A new postgraduate student asks a classmate about parking on campus, then goes to the administration office to apply for a parking sticker. The clerk takes his details and tells him when and where to pay and where the sticker must go.
Questions 1-12 · 12 marks · 5 question blocks
Two scenes, in order. Questions 1-4 are the chat with the female student about parking rules and directions. 'Good morning, can I help you?' from the clerk starts the second scene: the form (5-10), then the cashier's hours (11) and the sticker (12).
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 1-3 · Multiple choice | ||
| 1 | B | |
| 2 | D | |
| 3 | C | |
| Question 4 · Multiple choice (maps A-D) | ||
| 4 | A | |
| Questions 5-10 · Form completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 5 | Richard Lee | |
| 6 | 30 Enmore Road | |
| 7 | Newport | |
| 8 | Architecture | |
| 9 | LJX 058KAlso accepted: LJX058K | |
| 10 | Ford | |
| Question 11 · Multiple choice | ||
| 11 | C | |
| Question 12 · Short answers (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 12 | on the windowAlso accepted: on the front window / window / front window / on the windscreen / windscreen / on the front windscreen | |
How to attack this block: Simple facts, but each comes with a near miss: two kinds of student, two blocks, two penalties. The female student's answers sometimes add a second detail after the first, so wait for her to finish.
Who is allowed to park on campus?
Yes, I think it's possible for post graduate students but not for undergraduate students.
Why: Postgraduates can park and undergraduates can't, so B. The clerk later checks he's a postgraduate, which confirms it.
The trap: A is the group that's ruled out. D is tempting after 'there simply isn't enough room', but that's the reason undergraduates can't park, not a total ban.
Which building is the administration office in?
It's in the building called Block G. Right next to Block E.
Why: The office is in Block G, D, and he repeats 'Block G?' to check.
The trap: Block E is said straight after, but only as the building next door.
What happens if you have no parking sticker?
No, I think they tow your car away. … And then they fine you as well because you have to pay to get the car back.
Why: Two penalties: the car is towed away, and you then pay to get it back. Tow away and fine is C.
The trap: D (tow only) is right until she adds 'they fine you as well'. Clamping (A) is his guess, and she says no.
How to attack this block: The maps differ in which side things are on. Follow the route as she gives it: along Library Road, what's on your left, what's on your right, and what the office is opposite.
Which map shows where the administration office is?
You go along Library Road, past the tennis courts on your left and the swimming pool on your right and the administration office is opposite the car park on the left.
Question says → You hear
Why: Going along Library Road, the tennis courts are on your left and the pool on your right. The office is on the left, opposite the car park. That route is shown on map A.
The trap: The maps swap left and right. He repeats 'past the swimming pool, opposite the car park' but drops the sides, so keep her original version in your head.
How to attack this block: Name, address, suburb, faculty, car number and make. Spelling is given for the tricky ones, and the car number gets corrected twice, so don't write it down until it's settled.
What is the student's name?
Richard Lee - that's spelt L double E.
Question says → You hear
Why: The gap is the full name. 'L double E' gives you Lee, so write Richard Lee.
The trap: Lea or Leigh sound the same. He spells it for you: L, E, E.
What is his street address after the flat number?
Flat 13, 30 Enmore Road
Question says → You hear
Why: Flat 13 is printed, so write the rest: 30 Enmore Road. He spells Enmore when the clerk asks.
The trap: Two numbers close together. 13 is the flat and is already on the form; 30 is the house number.
Which suburb does he live in?
And that's in the suburb of Newport
Question says → You hear
Why: The word 'suburb' is said just before the name, so it's easy to catch. He spells it too: Newport.
The trap: Spelling only. In the spelling the O sounds like 'oh', so be sure to write the letter O, not a zero.
Which faculty is he in?
Architecture, the Faculty of Architecture.
Question says → You hear
Why: He says it twice. Write Architecture.
The trap: 'Post graduate' came earlier, but that's his level of study, not his faculty.
Also accepted: LJX058K
What is his car's registration number?
Let me see um L X J five oh ... No, sorry, I always get that wrong, it's LJX 058K. … LJX 508K. … No … 058K
Question says → You hear
Why: He corrects himself to LJX 058K, then corrects the clerk's 508K. The number is LJX 058K.
The trap: Both mistakes are said out loud: LXJ (his) and 508K (the clerk's). Wait for the corrected version.
What make is his car?
And what make is the car? … A Ford. Fine!
Question says → You hear
Why: He says it's a Ford and the clerk repeats it. 'Make' means the company that built the car.
The trap: Not much of one. The make is the brand, so write Ford with a capital F, not a colour or a model.
How to attack this block: Four times, all mentioned or close to it. Decide whether the question asks when the office closes, opens again or shuts for the day.
What time does the cashier's office open?
it's 12.30 now and they close at 12.15 for lunch. But they open again at a quarter past two until 4.30
Why: 'Open again at a quarter past two' is 2.15, C. He repeats it: 'not open till quarter past two'.
The trap: 12.15 (A) is the lunch closing, 12.30 is the time now, and 4.30 (D) is when they close for the day.
How to attack this block: The very last instruction from the clerk. Keep it short: where on the car the sticker goes.
Also accepted: on the front window / window / front window / on the windscreen / windscreen / on the front windscreen
Where must the sticker be shown?
you must attach it to the front windscreen of your car … it's not valid if you don't have it stuck on the window
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Attach it to' matches 'displayed'. The key accepts window, windscreen, front window or front windscreen, with or without 'on the'.
The trap: 'Front windscreen of your car' is four words. Cut it to fit: 'front windscreen' or 'on the window'.
He starts with 'L X J five oh', corrects it to LJX 058K, and then the clerk gets it wrong as 508K. The final version is LJX 058K.
'They tow your car away' sounds like the full answer, so people pick D. Then she adds 'they fine you as well', which makes it C.
12.15 is when the cashier closes for lunch and 4.30 is closing time. It opens again at a quarter past two: 2.15.
The full Cambridge 1 Test 3 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 3, Listening Part 1. 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.
