Cambridge IELTS 14 Listening Test 4

Explanations

1. 85

Sam says there will be 'around eighty' guests and Andrew offers two rooms that can hold that number. Of the Adelphi Room he says 'That can seat eighty-five' — 'seat' is the key verb, and it matches the note's 'sit down to eat'. Write the figure, not the word.Common trap: Three capacities in one stretch of audio. 'Over a hundred' is the same room standing at a buffet, and 'a hundred and ten' belongs to the Carlton Room — only the figure attached to 'seat' answers a note line about sitting down to eat.

2. roses

The French windows of the Adelphi Room 'lead out onto the terrace', which is the going-out part of the note. What is on that terrace comes next: 'This has a beautiful display of pots of roses at that time of the year.' 'At that time of the year' refers to the September date Sam asked about, so the roses will be there for the party.Common trap: Route mistaken for destination. 'French windows' is the concrete noun immediately before the answer and matches the note's 'can go out', but the note asks what is in the pots, not what you walk through.

3. trees

Andrew describes the view from the terrace: 'you can see the area of trees within the grounds of the hotel'. The note's 'a group of' corresponds to 'the area of', and the verb 'see' is stated outright, which is what settles this against the river mentioned next.Common trap: Feature that is explicitly not visible. The river follows in the same sentence and is the more memorable landmark, but Andrew adds it is 'on the far side, so it isn't visible from the hotel' — a view question rules it out.

4. stage

Turning to the Carlton Room, Andrew says 'it has the advantage of a stage, which is useful if you have any entertainment, or indeed a small band can fit onto it'. The note line is bare — 'has a _____' — so the answer is the feature itself, with entertainment and the band explaining what it is for.Common trap: Both neighbours are already in the note. The capacity belongs to the Carlton line above and the lake is the fixed line below, so the only unrecorded feature in this stretch is the stage.

5. speech

Sam asks what the MC does: 'I suppose they make a speech during the meal if we need one, do they?' and Andrew confirms 'That's right.' The note's 'while people are eating' is the paraphrase of 'during the meal'. As often in Part 1, the answer word is in the caller's question and the hotel only agrees with it.Common trap: Related job description in the reply. 'Trained as public speakers' and 'get people's attention' come straight after and sound like the MC's function, but they explain why the MC can be heard — the thing given during the meal is the speech.

6. support

After the speaking role, Andrew names the second function: 'And they're also your support — if anything goes wrong, the MC will deal with it, so you can relax.' 'If anything goes wrong' is the recording's version of the note's 'if there are any problems', and the noun that goes in the gap is 'support'.Common trap: Explanation offered instead of the noun. The clause after the dash restates the same idea in verbs ('deal with it'), tempting an answer like 'deal' or 'help' — but the note needs the single noun Andrew uses, which comes before it.

7. cabins

Sam asks 'do you also have any other accommodation, like cabins, for example?' and Andrew answers 'Yes, there are five in the grounds, all self-contained.' Hotel rooms are already printed in the note, so the alternative is cabins — confirmed by Andrew's 'Yes'.Common trap: Contents described after the answer. The living room, bathroom and kitchen are what is inside each cabin, and they arrive in the clearer speaker turn — but they describe the accommodation rather than name it.

8. C

Sam asks whether the facilities are included in the price. Of the pool Andrew says 'Normally you'd be able to use it, but it'll be closed throughout September for refurbishment.' The party is in September, so the pool is not available at all (C) — the cost question never arises.Common trap: Concession before the fact. 'Normally you'd be able to use it' points straight at A, and it is spoken first — 'but' overturns it. The September detail is what makes the closure apply to this booking.

9. A

'The gym will be available, though, at no extra charge.' Sam's question was whether facilities are included in the price of hiring the room, so 'at no extra charge' places the gym in category A. 'Though' marks the contrast with the pool just ruled out.Common trap: Adjacent facility, opposite category. The tennis courts follow immediately and do carry a payment, so a student who loses track of which facility is being priced lands on B for the gym.

10. B

'And the tennis courts, but there is a small additional payment for those.' A payment on top of the room hire is exactly category B. The advice to book in advance because of the waiting list is practical detail and does not change the category.Common trap: Two pulls in different directions. The gym's 'no extra charge' sits immediately before and points to A, while the long waiting list hints at unavailability (C) — but a court you can book and pay a little for is B.

11. G

Jake ends the dolphin section with the booking position: 'Unfortunately there aren't any places left for this afternoon's trip, but come and see me to book for later in the week.' No places left today is G. The trips run daily, so the shortage is specific to today — which is exactly what the option says.Common trap: 'Free of charge' spoken about the wrong thing. It points at E, but it is the guarantee — a second trip is free only if you see no dolphins. The trip itself costs 35 euros, which rules E out.

12. D

Of the forest walk Jake says 'There'll be a stop half way, and you'll be provided with a drink and sandwiches.' Sandwiches provided as part of the trip is food included (D). Nothing has to be bought or brought.Common trap: Two near-misses. 'All inclusive' sounds like E (no charge) but is attached to a 25-euro price, and the waterproof hints at C (only in good weather) — in fact it is advice for rain, so the walk runs whatever the weather.

13. A

The cycle trip is described as 'all the fun of biking without the effort': 'We'll take you and your bike up to the top of Mount Larna, and leave you to bike back — it's a 700-metre drop in just 20 kilometres'. You are driven up and ride down, so the cycling is all downhill (A).Common trap: Beginners explicitly excluded, weather only mentioned for the view. The first decoy is the reverse of B, and the second tempts C — but a clear day improves the views, it is not a condition of the trip running.

14. E

'And the best thing about this trip is that it's completely free.' This is the only excursion with no price attached, so the craft tour is E. Jake flags it as the trip's best feature, which is the signal to record it.Common trap: Optional spending mistaken for a charge. Jewellery and ceramics are for sale at the two stops, but buying is 'entirely up to you' — the tour itself still costs nothing.

15. F

The observatory trip ends at the coast: 'Afterwards we'll head down to Sunset Beach, where you can have a dip in the ocean if you want.' 'Have a dip in the ocean' is the paraphrase of swimming, so this trip is F.Common trap: Main content buries the answer. Telescopes and an expert talk take up most of the description, and the swimming arrives as an afterthought — 'a dip in the ocean' also never uses the word 'swimming'.

16. B

Horse riding is 'a great experience if you're a keen horseback rider, or even if you've never been on a horse before'. Catering for someone who has never ridden is what B means by suitable for beginners.Common trap: Water without swimming. Cantering 'through the waves' puts you in the sea and tempts F, but nobody swims — F belongs to the observatory trip, and each letter is used once.

17. You must book it in advance.

Two things are true of 'Musical Favourites': you must book early and you can meet the cast. On booking, Jake says 'It's hugely popular, so let me know now if you're interested because it's no good leaving it until the last minute' — that is B, advance booking.Common trap: Second price offered as a discount. The only other figure in the section is the extra 10 euros, and candidates scanning for a money-related option read it as C — it is an upgrade charge.

18. You can meet the performers.

The other correct statement is about the end of the show: 'At the end the cast members come down from the stage, still in their stunning costumes, and you'll have a chance to chat with them.' A chance to chat with the cast is meeting the performers (D).Common trap: Drinks mentioned early, in the opposite sense. Option A reuses the word 'drinks' from the first sentence of the description, where they are described as free and unlimited.

19. Visitors can dance after the meal.

The Castle Feast ends with dancing: 'Then you can watch the dancers in the ballroom and join in as well if you want.' 'Then' places it after the meal, and 'join in' means the visitors dance themselves — that is A.Common trap: Costume worn by the wrong people. The long gowns are vivid and easy to attach to the guests (option C), but they are the serving staff's — the visitors' medieval experience is eating with their hands.

20. Knives and forks are not used.

'You're given a whole chicken each, which you eat in the medieval way, using your hands instead of cutlery.' Cutlery is knives and forks, and they are explicitly replaced by hands, so D is stated outright.Common trap: Horses without a race, one dish without a choice. The riders knocking each other off tempts E, and the chicken tempts B — but the chicken is what rules B out, since everyone gets the same thing.

21. the fact that authors may not realise what values they're teaching

Trevor lists the questions the module raises — entertain or educate, factual or ethical — and then marks his own interest with an evaluative phrase: 'What's fascinating is that the writer isn't necessarily conscious of the message they're conveying.' That signposting word is what identifies the answer: of everything discussed, this is the part he finds interesting. 'Isn't necessarily conscious of the message' is the paraphrase of 'may not realise what values they're teaching'.Common trap: Topic list before the opinion. Both distractors are lifted from the sentences either side of the answer, and the entertain/educate contrast is the module's headline idea — but the question asks what Trevor finds interesting, and 'What's fascinating is' marks that.

22. decide to start writing some children's stories.

Trevor says the module 'made me realise how important stories are', and then states the consequence: 'Actually, it inspired me to have a go at it myself, just for my own interest.' 'Have a go at it myself' means writing stories of his own — the module made him start writing.Common trap: Both distractors come from the same aside. Harry Potter supplies the 'popularity' of option B and the niece supplies option A, and they are spoken immediately after the answer — but they are Trevor's modest comparison, not what the module made him do.

23. she intends to become an illustrator.

Stephanie gives her reason directly: 'I've always enjoyed drawing, so that's the field I want to go into when I finish the course. I bet that module will be really helpful.' The field she means is illustration, which she has just been discussing — so her interest in the module is professional.Common trap: Two options half-supported. Option B matches the remembering but not the adjective, and option C matches the comparison but not its direction — both are the kind of near-miss that only fails on one word.

24. have the potential for being useful.

The two disagree at first: Trevor is 'not convinced of their value', Stephanie argues that 'there are plenty of kids who wouldn't even try to read a book, so I think comics can serve a really useful purpose'. The agreement is reached when Trevor concedes: 'You mean, it's better to read a comic than not to read at all? Yes, I suppose you're right.' The question asks what they agree on, so only the conceded point counts.Common trap: Opinions held by one speaker only. Both distractors are Trevor's, stated clearly and early, and 'agree' questions punish anyone who records the first strong view they hear — the agreement itself is a quiet concession at the end.

25. how few books were aimed at both girls and boys.

After describing the old assumption that boys had adventures and girls stayed at home, Trevor gives his reaction: 'I was amazed how many books were targeted at just one sex or the other.' If a surprising number were aimed at one sex only, then strikingly few were aimed at both — which is how the option states it.Common trap: Inversion required. The recording says 'how many ... one sex or the other' and the option says 'how few ... both' — the same fact turned inside out, while 'For years' offers an easier but wrong match for option A.

26. F

Stephanie says of Perrault's fairy tales: 'They must be important, because no stories of that type had been written before, they were the first.' The first stories of a type is the definition of starting a new genre (F).Common trap: 'Earlier stories' spoken just before 'the first'. Stephanie concedes that earlier children's stories exist, which seems to contradict the claim — but Perrault was first for stories 'of that type', which is what F says.

27. E

Stephanie explains the title: 'The English name makes it sound as though Robinson is the family's surname, but a more accurate translation would be The Swiss Robinsons, because it's about a Swiss family who are shipwrecked, like Robinson Crusoe in the novel of a century earlier.' The real title points at Defoe's novel, so it refers to another book (E).Common trap: The misreading is stated before the correction. Taking Robinson as a surname is exactly what E overturns, and the word 'translation' nearby also tempts option A — but only one translation is discussed, not many languages.

28. C

Trevor recognises the story: 'Wasn't that the basis for Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker?' and Stephanie confirms 'That's right.' A book that becomes a ballet has inspired a work in a different art form (C).Common trap: Odd content mistaken for an odd subject. 'Quite bizarre elements' is the last thing said about this book and pulls towards G (unlikely topic) — but G belongs to War Horse, and each letter is used once.

29. B

Stephanie could not finish Tolkien: 'I struggled with The Lord of the Rings — they're long books, and I gave up after one', and later 'The Lord of the Rings took more effort than I was prepared to give it.' Struggling, giving up and needing more effort than she would give all describe a book that is hard to read (B).Common trap: Popularity raised as a counter-argument. Trevor's 'It's extremely popular, though' points at D, but D needs a comparison with the same author's other works, and none is made — the 'though' marks it as disagreement with Stephanie's difficulty, which is the point being recorded.

30. G

Trevor reacts to War Horse being a children's story: 'It's about the First World War, isn't it? Hardly what you'd expect for a children's story.' A war as the subject of a children's book is an unlikely topic (G), and Stephanie's 'Exactly' confirms the judgement.Common trap: Success mentioned in the same breath. 'Very successful' pulls towards D, but 'but' signals it as a contrast with the unlikeliness, and there is no comparison with the author's other books.

31. spring

The village's monument is described as 'seven half-tonne stones standing in a semicircle around a spring'. The note keeps the semicircle and the large stones and gaps what they surround, so the answer is the spring. The following clause — 'that might have been used for ceremonial purposes' — is speculation about the monument, not part of the description.Common trap: Two water-and-enclosure decoys just before the answer. 'Wells for fresh water' is the other water feature of the village, and the courtyard is already printed as a fixed line in the notes — 'built around a courtyard' even echoes the 'round a' of the gapped line.

32. tools

'Research on the buildings, tools and the human remains has revealed how the bustling village once functioned.' The note lists three research subjects and prints two of them — 'structures' for buildings and 'human remains' verbatim — so the gap is the middle item, tools.Common trap: Finding offered instead of subject. 'Diseases' arrives at the end of the same sentence and is the more striking noun, but it is what the research revealed, not what the research was carried out on.

33. maps

'Autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs, are used in the oil industry, for instance, to create maps of the seabed before rigs and pipelines are installed.' The note's 'e.g.' matches 'for instance', and 'to make _____' matches 'to create maps'.Common trap: Equipment offered where a product is wanted. Sensors, compasses and sonar follow immediately and are the more technical-sounding nouns, but they are what the AUV uses to navigate, not what it makes for the oil industry.

34. heavy

'Until relatively recently they were very expensive, and so heavy that they had to be launched from a large vessel with a winch.' The note prints 'expensive' and gaps the second drawback, which is heavy. The winch and large vessel are the consequence of the weight, confirming the reading.Common trap: The printed half spoken first. 'Expensive' is already in the note, so a candidate who writes the first problem they hear has filled the gap with a word that is given — the two drawbacks sit in one sentence, joined by 'and'.

35. marble

The Roman ship at Marzamemi sank 'while ferrying prefabricated marble elements for the construction of an early church'. 'Prefabricated ... elements for the construction of' is what the note calls architectural elements, and the material they were made of is marble.Common trap: Object named where a material is wanted. 'Columns' appears in the next sentence, attached to the same cargo, and would answer 'carrying _____' — but the note asks what the elements were made of, and 'the same material' points back to the marble.

36. light

'For short distances, AUVs can share data using light, while acoustic waves are used to communicate over long distances.' The note reproduces this sentence with the long-distance half printed, so the gap is the short-distance medium: light.Common trap: Rejected technology named first. Electromagnetic waves are introduced as the obvious answer and then ruled out — they travel only a few centimetres in water — but they are the most technical phrase in the paragraph and sit right before the answer.

37. camera

An AUV that finds something interesting 'can share the coordinates of the object ... with a nearby AUV that carries superior cameras, and arrange for that AUV to make a closer inspection'. 'Superior' is the recording's word for the note's 'better', so what the second AUV has more of is cameras. Either singular or plural is accepted.Common trap: Data mistaken for equipment. 'Coordinates' is the noun immediately before the answer and is what gets sent — the note asks what the receiving AUV has that is better, which is its cameras.

38. medical

Of the Roman vessel found in the Gulf of Baratti: 'When it sank, it was carrying medical goods, in wooden or tin receptacles.' 'Goods' is the recording's word for the note's 'supplies', so the gap takes the adjective describing them: medical.Common trap: Containers described straight after the cargo. 'Wooden or tin' are the concrete words in the sentence and describe what the goods were in — the note asks what kind of supplies the ship carried.

39. eyes

The cargo included 'tablets that are thought to have been dissolved to form a cleansing liquid for the eyes'. 'Cleansing' is the note's 'cleaning', and what was cleaned is the eyes. 'Thought to have been' matches the note's 'may have been'.Common trap: No competing candidate here — the sentence states the use directly. The only risk is answering with 'liquid' by stopping one word short of the body part the note asks for.

40. wine

Of the other Roman wrecks nearby: 'Some were used for transporting cargoes of olive oil, and others held wine.' The note prints olive oil and gaps the second cargo, and the parallel 'others held' points straight at wine.Common trap: A container and a printed cargo either side of the answer. Terracotta describes the pots the cargoes travelled in, and olive oil is already in the note — both use the same 'Some ... held' framing as the answer.