IELTS Listening: 'train tickets' exercise

Listen to the following advice about buying train tickets in the UK, and answer the questions below.

Click here to listen

1. If you book 12 weeks in advance, you can get a return ticket to Manchester for £ ______.

2. Which website are you advised to use when paying for your ticket?

A) the East Coast website
B) thetrainline.com
C) the Ticket Alert website

3. Which TWO statements are true of the East Coast website?

A) You pay a £1.50 booking fee.
B) It can only be used for booking trains from London to Edinburgh.
C) You can use it to buy train tickets for anywhere in the UK.
D) You will not be charged for using a credit card.
E) You can buy a “Super Advance” ticket the night before your trip.

Comments

[Dat Nguyen]

1. 25
2. C
3. C + D

[Dat Nguyen]

1. 25
2. B
3. C + D

[Tuan duong]

25
b
c+d

[Ngoc Van]

25
A
C + E

[Tai]

25
A
C + D

[yin]

25
A
C + D

[amir]

25
a
C+E

[nazanin]

25
A
C,D

[abbie_huynh]

1. 25
2. A
3. C, D

[Maianh]

1.25
2.A
3. C and D

[Bamboo]

1/25
2/A
3/C and E

[Loc Ngo]

1. 25
2. B
3. C and A

[Mahsa]

1-25
2-B
3-C-D

[Sola]

1. 25
2. A
3. C and E

[Aria]

1- 275 pounds
2- A
3- C
4- D

[Linda]

1. 25
2. A
3. C，E

[Raman]

25
A
C, D

[Aro]

25
A
C, E

[Fancy Meng]

275
C
CD

[Mike]

25 A C&D

[Anwar]

1. 25
2. A
3. C & D

[Ann]

1. 25
2. A
3. C D

[Eyad]

1.25
2.A
3.c + d

[Hạnh Nhân]

25
B
C, E

[Hieu Dao]

25
A
C,E

[nhuthuynh]

25
A
C, E

[Hieu Dao]

Hi Simon, Could you give us the tapescript? it can be useful to listen some 'hard-to-listen' words?

[Binhboong]

25
A
C, E

[nazih]

25$
A
C,D

[Le Dung]

25
A
C,E

[Linh Le]

1. 25
2. A
3. C D

[Megan]

1: 25
2: A
3:C, E

[SJ]

1.25
2.A
3.C and D

[merwin]

25
B
C and D

[Yasaman]

1) 25
2)A
3)C,E

[Vivian]

1: 25
2: A
3: C, A

[Kuong]

275
A
C,E

[Joel]

25
A
CD

[Ashry]

25
A
C,D

[Aria]

Hi dear Simon

I am a little confused with some of your writing task 2 lessons. In one of your lessons from March 13th 2013 you mentioned that in “opinion” question we should not mention in our paragraphs one and two the both views (in favour and against), while in another lesson on this year (exact date is on April 30th 2014) which is an “opinion” task 2 you wrote both views in two separate paragraphs. I am wondering if it is OK to write this or it can reduce the score.
Thanks for your attention
Aria

[Vân Anh Nguyễn]

25
B
C+E

[Dien Vi]

1.25
2.B
3.A and E

[LR]

25 / B / C and E

[roshavbg]

25
A
C+D

[Sieunhanbienhinh]

25
A
C+E

[Herbal]

1) 25
2) C
3) B+D

[Mammad]

25
A
C+D

[youko]

25
A
C+D

[nadee]

275
A
C D

[jiya khan]

£25
A
C ,D
Hi simon
I need your advice I want to ask if I want to practice for ielts and want to improve my English what should I do?Say if I am spending two hours daily where should I spend my two hrs..In my previous attempts I used to practice by doing cambridge books.What you suggest should I do no.I am following your daily lesson .what else should I do?
Thanks

[Lan]

1. 275
2. A
3. C,D

[Sophie]

First thing any regular train user should do is to book their tickets in advance, probably exactly 12 weeks in advance, so it's 300£ ticket to Manchester and to get them for just 25£ return. If you go online, you go to a website called the trainline.com. You fill in their ticket alert system and you're getting an email, telling you when those tickets are available because they often sell out very quickly. So, when you get that email, act straight away. But I know it sounds a bit sneaky, don't actually find them on the trainline.com because you have to pay £1.50 booking fee making using the credit card another £1.50. Instead pop over to the East Coast Website, you think that's the only train standard line from London to Edinburgh. It's not they will sell the tickets for any train anywhere in the UK and they don't charge booking fee and they don't charge credit card. So, that's another 2 or 3 quid saved. If you haven't been able to buy ticket online in advance it is still worth to remembering up until 6 o'clock on the night before. You can get still in advance ticket, it won't be a cheaper " Super Advance" ones 12 weeks in advance but still worth to buy them the night before.

[Sophie]

1)25£ 2)A 3)C-D

[chihtian]

1) 25
2) A
3) C, D

[Do Quoc]

1) 275
2) A
3) C,D
thank you, simon!

[Donald]

375
A
C, D

[Donald]

Sorry:
1 - 325
2 - A
3 - C, D

[honey]

1)300-25=275
2)A
3)C D

[Linhpham]

25 pounds
B
C & D
is there anyone hearing the words before "sounds a bit sneaky" ? those words are so confusing.

[RR]

25 pounds
A
AC

[Pei wen]

25
B
E

[Moon Le]

Hi Simon,

Here is my answer:
1.25
2. A
3. C, D

[Jwala]

25
A
C, D

[Vang]

25
A
C,D

[JULIE]

25
A
D,E

[nhi.huynh]

1) 25
2) A
3) C + D

[hellcha]

1/ 25
2/ A
3/ C, D

This is a good listening practice video. Can anyone recommend me a listening source like this to improve my listening?

[MR]

25
A
B AND D

[Ivy]

Dear Simon,
I am wondering if you could clarify a confusion of the examiner's writing sample of Cambridge 9 text 2 task 1(p164). The sample frequently uses the 'calls' as subjects instead of 'the number of minutes of different types of calls', which confuses me because I think using 'calls' as the subject can be understood as the times of the call and the length of the call. Apparently, in this context, it has to be the length of 'calls'.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers.
Ivy.

[Amol]

25
A
D E

[Legolas]

25
C
C-D

[Yoyo]

1.25
2.A
3.C+D

[Mingo Nguyen]

1. 25
2. B
3. C+E

[Yuyi]

275
B
D.E

[Ahmed]

1-25
2-A
3-C and D

[Simon]

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. 25
2. A
3. C and D

I'll try to produce a transcript for next week. Maybe some of you can try writing what you hear to help me (Sophie has already tried this in a comment above).

...

Hi Aria,

I've tried to show different ways of answering, depending on your opinion and the ideas that you have.

You can choose to have a strong opinion, and support just one side of the argument. Or you can have a balanced opinion, and write a paragraph for each view. Both are acceptable ways of responding to an 'agree or disagree' question.

...

Jiya, it sounds like you're doing the right things. Just keep working!

...

Hi Ivy,

I haven't got that question in front of me at the moment, but from what you've said it looks like you are right!

[Van Nguyen]

1. 25
2. B
3. C & D

[Dean]

1. 25
2. B
3. C & D

[Olivia Thu]

Hi everyone, my name's Thu living in Vietnam. I am going to sit for ielts in next few months, so anyone who wanna speak to me feel free to contact me via skype: dolphin.ms1 or email: dothithuktchvnh@gmail.com. Before adding me to your address, please let me know you are from this website. Thank and hope to see you guys.

[Suri]

1. 25 (pounds)
2. A
3. C and D

[NDHAn]

Dear Simon,
Should I take note of everything I have listened and then answer the questions base on those notes? or should I just read the questions and wait for the answer while listening.
Thank you so much for your very productive lessons

[Do Quoc]

Hi Simon!
according to this listening test, there is no operating in IELTS listening test such as addtion or subtraction. is that right?
thank you very much!

[Donna]

1.25
2. A
3. C&E

[Mana]

1.25
2.a
3.C,E

[ziaul huda]

The words that distracted me-
Preferably not probably
Booking fee
They don't chare for credit card.
There are some good phrases that I like.
Worh remembering
still worth trying to buy.

[DEEPA]

1)25
2)A
3)C and D

[Bee]

1)25
2)A
3)C and D

[Justina]

25

A

C and D

[xanhlam]

1. 25
2. A
3. C & D

[Leda]

1-25
2-A
3-C&E

[Angelina]

my answer is
25
A
c and D

so where can i get the correct answer?

[Quyen]

25
A
C+D

[reda]

Dear Simon,
I've just finished academic test in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I think part 3 of the listening was terrible. It was extended matching questions form which I usually find it difficult to answer correctly, especially when the choices are long sentences which necessitate more focus on the difference between them.

I think also most of the attendents find these questions the most difficult to answer. Therefore, would you please focus on this form of questions on the next posts , because I think I'm not going to get 7 in the listening section.

[ALAMGIR PARVEZ]

1. 25
2. (a)
3. (c) & (e)

[Durga prasad]

1.25
2.A
3.C&D

[Sami]

25
A
C
D

[Victoria]

250
B
E n D

[Sam]

25
A
D & E

[Doraemon]

1 25
2 B
3 A

[sheen]

25
b
c,e