Children's literature course: listening answers and explanations
Stephanie is thinking of taking a one-year course on children's literature and asks Trevor, who is doing it now, what it covers. They discuss several modules, then compare their views on famous children's stories Stephanie has been reading.
Questions 21-25 follow the course modules in order: the purpose of children's literature (21-22), pictures and comics (23-24), books for boys and girls (25). Trevor's question about whether she's been reading children's stories starts 26-30, and the stories come in the order listed, with The Happy Prince slipped in between as a distractor.
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: This is a real discussion, so the speakers disagree and change their minds. In 24 you need the point they both end up accepting, not either person's first view. Each wrong option is built from something said nearby: the niece, the frightening pictures, the boys' adventure stories.
What does Trevor find interesting about the purpose of children's literature?
What's fascinating is that the writer isn't necessarily conscious of the message they're conveying.
Question says → You hear
authors may not realise what values they're teachingthe writer isn't necessarily conscious of the message they're conveying
Why: 'What's fascinating' signals his interest. 'Isn't necessarily conscious of the message' is 'may not realise what values they're teaching': A.
The trap: B: entertaining and educational is Stephanie's way of summing up the module, not what Trevor finds fascinating. C: the example is about children obeying adults, not imitating characters.
Question 22
Answer: CWhen Trevor says the module showed him how important stories are
What did the module make Trevor do?
Actually, it inspired me to have a go at it myself
Question says → You hear
decide to start writing some children's storiesit inspired me to have a go at it myself
Why: 'Have a go at it myself' means try writing stories himself: C.
The trap: A: his niece is mentioned, but only as a fan of Harry Potter; he doesn't analyse her books. B: he says he can't compete with popular stories, but he doesn't question whether popular means good.
Question 23
Answer: AWhen Stephanie asks if illustrations are covered
Why is Stephanie interested in the Pictures module?
I've always enjoyed drawing, so that's the field I want to go into when I finish the course.
Question says → You hear
she intends to become an illustratorthat's the field I want to go into when I finish the course
Why: She wants to work in drawing for books after the course, so she intends to become an illustrator: A.
The trap: B: she remembers pictures from her childhood, but 'frightening ones', not beautiful. C: she says pictures are 'just as powerful as words', not more important.
Question 24
Answer: BWhen Trevor says he's not convinced of their value
What do Trevor and Stephanie agree about comics?
so I think comics can serve a really useful purpose. … You mean, it's better to read a comic than not to read at all? Yes, I suppose you're right.
Question says → You hear
have the potential for being usefulcomics can serve a really useful purpose … Yes, I suppose you're right
Why: Stephanie says comics can be useful for children who won't read books, and Trevor accepts her point. That's the agreement: B.
The trap: A and C are Trevor's opinions (comics are worse than books and you don't need imagination), but Stephanie never agrees with them.
Question 25
Answer: BWhen Stephanie asks about books for girls and books for boys
What surprised Trevor about books for only boys or only girls?
I was amazed how many books were targeted at just one sex or the other.
Question says → You hear
how few books were aimed at bothhow many books were targeted at just one sex or the other
Why: If many books were aimed at only one sex, few were aimed at both. 'Amazed' is 'surprised': B.
The trap: A: he says the books reflect society at the time, not that nobody questioned the split. C: no one mentions children enjoying books meant for the other sex.
Matching (A-G)
Questions 26-30
How to attack this block: Seven comments for five stories, so two are spare. A story not on the list, The Happy Prince, comes in the middle with comments that fit option D, so don't let it pull you off track. Listen for the paraphrase: 'no stories of that type had been written before', 'took more effort'.
Question 26
Answer: FWhen Trevor asks about Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty
What is said about Perrault's fairy tales?
They must be important, because no stories of that type had been written before, these were the first.
Question says → You hear
started a new genreno stories of that type had been written before, these were the first
Why: The first stories of their type started a new genre: F.
The trap: Stephanie mentions there were earlier children's stories, which might seem to rule F out. But those were different kinds of story; the fairy tales were the first of their type.
Question 27
Answer: EAfter Trevor says he hasn't read it
What is said about The Swiss Family Robinson?
a more accurate translation would be The Swiss Robinsons, because it's about a Swiss family who are shipwrecked, like Robinson Crusoe
Question says → You hear
original title refers to another bookThe Swiss Robinsons … like Robinson Crusoe
Why: The real title, The Swiss Robinsons, points to Robinson Crusoe, a novel from a century earlier: E.
The trap: A: 'translation' is said, but only to explain what the original title means. Nothing says it was translated into many languages.
Question 28
Answer: CWhen Stephanie asks if Trevor has read Hoffmann
What is said about The Nutcracker and the Mouse King?
Wasn't that the basis for Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker? … That's right.
Question says → You hear
inspired a work in a different area of artthe basis for Tchaikovsky's ballet
Why: A story that became the basis for a ballet inspired a work in another art form: C.
The trap: Stephanie adds that it has 'some quite bizarre elements', which might sound like G, unlikely topic. But strange details aren't an unexpected subject, and G belongs to War Horse.
Question 29
Answer: BRight after they both praise The Happy Prince
What is said about The Lord of the Rings?
I struggled with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - three long books, and I gave up after one.
Question says → You hear
hard to readI struggled with … took more effort than I was prepared to give it
Why: Struggling, giving up after one book and needing more effort all mean Stephanie found it hard to read: B.
The trap: D: Trevor says it's 'extremely popular', and Wilde's plays were mentioned just before. But no one compares it with Tolkien's other works, and Trevor's love for it doesn't change Stephanie's comment.
Question 30
Answer: GThe last story, mentioned by Stephanie
What is said about War Horse?
It's about the First World War, isn't it? Hardly what you'd expect for a children's story.
Question says → You hear
unlikely topicHardly what you'd expect for a children's story
Why: A war story is 'hardly what you'd expect' for children, so the topic is unlikely: G.
The trap: 'It's been very successful' might suggest D, but there's no comparison with the author's other books.
Trevor starts out against comics (A and C are his views). Stephanie argues they can be useful, and Trevor gives in: 'Yes, I suppose you're right'. The question asks what they agree, so B.
Trevor says The Lord of the Rings is 'extremely popular', and the Happy Prince discussion just before mentions Wilde's other works. Both pull you to D. Stephanie's comment is that she struggled with it: hard to read.
The talk about the English name and 'a more accurate translation' makes A, translated into many languages, look right. The point is that the original title, The Swiss Robinsons, refers to Robinson Crusoe: E.
Words from this recording worth keeping
modules(The course)
separate units that make up a course
ethical(Purpose of children's literature)
to do with right and wrong
conveying(Purpose of children's literature)
communicating or getting across
vividly(Pictures module)
very clearly, as if real
targeted at(Books for boys and girls)
aimed at a particular group
shipwrecked(The Swiss Family Robinson)
left stranded after their ship was destroyed
bizarre(The Nutcracker)
very strange
witty(The Happy Prince)
clever and funny
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The full Cambridge 14 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 14, Test 4, 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.
