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EN(Context: An excerpt from a radio documentary featuring a reporter, Sarah Jenkins, and urban planner Dr. David Chen.)
[AUDIO SCRIPT FOR TEACHERS/STUDENTS]
Sarah Jenkins: Welcome back to Future Cities. The shift to remote work has been one of the most significant economic changes of the last decade. With me today is Dr. David Chen, an urban planner and author of The Empty Tower. Dr. Chen, is the commercial city center dying?
Dr. David Chen: "Dying" is too strong a word, Sarah. I prefer "decentralizing." For a century, cities were built around the concept of the Central Business District—a hub where commerce happened. Now, with the "digital nomad" lifestyle and hybrid work models, we are seeing a "doughnut effect."
Sarah Jenkins: The doughnut effect? Can you explain that? ib english b hl listening full
Dr. David Chen: Certainly. Imagine a doughnut. The center—the hole—is hollowing out. Commercial real estate in city centers sits empty. However, the suburbs and exurbs—the "dough" around the hole—are booming. People are no longer commuting into the center; they are spending their money locally in their residential neighborhoods. This has caused a surge in small business growth in suburban areas, specifically in cafes, co-working spaces, and boutique fitness studios.
Sarah Jenkins: But surely this is bad for the city’s tax base?
Dr. David Chen: It creates a fiscal gap, yes. But the bigger challenge is social. The city center was a melting pot. If the wealthy move to the suburbs and work from home, the city center risks becoming a place only for tourists or the disenfranchised. We are seeing a housing crisis in the suburbs because demand has skyrocketed, pushing prices up and displacing long-term lower-income residents in those areas.
Sarah Jenkins: So, how do planners fix this? (Context: An excerpt from a radio documentary featuring
Dr. David Chen: We need "adaptive reuse." We cannot simply have empty skyscrapers. We are already seeing offices being converted into residential apartments. Cities must become mixed-use zones. You shouldn't have a district just for working and another just for living. The 15-minute city concept—where you can live, work, and play within a 15-minute walk—is the future. It reduces carbon emissions and rebuilds community connection.
Sarah Jenkins: Dr. Chen, thank you.
| Trap | Solution | |------|----------| | Distractors in multiple choice (similar words but different meaning) | Listen for exact meaning, not just word matching. | | Hesitations & false starts (speaker changes their mind) | Wait until the speaker finishes the idea before answering. | | Contractions & connected speech (gonna, wanna, should’ve) | Practice listening to natural, fast speech. | | Implied “no” (e.g., “I wish I had arrived earlier”) | Recognize regret or indirect refusals. | | Not reading the word limit (“Write two words” – writing three = zero marks) | Always follow the instruction precisely. |
The IB English B syllabus is thematic (Identities, Experiences, Human Ingenuity, Social Organization, Sharing the Planet). A "full" listening exam draws from all five themes. | Trap | Solution | |------|----------| | Distractors
If you are reading this, you are probably staring down the barrel of the IB English B HL Listening Paper and feeling a mix of anxiety and confusion. Don't worry. You are not alone.
Unlike the reading or writing papers, listening is a one-shot deal. The audio plays, you take notes, and then it’s gone. No second chances. No pausing to Google a word.
But here is the good news: The HL listening paper is predictable. Once you understand the structure, the question types, and the traps, you can train yourself to score a 7.
Let’s break it down completely.
