SECTION 1
1. Answer: Canadian
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: Ok, thank you. And are you resident in the UK?
LOUISE: No, I’m actually Canadian, though my mother was British
Explanation:
When the officer asks about residence, we can tell that they are talking about nationality, which is the answer required for Question 1, so we should focus here. Although the officer mentions the UK, Louise’s answer is ‘NO’, meaning that British is not the answer. She is Canadian, so the correct answer is Canadian. Louise also mentions her mom being British. This is a trick and candidates need to be careful: there will be more than one piece of information that can potentially be the answer.
Answer: Canadian
2. Answer: furniture
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: So you’re just visiting the country?
LOUISE: That’s right. I come over most summers on business. I’m an interior designer and I come over to buy old furniture, antiques you know.
Explanation:
The question of the officer is to confirm Louise’ purpose to stay and visit the country. Her answer is that she comes over on business, which is already put in the note. Therefore, we expect she will explain further after that answer, so we should focus here. As the word needed is behind the adjective “antique”, it should be a noun, referring to something rare and old. The answer is “furniture”.
Answer: furniture
3. Answer: Park
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: So may I ask where you are staying now?
LOUISE: Well at present I’ve got a place at Park Apartments, that’s on King Street. I was staying at the Riverside Apartments on the same street, but the apartment there was only available for six weeks so I had to find another one.
Explanation:
We need to listen to the questions from the officer as these questions will let us know what information will come up next. This question is about where Louise is staying now, so it’s about her current address. Candidates need to be aware that it is “current” address, which means where she is staying at present, not in the past. Therefore, the answer is Park. Candidates should note down information that they can hear in the first place, after that, when the speaker explains further, candidates can compare the information they had with the new information to see which particular piece of information is needed. There will often be information that is included just to confuse candidates.
Answer: Park
4. Answer: 250 (sterling)
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: And what did your wallet have in it?
LOUISE: Well, fortunately I don’t keep my credit cards in that wallet – I keep them with my passport in an inside compartment in my backpack. But there was quite a bit of cash there…about £250 sterling, I should think. I withdrew £300 from my account yesterday, but I did a bit of shopping, so I must have already spent about £50 of that.
Explanation:
Candidates should get used to a few common currency names, symbols and codes. For example, the official currency of the UK is the pound sterling, also known as pound or sterling (symbol: £, ISO code: GBP) so they do not get confused in some situations like this.
At first Louise mentions her credit cards and passport, but she claims that she does not keep them in that wallet but in her backpack. When you see the symbol £, you would know you have to listen to the information about cash. The answer is 250, although there is some additional information that is confusing like “withdrew 300” and “spent 50”. Therefore, it is not just the amount of cash that should candidates pay attention to, but also the actions of Louise in the script.
Answer: 250 (sterling)
5. Answer: phone
Here’s what the speaker says:
LOUISE: At first I thought, oh I must have left the wallet back in the apartment, but then I realized my phone had gone as well.
Explanation:
As Question 5 is also in the part of “items stolen”, the answer will not be far away from the answer for Question 4. Right after talking about his wallet, Louise went on to talk about his phone. “Had gone” implies “had been lost”, and “as well” implies it is in the same as his wallet, which means it is stolen. The answer is “phone”.
Answer: phone
6. Answer: 10(th) September
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: So you say the theft occurred yesterday?
LOUISE: Yes.
OFFICER: So that was September the tenth.
Explanation:
The question of the officer tells us that he is asking about the time/ date of the theft. Candidates can note down “yesterday”, in case speakers do not explain further than that. However, the officer points out the exact date of “yesterday”, which is “September the tenth”. Candidates should be aware of different ways to express dates and times.
Answer: 10(th) September/September 10th
7. Answer: museum
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: Do you have any idea at all of where or when the things might possibly been stolen?
LOUISE: Well at first I couldn’t believe […] Anyway, I met up with a friend, and we spent a couple of hours in the museum. But I do remember that as we were leaving there, at about 4 o’clock, a group of young boys ran up to us, and they were really crowding around us, and they were asking us what time it was, and all of a sudden they ran off.
Explanation:
After the question of the officer about the possible location of the theft, Louise talks a lot about how she feels, but has not mentioned any location. Candidates need to be careful not to lose their concentration. Then Louise mentions the museum where she met up with a friend, and when they were leaving, which means they were outside the place, it was about 4pm – the time in the question. Therefore, the answer is “museum”.
Answer: museum
8. Answer: time
Here’s what the speaker says:
LOUISE: […] a group of young boys ran up to us, and they were really crowding around us, and they were asking us what time it was, and all of a sudden they ran off.
Explanation:
The answer for Question 8 comes right after the answer for Question 7. That’s why candidates need to spend time to look at questions before listening and get a gist of what kind of information they need for each question, so they know where to focus on. “A group of young boys” refers to “some boys”, and they asked for the time. The answer is “time”.
Answer: time
9. Answer: blond(e)
Here’s what the speakers say:
OFFICER: Any idea of how old he might have been?
LOUISE: Around twelve years old?
OFFICER: And can you remember anything else about his appearance?
LOUISE: Not much. He was quite thin…
OFFICER: Colour of hair?
LOUISE: I do remember that – he was blond.
Explanation:
With previous questions and answers given, we know that the speakers are talking about the boy in Question 9. Louise says that the boy who talked most was about 12 years old, and thin (slim build). And then the officer asked for his colour of hair, so we need to listen to find out a colour, and it was “blond”. Blond is the correct answer.
Answer: blond/blonde
10. Answer: 8795482361
Here’s what the speaker says:
OFFICER: So what I’m going to do now is give you a crime reference number so you can contact your insurance company. So this is ten digits: 87954 82361.
Explanation:
This is not a difficult question. Candidates should focus on words like “number” or “digits”. In this case, the speaker makes it simple by saying it correctly right at the first time. Sometimes, in IELTS Listening, they can make it a bit more difficult by intentionally making a mistake and change one or two digits. Therefore, you should be careful and concentrate until you are sure that they move on to the next part of the conversation.
Answer: 87954 82361
SECTION 2
11-12. Answer: A get to know colleagues, C ask lots of questions
Here’s what the speaker says:
I’d like to start with some advice about being an apprentice. Most of you have very little or no experience of working for a big organization and the first week or so may be quite challenging. There will be a lot of new information to take in but don’t worry too much about trying to remember everything. The important thing is to check with someone if you are not sure what to do – you’ll find your supervisor is very approachable and won’t mind explaining things or helping you out. You’re here to learn so make the most of that opportunity. You’ll be spending time in different departments during your first week so make an effort to talk to as many people as possible about their work – you’ll make some new friends and find out lots of useful information.
Explanation:
With this kind of question, make sure that you understand all the choices you have before listening, as the speaker will paraphrase it and say it in a different way. The number of choices may confuse you if you do not know them well. The first piece of advice is do not worry too much, which is not one of the answers. After that, the speaker says “the important thing”, implying what she thinks they should do, in other words she gives her advice. It is “to check with someone if you are not sure what to do”. To check with someone means you have to ask them questions. To make it clearer, the speaker tells people to “make the most of that opportunity”, so she does not limit the number of questions they can ask. In fact, it implies that they can ask as much as they can (make most of something = to use or enjoy something as much as possible), or “ask lots of questions”. So the first answer is C. The speaker then goes on and tells them to “make an effort”, in other words, “try” to “talk to as many people as possible about their work”. Talking to people working with you is to know more about them, to make friends with them or, more generally “get to know colleagues”, which is answer A.
Answer: C, A (in either order)
13-14. Answer: B making career plans, E reviewing progress
Here’s what the speaker says:
As well as having a supervisor, you will each be assigned a mentor. This person will be someone who’s recently completed an apprenticeship and you will meet with them on a weekly basis. Their role is to provide help and support throughout your apprenticeship. Of course, this does not mean they will actually do any of your work for you – instead they will be asking you about what goals you’ve achieved so far, as well as helping you to identify any areas for improvement. You can also discuss your more long-term ambitions with them as well.
Explanation:
The speaker mentions the word ‘mentor’, so we can expect that she will explain further about the role of mentors, which is the answer for Question 13 and 14. She may say some words used in the answers like “complete” or “weekly”, but in a different context, so be careful, especially because in IELTS Listening, it is common that they will paraphrase the words you hear in the script. So you will not hear exactly the same words. The role of mentors is “asking you about what goals you’ve achieved so far”, and “identify any areas for improvement”. This means that they will help you to reflect on what you have done and what you can improve during the apprenticeship, in other words, they help you “review progress”. E is therefore one correct answer. After that, “you can also discuss” means they will also help you, about “long-term ambitions”. It is an apprenticeship so the ambitions discussed should be about job and career. It refers to “career plans” here. So, B is another correct answer. There is no information about confidence (answer A), difficult tasks (answer C) or timetable (answer D).
Answer: B, E (in either order)
15. Answer: B
Here’s what the speaker says
Most importantly, the internet. As part of your job you will be doing some research online so obviously you will have unlimited access for that but please don’t use it for personal use – you’ll have your own phones for that.
Explanation
It is clear that the speaker is talking about the internet. She claims they will use it as part of job and so they will have unlimited access, which may lead candidates to a misunderstanding that it is encouraged. However, candidates need to pay attention to a connector of contrast like “but”, as it implies something opposite to what she just said. She asked them not to use it for personal use, which is a restriction – they can only use the internet for work. B is the answer
Answer: B.
16. Answer: B
Here’s what the speaker says:
Some of you have already asked me about flexible working. After your probationary three-month period – some of you will be eligible for this – but it will depend on which department you’re in and what your personal circumstances are.
Explanation
The speaker says “some of you”, implying not every apprentice will be eligible for flexible working. Also, she claims that it depends on “department” and “personal circumstances”. Therefore, clearly it is not encouraged and it is also not against the rules. We can say there are some restrictions on this. B is the answer.
Answer: B.
17. Answer: C
Here’s what the speaker says:
I want to make sure there is no confusion about our holiday policy. Apart from any statutory public holidays we ask that you don’t book any holidays until after your six-month apprenticeship has finished.
Explanation
“Holiday policy” refers to “booking holidays”, and the speaker asks them not to book any holiday in their apprenticeship, which means booking holidays is not allowed, or it is against the rules. C is the answer
Answer: C
18. Answer: A
Here’s what the speaker says:
You’ll be expected to work a 40-hour week but there may be opportunities to do overtime during busy periods. Although you’re not required to do this, it can be a valuable experience – so we advise you to take it up if possible.
Explanation
The speaker claims that working overtime is not compulsory, but she talks about it in a positive way by calling it “a valuable experience” and advises apprentices to “take it up if possible”. This means that it is encouraged and so A is the answer.
Answer: A.
19. Answer: A
Here’s what the speaker says:
As you know, we don’t have a formal dress code here – you may wear casual clothes as long as they are practical – and the only restriction for shoes we have is on high heels for health and safety reasons. Comfortable shoes like trainers are preferable.
Explanation
The speaker claims they do not have a formal dress code and they only have one restriction, which is not to wear high heels. Question 19 is about trainers, so B is not the answer. Trainers are “preferable”. “Preferable” can be considered as “encouraged”. So the answer is A.
Answer: A.
20. Answer: C
Here’s what the speaker says:
Snacks and drinks are also provided – so we’ve decided to introduce a no packed lunch policy.
Explanation
“A no packed lunch policy” means no one is allowed to bring food to work. The speaker mentions a canteen on the company site and explains why a packed lunch is not allowed. Therefore, it is against the rules. C is the answer.
Answer: C.
SECTION 3
21. Answer: B include most of the world’s largest cities.
Here’s what the speakers say:
ROB: And cities are growing so quickly – I mean, we know that more than half the world’s population lives in cities now.
CARLA: Yeah, though that’s all cities, not just ones on the coast. But most of the biggest cities are actually built by the sea.
Explanation
Rob mentions “half the world’s population” living in cities, which may be mistaken for Answer A. However, it is about all cities, not just the coastal cities. Therefore, it is not the correct answer. They don’t discuss how fast coastal cities are growing compared with other cities, so C is also incorrect. Carla claims that most of the biggest cities, in other words the largest ones, are “built by the sea”, which means they are coastal cities. So B is the correct answer.
Answer: B.
22. Answer: A may bring pollution to the cities. <p>
Here’s what the speaker says:
ROB: As the city expands, agriculture and industry tend to spread further inland along the rivers, and so agriculture moves even further inland up the river. That’s not necessarily a problem, except it means more and more pollutants are discharged into the rivers.
Explanation
The speaker talks about the expansion of cities and the fact that agriculture and industry move further inland, which can refer to Answer A and C. However, he claims that this expansion inland is not a problem. However, Rob emphasizes the fact that one consequence is that, more pollutants are discharged into the rivers. Pollutants are subtances that pollute, so we can say building coastal cities near to rivers brings more pollution to the city. A is the correct answer.
Answer: A.
23. Answer: C They did not allow for the effects of climate change.
Here’s what the speakers say:
ROB: Did you read that article about Miami, on the east coast of the USA?
CARLA: No
ROB: Well, apparently back in the 1950s they built channels to drain away the water in case of flooding.
CARLA: Sounds sensible
ROB: Yes, they spend quite a lot of money on them. But what they didn’t take into account was global warming.
Explanation
We should pay attention when Rob mentions Miami (proper nouns are not hard to listen for, so we can take advantage to locate the answers). He continues by talking about channels to drain away water, which refers to “water drainage channels”. As the question is about “mistakes”, we expect the speaker will use connectors of contrast, therefore we should focus more when he says “but” – there is a high chance the answer is after that, and it was “global warming”, referring to the effects of climate change. The correct answer is C.
Answer: C.
24. Answer: B pay for a new flood prevention system
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARLA: So what are the authorities doing about it now?
ROB: I don’t know. I did read that they are aiming to stop disposing of waste water into the ocean over the next ten years.
CARLA: But that won’t help with flood prevention now, will it?
ROB: No. Really they just need to find the money for something to replace the drainage channels, in order to protect against flooding now. But in the long term they need to consider the whole ecosystem.
Explanation
Rob and Carla are talking about the authories and mention “stop disposing of waste water”, which is answer C. However, that is what the authorities will be doing in the future, while the question is about what the speakers think the authorities should do now/immediately. Action on restoring ecosystems is a long term measure, so A is not true.
Therefore, we need to look for their opinion, which is “find something to replace the drainage channels”, referring to a new system, and it is to prevent flooding. Therefore, B is the answer.
Answer: B.
25. Answer: A greater coordination of activities
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARLA: Really, though, coastal cities can’t deal with their problems on their own, can they ? I mean, they’ve got to start acting together at an international level instead of just doing their own things.
ROB: Absolutely. The thing is, everyone knows what the problems are and environmentalists have a pretty good idea of what we should be doing about them, so they should be able to work together to some extent. But it’s going to be a long time before countries come to a decision on what principles they’re prepared to abide by.
Explanation
Carla mentions “international level” so we can expect the answer for Question 25 will come next. What Rob thinks is environmentalists should “work together”, which refers to “coordination”. He does not specifically point out what they should do like sharing information or agreeing on shared policies, although the fact that he mentions principles may confuse candidates. A is the answer.
Answer: A
26. Answer: B
Here’s what the speaker says:
ROB: So I suppose we will begin with some general historical background about why coastal cities were established. But we don’t want to spend too long on that, the other students will already know a bit about it. It’s all to do with communications and so on.
Explanation
In this kind of question, speakers will quickly talk about each part, which is each question, so candidates need to know the choices very well in order to decide on the correct answer. For example, about historical background, Rob said they didn’t want to spend too long on that, which means this part should not be too long, or they will “keep it short”. The answer is B.
Answer: B.
27. Answer: A
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARLA: We should mention some geographical factors, things like wetlands and river estuaries and coastal erosion and so on. We could have some maps of different cities with these features marked.
ROB: On a handout you mean? Or some slides everyone can see?
CARLA: That’d be better.
Explanation
Carla thinks that they should have some maps of different cities with geographical factors marked. They discuss presenting these maps on a handout. This suggests answer E, but be careful, because that is not correct. Rob then suggests using slides that everyone can see (visuals – answer A), and Carla agrees that this would be better than a handout. Therefore, A is the correct answer.
Answer: A.
28. Answer: F
Here’s what the speakers say:
ROB: It’d be good to go into past mistakes in a bit more detail. Did you read that case study of the problems there were in New Orleans with flooding a few years ago?
CARLA: Yes, we could use that as the basis for that part of the talk. […]
ROB: OK. So that’s probably enough background.
Explanation
Rob mentions a case study of past mistakes and Carla decides that they can use “that”, meaning the case study, as the basis for that part of the talk, which means they will focus on it (basis – the most important facts which something is developed). A case study can be considered as an example. Rob then agrees with Carla’s decision (OK. That’s probably enough background). Therefore, F is the answer for this question.
Answer: F.
29. Answer: G
Here’s what the speakers say:
ROB: OK. What else do we need to talk about? Maybe something on future risks, looking more at the long term, if populations continue to grow.
CARLA: Yeah. We will need to do a bit of work there. I haven’t got much information, have you?
ROB: No. We’ll need to look at some websites. Shouldn’t take too long.
CARLA: OK.
Explanation
Carla and Rob admit that they haven’t got much information. He suggests that they should “look at some websites”, which means they have to do it online, and to know more about future risks, they have do some research. So we can understand his idea as “do online research”, which is answer G.
Answer: G.
30. Answer: C
Here’s what the speaker says:
CARLA: And I think we should end by talking about international implications. Maybe we could ask people in the audience.
Explanation
To ask people in the audience means to get people involved in their presentation. And ‘people’ here refers to other students. Therefore, to talk about internation implications, they’re going to involve other students. C is the answer.
Answer: C.
SECTION 4
31. Answer: industry
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘Demand is rising rapidly, because of the world’s increasing population and expanding industry’.
Explanation
Question 31 is in the introduction part, so the answer is probably in the first part of the speech. We pay attention here: “demand is rising” refers to “more energy required” and two reasons that the speaker points out are “increasing population” and “expanding industry”. Population is already mentioned, so the expansion of industry is the other reason why more energy is needed. The word ‘growth’ in the question is the same as ‘increase/expansion’. What we need is just ONE WORD (in this case, a noun): industry.
Answer: industry.
32. Answer: constant
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘First, wave energy. […] This form of energy has plenty of potential, as the source is constant. And there’s no danger of waves coming to a standstill. Electricity can be generated using onshore systems, using a reservoir, or offshore systems. But […]’
Explanation
When the speaker says “potential”, we know that he is talking about the advantage. He claims the source is “constant”. After that, the speaker explains a bit further and moves on to disadvantages by saying “but”. Therefore, there is no other information that we need to take into account. Constant is the answer.
Answer: constant.
33. Answer: direction
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘But the problem with ocean waves is that they are erratic, with the wind making them travel in any direction’.
Explanation:
As explained in Question 32, after the connector “but”, the speaker is going to talk about disadvantages, or problems. “Travel” can be understood as “move”, and waves travel in any direction. So direction is the answer we are looking for.
Answer: direction.
34. Answer: floor
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘Another drawback is that sand and other sediments on the ocean floor might be stopped from flowing normally, which can lead to environmental problems’.
Explanation
Candidates should be aware of what information they need for each answer. Question 34 is about problems of wave energy, so we have to pay attention right after Question 33. The speaker mentions sand and other sediments, which can be understood as “etc.”, and they are stopped from flowing normally, which means their movements are affected. They are “on the ocean floor”, in other words, “on the floor of the ocean”. So floor is the answer.
Answer: floor.
35. Answer: predictable
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘The second category of marine energy that I’ll mention is tidal energy. One major advantage of using the tide, rather than waves, as a source of energy is that it’s predictable’.
Explanation
In the question we can see it is in the comparative form of adjectives, so we have to listen to a comparison between tides and waves. The speaker talks about one advantage of tides, “rather than waves”, which refers to something it is better than waves. And tides are unlike waves because they are “predictable”. The answer is predictable.
Answer: predictable.
36. Answer: bay
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘One current plan is to create a tidal lagoon on the coast of Wales. This will be an area of water within a bay at Swansea’.
Explanation
In the task of completing notes, candidates should pay attention to the titles of each part, as it will tell you where the answer belongs to, where to focus on. The speaker mentions a tidal lagoon in Wales, so we know the answer will be somewhere after that. It is in a bay at Swansea, so bay is the answer. Proper nouns such as Wales or Swansea are also what we should focus on to locate the answer.
Answer: bay
37. Answer: gates
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘Then, in order to release the stored water, gates in the breakwater are opened. It pours powerfully out of the lagoon, driving the turbines in the breakwater in the opposite direction […]’
Explanation
When the speaker says “in order to release the stored water”, we can expect he will mention a method or a tool, an object that can support releasing the stored water. That object should be the answer (as the word we are looking for is after “through”, implying an object or a method). Additionally, the speaker explains further about how it works to drive the turbine in the opposite direction, which is the same as in the reverse direction. Therefore, we can be sure that this is what we are looking for: “gates” is the object that is mentioned. Gates is the answer.
Answer: gates.
38. Answer: fuel
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘This system has quite a lot in its favour: unlike solar and wind energy it doesn’t depend on the weather; the turbines are operated without the need for fuel’.
Explanation
When you say something has quite a lot in its favour, you are talking about its advantages, so we can pay attention here. The first advantage, that the system is not dependent on the weather, is pointed out in the note. The second advantage is it can run without fuel, in other words, it doesn’t need fuel or no fuel is required. We can see “without the need” and “not required” have the same meaning. So the answer is fuel.
Answer: fuel.
39. Answer: jobs
Here’s what the speaker says
‘[…] so it doesn’t create any greenhouse emissions, and very little maintenance is needed. It’s estimated that electricity generated in this way will be relatively cheap; and that manufacturing the components would create more than 2000 jobs, a big boost to the local economy’.
Explanation
The speaker continues to talk about the system’s advantages, but we have to focus on something that it creates. It probably is not something negative like greenhouse emissions as we are talking about advantages. The electricity is claimed to be cheap,and there is no information about the amount of electricity will be created/ generated. Also, the word needed is behind “a number of”, which means it should be a plural noun. Therefore, the answer is “jobs”.
Answer: jobs.
40. Answer: migration
Here’s what the speaker says:
‘On the other hand, there are fears that lagoons may harm both fish and birds, for example by disturbing migration patterns, and causing a built-up of silt, affecting local ecosystems’.
Explanation
When the speaker says “on the other hand”, we expect he is going to talk about the system’s problems. It is not a difficult question as the speaker uses the words that are used in the question (harm fish and birds, for example and building up silt). However, candidates need to notice that the task requires ONE WORD ONLY, so the answer is “migration”, not “migration patterns”. “Disturbing” can be understood as “affecting”.
Answer: migration.