Musicians' concert dress: listening answers and explanations
A supervisor asks Joanna about the psychology study she did for her Master's degree. She explains how she chose six female musicians, why she interviewed them by phone, and what she found about how performers decide what to wear on stage.
Questions in order. 21-22 are about her subjects, 23-24 the phone interviews, 25-26 what she first meant to study. Then the supervisor raises topics one by one: why only women (27), Mike Frost's article (28), the audience (29) and sports scientists (30).
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: Listen for 'all' or something that means it: 'they all had'. Some details apply to only some of the subjects ('quite a few had won prizes') or to the range rather than every person (ages 25 to 29).
Question 21-22
Answer: B and D (in either order)When the supervisor asks how she chose her subjects
Which two characteristics did all of Joanna's subjects share?
tours in different continents … artists who'd produced recordings, but this is something that's just taken for, granted these days, and they all had
Question says → You hear
They had all toured internationallytours in different continents
They had all made music recordingsand they all had
Why: D: they had all done extensive tours in different continents. B: Joanna wasn't looking for recordings, but 'they all had' them.
The trap: A is close: 'quite a few' had won prizes, not all. C fails because they were 25 to 29 with an average of 27.8. E fails because there was a pianist and a flute player too.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 23-24
How to attack this block: Joanna mentions worries she had before the interviews (stress, sound quality) and then says they didn't happen. The two correct options are the benefits she confirms.
Question 23-24
Answer: A and B (in either order)When the supervisor says 'you collected your data through telephone interviews'
Which two points does Joanna make about using phone interviews?
if I was going to interview leading musicians it'd only be possible … over the phone because they're so busy … got less rich data, rather the opposite in fact
Question says → You hear
It allowed the involvement of top performersinterview leading musicians it'd only be possible … over the phone
rich data could be collectedrather the opposite in fact
Why: B: leading musicians are so busy that the phone was the only way to interview them. A: she doesn't think she got less rich data, 'rather the opposite'.
The trap: C: she thought it might be stressful, but it was informal and they were keen to talk. E: she worried about sound quality, but 'it worked out all right'. D: interviews were at least 30 minutes, sometimes longer.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 25-26
How to attack this block: The question says 'originally'. Joanna says what her research became first, then 'When I started I was more interested in'. Only the first plans count.
Question 25-26
Answer: B and E (in either order)When Joanna says 'But that focus didn't emerge immediately'
Which two topics did Joanna originally plan to research?
When I started I was more … to investigate the impact of what was worn on those listening, and also whether someone like a … adopt a different style of clothing from
Question says → You hear
audience reactions to the dress of performersthe impact of what was worn on those listening
links between musical instrument and dress choicewhether someone like a … adopt a different style of clothing from
Why: B: she wanted to study the effect of clothes on the people listening, the audience. E: whether a violinist might dress differently from a flute or trumpet player.
The trap: D is what her research finally investigated: how players see their role and how it links to clothing. A comes up just after, but she says rules are rare, and it was never her topic.
Multiple choice
Questions 27-30
How to attack this block: The supervisor sets up each topic, and Joanna often corrects the assumption in the question. Listen for 'but': 'a lot of the men are very much influenced by fashion, but...' leads to the answer.
Question 27
Answer: CWhen the supervisor asks if men care less about fashion
Why did Joanna focus on women performers?
I think a lot of the men are very much influenced by fashion, but in social terms, the choices they have are more limited
Question says → You hear
women's code of dress is less strict than men'sthe choices they have are more limited
Why: Men's choices are more limited, because they would upset audiences if they went outside narrow boundaries. So women have a less strict code, C.
The trap: A is the supervisor's suggestion turned around, and Joanna rejects it: men are very much influenced by fashion too. B, controversy, is never mentioned.
Question 28
Answer: AWhen the supervisor asks if Joanna read Mike Frost's article
What does Mike Frost say affects how women in pop music dress?
and he suggests this is because otherwise they'd … be discounted as, trivial
Question says → You hear
their wish to be taken seriouslyotherwise they'd … be discounted as, trivial
Why: Women dress down so they won't be dismissed as trivial. Not wanting to be seen as trivial is wanting to be taken seriously, A.
The trap: Joanna offers a different reason, that jeans are practical for energetic concerts, but that's her view, and the supervisor says Frost doesn't make that point.
Question 29
Answer: AWhen the supervisor brings up the effect of the audience
What did Joanna's subjects say about the audience?
They believed the audience had certain expectations and it was up to them as performers to fulfil these, expectations, to show a kind of esteem
Question says → You hear
linked to respect for the audienceto show a kind of esteem
Why: Performers dress to meet the audience's expectations and to show esteem. Esteem means respect, A.
The trap: C is about the audience making an effort, and Joanna says that used to happen but isn't really the case now. B, distracting from the music, isn't mentioned.
Question 30
Answer: CWhen Joanna mentions sports scientists
What could musicians learn from sports scientists?
Musicians are quite vulnerable physically, aren't they, because the movements they carry out are very intensive and repetitive … of sports clothing could safeguard the players from the
Question says → You hear
protect against physical injurycould safeguard the players from the
Why: The supervisor says sports clothing could safeguard musicians from the dangerous effects of intensive, repetitive movement. Joanna agrees but says musicians don't consider it. That's C.
The trap: A, physical freedom, is something musicians already think about: they avoid clothes that restrict movement, 'but that's as far as they go'. B, better performance, isn't mentioned.
D (dress and the performer's role) is what her research ended up investigating. The question asks what she originally intended, which was audience reactions and instrument choice.
The supervisor suggests men care less about fashion. Joanna disagrees: men are influenced by fashion, but their choices are more limited. So women's code is less strict, C.
Words from this recording worth keeping
highly regarded(The subjects)
thought of as very good by others
extensive(The subjects)
covering a large area or amount
taken for granted(The subjects)
accepted as normal without question
informal(Phone interviews)
relaxed and friendly, not official
dress down(Mike Frost's article)
wear more casual clothes than usual
trivial(Mike Frost's article)
not important or serious
esteem(The audience)
respect and admiration
vulnerable(Sports scientists)
easily hurt or harmed
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The full Cambridge 11 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 11, Test 4, 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.
