The Snow Centre: listening answers and explanations
Annie welcomes a group of visitors to the Snow Centre in New Zealand. She describes the week's activities (cross-country skiing, a dog-sled trip, a team relay and a snow-shoe trip with a night in a mountain hut), then gives information about four ski trails.
Questions 11-16 follow the week's programme in order: skiing, dog-sled trip, relay, snow-shoe trip, then the hut and what to do in a storm. 'Now, let me tell you something about the different ski trails' leads into 17-20, where the four trails come in the order of the list.
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: Annie mentions almost every option, but often as something that is optional, in the past or not recommended. Listen for her actual advice ('not to be missed', 'stay in the hut') and for words like 'included' that match the question.
Question 11
Answer: AAt the start, when Annie talks about cross-country skiing
What does Annie recommend visitors do when cross-country skiing?
There are marked trails, but … and that's an experience not to be missed
Question says → You hear
get away from the regular trailsThere are marked trails, but
recommendsan experience not to be missed
Why: There are marked trails, but you can leave them and go off on your own, which Annie calls 'not to be missed'. That's her recommendation: A.
The trap: B: enjoying the scenery is one option if you prefer to glide gently, not her advice. C: you can go at your own speed, but she never says to go slowly at the start.
Question 12
Answer: BWhen Annie says 'This afternoon, you'll be going on a dog-sled trip'
What does Annie say about the dog-sled trip?
If you want, you can have your own team for the afternoon and learn how to drive them, following behind our leader on the trail
Question says → You hear
Anyone has the chance to drive a team of dogsIf you want, you can have your own team for the afternoon and learn how to drive them
Why: Anyone who wants can drive their own team of dogs: B.
The trap: A: the dogs were racing on TV in a festival, but the visitors don't race. C: the leader is Annie's staff, and the visitors follow behind.
Question 13
Answer: AWhen Annie says 'At the weekend, we have the team relay event'
What does Annie say about the team relay event?
Participation rather than winning is the main focus, and there's a medal for everyone who takes part
Question says → You hear
All participants receive a medalthere's a medal for everyone who takes part
Why: 'A medal for everyone who takes part' is A.
The trap: B: each team does four laps, but no distance is given. C: teachers from a local school are taking part, but they don't lead the teams.
Question 14
Answer: CWhen Annie describes 'your final expedition' to Mount Frenner
What will visitors do on the snow-shoe trip?
you'll head off to Mount Frenner wearing a pair of special snow shoes … miners once searched for gold, though there are very few traces of their work left now … and return
Question says → You hear
On the snow-shoe tripyou'll head off to Mount Frenner wearing a pair of special snow shoes
Why: In the recording, Annie says the group will go up the mountain to the top and come back down: C. The gold and the flowers are background details.
The trap: A: miners once searched for gold, but there's almost nothing left to see. B: the flowers only appear when the snow melts in summer, not on this winter trip.
Question 15
Answer: AWhen Annie says 'You'll spend the night in our hut half-way up the mountain'
What is included in the cost of the mountain hut?
That's included in your package for the stay. It's got cooking facilities, firewood and water for drinking.
Question says → You hear
The cost of accommodation ... includesThat's included in your package
a supply of drinking waterwater for drinking
Why: The hut comes with cooking facilities, firewood and drinking water as part of the package. Only A is in the options.
The trap: B: taking your luggage up by snowmobile costs ten dollars a person extra. C: there are cooking facilities, but you take your own food and cook it yourself.
Question 16
Answer: BWhen Annie warns that the weather on Mount Frenner can be very stormy
What should visitors do if there's a storm while they're in the hut?
In that case, stay in the hut-generally the storms don't last long
Question says → You hear
wait until the weather improvesstay in the hut-generally the storms don't last long
Why: Stay in the hut because storms don't last long. That means waiting for the weather to improve: B.
The trap: C: the emergency beacon is only for real emergencies like illness or injury, not storms. A: she says not to worry about the airport bus, as it probably won't be running.
Matching (A-F)
Questions 17-20
How to attack this block: Six options for four trails, so two are not used. Each trail has a clear signal word: experts, nervous, shelter, check. Note that a river is mentioned for two trails, but nobody crosses one.
Question 17
Answer: BThe first trail, right after 'let me tell you something about the different ski trails'
What does Annie say about Highland Trail?
from where we are now … experts to practise their technique
Question says → You hear
It is suitable for all abilitiesexperts to practise their technique
Why: In the recording, Highland Trail is good for beginners and also used by experts to practise their technique. Good for everyone means suitable for all abilities: B.
The trap: Hearing 'experts' can push you to D, demands a lot of skill. But that's Pine Trail, where she warns nervous skiers to keep away.
Question 18
Answer: DWhen Annie says 'Then there's Pine Trail'
What does Annie say about Pine Trail?
if you're nervous about skiing, leave this one to the experts! … But if you've fully mastered the techniques needed for hills, it's
Question says → You hear
It demands a lot of skillleave this one to the experts … if you've fully mastered the techniques needed for hills
Why: Only for experts, and only fun if you've fully mastered the techniques for hills. It demands a lot of skill: D.
The trap: C: you look right down on the river below, but you don't cross it.
Question 19
Answer: AWhen Annie says 'Stony Trail's a good choice'
What does Annie say about Stony Trail?
a shelter half-way where … sit and take a break and enjoy the afternoon sunshine
Question says → You hear
It has a good place to stop and resta shelter half-way where … sit and take a break
Why: A shelter half-way where you can sit and take a break is a good place to stop and rest: A.
The trap: The 'one or two tricky sections' might suggest F, very narrow sections, but nothing is said about width. And it's for people who know the basics, not all abilities.
Question 20
Answer: EThe last trail, after 'And finally'
What does Annie say about Loser's Trail?
if it's snowing or windy … before you set out to make sure the trail's open that day
Question says → You hear
It may be closed in bad weatherif it's snowing or windy … make sure the trail's open that day
Why: In snowy or windy weather you need to check the trail is open, so it may be closed in bad weather: E.
The trap: C: it follows a gentle river valley, but you go along it, not across a river.
Annie says you can go at your own speed and enjoy the scenery, so B and C both sound like advice. Her real recommendation is to leave the marked trails: 'an experience not to be missed'.
Gold miners and summer flowers both come up on the snow-shoe trip. But the miners left few traces, and the flowers are only there in summer. The trip itself goes up the mountain.
Three things in the hut sound like they're included: luggage transport, cooking facilities and drinking water. Luggage costs ten dollars extra and you bring your own food. Only the water comes with the package.
Words from this recording worth keeping
cross-country skiing(Cross-country skiing)
skiing across flat land rather than down slopes
glide(Cross-country skiing)
move smoothly and easily
relay(Team relay)
a race where team members take turns
participation(Team relay)
taking part
expedition(Snow-shoe trip)
an organised journey for a particular purpose
conserve supplies(Mountain hut)
avoid using up what you have
mastered(Ski trails)
learned to do something very well
exposed(Ski trails)
open, with no protection from wind or weather
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 13 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 13, Test 4, 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.
