Two art students, Jess and Tom, compare notes on a project about birds in art. They look back on the introductory stage, agree on changes to their project proposals, then talk through the bird paintings they have chosen and what each one means to them.
Questions 21-22 come from the review of the introductory stage, 23-24 from the talk about drafting proposals. Tom's line about choosing paintings 'and say what they mean to us' opens 25-30, and the six pictures come in the order of the list, alternating between Tom and Jess.
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: All five activities come up in the first minute. The question asks what both students found useful, so one positive comment isn't enough: listen for the other speaker agreeing, and for complaints like 'what a letdown' or 'I missed those'.
Question 21-22
Answer: C and E (in either order)The opening exchange, from the handouts to Dr Fletcher's workshops
Which two parts of the introductory stage did both students find helpful?
When they gave us all those handouts … the more I read, the more interested I got. … Me too. … Much less use than the trip to the Natural History Museum. … Yeah.
Question says → You hear
the handouts with research sourceshandouts with details of books and websites to look at
the Natural History Museum visitMuch less use than the trip to the Natural History Museum
Why: E: Jess was put off by the handouts at first, but got more interested the more she read, and Tom says 'Me too'. C: Jess says the museum trip was more useful than the Bird Park, and Tom agrees, liking the material on evolution.
The trap: B is the strongest distractor: Tom enjoyed the workshops, but Jess missed them, so they weren't useful to both. A was 'a letdown' because of the rain, and D was never available to see.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 23-24
How to attack this block: The pattern here is one student mentions a change and the other says 'I'll have to do that too'. Options that only one of them needs to fix, or that both have already done, are distractors.
Question 23-24
Answer: B and E (in either order)From 'Have you drafted your proposal yet?' to Tom's 'I'll change that too then'
Which two changes will both students make to their proposals?
I haven't actually evaluated anything. … Oh, I didn't know we had to do that. I'll have to look at that too. … best not to be too precise about your actual outcome … Really? OK, I'll change that too then.
Question says → You hear
making their notes more evaluativenotes from my research are almost all just descriptions, I haven't actually evaluated anything
less specific about the outcomenot to be too precise about your actual outcome / make it a bit more vague
Why: E: Tom's notes are only descriptive, and Jess realises she'll have to fix hers too. B: Jess plans to make her outcome 'a bit more vague', and Tom says he'll change that too. Each change is started by one student and taken up by the other.
The trap: A is the closest miss: only Tom has to add a rationale, because Jess already did hers. C and D are things they have already done, so they aren't changes.
Matching (A-H)
Questions 25-30
How to attack this block: Each picture gets a physical description first and its meaning second, and the description is designed to mislead (colours, a predator, a hand). Wait for the 'I'm interested in' or 'to me it's about' line. Eight options for six pictures, so two are never used.
Question 25
Answer: DWhen Tom says he can't just call the painting 'a bit scary'
What meaning will Tom give to Landseer's falcon?
You could talk about the possible danger suggested by the bird's look.
Question says → You hear
a potential threatthe possible danger suggested by the bird's look
Why: 'Possible danger' is a direct paraphrase of 'a potential threat'. Tom's 'Oh, OK' accepts the idea.
The trap: The staring bird might make you think of power or protection, but neither is offered. 'A bit scary' is his feeling; the meaning he'll write about is the danger.
Question 26
Answer: CWhen Tom suggests predators and food chains
What meaning will Jess give to Audubon's fish hawk?
Well actually I think I'll concentrate on the impression of rapid motion it gives.
Question says → You hear
fast movementthe impression of rapid motion
Why: 'Rapid motion' means fast movement. 'Well actually' is the signal that she's rejecting Tom's idea and giving her own.
The trap: Predators and food chains suggest D, a potential threat, but that was Tom's suggestion, and Jess turns it down.
Question 27
Answer: AAfter Tom comments on the blue, red and black shades
What meaning will Jess give to van Gogh's kingfisher?
I've actually chosen it because I saw a real kingfisher once when I was little, I was out walking with my grandfather, and I've never forgotten it.
Question says → You hear
a childhood memorywhen I was little … I've never forgotten it
Why: 'When I was little' plus 'I've never forgotten it' is a childhood memory. Tom then checks: 'So we can use a personal link?'
The trap: E, the power of colour, is set up by Tom's comment about the beautiful shades. Jess's 'actually' moves away from that to her real reason.
Question 28
Answer: HWhen Tom describes a man who has just shot a bird
What meaning will Tom give to the portrait of William Wells?
To me it's about how ambiguous people are in the way they exploit the natural world.
Question says → You hear
a confused attitude to naturehow ambiguous people are in the way they exploit the natural world
Why: The man isn't sure about what he's done, and Tom says the picture is about how ambiguous people are towards the natural world. Ambiguous means mixed or confused, so H.
The trap: G, protection of nature, fits the general topic of shooting a bird, but Tom talks about exploiting nature, not protecting it.
Question 29
Answer: FWhen Jess asks what idea the white bird refers to
What meaning will Jess give to Gauguin's Vairumati?
Apparently, it's a reference to the never-ending cycle of existence.
Question says → You hear
the continuity of lifethe never-ending cycle of existence
Why: 'Never-ending cycle of existence' is the continuity of life, so F.
The trap: The bird is eating a lizard, which might suggest a threat (D), but Jess is interested in the idea the bird refers to, not the scene.
Question 30
Answer: GThe last picture, the little boy holding a bird
What meaning will Tom give to the portrait of Giovanni de Medici?
He's holding a tiny bird in one fist. I like the way he's holding it carefully so he doesn't hurt it.
Question says → You hear
protection of natureholding it carefully so he doesn't hurt it
Why: The boy holds the bird carefully so as not to hurt it: he's protecting a small creature, which stands for protection of nature, G.
The trap: A little boy might suggest B, hope for the future, but nothing is said about the future. Option B is one of the two letters never used.
Tom praises the workshop sessions, so B looks safe, but Jess missed them because she was ill. Only the handouts and the museum trip were useful to both.
Tom offers predators and food chains, which sounds like 'a potential threat'. Jess turns it down: she'll focus on 'the impression of rapid motion', which is fast movement.
Tom praises the blue, red and black shades, so 'the power of colour' is the trap. Jess chose the painting because of a kingfisher she saw as a child.
Words from this recording worth keeping
letdown(Introductory stage)
a disappointment
brainstorming(Introductory stage)
a group activity to come up with lots of ideas quickly
amend(Project proposals)
change something to improve or correct it
evaluated(Project proposals)
judged the value or quality of something
rationale(Project proposals)
the reasons behind a decision
vague(Project proposals)
not clear or detailed
talons(Fish hawk picture)
the sharp claws of a bird of prey
ambiguous(William Wells portrait)
having mixed or unclear feelings or meanings
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The full Cambridge 16 Test 1 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 16, Test 1, 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.
