day-59-ielts-listening-practice

IELTS Booster Lab Listening

Day 59 IELTS Listening Practice - Students Choosing a Research Topic

Section 3 group discussion practice with three distinct speakers, research-topic decisions, methods, responsibilities, schedules, and multiple-choice distractors.

Practice Instructions

  1. Listen once without pausing.
  2. Answer all 10 questions.
  3. Check the answer key.
  4. Replay the mistakes only.
  5. Read the transcript after trying.
  6. Write one weak point for tomorrow.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

  1. Which research topic does the group finally choose?
    A. student sleep habits
    B. social media use
    C. study-space preferences
  2. Why does Maya reject the topic of sleep habits?
    A. It has already been studied by another group.
    B. It requires medical information.
    C. It is too difficult to explain.
  3. What problem does Daniel identify with studying social media use?
    A. Students may not answer honestly.
    B. The topic is too broad.
    C. The survey would be expensive.
  4. Which research method do the students agree to use?
    A. interviews only
    B. observation only
    C. a questionnaire and observation
  5. Who will ask the tutor to approve the topic?
    A. Maya
    B. Aisha
    C. Daniel

Questions 6-10

Complete the research plan below. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Research Plan

  1. The group will compare the library with the student __________.
  2. The questionnaire will contain __________ questions.
  3. Aisha will prepare the first questionnaire __________.
  4. The observation period will last __________ days.
  5. The group will meet again on __________ afternoon.

Answer Key

  1. C
  2. B
  3. A
  4. C
  5. C
  6. cafe
  7. eight
  8. draft
  9. three
  10. Thursday

Distractor Explanations

  • Sleep habits and social media use are discussed, but the final topic is study-space preferences.
  • Another class is mentioned, but Maya's reason for rejecting sleep is the possible need for medical information.
  • Maya calls social media broad; Daniel says students may not answer honestly.
  • Interviews are rejected as too slow. The group chooses a questionnaire and observation.
  • Maya offers to email the tutor, but Daniel agrees to ask her directly.
  • The computer room, ten questions, a full week, and Wednesday are all replaced by final choices.

Transcript

Maya: We need to choose our research topic before Friday. We listed student sleep habits, social media use, and study-space preferences.

Daniel: Sleep habits could be interesting. Another class discussed sleep last year, but their project was about exam stress, so ours would still be different.

Maya: My concern is that questions about sleep may involve health or medical information. We should avoid collecting sensitive details.

Aisha: Then what about social media use? It is relevant to nearly every student.

Maya: It is relevant, but it might become too broad unless we focus on one app.

Daniel: I am more worried that students may not answer honestly about how many hours they spend online.

Aisha: Good point. Study-space preferences would be easier to measure. We could find out why students choose particular places to work.

Maya: Yes, let's choose study-space preferences. It is practical and we can collect the data on campus.

Daniel: Agreed. How should we collect the information? We could interview students individually.

Aisha: Interviews would give detailed answers, but speaking to enough students would take too long.

Maya: What if we use a short questionnaire and also observe which study areas are busy?

Daniel: That gives us both opinions and actual behaviour. Let's use a questionnaire and observation.

Aisha: Which places should we compare? The library, the student cafe, and the computer room?

Maya: Three places may create too much data. I suggest comparing only the library and the student cafe.

Daniel: Fine. The library and cafe are also very different environments.

Maya: Who will ask the tutor to approve the topic? I can send her an email tonight.

Daniel: I have a tutorial with her this afternoon, so I can ask her directly.

Maya: That will be quicker. Daniel will get the approval.

Aisha: Now, how long should the questionnaire be?

Daniel: Perhaps ten questions.

Maya: Ten might discourage people from finishing it. Eight questions should be enough.

Aisha: Agreed. I will prepare the first questionnaire draft, and Maya can design the observation sheet.

Maya: No problem. Should we observe the two places for a full week?

Daniel: We do not have enough time. Three days will still let us compare busy and quiet periods.

Aisha: Three days is manageable. We can observe in the morning, at lunchtime, and in the late afternoon.

Maya: When shall we meet again to check the materials? Wednesday afternoon?

Aisha: I am working on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon is free for me.

Daniel: Thursday works. By then, I should also have the tutor's approval.

Maya: Great. We will meet on Thursday afternoon and begin collecting data next week.

Mistake-Review Point

When speakers compare several topics or methods, wait for clear agreement before choosing an answer.

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