Well, hey there!

Great! I’m so glad you downloaded this worksheet. In addition

to the practice you did during my YouTube lesson, you can
now complete two extra activities to improve your listening
skills. Let’s dive in!

3 Ways to practice your English listening skills

1. Watch the video & listen for the advanced words that I use in this story but are
missing from the script on screen. The definitions of most of these words have been
included in this workbook (page 4-7), with examples.

2. Practice listening for gist: This is an important skill to practice - when we listen for a
general idea of the context, rather than listening for the detail of every word. The

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

questions below will test how much you understood about the context of my story.

3. Advanced listening practice: listen for connected speech, contractions, phrasal

verbs and unstressed words as they are spoken naturally.

Listening for gist

After watching the video for the first time, write your answers to the following questions,
which will check how well you understood the story. (Answers on page 7)

1. What was the initial reason that I called my friend, Rebecca?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Which part of our adventure filled us with awe?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. What did the narrator and Rebecca reflect on during their journey back home?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice
Advanced listening practice (connected speech)
Watch the video a second time and as you do, follow the script below, filling in the missing
words. There will be a focus on phrasal verbs, contractions and unstressed words to help
you become familiarised with the way English sounds when spoken naturally.
---
Last Sunday morning was a sunny day, and I woke up with an urge for adventure. I
decided to (1) ________________ usual routine and get out of town. (Answers on page 7)

The first thing I did was call my good friend, Rebecca. We were best friends
(2) ________________ growing up and our friendship has remained strong even
throughout adulthood. Bec’s married now and she has two kids. So, I wasn’t

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

optimistic when I called her to (3) _____________ she wanted to drop everything
and join me on a spontaneous road trip.

But to my surprise, Bec was on board! It just so happened she had her parents-in-
law visiting that weekend, so she was able (4) _____________ all of her usual
responsibilities and come along. I couldn’t believe my luck! I told (5) ___________
________________ her place in about 20 minutes and pick her up.

When she asked where we were going, I told her it was a surprise! To be honest, I
didn’t know yet! I was throwing this plan together on the fly! So, I grabbed my
hiking boots, some snacks, a bottle of water and jumped in the car.

There is a place (6) ______________ where we used to go camping as teenagers -

I hadn’t been there in years, but there are some beautiful waterfalls and great
hiking trails, so I figured (7) ________________ great place to start!

When I pulled up outside her house, Bec was waiting on the front lawn with her
backpack on looking like a kid (8) ________________ school camp. I laughed
though because I was just as excited to have escaped the monotony of our daily
routines - and for a WHOLE day!

So, as we (9) ____________ road, I opened the sunroof, Bec put on a 90s playlist
of all of our favourite hits from school… So, we were singing at the top of our lungs,
hair (10) __________ breeze, music pounding from the speakers. It was awesome.

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice
After about (11) ________________ , we turned off the main road and Bec instantly
knew where I was heading. This place was special to both of us. A hidden gem that
remained a secret to most of the world, even until today. It’s a tranquil lagoon
within a steep gorge. It’s an arduous journey to get down to it, we knew we would
need (12) ______________ some rocky ledges… So, we laced up our hiking boots.
We (13) _____________ backpacks and we started our descent into the gorge.

And with each step, the air became cooler, and the sounds of the forest seemed to
envelop us. At this point, the lagoon is obscured from view by soaring trees. We fell
into a peaceful silence as we made our way down the treacherous cliff face
knowing that a (14) ________________ cool dark water below awaited us. It’s a
place that demands reverence - (15) _______________ standing in a colossal

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

open-air cathedral. It’s exquisitely beautiful.

As we reached the bottom of the gorge there was a disturbance on the water’s
surface and I heard Bec’s short, sharp gasp! We stared at each other for a moment
and stealthily (16) ______________ through the trees to the water's edge. We saw
it again - and this time, I knew for certain. It was a platypus.

These are incredible creatures, endemic to eastern Australia. You (17) _________
___________ anywhere else in the world. And they are incredibly shy. It’s quite
rare to see them in the wild - in fact, it’s only the second time in my entire life
(18) ________________ in its natural habitat. They hide out in rocky crevices or in
tree roots below the waterline.

After watching the platypus for a few more minutes, it seemed to disappear. So
(19) _________ sweaty shirts and edged ourselves in the cool water. It was divine.

We lay floating on our backs (20) ______________ the blue sky above for…. What
felt like hours, but I’m sure it was just minutes! But I was profoundly grateful to that
urge for adventure (21) ________________ bed that morning. That moment was
everything (22) _______________ and more.

We ate our snacks, had another dip and then (23) ________________ the gorge.
On the journey back home, Bec (24) ________________ how essential this type
of spontaneous escape is - to help reset your perspective, nurture friendship and
spark gratitude for the simple things in life.

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice
definitions & examples
Below, you can read the definitions of the words missing from the listening practice, along
with alternative examples! Practice writing sentences using these words to help retention.

urge verb /ɜːdʒ/

to advise or try hard to persuade somebody to do something

The charity urged the government to reconsider its decision.

throughout preposition /θruːˈaʊt/

during the whole period of time of something

The gallery is open daily throughout the year.

optimistic adjective /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

expecting good things to happen or something to be successful; showing this feeling
She's not very optimistic about her request for a pay rise.

spontaneous adjective /spɒnˈteɪniəs/

during the whole period of time of something
The gallery is open daily throughout the year.

on board idiom /ɒn bɔːd/

giving your support to an idea or a project

We can’t start until we have the whole team on board.

parents-in-law noun /ˈpeərənts ɪn lɔː/

the parents of your husband or wife

Affordable babysitting is one benefit of your parents-in-law living nearby!

on the fly adjective /spɒnˈteɪniəs/

if you do something ‘on the fly’, you do it quickly while something else is happening, and
without thinking about it very much
Thursdays are a busy day for me so I usually eat lunch on the fly.

snack noun, informal /snæk/

a small meal or amount of food, usually eaten in a hurry

Did you bring any snacks with you? I’m starving!

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice
sunroof noun /ˈsʌnruːf/

a part of the roof of a car that you can open to let air and light in
One of my favourite features in a car is a sunroof.

breeze noun /briːz/

a light wind
A light breeze was blowing through the bedroom window.

head verb /hed/

to move in a particular direction

Where headed towards the door.

hidden gem noun /ˈhɪdn dʒem/

A place of exceptional or underappreciated quality, but not especially popular or widely known

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

The canyon is a hidden gem, deep in the wilderness.

tranquil adjective /ˈtræŋkwɪl/

quiet and peaceful

She led a tranquil life in the country.

lagoon noun /ləˈɡuːn/

a small area of fresh water near a lake or river

We go swimming in the lagoon every afternoon.

lace up phrasal verb /ˈleɪs ʌp/

to fasten shoes, boots, or a piece of clothing by tying the laces
He had learned to lace up his shoes when he was four!

descent noun /dɪˈsent/

an action of coming or going down

I was relieved when the plane began its descent into Melbourne.

envelop verb /ɪnˈveləp/

to wrap somebody/something up or cover them or it completely

As the sun set, darkness enveloped the town.

obscure verb /əbˈskjʊə(r)/

to make it difficult to see, hear or understand something

The view was obscured by a heavy fog.

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice
make your way idiom

to travel or move to a place

We slowly made our way down the river.

await verb /əˈweɪt/

to wait for somebody/something

There are many prisoners in jail awaiting trial.

colossal adjective /kəˈlɒsl/

extremely large
The council spent a colossal amount of money on that ugly sculpture!

disturbance noun /dɪˈstɜːbəns/

actions that make you stop what you are doing, or that upset the normal state that something is

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

in; the act of disturbing somebody/something
The canyon is a hidden gem, deep in the wilderness.

gasp verb /ɡɑːsp/

to take a quick deep breath with your mouth open, because you are surprised or in pain
They gasped in shock when they heard the news.

rare adjective /reə(r)/

not done, seen, happening, etc. very often
We’ll have a rare chance to see a solar eclipse on Sunday.

habitat noun /ˈhæbɪtæt/

the place where a particular type of animal or plant is normally found

The wetlands provide a rich habitat for water plants and fish species.

divine adjective /dɪˈvaɪn/

wonderful; beautiful
Those strawberries look divine!

profoundly adverb /prəˈfaʊndli/

in a way that has a very great effect on somebody/something

Children are profoundly impacted by trauma during childhood.

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice
haul verb /hɔːl/

to pull something/somebody with a lot of effort

The car was hauled out of the river.

nurture verb /ˈnɜːtʃə(r)/

to care for and protect somebody/something while they are growing and developing
Children need to be nurtured by loving parents and family.

ANSWERS

ADVANCED LISTENING PRACTICE

Listening for gist Advanced listening practice (connected speech)
1. To invite her for a spontaneous 1. break out of my
road trip. 2. when we were
2. The platypus in the lagoon 3. when we were
3. The importance of spontaneous 4. to cast aside
escapes, nurturing friendship, 5. her that I’d swing past
and appreciating simple things 6. up in the hills
in life. 7. it would be a
8. about to go on
9. took off up the
10. blowing in the
11. an hour or so
12. to scramble over
13. picked up our
14. luxurious dip in the
15. as if you are
16. made our way
17. won’t see them
18. that I’d seen one
19. we pulled off our
20. peering up at
21. that pulled me out of
22. I had hoped for
23. hauled ourselves out of
24. and I reflected on

YouTube lesson:
Advanced Listening Dictation Practice