Natural dyes to colour fabrics: listening answers and explanations
Jim, a textile design student, talks to his tutor about his project on using natural dyes to colour fabrics like cotton and wool. He explains what inspired him and how he ran his experiments, and then they go through the problems with six different natural dyes.
Questions 21-24 come in order as Jim describes his project: the inspiration, the investigation, what surprised him and the artificial yellow dye. The tutor's 'So what natural dyes did you look at?' starts 25-30, and the dyes come in the order of the list. Problems are given by Jim and by the tutor, so listen to both.
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: Jim tends to mention several things before getting to the real answer, and some of his first ideas changed. Listen for 'but', 'then I decided' and 'actually': they mark the point where his story turns.
Question 21
Answer: CWhen the tutor asks 'Why did you choose that topic?'
What first made Jim interested in this project?
But I've always been interested in anything to do with colour. Years ago … carpet shop with my parents when we were on holiday in Turkey
Question says → You hear
first inspiredI've always been interested … Years ago
carpets he saw on holidaycarpet shop with my parents when we were on holiday in Turkey
Why: His interest in colour goes back to a carpet shop in Turkey on holiday 'years ago'. That's the first inspiration: C.
The trap: A: the museum exhibition gave him useful ideas, but 'But I've always been interested' takes us further back. B: the book came after he decided to follow up the idea.
Question 22
Answer: AWhen the tutor says he had to include a practical investigation
What did Jim's practical investigation finally involve?
Then I decided to include others as well, so I looked at cotton and wool … Various types, including some that weren't natural, for comparison
Question says → You hear
using a range of dyes with different fibresI looked at cotton and wool … Various types
Why: He ended up using cotton and wool, with various types of dye. Several dyes on more than one fibre is A.
The trap: B was his first plan (just cotton), and C is the tutor's guess ('With just one type of dye?'), which Jim corrects.
Question 23
Answer: AWhen the tutor says making his own dyes must have taken time
What surprised Jim during his experiments?
I'd thought it'd just be a matter of a teaspoon or so of dye, and actually that wasn't the case at all
Question says → You hear
how much natural material was neededI'd thought it'd just be a matter of a teaspoon or so
Why: He expected a teaspoon or so, but had to chop up a whole pile of beetroot. The surprise was the amount of material: A.
The trap: B: he found the ready-made dyes on a website, but that's said as a plain fact, not a surprise. C: 'it all took longer' is about chopping and preparing, not leaving fabric in the dye.
Question 24
Answer: BWhen Jim mentions the artificial yellow food colouring he used
What went wrong when Jim used tartrazine?
I used it on cotton first. It came out a great colour, but when I rinsed the material, the colour just washed away.
Question says → You hear
not a permanent dye on cottonwhen I rinsed the material, the colour just washed away
Why: The colour washed out when he rinsed the cotton, so it wasn't permanent: B.
The trap: A: the tutor says it 'can occasionally cause allergic reactions', but Jim had no reaction. C: he planned to try it on nylon but abandoned the idea, so he never found out.
Matching (A-H)
Questions 25-30
How to attack this block: Eight problems for six dyes, so two are never used. Many dyes get a good point first ('the colour's great', 'very effective'), then the problem. Wait for the drawback, and watch for options that describe a different dye nearby.
Question 25
Answer: CThe first natural dye, after 'So what natural dyes did you look at?'
What is the problem with turmeric?
it's not permanent when it's used as a dye - a few washes, and it's gone
Question says → You hear
The colour is not long-lastingnot permanent … a few washes, and it's gone
Why: The tutor warns that it washes out after a few washes: C.
The trap: B: Jim calls it 'a really strong yellow', but he says that as praise. Strong colour isn't the problem.
Question 26
Answer: FStraight after turmeric, when Jim talks about dyeing wool
What is the problem with beetroot?
When I chop up beetroot to eat I always end up with bright red hands, but the wool ended up … a sort of watery cream shade. Disappointing
Question says → You hear
The colour may be unexpectedbright red hands, but the wool ended up … a sort of watery cream shade
Why: He expected red, as it stains his hands, but the wool came out a pale cream. The colour was not what he expected: F.
The trap: B, too strong, describes his red hands, not the dyed wool. C doesn't fit either: the problem is the shade, not that it fades.
Question 27
Answer: HWhen the tutor asks 'Have you heard of that?'
What is the problem with Tyrian purple?
It fell out of use centuries ago, though one researcher managed to get hold of some recently
Question says → You hear
It is not generally availableIt fell out of use centuries ago
Why: It stopped being used centuries ago and only one researcher managed to get some recently. It isn't generally available: H.
The trap: A, expensive, is suggested by 'so rare' and 'only by important people', but cost is never mentioned. That belongs to cochineal.
Question 28
Answer: DWhen the tutor asks 'Did you use any black dyes?'
What is the problem with logwood?
I hope you were careful to wear gloves. … It can be extremely dangerous if it's ingested.
Question says → You hear
It is very poisonousextremely dangerous if it's ingested
Why: Dangerous if swallowed means poisonous: D.
The trap: Jim says it was complicated to prepare the fabric, but that isn't one of the options. Don't let it push you towards E.
Question 29
Answer: AWhen the tutor asks about an insect-based dye
What is the problem with cochineal?
I managed to get the dye quite easily from a website. But it cost a fortune.
Question says → You hear
It is expensiveit cost a fortune
Why: 'Cost a fortune' means very expensive: A.
The trap: H: the insects aren't available locally, but Jim got the dye 'quite easily' online. So availability wasn't the problem.
Question 30
Answer: EThe last dye, when Jim says he read about using metal oxide
What is the problem with metal oxide?
Yes, that works well for dying cotton. But you have to be careful as the metal can actually affect the fabric and so you can't expect to get a lot of wear out of fabrics
Question says → You hear
It can damage the fabricthe metal can actually affect the fabric
Why: The metal affects the fabric, so it won't last long: E.
The trap: G: the tutor starts by saying it 'works well for dying cotton', so it isn't unsuitable. The subtle colours are a second drawback, but that isn't an option in the box.
The museum exhibition and the book on a botanic garden are both mentioned, and the book is described in detail. But they came later. The first spark was the carpet shop in Turkey, years ago.
Tyrian purple was rare, worn only by important people, which suggests 'expensive'. The problem the tutor gives is that it fell out of use centuries ago, so it's not generally available.
Cochineal comes with two possible problems: the insects aren't available locally, and the dye cost a fortune. Jim got the dye easily online, so availability wasn't the problem. Cost was.
Words from this recording worth keeping
dyes(Introduction)
substances used to change the colour of cloth
fabrics(Introduction)
cloth such as cotton or wool
fibre(Investigation)
the thread that cloth is made from
abandoned(Tartrazine)
gave up a plan
allergic reactions(Tartrazine)
bad effects on the body caused by a substance
ingested(Logwood)
eaten or swallowed
cost a fortune(Cochineal)
was very expensive
subtle(Metal oxide)
soft and not bright
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The full Cambridge 13 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 13, 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.
