A Monologue About Buying a Bicycle - IELTS Listening Sample Answer

The IELTS Listening section comprises two conversations and two monologues. Candidates need to answer 40 IELTS listening questions. This topic - A conversation between a university counselor and two overseas students is IELTS Listening section Two. Candidates need to answer the following question types:

• Complete the notes

Audio Transcript

You're going to hear a radio talk about buying a bicycle. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 20.

Now, listen to the first part of the talk and complete the notes by filling in the numbered spaces 11 to 20.

Well, last week we talked about buying camping equipment and today I'd like to talk to you about buying a bicycle. A simple enough exercise you might imagine but there are lots of things to look out for, to make sure you get the best deal for your money. Well, the range of bicycles is enormous. There are racing bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes or just plain ordinary bikes for riding around town. They’re varied enormously in two basic ways, price and quality. This means that the choice you make will probably be determined by the amount of money you want to pay, your own personal needs, what is actually available or a compromise of all three things. However in broad terms, you can spend anything from $50 to $2,000 on a bike. So you'll need to know what you're looking for.

Single-speed cycles, that is, bikes with no gears are really only suited for short casual rides. Their attraction is their simplicity and reliability. After years of neglect, they still manage to function but not always too efficiently. If it's basic transport, you're after, then you can't go wrong.

Three speed cycles on the other hand are all that is really necessary for most town riding, going to the shops and things like that. Like the single speed bike, they're simple and reliable. If you were going to be going up and down lots of hills, then you'll probably want something more efficient.

Five and ten speed bicycles are best suited to riding over long distances or hilly terrain and to serious touring. So if it's serious touring you're interested in, get a five or ten speed bike.

However, it's worth remembering that the difference in price between a five and ten speed cycle is usually very little and so it's well worth paying that little bit extra to get the ten speed one. So I would tend to recommend that 10-speed bike as the price is similar. However, you'll be getting better quality components.

Now, the next thing we need to look at is size. Buying a cycle is like buying clothes. First of all, you find the right size and then you try it on to see if it fits. Contrary to what you might imagine, the size of the cycle is not determined by the size of the wheels, except in children's cycles, but by the size of the frame. So you'll need to measure the length of your legs and arms to get a frame, that is the right size for you. Well, that's all, from helpful hints for today.

This is the end of section 2.

Questions 11-20.

Complete the notes below.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer

There are many kinds of bicycles available:

• racing
• touring
• 11 ____________
• ordinary

They vary in price and 12 ____________
Prices range from $50.00 to 13 ____________
Single speed cycles are suitable for 14 ____________
Three speed cycles are suitable for 15____________
Five and ten speed cycles are suitable for longer distances, hills and 16 ____________
Ten speed bikes are better because they are 17 ____________ in price but 18 ____________
Buying a cycle is like 19 ____________
The size of the bicycle is determined by the size of the 20 ____________

Question 11.

Answer: mountain

Explanation: The speaker mentioned that ‘There are racing bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes or just plain ordinary bikes for riding around town’. The only type missing in the question is mountain bikes hence the answer will be ‘mountain bikes’

Also, check:

Question 12.

Answer: quality

Explanation: As stated by the speaker ‘They’re varied enormously in two basic ways, price and quality’. Hence the answer should be quality.

Question 13.

Answer: 2000

Explanation: The speaker mentioned that ‘ you can spend anything from $50 to $2,000 on a bike’. So the answer must be ‘2000’.

Question 14.

Answer: short casual rides

Explanation: The speaker explicitly states that ‘Single-speed cycles, that is, bikes with no gears are really only suited for short casual rides’. Hence the answer is short casual rides.

Question 15.

Answer: town riding//shopping

Explanation: According to the speaker ‘ Three-speed cycles, on the other hand, are all that is really necessary for most town riding’ therefore the answer must be ‘town riding.

Question 16.

Answer: serious touring

Explanation: The speaker mentions that ‘Five and ten-speed bicycles are best suited to riding over long distances or hilly terrain and to serious touring’ so the answer here is ‘serious touring’.

Question 17.

Answer: similar//almost the same

Explanation: The speaker recommends a 10-speed bike because the price is similar’. So the answer should be similar.

Question 18.

Answer: better quality (components)

Explanation: The speaker suggests that ‘ you'll be getting better quality components’. So getting a 10-speed bike is better than a 5-speed bike. So the answer will be ‘better quality’.

Question 19.

Answer: buying clothes

Explanation: According to the speaker ‘Buying a cycle is like buying clothes’ therefore the answer is ‘buying clothes’.

Question 20.

Answer: frame

Explanation: As suggested by the speaker ‘So you'll need to measure the length of your legs and arms to get a frame that is the right size for you’. Therefore the answer must be ‘frame’.