Welcome Talk for New Running Club Members: Listening Answers & Explanations
IELTS Listening practice test · 9 questionsPart 2medium
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About this recording
The recording opens: “Hi everyone, and a big welcome to the Parkside Runners. I'm Angela, one of the organisers, and I'm delighted to see so many new faces tonight.”
- Transcript length: about 444 words
- Questions: 9
- Question types: Matching Features, Note Completion, Multiple Choice
“Welcome Talk for New Running Club Members” is an original IELTS-style practice recording written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
Welcome Talk for New Running Club Members answers with explanations
Questions 1–4: Matching Features
Which type of runner is each group best suited to?
Choose your answers from the list A–D and select the correct letter for each group. You may choose any letter more than once.
- A. complete beginners
- B. experienced runners wanting speed
- C. people training for a marathon
- D. people who mainly want to socialise
- 1
the Tuesday group
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Answer: A — complete beginners
Why: The Tuesday group is described as the beginners' group using a walk-and-run method, making it suitable for complete beginners as mentioned in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 4 “The Tuesday group is our beginners' group — we use a walk-and-run method, and nobody is ever left behind.”
- 2
the Thursday track session
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Answer: B — experienced runners wanting speed
Why: The Thursday track session is for experienced runners wanting speed because it involves sprints and intervals designed to help runners get faster, making it quite demanding.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 5 “It's designed for experienced runners who want to get faster, with sprints and intervals, so it's quite demanding.”
- 3
the Sunday long run
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Answer: C — people training for a marathon
Why: The Sunday long run is designed for people training for a half marathon or marathon, as it focuses on building endurance and can last up to two hours.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 5 “The Sunday long run is all about building endurance — it's for people training for a half marathon or marathon, and can be up to two hours.”
- 4
the monthly Saturday group
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Answer: D — people who mainly want to socialise
Why: The monthly Saturday group is designed for socializing, as indicated by the passage stating it's perfect for those who mainly want to make friends, with no pressure on pace and a focus on chatting and enjoying the scenery.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 6 “It's perfect if you mainly want to make friends.”
Questions 5–8: Note Completion
Club information
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- 5
The club has over ______ members.(max 2 words)
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Answer: 200 (also accepted: two hundred)
Why: The answer is found in the part where Angela mentions that the club, which began with a small group of friends, has grown to include more than two hundred members of various ages and abilities.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 2 “The club was started twelve years ago by a small group of friends, and we now have over two hundred members, of every age and ability.”
- 6
Sunday long run starts at:(max 2 words)
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Answer: 9 am (also accepted: 9am / nine am / 9 o'clock / 09:00 / nine o'clock)
Why: The answer is found in the part where Angela mentions that the longer run on Sunday mornings begins at nine o'clock, highlighting the schedule for the club's weekly running sessions.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 3 “There's a session here at the clubhouse every Tuesday and Thursday evening at half past six, and a longer run on Sunday mornings at nine o'clock.”
- 7
Annual membership fee: £(max 2 words)
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Answer: 40 (also accepted: £40 / 40 pounds)
Why: The answer is found in the section discussing membership, where it states that the cost is forty pounds annually, which includes insurance, a club vest, and discounts at the local sports shop.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 7 “It costs forty pounds a year, which includes insurance, a club running vest, and discounts at the local sports shop.”
- 8
Date of the club's 10 km race:(max 2 words)
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Answer: 12 October (also accepted: 12th October / October 12 / 12/10 / Sunday 12 October)
Why: The date of the club's 10 km race is mentioned towards the end of the passage, where Angela states that the race will take place on Sunday, the twelfth of October.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 9 “Finally, our big event of the year is the club's own ten-kilometre race, which this year is on Sunday the twelfth of October.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
What must members wear on the winter evening runs?
- A. the club running vest
- B. something bright or reflective
- C. a head torch
- 9
On dark evening runs, members must wear
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Answer: B — something bright or reflective
Why: Members must wear something bright or reflective on winter evening runs because it is dark, and the club cannot allow them to run without such attire for safety reasons.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 8 “On the evening runs in winter, it's dark, so you must wear something bright or reflective — we can't let you run with us otherwise.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 9 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Listening conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single recording is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 9 / 9 | 9.0 |
| 8 / 9 | 8.0 |
| 7 / 9 | 7.0 |
| 6 / 9 | 6.5 |
| 4–5 / 9 | 5.5 |
| 3 / 9 | 4.5 |
| 2 / 9 | 3.5 |
| 1 / 9 | 2.5 |
| 0 / 9 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
Listening Part 2
- In the preparation pause, read the questions and mark the key difference between multiple-choice options, so you listen for meaning rather than matching words.
- For a map task, orient yourself before the audio starts: find the entrance or starting point, the compass if there is one, and every label already printed.
Common trap: Map disorientation: "on your left" is the speaker’s left along the route being described, not the left of the page.
Full Listening Part 2 strategyPractise “Welcome Talk for New Running Club Members” under exam conditions
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