L05: Part 2 explained: one speaker, maps and plans

In Part 2, one person talks and you listen. There's no conversation to help you keep track. It might be a guide at a museum, a manager on a new employee's first day, or someone on the radio describing a local festival. Many students find Part 2 harder than they expect, especially when a map appears. This lesson shows you what to expect and how to stay with the speaker.

Why this matters

Part 2 is still "everyday English", so the words are not very difficult. But the speaker talks for a long time without stopping. If you lose focus for 10 seconds, you can miss two answers. Most marks lost here come from losing your place, not from not knowing words.

What Part 2 sounds like

The speaker usually starts by saying who they are and why they're talking. Listen to this carefully. It tells you the topic and helps you guess the words that will come.

"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Greenfield Park. My name is Lucy, and I'll be your guide today. First, let me tell you a bit about the history of the park, and then I'll show you where everything is on the map."

From this short intro, you know three things. It's a park. There's some history coming first. Then there's a map. Your brain is now ready.

Common question types in Part 2

• Multiple choice (A, B, C)
• Matching, like matching places to facts about them
• Map or plan labelling
• Notes or table completion

How to handle a map

Maps scare people, but they follow a pattern. Before the audio starts, do these three things:

1. Find the starting point. Look for "You are here" or the entrance.
2. Look at what's already labelled. The speaker will use these places as landmarks.
3. Check the compass or the top of the map. North might matter.

Then, while you listen, move your pen or finger along the route with the speaker. Don't try to remember. Follow.

A short map example

"When you come in through the main gate, the café is immediately on your right. If you walk straight past the café, you'll reach the lake. The toilets are on the far side of the lake, just next to the boat house."

If the map shows the main gate, a café and a lake, you can now place the toilets: across the lake, beside the boat house. Notice the words that matter: immediately on your right, straight past, on the far side, next to. Lesson L25 has a full list of these words.

Three rules for Part 2

1. Use the intro. The first 20 seconds tell you the topic. Don't waste them.
2. Follow with your pen. Keep your pen next to the question you're waiting for. Move down as each answer comes.
3. Watch for changes. Guides often say things like "This used to be the gift shop, but now it's a first aid room." The answer is the new one.

Try it yourself

"The library is opposite the main entrance. To get to the computer room, go up the stairs on your left and it's the second door on the right."

1. Where is the library?
2. Which door is the computer room?

Honest note

Map questions really are hard for some people, even in their own language. If directions confuse you in real life, give yourself extra practice here. It's not a sign that your English is weak.

Your task today

Find two map questions from any practice test. Before you play the audio, spend one minute studying the map and guessing the route. Then play it and follow with your finger.