Boat trip round Tasmania: listening answers and explanations
Lou Miller, a tour guide, welcomes passengers onto a boat trip along the Tasmanian coast. She covers safety, the boats, lunch and litter, then previews the lighthouse, the wildlife and the sea caves they'll pass.
Questions 11-14 come first, in order: boat capacity, colour, lunchboxes, litter. Then 'let me tell you a few things about what you're going to see' starts the pick-two questions: the lighthouse (15-16), the creatures (17-18) and, with 'Lastly', the caves (19-20).
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: Each question has all three options said aloud, and the trap is usually the first number or colour you hear. Wait for the detail that answers the exact question: the per-side limit, the colour now, the food without meat or fish, what staff do with litter.
Question 11
Answer: AEarly on, when Lou explains how many the boat can carry
What is the most people allowed on one side of the boat?
But please note if there are more than nine people on either side of the boat, we'll move some of you over
Question says → You hear
maximum number ... on each sidemore than nine people on either side
Why: If there are more than nine on one side, people will be moved, so nine is the maximum per side: A.
The trap: 15 is the number of passengers and 18 is everyone on board including staff. Both are said first, but neither is the per-side limit.
Question 12
Answer: CWhen Lou says the boats have been upgraded
What colour are the boats on the outside now?
They used to be jet black, but our new ones now have these comfortable dark red seats and a light-green exterior
Question says → You hear
colour of the tour boatsa light-green exterior
Why: The exterior is the boat itself, and it's light green: C.
The trap: Jet black is how they 'used to be', and dark red is the seats. Both colours are said, but neither describes the boat now.
Question 13
Answer: BWhen Lou lists the three lunchboxes
Which lunchbox has no meat or fish?
Lunchbox 1 contains ham and tomato sandwiches. Lunchbox 2 contains a cheddar cheese roll and Lunchbox 3 is salad-based and also contains eggs and tuna.
Why: Ham is meat and tuna is fish, so only the cheese roll in Lunchbox 2 works: B.
The trap: Lunchbox 3 is 'salad-based', which sounds vegetarian, but it also contains tuna, which is fish.
Question 14
Answer: BRight after Lou asks people not to throw anything into the sea
What should passengers do with their rubbish?
We don't have any bins to put litter in, but Jess, myself or Ray, our other guide, will collect it from you after lunch
Question says → You hear
hand it to ... staffJess, myself or Ray, our other guide, will collect it from you
Why: The guides collect it, so passengers hand it to staff: B.
The trap: Bins are mentioned, but Lou says there aren't any on board. Taking it home is never suggested.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 15-16
How to attack this block: Lou gives a short history of the lighthouse. Several options sound like they were covered because related words (built, drawings, construction) come up. Tick only what she actually tells you about.
Question 15-16
Answer: A and D (in either order)When the boat turns past the first little island
Which two things about the lighthouse does Lou talk about?
It was built in 1838 to protect sailors as a number of shipwrecks had led to significant loss of life. … These workers were mainly prison convicts until the middle of that century when ordinary families
Question says → You hear
why it was builtbuilt in 1838 to protect sailors
who staffed itThese workers were mainly prison convicts … ordinary families
Why: A: it was built to protect sailors after shipwrecks, which is the reason. D: the keepers were convicts and later ordinary families, which is who staffed it.
The trap: 'The construction itself was complicated' and the original drawings sound like B or C, but Lou never says who built it, how long it took or what it was made of.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 17-18
How to attack this block: All five creatures are mentioned. The question is which might come close, so listen for words of nearness ('right in front of you', 'approach', 'beside us') and cross off the ones that hide, stay in the distance or are rarely seen.
Question 17-18
Answer: B and C (in either order)When Lou answers what creatures they might see
Which two animals may come near the boat?
don't be surprised if one pops up right in front of you. … Dolphins, on the other hand, can sometimes approach on their own or in groups as they ride the waves beside us.
Question says → You hear
might come close to the boatpops up right in front of you / ride the waves beside us
Why: B: the fur seals are curious and may pop up right in front of you. C: dolphins approach and ride the waves beside the boat.
The trap: Penguins hide from passing boats, sea eagles are seen in the distance, and spotting a whale is rare. All three are mentioned, but none comes close.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 19-20
How to attack this block: 'Lastly' signals the caves. The options are paraphrases, so match meaning: 'only approached by sea' and 'we'll talk to you about what lies beyond'. Ignore options that twist a detail, such as the size of the boats.
Question 19-20
Answer: D and E (in either order)After 'Lastly, I want to mention the caves'
Which two things does Lou say about the caves?
They can only be approached by sea … at that point we'll talk to you about what lies beyond.
Question says → You hear
reached on footThey can only be approached by sea
what is insidewe'll talk to you about what lies beyond
Why: E: if they can only be approached by sea, you can't walk to them. D: 'what lies beyond' the openings is what's inside, and the guides will talk about it.
The trap: C is tempting because of the kayak, but Lou actually suggests individuals can kayak there another day, so it isn't too dangerous. Nothing is said about large boats or blocked entrances.
Penguins are everyone's favourite and sea eagles and whales are all named, but each is ruled out: shy, in the distance, rare. Only seals and dolphins come close.
E is a paraphrase of 'only be approached by sea', and the kayak detail makes some students pick 'too dangerous for individuals', which is never said.
Words from this recording worth keeping
exterior(The boats)
the outside surface of something
upgraded(The boats)
replaced with better or newer versions
shipwrecks(The lighthouse)
ships destroyed or sunk at sea
isolated(The lighthouse)
far away from other places and people
convicts(The lighthouse)
people found guilty of a crime and sent to prison
inquisitive(Wildlife)
curious, wanting to find things out
predators(Wildlife)
animals that hunt and eat other animals
lost for words(The caves)
so surprised or impressed you can't speak
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 17 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 17, Test 1, 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.
