IELTS Listening: find the comparisons

Here's another short video from the Economist Multimedia website:

The speaker compares days off work in different countries. Can you find the 4 comparisons he makes using the words/phrases below?

- whereas
- but
- by contrast
- while

Comments

[Sunny]

1.The number of public holidays varies.Britain gets 8 of them, whereas Japanese have 16 days per year.
2.But the public holidays are not only days off, you also have to take into account the number of sick days taken.
3.Bulg has 22 sick days per year, in Japan and China by contrast, employers do not pay their workers due to illness.
4.China remained the hardest working country while Bulg takes the price as the most slothful country.

[Aika]

1. Britain's get just 8 of them, whereas the Japanese have 16 public holidays a year.
2.In Europe, it's typically 25 to 30 days. But in China, it's just 5 days rising to 10 days for employees who have been in their jobs for more than a decade.
3. In Japan and China, by contrast, employers do not have to pay workers who take a day off due to illness.
4. Adding this numbers, China remains the hardest-working country, while Bulgaria takes a prize as the most slothful.

[bhavini bhatt]

Hi,Simon
First time I am writing here, I browse your website regularly though..hope you can find some time to answer my question.
What is the difference between theses sentences

I have sent you a message last week.
I sent you a message last week.

Thanks in advance.
Bhavini bhatt

[Martin]

This is great practice for both listening and Task1 essays!

[jael.nguyen@gmail.com]

- Britain gets just 8 of them, there are an extra majority this year throw wasting whereas Japanese has sixteen public holidays per year.
- In Europe, typically 25 or 30 days, but in China, it’s just 5 days rising to 10 days for employees who have been …jobs more the decades.
- Japan and China, by contrast, employers do not have to pay workers who take days due to illness and make considerate days in holiday instead, so extremely rare.
- China remains the hardest-working country while Bulgaria takes the prize of the most slothful.

[Tomo]

Thank you so much for this listening lesson.

Britains get just eight of them whereas the Japanese have 16 public holidays a year.

In Europe, it’s typically 25 to 30 days, but in China, it’s 5 days rising to 10 days for employees who have been in their jobs for more than a decade.

Add(Adding?) these figures to the public holidays, China becomes the hardest working country among our sample while France becomes the most slothful.

The leader here is Bulgaria with 22 days a year. In Japan and China, by contrast, employers do not have to pay workers who take a day off due to illness and may consider it a day of holiday instead, so it’s extremely rare.

Adding these figures, China remains the hardest working country while Bulgaria takes the prize as the most slothful.

[jawairia]

Hi,

Below are my points.

Britian gets just 8 of them,whereas the Japan have 16 public holidays per year.

Most countries have 10 or 11 but,the public holidays are not the only day off

In Europe its of typically 25-30 days.But in China ,its just 5 days rising to10 days.

China become the hardest working country,while France becomes the most slothful.

The leadr here is Bulgaria with 22 days off a year.In Japan and China by contrast the dayoff due to illness may be considered as a day of holiday.

Adding all these figures China remains the hardest working country,while Bulgaria takes the place the most slowcoach

Thanks and Regards.

[Simon]

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. Britons (= British people) get just 8 of them,..... WHEREAS the Japanese have 16 public holidays a year.

2. In Europe, it's typically 25 to 30 days, BUT in China it's just 5 days, rising to 10 days for employees who have been in their jobs for more than a decade.

3. The leader here (for sick days) is Bulgaria, with 22 days a year. In Japan and China, BY CONTRAST, employers do not have to pay workers who take a day off due to illness.

4. Adding these figures, China remains the hardest-working country, WHILE Bulgaria takes a prize as the most slothful.

[Anh]

Hi Simon,
I don't know where to put my question on, so I decide to ask here. Hope you will not be annoyed.
I want to ask you that in the case of the requirement are fill no more than one word or a number in the blanks, but actually in the Ielts Cambridge 5 question 3 we have to fill both a number and a world (the right answer is 18th April). So we can use both a word and a number with this requirement?
Another question is that also in ielts Cambridge 5, question 30 is it ok if I answer "topic" instead of "a topic"? Thank you so much!
P/s: I am of the same opinion as everybody here that your work are really fabulous. I know my English is very poor and your site helps me a lots. Thanks for all.

[Marc]

Hi Anh.

If you check carefully it always says "one word AND/OR a number" or "two words AND/OR a number" etc.

Simon said somewhere that you only need the article if the gap is in a full sentence (because the grammar should be correct).

[Anh]

Hi Marc,
I am afraid that in the Cambridge Ielts 5-test1 listening-section1, they said "write no more than one word or a number for each answer". This is the reason I gave 18th for the question 3, however the answer key is still 18th April. What should I do? Thanks for your answering so much!

[Marc]

Hi Anh. I've got Cambridge 5. In my book, the instruction for test 1, section 1 is "TWO words AND/or a number". I'm looking at the book now. Are you sure you have read it correctly? Maybe your copy of the book is wrong.

[murali]

I think we can use these 4 word in the writing module task 1, to make some good content. any one agree?

[Nazerke]

Hi Simon! thank you for your amazing web-site!!! I have one question if it's counted as a half point for one mistake in the spelling or i miss one word e.g '2000' instead of 'about 2000' or i lose the whole point?? thank you in advance

[Jocelyn]

Hi Simon,

Excellent website. A great way of practising listening. I'm posting words of whole passage. And there're several parts that i'm not sure about. Would you take a look or make corrections. Thanks a lot! What i get is as below:
In which country do workers get the most days off? May Day is a public holiday, celebrated in many countries. But the number of public holidays per year varies widely. Britons get just 8 of them and an extra one was out at this year for the royal wedding, whereas Japanese have 16 public holidays a year. Rest countries have 10 or 11. But public holidays are not the only days off. The number of days of annual leave granted to workers also varies widely. In Europe, it’s typically 25-30 days, but in China it’s just 5 days, rising to 10 days for employees who have been in their jobs for more than a decade. In America, employers are not required to give their workers pay time off, but in practice the average is about 15 days. Add these figures to the public holidays, and China becomes the hardest working country among our sample, while France becomes the most slothful. But you also have to take into account the number of sick days taken. The leader here is Bulgaria with 22 days a year. In Japan and China, by contrast, employers do not have to pay workers who take a day off due to illness and may consider it a day of holiday instead, so it’s extremely rare. Adding these figures, China remains the hardest-working country, while Bulgaria takes a prize as the most slothful. As an old communist joke puts it “They pretend to pay us, we pretend to work.” And if you envy the Japanese with 16 public holidays a year, consider the situation in ancient Rome. Under the emperor of Claudius, there were 159 public holidays a year with public games, days for 93 of them.

[Simon]

Hi Jocelyn,

I haven't checked every word I'm afraid, but it looks ok. You're obviously working hard, so keep going!

[cherry]

hi Simon
I wonder that “China remains the hardest-working country” ，remain is “vi” ，may be “China remains at the hardest-working country” is better？？

[Simon]

Hi Cherry,

No, don't write "at" in this sentence.

[yasin]

ah be simon :(