Unit 5: Exercise 1
Read the information. Then look at questions 1–3 from Section 2 of an IELTS
Listening test.
Decide if the statements are True or False. Choose the correct answers.
In Section 2 of the IELTS Listening test, you will listen to someone giving a talk. This may
involve someone giving an explanation (for example, what to do, or how to prepare for
something). Looking at the questions before you listen will help you understand what the
main points of the talk will be. This will help you follow the talk more easily.
Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Newtown Marathon
23 July, 9 a.m.
Volunteers are needed to help runners during the marathon
get your (1) ……………. from the race centre
set up the (2) ……………. at your station
make sure there is no (3) ……………. on the road near you
1. You need to listen and write the information you hear in the gaps.
o True
o False
2. You need to decide how the speaker is feeling.
o True
o False
3. You may listen to someone telling other people what to do.
o True
o False
4. You need to listen and summarise everything the speaker is saying.
o True
o False
5. You need to listen and find information about the main points in the talk.
o True
o False
Unit 5: Exercise 2
Listen to the first part of a talk, which relates to question 1.
Match the functions in the box with the extracts from the talk.
The speaker will make one main point at a time. These will match the points in the summary
that you need to complete. Here, the speaker is talking about point 1 of the summary. The
answer is ‘uniform’.
Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Newtown Marathon
23 July, 9 a.m.
Volunteers are needed to help runners during the marathon
• get your (1) uniform from the race centre
• set up the (2) ……………. at your station
• make sure there is no (3) ……………. on the road near you
Hello everyone, and thank you very much for coming. We appreciate
you giving your time to help all the marathon runners tomorrow, and
I’m going to start by mentioning the first thing I’d like you to do. As
you know, the marathon starts at nine, but we’ll need everyone to be
ready before that. You should try to be here by seven at the latest.
Before anything else, you need to collect your uniform. You’ll find it at
the race centre, and you’ll need to put it on so that runners can see
you’re an official race volunteer.
Background information introducing the main point referring back to the
main point the main point
1. I’m going to start by mentioning the first thing I’d like you to do.
_________________________
2. The marathon starts at nine, but we’ll need everyone to be ready before that.
_________________________
3. Before anything else, you need to collect your uniform.
_________________________
4. You’ll find it at the race centre, and you’ll need to put it on ...
_________________________
Unit 5: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then listen to the next part of the talk, which relates to
question 2.
Select the words that refer back to the word bottles.
In this next part of the talk, the main point is ‘You need to put them on the tables’. Speakers often
refer back to something they mentioned earlier. Here, the word ‘them’ refers back to ‘bottles’. This
helps you to realise that the missing word in the summary is not ‘tables’ or ‘boxes’.
Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Newtown Marathon
23 July, 9 a.m.
Volunteers are needed to help runners during the marathon
• get your (1) uniform from the race centre
• set up the (2) bottles at your station
• make sure there is no (3) ……………. on the road near you
OK, so here’s your next task. You will be working at different stations
along the marathon route. So, go straight to your station. You’ll find your
tables there, already arranged, and lots of boxes on the ground. Open them
up, and you’ll see lots of bottles inside. You need to put them on the tables.
They contain an energy drink for the runners. You’ll need to make sure
that they are spaced out nicely, and that their tops have been taken off, so
that the runners can grab them as they’re running past, and drink from
them straightaway.
... bottles inside. You need to put them on the tables. They contain an energy drink for the
runners. You’ll need to make sure that they are spaced out nicely, and that their tops have
been taken off, so the runners can grab them as they’re running past, and drink from them
straightaway.
Unit 5: Exercise 4
Listen to the next part of the talk, which relates to question 3.
Choose the correct word that completes question 3.
OK, there will be one other thing to check before the race begins, and it
concerns safety on the road. The runners need to go past your station
easily. It might rain tomorrow, and there could be large puddles of water
on the roads, but there is nothing we can do about that. However, we
must be careful about litter. If you see anything on the road that you, or
someone else has dropped, pick it up, no matter how big or small it is. It’s
easy for runners to slip on something, and needless to say, this could be
dangerous when there are hundreds of people running near each other, in
wet conditions.
Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Newtown Marathon
23 July, 9 a.m.
Volunteers are needed to help runners during the marathon
• get your (1) uniform from the race centre
• set up the (2) bottles at your station
• make sure there is no (3) litter/rain/rubbish/water on the road near you
Unit 5: Exercise 5
Listen and complete the notes.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Quickly read the notes, especially the heading, to get an idea of what the talk will be
about, and what type of word could go in each gap.
Remember that each bullet point in the notes refers to the main point that the speaker
will make.
As the speaker is talking, complete each gap with a word that the speaker uses.
When the talk is finished, check your answers. You should now have notes about the
five main points the speaker made. Make sure you only write one word in each gap,
and that your spelling is correct.
School Sports Day at the Athletics Centre
Between 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Parents are needed to help Mr Robinson
take some (1) _________________ to the Athletics Centre
put up a few (2) _________________ in different places at the Athletics Centre
After 10 a.m.
Parents are needed to help make sure that students
get their sports kit from the (3) ______________________ near the main hall
take (4) _______________________ to the individual sports events
go to Jane Wright if students get any kind of (5) ______________________
Unit 5: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then look at a map of the Athletics Centre.
Complete the descriptions with the words in the box. There are two words you
don’t need.
In the IELTS Listening test, you may hear someone explaining a map, and where things are.
They will describe things you can see on the map.
Bottom left middle narrow oval right south square top
1. At the _____________ of the map is Southgate Road, where you can find the
entrance to the Athletics Centre.
2. Eastgate Road is on the ______________ -hand side.
3. There is a large _______________ shape under the trees on the right.
4. See the large __________________ shape, above the trees?
5. At the top of Eastgate Road, you can see a long, __________________
building.
6. The boathouse, where the kayaks are all kept, is on the left,
___________________ of the river.
7. The main field is in the ________________ , north of the hall.
Unit 5: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then listen and complete the directions.
When someone explains where things are on a map, they often give directions describing
how to get from one point to another. It’s important to listen for key phrases for giving
directions as this will help you to locate where things are on a map.
1. Come in through the entrance, and keep _________________ on.
Don’t turn left or right. ______________ on until you get to a
large building.
2. If you’re walking from the main entrance, take the road that goes
______________ to the left. ______________ for the river, and
you’ll see a building in front of the bridge.
3. You enter from Southgate Road, and _________________ going
until you see a large building. You can _______________
through it, or walk ________________ it, to get to a large, open
space.
Unit 5: Exercise 8
Look at the map. Then listen and match the places with the descriptions.
Boathouse main field hall
Unit 5: Exercise 9
Listen and label the map.
Write the correct letter A–I.
• Look quickly at the map and identify any important features (roads, rivers, bridges, etc.).
Buildings which are already labelled (the hall, the entrance, etc.) are also important.
• The speaker will talk about the five places in order.
• Listen and pay attention to how the speaker describes things which are already on the map.
Also pay attention to how the speaker explains how to get from one place to another.
• As the person is talking, decide where each place is on the map. Write a letter, identifying
where each building is.
1. Car park 3 _________
2. Changing rooms _________
3. First-aid centre _________
4. Café __________
5. Lifejackets __________
Unit 5: Exercise 10
Think about what you have learnt in this unit.
Are the statements True or False? Choose the correct answers.
1. When speakers give a talk, they usually talk about one main point at a time.
o True
o False
2. Speakers only mention their main point once, and usually very quickly.
o True
o False
3. Speakers often use words like it, them or this to avoid repeating words or phrases they
have just used.
o True
o False
4. Speakers often describe a map by talking about things on the map.
o True
o False
5. When speakers give directions, they often use phrases like Do you want to …? or
Would you like to …?
o True
o False
