Lucy Crittenden, who runs a volunteering organisation, gives a talk to try to recruit new volunteers. She explains what volunteers do and how they benefit, then describes six volunteers and how each has helped someone.
In order: activities volunteers do (11-12), how volunteers benefit (13-14), then 'what some of our volunteers have said' starts 15-20. The six volunteers come in the order listed, one short story each.
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 activities are paraphrased, so translate as you listen: painting or wallpapering, babysitting. Watch out for words that are near an option but mean something else, like advice on how to shop or tips on cooking.
Question 11-12
Answer: A and E (in either order)When she talks about supporting a family that's struggling
Which two volunteer activities are mentioned?
They might even do some painting or wallpapering … Or even do some babysitting so that parents can go out for a while.
Question says → You hear
decoratingpainting or wallpapering
childcaredo some babysitting
Why: A: painting and wallpapering are decorating. E: babysitting so the parents can go out is childcare.
The trap: D is the strongest distractor: shopping is mentioned, but volunteers only 'recommend how ... to shop sensibly'. That's advice, not doing the shopping. Cooking is also only tips, so nothing about delivering meals.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 13-14
How to attack this block: The benefits come in a short stretch straight after 'Volunteers also gain from it'. One option borrows a word from the speaker's own opinion ('lucky'), so check who is lucky and why.
Question 13-14
Answer: B and E (in either order)Right after 'Volunteers also gain from it'
Which two benefits for volunteers are mentioned?
volunteering may be a valuable element of their CV when they're applying for jobs … most volunteers feel that what they're doing gives them a purpose in their lives
Question says → You hear
boosting their employment prospectsa valuable element of their CV when they're applying for jobs
having a sense of purposegives them a purpose in their lives
Why: E: a stronger CV and employers who 'look favourably' on volunteering boost your chances of a job. B: volunteers feel what they do gives them a purpose.
The trap: C: 'they're lucky in that respect' is the speaker's view that they are lucky to have a purpose. Volunteers don't realise how lucky they are. Teamwork and time management are never mentioned.
Matching (A-G)
Questions 15-20
How to attack this block: Each volunteer's story ends with the result, so listen for what the person they help can do now. Seven options for six names means one is spare. Two options are close: starting a new hobby and rediscovering old skills. Ask whether the activity is new to the person.
Question 15
Answer: FThe first volunteer, after 'what some of our volunteers have said'
What has Habib helped someone to do?
The songs take the listeners back to their youth, and for a little while they can forget the difficulties that they face now.
Question says → You hear
remember past timestake the listeners back to their youth
Why: The songs take the elderly listeners back to when they were young, which is remembering past times: F.
The trap: Dementia might suggest A, a physical difficulty, or B, old skills. But they're only listening to singing, not using skills, and the effect is memories.
Question 16
Answer: AWhen she calls Consuela 'an amazing woman'
What has Consuela helped people to do?
She helps a couple of people with similar difficulties, who had almost stopped walking altogether. By using herself as an example, Consuela encourages them to walk more and more.
Question says → You hear
overcome physical difficultiesalmost stopped walking altogether … encourages them to walk more and more
Why: People with difficulty walking are now walking more and more. That's overcoming a physical difficulty: A.
The trap: B, rediscovering skills, is tempting because they had 'almost stopped walking'. But walking is a physical ability, and the story is about overcoming the difficulty.
Question 17
Answer: EThe third volunteer, the young man who lives alone
What has Minh helped someone to do?
can't leave his home on his own, so he hardly ever saw anyone. But together they go out to the cinema, or to see friends
Question says → You hear
escape isolationhe hardly ever saw anyone. But together they go out
Why: The young man lived alone and hardly ever saw anyone. Now he goes out to the cinema and to see friends: he has escaped isolation, E.
The trap: A, because he can't leave home on his own. But Minh doesn't fix the physical problem; he goes with him, so the change is social.
Question 18
Answer: GWhen she says Tanya is a professional dressmaker
What has Tanya helped someone to do?
Tanya showed her some soft toys she'd made, and the woman decided to try it herself. And now she really enjoys it, and spends hours making toys.
Question says → You hear
start a new hobbydecided to try it herself … spends hours making toys
Why: The woman tries making toys for the first time and now spends hours on it. That's a new hobby: G.
The trap: B: 'rediscover skills not used for a long time' would mean she used to sew. Nothing says that; she 'decided to try it'.
Question 19
Answer: DWhen she describes the family facing a number of difficulties
What has Alexei helped people to do?
he's helping them to realise that they aren't helpless, and that they can do something themselves to improve their situation
Question says → You hear
solve problems independentlythey can do something themselves to improve their situation
Why: 'Do something themselves' is 'independently', and talking over solutions is solving problems: D.
The trap: Self-esteem comes next, but no option is about confidence. Don't let the last word you hear decide the answer.
Question 20
Answer: CThe last volunteer, the teenage girl with learning difficulties
What has Juba helped someone to do?
Juba's worked very patiently with her, and now the girl is far better at expressing herself
Question says → You hear
improve their communication skillswasn't very good at talking to other people … far better at expressing herself
Why: Talking to people and expressing herself are communication skills, and she's 'far better' now: C.
The trap: Learning difficulties might suggest A, but they aren't physical, and the change is in how she talks and understands others.
The woman makes soft toys, which sounds like a skill, so people pick B. But she'd never done it before: she 'decided to try it herself'. That's a new hobby, G.
The speaker says volunteers are 'lucky', which matches option C. But that's her opinion about them having a purpose, not something volunteers realise. The two benefits are purpose and the CV.
Shopping is said, but as advice on how to shop sensibly, and cooking appears only as tips. The activities volunteers actually do are painting or wallpapering (decorating) and babysitting (childcare).
Words from this recording worth keeping
devote(What volunteering is)
give time or effort to something
behavioural difficulties(What volunteering is)
problems with how someone acts or controls themselves
struggling(What volunteers do)
having a hard time coping
look favourably on(Benefits for volunteers)
think well of
dementia(Habib)
an illness that damages memory and thinking, usually in old age
dressmaker(Tanya)
someone who makes clothes as a job
helpless(Alexei)
unable to do anything to help yourself
self-esteem(Alexei)
confidence in your own value
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The full Cambridge 14 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 14, 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.
