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IELTS Practice Listening: Choose Single Answer ID: #57012 Easy Reference Section
Instructions ›
Choose the correct option for the following.
You will hear a librarian explaining the reference section and facilities of a university library. Now listen carefully and answer the questions. We have two main sections for books and another for periodicals and journals. The books are in two categories, those for general loan and those for reference. General loan books are all on the first floor and they can be borrowed for three weeks by full-time students. Upstairs you will see our reference section. The reference section includes current abstracts and index journals, general and special bibliographies, indexes, general English and European language encyclopaedias, a complete set of British standards, substantial collections of British government publications and sets of maps of Scotland, all in addition to other reference material of a general and specialised interest. As you know, reference books may not be taken out of the library under any circumstances. The library tries to provide as full selection as possible of supplementary reading material. Students are expected to buy prescribed textbooks and copies of these, are usually only held in the reserve collection on the ground floor for study use, only within the library. They can't be taken out of the library. An inexpensive photocopy service is provided in the library, and facilities are available to produce enlarged copies from microforms. Other equipment available includes microfilm readers, engineering drawing boards, a light table, tape slide units, and typewriters.
1
Where is the Reference Section?
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

Question Focus: Detail question - asks for the location of the reference section

Correct Answer: C

Why this is correct: The answer is on the second floor because the speaker first says general loan books are on the first floor, and then adds "Upstairs you will see our reference section". Upstairs means one level above the first floor.

Passage Reference: General loan books are all on the first floor and they can be borrowed for three weeks by full-time students. Upstairs you will see our reference section.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'Upstairs you will see our reference section' = Option: 'on the second floor'

Tips: When you hear floor information, listen carefully for words like upstairs or downstairs because they often signal the correct location after a distractor.

Why the other options are wrong:

  • A: Students may choose the ground floor because the speaker later mentions the ground floor. However, that refers to the reserve collection, not the reference section. This is a context shift trap.
  • B: Students may choose the first floor because the speaker clearly mentions it. But the speaker says the first floor is for general loan books, then corrects the location by saying the reference section is upstairs. This is a sequence trap.

Key Vocabulary:

  • upstairs = on a higher floor

Question Focus: Detail question - asks which books cannot be taken out

Correct Answer: C

Passage Reference: Students are expected to buy prescribed textbooks and copies of these, are usually only held in the reserve collection on the ground floor for study use, only within the library. They can't be taken out of the library.

Why this is correct: The answer is course books because the speaker says "prescribed textbooks" are kept in the reserve collection and "can't be taken out of the library". Course books and prescribed textbooks mean the same thing.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'prescribed textbooks' = Option: 'course books'

Tips: In IELTS Listening, only choose answers that are clearly mentioned. Do not use your general knowledge about libraries.

Why the other options are wrong:

  • A: Students may choose novels because they think of reading books. However, novels are never mentioned by the speaker. This is a Not Given trap.
  • B: Students may choose fiction for the same reason as novels. But the speaker does not talk about fiction at all. This is also a Not Given trap.

Key Vocabulary:

  • prescribed = required
  • reserve collection = books kept for use inside the library

Question Focus: Detail question - asks which facility is NOT available

Correct Answer: C

Passage Reference: An inexpensive photocopy service is provided in the library, and facilities are available to produce enlarged copies from microforms. Other equipment available includes microfilm readers, engineering drawing boards, a light table, tape slide units, and typewriters.

Why this is correct: The answer is computer services because the speaker lists many facilities like photocopy service, microfilm readers, and typewriters, but never mentions computers. So computer services are not available.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'photocopy service is provided' = Option: 'photocopy service'

Tips: For questions asking what is NOT available, listen for a list and check which option is missing from that list.

Why the other options are wrong:

  • A: Students may choose photocopy service because they miss the key phrase. However, the speaker clearly says "An inexpensive photocopy service is provided". This is a negation trap.
  • B: Students may choose microforms because the word sounds technical. But the speaker says facilities are available to produce copies from microforms, so they are available. This is a distractor trap.

Key Vocabulary:

  • facilities = equipment
  • microforms = very small printed records

General Tips:

  • MCQ questions follow the order of the recording, so use the previous answer to predict when the next one is coming.
  • Listen carefully after signpost words like and, but, or however because important details often come next.
  • Do not choose an option just because it sounds logical in real life. Choose only what the speaker actually says.
  • When locations or numbers are mentioned, slow down and double-check direction words like upstairs or downstairs.

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