Dolphin Conservation Trust: listening answers and explanations
On a radio show, Alice Bussell talks about the Dolphin Conservation Trust: what the charity does, the award it won, a campaign against oil exploration in Scotland and how she became interested in dolphins. She then describes four dolphins in the charity's 'Adopt a Dolphin' scheme.
In order. Questions 11-13 come from Alice's description of the Trust and its award. The interviewer's question about dolphins in UK waters leads into 14-15. 'Adopt a Dolphin' starts the matching, and Alice moves between the four dolphins quickly, so the comments 16-20 come in order but the dolphins don't.
Answer key and self-check
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.
How to attack this block: Each wrong option is a twisted version of something Alice says: a percentage that isn't 'most', a charity that's growing fast but still small, a biologist they hope to employ one day. Check each option against the exact detail.
Question 11-12
Answer: C and E (in either order)The opening description of the Trust, before the award
Which two statements about the Trust does Alice make?
The charity uses its money to support campaigns … for example, for changes in fishing policy … we now have volunteers working in observation, office
Question says → You hear
helps finance campaignsuses its money to support campaigns
Volunteers help in various waysvolunteers working in observation, office
Why: C: the Trust uses its money to support campaigns, such as changes in fishing policy. E: volunteers work in observation, the office 'and other things', which is various ways.
The trap: A: children are about thirty-five per cent of members, not most. D: the Trust only hopes to employ its first full-time biologist. B: it's 'fairly small compared with the big players'.
Multiple choice
Questions 13-15
How to attack this block: Alice mentions all three options in each question, then rules two out. Listen for 'although', 'however' and 'I had never', which mark the options that are wrong.
Question 13
Answer: B'I should also tell you about the award we won'
Why is Alice pleased about the Charity Commission award?
Although it's not meant an enormous amount of money for us, it has made our activities even … more widely publicised and understood.
Question says → You hear
better knownmore widely publicised and understood
Why: The award has made the Trust's activities 'more widely publicised and understood', which means better known. B.
The trap: A is ruled out by 'not ... an enormous amount of money'. C: she says it 'may not bring in extra members' but she hopes it will, so it hasn't happened yet.
Question 14
Answer: AWhen Alice talks about the project in the east of Scotland
Why does oil exploration cause problems for dolphins?
although there'll be little pollution from oil, exploration. … creates a lot of underwater noise. It means the dolphins can't rest and socialise.
Question says → You hear
causes problemsthe dolphins can't rest and socialise
noisea lot of underwater noise
Why: The underwater noise stops the dolphins resting and socialising. A.
The trap: B: 'although there'll be little pollution from oil' rules out leaks. C: the area has 'very little shipping', which is why dolphins like it.
Question 15
Answer: C'This is how I became interested in dolphin conservation'
What made Alice interested in dolphins?
Then I came across this story about a family of … the book down.
Question says → You hear
she read a book about themI came across this story … the book down
Why: She came across a story about a family of dolphins and couldn't put the book down. C.
The trap: A: she says 'I had never seen one'. B: she 'hadn't been particularly interested in them at school'. Both are things that didn't happen.
Matching (A-D)
Questions 16-20
How to attack this block: Four dolphins, five comments, and letters can be used more than once (Samson is used twice). Alice often names two dolphins together and then says 'but it is ...', so wait for the one the comment really belongs to.
Question 16
Answer: BRight after Alice names the four dolphins
Which dolphin hasn't been seen this year?
Unfortunately, Echo is being rather elusive this year and hasn't yet been sighted by our observers
Question says → You hear
has not been seen this yearhasn't yet been sighted
Why: 'Elusive' and 'hasn't yet been sighted' mean nobody has seen Echo this year. B.
The trap: 'All the others have been out in force' comes next, so the other three have been seen.
Question 17
Answer: CStraight after Echo
Which dolphin is photographed most?
Samson and Moondancer are often photographed together but itis Kiwi … who's our real 'character' as she seems to love coming up close for the, cameras and we've captured her on film hundreds of times.
Question says → You hear
photographed more than the otherswe've captured her on film hundreds of times
Why: Kiwi loves the cameras and has been filmed hundreds of times, more than the others. C.
The trap: Samson and Moondancer are 'often photographed', but the 'but' that follows shifts the comparison to Kiwi.
Question 18
Answer: DWhen Alice compares the dolphins' personalities
Which dolphin is always very energetic?
always leaping out of the water with great vigour.
Question says → You hear
always very energeticalways leaping out of the water with great vigour
Why: Samson has a lot of energy and is always leaping out of the water. 'Vigour' means energy. D.
The trap: Moondancer is described in the same sentence, but she is elegant and smooth, the opposite of energetic.
Question 19
Answer: DStraight after Samson's energy
Which dolphin joined the scheme most recently?
You'd probably expect him to be the youngest - he's not quite - that's Kiwi-but Samson's the … latest of our dolphins to be chosen for the scheme.
Question says → You hear
the newest one in the schemelatest of our dolphins to be chosen for the scheme
Why: 'The latest ... to be chosen for the scheme' is the newest one in the scheme: Samson. D again.
The trap: Kiwi is the youngest dolphin, but that's age, not how long it's been in the scheme.
Question 20
Answer: AThe end, when Alice explains how they recognise each dolphin
Which dolphin has an unusual shape?
Moondancer's easy to find because she has a particularly large fin on her back, which makes her easy to identify.
Question says → You hear
an unusual shapea particularly large fin on her back
Why: A particularly large fin gives Moondancer an unusual shape, which is how they spot her. A.
The trap: Kiwi is easy to pick out too, but by her noise, not her shape. Echo is also noisy.
Samson and Moondancer are 'often photographed together', so people pick one of them. Then Alice says 'but it is Kiwi' who's been filmed hundreds of times.
Alice says you'd expect Samson to be the youngest, but Kiwi is. Then she says Samson is the latest to join the scheme. The newest one in the scheme is Samson, not the youngest dolphin.
Alice says the award may bring extra members, but only as a hope. What it has already done is make the Trust's work better known.
Words from this recording worth keeping
raise awareness(About the Trust)
help people know and care about a problem
expertise(About the Trust)
special skill or knowledge
voluntary basis(About the Trust)
without being paid
publicised(The award)
made known to the public
haven(Dolphins in Scotland)
a safe, peaceful place
elusive(Adopt a Dolphin)
difficult to find or see
vigour(Adopt a Dolphin)
strength and energy
sponsor(Adopt a Dolphin)
support with money
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 10 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 10, Test 3, Listening Part 2. 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.