This IELTS Listening practice lesson will help you with
- choosing from a list (listening for distractors)
- labelling a floor plan (following directions)
It will help you spot distractors relating to tenses and TIME MARKERS e.g.
- What have they (already/just) done?
- What haven’t they done (yet)?
- What are they planning to (about to/going to) do?
- What are they looking into/considering doing?
See How to spot distractors relating to PAST Tenses in this listening about a dinosaur museum.
Choosing from a list
Questions 11 and 12
Which TWO changes have been made so far during the refurbishment of the theatre?
A Some rooms now have a different use
B A different type of seating has been installed.
C An elevator has been installed.
D The outside of the building has been repaired.
E Extra seats have been added.
It’s an old building, and it’s been modernised several times. In fact, as you can see, we’re carrying out a major refurbishment at the moment. The interior has just been repainted, and we’re about to start on the exterior of the building – that’ll be a big job. The work’s running over budget, so we’ve had to postpone installing an elevator. I hope you’re happy running up and down stairs! When the theatre was built, people were generally slimmer and shorter than now, and the seats were very close together.
Questions 11 and 12
Which TWO changes have been made so far during the refurbishment of the theatre?
A Some rooms now have a different use – We’ve also turned a few storerooms over to other purposes
B A different type of seating has been installed. – We’ve replaced them with larger seats with more legroom.
C An elevator has been installed. NO – this has been postponed (delayed because the work’s running over budget)
D The outside of the building has been repaired. NO – we’re about to start on the exterior of the building
E Extra seats have been added. NO – fewer seats in total
11. A We’ve also turned a few storerooms over to other purposes, like using them for meetings. We try hard to involve members of the public in the theatre.
12. B We’ve replaced them with larger seats with more legroom. This means fewer seats in total but we’ve taken the opportunity to install seats that can easily be moved, to create different acting spaces.
Questions 13 and 14
Which TWO facilities does the theatre currently offer to the public?
A rooms for hire
B backstage tours
C hire of costumes
D a bookshop
E a cafe
Questions 13 and 14
Which TWO facilities does the theatre currently offer to the public?
A rooms for hire NO – they’ll be available for hire (in the future)
B backstage tours
C hire of costumes – NO – We’re also considering hiring out costumes
D a bookshop
E a cafe NO – so we’re looking into the possibility of opening a cafe in due course (in the future)
13 B One way is by organising backstage tours, so people can be shown round the building and learn how a theatre operates. These are proving very popular. What we’re finding is that people want to have lunch or a cup of coffee while they’re here, so we’re looking into the possibility of opening a cafe in due course.
14 We have a bookshop, which specialises in books about drama and that attracts plenty of customers. Then there are two large rooms that will be decorated next month, and they’ll be available for hire, for conferences and private functions such as parties. We’re also considering hiring out costumes to amateur drama clubs.
Questions 15 and 16
Which TWO workshops does the theatre currently offer?
A sound
B acting
C making puppets
D make-up
E lighting
Questions 15 and 16
Which TWO workshops do the theatre currently offer?
A sound NO – We’re going to start one on sound next month
B acting NO – we intend to run courses in acting
C making puppets
D make-up NO – workshops on make-up, and that’s something we’re considering for the future.
E lighting
Now I want to tell you about our workshops. We recently started a programme of workshops that anyone can join. Eventually we intend to run courses in acting, but we’re waiting until we’ve got the right people in place as trainers. That’s proving more difficult than we’d expected!
15. E There’s a big demand to learn about the technical side of putting on a production and our lighting workshop has already started, with great success. We’re going to start one on sound next month. A number of people have enquired about workshops on make-up, and that’s something we’re considering for the future.
16. C A surprise success is the workshop on making puppets – we happen to have someone working here who does it as a hobby and she offered to run a workshop. It was so popular we’re now running them every month!
Did you spot the distractors related to tenses and time?
For example in Question 11:
Q11: What changes have been made so far?
Tapescript:
- ‘has JUST been repainted’
- ‘we’re ABOUT to start’
- ‘we’ve had to POSTPONE‘
Following directions and labelling a floor plan
Now a word about the layout of the building. The auditorium, stage and dressing rooms for the actors are all below ground level. Here on the ground floor we have most of the rooms that the public doesn’t see. The majority are internal so they have windows in the roof to light them.
17. G Standing here in the foyer, you’re probably wondering why the box office isn’t here, where the public would expect to find it. Well, you might have noticed it on your way in – although it’s part of this building, it’s next door with a separate entrance from the road.
18. D For the theatre manager’s office you go across the foyer and through the double doors, turn right and it’s the room at the end of the corridor, with the door on the left.
19. B The lighting box is where the computerised stage lighting is operated, and it’s at the back of the building. When you’re through the double doors, turn left, turn right at the water cooler and right again at the end. It’s the second room along that corridor. The lighting box has a window into the auditorium, which of course is below us.
20 F The artistic director’s office is through the double doors, turn right, and it’s the first room you come to on the right-hand side.
Podcast episode – listen here for explanations
Get more listening practice here.
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