L1: COMMON QUESTION TYPES IN SECT 1 & 2

LISTENING TEST OVERVIEW

1. HOW MANY QUESTIONS/SECTIONS ARE THERE?
2. HOW LONG DOES ONE FULL TEST LAST?
3. DOES THE TEST GET MORE DIFFICULT SECTION BY
SECTION?
4. WHAT IS THE GENERAL CONTEXT OF EACH SECTION?
5. HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE THERE IN EACH SECTION?
6. ARE THERE DIFFERENT ACCENTS/DIALECTS?
7. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTION TYPES?
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KEY WORDS
1. KEY WORDS?
⇒ all meaningful words
⇒ as opposed to function words
2. THE TWO MAIN TYPES OF KEY WORDS?
⇒ KWs that help you keep track
Likely words that are hard to paraphrase
(names, numbers, terms, certain nouns,etc)
⇒ KWs that help you decide your answer
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COMMON PARAPHRASING TECHNIQUES
1. USING SYNONYMS
2. CHANGING WORD FORMS
3. CHANGING AFFIRMATIVE TO NEGATIVE
4. CHANGING WORDS ORDER

→ TURNING ACTIVE VOICE INTO PASSIVE VOICE &

VICE VERSA
5. 2 OR MORE TECHNIQUES COMBINED

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PREDICTING TECHNIQUE
1. WHY?

Because you always need to and have time to think

about the question first.
➔ Key words alone are not enough.
➔ Predicting allows your brain to actively think
about the questions.
➔ Predicting helps you narrow down the
categories/areas of the answers.
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PREDICTING TECHNIQUE
2. WHAT?

➔ Predicting the word form of each answer.

nouns (plural or singular, countable or uncountable), verbs
(in what form?), adjectives,...

➔ Predicting the pattern/category of each answer.

number (age, date, a period of time, money...), occupation,
colours, name (building, city,...),...

➔ Predicting each answer.

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PREDICTING TECHNIQUE
3. HOW?

➔ Rely on grammatical clues.

➔ Rely on the context and the topic.

➔ Rely on the usual pattern of the dialogues in the

test.

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SECTION 1 - FORM FILLING

● HOW MANY SPEAKERS?

● THE GENERAL CONTEXT?
● OTHER FEATURES?
● COPING TACTICS?
PRACTICE 1
1. Underline all key words
2. Apply prediction techniques

page 6
FORM/SENTENCE COMPLETION - PREPARATION
1. Circle the number of words/numbers allowed.
⇒ Limit your answers accordingly.

2. Underline/Circle Keywords.
⇒ Be aware of potential alternatives of some keywords &
remember those that are unlikely to be paraphrased.

3. Predict the pattern of the answers.

⇒ Try to be as specific as possible.

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 Apply all steps to the exercise

PRACTICE 2 Then listen and answer

question 1-10
page 12
COMMON PROBLEMS - NUMBERS
1. Long series of numbers.
⇒ A series of number is usually read with added pauses
between group of 3 or 4 numbers.
⇒ Try to find a partner and practice both reading out and
writing down series of numbers. Remember to add pauses!
2. Big numbers.
⇒ Don’t usually appear in form completion.
⇒ Be aware of some terms & rules regarding money.

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COMMON PROBLEMS - NUMBERS
3. -teen or –ty?
⇒ rely on the word stress
⇒ rely on the context

4. Linking sounds.

⇒ focus on the vowel sound.

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 COMMON PROBLEMS - LETTERS
1. Native language interference
⇒ avoid spelling words in Vietnamese
⇒ practice with a partner using weird&long names/words

2. 8 or A or H?

⇒ focus on the ending consonant

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 FORM COMPLETION - ADDRESS
1. Common Streets Names:
★ -ville
★ -ford
★ King’s/Queen’s
★ St. Mary/John
★ Emerald
2. If the city or town is a familiar place or has a simple
(meaningful) name, its name won’t be spelled.

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 COMMON PROBLEMS
★ Sometimes, the answer comes out in a Y/N question.
⇒ The main speaker will only confirm with a simple Yes.
⇒ The answer won’t be repeated again.
★ Sometimes, the answer comes out first. Then the speaker
confirms it by giving other details, which are your key
words, later.
⇒ You can miss your answer because you were listening for
the key words.
★ Sometimes the other speaker corrects or denies the
information given by the main speaker.
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 1. Underline all key words
PRACTICE 3 2. Apply techniques
3. Watch out for potential ‘traps’
page 21
MAP - OVERVIEW
1. Do map questions always appear on the test?

2. In which section do map questions tend to appear?

3. Are map questions on the more difficult side of the

scale?

4. Do you need to be good at reading map to cope with

these questions?
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MAP - TYPES OF QUESTIONS
❏ Type 1: ❏ Type 2:
⇒ Presents you with an ⇒ Presents you with an incomplete
incomplete map. map having lettered places and a
numbered list of places (your
questions).

⇒ Requires you to fill in the ⇒ Requires you to match each

blanks on the map with the numbered place with a letter on the
names of places you hear frommap using the directions given in
the recording. the recording.
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MAP - TYPe 1 (increasingly less common)

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MAP - TYPe 2 (more likely to appear on tests)

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MAP&DIRECTIONS VOCABULARY
First, make your you
familiarise yourself with
cardinal directions, or the
points of a compass.

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MAP&DIRECTIONS VOCABULARY
★ At the top/bottom ★ Inside/outside
★ In the southwest/in the northeast ★ Opposite/in front of
★ At/In the upper/top left (hand) ★ Left-hand side/ right-hand
corner side
★ At/In the lower/bottom right ★ Immediately to your right
(hand) corner ★ Clockwise/anticlockwise
★ On the (upper/lower) right (hand) ★ A little beyond
side ★ Just past
★ On/to the left/on the right ★ Before you get to
★ On the far side/far left/far right ★ Adjoining
★ Slightly west of ★ Enter via
★ In the middle of/in the centre of ★ Runs alongside
★ Above/below ★ Just around the corner
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NOW DO A SMALL MAP READING EXERCISE!~

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MAP&DIRECTIONS VOCABULARY

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crossroad vs junction vs intersection

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MAP&DIRECTIONS VOCABULARY
★ Roundabout
★ Path
★ Footpath
★ Track
★ Circular/triangular
★ Ornamental garden/lake
★ Water features
★ Bend (v) (n)

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NAMES OF SOME CITY IN ENGLAND
1. OXFORD 1. /ˈɒksfəd/
2. MANCHESTER 2. /ˈmæntʃestə(r)/
3. LIVERPOOL 3. /ˈlɪvəˌpuːl/
4. BIRMINGHAM 4. /ˈbɜːmɪŋəm/
5. NOTTINGHAM 5. /ˈnɒtɪŋəm/
6. ESSEX 6. /ɛsɪks/
7. GLASGOW 7. /ˈglɑːzgəʊ/
8. PORTSMOUTH 8. /ˈpɔːtsməθ/
9. READING 9. /ˈrɛdɪŋ/
10.LEEDS 10. /liːdz/
11. BELFAST 11. /ˈbɛlfɑːst/
12.EDINBURG 12. /ˈɛdɪnbrə/
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Let’s do a small exercise!~
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Let’s do a small exercise!~
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 COMMON PROBLEMS - TENSES
Always check if the question refer to the past, future or
present.
⇒ look at the verb tense & the verb itself (is being built,
has been planned to, used to,...)
⇒ look at the time clues (currently, yet, already,...)
*The reason this is important is because sometimes the speaker likes to
throw you off by introducing a variety of options that fit into the
predicted category. Sometimes the only way to cope is to determine if
an option is available/happens in the present, past or future.
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 Pre-listening:
⇒ apply all steps

While listening:
⇒ remember all the possible traps

PRACTICE 3
⇒ rely on your prediction to fill in
the blanks with everything that fits
(even if your key words haven’t
page 18 come up yet.)

Post-listening:
⇒ check all spellings
 Although this is sentence
completion, the coping techniques

PRACTICE 4 are similar to form completion.

The context of the questions is a

page 22 guided tour.
 This is a section 4 so there won’t be
a break in the middle of the
section.

To be able to handle section 4, you

PRACTICE 5 will have to rely heavily on

prediction.

page 23 ⇒ Use your common knowledge.

⇒ Use your grammatical

knowledge.
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LESSON REVIEW