Branley Castle: listening answers and explanations
A tour guide on a coach tells a group about Branley Castle just before they arrive. The guide covers the castle's history, what visitors can see inside and in the park, how the visit ends, and then gives directions on the plan to five places.
Questions 11-15 come first, in order: Elizabeth I, the 1982 sale, the rooms, the park, the end of the visit. Then 'if you can take a look at your plans' starts the map. The five places come in the order listed, each starting from the main entrance.
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 history comes fast, with dates and names in every sentence. Each wrong option uses something that really is mentioned, but in another role: the fire happened later, the government only gave support, the zoo is in the past. Match the option to the exact time or role in the question.
Question 11
Answer: BWhen the guide says the castle was looking run down
What happened before Elizabeth I's visit in 1576?
rather than repair the guest rooms, they'd make a new house for her out of wood next to the main hall
Question says → You hear
a new building was constructed for hermake a new house for her out of wood
Why: 'A new house for her' is the new building. It was put up because the castle was run down, before she arrived.
The trap: A: 'rather than repair the guest rooms' means the rooms were not repaired. C: there was a fire, but it destroyed the wooden house 'a few years later', not the main hall before her visit.
Question 12
Answer: CWhen the guide says the Fenys family could no longer afford the castle
Who bought the castle in 1982?
It was eventually taken over by a company who owned a number of amusement parks
Question says → You hear
an entertainment companya company who owned a number of amusement parks
Why: A company that owns amusement parks is an entertainment company, and 'taken over' means it became the new owner.
The trap: B: the Fenys family were the sellers, not the buyers. A: the government gave them support to keep the castle, but didn't buy it.
Question 13
Answer: C'When you go inside', at the state rooms
What can visitors see or do in some rooms?
there are life-like moving wax models
Question says → You hear
models of historical figures moving and talkinglife-like moving wax models … which even carry on conversations together
Why: The models move and 'carry on conversations together', so you see models moving and talking.
The trap: B: there are costumes, but on wax models, not actors, and you don't interact with them. A: the information comes from booklets in each room, not from experts.
Question 14
Answer: BWhen the guide says 'The castle park's quite extensive'
What can visitors do in the castle park now?
Nowadays the old zoo buildings are used for public displays of paintings and sculpture
Question says → You hear
go to an art exhibitionpublic displays of paintings and sculpture
Why: 'Nowadays' gives you the present. Displays of paintings and sculpture are an art exhibition.
The trap: C: the little zoo was in the nineteenth century, and only its buildings remain. A: the 800-year-old tree 'was sadly blown down in 1987', so you can't see it.
Question 15
Answer: AWhen the guide says you can wander around on your own until 4.30
What will the group have at the end of the visit?
having tea and cakes in the conservatory - and we'll then take you to the same place, where afternoon tea will be served to you
Question says → You hear
afternoon tea in the conservatorythe conservatory … the same place, where afternoon tea will be served
Why: The photos show the family in the conservatory, and the group is then taken to 'the same place' for afternoon tea. You have to link 'the same place' back to the conservatory.
The trap: C: they meet at the bottom of the Great Staircase, but nothing is said about a group photo. B: the photographs show the owners from a hundred years ago; the group doesn't meet them.
Plan labelling (A-H)
Questions 16-20
How to attack this block: Every route starts at the main entrance, so put your pen there each time. Listen for the turns ('first left', 'turn right before'), the landmarks (south gate, bridge, first tower) and the warnings ('Don't go on to the north gate'). Follow the route on the plan as you hear it.
Question 16
Answer: HWhen the guide says you can get a good view of the whole castle
Where do you start walking round the walls?
walk straight down the path until you get to the south gate, and it's just there. Don't go on to the north gate
Question says → You hear
Starting point for walking the wallsThe starting point's quite near the main entrance
route from the entrancewalk straight down the path until you get to the south gate
Why: From the main entrance, go straight down the path to the south gate; the starting point is right there, near the entrance. That's H.
The trap: The north gate is named straight after, but as the place not to go, because there's no way up from there.
Question 17
Answer: DWhen the guide mentions the archers' show
Where is the bow and arrow display?
The quickest way to get there is to take the first left after the main entrance and follow the path past the bridge, then you'll see it in front of you at the end.
Question says → You hear
Bow and arrow displaytake the first left after the main entrance … past the bridge … in front of you at the end
Why: First left from the entrance, past the bridge, and it's at the end of the path in front of you: D.
The trap: The shop route also starts with 'the first left after the main entrance', but turns right. The archers keep going past the bridge to the end.
Question 18
Answer: FWhen the guide mentions falcons and eagles
Where is the hunting birds display?
If you go from the main entrance in the direction of the south gate, but turn right before you get there instead of going through it, you'll see it on your right past the first tower.
Question says → You hear
Hunting birds displayturn right before you get there … on your right past the first tower
Why: Head towards the south gate, turn right before it, and the display is on your right once you've passed the first tower: F.
The trap: Going all the way to the south gate takes you to the walls (16), not the birds. The turn comes before the gate.
Question 19
Answer: AWhen the guide mentions the 3 pm performance
Where will the traditional dancing be?
That's right at the other side of the castle from the entrance, and over the bridge.
Question says → You hear
Traditional dancingright at the other side of the castle from the entrance, and over the bridge
Why: The outdoor stage is on the far side of the castle from the entrance, across the bridge: A.
The trap: The archers' route also mentions the bridge, but goes 'past' it. The stage is 'over' the bridge, at the opposite side of the castle.
Question 20
Answer: EThe last place, introduced with 'And finally the shop'
Where is the shop?
It's actually inside one of the towers, but the way in is fromthe outside. Just take the first left after the main entrance, go down the path and take the first right.
Question says → You hear
Shoptake the first left after the main entrance, go down the path and take the first right
Why: First left, down the path, first right: the shop is in a tower but entered from outside: E.
The trap: 'First left after the main entrance' is the same start as the archers' route. The difference is the first right, so don't follow the path all the way to the end.
The guest rooms (A) and a fire (C) are both mentioned. But the rooms were not repaired, and the fire came a few years after the visit. Before the visit, they built her a new wooden house: B.
The park had a little zoo and an 800-year-old tree, and both sound like answers. The zoo was in the nineteenth century and the tree blew down in 1987. Today the zoo buildings hold paintings and sculpture: an art exhibition.
The route to the hunting birds starts like the route to the walls, towards the south gate, so it's easy to stop too early. You turn right before the gate and go past the first tower.
Words from this recording worth keeping
invaders(History)
people who enter a country by force
run down(History)
in poor condition because it hasn't been looked after
enlarged(History)
made bigger
put it on the market(History)
offered it for sale
retain(Inside the castle)
keep
extensive(The park)
covering a large area
conservatory(End of the visit)
a glass room attached to a house
archers(Plan directions)
people who shoot with a bow and arrow
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The full Cambridge 14 Test 2 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 14, Test 2, 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.
