Cambridge IELTS 8 Listening Test 1 Answers

SECTION 1

1. Answer: C. a video about the festival.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• GEORGE:  They had a video with all the highlights of the festival at a stand in the lobby to the library, so I heard them. They play fantastic instruments – drums and flutes and old kinds of guitars. I’ve never heard anything like it before.
• Explanation: George saw a video, in which there was a group playing music with different instruments, but he did NOT directly see the group or the instruments on site. Thus, A and B are wrong.
• The video that he saw at the lobby was about all the highlights of the festival.
• The answer is C.

2. Answer: B. hear clearly.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• GEORGE:  The only problem is there aren’t any cheap seats . . . it’s all one price.
• NINA:  Well, in that case we could sit right at the front – we’d have a really good view.
• GEORGE:  Yeah, though I think that if you sit at the back you can actually hear the whole thing better.
• Explanation: C is wrong because all the seats are one price. A is also wrong because they can only get a good view (or see well) if they “sit right at the front” which is not the question.
• George says that sitting at the back allows them to “hear the whole thing better”.
• The correct answer is B.

3. Answer: 48 North Avenue.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• GEORGE:  Name: George O’Neill.  Address: 48 North Avenue, Westsea.
• So, the answer is 48 North Avenue.

4. Answer: WS6 2YH

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• GEORGE:  Do you remember our new postcode?  Still can’t remember it.
• NINA:  Just a minute – I’ve got it written down here.  WS6  2YH .
• The answer is WS6  2YH.

5. Answer: 01674 553242.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• NINA:  Do you need the phone too?
• GEORGE:  Please.  I’m really bad at numbers.
• NINA:  01674  553242 .
• The answer is 01674  553242.

6. Answer: (free)drinks

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• NINA:  Sunday 17^th of June.  Singer, £6.00 includes drinks in the garden.
• So, we know that the price of £6 includes drinks in the garden.
• The answer is (free)drinks.

7. Answer: (the)pianist/ piano player.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• NINA:  How about the pianist on the 22^nd of June?
• GEORGE:  Anna Ventura?
• So, the event is the performance by the pianist, Anna Ventura.
• The answer is (the)pianist/ piano player.

8. Answer: £10.50

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• NINA:  …but we can go to the Spanish dance and guitar concert together, can’t we?
• GEORGE:  Yes – I’m sure Tom and Kieran would enjoy that too.  Good heavens – £10.50 a ticket!
• The price for a ticket is, therefore, £10.50.

9. Answer: four/4.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• GEORGE:  I can see we’re going to have to go without food for the rest of the week – we’ll need to book four.
• So, the answer is four/4.

10. Answer: 50%

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• NINA:  Wish we were students – look!  Children, Students and Senior Citizens get a 50% discount on everything.
• The answer is 50%, which is the discount on all tickets.

SECTION 2

11. Answer: 1.30

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– we’re open every day of the week from 9.00 a.m to 8.00 p.m. except onMondays when we close at 1.30 p.m.

• So, although the Museum closes at 8.00 p.m. on six days of the week, on Mondays it closes at 1.30 p.m.
• The answer is 1.30

12. Answer: 25th December/25 December/Christmas Day

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– And, in fact the only day of the year when we’re closed is on the 25^th of December.

• So, the answer is 25^th December/25 December/Christmas Day.

13. Answer: car park/parking lot

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– If you bring a school group to the museum, when you arrive we ask you to remain with your group in the car park.  One or more of the tour guides will welcome you there…

• meet = welcome
• Therefore, the answer is car park/parking lot.

14. Answer: 45

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– if you bring a school group, you should plan on allowing a minimum of 90 minutes for the visit.  This allows 15 minutes to get on and off the coach, 45minutes for the guided tour and 30 minutes for after-tour activities.

• So, out of the minimum recommended visit to the Museum, the guided tour takes 45 minutes.
• The answer is 45.

15. Answer: (some) tables.

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– There are two cafes in the museum, with seating for 80 people.  If you want to eat there, you’ll need to reserve some seating, as they can get quite crowded at lunch time.  Then outside the museum at the back there are tables, and students can bring their own lunch and eat it there in the open air.

• behind = at the back of
• Therefore, if students bring their own lunch, there are tables in the open air behind the museum where they can eat.
• The answer is (some) tables.

16-18: Answer: C. cameras, F. pens, G. worksheets

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• When the students come into the museum foyer we ask them to check in their backpacks with their books, lunch boxes, etc, at the cloakroom before they enter the museum proper. I’m afraid in the past we have had a few things gone missing after school visits so this is a strict rule. Also, some of the exhibits are fragile and we don’t want them to be accidentally knocked. But we do provide school students with handouts with questions and quizzes on them. There’s so much that students can learn in the museum and it’s fun for them to have something to do. Of course they’ll need to bring something to writewith forthese. We do allow students to take photographs. For students who are doing projects it’s useful to make some kind of visual record of what they see that they can add to their reports. And finally, they should not bring anything to eat into the museum, or drinks of any kind.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answers (C, F, G):
  • bags = backpacks
  • worksheets = handouts
• Explanation: The students are not allowed to come in the museum with backpacks (or bags) and books which will be checked in when they enter. So D and E are wrong answers.
• In addition, it is said that “they should not bring anything to eat into the museum, or drinks of any kind” so food and water is out of the question too, hence A and B are wrong.
• The speaker says that the students will be provided handouts with questions and quizzes on them, which can be considered “worksheets” and of course can be carried into the museum. Thus, Gis correct. And the students need to bring something to write with, which are obviously “pens” so F is correct too. Finally, taking photographs is allowed in the museum and it can only be done by bringing a camera. C is also correct.
• So, the correct answers are C, F, G.

19-20: Answer: B. watch films, E. play computer games

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• There are also a few things the students can do after the tour. In the theatrette on the ground floor there are continuous screenings of short documentaries about dinosaurs which they can see at any time. We used to have an activity room with more interactive things like making models of dinosaurs and drawing and painting pictures, even hunting for dinosaur eggs, but unfortunately the room was damaged in a bad storm recently when water came in the roof, so that’s closed at the moment. But we do have an IT centrewhere students have access to CD ROMs with a range of dinosaur games. These games are a lot of fun, but they also teach the students about the lives of dinosaurs, how they found food, protected their habitat, survived threats, that kind of thing.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answers (B&E):
  • films = documentaries
  • find = hunt
• Explanation: Students can watch documentaries, which are a type of film, so B is correct.
• It is said that the activity room where the students can make dinosaur models, draw pictures and hunt for eggs is currently closed, meaning that they CANNOT do these activities now. Hence, A, C and D are incorrect.
• Lastly, students have access to “CD ROMs with a range of dinosaur games” which means they can play games on computers, hence E is correct.
• The answers are B, E.

SECTION 3

21. Answer: A. should be re-ordered in some parts.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• TUTOR:  And I’ve made a few notes on the proposal about things whichcould have been better sequenced.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (A):
  • order = sequence
• Explanation: “sequence” means “arrange in a particular order”, so the proposal is not well-ordered in some parts and needs re-ordering.
• The correct answer is A.

22. Answer: C. shortened her sentences.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• TUTOR: Generally speaking, I feel you’ve often used complex structures and long sentences for the sake of it and as a consequence . . . although your paragraphing and inclusion of sub-headings help . . . it’s quite hard to follow your train of thought at times. So cut them down a bit, can you?
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (C):
  • insert = inclusion
  • shorten = cut down
• Explanation: The question asks what Sandra could do to improve her proposal, something she hasn’t done yet. According to the recording, we know that Sandra’s paragraphing and subheadings help, meaning that she has already done those two things, so A and B are not correct.
• Instead, the speaker suggests Sandra “cut down” her long sentences, which means that they need to be “shortened”.
• The answer is C.

23. Answer: A. Separate points were not clearly identified.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• TUTOR: And don’t forget simple formatting like numbering.
• SANDRA:  Didn’t I use page numbers?
• TUTOR: I didn’t mean that. Look, you’ve remembered to include headers and footers, which is good, but listing ideas clearly is important. Number them oruse bullet points, which is even clearer. Then you’ll focus the reader on your main points.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (A):
  • points = ideas
• Explanation: The tutor says he didn’t mean “that” which refers to Sandra’s page numbering, so we understand that page numbering is not the problem thus C is incorrect.
• There is no mention of the headings (only a reference to ‘headers and footers’), so B is irrelevant.
• However, the tutor recommends “listing ideas clearly” (by numbering or using bullet points), indicating that Sandra didn’t make her points clear and separate from one another.
• Thus, the correct answer is A.

24. Answer: B. movies she saw as a child.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• SANDRA:  I’ve always wanted to go there. My father was a great fan of cowboy films and the Wild West so I was subjected to seeing all the epics, many of which were shot there. As a consequence, it feels very familiar to me and it’s awesome both geographically and visually, so it’s somewhere I’vealways wanted to visit. The subsequent research I did and the online photographs made me even keener.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (B):
  • movies = epics
  • the internet = online
• Explanation: Sandra says that she has always wanted to visit the park “as a consequence” of the epic movies she watched. Subsequently, she did research (which can be considered similar to “reading articles”) and looked at online photos, which made her “even keener”, meaning she was keen before, so these two factors came after the cowboy movies.
• It was the movies that made her interested in the first place.
• The correct answer is B.

25-27: B. field trip activities, C. geographical features, F. plant and animal life

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• SANDRA:  Well, I thought that from the perspective of a field trip, one thing I needed to focus on was the sandstone plateaux and cliffs themselves (…)
• TUTOR:  Well, yes, I’d agree with including those points . . .
• SANDRA:  And then the fact that it’s been home to native American Navajos and all the social history that goes with that. (…)
• TUTOR:  Well, I agree it’s interesting, but it’s not immediately relevant to your proposal, Sandra, so at this stage, I suggest you focus on other considerations. I think an indication of what the students on the trip could actually do when they get there should be far more central, so that certainly needs to be included and to be expanded upon. And I’d like to see somethingabout the local wildlife, and vegetation too, not that I imagine there’s much to see. Presumably the tourist invasion hasn’t helped.
• SANDRA:  Okay, I’ll do some work on those two areas as well.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answers (B, C, F):
  • plant = vegetation
  • animal life = wildlife
• Explanation: The tutor agrees with Sandra’s idea about focusing on “sandstone plateaux and cliffs”, which are “geographical features”, so C is correct.
• The tutor also suggests mentioning what students could do on the trip (= activities) and something about local wildlife and vegetation (similar to “plant and animal life”), hence B and F are correct as well.
• The recording does not include information about “climate change” or “myths and legends” so A and E are irrelevant.
• Finally, the tutor opposes Sandra’s initial intention of includingthe “social history” of the natives in her proposal, therefore G is clearly wrong.
• The correct answers are B, C and F.

28. Answer: 12,000.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• TUTOR:  …but what area does the tribal park cover?  Do you know?
• SANDRA:  12,000 hectares…..
• The answer is clearly 12,000.

29. Answer: horses

• Here’s what the speaker says:
• SANDRA:  I think the best way to appreciate the area would be to hire horses instead and trek around on those.  Biking is not allowed and it’s impossible to drive around the area in vehicles.
• Her suggestion is that they use horses to travel around in the Park.
• The answer is horses.

30. Answer: caves

• Here’s what the speakers say:
• TUTOR:  Okay, lastly, what else is worth visiting there?
• SANDRA:  There are several caves, but I haven’t looked into any details.  I’ll find out about them.
• Explanation:  the tutor asks about other places worth visiting in the park.  Sandra mentions only the caves, so this must be the correct answer.
• The answer is caves.

SECTION 4

31. Answer: surface

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– Well, we learn a great deal about all the processes that have affected and that continue to affect the Earth’s surface.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (surface):
  • effects (noun) = affect (verb)
• Explanation:  the speaker talks about the processes that have an effect on the surface of the Earth, so the answer is surface.

32. Answer: environment

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– But we learn far more than that, because studying geography also informs us about the different kinds of relationships that develop between a particularenvironment and the people that live there.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (environment):
  • population = people that live there
• Explanation:  when relationships develop between 2 things, this is called a ‘dynamic’ relationship.  In this case, the developing relationship is between a specific environment and the population in that environment.
• The answer is environment.

33. Answer: impact

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– We like to think of geography as having two main branches.  There’s the study of the nature of our planet – its physical features, what it actually looks like – and then there’s the study of the ways in which we choose to live and of the impact of those on the planet.  Our current use of carbon fuels is a good example of that.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer   (impact):
  • human lifestyles = the way we choose to live
• Explanation:  the speaker now talks about the 2 branches of geography.  Firstly, there is the study of physical features and, secondly, there is the study of our way of life/lifestyles and how these affect (= impact on) the planet.
• The answer is impact(s)/effect(s).

34. Answer: urban

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– But there are more specific study areas to consider too, and we’ll be looking at each of these in turn throughout this semester………Next comes historical geography – the understanding of how people and their environments and the ways they interact have changed over a period of time – and urban geography, an aspect I’m particularly interested in, which takes as its focus the location of cities, the services that those cities provide, and migration of people to and from such cities.  And lastly, we have cartography.

• Explanation:  the speaker describes each of the specific study areas.  This description follows the order of the different types of geography given in the question.  Thus, after historical geography, the speaker then refers to the missing study area – urban geography.  After describing this, the speaker then mentions the final study area – cartography.
• Therefore, the answer is urban.

35. Answer: problems

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– So, to summarise before we continue, we now have our key answer…. studying this subject is important because without geographical knowledge, we would know very little about our surroundings and we wouldn’t be able to identify all the problems that relate to them.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer   (problems):
  • associate= relate to
• Explanation:  the speaker refers to the ‘key answer’ to explain why geography is useful and necessary to study.  If we do not understand our surroundings, then we cannot solve the problems that face us.
• The answer is problems.

36. Answer: images

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– What do geographers actually do?  Well, we collect data to begin with !  ….We might, for example, conduct a census – count a population in a given area perhaps.  We also need images of the earth’s surface which we can produce by means of computer-generation technology or with the help of satellite relays.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer   (images):
  • information = data
• Explanation:  referring to what geographers do, the speaker gives examples of the kind of data that they collect.  The first example is conducting a census, and then – using computers and satellites – images of the earth’s surface can be obtained.
• The answer is images.

37. Answer: patterns

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– After we’ve gathered our information, we must analyse it !  We need to look for patterns, most commonly those of causes and consequences.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer   (patterns):
  • effects = consequences
• Explanation:  the speaker says that geographers then analyse the information, in particular looking for patterns, especially causes and effects/ consequences.
• The answer is patterns.

38. Answer: distortion

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– Maps can be folded and put in a pocket and can provide a great store of reference when they’re collected into an atlas….. But there is a drawback.  You can’t exactly replicate something that is three-dimensional, like our planet, on a flat piece of paper, because paper has only two dimensions, and that means there’ll always be a certain degree of distortion on a map.

• Explanation:  the speaker talks about the advantages of maps, but also mentions one drawback.  The problem is that maps are printed on paper.  Paper has two dimensions, but the planet has three dimensions, so there will always be some distortion on a map – it won’t be an exact representation.
• The answer is distortion.

39. Answer: traffic

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– We can also use aerial photographs…. pictures taken by cameras at high altitude above the earth.  They are great for showing all kinds of geographical features that are not easy to see from the ground.  You can easily illustrate areas of diseased trees or how much traffic is on the roads at a given time or information about deep sea beds, for example.

• Explanation:  the speaker refers to aerial photographs.  There are examples of some of the uses of these photos to show physical features:  vegetation problems = areas of diseased trees; traffic density = how much traffic is on the roads; and ocean floor = deep sea beds.
• So, the answer is traffic.

40. Answer: weather

• Here’s what the speaker says:

– Then there are Landsats. These are satellites that circle the earth and transmit visual information to computers at receiving stations.  They circle the earth several times a day and can provide a mass of information – you’ll all be familiar with the information they give us about the weather, for example.

• Explanation:  finally, the speaker talks about Landsats and what they do.  They have many uses, including monitoring (= giving information about) the weather conditions.
• The answer is weather.