Dealing with Natural Disasters: Listen and Write

This lesson is about listening to a recording, taking notes and then reproducing the full written text. This is not an IELTS test practice. It is just a practice exercise to develop sharper listening skills and check your accuracy of written English. Many people preparing for IELTS say they don’t know if their grammar is accurate or not. This is one way to check.

In this lesson, you will check your ability to:

  1. listen for keywords such as nouns
  2. take notes at the same time as listening
  3. recreate what you hear in writing – produce a written script of what you hear
  4. check your grammar
  5. check your spelling
  6. check your punctuation

How to use this lesson:

  1. listen and make notes at the same time
    1.  write down all the nouns you hear. Nouns are always the most important words to write down when you want to reproduce what you hear on paper.
  2. listening again and add more nouns to your list – make sure you keep the order of nouns correct so that you can create the sentences afterwards. You will use those nouns to recreate the full script.
  3. if you need to listen a third time, do so
  4. using the nouns you have written down, try to write the whole script on your paper. Don’t listen at this point. Just look at the nouns on your paper and recreate the passage. You will need to add verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles (a/the) and any other words to make your writing grammatically accurate.
  5. review what you have written and put in full stops, commas and capital letters.
  6. when you think your writing is accurate, listen one more time to see what  words you have missed.
  7. after those steps, when you are sure your writing is an accurate reproduction, check the answer.
    1. Check which words you are making mistakes with  – are they plurals, articles, verb agreement – which aspects of grammar do you make the most mistakes with
    2. check your spelling and punctuation

This is NOT an IELTS test. It is an opportunity to develop note taking skills at a high level and check the accuracy of your written language.

Listen and Write: The Best Way to Deal with Natural Disasters

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Natural Disaster = tsunami, typhoon, earthquake etc

CLICK HERE: ANSWER TO THIS LESSON

Comments

  1. Hi Liz.
    I understand this test is not an IELTS test yet you came up with this so as to let us learn and develop skills in listening and taking notes. Thanks

    My question is this; what is the objective of the test.
    Is it to write it down exactly how it was in the audio or write it in my own version but passing the same information.

    Hope to hear from you soon.
    Thanks.

    • There are a number of things this lesson will check. Firstly, it checks your ability to listen. Second, to take notes. Thirdly, it tests your grammar and level of English to be able to reproduce the recording accurately by only listening just a couple of times. The more errors you produce, the lower your respective band score would be in relation to your English level. Fourthly, you can check your spelling. Lastly, you can also check your punctuation – being able to spot where a sentence ends and starts as as well as any vital commas. So, this lesson can help you check a number of things. I’ve just updated this page with more information and an easy access link to the answers.

  2. Karon Sun says

    Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters in a concrete way to save lives and better protect livelihoods, as well as prevent such shocks from crippling development within the poorest countries. Early warning and early action is more cost-effective than traditional disaster response, and saves more lives per pound spent. In otherwords, public money buys four times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief items.

  3. Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters is a concrete way to save lives and better protect livelihoods, as well as prevent such shocks from crippling development within the poorest countries. Early warning and early action is more cost-effective than traditional disaster response, and saves more lives per pound spent. In otherwords, public money buys four times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than as relief items.

  4. Strengthening, community and capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disaster. It’s a concrete way to save life and better protect livelihood, as well as prevent such shock from the development within the poorest countries. Early warning and early action will more cost effective than traditional disaster response and save more lives per pound spent. In other words, public money buys 4 times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief items.

  5. Reinforcing community capacity to avoid and deal with the effect of catastrophes is a fundamental strategy to lessen fatalities and secure livelihoods as well as minimizing trauma to struggling development within the third world countries. Early warning and advance preparation is more efficient than conventional disaster response. It saves more people from tragic death per pound spent. In other words, spending for disaster preparation and risk reduction provides four times much favorable humanitarian impact compared to relief goods.

  6. Strengthening Community capacity to prevent and cope with impact of disaster is the sure way to save lives and better safeguard livelihoods. Shocks from disasters are devastating to development most especially the poorest countries. Fore-warning and timely action are financially wise compared to disaster responses as it presents four times more humanitarian impact when spent on preparation in comparison with providing relief items since it saves more lives and better protects livelihoods

  7. Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with tsunami is a better way to save lives and properties. Early warning and actions is cost effective and saves more lives. Public money and humanitarian services is best in spending on prevention rather than on relief materials.

  8. Haydee says

    Strengthening, community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters is a concrete way to save lives and better protect livelihoods as well as prevent such shocks from crippling development within the poorest countries.

    Early warning and early action is more cost effective than traditional disaster response and saves more lives per pounds spent.

    In other words, public money buys four times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than relief items.

  9. Paul O says

    An effective way of managing natural disasters in developing communities is to increase community capacity to cope with the effects of these disasters. This also ensures that there are minimal developmental setbacks as a result of natural disasters.
    Proactive measures such as preparation and risk reduction provide as much as four times more impact than traditional disaster responses, such as purchase of relief materials..

  10. OLUWATOSIN says

    thanks alot Liz, you are GOD SENT

  11. Katherine Altamirano says

    Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters is a concrete way to save lives and better protect livelihood as well as prevent such shocks from crippling development within in the poorest countries. Early warning and early action is more cost effective than traditional disaster response and save more lives per pound spent. In other words public money buys four times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief items.

  12. Empowering community functionality to avoid and adhere with the occurrence of disasters is a concrete method in preventing lost of lifes and much suitable for humanity, as well as fears from destroying development in the poorest country. Immediate warning and fast action is more cost effective than traditional disaster occurrence and protect more lifes, poor pounds spent. However public money buys enough humanitarian impact if spending population and risk decreases, rather than on relief materials.

  13. andrea says

    In order to save life and protect lifehood in case of natural disaster, the best choice consists in spending public money in early actions, useful to prevent the negative effects of disasters. This is better than spending theese money in humanitarian actions, which usually constitute the traditional response. Infact humanitarian action are too expensive respect on prevention’s operations. This also allows to preventshocks in poor country, if natural disaster happen on their territories.

  14. you’re doing such a good job

  15. Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters is a concrete way to save live and better protect livelihood as well as prevent such shock from crippling development within the forest country, Early warning and early action is more cost effective than traditional disaster response and save more lives profound spent. In other word public money by four times as much humanitarian impact if spending preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief actions.

  16. Dhananjay says

    Hello Liz
    I am taking the computer delivered IELTS. What are your suggestions on note taking in the listening section, because they give only 2 extra minutes in the end for CDT. Would it be better to type out the answers as and when they come?

    • Firstly, not all answers are typed. Some questions require you to select options with a click and some require you to drag a word to a box. You need to put all answers directly into the computer. The 2 mins is mainly for checking spelling. Go to the IELTS website and try their computer based free test – get used to how it works and see for yourself if you want to make notes as well or not.

  17. In natural disaster management, strengthening the community capacity in dealing with the impact of natural disasters is a more beneficial approach to save lives, livelihood as well as prevent the total stalling of developmental processes in that area. Proactive measures such as early warnings and timely actions are more cost effective than conventional disaster responses. Therefore, more public funds should be channeled towards preparation and risk reduction instead of the provision of relief materials.

  18. Sunshine says

    Dear Liz, Your website is wonderful! Your way of teaching is simply awesome and interesting. I can’t thank enough for your noble service! God bless you!!!

  19. Adeola says

    Strengthening local communities is pivotal when managing the impact of natural disasters in poor countries. This will help protect livelihood and prevent shocks that will ensure development is not crippled. Public money should be invested to aid in early warning and early action to save lives. Every pound spent in the poorest communities will help in preparation, risk reduction rather than in giving relief materials. It is a cost effective way to prevent and cope with natural disasters in these countries.

  20. Yara Hassan says

    The strength of a community on covering impact of natural disasters is measured by saving more lives and giving chances for livelihood. Early warning and early actions will save more lives in the poorest countries before disasters occur. It is better to spend public money in preparations and rescuing lives than on releafe items

  21. patrick Grahouan says

    the best way to use public funds in the field of dealing with natural disasters in poor countries is to invest in the communities before disasters occur. the investment should target to strengthen communities capacity and readiness to provide early responses and reduces risks. this approach is four times more effective than being in a reactive mode only.

  22. Communities can be empowered through strong capacities not only to cope but prevent and protect against the natural disasters as well. As against the traditional disaster recovery systems, well planned warning mechanisms and swift actions are known to cut down the costs and improve the return on pound spent i.e., more lives secured is more return value of pound. Public funds are consumed towards preparation and relief items, with an expense equivalent to four folds of the money spent on humanitarian activities

  23. Tayyeba says

    Hi Liz,
    This is what i have written from the above recording.

    Strengthening the community capacity helps to prevent and cope the impacts of disaster and is the concrete way to save life especially of crippling developing countries.
    Early warnings, actions are most cost effective than traditional disaster response.
    Public money can buy four times humanitarian impacts if spent on preparation and risk reduction rather on relief items.

    Please let me know how many points can i get from my above notes. May be out of 5.

    • Judge for yourself – check the answer which is posted in one of the comments boxes.

      • Hanumant says

        Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters is a concrete way to save lives and better protect livelihood as well as prevent such shokes from crippling development within the forest countries. Early warning and early action is more cost effective than traditional disaster response and save more lives profound spent. In other words public money by four times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief items.

        As it is, just practicing listening correct words & sentences.

  24. ahmed alashkar says

    Natural disasters are considered inevitable events that can affect any country in the world,So early control and taking scientific precautions are a must to avoid the catastrophic concequences and warning and early prevention is more cost effective than damage fixation.

  25. Jalal Khalil says

    The best way to deal with natural catastrophes such as tsunami, typhoon or an earthquake is by empowering our communities and taking bold measures for the protection of human lives, their assets and their means of living, Specially in the poor countries with finite resources and slow-paced development early warnings and early actions are more cost effective and humanitarian than holding back for the unbearable aftermath.

  26. I was not at all able to do this task . 🙁

  27. Hi Liz…. I am finding it difficult to play the audios on *sound track*. I have tried everything possible. I have downloaded, deleted and re-downloaded the app, still the audios couldn’t play. Pls, can’t it be played using another audio app?

    • These audios are streamed online and require a good internet connection to play them. Try using a different internet and difference device.

    • Rajan Miglani says

      Hi there,
      I’m too facing similar issue. In my case it gets even worse “Oops we couldn’t find that track”.
      I have a high speed internet connection and I believe the pop on my screen may not because of internet speeds.
      Dear Liz, is it possible to embed the audio directly in this webpage rather that using SOUNFCLOUD ?

      • I’ll have to try and find the audio recording. You’ll have to give me a week or more to find it or recording it again.

  28. Ankur Goyal says

    Strengthening community to deal with the impact of natural disasters is a better way to cope and prevent the impact of natural calamities. Natural disasters may cripple the growth of developing countries. So, a better prevention and warning system can protect the livelihood and also is cost effective than the traditional response system. Per dollar humanitarian impact of public money is much more if spent on preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief items. This approach is much more cost effective as we all know prevention is better than cure.

  29. Hello! It is very useful for me, thank you very much

  30. Rabiya says

    Natural Disaster are unavoidable and inescapable reality to any country. Wiser are those who keep themselves composed to deal with such phenomenon. Occurring of these inevitable disasters such as hurricane, earthquake, flood and volcanic eruption can cause tremendous lifelong damage. enhance the coping capacity to reduce the impact of such hazards is far more batter then to re stable those assets which are lost during disaster.

  31. It is wiser for a community to plan on reinforcing its preparation efficacy in dealing with the coming of expected natural disasters. Through this, it will be avoided to spend more on re-development from a particular catastrophe as well as reducing number of casualties. The government budget should be spent more on preventive measures and awareness campaign instead of allocating more money for food, shelter, clothing, etc. to be distributed to the victims of calamity.

  32. muayad ghazal says

    the natural disasters are a big conflict for the developing countries .which need a modern technologies to warn and protect the community.
    obtaining the modern means to deal with disasters by early warnings and preparations will be more useful and use less time and money along with lives than actions required after the disaster distraction accure

  33. Ashish says

    Hi Liz,
    Firstly thanks to your amazing lessons. I have a small suggestion. Could you please put some practice exercises on Map labeling, building labeling in listening?

  34. Nadeem says

    Strengthening community capacity take plays a vital role in tackling down and cope with the terrible situation like disasters. We can get rid of it and minimize the deaths by following some significant and fundamental principles which are early actions and early warnings. These are more effective, reliable and more affordable way than any other traditional method.

  35. Mamata Vichare says

    Does this type of audio is played in IELTS? Where we need to note down the complete audio.

    • As it stated on the page above. This is NOT an IELTS test. This is a listening practice lesson.

  36. Strengthening community capacity to prevent and cope with the impact of disasters is a concrete way to save lives and better protect livelihoods as well as prevent such shocks from creepling development within the poorest countries. Early warning and early action is more cost-effective than traditional disaster response and saves more lives per pound spent. In other words, public money buys four times as much humanitarian impact if spending on preparation and risk reduction rather than on relief items.

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