere problems in sec 4 i cant read the ques within the limited time and the problems get worse when i cant compensate with the tape and the written ques ..sometimes in sec 2 seems to me difficult..i get lost in the middle..may be due to synonyms or paraphrasing..how to catch this things…would u pl advice me…my exam is on saturday..pl pray for me.
Shampa

Hi Shampa,

Don’t panic! Remember, you do get time to read all the questions before you start listening so don’t worry. Try to stay calm and focused and concentrate on what kind of information you have to listen for.

For example, in Section 4 (qus 31-40) you have to listen for NO MORE than 2 words AND/OR a number. In qu.31 you know that you are listening for a number because the answer is the length of the turtle’s shell.

Try to predict what the answer might be before you start to listen, or at least what kind of information it is. Qu.32, for example - the answer is something that the female turtle deposits so the answer is very likely to ‘eggs’ but will probably also be a number to tell us exactly how many eggs are deposited each night.

In section 2 you have multiple choice questions with a single answer. These are tricky so let’s look at the first one.

Qu.11 What did the speaker’s friend say about his volunteering and travel experience?

He felt part of the community he visited.
It was a cheap way to travel a long distance.
The training he received on the trip was very useful.

Make sure you read the question and all the options carefully before the recording starts. You will have time to do this. Underline the key words in each option. You will hear a reference to ALL 3 answers (in any order) so don’t choose your answer too quickly. The correct answer will most likely be the third one you hear. The wrong answers will probably be in contrast to the options given.

For example - the speaker’s friend may say the training he received was NOT very useful or that it was an EXPENSIVE way to travel. Then you can eliminate the wrong answers and hopefully select the right one.

Study the audioscript to see why the answers are right and wrong. This will help you to identify the ‘tricks’ and hopefully avoid them on Saturday.

Best of luck,

Jenny