Melanie, on holiday with her family, phones the Stretton Festival box office. Rob tells her about the jazz band, the duck races and the flower show, then says which plays suit children, adults or everyone.
Questions 1-10 · 10 marks · 2 question blocks
The table goes row by row: jazz band (1-2), duck races (3-5), flower show (6-7), each read left to right. 'I've seen a list of plays' starts the matching, and the three plays come in the order printed. Rob gives nearly every answer.
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: Read each row across before you listen: venue, then notes. Rob often names a wrong option first and then the right one (primary and secondary, oboe and flute), and one answer is a spelled-out name.
Which school is the jazz band venue?
Yes, that's right, the secondary school. Make sure you don't go to the primary school by mistake!
Question says → You hear
Why: Rob confirms it's the secondary school. The table needs the adjective before 'school'.
The trap: Primary is said straight after, as the school to avoid.
What instrument does Carolyn Hart play?
Doesn't she play the oboe, or flute or something? … Yes, the flute.
Question says → You hear
Why: Melanie guesses two instruments, and Rob confirms one: the flute.
The trap: Oboe is Melanie's first guess, and Rob doesn't pick it. Symphony orchestras are where she usually plays, not her instrument.
Where do the duck races start?
back of the cinema, then they'll float along the river for 500 metres, as far as the railway bridge
Question says → You hear
Why: The ducks are launched into the river at the back of the cinema. 'At the back of' becomes 'behind' in the table.
The trap: The railway bridge is said in the same sentence, but that's the finishing point, 500 metres along. River fits the meaning but is where the race happens, not where it starts.
What are the prize tickets for?
wins its owner free, tickets for the concert on the last night of the festival
Question says → You hear
Why: The winner gets free tickets for the concert on the festival's last night. 'Last night' becomes 'end of the festival', so the gap is concert.
The trap: John Stevens, the champion swimmer, is mentioned just before, but he only starts the races. Jazz band is earlier in the call and has nothing to do with the prize.
Where can people buy the ducks?
They're on sale at a stall in the market.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'On sale' matches 'can be bought'. The stall is in the market, and the table needs 'in the ...', so market.
The trap: Stall fits the meaning, but 'in the stall' doesn't fit the grammar. Melanie saw the poster beside a river, which is not where ducks are sold.
What is the name of the hall for the flower show?
B-Y-T-H-W-A-I-T-E. Bythwaite.
Question says → You hear
Why: Rob spells it letter by letter. Copy it exactly, with a capital B.
The trap: Spelling, not meaning. The 'th' and the 'y' are easy to swap or drop.
Who will present the prizes at 5 pm?
The prizes are being given by a famous actor
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Given by' matches 'presented by', and 'famous' matches 'well-known'. The noun is actor.
The trap: Melanie says she's seen him on TV, but the gap needs his job. Writing his name doesn't fit 'a well-known ...' either.
How to attack this block: Three plays, three options, so each letter is used once. Listen for who each play is 'aimed at' and for hints like a babysitter or 'young and old'. Melanie's questions often make the answer clear before Rob confirms it.
Who is 'The Mystery of Muldoon' for?
So if I take my children, I can expect them to enjoy it more than I do? … I think so.
Question says → You hear
Why: Rob says it's aimed at five to ten-year-olds, and agrees the children will enjoy it more than Melanie. Mainly for children, A.
The trap: Melanie could go with them, which may make C look possible, but the play is aimed at children.
Who is 'Fire and Flood' for?
If you'd like something for yourself and your husband, and leave your children with a babysitter
Question says → You hear
Why: Rob suggests it for the parents, with the children at home with a babysitter, because children might find it frightening. That's B.
The trap: It's about real events in Stretton's history, which might sound educational for all ages. Rob's warning about children rules out C.
Who is 'Silly Sailor' for?
That's a comedy, and it's for young and
Question says → You hear
Why: Rob says the comedy is for young and old, which means all ages, C.
The trap: The drama festival award is extra detail and says nothing about the audience. Don't let 'comedy' push you to children only.
Two places along the river: the ducks start at the back of the cinema and finish at the railway bridge. The table asks for the start.
The prize is tickets for the concert on the last night. 'The last night' is already in the table as 'at the end of the festival', so the gap is concert.
Melanie says she's seen him on TV, which pulls you towards a TV word. Rob describes the prize-giver, Kevin, as a famous actor.
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 1. 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.
