Ways of keeping fit: listening answers and explanations
A fitness instructor on a radio programme helps listeners choose a physical activity. She runs through six options, from the gym to a personal trainer, giving a good point and a drawback for each, then talks about why people give up at the gym and how to set fitness goals.
Questions 11-16 follow the list in order: gym, running, swimming, cycling, yoga, personal trainer. Each activity is named clearly as it starts. The second half of the programme gives 17-18 (why people give up the gym) and then 19-20 (advice on setting goals).
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: For each activity the speaker gives both a plus and a minus, and the minus often sounds like one of the options. You want the advantage. Seven options for six activities, so one is never used: sociable, which comes up only as a drawback of swimming.
Question 11
Answer: FThe first activity, after 'whether you would enjoy training in a gym'
What advantage does the speaker give for using a gym?
But with regular training you'll see a big difference in a relatively short space of time.
Question says → You hear
fast resultsyou'll see a big difference in a relatively short space of time
Why: A big difference in a short time is fast results, F. 'But' after the drawbacks tells you the advantage is coming.
The trap: Gyms getting crowded and fitting them into a busy day are drawbacks, not advantages.
Question 12
Answer: DWhen she says running has become incredibly popular
What advantage does the speaker give for running?
it's a very accessible form of exercise. Anyone can run, even if you can only run a few metres to begin with
Question says → You hear
fitness level unimportantAnyone can run, even if you can only run a few metres to begin with
Why: Anyone can start, even if they can only run a few metres. Your fitness level doesn't matter: D.
The trap: 'At any time of day or night' tempts you towards A, but she adds that snow and ice may stop you, so it does depend on the season.
Question 13
Answer: AWhen she says swimming is another really good way to build fitness
What advantage does the speaker give for swimming?
What attracts many people is that you can swim in an indoor pool at any time of year.
Question says → You hear
not dependent on seasonin an indoor pool at any time of year
Why: An indoor pool means you can swim all year round, so it doesn't depend on the season: A.
The trap: Sociable (E) is the reverse of what she says: swimming can be boring or solitary, and it's hard to chat.
Question 14
Answer: BWhen she says cycling has become almost as popular as running
What advantage does the speaker give for cycling?
many people say being out in the fresh air in a park or in the countryside can be fun
Question says → You hear
enjoyablecan be fun
Why: Being out in the fresh air 'can be fun', which is enjoyable, B.
The trap: A, not dependent on season, is wrong: only fanatics cycle in wind and rain, so it depends on the conditions.
Question 15
Answer: CWhen she says yoga is good for both mind and body
What advantage does the speaker give for yoga?
with the right instructor there's less chance of hurting yourself than with other more active sports
Question says → You hear
low risk of injuryless chance of hurting yourself
Why: 'Less chance of hurting yourself' is a low risk of injury, C.
The trap: Fitness level unimportant (D) is wrong: it can be surprisingly challenging, especially if you aren't very flexible.
Question 16
Answer: GThe last activity, when she talks about getting a personal trainer
What advantage does the speaker give for a personal trainer?
if you've got someone there to encourage you and help you achieve your goals, you're less likely to give up
Question says → You hear
motivatingsomeone there to encourage you … you're less likely to give up
Why: Someone encouraging you so that you don't give up is motivating, G.
The trap: The costs and the risk of permanent damage from an unqualified trainer are drawbacks. Low risk of injury (C) belongs to yoga.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 17-18
How to attack this block: The question is about why people stop going, not why they never start. Time and money come up elsewhere in the talk, so make sure each option you choose is given as a reason for giving up.
Question 17-18
Answer: B and C (in either order)In the second half of the programme, when the speaker returns to the gym
Which two reasons does the speaker give for people giving up the gym?
Many people are put off by the idea of having to fit a visit to the gym into their busy day.
Why: In the recording, the speaker explains that people give up when they lose confidence (B) and when the gym starts to feel like too much effort (C). Both are reasons for stopping after they've started.
The trap: A, lack of time, is the strongest trap. The busy day is mentioned, but as something that puts people off going in the first place, not a reason they give up. High costs belong to the personal trainer.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 19-20
How to attack this block: Goal-setting advice often includes writing goals down and setting deadlines, so those options feel safe. Only tick what the speaker actually recommends.
Question 19-20
Answer: B and D (in either order)The final section, on setting goals
Which two pieces of advice does the speaker give about setting goals?
if you've got someone there to encourage you and help you achieve your goals
Why: In the recording, the speaker advises keeping your aims achievable (B) and rewarding yourself when you reach them (D). Small, realistic goals and rewards keep you going.
The trap: A, writing goals down, and C, a time limit, are standard tips that many people tick without hearing them. E, challenging yourself, goes against the advice to keep aims achievable.
Running 'at any time of day or night' sounds like 'not dependent on season'. But that's about the time of day, and she adds that snow and ice can stop you. The advantage is that anyone can run, whatever their fitness.
Swimming is the one activity you can do all year, because the pool is indoors: not dependent on season. Sociable is a trap: she says the opposite, that it's hard to chat.
Lack of time is the obvious reason, and the speaker does say a busy day puts people off the gym. But that's about starting. The reasons she gives for giving up are losing confidence and finding it too much effort.
Words from this recording worth keeping
put off(Gym)
made not to want to do something
accessible(Running)
easy for anyone to start or use
solitary(Swimming)
done alone
fanatics(Cycling)
people who are extremely keen on something
flexible(Yoga)
able to bend your body easily
significant costs(Personal trainer)
a lot of money
recognised qualification(Personal trainer)
an official certificate that people accept
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
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 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.
