SECTION 1
1. Answer: 2194429785
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: And can I have a contact phone number?
JULIE: It’s 219 442 9785
Explanation:
The question from the doctor is pretty obvious and Julie makes it simple by providing the correct number the first time, so we should just focus on the ‘numbers’ to get it right.
Answer: 219 442 978
2. Answer: 10(th) October
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: OK, and then can I just check that we have the correct date of birth?
JULIE: October tenth, 1992
CARL: Oh, I actually have 1991. I’ll just correct that now.
Explanation:
The doctor wants to confirm Julie’s date of birth, and as we’ve already got the year provided, we need to only focus on the month and day she was born. The doctor mentions the year was wrong, but it is insignificant information, candidates need to be careful not to distracted by this piece of information.
Answer: 10(th) October/October 10th
3. Answer: manager
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: Do you have an occupation, either full-time or part-time?
JULIE: Yes, I work full-time in Esterhazy’s – you know, the restaurant chain. I started off as a waitress there a few years ago and I’m a manager now.
Explanation:
The question mentions “occupation” so we know we should pay attention to her next answer to find out the answer for Question 3. Julie worked as a waitress in the past, but now she has become a manager. We need to fill in the form with her current position as the form requires what she “works as”, so the answer is manager.
Answer: Manager
4. Answer: Cawley
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: Right, so one more thing I need to know before we talk about why you’re here, Julie, and that’s the name of your insurance company.
JULIE: It’s Cawley Life Insurance, that’s C-A-W-L-E-Y.
Explanation:
The doctor asks about the name of the insurance company and it is repeated two times, with a clear pronunciation in the latter. With this kind of question about people’s name or address, speakers will always spell the word unless it’s too common. Therefore, candidates should not be panicked and wait until they spell it, and just note down what you can hear.
Answer: Cawley
5. Answer: knee
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: So tell me a little about what brought you here today.
JULIE: Well, I’ve been getting a pain in my knee, the left one.
Explanation:
The doctor wants Julie to explain the reason she came to the clinic, as there must be something wrong with her health, referring to the type of problem. Julie makes it clear by saying she has a ‘pain in my knee’, then emphasises that it’s ‘the left one’. “One” is used to replace “knee”, this way of replacing a noun is common in English so the speaker does not have to repeat what he/ she has just said.
Answer: knee
6. Answer: 3 weeks
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: So how long have you been aware of this pain? Is it just a few days, or is it longer than that?
JULIE: Longer. It’s been worse for the last couple of days, but it’s three weeks since I first noticed it.
Explanation:
‘How long’ is a question for ‘when’ she got the pain. It’s been not just ‘a few days’, but ‘longer’ than that, ‘three weeks’ to be exact. Julie mentions the word ‘last couple of days’, but that is when it’s getting worse, not when it started, this is another piece of distracting information.
Answer: 3 weeks
7. Answer: tennis
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: Good. Now you look as if you’re quite fit normally?
JULIE: I am, yes.
CARL: So do you do any sport on a regular basis?
JULIE: Yes, I play a lot of tennis. I belong to a club so I go there a lot.
Explanation:
Pretty clear, she ‘plays a lot of tennis’ and ‘belongs to a club’.
Answer: tennis
8. Answer: running
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: And do you do any other types of exercise?
JULIE: Yeah, I sometimes do a little swimming, but usually just when I’m on vacation. But I normally go running a few times a week, maybe three or four times.
Explanation:
Julie goes swimming, but only just when she is ‘on vacation’, so it’s not a regular activity. She however goes running three or four times a week, so the answer is ‘running’. Candidates need to remember to always focus and listen until they move on to the next information, as we don’t know where the distraction can be (before or after the information we are looking for)
Answer: running
9. Answer: shoulder
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: Hm. So your legs are getting quite a pounding. But you haven’t had any problems up to now?
JULIE: No, not with my legs. I did have an accident last year when I slipped and hurt my shoulder, but that’s better now.
Explanation:
Julie said ‘not my legs’, so we can exclude this option. The answer become clear when Julie said she had an accident and got hurt – which means injured – her shoulder last year. There are some questions about the past, some about the present so candidates should notice the time in the question, and while listening they should take some time expressions like “now” or “last year” into account, and also be aware of the past simple tense used in the conversation.
Answer: shoulder
10. Answer: vitamins
Here’s what the speakers say:
CARL: And do you take any medication on a regular basis?
JULIE: Well, I take vitamins but that’s all. I’m generally very healthy.
Explanation:
Julie admit that she takes vitamins, but emphasises that ‘that’s all’, which means vitamins aside, she doesn’t take any other medication. “Apart from” means “except for”, so we have to find an exception.
Answer: vitamins
SECTION 2
11. Answer: B a new building was constructed for her.
Here’s what the speaker says:
However, when Queen Elizabeth I announced that she was going to visit the castle in 1576, it was beginning to look a bit run down, and it was decided that rather than repair the guest rooms, they’d make a new house for her out of wood next to the main hall. She stayed there for four nights and apparently it was very luxurious, but unfortunately it was destroyed a few years later by fire.
Explanation:
‘…when Queen Elizabeth I announced that she was going to visit’ means the visit did not happen until later. As the castle was not in good condition (it was ‘run down’), the guest rooms were not repaired. Instead, they made a new house for her, next to the main hall. Later this house (but NOT the main hall) was destroyed by fire. The answer is B.
Answer: B
12. Answer: C an entertainment company.
Here’s what the speaker says:
In the seventeenth century the castle belonged to the wealthy Fenys family, who enlarged it and made it more comfortable. However, by 1982 the Fenys family could no longer afford to maintain the castle, even though they received government support, and they put it on the market. It was eventually taken over by a company who owned a number of amusement parks, but when we get there I think you’ll see that they’ve managed to retain the original atmosphere of the castle.
Explanation:
The castle belonged to the Fenys family, but ‘by 1982’, they could ‘no longer afford it’, and they had to sell it, or ‘put it on the market’. The castle only ‘received government support’ and did not belong to the government. The castle was then ‘taken over’ by a company, which means it was sold to the company. As this company ‘owned a number of amusement parks’, we can take it that it is an entertainment company.
Answer: C.
13. Answer: C see models of historical figures moving and talking.
Here’s what the speaker says:
When you go inside, you’ll find that in the state rooms there are life-like moving wax models dressed in costumes of different periods in the past, which even carry on conversations together. As well as that, in every room there are booklets giving information about what the room was used for and the history of the objects and furniture it contains.
Explanation:
‘Some of the rooms’ refers to the ‘state rooms’, and the ‘models of historical figures’ are the ‘life-like moving wax models’, not real actors, which can ‘carry on conversations’ – or talking, which refers to answer C. There is no information about interactions with those actors, so B is not the answer. The guest can find information about the history in ‘booklets’, not by talking to experts as no expert is mentioned. So A is not the answer. C is the correct answer.
Answer: C.
14. Answer: B go to an art exhibition.
Here’s what the speaker says:
The castle park’s quite extensive. At one time, sheep were kept there, and in the nineteenth century the owners had a little zoo with animals like rabbits and even baby elephant. Nowadays the old zoo buildings are used for public displays of paintings and sculpture. The park also has some beautiful trees, though the oldest of all, which dated back 800 years, was sadly blown down in 1987.
Explanation:
‘At one time’ the owner had a little zoo means it only existed in the past. The ‘800 years’ tree was ‘blown down’ in 1987 and visitors cannot see it now. So we can only see the ‘paintings and sculpture’ that are displayed in public ‘nowadays’.
Answer: B.
15. Answer: A afternoon tea in the conservatory.
Here’s what the speaker says:
Now, you’re free to wander around on your own until 4.30, but then at the end of our visit we’ll all meet together at the bottom of the Great Staircase. We’ll then go on to the long gallery, where there’s a wonderful collection of photographs showing the family who owned the castle a hundred years ago having tea and cakes in the conservatory – and we’ll then take you to the same place, where afternoon tea will be served to you.
Explanation:
At the end, the group will ‘meet together’ at the Great Staircase, then see a ‘collection of photographs’ of the castle’s owners ‘a hundred years ago’, so the owners are no longer there. The group will have tea at ‘the same place’, which is the conservatory where owners had tea and cakes referred to in the previous sentence, so the answer is A.
Answer: A.
16. Answer: H
Here’s what the speaker says:
The starting point’s quite near the main entrance – walk straight down the path until you get to the South gate, and it’s just there.
Explanation:
When the speaker says it’s quite near, we should look at the area around the main entrance. Going ‘straight down’ from the main entrance to reach the ‘south gate’, we can easily find the starting point ‘just there’ at the letter H.
Answer: H.
17. Answer: D
Here’s what the speaker says:
There’ll shortly be a show in which you can see archers displaying their skill with a bow and arrow. The quickest way to get there is to take the first left after the main entrance and follow the path past the bridge, then you’ll see it in front of you at the end.
Explanation:
The ‘quickest way’ is from the main entrance, take the ‘first left’ then follow the path, which indicates that we should continue to go straight until we ‘pass the bridge’, not crossing it, to the end, the answer is D. Candidates should get used to some phrases showing direction such as “take the first/ second left”, “turn”, “go straight” or “follow”.
Answer: D.
18. Answer: F
Here’s what the speaker says:
If you like animals there’s also a display of hunting birds – falcons and eagles and so on. If you go from the main entrance in the direction of the south gate, but turn right before you get there instead of going through it, you’ll see it on your right past the first tower.
Explanation:
We need to identify where the speaker is talking about, so we know what we are listening to. When he mentions animals, it should be about the hunting birds display, as there is no other places related to animals. From the ‘main entrance’ in the direction of the ‘South gate’ means go straight, ‘turn right before you get there instead of going through it’ implies that we take the first right, the display is ‘right past the first tower’, so it will be near the ‘first tower’ at F.
Answer: F.
19. Answer: A
Here’s what the speaker says:
At 3 pm there’s a short performance of traditional dancing on the outdoor stage. That’s right at the other side of the castle from the entrance, and over the bridge. It’s about ten minutes’ walk or so.
Explanation:
‘…..at the other side of the castle from the entrance’ means it’s opposite the entrance, and ‘over the bridge’, which is at A.
Answer: A.
20. Answer: E
Here’s what the speaker says:
And finally the shop. It’s actually inside one of the towers, but the way in is from the outside. Just take the first left after the main entrance, go down the path and take the first right. It’s got some lovely gifts and souvenirs.
Explanation:
The instruction is to ‘take the first left after the main entrance’, so we follow the path then take the ‘first right’. We can easily find it at E.
Answer: E.
SECTION 3
21. Answer: B with a timeline showing when woolly mammoths lived
Here’s what the speakers say:
ROSIE: Maybe we could show a video clip of a cartoon about mammoths. But that’d be a bit childish. Or we could have a diagram, it could be a timeline to show when they lived, with illustrations?
MARTIN: Or we could just show a drawing of them walking in the ice? No, let’s go with your last suggestion.
Explanation:
Rosie and Martin discuss using a ‘video clip’ of a ‘cartoon’ about mammoths, but they decide not to do this, so C is not the answer. There’s a suggestion that they could show ‘a drawing’ of mammoth walking in the ice, but this is dismissed and they go with the ‘last suggestion’, which is ‘a timeline’ to show when mammoths lived. So, the answer is B.
Answer: B.
22. Answer: C It was not as old as mammoth remains from elsewhere.
Here’s what the speakers say:
TUTOR: So why was that significant?
ROSIE: Well the mammoth bones previously found on the North American mainland were much less recent than that. So this was really amazing.
Explanation:
The adjectives ‘significant’ and “amazing” can be considered as ‘surprising’, and it is because the bones previously found in North America were ‘much less recent’, or much older, than the one found by Russel Graham. Therefore, this tooth was not as old as mammoth remains in other places in North America. Before that, they mentioned “jawbone”, but it was before the question, so it is not the reason why it is surprising.
Answer: C.
23. Answer: A became isolated on the island.
Here’s what the speakers say:
MARTIN: Then we’re making an animated diagram to show the geography of the area in prehistoric times. So originally, St Paul’s island wasn’t an island, it was connected to the mainland, and mammoths and other animals like bears were able to roam around the whole area.
ROSIE: Then the climate warmed up and the sea level began to rise, and the island got cut off from the mainland. So those mammoths on the island couldn’t escape: they had to stay on the island.
Explanation:
The climate changes meant that the island ‘got cut off’ from the mainland and the mammoths ‘couldn’t escape’, which indicates that they were isolated – to be alone or apart from others, so the answer is A. Previously, Martin mentioned other animals, but he refers merely to animals living in that area, not about them coexisting together, so C is not correct,.
Answer: A.
24. Answer: A how exact it is
Here’s what the speaker says:
MARTIN: They concluded that the extinction happened 5600 years ago, which is a very precise time for a prehistoric extinction.
Explanation:
The estimated time for this extinction is considered as ‘very precise’, which means that it is ‘very exact’. “Very” is a way to emphasise the adjective which follows. Although Martin explains how this date was calculated/established (by analysing samples found in the mud and DNA from mammoths), there is nothing unusual about this method. So, C is not the answer. Nothing is mentioned about how “early” this extinction was, so B is also incorrect. The answer is A.
Answer: A.
25. Answer: E
Here’s what the speakers say:
MARTIN: So for the introduction, we’re using a visual, so once we’ve prepared that we’re done.
ROSIE: I’m not sure. I think we need to write down all the ideas we want to include here, not just rely on memory. How we begin the presentation is so important.
MARTIN: You’re right.
Explanation:
The statement ‘write down all the ideas we want to include’ implies that the students should make detailed notes for the introduction. Martin mentioned visual, and he thought that they only needed that, but Rosie did not agree with him and suggested using notes. Martin agrees with her. However, she also didn’t say anything about reducing visual input, candidates should be careful, not mistaking the answer for B.
Answer: E
26. Answer: D
Here’s what the speaker says:
ROSIE: The discovery of the mammoth tooth is probably the most dramatic part, but we don’t have that much information, only what we got from the online article. I thought maybe we could get in touch with the researcher who led the team and ask him to tell us a bit more.
Explanation:
Rosie mentions “online”, but they did not get enough information from the online article. Therefore, do research online is not the answer. Rosie suggests that they should ‘get in touch’ with the researcher, which has a similar meaning to ‘contact’ the researcher, so the answer is clearly D.
Answer: D.
27. Answer: A
Here’s what the speaker says:
ROSIE: We could ask the audience to suggest some questions about it and then see how many of them we can answer.
Explanation:
Involving the audience by enabling them to ‘suggest some questions’ then ‘answer’ them will increase interaction of both sides, and thus make the presentation ‘more interactive’. So, the answer is A.
Answer: A.
28. Answer: H
Here’s what the speakers say:
MARTIN: Then the section on further research carried out on the island – analysing mud in the lake. I wonder if we’re actually got too much information here, should we cut some?
ROSIE: I don’t think so, but it’s all a bit muddled at present.
MARTIN: Yes, maybe it would be better if it followed a chronological pattern.
Explanation:
‘Chronological pattern’ means following the order in which a series of events happened. The students also mention that the presentation is a bit ‘muddled’, which basically means disorganized, so here they intend to arrange the content of the presentation more clearly. The answer is H.
Answer: H.
29. Answer: G
Here’s what the speaker says:
ROSIE: The findings and possible explanations section is just about ready, but we need to practise it so we’re sure it won’t overrun.
Explanation:
To overrun is to go beyond expected or allowed time, so this means the students are trying to ensure that their presentation won’t exceed the time limit. When it’s related to the time, it means they have to check timing, which is answer G.
Answer: G.
30. Answer: C
Here’s what the speaker says:
TUTOR: In the last section, relevance to the present day, you’ve got some good ideas but this is where you need to move away from the ideas of others and give your own viewpoint.
Explanation:
The tutor is advising the students to ‘move away from the ideas of others’ and ‘give your own viewpoint’, which means they should express their personal opinion in their presentation. Candidates should be aware of some synonyms such as opinion, point of view, viewpoint, idea, perspective, etc. as the question won’t use the same words that are used in the conversation we are listening to. The answer is C.
Answer: C.
SECTION 4
31. Answer: dances
Here’s what the speaker says:
Many ancient civilisations developed rites such as dances in order to make the weather gods look kindly on them.
Explanation:
‘Cultures’ and ‘civilisations’, and ‘invented’ and ‘developed’ have similar meanings, and ‘make the gods look kindly on them’ refers to the gods treating them in a friendly way. So by comparing the identical words, we get the answer for this question: ‘dances’.
Answer: dances
32. Answer: survival
Here’s what the speaker says:
But the weather was of daily importance: observing the skies and drawing the correct conclusions these observations was really important, in fact their survival depended on it.
Explanation:
To ‘draw the correct conclusions” of the observations of the sky also means to interpret them correctly, and ‘their survival depended on it’ implies that they needed to do whatever they could to survive, which can be understood as they needed to ensure their survival.
Answer: survival
33. Answer: clouds
Here’s what the speaker says:
It isn’t known when the people first started to observe the skies, but around 650 BC, the Babylonians produced the first short-range weather forecasts, based on their observations of cloudsand other phenomena.
Explanation:
Listen for the date and the word ‘Babylonians’. The statement: ‘produced the first weather forecasts’ can be interpreted as ‘started forecasting’, by observing ‘clouds and other phenomena’. Clouds is the answer.
Answer: clouds
34. Answer: festivals
Here’s what the speaker says:
The Chinese also recognised weather patterns, and by 300 BC, astronomers had developed a calendar which divided the year into 24 festivals, each associated with a different weather phenomenon.
Explanation:
Listen for the date (300 BC) and the word ‘Chinese’. The statement: ‘associated with a different weather phenomenon’ means ‘connected with the weather’, and according to the speaker, a calendar consists of a number of festivals, or 24 to be exact.
Answer: festivals
35. Answer: comets
Here’s what the speaker says:
He also described celestial phenomena such as haloes – that is, bright circles of light around the sun, the moon and bright stars – and comets.
Explanation:
Aristotle had described two types of celestial phenomena – things which can be observed in the sky – haloes and comets. So, the answer is comets.
Answer: comets
36. Answer: sky
Here’s what the speaker says:
Alongside this, though, in the Middle Ages weather observations were passed on in the form of proverbs, such as ‘Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning’.
Explanation:
The weather observations of the people in the Middle Ages had given birth to many proverbs which were passed on through generations. One of them is: “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning”. The colour ‘red’ in the example of the proverb is used to describe the sky, so the answer is pretty clear.
Answer: sky
37. Answer: instruments
Here’s what the speaker says:
For centuries, any attempt to forecast the weather could only be based on personal observations, but in the fifteenth century scientists began to see the need for instruments.
Explanation:
The word ‘began’ indicates ‘for the first time’, and ‘the need for instruments’ can be understood as the recognition for the ‘value’ of it. So the answer is instruments.
Answer: instruments
38. Answer: thermometer
Here’s what the speaker says:
In 1592, the Italian scientist and inventor Galileo developed the world’s first thermometer.
Explanation:
Listen for the name ‘Galileo’. The speaker mentions in the text that in 1592, Galileo ‘developed the first thermometer’, which means that he invented the thing. So the answer is thermometer.
Answer: thermometer
39. Answer: storms
Here’s what the speaker says:
It was Franklin who discovered that storms generally travel from west to east.
Explanation:
The term ‘travel from west to east’ indicates movement, and ‘discovered’ has a similar meaning to ‘identified’. The answer is therefore ‘storm’.
Answer: storm
40. Answer: telegraph
Here’s what the speaker says:
People in different locations began to keep records, and in the mid-nineteenth century, the invention of the telegraph made it possible for these records to be collated.
Explanation:
The word ‘collated’ means that records could be collected and ‘sent to the same place”, and the different ‘records’ refers to the ‘data’ from various locations. All of this happened because of the invention of telegraph, which is also the answer to the question.
Answer: telegraph