Category: TED x IELTS

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IELTS Listening TED x IELTS

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 4

TEDxIELTS: Ideas for Listening Practice

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 4: Talk Nerdy to Me

Listen to a TED speaker talk about the importance of good communication. Before you listen, take one minute to read the ten questions below. You can also download these questions as a PDF.

[ted id=1592]

QUESTIONS 1-6 (Sentence Completion) You should write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

The speaker argues that 1. _______________ and 2. ______________ need to be better at communicating.

The first question they must answer is 3. __________________? In other words, why is their science relevant to us?

They can help people understand their ideas by avoiding 4. _________________.

A good example of this are the words 5. _____________________________ which can easily be expressed as space and time.

However, that doesn’t mean they need to 6. ____________________. Ideas should be kept as simple as possible, but not made any simpler.

QUESTIONS 7-10 (Multiple Choice) Choose ONE ANSWER for each question.

7. What does the speaker say about bullet points?

A. They are dangerous to humans.
B. They depend too much on language.
C. They should be banned from presentations.

8. Why does the speaker mention the Eiffel Tower?

A. It’s a useful analogy.
B. It has a unique design.
C. It prevents tourists from getting lost.

9. The purpose of the equation is to:

A. Define the relevance to your audience
B. Find your true passion
C. Improve your conversations

10. What do you think is the speaker’s occupation?

A. Scientist
B. Engineer
C. Neither of the above

Make sure you check spelling carefully before you check the answers.

Teacher’s Note

This is the kind of talk you might hear in Section 2 of the IELTS Listening test. Be very careful when answering questions 7-10 as they make heavy use of distractors. These are words that you will hear the speaker say but they are not the correct answer to the question. Even though the speaker uses a few visuals, try to do this listening practice test without viewing the screen. You don’t need to see the visuals in order to understand the speaker’s points, and it will be much more authentic as IELTS Listening practice.

Further Practice

Want more IELTS Listening practice? Check out similar posts here.

Using this IELTS Listening practice in a real classroom? You may want to try these follow-up questions with your students.

This is an unofficial educational use of a TED talk. For official learning materials based around TED content, please visit the TED-ed website.

 

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IELTS Listening Practice Tests TED x IELTS

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 3

TEDxIELTS: Ideas for Listening Practice

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 3: Why Is ‘X’ the Unknown?

Try these IELTS listening practice questions based on a TED talk about the letter X in mathematics. Take one minute first to read through the questions before you listen. You can also download these questions as a PDF.

[ted id=1469]

Questions 1-5 (Summary completion) Write no more than one word for each answer. 

The Arabic language is extremely 1. _________________________. Because each part of a sentence is very precise and informative, constructing a sentence in Arabic is bit like writing an 2. _________________________. This partly explains many so-called Western sciences such as mathematics and 3. _________________________ actually have their origins in the Middle East. For example, the English word ‘algebra’ has Arabic roots. Many kinds of Middle-Eastern wisdom arrived in Europe via 4. _________________________, where they were first translated. However, certain Arabic sounds can’t be pronounced by Europeans without a great deal of practice. They also can’t easily be written using existing European 5. _________________________.

Questions 6-10 (Matching). Match the following statements with the letter or symbol they refer to.

6. It was familiar to Spanish mathematicians. _____

7. It was eventually replaced by another letter. _____

8. It was known throughout Europe. _____

9. It has been in use for nearly six centuries. _____

10. It is unpronounceable in Spanish. _____

  • A. The mathematical symbol X
  • B. The Arabic letter SHeen
  • C. The Greek letter Kai
  • D. The Latin letter X

Make sure you check spelling carefully before you check the answers.

Teacher’s Note

This is the kind of talk you might hear in Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test, a lecture on an abstract or academic topic. In this case, not only is the subject unfamiliar, but you need to do a lot of reading while you listen. This will be a real test of your multitasking skills! If you’re not good at reading and listening at the same time, you could try taking notes instead and then looking at the questions later. I wouldn’t usually recommend this strategy, but it could be effective during a summary completion task like Questions 1-5 above.

Further Practice

Want more IELTS Listening practice? Check out similar posts here.

Using this IELTS Listening practice in a real classroom? You may want to try these follow-up questions with your students.

This is an unofficial educational use of a TED talk. For official learning materials based around TED content, please visit the TED-ed website.

 

Categories
IELTS Listening TED x IELTS

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 2

TEDxIELTS: Ideas for Listening Practice

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 2: The World’s English Mania

Try these IELTS listening practice questions based on a popular TED talk about English as a global language. Take one minute first to read through the questions. You can also download these questions as a PDF.

[ted id=554]

Questions 1-4 (Short-answer questions) Write no more than three words and/or a number for each answer.

1. What can be positive, worrying or life-threatening? ___________________________

2. How do Chinese students practice English? ___________________________

3. How many English learners are there in the world? ___________________________

4. Which country will have most speakers of English? ___________________________

Questions 5-7 (Multiple choice, multiple answer)

What THREE reasons for learning English in China are given by the lecturer?

  • A. To belong in a single world
  • B. To have a better career
  • C. To pay for education
  • D. To support children in the future
  • E. To order food in restaurants
  • F. To perform well in a test
  • G. To live in another country

Questions 8-10 (Multiple choice, single answer)

8. What does the lecturer consider to be the main effect of the world learning English?

  • A. Other languages will become extinct.
  • B. Discussions are possible at the global level.
  • C. Global problems can easily be solved.

9. What does the lecturer say English will become?

  • A. One of the world’s common languages
  • B. The world’s universal language
  • C. As important as mathematics or music

10. Why is the spread of English a positive development?

  • A. It will help spread technological advances.
  • B. It will help unite countries and cultures.
  • C. It will help people resolve their disputes.

Make sure you check spelling carefully before you check the answers.

Teacher’s Note

This is the kind of talk you might hear in Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test, a lecture on an abstract or academic topic. Note that most of the questions this time are multiple choice. Use common sense to eliminate unlikely answers before and while listening. For example, we know that global problems cannot easily be solved, so that rules out Answer C in Question 8. However, just be sure you don’t take this process too far and start basing answers on your own opinions rather than the speaker’s words!

Further Practice

Want more IELTS Listening practice? Check out similar posts here.

Using this IELTS Listening practice in a real classroom? You may want to try these follow-up questions with your students.

This is an unofficial educational use of a TED talk. For official learning materials based around TED content, please visit the TED-ed website.

Categories
IELTS Listening Practice Tests TED x IELTS

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 1

TEDxIELTS: Ideas for Listening Practice

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 1: Why Videos Go Viral

Try these IELTS listening practice questions based on a popular TED talk about viral content on YouTube. Take one minute first to read through the questions. You can also download these questions as a PDF.

[ted id=1371]

QUESTIONS 1-2 (Sentence completion) Write no more than three words for each answer.

Web video now means that anyone can become famous very quickly.

Over 48 hours of video appear on YouTube 1. ________________________.

Only a tiny percentage of videos goes viral and becomes a cultural moment.

The key factors in creating a viral are tastemakers, 2. ________________________ and unexpectedness.

QUESTIONS 3-10 (Note completion) Write no more than three words for each answer.

BEAR VASQUEZ

“Double rainbow” video viewed 3. ________________________ during 2010.

Video first became popular during the summer.

Creator didn’t intend to make a viral; he just wanted to 4. ________________________ a rainbow.

Video had actually been uploaded in 5. ________________________ but only became popular after tastemaker Jimmy Kimmel posted a link on Twitter.

REBECCA BLACK

Song “Friday” has been viewed almost 200 million times.

Viewing peaks all occurred on 6. ________________________.

Its popularity may have begun with a joke about the video on Twitter.

7. ________________________ of “Friday” have been uploaded to YouTube.

Viral videos are born when online communities spread or do something new with content.

“NYAN CAT”

Looped animation has been viewed nearly 50 million times.

YouTube users began creating different versions of the video.

Whole 8. ________________________ emerged that transformed “Nyan Cat” from a simple joke to a participatory movement.

CASEY NIESTAT

Made a unique video to protest bicycle fines in New York.

Made his point using 9. ________________________ and ________________________.

Video has now been seen 10. ________________________.

Make sure you check spelling carefully before you check the answers.

Teacher’s Note

This is the kind of lecture you might hear in Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test – though this one includes visual content that you will not find in the real exam. Notice that in this example, there are no multiple choice questions. For all ten questions, you must complete the gaps in the sentences and notes with missing words. It’s very important to check not only spelling but also that the words fit the sentence grammatically. Sometimes in IELTS Listening you may need to adjust the speaker’s words to make them fit the question, for example by changing a verb to a noun.

Further Practice

Want more IELTS Listening practice? Check out similar posts here.

Using this IELTS Listening practice in a real classroom? You may want to try these follow-up questions with your students.

This is an unofficial educational use of a TED talk. For official learning materials based around TED content, please visit the TED-ed website.