Cambridge IELTS 9 Listening Test 1 Answers

SECTION 1

1. Answer: answer(ing) the phone

2. Answer: Hillsdunne Road

3. Answer: library

4. Answer: 4.45

5. Answer: national holidays

6. Answer: after 11 (o’clock)

7. Answer: clear voice

8. Answer: think quickly

9. Answer: 22 October

10. Answer: Manuja

SECTION 2

11. Answer: branch

a new … of an international sports goods company

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  Well, most of you probably know Sports World – the branch of a Danish sports goods company that opened a few years ago – it’s attracted a lot of custom, and so the company has now decided to open another branch in the area.
• Explanation:
  • Jane tells us that the company ‘Sports World’ is Danish – therefore, it is an international company.  A few years ago, a branch opened in Bradcaster – but now the company is going to open another branch (= a new branch) in the area.
  • The answer is branch.

12. Answer: west

Located in the shopping centre to the … of Bradcaster

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  …the company has now decided to open another branch in the area.  It’s going to be in the shopping centre, to the west of Bradcaster, so that will be good news for all of you who’ve found the original shop in the north of the town hard to get to.
• Explanation:
  • Jane tells us where the new branch in the area will be located.  It will be in the shopping centre, to the west of Bradcaster.  She then mentions the location of the original shop, in the north of the town.  Don’t be confused – it is the location of the new branch that we need to note.
  • The answer is west.

13. Answer: clothing/clothes

Has sports … and equipment on floors 1-3

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  The first three floors have a huge range of sports clothing as well as equipment.
• Explanation:
  • ‘Floors 1 – 3’ is the same as ‘the first three floors’.  Here, says Jane, you can find a big range of sports clothing.
  • The answer is clothing/clothes.

14. Answer: 10/ten

Can you get any item within … days

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  If they haven’t got exactly what you want in stock, they promise to get it for you in ten days.  Unlike the other store, where it can take up to fourteen days.
• Explanation:
  • In the other store, they get you an item in 14 days or less.  However, in the new store, they promise to get an item for you in 10 days.
  • The answer is 10/ten.

15. Answer: running

Shop specialise in equipment for …

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  They cover all the major sports, including football, tennis and swimming, but they particularly focus on running, and they claim to have the widest range of equipment in the country.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (running):
  • specialise = focus
• Explanation:
  • Jane mentions a number of sports for which the shop provides clothing and equipment – football, tennis and swimming.  However, the shop has a specially wide range of clothes and equipment for running.
  • The answer is running.

16. Answer: bags

Has a special secton which just sells …

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  As well as that, a whole section of the third floor is devoted to sportsbags…
• Explanation:
  • The special section which Jane refers to is on the third floor.  It sells only sports bags.  This is the idea of the section being ‘devoted to’ sports bags – this means that this is the only item sold in this section.
  • The answer is bags.

17. Answer: A. on Saturday morning only.

A champion athlete will be in the shop

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  The shop will be open from 9.00 am this Saturday and if you go along to the opening then you’ll have the chance to meet the national 400 metres running champion Paul King, who’s coming along to open the shop, and he will be staying around until about midday to chat to any fans who want to meet him and sign autographs.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (A):
  • athlete = running
• Explanation:
  • It is said that the running champion, or champion athlete, will come along to open the shop at 9 am Saturday and will stay until about midday (meaning 12 am) so we know that he will be there on Saturday morning only.
  • The correct answer is A.

18. Answer: A. gym membership.

The first person to answer 20 quiz questions correctly will win

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  There will be free tickets for local sporting events for the first 50 customers, and also a special competition open to all. Just answer fifteen out of twenty sports questions correctly to win a signed copy of Paul King’s DVD ‘Spring Tips’, while the first person to get all the questions correct gets a year’s free membership of the Bradcaster Gym. All entrants will receive a special
• Explanation:
  • There are three types of prizes awarded to customers. The first is “a signed copy of Paul King’s DVD”, which can be called “a video”, given to anyone who can answer 15 out of 20 questions. So B is incorrect.
  • Another is a special sports calendar that will be given to “all entrants”, meaning everyone who comes to the shop that weekend will receive this if they take part in the quiz. Hence, C is incorrect too.
  • Lastly, the first person to get all the questions correct (that is 20 questions), “gets a year’s free membership of the Bradcaster Gym”.
  • Therefore the answer must be A.

19-20.Answer: A. You need to reserve a place., E. It is cheaper this month.

Which TWO pieces of information does the speaker give about the fitness test?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • JANE:  One of the special opening offers is a fitness test – a complete review of your cardiac fitness and muscle tone, actually done in the shop by qualified staff. This would normally cost £30.00 but is available at half price for this month only. There are only a limited number of places available for this, so to make a booking phone 560341. In addition, if you open an account you get lots more special offers including the chance to try out equipment at special open evenings …
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answers (A&E):
  • reserve a place = make a booking
• Explanation:
  • According to the speaker, the fitness test will be done in the shop, so D is incorrect.
  • The test is said to be half price this month, indicating that it is much cheaper. Hence, E is one correct answer.
  • Another correct answer is A, because Jane, the speaker, says that the half price discounts are limited so you need to “make a booking”, which means you will need to reserve the fitness test in advance.
  • On the other hand, B is incorrect, since account holders only get more special offers but not a free fitness test; and C is incorrect too because there is no mention of customers receiving advice on the fitness test – they only get a check of their heart and muscle condition.
  • So, the answers are A, E.

SECTION 3

21. Answer: B. his style was good.

One reason why Spiros felt happy about his marketing presentation was that

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • SPIROS:  I felt quite confident. Of course, I was still nervous but because I had done one before, I knew what to expect. Also, I know I was well-prepared and I had practised my timing. In fact, I think that in relation to some of the other people in my group, I did quite a good job because my overall style was quiteprofessional.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (B):
  • good = professional
• Explanation:
  • Spiros says that “I was still nervous” thus A is completely wrong. His performance was quite good in relation to some of the other people in his group, meaning that he was better than some, but not the best. So C is wrong too.
  • The correct answer must be B, as Spiros’ style was “quite professional”, so we can take that as “good”.

22. Answer: C. They didn’t look at the audience enough.

What surprised Hiroko about the other students’ presentations?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • HIROKO:  In my group, I was really surprised by the way the students did their presentations – they just read their notes aloud! Can you believe that? They didn’t worry about their presentation style or keeping eye contact withtheir audience – and I remember that these things were really stressed to us in the course here.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (C):
  • look at = keep eye contact with
• Explanation:
  • Hiroko does not say anything about how interesting (or not) the other students’ presentations were, so A is not given.
  • B is incorrect because during the course it was emphasised/stressed that students should have a good presentation style.  Do not be confused between the different meanings here of ‘stressed’(verb = emphasised) and ‘stressful’.
  • She was just surprised that they didn’t “keep eye contact with” (the same as “look at”) the audience.
  • So C is correct.

23. Answer: B. dissatisfied.

After she gave her presentation, Hiroko felt

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • HIROKO:  At the time, it was a relief to do it this way, but actually when I had finished, I didn’t feel any real sense of satisfaction. I didn’t feel positive about the experience at all.
• Explanation:
  • Hiroko felt relieved “at the time”, which refers to when she was still delivering the presentation. She says that she also read aloud from her notes. But after it was done (which is what we need to focus on), she didn’t feel “any real sense of satisfaction”, in other words, she was “dissatisfied”.
  • So the correct answer is B.

24. Answer: A. not very happy

How does Spiros feel about his performance in tutorials?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • SPIROS:  You know, although I was pleased with my presentation, I am not so pleased with my actual performance right now in the tutorials – during the whole semester I’ve not said anything in our tutorial discussions. Not a word.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (A):
  • not very happy = not so pleased
• Explanation:
  • Be careful with answers that have the same words as in the recording. Spiros was only pleased with his presentation, but not his performance in tutorials.  About his tutorials, he says: “I am not so pleased”, so it is actually A that is the correct answer.

25. Answer: C. They know each other well.

Why can the other students participate so easily in discussions?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • SPIROS:  Their style of speaking is so different – it’s not the style we were used to during the course. They use so many colloquialisms, they’re not very polite and sometimes there seems to be no order in their discussion. Also, they are very familiar with each other, so because they know each other’s habits, they can let each other into the discussion.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (C):
  • turns = order
  • know (someone) well = be familiar with
• Explanation:
  • Spiros says that the other students are not very polite, so A is clearly incorrect.
  • In addition, they didn’t discuss in order, which means that they didn’t take turns and just jumped into the discussion at any time. Hence, B is also wrong.
  • The correct answer must be C because they are said to be “familiar with each other”, in other words, they know each other really well.

26. Answer: B. She is making more of a contribution.

Why is Hiroko feeling more positive about tutorials now?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • HIROKO:  But recently, I’ve been trying to speak up more and I just jump in, and I’ve noticed an interesting thing, I’ve noticed that if they thought my point was interesting or new, then the next time they actually asked for my opinion, and then it was much easier for me to be part of the discussion.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (B):
  • now = recently
• Explanation:
  • Be careful with answers that have the same words as in the recording. What Hiroko finds interesting is NOT others’ opinions but their reaction towards her if she says something worth noticing. So A is not the answer.
  • And although Hiroko is now “part of the discussion”, it is not the tutor who includes her, but herself, as she is trying to speak up more, and also the other students actually ask her to give her opinion. In other words, she is “making more of a contribution”.
  • Therefore B is correct.

27. Answer: A. consulted reference materials.

To help her understand lectures, Hiroko

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • HIROKO:  At first I couldn’t understand what the lecturers were talking about, so I had to turn to the books and journals. Every night I read for hours, using the lists of references that were given, and I made pages of notes.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (A):
  • consult = turn to
• Explanation:
  • “lecturers” are only mentioned to demonstrate the difficulty Hiroko had with understanding lectures (“I couldn’t understand what the lecturers were talking about”). However, we do not know if she had any extra tutorials with the lecturers, hence B is not given.
  • In addition, Hiroko made the notes herself from books and journals, she didn’t borrow lecture notes from anyone, so C is incorrect.
  • A is the answer because she says she had to “turn to” books and journals that were on reference list: (“turn to” means “to ask a person or organization for help or support”, which is similar to “consult”).  The correct answer is A.

28. Answer: B. It still takes him a long time to read.

What does Spiros think of his reading skills?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • SPIROS:  But I did so much reading anyway – I don’t think there’s any time left over for anything extra. My reading speed is still quite slow, though I’m much better at dealing with vocabulary than I used to be.
• Explanation:
  • Spiros says he is better at dealing with vocabulary than he used to be, indicating that he used to struggle before but not anymore. Therefore C is not correct.
  • Note that A cannot be the answer because Spiros suggests that his reading speed – both now and before – is slow, and he does not say that he now reads faster than before: his speed is still ‘quite slow’.
  • Therefore, his reading speed is still quite slow, meaning that it takes him a quite a long time to read, so B is correct.

29. Answer: C. engineering

What is Hiroko’s subject area?

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • HIROKO:  Sometimes in the English class I felt frustrated when I had to read articles about the environment or health or education, because I wanted to concentrate on my own field, but we didn’t read anything about engineering. So, I think I wasted some time learning vocabulary I didn’t need.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (C):
  • area = field

• Explanation:
  • From what Hiroko says, it can be inferred that she wanted to read articles about her own “field” (similar to “subject area”) but she didn’t. Instead, she had to read something else that is NOT her field, which are, from the recording,environment, health andeducation. As a result, she felt frustrated.  Therefore A and B are incorrect.
  • What she wanted to read, but didn’t get the chance to read, is engineering.
  • So C is the answer

30. Answer: B. read more in their own subject areas.

Hiroko thinks that in the reading classes the students should

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • TEACHER:  But surely the strategies you were taught to deal with that vocabulary were helpful.
  • HIROKO:  Yes, but psychologically speaking, I would have felt much better working on reading from my own field.
• Explanation:
  • Concerning reading strategies, Hiroko agrees that what she learned from her class could be helpful, but she does not suggest that students should develop better reading strategies. So C is not given.
  • Likewise, she does not recommend learning more vocabulary either, thus A is not the answer.
  • What she does say is that she prefers reading from her own field, which would psychologically make her feel much better. From this we can deduce that other students should read from their own field too, according to Hiroko.
  • Hence B is correct.

SECTION 4

31. Answer: tide(s)

Common in areas where the … can change quickly

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • Unfortunately, this type of event is a frequent occurrence in some of the locations that you’ll be travelling to, where sometimes the tide goes out suddenly, confusing the animals.
• Explanation:
  • The speaker tells the audience that strandings often occur in some of the places that they will be travelling to.  One reason why strandings occur is when the tide goes out very quickly, confusing the animals, who are then stranded on the beach.
  • The answer is tide(s).

32. Answer: hearing/ears

Some parasites can affect marine animals’ …, which they depend on for navigation

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • It’s often found that stranded animals were infested with large numbers of parasites.  For instance, a type of worm is commonly found in the ears of dead whales. Since marine animals rely heavily on their hearing to navigate, this type of infestation has the potential to be very harmful.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (hearing/ears):
  • depend on = rely on
• Explanation:
  • The speaker talks about the effect of one type of parasite – a worm – which affects the hearing of marine creatures. These marine animals use their hearing to navigate, so the parasite may interfere with this, resulting in stranding.
  • The answer is hearing/ears.

33. Answer: plants, animals/fish/fishes

Poisons from … or … are commonly consumed by whales

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • Another theory is related to toxins, or poisons. These have also been found to contribute to the death of many marine animals. Many toxins, as I’m sure you’re aware, originate from plants, or animals . The whale ingests these toxins in its normal feeding behaviour, but whether these poisons directly or indirectly lead to stranding and death, seems to depend upon the toxin involved.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (plants, animals):
  • consume = ingest
• Explanation:

• The speaker says that whales eat food which may contain toxins, as part of their normal feeding behaviour.  These poisons come from (= originate from) plants or animals.
• The answer is plants, animals/fish/fishes.

34. Answer: feeding

Unlikely because the majority of animals were not … when they stranded

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • In 1995, David Thurston monitored pilot whales that beached after following squid ashore.  However, this idea does not seem to hold true for the majority of mass strandings because examination of the animals’ stomach contents reveal that most had not been feeding as they stranded.
• Explanation:
  • The speaker refers to the study by David Thurston.  Thurston found that most of the stranded whales that he examined had not been feeding when they became stranded.
  • The answer is feeding.

35. Answer: noise(s)

… from military tests are linked to some recent strandings.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • A growing concern is that loud noises in the ocean cause strandings. Noises such as those caused by military exercisesare of particular concern and have been pinpointed as the cause of some strandings of late.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (noise(s)):
  • test = exercise
  • linked to = pinpointed as the cause
  • recent = of late
• Explanation:
  • The speaker refers specifically to noise resulting from military tests as being the cause of some recent strandings.
  • The answer is noise(s).

36. Answer: healthy

Were all …

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • There were several factors which made this stranding stand out as different from previous strandings. This led researchers to look for a new cause.  For one, all the stranded animals were healthy.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (healthy):
  • unusual = different
• Explanation:
  • The speaker talks about the Bahamas stranding of 2000.  One factor about this stranding is that all the whales were healthy.
  • The answer is healthy.

37. Answer: group

Were not in a …

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • In addition, the animals were spread out along 38 kilometres of coast, whereas it’s more common for the animals to be found in a group when mass strandings occur.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (healthy):
  • unusual = different
• Explanation:
  • The speaker says that the animals were not found in one area, they were ‘spread out’ along the coast.  Normally, mass strandings occur as a group in one area.  This finding is linked to the new theories about the effects of noise on strandings.
  • The answer is group.

38. Answer: social

More strandings in the most … species of whales

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • A final theory is related to group behaviour, and suggests that sea mammals cannot distinguish between sick and healthy leaders and will follow sick leaders, even to an inevitable death.  This is a particularly interesting theory since the whales that are thought to be most social – the toothed whales – are the group that strand the most frequently.
• Explanation:
  • The speaker now talks about group behaviour, and the fact that sea mammals do not know if the leader of their group is sick or healthy.  A sick leader may lead the group to their death by stranding.  This theory is supported by the fact that the most social of all the species of whales – the toothed whales – are also group that strand most often.
  • The answer is social.

39. Answer: leader

1994 dolphin stranding – only the … was ill

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • The theory is also supported by evidence from a dolphin stranding in 1994.  Examination of the dead animals revealed that apart from the leader, all the others had been healthy at the time of their death.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (leader):
  • only = apart from
• Explanation:
  • The theory that the most social species of sea mammals strand the most frequently is supported by a stranding of dolphins investigated in 1994.  Only the leader was sick.  Apart from (= except for) the leader, all the other dolphins that were stranded were healthy.
  • The answer is leader.

40. Answer: networks

Marine Mammals Ashore (Connor) – gives information about stranding …

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • Without one consistent theory, however, it is very hard for us to do anything about this phenomenon, except to assist animals where and when we can. Stranding networks have been established around the world to aid in rescuing animals and collecting samples from those that could not be helped. I recommend John Connor’s Marine Mammals Ashore as an excellent starting point if you’re interested in finding out more about these networks, or establishing one yourself.
• Explanation:
  • The speaker says that, until we can get more information to support a consistent theory, we can only try to help the stranded animals – or to collect samples from dead animals.  People who want to help have formed stranding networks all over the world, and Connor’s book gives details of these networks.
  • The answer is networks.