Part 4: following a lecture
IELTS Listening Part 4: follow a monologue lecture without a break, predict answers, and complete notes accurately under pressure.
In this lesson you will
- Use the headings to follow the lecture structure
- Predict the type of word needed
- Keep your place without pauses
Learn
Part 4 is usually a monologue on an academic topic, often with no break in the middle. Questions are commonly note or sentence completion.
Use the headings on the question paper as a map of the lecture: Background… Methods… Findings… Implications. Listen for signposts: Moving on to… ; Another important factor… ; To conclude…
Predict: before listening, decide if each gap needs a noun, adjective, number, and whether singular or plural. The study used ___ from local farms → probably a plural noun (samples? data?).
Stay with it: answers follow the order of the questions. If two questions seem close together, read ahead so you hear both. Check the word limit (e.g. ONE WORD ONLY).
Examples
- Gap: “Early ___ were made of wood.” → plural noun (bridges? tools?)
- Signpost: “Turning now to the environmental impact…” → next heading.
- Word limit: ONE WORD ONLY — “the bamboo” ✗, “bamboo” ✓.
Vocabulary
monologue
one person speaking
signpost
a phrase showing the structure of a talk
predict
guess what will come
word limit
the maximum number of words allowed
heading
a title for a section
Practice
Part 4 is usually…
Listening: Lecture: the history of honey bees in agriculture
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Today I’ll talk about how honey bees became central to modern farming.
Historically, farmers kept bees mainly for honey and wax. Wax was especially valuable because it was used to make candles.
Moving on to pollination: in the twentieth century, farmers realised that crops such as almonds depend almost entirely on bees. Today, hives are transported by truck to follow the flowering season.
However, this movement causes stress to the colonies and spreads disease, particularly a parasite called the varroa mite.
To conclude, researchers are now exploring wild bees and other insects as partners, so that farming doesn’t rely on a single species.
1.Wax was valuable because it was used to make ___. (ONE WORD)
2.Which crop depends almost entirely on bees? (ONE WORD)
3.Hives are transported by ___. (ONE WORD)
4.The parasite is called the varroa ___. (ONE WORD)
5.What are researchers exploring?
Lesson quiz
Before listening, you should decide…
Review
Key points
- Monologue, usually no break.
- Headings as a map.
- Predict word type and number.
- Respect word limits.
What you learned
- ✓ I can follow Part 4 lectures.
- ✓ I predict answers.
- ✓ I complete notes accurately.