Paper 4 (Listening) - Part 3

Lesson 19 – Paper 4 (Listening) – Part 3

In Part 3, you hear short extracts from 5 people all talking about the same general topic. You are given 6 sentences and you have to match one to each speaker. 

Advice from your teacher (Video 19.1)

A.     Listen and answer the following questions.

1.      How long will each speaker talk for?

2.      What do you need to listen for?

3.      What should you do once you have listened for the first time?

Vocabulary

As each recording is relatively short, Part 3 of the listening paper tests your knowledge of vocabulary. We are now going to carry out a few exercises which focus on vocabulary.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms and antonyms play an important role in Part 3.  We are now going to do a few exercises to practice them in use.

Remember:

Synonyms are words or phrases which mean exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase. For example, happy – content. 

Antonyms are words or phrases which mean the opposite of another word or phrase. For example, happy – sad. 

Adjectives to describe people

B.      Match the synonyms.

Affluent

Dependable

Industrious 

Irritated

Obstinate

Odd

Open-handed

Rude

Adjectives to describe people and places

Antonyms

C.      Match the antonyms.

Accidental

Blunt

Compulsory

Inconsiderate

Mean

Scarce

Temporary

Transparent

Test your vocabulary

D.     Think of the correct word or phrase described in each question.

1.      To give money to charity.

2.      Things that need to be paid e.g. bills.

3.      An expression which means to help someone.

4.      A verb which means to leave home (usually after university or when you get married).

5.      An expression which means to be in quite good physical condition.

6.      The story of a book or film.

Types of Part 3 questions

Often the task in Part 3 asks the candidate to listen out for people:

·         Giving reasons

·         Stating facts / giving specific information

We are now going to carry out an exercise on each of these areas.

Giving reasons

Topic: Using the internet

Answer the following questions out loud:

·         Do you use the internet?

·         How often do you use it?

·         Why do you use it?

·         Can you think of any other reasons why people use the internet?

E.      Read the a few reasons why some people use the internet. Match the reasons to their synonyms.

Learning English online

Reading the newspapers

Repairing computers worldwide

Researching for a dissertation project

Were some of the reasons you mentioned stated?

Stating facts

F.       You are going to read five short paragraphs where people talk about the sports they do. Match a paragraph (1-5) to what each person likes most about their sport (A-E). 

1.      Swimming

I’m not great at swimming and so I was surprised when I was picked for the school team. I’m not usually a competitive person but that all changed when our team swam against other schools. I’m not always determined to win.

2.      Volleyball

I took up volleyball because this year we’ve got our GCSE’s and so the workload is really heavy at school. I find volleyball helps me to let off steam.

3.      Tennis

I’ve been into tennis for many years now. If I had to say why I chose this sport over another, I’d say it’s because it gives you a good all-round workout. It keeps you in shape physically and mentally and you can do training in your own time.

4.      Football

Football has always been a passion of mine but recently I’ve noticed that I’ve got a natural gift when it comes to ball control. Everyone loves having me on the team as I score plenty of goals. 

5.      Basketball

I wish I was better at this sport but I’m not great. The team are really supportive though and the coach is always giving me tips on how to improve. I’ve made some great friends and that’s all that matters.

A. It helps me to keep fit.

B. It gives me a break from school work.

C. I get to show off my talent.

D. I can make new friends.

E. I enjoy the competitive side. 

Part 3 Exam question (Recording 19.1)

G.     You’ll hear five different people talking about a holiday they had. For questions 1-5, choose from the list (A-F) what each speaker says. Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.

__________________________________

A.      I wouldn’t like to repeat the same trip again

B.      The people I met weren’t my type

C.      I was glad I decided to go ahead with the trip

D.     I was surprised by some aspects of the holiday

E.      My holiday was extremely well organised

F.       The trip was cheaper than I had expected

Speaker 1 =

Speaker 2 =

Speaker 3 =

Speaker 4 =

Speaker 5 =

Answers

A.

Audio script (Video 19.1)

In Part 3, each of the 5 speakers will talk for about 15 seconds. There may only be a few words which tell you what he or she is talking about and so you need to listen really carefully.

The words that he speakers use will not be the same as the words that appear in the questions. The speaker will use synonyms. 

When you listen for the first time, write the answers to the questions you are sure about. The second time you listen, concentrate on the answers you are unsure about. 

1.      Approximately 15 seconds

2.      Synonyms

3.      Write down the answers you are sure of

B.

1.      Affluent

2.      Dependable

3.      Obstinate

4.      Odd

5.      Irritated

6.      Industrious

7.      Rude

C.

1.      Mean

2.      Inconsiderate

3.      Temporary

4.      Blunt

5.      Accidental

6.      Transparent

7.      Scarce

8.      Compulsory

D.

1.      To donate

2.      Expenses

3.      To lend a hand

4.      To move out

5.      To be in good shape

6.      Plot

E.

1.      Researching for a dissertation project

2.      Reading the newspapers

3.      Repairing computers worldwide

4.      Learning English online

F.

A = 3

B = 2

C = 4

D = 5

E = 1

G.

Audio script (Recording 19.1)

You’ll hear five different people talking about a holiday they had. For questions 1-5, choose from the list (A-F) what each speaker says. Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.

You now have 30 seconds to look at Part 3.

[Pause]

[Tone]

Speaker 1

My husband and I debated long and hard whether to go on a cruise around the Mediterranean – whether we would like being on a boat for such a long period of time and if we would find it boring. However, I just went ahead and booked it and I never looked back. Once we were on board, we met some lovely people and the day trips were fantastic. It was all worthwhile.   

Speaker 2

We travelled to Asia for our honeymoon. At the airport in London, I had no idea where we were going. It was all a complete surprise. Then my husband handed me a piece of paper with some cryptic clues on as to where we were going first. As soon as I saw the flag, I knew we were off to Hong Kong. When we arrived, there was a limousine waiting for us and inside a bottle of champagne. I was really taken back by all of the things my husband had planned in advance. After Hong Kong, we went to Thailand. It was the perfect holiday.  

Speaker 3

My trip to Grand Cayman was an experience I will never forget. My brother invited me because he had won a 6 day trip there and his wife couldn’t go. I couldn’t get over the fact that everything was free. When we went down to the swimming pool, they gave us sun cream, towels, magazines, drinks and asked us what snacks we would like during the day and at what time. When I asked how much things were, they said everything was free. A truly amazing experience. 

Speaker 4

The resort we stayed at was a long way from the airport. In fact, after a 15 hour flight, all I wanted to do was to get to the hotel, have a shower and go to bed, but that wasn’t possible, as the hotel was three hours away by coach from the airport. When we eventually got there, the hotel was lovely but the food was disappointing. Then after 5 days, we moved onto a new location and this time, the facilities weren’t great but the food was excellent. All in all, I can honestly say, we won’t be heading back there. 

Speaker 5

I travelled to the island by ferry. The island was like paradise. There were sandy beaches, the sea water was crystal clear and the palm trees were pristine. There was only one restaurant on the island and the food there was exquisite. On most days, the fisherman would go out in the early morning and catch lobsters, crabs and fresh fish and bring them back just in time for lunch. They were delicious. Now, if I had to buy these in the UK, they would have cost me an arm and a leg, but each day I was pleasantly surprised when the bill came!

Speaker 1 = C

Speaker 2 = E

Speaker 3 = D

Speaker 4 = A

Speaker 5 = F