Visiting the Sheepmarket area: listening answers and explanations
A podcast about the Sheepmarket, an old market area of a city that has been redeveloped. The presenter describes who lives there, what to buy, a fashion competition and parking, then guides listeners round the map to six art and history attractions.
Questions 11-14 come first, in order: residents, side streets, the fashion competition, parking. 'If you look at our map' starts the labelling, and the six places come in the order of the questions, starting from Crawley Road at the bottom of the map.
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: The presenter mentions all three options in most questions. Listen for the specific detail the question asks about: the fastest-growing group, what the side streets are good for, what the designs must be based on, when parking is free.
Question 11
Answer: AAt the start, after 'one of the city's fastest-growing communities'
Which group of residents is growing fastest?
The nearby university has always meant the area's popular with students, who come in to enjoy the lively nightlife, but now graduates embarking on careers in the worlds of fashion
Question says → You hear
young professional peoplegraduates embarking on careers
Why: Graduates starting careers in fashion and similar fields, who are buying the new apartments, are young professionals. A.
The trap: B: students come in for the nightlife, but they don't live there. C: market workers used to live in the small houses that were replaced.
Question 12
Answer: C'The narrow old side streets are great places for'
What are the side streets recommended for?
The narrow old side streets are great places for finding original pictures, jewellery and ceramics which won't break the bank
Question says → You hear
arts and craftsoriginal pictures, jewellery and ceramics
Why: Pictures, jewellery and ceramics are arts and crafts. C.
The trap: A: there are cafés with tourists from all over the world, but no international restaurants. B: the oldest buildings are on the main streets, not the side streets.
Question 13
Answer: BWhen the presenter describes the Young Fashion competition
What must Young Fashion competition entries be based on?
This year they've been asked to design an outfit based on ideas from the music and technology that's part of their everyday life
Question says → You hear
inspired by aspects of contemporary culturebased on ideas from the music and technology that's part of their everyday life
Why: Music and technology from everyday life are aspects of today's culture, and the outfits must be based on them. B.
The trap: A: the winning entries will be modelled at a gala, but nothing says by the designers. C: they must use natural and man-made fibres, not local materials.
Question 14
Answer: B'Parking at the Sheepmarket is easy'
When is parking free in some car parks?
if you can present a receipt from one of the local stores, you'll not be charged at all
Question says → You hear
buy something in the shopspresent a receipt from one of the local stores
Why: A receipt proves you bought something in a local shop, and then you're not charged. B.
The trap: A: the roadside spaces for an hour or two are pay and display. C: after six there's a flat rate, which is cheap but not free, and weekends aren't mentioned.
Map labelling (A-I)
Questions 15-20
How to attack this block: Fix the landmarks first: Crawley Road at the bottom, Station Square, Hill Road, City Road on the east side, the public gardens and the Bank. Each place is given relative to these ('on the north side of', 'across from', 'immediately facing the junction'), so follow the directions with your pencil. Three letters are not used.
Question 15
Answer: HThe first place, right after 'Most visitors start from Crawley Road'
Where is the Reynolds House?
The Reynolds House is one of the oldest houses in the city … on the north side of Crawley … the footpath that leads to the public gardens
Question says → You hear
The Reynolds Houseon the north side of Crawley … the footpath that leads to the public gardens
Why: It's on the north side of Crawley Road, next to the footpath up to the public gardens. That is H.
The trap: Don't put it on the south side of Crawley Road: north is the side facing up the map, towards the gardens.
Question 16
Answer: CWhen the presenter mentions unusual sculptures
Where is The Thumb?
'The Thumb' is just what its name suggests, but it's about 10 metres high. You'll see it on Hill … from the Bank.
Question says → You hear
The ThumbYou'll see it on Hill … from the Bank
Why: The sculpture is on Hill Road, across the road from the Bank. That is C.
The trap: The Bank is a landmark, not the sculpture. Choose the letter on the opposite side of Hill Road.
Question 17
Answer: FAfter The Thumb, 'The Museum's got a particularly fine collection'
Where is the Museum?
It's on the east side of the Sheepmarket, on City Road. It's on the other side of the road from the public gardens, immediately facing the junction with Hill Road.
Question says → You hear
The Museumon the other side of the road from the public gardens, immediately facing the junction with Hill Road
Why: On City Road, across from the gardens and directly opposite where Hill Road meets it. That is F.
The trap: The Warner Gallery is also on City Road, near the gardens. The Museum is on the other side of the road, at the Hill Road junction.
Question 18
Answer: GAfter the Museum
Where is the Contemporary Art Gallery?
The Contemporary Art Gallery is on a little road that leads off Station Square … The road ends at the gallery - it doesn't go anywhere else.
Question says → You hear
The Contemporary Art Galleryon a little road that leads off Station Square … The road ends at the gallery
Why: It's at the end of a short dead-end road off Station Square, near the gardens. That is G.
The trap: Opening times (closed on Mondays) come straight after. They don't help with the location.
Question 19
Answer: IWhen the presenter describes the gallery that specialises in older art
Where is the Warner Gallery?
the junction with Crawley Road, on the same side of the road as the public gardens
Question says → You hear
The Warner Gallerythe junction with Crawley Road, on the same side of the road as the public gardens
Why: It's on City Road near where it meets Crawley Road, on the gardens' side. That is I.
The trap: The Museum is on City Road too, but opposite the gardens. The Warner Gallery is on the same side as them, further down by Crawley Road.
Question 20
Answer: BThe last place, 'if you're interested in purchasing high quality artwork'
Where is Nucleus?
need to go from Crawley Road up through Station Square and east along Hill Road until you get to a small winding road turning off. Go up there and it's on your right
Question says → You hear
Nucleusa small winding road turning off. Go up there and it's on your right
Why: Follow the route up through Station Square, east along Hill Road, then up the winding road: Nucleus is on the right. That is B.
The trap: 'If you get to City Road you've gone too far.' Don't pick a letter on City Road, or one on the left of the winding road.
Students are mentioned first and the area has always been popular with them, but they only come in for the nightlife. The growing community is graduates starting careers who are buying the new apartments.
Three parking ideas: pay and display for an hour or two, a flat rate after six, and free parking with a receipt from a local store. Only the receipt makes it free.
Nucleus needs a full route: from Crawley Road up through Station Square, east along Hill Road, then up a small winding road, and it's on your right. If you reach City Road you've gone too far.
Words from this recording worth keeping
redeveloped(Introduction)
rebuilt or changed to give a new use
vibrant(Introduction)
full of energy and activity
embarking on(Residents)
starting something new
won't break the bank(Side streets)
won't cost too much
garments(Young Fashion competition)
items of clothing
flat rate(Parking)
a fixed price that doesn't change
winding(Map: Nucleus)
with many bends
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 12 Test 8 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 12, Test 8, 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.
