Holiday rental: listening answers and explanations
Tom phones Shirley Fitzgerald to rent a holiday cottage for a week in May. Granary Cottage is over his budget, so Shirley offers a newly converted cottage instead and describes its garden, parking, heating and views, then explains the deposit and final payment.
One ten-gap note block in order, nearly all from Shirley. Gaps 1-2 are about Granary Cottage, gap 3 is the new cottage's spelled-out name, 4-9 describe it from the building to the views, and gap 10 is the payment deadline.
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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: Tom's first suggestions are often the wrong ones: the 14th, £500, and his guess about a cooker. Wait for Shirley's answer. The name is spelled out, the prices are numbers (write digits), and the description of the cottage moves from building to garden, front, heating and views.
Question 1
Answer: 28thWhen Shirley checks the date Tom asked for
Which week in May is Granary Cottage free?
I'm sorry, Tom, it's already booked that week. It's free the week beginning the 28th, though, for seven nights.
Question says → You hear
available for week beginningIt's free the week beginning the 28th
Why: 'Free' matches 'available', and the free week starts on the 28th. Write it as you hear it, 28th.
The trap: The 14th is the week Tom wanted, but it's 'already booked'. Seven nights is the length of the stay, not a date.
Question 2
Answer: 550When Tom asks 'How much would it cost?'
How much does Granary Cottage cost for the week?
That's the beginning of high season, so it'd be £550 for the week.
Question says → You hear
cost for the week£550 for the week
Why: Shirley gives £550 for Granary Cottage because May 28th is the start of high season. The £ sign is printed, so write 550.
The trap: £500 is Tom's budget and £480 is the price of the other cottage, which the note already gives.
Question 3
Answer: ChervilWhen Tom says 'Sorry? What was that again?'
What is the new cottage called?
Chervil. C-H-E-R-V for Victor I-L.
Question says → You hear
... Cottagewhich we're calling Chervil Cottage
Why: Shirley spells the name and even clarifies the V. Write Chervil with a capital C.
The trap: Spelling is the whole question. Tom then says it's a herb, which tempts you to write 'herb', but the name is Chervil.
Question 4
Answer: garageWhen Tom asks Shirley to tell him about the new cottage
What was the building originally?
The building was built as a garage.
Question says → You hear
building was originally aThe building was built as a garage
Why: 'Built as a garage' means it was originally a garage before it was converted.
The trap: Shirley earlier said they converted 'another building', which is too vague. The farmyard comes later, as what the front door opens onto.
Question 5
Answer: gardenWhen Tom asks 'Does it have a garden?'
Where do the doors from the living room lead?
Does it have a garden? … Yes, you get to it from the living room through French doors
Question says → You hear
walk through doors from living room into ayou get to it from the living room through French doors
Why: Tom asks about a garden and Shirley says you reach 'it' through French doors from the living room. 'It' is the garden.
The trap: Patio is the strong distractor: they hope to build one, but she can't guarantee it'll be finished by May. Deckchairs are what's in the garden.
Question 6
Answer: parkingWhen Shirley says the front door opens onto the old farmyard
What kind of spaces are at the front?
parking isn't a problem - there's plenty of room at the front for that
Question says → You hear
several ... spaces at the frontparking isn't a problem - there's plenty of room at the front
Why: Plenty of room for parking at the front becomes 'several parking spaces'.
The trap: Trees and potted plants are also at the front, but 'several plants spaces' makes no sense. Farmyard is what the door opens onto.
Question 7
Answer: woodWhen Tom asks about heating
What fuel does the stove use?
if you want to light a fire, there's a stove. We can provide all the wood you need for it. It smells so much nicer than coal
Question says → You hear
stove that burnsthere's a stove. We can provide all the wood you need for it
Why: They provide wood for the stove. 'It smells so much nicer than coal' compares wood with coal.
The trap: Coal is said right after wood, but only as a comparison: they don't use it.
Question 8
Answer: bridgeWhen Shirley mentions 'some attractive views from the cottage'
What old thing can you see from the living room?
There's a famous stone bridge - it's one of the oldest in the region, and you can see it from the living room.
Question says → You hear
views of olda famous stone bridge - it's one of the oldest in the region
Why: The bridge is 'one of the oldest in the region' and visible from the living room, so 'old bridge'.
The trap: Stone is the word just before bridge, but 'views of old stone' isn't what she describes. The hills come next, but from the bedroom.
Question 9
Answer: monumentStraight after the bridge, 'The bedroom window looks in the opposite direction'
What can you see on the hilltop from the bedroom?
The bedroom window looks in the opposite direction, and has a lovely view of the hills and the monument at the top.
Question says → You hear
view of hilltop ... from the bedrooma lovely view of the hills and the monument at the top
Why: 'The monument at the top' of the hills is the hilltop monument.
The trap: Hills is already in the note as 'hilltop'. Writing 'hills' repeats it instead of naming what's on top.
Question 10
Answer: MarchWhen Tom asks 'when would you like the rest of the money?'
When must the final payment be made?
You're coming in May, so the last day of March, please.
Question says → You hear
deadline for final payment: end ofthe last day of March
Why: 'The last day of March' is the end of March. Capitalise the month.
The trap: May is the month of the holiday, said in the same sentence. The deposit, £144, is already in the notes.
French doors, deckchairs and a planned patio are all said, and patio is the word people write. The doors lead into a garden; the patio may not even be built by May.
part of the price paid in advance to reserve something
secure your booking(Payment)
make your reservation certain
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The full Cambridge 16 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 16, Test 4, Listening Part 1. 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.
The rest of Cambridge 16 Test 4 Listening
Part 1 · Questions 1-10 · You're hereHoliday rental
