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Practice dictation & shadowing on the Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Listening Part 3 Test 3.
Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Listening Test 3 Part 3
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Total Correct Answers:
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Speaker 1 (1)
Tom, could I ask you for some advice, please?
Speaker 2 (2)
Yes. Of course. If you think I can help. What's it about?
Speaker 1 (3)
It's my first media studies assignment, and I'm not sure how to go about it. You must have done it last year.
Speaker 2 (4)
Is that the one comparing the coverage of a particular story in a range of newspapers?
Speaker 1 (5)
That's right.
Speaker 2 (6)
Oh, yes. I really enjoyed writing it.
Speaker 1 (7)
So what sort of things do I need to compare?
Speaker 2 (8)
Well, there are several things. For example, there's the question of which page of the newspaper the item appears on.
Speaker 1 (9)
You mean, because there's a big difference between having it on the front page and the bottom of page 10, for instance.
Speaker 2 (10)
Exactly. And that shows how important the editor thinks the story is.
Speaker 2 (11)
Then there's the size, how many column inches the story is given, how many columns it spreads over.
Speaker 1 (12)
And I suppose that includes the headline.
Speaker 2 (13)
It certainly does. It's all part of attracting the reader's attention.
Speaker 1 (14)
What about graphics? Whether there's anything visual in addition to the text?
Speaker 2 (15)
Yes. You need to consider those too, because they can have a big effect on the reader's understanding of the story, sometimes a bigger effect than the text itself.
Speaker 2 (16)
Then you'll need to look at how the item is put together.
Speaker 2 (17)
What structure is it given?
Speaker 2 (18)
Bear in mind that not many people read beyond the first paragraph.
Speaker 2 (19)
So what has the journalist put at the beginning?
Speaker 2 (20)
And if, say, there are conflicting opinions about something, does one appear near the end where people probably won't read it?
Speaker 1 (21)
And newspapers sometimes give wrong or misleading information, don't they?
Speaker 1 (22)
Either deliberately or by accident. Should I be looking at that too?
Speaker 2 (23)
Yes, if you can. Compare what's in different versions, and as far as possible, try and work out what's true and what isn't.
Speaker 2 (24)
And that relates to a very important point.
Speaker 2 (25)
What's the writer's purpose? Or at least the most important one, if they have several.
Speaker 2 (26)
It may seem to be to inform the public, but often it's that they want to create fear or controversy or to make somebody look ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (27)
Gosh. I see what you mean. And I suppose the writer may make assumptions about the reader.
Speaker 2 (28)
That's right. About their knowledge of the subject, their attitudes, and their level of education, which means writing so that the readers understand without feeling patronised.
Speaker 2 (29)
All of that will make a difference to how the story is presented.
Speaker 1 (30)
Does it matter what type of story I write about?
Speaker 2 (31)
No. National or international politics, the arts, anything, as long as it's covered in 2 or 3 newspapers.
Speaker 2 (32)
Though, of course, it'll be easier and more fun if it's something you're interested in and know something about.
Speaker 1 (33)
And on that basis, a national news item would be worth analysing.
Speaker 1 (34)
I'm quite keen on politics, so I'll try and find a suitable topic.
Speaker 1 (35)
What did you choose for your analysis, Tom?
Speaker 2 (36)
I was interested in how newspapers express their opinions explicitly.
Speaker 2 (37)
So I wanted to compare editorials in different papers, but when I started looking, I couldn't find two on the same topic that I felt like analysing.
Speaker 1 (38)
In that case, I won't even bother to look.
Speaker 2 (39)
So in the end, I chose a human interest story, a terribly emotional story about a young girl who was very ill, and lots of other people, mostly strangers, raised money so she could go abroad for treatment.
Speaker 2 (40)
Actually, I was surprised. Some papers just wrote about how wonderful everyone was.
Speaker 2 (41)
But others considered the broader picture, like why treatment wasn't available here.
Speaker 1 (42)
I usually find stories like that raise quite strong feelings in me. I'll avoid that.
Speaker 1 (43)
Perhaps I'll choose an arts topic, like different reviews of a film or something about funding for the arts. I'll think about that.
Speaker 2 (44)
Yes. That might be interesting.
Speaker 1 (45)
Okay. Well, thanks a lot for your help, Tom. It's been really useful.
Speaker 2 (46)
You're welcome. Good luck with the assignment, Hazel.