Nanotechnology: listening answers and explanations
A lecture on nanotechnology, the science of controlling atoms and molecules. The speaker first discusses public fears and what scientists say about safety, gives their own view, and then runs through its possible uses in transport, technology, the environment, and health and medicine.
In order. Questions 31-33 come from the opening discussion of problems and safety. 'So let's look at some of its possible uses' starts the notes (34-40), and the speaker takes the four headings in the same order: transport, technology, the environment, and health and medicine.
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: Separate the speaker's view from other people's. Fears from science fiction, what 'some scientists' recommend and what 'others' call for are all reported; the speaker's own opinion comes after 'as far as I'm concerned'.
Question 31
Answer: CAfter 'all new technologies have their teething problems'
What problem with nanotechnology does the speaker mention?
And with nanotechnology, society often gets the wrong idea about its capabilities.
Question says → You hear
misunderstood by the publicsociety often gets the wrong idea about its capabilities
Why: 'Society gets the wrong idea' means the public misunderstands it. C.
The trap: B: nano-robots that 'monitor everything you do' and A: robots that 'take over the world' come from science fiction. They're the public's fears, which shows the misunderstanding.
Question 32
Answer: B'So how do we safeguard such a potentially powerful technology?'
What do some scientists say about nano-particles?
They believe that greater care should also be taken with nano-particles in laboratories and factories.
Question says → You hear
should be used with more cautiongreater care should also be taken
Why: 'Greater care' is more caution, along with safety tests and labelling. B.
The trap: A: labs and factories are where they want more care, not the only places the particles may be used. C: 'others' want cosmetics withdrawn, but nothing is said about only essential products.
Question 33
Answer: C'But as far as I'm concerned'
What does the speaker think about nanotechnology research?
But as far as I'm concerned there's a need to plough ahead with the discoveries and applications of nanotechnology.
Question says → You hear
ought to be continuedthere's a need to plough ahead
Why: 'Plough ahead' means keep going despite difficulties. C.
The trap: B: 'unethical uses' is said, but the speaker wants to guard against them, not call the research unethical. A: popular support isn't discussed.
Note completion (ONE WORD ONLY)
Questions 34-40
How to attack this block: Each heading has one or two gaps, and the lecturer rephrases a lot: durable becomes stronger, ordinary people become the masses. Most answers are nouns; question 37 needs an adjective in front of 'energy'.
Question 34
Answer: metal'So let's look at some of its possible uses', the transport section
Also accepted: metals
What stronger material could be developed for transport?
there could be a major breakthrough in the field of transportation with the production of more durable metals.
Question says → You hear
the development of strongerthe production of more durable metals
Why: 'Production' is 'development' and 'more durable' is 'stronger'. Metal or metals are both accepted.
The trap: Planes come next but are already in the notes. 'Unbreakable' and 'pliable' describe the metals, they aren't the answer.
Question 35
Answer: spaceStraight after the lighter planes
What kind of travel will become available to ordinary people?
Those same improved capabilities will dramatically reduce the cost of … into space making it more accessible to ordinary people
Question says → You hear
made available to the massesmaking it more accessible to ordinary people
Why: Cheaper space travel will be 'more accessible to ordinary people', which is 'available to the masses'. The gap is space.
The trap: Air travel fits with planes, but planes are just lighter. The new holiday destination is space.
Question 36
Answer: memory'In terms of technology'
What will computers have more of?
a new generation of computers that will work even faster and will have a million times more memory
Question says → You hear
will have a greaterwill have a million times more memory
Why: 'A million times more' is 'greater', and the thing is memory.
The trap: Speed is mentioned too ('even faster') but it's already in the note. 'Size of a sugar cube' is about being smaller.
Question 37
Answer: solar'Nanotechnology could also revolutionise the way that we generate power'
What kind of energy will become cheaper?
The cost of solar cells will be drastically reduced so harnessing this
Question says → You hear
energy will become more affordableThe cost of solar cells will be drastically reduced
Why: Cheaper solar cells make solar energy more affordable. The gap needs the adjective solar.
The trap: Power is the word just before, but 'power energy' makes no sense. Cells is a noun and doesn't fit before 'energy'.
Question 38
Answer: oil'On a more local scale', after the ozone layer
Which pollutant could be removed from water?
the clean-up of environmental disasters as nanotechnology will allow us to remove … and other contaminants from the water far more effectively.
Question says → You hear
Pollutants such asand other contaminants from the water
Why: The speaker says oil 'and other contaminants', so oil is one example of a pollutant. (The bank's text misprints the word, but you clearly hear oil.)
The trap: Contaminants is the general word and pollutants is already in the note. The gap needs the specific example: oil.
Question 39
Answer: wasteWhen the speaker describes building things 'from the bottom up'
What will there be none of in manufacturing?
In terms of production, this means that you only use what you need and so there wouldn't be any waste.
Question says → You hear
no ... from manufacturingIn terms of production … there wouldn't be any waste
Why: 'Production' is 'manufacturing', and using only what you need means no waste.
The trap: Atoms (about 90 of them) are mentioned just before, but they're the building blocks, not what's missing.
Question 40
Answer: tests'But it's in the area of medicine that nanotechnology may have its biggest impact'
What will be analysed faster in medicine?
How we detect disease will change as tiny biosensors are developed to analyse tests in minutes rather than days.
Question says → You hear
Analysis of medical ... will be speeded upanalyse tests in minutes rather than days
Why: Biosensors will analyse tests in minutes instead of days, which is 'speeded up'. Plural tests.
The trap: Disease is said in the same sentence, but you detect disease; you analyse tests. Biosensors are the tool, not what's analysed.
Spying robots and robots taking over the world are both mentioned, so A and B look right. But they're examples of people's fears from science fiction. The problem the speaker names is that society gets the wrong idea.
'Laboratories and factories' makes A, secure environments, tempting. But the scientists say 'greater care should be taken' there, which is more caution, B.
The note has '... energy' and the speaker says 'solar cells'. You need the adjective solar, and 'affordable' matches 'far more economical'.
Words from this recording worth keeping
implications(Introduction)
possible effects or results
teething problems(Problems)
small difficulties at the start of something new
safeguard(Safety)
protect against harm
plough ahead(The speaker's view)
continue firmly despite difficulties
durable(Transport)
strong and long-lasting
pliable(Transport)
easy to bend
harnessing(Technology)
capturing and using a natural force
eradication(Health and medicine)
complete removal or ending
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The full Cambridge 10 Test 4 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 4, Listening Part 4. 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.
