Do you need more IELTS Listening practice?
Today we provide a Listening Part 4 activity.
We teach the strategies you should use when answering this type of question.
Listen to the episode for authentic IELTS Listening practice.
IELTS Listening strategies
You will be given time to look at the questions before the audio begins.
During this time, identify key words.
You will be listening for these words in the audio or their parallel expressions.
Eliminate any answers that are impossible.
Predict what you might hear.
Then, while you listen, think about the questions and keywords.
Be an active listener!
Transcript of audio
The audio for this listening exercise is from the article, “Hug it out, but make it quick. New Zealand airport sets time limit on goodbyes.”
It was written by Charlotte Graham-McLay on October 22, 2024.
The full article used for this listening audio can be found here.
Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports, but travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport’s drop-off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.
“Max hug time three minutes,” warn signs outside the terminal, adding that those seeking “fonder farewells” should head to the airport’s parking lot instead.
The cuddle cap was imposed in September to “keep things moving smoothly” in the redesigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport, CEO Dan De Bono told The Associated Press on Tuesday. It was the airport’s way of reminding people that the zone was for “quick farewells” only.
The signs had polarized social media users, De Bono said.
“We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for,” he said, adding that others had welcomed the change.
Three minutes was “plenty of time to pull up, say farewell to your loved ones and move on,” he said. “The time limit is really a nicer way of saying, you know, get on with it.”
A 20-second hug is long enough to release the wellbeing-boosting hormones oxytocin and serotonin, De Bono said. Anything longer was “really awkward.”
But passengers need not worry unduly about enforcement. “We do not have hug police,” De Bono said.
Visitors might, however, be asked to move their lingering embraces to the parking lot, where they can cuddle free of charge for up to 15 minutes.
IELTS Listening multiple choice questions
What is the time limit for hugs in the Dunedin airport departure zone?
A. 15 minutes
B. 3 minutes
C. 20 seconds
What is the result of a 20-second hug?
A. Traffic jams
B. A breach of basic human rights
C. A hormone boost
What can passengers expect from the time limit on hugs?
A. May be told to move to another location
B. They will be arrested
C. They will be fined $30
Question #1 solution
Answer: B. 3 minutes
The parallel expression for “departure zone” is “drop-off area”?
You heard “max hug time 3 minutes”.
Predictions would help here a lot.
You would know that 15 minutes sounds ridiculously long and 20 seconds sounds extremely short.
An answer like this is tricky because the answer comes before the key words in the audio.
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Question #2 solution
Answer: C. A hormone boost
You were likely able to guess this!
This one is a bit easier because you hear “a 20-second hug”.
Sometimes IELTS will give you an easy answer.
Don’t second guess yourself.
Listen for key words and stick to the strategies!
Question #3 solution
Answer: A. May be told to move to another location
There was no mention of being fined any money so you can eliminate option C.
There were a lot of numbers, so this is a distractor.
You will often hear the same numbers in answer options that are in the text.
This doesn’t mean they’re the correct answer!
Though you heard the word “police,” there is no mention of being arrested.
Therefore, you can eliminate option B.
At the end you hear, “Visitors might, however, be asked to move their lingering embraces to the parking lot.”
Since you flagged “move” as a key word that would signal you to listen closely for the answer.
Do you think hugs should have time limits?
Be sure to check out our previous episodes with IELTS Listening practice.
The most recent can be found here: IELTS Energy 1397: IELTS Listening Part 4 Practice About Turtles.
Also, be sure to fill out our Spotify poll.
Today’s question is, “Do you think there should be a limit on airport hug time?”
Let us know what you think and we’ll announce results on the show!
Takeaway
Strategies are key on IELTS Listening.
Many of our 3 Keys IELTS students score band 9 on the Listening exam.
Be sure to identify keywords, make predictions, and be an active listener.
Practice using these strategies on practice exams.
That way on test day you can go in confident!
What questions do you have from today’s episode?
Please leave a comment below.
