Listening · ⁨Аудирование⁩

IELTS Academic · ⁨ІЕЛТС Академічний⁩ · Topic 2 · ⁨Тема 2⁩

View Slides · ⁨Просмотр слайдов⁩ Train · ⁨Тренировать⁩

2.1

The four parts, and what changes between them · ⁨Четыре части экзамена и различия между ними⁩

English

Listening is 40 questions in about 30 minutes, and the recording is played once only. The four parts get harder in a predictable way, so know which one you are in.

Part	Voices	Situation	What makes it hard
1	two, in conversation	everyday: booking, enrolling, enquiring	names and numbers spelled out
2	one speaker	everyday: a talk, a tour, an announcement	a lot of detail in one voice
3	two to four, in discussion	study: students and a tutor	speakers disagree and change their minds
4	one speaker	academic: a lecture	long stretches with no pause, and abstract vocabulary

Parts 1 and 2 are the marks you cannot afford to drop. If you are aiming at band 6.5, you should be losing almost nothing before question 20.
Part 3 is where a distractor 干扰项 does most damage, because one speaker says something, another corrects it, and the answer is the correction.
Part 4 has no second speaker to signal a change of topic, so the signposting 路标词 in the language is all you get: firstly, turning now to, the key point here.

Русский

Аудирование состоит из 40 вопросов примерно за 30 минут, и аудиозапись проигрывается только один раз. Четыре части усложняются предсказуемым образом, поэтому важно знать, на какой стадии вы сейчас находитесь.

Часть	Голоса	Ситуация	Что усложняет задание
1	два человека, разговорная речь	Повседневная: бронирование, регистрация, запрос информации	Имена и числа, произносимые по буквам
2	один оратор	повседневное: лекция, экскурсия, объявление	много деталей в одном голосе
3	два–четыре участника, обсуждение	учебное: студенты и преподаватель	ораторы не согласны друг с другом и меняют своё мнение
4	один оратор	академическое: лекция	длинные отрывки без пауз и абстрактная лексика

Части 1 и 2 — это баллы, на которые вы не можете позволить себе промахнуться. Если ваша цель — уровень 6.5, вам следует терять почти ничего до вопроса 20.
В части 3 наибольшую роль играет дистрактор干扰项, потому что один оратор говорит одно, другой исправляет его, а правильный ответ — это само исправление.
В части 4 нет второго оратора, чтобы сигнализировать о смене темы, поэтому единственное, что у вас есть, — это сигнальные слова路标词 в тексте: во-первых, переходя к следующему разделу, ключевой момент здесь. язык как таковой: во-первых, переходя теперь к, ключевой момент здесь.

2.2

Reading the question before the audio · ⁨Чтение вопросов до прослушивания аудио⁩

English

You are given time to read each section's questions before it plays. IELTS calls this the preparation time 审题时间, and it is part of the test, not a courtesy. That time is the single biggest source of easy marks, and most candidates waste it.

Predict the word class 词性. The tour leaves at ______ needs a time. Bring a ______ needs a noun. The museum is ______ on Mondays needs an adjective. Knowing what kind of word you are waiting for is most of the work.
Underline the word limit in the instruction. NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER means a three-word answer is wrong even if it is true. This rule is enforced exactly, and it costs more marks than mishearing does.
Underline the words that cannot change. A name, a number or a date will be said as it is written. Everything else will be paraphrased 同义改写 — the recording almost never uses the question's own words, and a candidate listening for them hears nothing.
Move your eye to the next question as soon as you have written an answer. The recording does not wait, and one lost question usually costs two.

Русский

Вам дается время прочитать вопросы каждого раздела до того, как он будет воспроизведен. IELTS называет это временем подготовки审题时间, и оно является частью экзамена, а не просто вежливостью. Это время — единственный источник легких баллов, и большинство кандидатов тратят его впустую.

Предскажите часть речи. The tour leaves at ______ требует времени. Bring a ______ требует существительного. The museum is ______ on Mondays требует прилагательного. Знание того, какой части речи вы ждете, составляет большую часть работы.
Подчеркните ограничение в инструкции. NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER означает, что трехсловный ответ неверен, даже если он верен по смыслу. Это правило соблюдается строго, и ошибка стоит больше баллов, чем неправильное восприятие на слух.
Подчеркните слова, которые нельзя изменить. Имя собственное, число или дата будут произнесены так же, как они написаны. Всё остальное будет перефразировано — аудиозапись почти никогда не использует собственные слова вопроса, а слушатель, ожидающий их, ничего не услышит.
Переводите взгляд на следующий вопрос сразу после записи ответа. Аудиозапись не ждет, и один пропущенный вопрос обычно стоит два балла.

2.3

Spelling, plurals and numbers · ⁨Орфография, множественное число и числа⁩

English

These are where the marks actually go, and every one of them is avoidable.

The four parts get harder along one axis — the register 语域 moves from everyday to academic — and the vocabulary follows it.
Spelling must be correct. A correct answer spelled wrong scores zero. British and American spellings are both accepted (organise / organize, centre / center).
Plurals are marked strictly. If the recording says two tickets, then ticket is wrong. Listen for the final -s; Mandarin has no final consonant there, so it is easy to miss.
Copy the grammar of the gap. If the sentence reads the museum has three ______, the answer must be plural whether you heard the -s or not.
Numbers: thirteen and thirty are the classic pair — the stress moves to the second syllable in thirteen. Dates may be written 21 March or March 21; both are accepted.
Letters: names are spelled out at normal speed. Practise the pairs Chinese candidates confuse — G and J, M and N, S and F, and the vowel letters E, I and A.
Write the answer exactly as you hear it. Do not "improve" it into a full sentence.

Русский

Здесь находятся баллы, и каждый из них можно избежать.

Четыре части становятся сложнее по одной оси — register (стиль) меняется от разговорного к академическому — и лексика следует за ним.
Орфография должна быть правильной. Правильный ответ, написанный с ошибкой, оценивается нулем. Британские и американские варианты написания принимаются (organise / organize, centre / center).
Множественное число проверяется строго. Если в аудиозаписи сказано two tickets, то ticket — неверно. Слушайте окончание -s; в китайском языке там нет конечного согласного, поэтому легко его пропустить.
Сохраняйте грамматику пропуска. Если предложение звучит как the museum has three ______, то ответ должен быть во множественном числе, независимо от того, услышали ли вы -s или нет.
Числа: thirteen (тринадцать) и thirty (тридцать) — классическая пара — ударение переносится на второй слог в слове thirteen. Даты могут писаться как 21 марта или март 21; оба варианта принимаются.
Буквы: имена произносятся с нормальной скоростью. Тренируйте пары, которые путают китайские абитуриенты — G и J, M и N, S и F, а также гласные E, I и A.
Записывайте ответ точно так, как вы его услышали. Не «улучшайте» его до полного предложения.

Vocabulary · ⁨Словарь⁩ Train · ⁨Тренировать⁩

English	Русский
distractor/dɪˈstræktə/	дистрактор
signposting/ˈsaɪnpəʊstɪŋ/	ориентиры
word class/wɜːd klæs/	часть речи
paraphrase/ˈpærəfreɪz/	парфразирование
preparation time/ˌprepəˈreɪʃn taɪm/	время подготовки
register/ˈredʒɪstə/	регистром
synonym/ˈsɪnənɪm/	синоним

2.4

Map, plan and diagram labelling · ⁨Подписи к картам, планам и схемам⁩

English

Before it starts, find north and fix your orientation. The speaker will describe the route as somebody walking it.
Learn the small set of position words and use them actively: opposite, adjacent to, at the far end of, on your left as you come in, beyond, between … and …, a short way past.
The speaker moves in order, so the labels come in order too. If you lose one, skip to the next landmark rather than re-reading the map.
On a diagram of a machine or a process, the description almost always runs in the direction the material moves.

Русский

До начала задания найдите север и определите ориентацию. Говорящий опишет маршрут так, будто кто-то идет по нему. как кто-то, проходящий маршрут.
Выучите небольшой набор слов для обозначения положения и используйте их активно: opposite (напротив), adjacent to (рядом с), at the far end of (в дальнем конце), on your left as you come in (слева, когда входите), beyond (за), between … and … (между… и…), a short way past (чуть дальше).
Говорящий движется последовательно, поэтому подписки идут в том же порядке. Если вы пропустили одну, переходите к следующему ориентиру, вместо того чтобы перечитывать карту.
На схеме машины или процесса описание почти всегда следует в направлении движения материала.

2.5

Matching and multiple choice · ⁨Соотнесение и тесты с вариантами ответов⁩

English

The distractor is mentioned first. Almost every multiple-choice item in Parts 3 and 4 names two of the three options in the recording. The one that is said first is usually the one being rejected: I thought about doing the survey first, but actually the reading has to come first.
Listen for the correction signals: actually, in fact, although, I'd say rather, on second thoughts, mind you. What follows them is the answer.
A synonym 同义词 in the recording is the normal case, not the exception.
In a matching task, read all the options first and group the ones that mean nearly the same thing — those are the pair the item is testing.
An option that repeats the question's own words is usually the wrong one, because the answer is always paraphrased.

Русский

Отвлекающий вариант упоминается первым. Почти в каждом задании с вариантами ответов в частях 3 и 4 в аудиозаписи называются два из трех вариантов. Тот, который говорится первым, обычно является тем, что отбрасывается: I thought about doing the survey first, but actually the reading has to come first.
Слушайте сигналы исправления: actually (на самом деле), in fact (фактически), although (хотя), I'd say rather (я бы сказал скорее), on second thoughts (передумав), mind you (обратите внимание). То, что следует за ними, является ответом.
Синоним в аудиозаписи — это норма, а не исключение.
В задании на соотнесение сначала прочитайте все варианты и сгруппируйте те, которые означают одно и то же — это та пара, которую проверяет задание.
Вариант, повторяющий собственные слова вопроса, обычно неверен, потому что ответ всегда перефразируется.

2.6

Exam tips · ⁨Советы для экзамена⁩

English

Never stop to fix a missed answer. You will lose the next one too. Leave it blank, keep up, and come back in the checking time.
Guess every blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so an empty space is a mark you have chosen to give away.
On paper, use the 10 minutes of transfer time to check spellings and plurals, not to re-think answers. On computer you have 2 minutes and the same advice.
Practise with the recording played once, with no pause and no rewind. Practising any other way trains a skill the test does not measure.
Sources, checked on 19 September 2026: Listening format, scoring in detail.

Русский

Никогда не останавливайтесь, чтобы исправить пропущенный ответ. Вы потеряете и следующий. Оставьте его пустым, продолжайте, и вернитесь к проверке в отведенное время.
Гадаете на каждую пустую ячейку. За неправильный ответ штраф нет, поэтому пустое место — это балл, который вы добровольно отдали.
На бумаге используйте 10 минут на перенос ответов для проверки орфографии и множественного числа, а не для пересмотра решений. На компьютере у вас 2 минуты, и совет тот же.
Тренируйтесь с аудиозаписью, воспроизведенной один раз, без пауз и без перемотки. Любая другая методика тренирует навык, который не проверяется в экзамене.
Источники, проверены 19 сентября 2026 года: Формат аудирования, подробный подсчет баллов.

Additional notes PDF

Listen for evidence, not a shortcut

You hear three possible days for a visit. Which one is the answer? The answer depends on the actual question and the speaker's meaning. The first day mentioned might be accepted, rejected or simply compared with another day. A word such as actually can help you follow a change. It cannot choose the answer alone.

These additional notes keep the original Listening handout beside new worked practice. The passages, places and people below are invented classroom examples. They are not official IELTS questions. Read the question before using the passage. In listening practice, let a teacher read each passage once. Keep the passage hidden until you check your answers. Reading it yourself practises analysis, not listening.

The official format includes four parts and 40 questions. Recordings are heard once, with different accents. Everyday situations come before study-related material. Question order follows information order in the recording. That does not mean a map route must always travel clockwise or from north to south. Prepare for the booked delivery. The separate overview update explains why old paper-transfer descriptions need checking.

Prepare the answer before the recording starts

Read the instruction, the question and any answer choices. A word limit 字数限制 controls the permitted answer length. A correct idea can still exceed that limit. Check whether you need one letter, two letters, words, numbers or a combination. Do not write a whole sentence when the task asks for a short answer.

For a gap, predict a possible answer type. This is preparation, not an answer you may invent.

Gap	Likely answer type
The visit starts at ___	Time
Bring two ___	Plural noun
The entrance is beside the ___	Place or object
The speaker chose it because it was ___	Description

Use meaning and grammar together. A place can contain more than one word. Words such as two can help you notice a plural, but the recording must support the answer. Follow the next question when one answer is missed. Return to it in the available checking time. Do not let a long search for one lost answer prevent you hearing three new ones.

Complete a form with names, dates and corrected facts

For this invented booking form, use no more than two words and/or a number for each answer.

Family name: ___
Visit day: ___
Group size: ___
Item to bring: ___

Classroom passage.

“Good morning. I am booking the school garden visit. My family name is Vale: V-A-L-E. I first asked about Tuesday, but our bus is available on Thursday, so please book Thursday. There are 18 students. Two teachers will come too, making 20 people in all. Every student should bring a water bottle. We provide gloves at the garden.”

Worked answers.

Vale. Use the spelled family name, not an invented spelling.
Thursday. Tuesday was the earlier request. The final booking is Thursday.
20. The question asks for the group, including the two teachers.
water bottle. This is the required item. A water bottle has three words and exceeds this task's limit.

If the question instead asked for the number of students, its answer would be 18. The same recording can support different answers to different questions. A correction is useful evidence only when it concerns the detail the question asks about.

Complete notes, a table and a sequence

A note or table has fewer words than the recording. Find which detail each gap needs. The heading and row labels can help you separate time, place, purpose and equipment.

For these gaps, use no more than two words and/or a number for each answer.

Workshop information	Answer
Starting time	1 ___
Room	2 ___
Equipment provided	3 ___

Classroom passage.

“The recording workshop begins at 9:30 in Room 4. We supply headphones, so leave yours at home. First, choose a short text. Next, record it in a quiet room. Then replay the recording. Finally, write one note about a word that needs clearer pronunciation.”

The table answers are 9:30, 4 and headphones. The room number belongs in the row that already says Room. Do not replace the provided equipment with a different item that seems useful.

The same passage supports this teaching sequence:

Choose a short text → record it → replay it → write a note.

For a flow-chart gap between record it and write a note, replay it is the supported step. A flow chart 流程图 shows order. It does not give permission to add a step absent from the recording. The words first, next, then and finally organise this passage. Other passages may show order without using exactly these words.

Complete a sentence and answer a short question

For these invented tasks, use no more than two words for each answer.

The museum's display cases must stay away from ___ .
Why was the new room chosen?

Classroom passage.

“Direct sunlight can damage some objects, so we place the display cases away from it. The old room was large, but visitors found it noisy. The new room was chosen for its quiet location.”

The first answer is direct sunlight. It names the thing from which the cases must stay away. The second answer is quiet location. It gives the stated reason, within the two-word limit. Writing because it is quiet would exceed the limit and change the required answer form.

A sentence-completion answer must fit the gap's meaning and grammar. A short-answer task asks you to supply the requested information directly. Use the recording's words when the task requires words from the recording. Do not replace a supported phrase with an attractive synonym 同义词 of your own.

Some questions require more than one answer. Read how many are requested and where to enter them. Count words in the completed answer, not in the surrounding printed sentence. Official instructions treat a hyphenated word such as check-in as one word. This is a word-count rule, not a reason to join separate words with invented hyphens.

Choose one answer or the requested number of answers

A distractor 干扰项 is an option that may seem suitable but is not supported for this question. An option can be mentioned without being accepted. It can also be accepted when mentioned first.

For the first question, choose one letter.

Why does Mei choose the morning workshop?

A. It costs less.
B. It fits her timetable.
C. Her friend attends it.

Classroom passage.

“The morning workshop costs the same as the afternoon one. My friend chose the afternoon session. I have science class then, so the morning session is the one I can attend.”

The answer is B. Mei's timetable explains her choice. A is rejected by costs the same. C refers to her friend's different session. The right answer need not copy the option's exact words. Link the meaning to evidence.

For the next question, choose two letters.

Which two items are included in the workshop fee?

A. lunch
B. headphones
C. printed notes
D. a bus ticket
E. a notebook

Classroom passage.

“Headphones and printed notes are included. Bring your own notebook. Lunch and the bus journey are paid for separately.”

The answers are B and C. Both included items have direct support. Choosing only B leaves one requested answer missing. Adding E includes an item you must bring yourself. This classroom answer allows B/C in either order. Follow the actual test's answer-entry instructions.

Match each item to the correct information

Matching connects each named item with an option. Keep track of whose information you are hearing. Read whether options may be reused; do not invent a reuse rule.

For this classroom task, each option may be used once.

A. outdoor work
B. handling digital files
C. welcoming visitors
D. repairing tools

Match each student to the activity they chose:

Rui ___
Sam ___
Hana ___

Classroom passage.

“Rui considered helping at reception, but chose to organise the photo files instead. Sam enjoys fixing things, yet this week he will work with the garden team outside. Hana will greet people when they arrive. The tool repair role is still empty.”

The answers are 1 B, 2 A, 3 C. Rui's choice concerns files, despite the earlier reception idea. Sam's hobby is not his chosen role this week. Hana's greeting role matches welcoming visitors. D is not used. An unused option is possible because there are more options than students here.

Write a small evidence note during review: photo files, garden team outside, greet people. The note helps you explain why a match is supported. Do not write this extra note in an answer box.

Use a plan without losing your direction

A landmark 地标 is a named feature that helps you locate another place. Before listening, find the starting point and the direction from which the person enters. North on a plan and your left while walking are different ideas.

Original plan of Cedar Centre for a listening exercise — Start at the south entrance facing north; lettered rooms are the answer choices.

For this classroom plan, choose one room letter for each answer.

Reading room ___
Workshop ___
Office ___

Classroom passage.

“Enter from the south and walk north along the main corridor. The reading room is the first room on your left. Continue north to the next pair of rooms. The workshop is on your right there. The office is opposite the workshop.”

The answers are 1 A, 2 D, 3 C. At the lower pair, your left is west, so the first room on the left is A. At the upper pair, the right room is D. The room across the corridor from D is C.

Do not mark the room nearest the word north just because north was mentioned. Follow the starting point, movement and relationship together. If you miss one location, use the next named landmark and question to recover. This plan is a classroom example, not a rule that every map uses the same route.

Label a diagram by following the described process

A diagram can show a process instead of a walking route. Identify its arrows and the positions of the blank labels before listening.

Original three-stage water-study diagram — The arrows show water moving through three stages; choose a label for each blank.

For this classroom diagram, choose one letter for each blank. Each option may be used once.

A. tank
B. screen
C. bottle
D. pump

Classroom passage.

“In this small classroom model, water first passes through a screen that holds back large pieces. It then collects in a tank. Finally, we collect a sample in a bottle for observation.”

The answers are 1 B, 2 A, 3 C. The three described stages match the left-to-right arrows. D is unused because no pump is named in the passage. This is a language exercise, not a claim that this process makes water safe to drink. Do not add a plausible machine part simply because you know it from science. Use the spoken description and the visual together.

Review errors and practise listening honestly

Record the answer, evidence and cause of an error before choosing more practice.

Error	Next focused action
Chose an earlier rejected detail	Follow the final relevant meaning
Wrote too many words	Check the limit and practise answer form
Matched the wrong speaker	Track the person and the chosen action
Turned the wrong way on a plan	Fix start, facing direction and landmarks
Missed spelling or a plural	Review the sound and the gap's grammar

For learning, replay a difficult part after the first attempt and compare it with the transcript. A transcript 录音文字稿 is the written record of the spoken passage. Slow or repeated study can help you find a problem. It is different from a once-only timed attempt. For a test-style practice attempt, use fresh audio once without pausing or reading its transcript. Try suitable materials with different accents. Do not judge a speaker's ability from their accent.

Check whether the same error reduces on new material. A remembered answer does not prove improved listening. Keep the raw score as a result on that practice set. Do not invent an official band from it. The tiny passages in this supplement cannot establish readiness for a full 40-question test.

Practice and explained answers

Attempt these decisions before checking the answers. Use the earlier passages as evidence.

In the garden booking, why is 18 wrong for group size but right for number of students?
Does water bottle meet a two-word limit? Does a water bottle meet it?
In the workshop table, why should 4 be enough when the printed row already says Room?
Which step belongs after recording and before writing a note in the workshop sequence?
Explain why large room does not answer the question about choosing the new museum room.
A candidate chooses B only when asked for two included workshop items. What is missing?
Why does Sam match outdoor work rather than repairing tools?
On the centre plan, where does a visitor face when entering from the south and walking north?
If the workshop is D, why is the opposite office C rather than B?
Why is pump not a supported label in the water-study diagram?
A candidate says every first-mentioned option is wrong. Give a reason this is an unsafe rule.
How can replaying help learning without making a replayed result a once-only test-style score?

Explained answers

Answer 1. The 18 counts students only. Two teachers make the complete group 20. Read which group the question asks you to count.

Answer 2. Water bottle has two words and fits. A water bottle has three and exceeds the stated limit. The required item is unchanged, but the answer form affects validity.

Answer 3. The printed label supplies Room. The number 4 supplies the missing information. Do not add a new room number or unrelated location.

Answer 4. Replay the recording. The passage gives this step before writing the pronunciation note. A flow chart follows the stated order rather than your preferred order.

Answer 5. Large describes the old room. The new room was chosen for its quiet location. The requested reason and the relevant room must both match.

Answer 6. C, printed notes, is also required. B and C are the two stated included items. Check the number of answers requested as well as each option's meaning.

Answer 7. Sam's interest in fixing things is background information. His choice this week is working outside with the garden team, so A is the supported match.

Answer 8. North. Facing north, the visitor's left is west and right is east. Changing the starting direction could change those relationships.

Answer 9. C is across the corridor from D at the same upper position. B is lower on the same side as D, so it is not opposite D.

Answer 10. The passage names a screen, tank and bottle in order. It does not name a pump. A possible real-world component is not automatically the answer to this language question.

Answer 11. An early option may be accepted, compared or rejected. Position alone does not establish its meaning. Use the question and the relevant evidence, including any actual change of decision.

Answer 12. Replay after the attempt to locate a sound, word or meaning you missed. Label that work as review. Use fresh audio once for a new test-style attempt.