Children's Engineering Workshops: listening answers and explanations
A father phones Sarah at a children's engineering workshop to ask about holiday classes for his two daughters, aged four and seven. She describes the activities in the Tiny Engineers and Junior Engineers groups, then gives the day, time and location of the classes.
One ten-gap note block in order, all answers from Sarah. Gaps 1-3 cover the Tiny Engineers, gaps 4-7 the Junior Engineers (signposted by the father mentioning his older daughter, Carly), and gaps 8-10 the day, place and parking.
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.
Q
Your answer
Answer
Questions 1-10 · Note completion (ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER)
How to attack this block: The notes follow the call closely, so track the two headings: when the father says Carly is seven, you have moved to the Junior Engineers. Most gaps are simple nouns, but watch the grammar: gap 7 sits in a list of verbs, and gap 8 is a day that was changed. Location names are spelled out, so write exactly what you hear.
Question 1
Answer: eggWhen the father asks what sorts of activities the Tiny Engineers do
What do the children make a protective cover for?
they work together to design a special cover that goes round an egg, so that when it's inside they can drop it from a height and it doesn't break
Question says → You hear
Create a coverdesign a special cover that goes round an egg
drop it from a height without breaking itdrop it from a height and it doesn't break
Why: 'A special cover that goes round an egg' matches 'a cover for an ...'. The article 'an' before the gap is a hint that the answer starts with a vowel.
The trap: Little risk of a wrong word here, but don't write 'eggs': the note says 'an', so it's singular.
Question 2
Answer: towerWhen the father says Lydia loves building things
What do the children compete to build as high as possible?
they have a competition to see who can make the highest tower
Question says → You hear
build the tallestmake the highest tower
Why: The note swaps 'highest' for 'tallest' and 'make' for 'build'. The thing being built is a tower.
The trap: Sarah says 'You'd be amazed how high they can go', which adds no new noun. Just make sure you don't write 'towers': the note asks for the single tallest one.
Question 3
Answer: carWhen Sarah says they are learning all the time as well as having fun
What do they make that a balloon powers?
design and build a car that's attached to a balloon, and the force of the air in that actually powers the car
Question says → You hear
powered by a balloonattached to a balloon … powers the car
Why: The car is attached to a balloon and the air from the balloon powers it. 'Make a ... powered by a balloon' needs car.
The trap: Air and force are both heard next to the answer, but they are what drives the car, not the thing they make.
Question 4
Answer: animalsAfter the father says Carly has just turned seven
What else, besides cars and trucks, do the Junior Engineers build and program?
they work out how to build model vehicles, things like cars and trucks, but also how to construct animals using the same sorts of material and technique
Question says → You hear
Build model cars, trucks andbuild model vehicles, things like cars and trucks, but also how to construct animals
Why: 'But also' introduces the extra item after cars and trucks: animals. The note lists cars and trucks in the plural, so the answer is plural too.
The trap: Vehicles is said first, but cars and trucks are vehicles, so it can't be the third item. Animal without the s doesn't fit the list.
Question 5
Answer: bridgeWhen the father asks whether the older group has competitions too
What is the Junior Engineers' competition to build the longest of?
it's to use recycled materials like card and wood to build a bridge, and the longest one gets a prize
Question says → You hear
the longestthe longest one gets a prize
using card and woodrecycled materials like card and wood
Why: They build a bridge from card and wood and 'the longest one gets a prize'. That is the competition in the note.
The trap: Card and wood are already in the note, so they can't be the answer. Don't be distracted by 'recycled materials' either.
Question 6
Answer: movieWhen Sarah says 'they have something a bit different'
Also accepted: film
What short thing do they create using special software?
think up an idea for a five-minute movie and then film it, using special animation software
Question says → You hear
shortfive-minute
with special softwareusing special animation software
Why: 'A five-minute movie' is the short thing they create with the software. The key also accepts film, since Sarah says they 'film it'.
The trap: Animation is right next to software, but 'a short animation' isn't what she says: the thing they make is a movie. Phone comes next but is about taking it home.
Question 7
Answer: decorateThe last activity, right after the comment about showing friends at home
What do they do to the humanoid robot between building and programming it?
they also build a robot in the shape of a human, and they decorate it and program it so that it can move its arms and legs
Question says → You hear
humanoid robota robot in the shape of a human
Build, ... and programbuild … decorate it and program it
Why: The note runs 'Build, ... and program', so the gap is a verb in the same base form. Sarah says 'they decorate it and program it'.
The trap: Robot is the word you hear loudest, but it's already in the note. Writing 'decorated' or 'decorates' breaks the list of base verbs.
Question 8
Answer: WednesdaysWhen the father asks if the classes are on a Monday too
Which day are the Junior Engineers classes held?
They used to be, but we found it didn't give our staff enough time to clear up after the first workshop, so we moved them to Wednesdays.
Question says → You hear
Held onwe moved them to Wednesdays
Why: Sarah explains that Monday didn't leave staff time to clear up, so the classes moved to Wednesdays. The new day is the answer. Start it with a capital W.
The trap: Monday is the day the father suggests and the day they 'used to be' on. It's the old arrangement, not the current one.
Question 9
Answer: FradstoneWhen the father says 'Sorry?' after hearing the location
What is the name of the industrial estate?
Fradstone - that's F-R-A-D-S-T-O-N-E.
Question says → You hear
Industrial Estatethat's in Fradstone Industrial Estate
Why: Sarah spells the name letter by letter. Copy it exactly with a capital F.
The trap: Building 10A and Grasford are already printed in the note. The only risk is spelling: one slip, like Fradston, costs the mark.
Question 10
Answer: parkingThe father's last question before enrolling
What is there plenty of at the venue?
And will I have any parking problems there? … No, there's always plenty available.
Question says → You hear
Plenty of ... is availablethere's always plenty available
Why: The father asks about parking and Sarah says there is always plenty available. The noun is in his question, not her answer, so you need to hear both.
The trap: Problems is in the same sentence, but 'plenty of problems is available' makes no sense. The thing that's plentiful is parking.
Monday is in the father's question and Sarah says 'they used to be', so it's tempting. The classes moved to Wednesdays. The time, ten to eleven, is already printed in the notes.
The gap sits between 'Build' and 'and program', so it needs a verb. Sarah says they 'decorate it', and the noun-hunters write robot or arms and legs instead.
Cars and trucks are printed in the note, and the gap is the third thing they build. Sarah adds it quickly: 'how to construct animals'. Keep the plural.
Words from this recording worth keeping
workshop(Opening of the call)
a practical class where children make and try things
attached to(Tiny Engineers activities)
fixed or joined to something
construct(Junior Engineers activities)
build something from parts
recycled materials(Junior Engineers competition)
things that have been used before and are reused
animation software(Junior Engineers activities)
computer programs for making moving pictures
in the shape of(Junior Engineers activities)
having the form of
clear up(Days and times)
tidy a place after an activity
enrol(End of the call)
officially sign someone up for a course
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The rest of Cambridge 16 Test 1 Listening
Part 1 · Questions 1-10 · You're hereChildren's Engineering Workshops
