Martin tells his classmate Fiona about his Australian studies tutorial paper on the history of banana growing. He practises his talk on her: where the Cavendish banana came from, how bananas are grown and ripened, and who eats them.
Questions 21-32 · 12 marks · 3 question blocks
In order. Questions 21-24 cover Fiona's reaction and the banana's history, ending with how it reached Australia. 'Are they hard to grow?' starts the growing notes (25-30), and Fiona's question about exports leads into 31-32 at the very end.
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the part yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
| Q | Your answer | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Questions 21-24 · Multiple choice | ||
| 21 | B | |
| 22 | C | |
| 23 | D | |
| 24 | B | |
| Questions 25-30 · Note completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 25 | one bunchAlso accepted: 1 bunch / a bunch | |
| 26 | 15 monthsAlso accepted: fifteen months | |
| 27 | uphillAlso accepted: on hillsides / on hills | |
| 28 | lots of waterAlso accepted: plenty of water / a lot of water | |
| 29 | plastic bags | |
| 30 | bananas ripenAlso accepted: bananas to ripen / ones ripen / ones to ripen | |
| Questions 31-32 · Multiple choice (choose TWO) | ||
| 31 | C and D(in either order) | |
| 32 | ||
How to attack this block: Two of these are about attitude, so tone matters: Fiona is sarcastic, and her words mean the opposite of what they say. The other two are facts, but the history has a roundabout route with more than one country in it.
What does Fiona think of Martin's topic at first?
Fascinating, I'm sure! … it's not as boring as you'd think.
Why: Fiona's 'Fascinating, I'm sure!' is sarcastic: she means the opposite. Martin's answer, 'not as boring as you'd think', confirms she finds it dull, B.
The trap: D (fascinating) is the word she actually says, which is exactly why it's the trap. In conversations, listen to tone as well as words.
What does Martin say about the banana?
bananas were among the first plants ever to be domesticated. … Yes, they're an extremely nourishing food.
Why: 'Extremely nourishing' means very good for you, so C, good for your health.
The trap: A is the opposite of 'among the first plants ever to be domesticated'. B borrows 'the economy' from his other work, and he never says bananas are cheap to grow.
Why does Fiona listen to Martin?
Well, it'd be a good practice run for my tutorial next week. I'll do the same for you some time. … OK. Fire away.
Why: Martin needs a practice run, offers to return the favour, and Fiona agrees: she listens to help him, D.
The trap: A looks natural, but Fiona has just been sarcastic about bananas, so it isn't interest that makes her listen. C is Martin's interest, not hers.
Which country did bananas come to Australia from?
in 1826, bananas were taken from South China to England. … So he was the one responsible for cultivating the Cavendish banana which was then introduced into Australia.
Why: The banana went from China to England, and the English duke's Cavendish banana was then introduced into Australia. It came from England, B.
The trap: C (China) is where the banana originated, and Fiona even asks if they went straight from China to Australia. Martin says no.
How to attack this block: These are Martin's notes on how bananas are grown commercially. Fiona's guesses are often wrong (one year, two years), so wait for Martin's answer. Check that each word fits the grammar around the gap.
Also accepted: 1 bunch / a bunch
How many bananas does each tree produce?
You see you only get one bunch of bananas per tree
Question says → You hear
Why: The note keeps 'of bananas', so the gap is the amount: one bunch. '1 bunch' and 'a bunch' are accepted.
The trap: 'Up to three years' comes in the same sentence, but that's time, not what the tree produces.
Also accepted: fifteen months
How long does a tree take to bear fruit on a modern plantation?
No, no, around 15 months in good conditions for a tree to produce a bunch of bananas.
Question says → You hear
Why: Martin rejects Fiona's guesses and gives the real figure: 15 months. 'Produce a bunch' matches 'bear fruit'.
The trap: Three years is the time without modern methods, and one or two years are Fiona's wrong guesses.
Also accepted: on hillsides / on hills
Which direction do banana trees prefer to grow?
They tend to like to grow uphill - or at least that's the common wisdom.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Like to' matches 'prefer to', and the next word is uphill. Fiona's 'on hillsides' is accepted too.
The trap: 'Suckers' and 'just above the plant' come first, but they're about where new plants grow, not the preference the note asks for.
Also accepted: plenty of water / a lot of water
Besides rich soil, what do banana trees need?
If you plant them in rich soil and give them plenty of water at the beginning of summer
Question says → You hear
Why: Rich soil is printed, and the next thing they need is plenty of water. The key also accepts 'lots of water' or 'a lot of water'.
The trap: 'Water' alone loses the idea of quantity, and 'warm' comes later, about the plastic bags.
What is used to protect the fruit?
the growers put plastic bags around the bunches to protect them and keep them warm
Question says → You hear
Why: 'To protect them' matches 'is protected by', so the gap is plastic bags. He mentions them again: 'trees with plastic bags on them'.
The trap: A hothouse is how you grow them in England, not how Australian growers protect the fruit.
Also accepted: bananas to ripen / ones ripen / ones to ripen
What does the gas from a ripe banana help other bananas do?
once one banana ripens, it gives off a gas which then helps all the others to ripen
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Gives off' matches 'emit'. 'Other' needs a noun and a verb after it: bananas (to) ripen.
The trap: Writing only 'ripen' leaves 'helps other ripen', which isn't grammatical. And 'grow' is wrong: once cut, the bananas stop growing.
How to attack this block: Fiona names some places in her question and Martin answers 'oddly enough, no'. Listen for the two places he actually says eat Australian bananas.
Which two places eat Australian bananas?
Well, oddly enough, no. I believe New Zealand takes a small proportion of … the crop but otherwise they're mostly grown for the domestic market
Why: C: New Zealand takes a small part of the crop. D: 'the domestic market' means people in Australia itself, which eats most of them.
The trap: Europe and Asia are named by Fiona, and Martin answers 'oddly enough, no'. 'Domestic market' is the paraphrase people miss, so they pick Asia instead of Australia.
Fiona says 'Fascinating, I'm sure!' but she says it sarcastically, and Martin replies it's 'not as boring as you'd think'. She thinks the topic is dull.
The banana originated in China, and China is an option. But it went from China to England first, and the English duke's Cavendish banana was what reached Australia.
Europe and Asia are Fiona's suggestions, and Martin rejects them. New Zealand takes a small share, and the rest is for the domestic market, which means Australia itself.
The full Cambridge 1 Test 2 listening paper with the real audio: all four parts, played once, marked the moment you finish. Already done it? Take it again and listen for the traps this page showed you.
Cambridge IELTS 1, Test 2, Listening Part 3. The recording, transcript and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts of the transcript only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full material, or sit the test on Langujet.
