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IELTS Practice Listening: Note/Summary Completion ID: #57376 Medium Holiday
Instructions ›

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

You will hear a conversation between two students about a rail holiday in Europe. Now listen carefully and answer the questions. Hi, Louise. How was your summer vacation? Oh, fantastic. I only got back from Europe yesterday. Wow. That sounds exciting. Yes, it was. How was your holiday? Pretty quiet compared with yours. I just stayed around Cambridge, but we're planning to go to Europe at the end of next term. Oh, you'll have a great time. I really recommend it. How are you going to get around? Well, we thought about renting a car. Flying is far too expensive. What did you do? We bought Eurail tickets and travelled around Europe by train. Was it expensive? No, not really. It cost us 203 pounds for a Eurail Pass used ticket. I've heard of Eurail. What did that include? Well, you get unlimited train travel in and between 17 European countries. It lasted for a month. Gee, for 203 pounds. That sounds reasonable. Did you visit all of For seventeen places. Yes, all except for Ireland. We couldn't really understand why Ireland was included on the pass, but England wasn't. Yes, that seems a bit strange. Did it include the trip from London to Paris in the Channel Tunnel? No, unfortunately we had to pay extra for that train. But we did get a discounted fare because we're students. Were there any other restrictions on the tickets? Well, if you want to pay more or less money, you can choose another plan. There are 15 and 21 day plans, or two and three month plans. The only restriction for the youth ticket is that you have to be under 26. That suits my friends and me. None of us are twenty-six yet. We went to school together. Oh, you really have to do it. It's safe and easy and a great way to see the countryside. The weather was fantastic and so were the people. It sounds great. Louise and Kerry go on to talk about travelling by train in Europe. As you listen to the rest of the conversation, answer questions five to ten. Before the conversation continues, read questions 5 to 10. What was the best part of your trip? The trains really gave us the freedom to plan our own holiday. We went to lots of places which were out of the way and met lots of local people. You know, small, rural towns, where trains are still an important form of transport. We'd like to meet the local people. Did you do that easily? Yes. The trains in Europe aren't like the commuter trains in London. People like to talk and have a chat on trains in Europe. That's nice. Yes. The train times were OK as well. Sometimes we had to get up early to catch the trains, which were crossing into another country. But most of the time we were satisfied with the timetables. Very punctual. Should we take an alarm clock? Well, I would. Having an alarm clock made us sleep more comfortably. We knew that we'd wake up on time. And were the trains safe? Did you travel at night? Lots of students travelled at night because it saved having to pay for accommodation. I hadn't thought of that. Well, lots of others have thought of it. We preferred to stay in local pubs or student hostels because you could mix with the locals. The night trains were filled with British students. It sounds as if you had a very positive experience. Is there anything you'd recommend we take or do? Let me see. I can certainly tell you what not to take or do. Don't take much luggage. There just isn't very much room in the trains for big suitcases. A backpack or two small bags is better than one big bag. That way you can also get on and off the trains easily too. I'll remember that. My mother always says to pack one week before you go on vacation, and then take half of it out the night before you leave. That's good advice, especially when you're riding on cramped trains. The other thing is to be careful with your valuables. Lots of students had money and passports stolen, especially at night. Did you have anything stolen? No, but we met lots of people who did have things stolen. We all had money belts under our jackets. I'll have to buy one of those. Yes, you should. Or you can borrow mine if you like. Oh, thanks. That'd be good. The only other thing I'd advise you to do is to make sure you spend a reasonable amount of time in each country. We found that lots of students travelled too quickly, and they didn't have enough time to meet the locals and enjoy the food and the culture. How long do you think you need in each country? I can't say. It'll depend on who you meet and what you like to do. And, of course, the weather. It was so warm and sunny in some beachside places that we stayed for four or five days. In other towns, if it was very quiet or boring, we just stayed overnight. I guess that's what's great about the train. You can come and go as you please. Exactly. And it's cheaper and much more relaxing, not to mention safer. I don't think I could get used to driving on the right-hand side of the road.
10 blanks 3 words max

How much was a Eurailpass Youth Ticket? 

How many European count nos did Louise's ticket allow her to travel to? 

Did the Eurailpass Youth Ticket include the train from London to Paris? 

How old must you be if you want to purchase a Eurailpass Youth Ticket? 

Points that Louisa makes about Euraii:

eqsy to trpvel tp small town;

easy to meet 

 with times of the trains

night trains had many 7.  as passengers

Advice that Louise gives about Euraii:

Don't take  bags

Be   with your belongings

Spend enough time in each country to experience 

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

Question Focus: Number/spelling trap - listening for the exact price mentioned

Correct Answer: 203

Why this is correct: You hear Louise clearly say the exact cost of the ticket. She says 203 pounds, so the correct answer is 203.

Passage Reference: No, not really. It cost us 203 pounds for a Eurail Pass used ticket.

Common Mistake: Some students write 200 or 230 because the numbers sound similar. This is a number/spelling trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'It cost us 203 pounds' = Question: 'How much was a Eurailpass Youth Ticket?'

Tips: Write only the number you hear, without the currency symbol.

Key Vocabulary:

  • cost = price

Question Focus: Number/spelling trap - listening for quantities

Correct Answer: 17

Passage Reference: Well, you get unlimited train travel in and between 17 European countries.

Why this is correct: Louise explains what the ticket includes and clearly says 17 European countries.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes write for seventeen places because they hear that later. That refers to where she went, not what the ticket allowed. This is a context shift trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: '17 European countries' = Question: 'How many European countries did the ticket allow?'

Tips: Be careful who or what the number refers to.

Key Vocabulary:

  • include = allow

Question Focus: Negation trap - listening for negative answers

Correct Answer: no

Passage Reference: Did it include the trip from London to Paris in the Channel Tunnel? No, unfortunately we had to pay extra for that train.

Why this is correct: When asked about the London to Paris train, Louise answers No, unfortunately, meaning it was not included.

Common Mistake: Some students write yes because they hear about a discount later. The discount is extra information. This is a distractor trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'No, unfortunately we had to pay extra' = Question: 'Did it include the train?'

Tips: Listen carefully for short answers like yes or no.

Key Vocabulary:

  • include = be part of

Question Focus: Paraphrase trap - age limits

Correct Answer: under 26

Passage Reference: The only restriction for the youth ticket is that you have to be under 26.

Why this is correct: Louise explains the age rule and says you have to be under 26.

Common Mistake: Some students write 26 only. That changes the meaning and misses the condition. This is a partial truth trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'you have to be under 26' = Question: 'How old must you be?'

Tips: Listen for words like under, over, or at least with ages.

Key Vocabulary:

  • restriction = rule

Question Focus: Synonym match - summary uses shorter wording

Correct Answer: locals

Passage Reference: We went to lots of places which were out of the way and met lots of local people.

Why this is correct: Louise says they met local people, which matches the idea of meeting locals.

Common Mistake: Students may write people only. That is too general and loses meaning. This is a partial truth trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'local people' = Notes: 'meet locals'

Tips: Shorter words are often acceptable if the meaning stays the same.

Key Vocabulary:

  • locals = people from the area

Question Focus: Synonym match - attitude words

Correct Answer: satisfied

Passage Reference: But most of the time we were satisfied with the timetables. Very punctual.

Why this is correct: Louise explains that most of the time they were satisfied with the timetables.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes write punctual. That describes the trains, not their feeling. This is a context shift trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'satisfied with the timetables' = Notes: '___ with times of the trains'

Tips: Check if the gap is about feelings or about things.

Key Vocabulary:

  • satisfied = happy

Question Focus: Specific detail - passenger type

Correct Answer: students

Passage Reference: The night trains were filled with British students.

Why this is correct: Louise clearly says the night trains were filled with British students.

Common Mistake: Some students write people or passengers. That is too vague. This is a partial truth trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'British students' = Notes: 'many students as passengers'

Tips: Listen for adjectives that narrow down the group.

Key Vocabulary:

  • filled with = full of

Question Focus: Paraphrase trap - advice wording

Correct Answer: big

Passage Reference: Don't take much luggage. There just isn't very much room in the trains for big suitcases.

Why this is correct: Louise warns that there is not much room and mentions big suitcases, so big bags fits the notes.

Common Mistake: Students may write luggage because they hear it earlier. That does not match the notes. This is a paraphrase trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'big suitcases' = Notes: 'big bags'

Tips: Use the notes structure to choose the right word form.

Key Vocabulary:

  • suitcases = bags

Question Focus: Direct instruction - advice

Correct Answer: careful

Passage Reference: The other thing is to be careful with your valuables.

Why this is correct: Louise directly advises to be careful with your valuables.

Common Mistake: Some students write safe. That changes the grammar and meaning. This is a paraphrase trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'be careful with your valuables' = Notes: 'Be careful with your belongings'

Tips: When you hear advice, listen for the exact verb or adjective.

Key Vocabulary:

  • valuables = important things

Question Focus: Partial truth trap - choosing one idea

Correct Answer: the culture

Passage Reference: they didn't have enough time to meet the locals and enjoy the food and the culture.

Why this is correct: Louise says students missed enjoying the food and the culture. Either fits the notes.

Common Mistake: Some students write locals again. That repeats an earlier point and is wrong here. This is a context shift trap.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'enjoy the food and the culture' = Notes: 'experience the culture'

Tips: If the speaker lists two things, either may be accepted if it fits.

Key Vocabulary:

  • culture = way of life

General Tips:

  • Answers follow the order of the recording. Use the previous answer to know when the next one is coming.
  • Always check the word limit. Extra words are marked wrong.
  • Listen carefully for numbers and ages. These are very common in notes.
  • Do not write your own synonyms unless they are clearly acceptable. Copy the speaker's words when possible.
  • Listen for negatives like no or not. Missing them changes the answer completely.

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