Cambridge IELTS 9 Listening Test 3 Answers

SECTION 1

1. Answer: 300

2. Answer: Sunshade

3. Answer: balcony

4. Answer: forest/forests

5. Answer: 319

6. Answer: 10,000

7. Answer: relative

8. Answer: missed

9. Answer: item

10. Answer: Ludlow

SECTION 2

11. Answer: C. his visit to another park.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • The place was wonderful for the kids:  they particularly loved trains and gradually built up an enormous network of miniature railway track.  I began to develop larger-scale models of locomotives but we didn’t think anything more of it until I went on a trip to a theme park near Birmingham and decided we could do a much better job!
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (C):
  • visit = trip
• Explanation:Trains were a hobby of his children, not Simon’s childhood hobby. So, A is incorrect.Landscape design is not mentioned, so B is also incorrect. After his visit (or trip) to a theme park, Simon decided they “could do a much better job”. This means that he thought he could build a better park than the one he visited, so we may say that the idea of his own theme park came from this. The correct answer is C.

12. Answer: B. the children weren’t at school.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • So we set up a small one ourselves based on the miniature railway and weopened to the public for just a month that year, 1984 – in July – our driest month – because our children said they didn’t want our guests to have a miserable, wet visit. I dealt with Park business and Liz carried on with the farm work.
• Explanation: “the children” were mentioned by Simon only to give a reason for the park’s opening date, so B is not relevant to the question. Likewise, concerning “farming”, we can only know from the recording that Liz carried on the farm work, but whether farming duties affected the park opening is unknown, hence C is not given. The reason why the park was first open in the driest month is because they did not want their guests to have a wet visit in the rain, which means that they wanted the weather to be good for the visitors. The correct answer is A.

13. Answer: C. 1,500,000 visitors.

• Here’s what the speaker says
  • Nowadays, we’re open all year round and we’re pleased to say that Winridge is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the area – with 50,000 visitors a year – a million and a half people have been through our doors since we opened.

• Explanation: Beware that 50,000 people is just the number of visitors PER year, but the question asks about the number of visitors since opening. That is 1,500,000 according to Simon. Therefore C is correct.

14. Answer: E

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • All these visitors mean we have had to expand our operation and it’s now a truly family concern. I’m near to retirement age so I only concern myself with looking after the mechanical side of things – keeping the trains going.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (E):
  • engine = mechanical
  • maintenance = look after
• Explanation:The speaker says his job is to look after the mechanical side of things. The word “mechanical” refers to machinery, so it can be understood that he looks after the engines, and of course by “look after” he means making sure the engines work properly, and are in working order (= keeping them going) in other words, “maintenance”. The correct answer is E.

15. Answer: H

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • Liz now devotes all her energies to recruiting and supporting the large squadron of workers, which keep the place running smoothly.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (H):
  • staffing = recruiting
• Explanation: Liz is said to be in the area of “recruiting”, which basically means “hiring new workers”. Also, she supports “the large squadron of workers” (referring to a large number of workers), hence we know that her job is related to “staffing”. The correct answer must be H.

16. Answer: F

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • We’re really pleased that after some years away teaching, Sarah has now returned to the park and makes sure the visitors are kept fed and watered, which keeps her pretty busy as you can imagine.
• Explanation: Sarah is in charge of keeping the visitors “fed and watered”, indicating that her job is related to “food and drink”. The answer is F.

17. Answer: C

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • Our son, Duncan, has been a stalwart of the park for the last ten years, taking over from me in the area of construction…
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (C):
  • building = construction
• Explanation: According to the speaker, Duncan has taken over from him in the area of construction, so clearly Duncan works in this area. Also, “construction” refers to “building” things, hence C is correct.

18. Answer: G

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • …and his new wife, Judith, has also joined the team in charge of retail.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (G):
  • sales = retail

• Explanation: It is clearly stated that Judith works in the retail team.According to the dictionary, “retail” means “the sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale” so it is quite similar to “sales”. The answer is G.

19. Answer: 120

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • We’re also very pleased with a new installation of the Go-Kart arena which is 120 square metres in area.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (120):
  • feature = installation
  • size = area
• Explanation:  the speaker gives the area of the Go-Kart arena, which is 120 m^2.   The answer is 120.

20. Answer: 5 to 12/ 5 -12.

• Here’s what the speaker says
  • …we had to level the mounds on the tracks for safety reasons. We wanted to enable 5-12 year olds to use the go-karts.

• Explanation:  the speaker talks about the safety of the go-kart arena, and he mentions that the idea is for children between the ages of 5 and 12 to use the go-karts.  The answer is 5 to 12/ 5-12.

SECTION 3

21. Answer: fishing industry.

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • TUTOR:  First of all, you have chosen your general topic area, haven’t you?
  • CAROLINE:  Yes, it’s the fishing industry.
• Explanation:  the speakers are discussing Caroline’s dissertation topic.  Caroline tells her tutor that it will be about the fishing industry.Therefore, the answer is fishing industry.

22. Answer: statistics

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • TUTOR:  Now, what aspects of the course are you good at?
  • CAROLINE:  Well, I think I’m coping well with statistics, and I’m never bored by it.

• Explanation:  the tutor asks Caroline what she is good at = what are her strengths.  Caroline says she is ‘coping well’ (= she is having no problem) with statistics. The answer is statistics.

23. Answer: note-taking

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • CAROLINE:  You see I feel I don’t have sufficient background information.
  • TUTOR:  I see.  Well, do you take notes?
  • CAROLINE:  I’m very weak at note-taking.  My teachers always used to say that.
  • TUTOR:  Well I think you really need to work on these weaknesses….
• Explanation:  Caroline says that she does not have enough background information.  The tutor suggests taking notes.  However, Caroline says that she is not strong (=very weak) at note-taking.  In other words, she has poor note-taking skills. The answer is note-taking.

24. Answer: confidence

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • TUTOR:  Well, some people find it helpful to organise peer-group discussions – you know, each week a different person studies a different topic and shares it with the group.
  • CAROLINE:  Oh right
  • TUTOR:  It really helps build confidence, you know, having to present something to others.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (confidence):
  • increase = build
• Explanation:  the tutor suggests peer-group discussion as a way of building/increasing confidence in presenting her dissertation ideas and information. The answer is confidence.

25. Answer: idea

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • TUTOR:  The drawback is that everyone in the group seems to share the same ideas….they keep being repeated in all the dissertations.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (ideas):
  • problem = drawback
• Explanation:  the tutor says that the problem with peer-group discussions is that the same ideas tend to be repeated all the time by members of the group.  The answer is ideas.

26. Answer: support

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • TUTOR:  You could also try a service called ‘Student Support’.  It’s designed to give you a structured programme over a number of weeks to develop your skills.
• Explanation:  another possible strategy for Caroline to try is to use the service provided by ‘Student Support’.  This service will give her a structured programme to improve her study skills. The answer is student support.

27. Answer: places

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • CAROLINE:  Sounds good.
  • TUTOR:  Yes, unfortunately there are only a few places.  But it’s worth looking into.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (ideas):
  • limited = only a few
• Explanation:  the tutor explains that the problem with this strategy is that there are not many places available. The answer is places.

28. Answer: general

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • TUTOR:  And then there are several study skills books that you can consult.
  • CAROLINE:  Right.
  • TUTOR:  They’ll be a good source of reference but the problem is that they are sometimes too general.
• Explanation:  the tutor recommends another strategy – consulting books on study skills.  While they are a good source of reference, they may be too general.The answer is general.

29. Answer: three times/ 3 times

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • TUTOR:  Another thing I always advise is don’t just take your notes and forget about them.  Read everything three times….that’ll really fix them in your mind.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (three times):
  • all = everything
• Explanation:  the tutor advises Caroline to make sure that she reads her notes – three times so that she will remember them. The answer is three times/3 times.

30. Answer: 25/25th/25th of

• Here’s what the speakers say:
  • TUTOR:  Well, we’ll be continuing these tutorials of course.  Let’s arrange next month’s now.  Let’s see.  I can see you virtually any time during the week starting 22^nd January.
  • CAROLINE:  What about the 24^th ?  I’m free in the afternoon.
  • TUTOR:  Sorry, I’m booked then.  What about the following day?
  • CAROLINE:  Thursday?  I can make the morning.
  • TUTOR:  Fine, we’ll go for the 25^th then.
• Explanation:  both Caroline and her tutor mention various dates and times.  However, they finally decide on a date, which is 25 January. The answer is 25/25^th/25^th of.

SECTION 4

31. Answer: B. were interested in environmental issues.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • And one of the interesting things about this project is that the owners – both professionals but not architects – wanted to be closely involved, so they decided to manage the project themselves. Their chief aim was to create somewhere that was as environmentally-friendly as possible. But at the same time they wanted to live somewhere peaceful – they’d both grown up in a rural area and disliked urban life.
• Explanation: The owners wanted to manage the project themselves, so it CANNOT be that they wanted a professional project manager, hence C is incorrect. Also, it is said that they had grown up in a rural area, so A is clearly wrong.  We can only tell from the recording that the owners wanted to be “environmentally-friendly”, in other words, they were “interested in environmental issues”. Therefore B is correct.

32. Answer: A. The land was quite cheap.

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • So the first thing they did was to look for a site. And they found a disused stone quarry in a beautiful area. The price was relatively low, and they liked the idea of recyclingthe land, as it were. As it was, the quarry was an ugly blot on the landscape, and it wasn’t productive any longer, either.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (A):
  • extracted = quarry
  • quite = relatively
• Explanation: The quarry (where stone or other materials are extracted) was “disused”, indicating that it wasn’t in use when they found the site. This means that stone could not have been being extracted; it was not productive any longer, so B is false. It is also said that “the quarry was an ugly slot on the landscape”, from which we can understand that the old quarry was extremely unattractive compared to the surrounding landscape, so the surroundings must have been quite developed, NOT “unspoilt”. Hence C is wrong as well. The correct answer is A, because the price was low, in other words, the land was cheap.

33. Answer: glass

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • The north, east and west sides were set in the earth, and only the sloping south-facing side was exposed to light. That was made of a double layer of very strong glass.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (glass):
  • constructed = made
• Explanation:the speaker mentions the south-facing side of the building.  As this side was ‘exposed to’ light, strong glass was used in the construction. The answer is glass.

34. Answer: insulation

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • There were also photovoltaic tiles fixed to the top and bottom of this sloping wall.  These are tiles that are designed to store energy from the sun.  And the walls had a layer of foam around them too, to increase the insulation.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (insulation):
  • improve = increase
• Explanation:after explaining the purpose of the photovoltaic tiles, the speaker talks about the walls.  The idea of the layer of foam was to increase the insulation (to stop heat escaping from the house).The answer is insulation.

35. Answer: windows

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • Now, what is of interest to us about this project is the features which make the building energy-efficient.  Sunlight floods in through the glass wall, and to maximise it there are lots of mirrors and windows inside the house.

• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (windows):
  • increase = maximise
  • internal = inside
• Explanation:the speaker now talks about the special features of the underground house.  Inside the house, there are many mirrors and windows, which maximise the light. The answer is windows.

36. Answer: electricity

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • In addition, the special tiles on the outside convert energy from the sun and generate some of the house’s electricity.  In fact, and it’s possible that in future the  house may even generate an electricity surplus, and that the owners will be able to sell some to the national grid.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (electricity):
  • produce = generate
  • more than it needs = surplus
• Explanation:the speaker says how efficient the house is in terms of energy – it may even produce more electricity than the owners use.  This is the surplus that the speaker refers to. The answer is electricity.

37. Answer: floor(s)

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • As well as that, wherever possible, recycled materials have been used.  For example, the floors are made of reclaimed wood.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (floor(s)):
  • recycled = reclaimed
• Explanation:the speaker talks about the recycled materials used in the house.  As an example, the floors are made of recycled/reclaimed wood.The answer is floor/floors.

38. Answer: waste

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • And then there’s the system for dealing with the waste produced in the house.  This is dealt with organically….
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (waste):
  • processing = dealing with
  • domestically = in the house
• Explanation:the speaker talks about how they deal with/process the waste produced in the house, and goes on to describe how this is carried out using organic methods. The answer is waste.

39. Answer: concrete

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • It’s true that the actual construction of the house was harmful to the environment, mainly because they had to use massive amounts of concrete – one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide in manufacturing.  And, as you know, this is very damaging to the environment.
• Here are some key words that help you to get the correct answer (concrete):
  • harmful = damaging
• Explanation:the speaker says that the construction of the house did cause some environmental problems.  The use of large amounts of concrete was the main issue. The answer is concrete.

40. Answer: 15 years

• Here’s what the speaker says:
  • In total, the house construction has released 70 tons of carbon dioxide into the air.  Now that’s a frightening thought.  However, once the initial ‘debt’ has been cleared – and it’s been calculated that this will take only fifteen years – this underground house won’t cost anything – environmentally I mean – because unlike ordinary houses, it is run in a way that is completely environmentally friendly.
• Explanation:the speaker talks about the environmental cost in terms of the quantity of carbon dioxide released into the air (mainly in the production of the concrete used to build the house).  However, after 15 years of being run in an environmentally friendly way, this ‘carbon dioxide’ debt of this house will have been paid through the energy saved during that time. The answer is 15 years.(Remember to write one word and one number).