Mark Logan, a guest speaker at a gardening club, tells the story of Minster Park: how it began, the campaign that saved it, what happened in the First World War and when the recent makeover began. He then uses a map to show where the new and moved features are.
Questions 11-14 follow the park's history in time order, from 1892 to 2016. Then 'let me tell you about some of the changes' and 'If you look at this map' start 15-20, which come in the same order as the list: statue, sculptures, playground, maze, tennis courts, fitness area.
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 history told in order, and each question has options that are all mentioned. Mark often says what something was not, or what nearly happened, before the real answer. Wait for the fact he actually confirms.
Question 11
Answer: CNear the start, when Mark talks about the origin of the park
How did the park first come into being?
unlike many public parks that started in private ownership, as the garden of a large house, for instance, Minster was some waste land, which people living nearby started planting with flowers in 1892
Question says → You hear
set up by the local communitypeople living nearby started planting with flowers
Why: Local residents started planting flowers on waste land, so it began as a shared space created by the community. That's C.
The trap: B, the garden of a large house, is what Minster was unlike. A is wrong because the council only took possession 20 years later.
Question 12
Answer: AAfter the council plans to sell the land for housing
Why is Diane Gosforth honoured with a statue?
Diane Gosforth was one of those people, and she organised petitions and demonstrations, which eventually made the council change its mind
Question says → You hear
helped to lead a campaignshe organised petitions and demonstrations
Why: She was one of the local people who wanted to keep the park, and she organised petitions and demonstrations. That is helping to lead a campaign.
The trap: B mentions the council, but the council was the opposition: it wanted to sell the land. She persuaded it to change its mind, she didn't sit on it.
Question 13
Answer: BWhen Mark says 'Soon after this the First World War broke out'
What was the park mostly used for during the First World War?
most of the park was dug up and planted with vegetables, which were sold locally
Question says → You hear
mainly used formost of the park was dug up and planted with vegetables
Why: 'Most of the park' matches 'mainly', and it was planted with vegetables. That's B.
The trap: The army only 'considered' using it for troop exercises, then decided it was too small. Public meetings were 'occasional' and held on a small area kept as grass.
Question 14
Answer: CWhen Mark talks about the plans for transforming the park
In which year did the actual work on the park start?
most recently in 2013, though they were revised in 2015, before any work had started. The changes finally got going in 2016
Question says → You hear
physical transformation … beginThe changes finally got going in 2016
Why: 'Finally got going' means the work actually started, and that was 2016.
The trap: 2013 and 2015 are both dates for plans on paper. Mark even says 'before any work had started' about 2015.
Map labelling (A-I)
Questions 15-20
How to attack this block: Before the audio, find the fixed points on the map: the river along the north, the three gates (south, east, west), the lily pond in the centre and the paths. Mark locates every feature from one of these, using words like 'immediately to the north of', 'where the path makes a sharp bend' and 'right next to'.
Question 15
Answer: EThe first feature on the map
Where is the statue of Diane Gosforth now?
it used to be close to the south gate, but it's now immediately to the north of the lily pond, almost in the centre of the park
Question says → You hear
statue of Diane Gosforthimmediately to the north of the lily pond
Why: Find the lily pond in the middle of the park and go just above it (north). That spot is E.
The trap: The south gate is the old position. The word 'now' tells you which location the map wants.
Question 16
Answer: CStraight after the statue
Where are the new wooden sculptures?
There's a new area of wooden sculptures, which are on the river bank, where the path from the east gate makes a sharp bend.
Question says → You hear
wooden sculptureson the river bank, where the path from the east gate makes a sharp bend
Why: Follow the path in from the east gate until it bends sharply beside the river in the north. The sculptures are there, at C.
The trap: There are several spots on the river bank. You need the one where the east-gate path makes its sharp bend, not just any riverside letter.
Question 17
Answer: BWhen Mark mentions the two areas intended for children
Where is the playground?
The playground has been enlarged and improved, and that's between the river and the path that leads from the pond to the river.
Question says → You hear
playgroundbetween the river and the path that leads from the pond to the river
Why: Find the path running north from the pond up to the river. The playground sits in the angle between that path and the river, at B.
The trap: The maze is the other children's area and comes next. Don't put the playground near the west gate.
Question 18
Answer: AWhen Mark describes the circular paths with low hedges
Where is the new maze?
That's near the west gate - you go north from there towards the river and then turn left to reach it.
Question says → You hear
mazenear the west gate - you go north from there towards the river and then turn left
Why: Start at the west gate, walk north towards the river, then turn left. That brings you to A, in the north-west.
The trap: Turning left while heading north means going west, not east. Mixing up left and right on a map is the usual way to lose this one, so trace the route with your pencil.
Question 19
Answer: GWhen Mark says the courts have doubled from four to eight
Where are the tennis courts?
They're still in the south-west corner of the park, where there's a right-angle bend in the path.
Question says → You hear
tennis courtsin the south-west corner of the park, where there's a right-angle bend in the path
Why: Go to the bottom left of the map and find the right-angle bend in the path. That's G.
The trap: The numbers four and eight are a distraction. 'Still' tells you the courts haven't moved.
Question 20
Answer: DThe last feature, after 'Something else I'd like to mention'
Where is the new fitness area?
the new fitness area. This is right next to the lily pond on the same side as the west gate.
Question says → You hear
fitness arearight next to the lily pond on the same side as the west gate
Why: The fitness area is beside the pond, on its west side, facing the west gate. That's D.
The trap: The statue is also by the pond, but to the north. The fitness area is on the west side of it.
'Started in private ownership, as the garden of a large house' is said first and in detail, but Mark says Minster was unlike those parks. It began when local people planted flowers on waste land.
The statue has moved. If you mark the spot near the south gate, you've labelled where it used to be. It's now just north of the lily pond, near the centre.
All three uses come up: vegetables, troop exercises and public meetings. The army only considered it, and the meetings were occasional. 'Most of the park' went to vegetables.
Words from this recording worth keeping
transformation(Introduction)
a complete change in appearance or character
waste land(Origin of the park)
unused, empty ground
took possession(Origin of the park)
became the owner of
densely populated(Saving the park)
with a lot of people living close together
petitions(Saving the park)
documents signed by many people asking for something
retained(First World War)
kept, not removed or changed
on schedule(Recent changes)
at the planned time
boundary(The map)
the line marking the edge of an area
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 15 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 15, 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.
