Theatre Studies Course: listening answers and explanations
Rob, a first-year theatre studies student, talks to Mia, who is further into the course, about the report he has to write on his group's play: how he built his character, the atmosphere, group work and a problem in rehearsal. Then he asks her advice about the year abroad option.
In order. Questions 21-25 come from the discussion of Rob's report. 'But while you're here, Mia, I wanted to ask you about the year abroad option' starts questions 26-30, and Mia's advice follows the stages in the list, from the second year to the year abroad itself.
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: Rob and Mia mention all three options, but often as something that didn't happen or something different. Listen for small distinctions: a silence before talking versus pauses in conversation, an actor in a wheelchair versus an injury.
Question 21
Answer: CWhen Mia asks how he captured his grandfather's authority
How did Rob prepare to play the doctor?
He must have all sorts of stories, but he never says much about his work, even now. … I'd visualise what he must have been like in the past
Question says → You hear
the way he imagined his grandfather at workI'd visualise what he must have been like in the past
Why: 'Visualise' means imagine, and Rob pictures his grandfather in his consulting room with patients. C.
The trap: A: Rob says his grandfather 'must have all sorts of stories' but never talks about his work. B: Rob never watched him working; he could only picture it.
Question 22
Answer: AWhen Mia raises 'the issue of atmosphere'
How did the first scene show that village life was boring?
there was that long silence before anyone spoke. And then people kept saying the same thing over and over, like 'Cold, isn't it?'
Question says → You hear
repetition of words and phrasespeople kept saying the same thing over and over
Why: Saying the same thing over and over is repetition. A.
The trap: C: the long silence happens before anyone speaks, not as pauses within conversations. B: grey and brown were the costumes people wore, not painted scenery.
Question 23
Answer: AWhen Rob says he has to analyse how he functioned in the group
What did Rob learn about himself from group work?
she helped us work out exactly what to do, for the production. And that made me feel better. … When you understood what needed doing? … Yes.
Question says → You hear
He likes to have clear guidelinesshe helped us work out exactly what to do
Why: Rob felt better once he knew exactly what to do. Knowing exactly what to do is having clear guidelines. A.
The trap: B: he says he was 'so frustrated at times', which is the opposite of coping well. C: Sophia was the leader, not Rob.
Question 24
Answer: BWhen Rob says Sophia did some research
What did the research material describe?
she found these articles from the 1950s about how relationships between children and their parents, or between the public and people like bank managers or the police were shifting.
Question says → You hear
changing social attitudeshow relationships … were shifting
Why: Changing relationships between children and parents, or between the public and authority figures, are changing social attitudes. B.
The trap: C: bank managers sound economic, and A: the police sound political, but the articles are about relationships between people, which is social.
Question 25
Answer: BWhen Mia asks about practical problems
What problem did they solve in the final rehearsal?
with the stage all dark except for one spotlight - and then that stuck somehow so it was shining onthe wrong side of the stage ... but anyway we got that fixed
Question says → You hear
an equipment failureone spotlight - and then that stuck somehow
Why: The spotlight got stuck and shone on the wrong side of the stage. A light that doesn't work properly is an equipment failure, B.
The trap: C: the patient is in a wheelchair as part of the play, not injured. A: he has a 'really long speech', but nobody forgets it.
Matching (A-G)
Questions 26-30
How to attack this block: Seven actions for five stages, so two are never used. Mia gives each piece of advice in her own words ('get a move on', 'prove that you know your subject'), so match the meaning. One distractor shares a word with the answer: 'arrangements'.
Question 26
Answer: EThe start of Mia's advice, when Rob says it looks competitive
What should you do in the second year of the course?
you need to work really hard in all your theatre studies modules. Only students with good marks get places
Question says → You hear
show ability in Theatre Studieswork really hard in all your theatre studies modules … Only students with good marks get places
Why: Places are limited, so in the second year you need good marks in your theatre studies modules to prove you know the subject. E.
The trap: Nothing about recommendation letters (B) is said. Good marks are the evidence, not anyone's letter.
Question 27
Answer: DWhen Rob asks how Mia chose where to go
What should you do when first choosing where to go?
that would fit in with what I wanted to do after I graduate, so I looked for a university_with emphasis on acting rather than directing
Question says → You hear
the institution's focus is relevantemphasis on acting rather than directing
Why: She chose a university whose emphasis matched her plans after graduating. Emphasis is focus, so D.
The trap: C, planning for the final year, sounds similar to thinking about after you graduate, but that advice comes later and is about something else.
Question 28
Answer: AWhen Mia mentions emailing the coordinator with your top three choices
What should you do when sending in your choices?
I had a friend who missed the deadline and didn't … get her first choice, so vou do need to get a move on at that stage.
Question says → You hear
be on timemissed the deadline … get a move on
Why: Her friend missed the deadline and lost her first choice, so the advice is to hurry and meet the deadline. A.
The trap: 'Certain places are very popular' might suggest choosing carefully, but the action Mia stresses is speed.
Question 29
Answer: GWhen Rob asks 'don't you have to write a personal statement'
What should you do when writing your personal statement?
I'll get some of the final year students to give me some tips ... maybe see if I can read what they wrote. … I think that's a very good idea.
Question says → You hear
ask for helpget some of the final year students to give me some tips
Why: Rob plans to ask final-year students for tips and Mia agrees, even offering to show hers. G.
The trap: Final year here means the older students, not planning for your own final year (C).
Question 30
Answer: C'And while you're abroad don't make the mistake I made'
What should you do while doing the year abroad?
I forgot all about making arrangements for when I came back here for … Make sure you stay in touch so they know your choices for, the optional modules.
Question says → You hear
plan for the final yearmaking arrangements for when I came back here
Why: Mia forgot to arrange her final-year modules while abroad, so the advice is to plan for the final year. C.
The trap: F, travel arrangements and bookings, shares the word 'arrangements', but Mia means choosing modules, not booking travel.
There's a long silence in the first scene, which looks like C. But it comes before anyone speaks, not within conversations. The boredom is shown by people saying the same thing over and over.
Rob felt frustrated, and Sophia was the leader, so B and C look possible. What he learned is that he felt better once he understood exactly what to do: he likes clear guidelines.
Mia says she forgot about 'making arrangements', which pulls you to F, travel arrangements. But they were arrangements for coming back for the final year, so C.
Words from this recording worth keeping
in-depth analysis(Rob's report)
a detailed study of something
authority(Playing the doctor)
a quality that makes people respect and listen to you
visualise(Playing the doctor)
form a picture of something in your mind
atmosphere(The first scene)
the mood or feeling of a place or scene
emerge as(Group work)
become known as, over time
rehearsal(Practical problems)
a practice before the real performance
competitive(Year abroad)
with many people trying to get few places
get a move on(Year abroad)
hurry up
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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 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.
