Giving a Speech - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 2 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
GIVING A SPEECH
Reasons for nervousness
- Lecturers often feel more nervous if the speech is 31 .
- Many think that the ability to make a good public speaking is 32 , while in fact it is a skill that can be learned by anyone.
How to prepare a quality speech
- The audience will only remember the 33 sentence of a speech.
- Ensure that your speech is 34 .
Do's and Don'ts
- × Don't start your speech until audience is 35 .
- ✓ You can make your main ideas or notes on cards or a 36 .
- × You do not need to write down the 37 speech.
- ✓ You can just write 38 ideas.
- ✓ Remember to 39 yourself to see how long your speech will be.
- × Don't just 40 a script.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | important | Did you know that lecturers tend to get more nervous if the speech they are giving is an important one | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when the talk is a big or serious event, the person speaking usually feels more nervous or scared. Answer Explanation: The answer 'important' means something that is very meaningful, serious, or has a big effect on people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'important' because the speaker mentions that the level of worry or fear a person feels depends on how much the speech matters. The text directly states that teachers or speakers feel more nervous when their talk is 'an important one,' such as a graduation speech for many students. |
| Q32 | a gift | Some people think that the ability to give a good speech is a gift that others are simply born with | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that many people believe the power to speak well in front of others is a natural talent people have from birth. Answer Explanation: The answer "a gift" refers to a natural talent or ability that a person is born with, rather than something they had to learn. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "a gift" because the text talks about a common myth regarding public speaking. Some people believe that being a good speaker is an innate "ability" or something you are "born with." The speaker uses the word "gift" to describe this idea before clarifying that speaking is actually a skill that can be developed through practice. |
| Q33 | last | Honestly, while the content of your speech is relatively important, the audience will really only remember the last sentence you say | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that while the information in your speech is important, the audience will mostly remember just the final sentence you speak. Answer Explanation: The answer 'last' means the sentence that comes at the very end of the speech. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'last' because the speaker explains that even though what you say during the speech matters, people usually remember only the final part. Because of this, the speaker suggests organizing your talk so that it leads to this final sentence to help the audience understand your main message. |
| Q34 | well-organised / well-organized | This is a good way to ensure that your speech is well-organised | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that following these steps will make sure your speech has a good, clear structure. Answer Explanation: The answer means that your talk or presentation should be planned in a clear and logical way. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when the speaker talks about how to make a high-quality speech. The speaker suggests that you should plan your talk so that everything leads to the final sentence. This style of planning is described as a way to make sure the speech is neat and easy for the audience to follow. Keywords like 'structure' and 'lead up to' show that the speech is being put together in an orderly fashion. |
| Q35 | paying attention | Do not - I repeat, do not proceed with your speech until the audience is paying attention | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript tells the speaker not to start their talk until everyone in the audience is quiet and focused on them. Answer Explanation: The answer 'paying attention' means that the people in the room are listening and looking at the speaker instead of doing other things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'paying attention' because the transcript gives a clear instruction about when to begin a talk. The speaker uses the word 'proceed', which means to start or move forward, and says you must wait until the people listening (the audience) are 'paying attention'. |
| Q36 | sheet of paper | Don't get me wrong - it is a good idea to write your main ideas down on a note card, sheet of paper, or something | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that it is okay to write your most important points on a card or a regular piece of paper so you do not forget them. Answer Explanation: The answer is a single piece of paper used for writing down brief notes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the section where the speaker explains how to handle notes during a speech. The speaker suggests that instead of writing a full script, you should write your main points on a small 'note card' or a 'sheet of paper'. This allows the speaker to remember their ideas while still being able to look at the audience. The word 'cards' is already in the notes, so 'sheet of paper' is the missing part mentioned by the speaker. |
| Q37 | entire / full | But one factor that will consistently lead to a boring, forgettable speech is writing down your entire speech. Do not write your full speech down | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says it is a bad idea to write every single word of your speech. Doing this makes the speech boring. You should avoid writing the "full" or "entire" speech so you do not spend all your time looking down at your paper. Answer Explanation: The answer "entire/full" means that you should not write every single word of your speech on a piece of paper. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "entire/full" because the speaker explains that writing every word makes a speech forgettable and boring. The speaker uses the terms "entire speech" and "full speech" to tell you what not to do. This advice helps you look at the people you are talking to instead of just reading from a piece of paper. |
| Q38 | one or two | I advise you write one or two ideas, so if you suddenly draw a blank you have something to jog your memory | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests writing only a tiny number of points to help the speaker remember their thoughts if they suddenly forget what to say next. Answer Explanation: The answer "one or two" refers to a very small number of main points or thoughts that a speaker should write down as notes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "one or two" because the speaker advises against writing down the entire speech. Instead, they suggest writing just a couple of key points. This way, if the speaker forgets what to say, they have a small reminder to help them continue. This method also helps the speaker connect better with the audience by not reading from a script. |
| Q39 | time | Timing is important - make sure you time yourself beforehand to see how long your speech is | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that tracking the duration is a key part of preparation, advising the listener to measure the length of their speech before the actual event. Answer Explanation: The answer "time" in this context means to use a clock or a watch to measure how many minutes or seconds a task takes to finish. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "time" because the speaker discusses the importance of knowing the duration of a speech. By using a clock during a practice run, a speaker can see if they are talking too fast or too slow and ensure the speech is the right length. The speaker explicitly tells the audience to perform this action. |
| Q40 | read | No one wants to listen to someone reading from a script | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the people listening to a speech do not want to hear someone who is just looking at a paper and saying the words written there. Answer Explanation: The answer 'read' means looking at words on a paper and saying them out loud instead of speaking from your own mind. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'read' because the speaker advises against saying exactly what is on your paper for the whole speech. Doing this keeps you from looking at the audience and showing emotion. The speaker mentions that the audience does not like it when a person just says words from a pre-written 'script' or paper. |
Transcript
Good morning. Today I am going to cover the daunting task of giving a quality speech - a thought that makes most of us cringe. In fact, 90% of all people feel nervous about public speaking, about 10% of whom are described as genuinely terrified. Hopefully when we are finished here today, you all will be in the 10% of the population who do not feel nervous at all.
Did you know that lecturers tend to get more nervous if the speech they are giving is an important one? It makes sense, right? You probably wouldn't be nearly as nervous to address your residence hall about the proper use of the recycle and compost bins as you might be if you were asked to give the graduation speech to your entire 5,000-student class.
So what is it that makes some people completely comfortable in front of crowds? Some people think that the ability to give a good speech is a gift that others are simply born with. This is almost never the case. Public speaking can be learned with practice.
The first, most important thing you can do to improve your confidence in delivering a speech is to prepare a quality speech. Honestly, while the content of your speech is relatively important, the audience will really only remember the last sentence you say. It is a good idea to structure the rest of your speech to lead up to this last point to really drive your message home. This is a good way to ensure that your speech is well-organised.
Once you are confident in the quality of the speech you have written, the rest is just about your stage presence. Let's go through some do's and don'ts of public speaking.
First, you want to command the attention of the room. Do not - I repeat, do not proceed with your speech until the audience is paying attention. Even Martin Luther King, Junior's I Have a Dream speech wouldn't have made any difference in the world without the undivided attention of his audience.
To continue with the I Have a Dream example, one of the reasons that MLK was such an effective orator was his ability to speak with passion and engage with his audience. That sort of charisma does not come from reading straight from paper. Don't get me wrong - it is a good idea to write your main ideas down on a note card, sheet of paper, or something. But one factor that will consistently lead to a boring, forgettable speech is writing down your entire speech. Do not write your full speech down. If you are constantly reading your paper, you are not making eye contact with your audience, and thus failing to really express the feeling that goes with your ideas.
I advise you write one or two ideas, so if you suddenly draw a blank you have something to jog your memory. If you've written a good speech that you believe in, those ideas should be sufficient to keep you on track.
Once you have those ideas written down, give your speech a few practice runs in front of the mirror, into your sound recorder on your phone, or with a friend before it comes time to address a crowd. That way you can hear how the ideas come across, make sure there are no abrupt transitions, and find out whether you're talking too fast or too slow. Timing is important - make sure you time yourself beforehand to see how long your speech is.
That is pretty much it! With practice you'll be able to deliver an expert speech that engages and even maybe inspires your audience. Just remember - speak with emotion. No one wants to listen to someone reading from a script.
As I come to a close in my speech, I'll point out that I have employed all of these tips that I have covered. I practiced my speech ahead of time and timed it, and I can even show you my one small index card with just three simple bullets on it. It's as easy as that!