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IELTS Listening · Lesson 5 of 13

Flow-chart completion

A flow chart shows the stages of a process. Follow the arrows and listen for the sequence words that move the speaker from stage to stage.

  • 30–40 minutes
  • Level B1+
  • 4 exercises

In this lesson you will

  • understand how a flow chart shows the stages of a process
  • learn the sequence words speakers use to move from stage to stage
  • complete a flow chart while listening to a talk

The question type

What is flow-chart completion?

A flow chart summarises a process with clear stages. Arrows show the direction of the process. Some boxes are empty or partly empty, and you complete them with words you hear. The answers follow the order of the recording, and the instructions give a word limit.

Because the talk describes a sequence, the speaker uses sequence words to show each new stage. These are your signposts.

Exercise 1

Sequence words

Where in a process would you expect to hear each expression?

First of all, …
Next, …
After that comes…
At this stage, …
Finally, …
The process begins when…
Recording · Part 4 · talk

How paper is recycled

You will hear part of a talk about how waste paper is recycled.

Transcript (check it after you answer)

SpeakerToday I'd like to explain what actually happens to the paper you put in your recycling bin, because it's a longer journey than most people imagine.

SpeakerFirst of all, the paper is collected and taken to a sorting centre. There it's separated by grade, so newspapers, for example, are kept apart from office paper, because they're made of different kinds of fibre.

SpeakerNext, the sorted paper is mixed with water and chemicals in a huge machine called a pulper. This breaks the paper down into tiny fibres and produces a thick, soupy mixture known as pulp.

SpeakerMany people are surprised to learn that the pulp then has to be cleaned. It's pushed through a series of screens, which remove things like plastic and staples, and anything else that shouldn't be there.

SpeakerAfter that comes de-inking. Air bubbles are blown through the pulp, and the ink sticks to them and floats up to the surface, where it can be skimmed off. If the paper is going to be used for something like writing paper, it may also be bleached at this stage, although for brown packaging this step is usually skipped.

SpeakerFinally, the clean pulp is sprayed onto a moving screen and the water drains away. The sheet then passes between heated rollers, which dry it and press it flat, and the new paper is wound onto enormous rolls. And one last fact: each paper fibre can be recycled around five to seven times before it becomes too short to use.

Exercise 2

Before you listen: predict

Look at the flow chart in the next exercise. What do you think goes in each gap?

1 separated by ______
2 mixed with water in a ______
3 screens remove plastic and ______
4 ink rises to the surface on ______
5 dried and pressed by ______
Exercise 3

Questions 1–5

Complete the flow chart below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

How paper is recycled

Paper is collected and taken to a sorting centre
↓
Paper is separated by 1
↓
Paper is mixed with water and chemicals in a 2 to make pulp
↓
Pulp is cleaned: screens remove plastic and 3
↓
De-inking: ink rises to the surface on 4
↓
(Bleaching: only for some types of paper)
↓
Pulp is sprayed onto a moving screen; the sheet is dried and pressed flat by 5
Exercise 4

Check the details

  1. Why is newspaper kept apart from office paper?
  2. Which paper is usually NOT bleached?
  3. How many times can a paper fibre be recycled?

Strategy summary

  1. Read the title to find out what process the flow chart shows.
  2. Follow the arrows from the first box to the last. Notice any branches or optional stages.
  3. Check the word limit, then predict the type of word for each gap.
  4. Listen for sequence words (first, next, then, after that, finally). Each one usually starts a new box.
  5. Write exactly what you hear, then check your spelling and the word limit.
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Lesson and recording script written for Tips4IELTS, based on the official IELTS description of this task type (ielts.org).