Changes in Barford: listening answers and explanations
At a public meeting, Shona Ferguson from the town council describes how Barford has changed over the last 50 years: buses, roads, shopping, medical care and jobs. She then outlines the plans for five town facilities.
Questions 11-15 follow Shona's topics in order: buses, roads, shopping, medical facilities, employment. 'Now I'll very quickly outline current plans' starts the matching, and the five facilities come in the order printed.
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: Shona mentions all three options for most questions, then rules two out. Listen for her verdicts: 'little impact', 'not much higher', 'being measured', 'have failed'. The surviving option is the one she presents as a fact.
Question 11
Answer: CThe first change she describes, buses fifty years ago and now
Why does Shona think fewer people use the buses now?
the routes that attract most passengers. So parts of the town are no longer, served by buses. Even replacing old uncomfortable buses with smart new ones has had little impact
Question says → You hear
There are not so many bus routesparts of the town are no longer, served by buses
Why: The bus companies only run the busiest routes, so parts of the town have no buses at all. That means fewer routes, C.
The trap: A is out: the old uncomfortable buses have already been replaced, with little effect. B is rejected too: fares are 'not much higher' than 50 years ago compared with incomes.
Question 12
Answer: BWhen Shona says 'Changes in the road network are affecting the town'
Which road change is known to have helped the town most?
The impact of this is being measured … new cycle paths, separating bikes from cars in most main roads, are being used far more than was expected, reducing traffic and improving air
Question says → You hear
known to have benefited the townreducing traffic and improving air
Why: The cycle paths are used more than expected and are reducing traffic and improving air quality. Those are clear, known benefits, so B.
The trap: C, closing the centre to cars, did make it safer, but the impact 'is being measured', so it isn't known yet. A, the bypass, hasn't been built: the council's attempts failed.
Question 13
Answer: BWhen Shona says shopping in the centre has changed
What is the problem with shopping in the town centre?
department stores in nearby large towns, as there are so few well-known chain, stores here
Question says → You hear
lack of major retailersso few well-known chain, stores here
Why: People go to other towns because Barford has so few well-known chain stores. Big-name chains are major retailers, so B.
The trap: A is wrong because new car parks have been opened, and shopper numbers still fell. C fails: people already combine shopping with the town's restaurants and cafés.
Question 14
Answer: AWhen she says 'Turning now to medical facilities'
What does Shona say about medical facilities?
hospital closed 15 … ago, which means journeys to other towns are … unavoidable. On the other hand, there are more dentists than there used to be.
Question says → You hear
There is no hospitalhospital closed 15 … ago
Why: The hospital closed 15 years ago, so people must travel to other towns. Barford has no hospital, A.
The trap: C is the reverse of what she says: there are more dentists than before. B: there are fewer practices than 50 years ago, and no new ones are mentioned.
Question 15
Answer: CWhen Shona says 'Employment patterns have changed'
Which sector employs the most people?
of schools and colleges has increased … that the main employment sector
Question says → You hear
The largest number of people are employed inthe main employment sector
Why: More schools and colleges have made education the main employment sector, C.
The trap: Services (B) have 'grown in importance', but that's not the same as employing the most. Manufacturing (A) hasn't declined much, which is a surprise, but it's not the biggest employer.
Matching (A-G)
Questions 16-20
How to attack this block: Seven plans, five facilities, so two letters are spare. Each facility gets a rejected or past idea first (a multi-storey car park, demolition, enlarging the library), then the real plan. Match the plan, not the idea that was dropped.
Question 16
Answer: GFirst facility, after 'outline current plans'
What is planned for the railway station car park?
The railway company applied for permission to replace it with a multi-storey car park, but that was refused … will be used to increase the number of parking spaces
Question says → You hear
It will be expandedwill be used to increase the number of parking spaces
Why: The company has bought land next to the car park to add spaces. More space and more spaces means it will be expanded, G.
The trap: The multi-storey plan was refused, so don't rule out expansion because of it. D (a different purpose) doesn't fit either: it stays a car park.
Question 17
Answer: AStraight after the station car park
What is planned for the cinema?
the old cinema in the high street, will close at the end of the year … reopen on a different site
Question says → You hear
It will move to a new locationreopen on a different site
Why: The Grand will close and reopen on a different site. That's a new location, A.
The trap: Three screens instead of one sounds like G (expanded), but the screens will have fewer seats, and the key point is the move.
Question 18
Answer: CWhen Shona says the market has become 'more and more shabby-looking'
What is planned for the indoor market?
it will close for six weeks to be made safe and redecorated
Question says → You hear
It will be refurbishedto be made safe and redecorated
Why: Making the building safe and redecorating it is refurbishment, C.
The trap: Demolition was threatened, but 'the good news' is that it's being repaired instead. Closing for six weeks is temporary, not reduced hours (E).
Question 19
Answer: BWhen Shona mentions students studying there
What is planned for the library?
The council has managed to secure funding to keep the library open … twice a week. We would like to enlarge the building in the not-too-distant future, but this is by no means definite
Question says → You hear
opening hours extendedkeep the library open … twice a week
Why: Funding has been secured to keep it open later into the evening twice a week. Longer opening is B.
The trap: G (expanded) is the council's wish to enlarge the building, but it's 'by no means definite'. Only the longer hours are a firm plan.
Question 20
Answer: FLast facility, before 'OK, now let me ask you'
What is planned for the nature reserve?
the council will no longer be in charge of the area. Instead it will become the responsibility of a national body
Question says → You hear
It will have new managementit will become the responsibility of a national body
Why: A national body will take over from the council, so the reserve gets new management, F.
The trap: Access has no limit 'and this will continue to be the case', so nothing changes about opening (B or E).
The closed town centre sounds like the biggest change, but its impact 'is being measured', so nobody knows yet. The cycle paths are the change with known benefits.
The multi-storey car park was refused, which could pull you away from G. But the company bought land next door to add parking spaces, so the car park is still being expanded.
Enlarging the library is mentioned, but it's 'by no means definite'. The confirmed plan is longer opening hours twice a week, B.
Words from this recording worth keeping
on a trial basis(Roads)
for a test period, to see if it works
bypass(Roads)
a road that goes around a town instead of through it
independent stores(Shopping)
shops not owned by a large company
chain(Shopping)
a group of shops owned by one company
medical practices(Medical facilities)
doctors' surgeries
multi-storey(Plans for facilities)
having several floors
shabby-looking(Plans for facilities)
old and in poor condition
demolition(Plans for facilities)
knocking a building down
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 11 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 11, 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.
