Full Part 1, solved live | IELTS Listening

In this lesson, we'll do a full Part 1 together. I'll show you what I look at before the audio, what I'm thinking while I listen, and why each answer is right. The recording below is original, written for this lesson. For your video, record it with a friend reading the two voices at a natural speed.

The questions

Riverside Bike Hire: Booking Form

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Customer surname: Sadia __________
Phone number: __________
Date of hire: Sunday __________ June
Number of bikes: __________
Type of bike: __________
Extra item needed: a child __________
Pick-up time: __________
Price per bike: £__________
Deposit paid by: __________
Bring on the day: your __________

My thinking before the audio

Word limit: one word and/or a number. Circle it.
Q1: surname, so it will be spelled. Listen to every letter.
Q2: phone number. Expect "double" or "oh".
Q3: a date number. The day is already given as Sunday. Listen for a change of day.
Q4: a number. Might change.
Q5: a type of bike. Probably an adjective, like mountain.
Q6: something for a child on a bike. Probably seat.
Q7: a time. Watch for a change.
Q8: a price. Watch for a discount.
Q9: a way to pay. Cash or card.
Q10: a document, probably. Passport? Licence?

The recording

Staff: Good morning, Riverside Bike Hire. How can I help?

Sadia: Hi, I'd like to book some bikes, please.

Staff: Of course. Can I take your name?

Sadia: Sadia Talukder. That's T-A-L-U-K-D-E-R.

Staff: Thanks. And a contact number?

Sadia: It's 07700 double nine, three, four, oh.

Staff: Lovely. When would you like the bikes?

Sadia: Saturday the 14th, if possible.

Staff: I'm afraid Saturday is fully booked. We have space on Sunday the 15th.

Sadia: Sunday's fine.

Staff: How many bikes?

Sadia: Two. Oh, wait, my brother's coming too. So three.

Staff: Three, no problem. We have mountain bikes and hybrid bikes. If you're staying on the river path, I'd recommend the hybrids. They're lighter.

Sadia: We're only doing the river path, so hybrids, please.

Staff: Do you need anything else? Helmets are included.

Sadia: My brother is bringing his little girl, so we'll need a child seat.

Staff: I'll add that. What time will you collect them? We open at half past eight.

Sadia: We'll probably get there around quarter past nine.

Staff: Fine. Now, the normal price is £22 per bike for the day. But for groups of three or more, it's £18 each.

Sadia: Great.

Staff: We take a deposit now. Cash isn't possible over the phone, so it'll need to be by card.

Sadia: That's fine.

Staff: And on the day, please bring your passport. We don't need a driving licence, just photo ID.

The answers, with my thinking

Talukder. Spelled letter by letter. Easy if you know your alphabet sounds (L14).
07700 99340. "Double nine" means 99, and "oh" means 0. Writing it in groups helps (L12).
15. Saturday the 14th was the first date, but it was full. The form already says Sunday, which was a clue (L15).
3. She said two first, then changed it (L15).
hybrid. Mountain bikes were mentioned first. The decision was hybrids. Singular or plural? The form says "type of bike", so hybrid fits best.
seat. "Child seat". Child is already printed, so only seat (L11).
9:15. 8:30 is when they open. That's a distractor. Quarter past nine is 9:15 (L12).
18. £22 is the normal price. Groups of three get £18. She has three bikes (L15).
card. Cash was mentioned and rejected.
passport. Driving licence was mentioned, but not needed.

Count the traps

This short Part 1 had six distractors: the date, the number of bikes, the type, the time, the price and the payment method. That's normal for Part 1. If you scored 8 or more, you're in good shape.

Honest note

Reading the transcript is easier than hearing it. When you record this for a video, ask your friend to speak at real IELTS speed, and don't let viewers see the text first.

Your task today

Ask a friend to read the recording aloud while you listen without reading. Then mark your answers.