The history of the pocket: listening answers and explanations
A student presentation on the history of pockets in European clothing. The speaker explains why she chose the topic, how pockets were made for men's suits in the 18th century, and how women's tie-on pockets worked until fashion changed and the handbag took over.
One ten-gap note block, strictly in order. 31 comes in the introduction, 'If we think about male fashion first' starts 32-34, and 'The development of women's pockets was a little different' starts 35-40. The last answer is in the closing sentence.
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: One word only, so check the grammar around each gap: adjectives after 'are' and 'less', nouns after 'a' and 'the'. The talk is full of lists of clothes and items, and the gap usually picks out one of them, so read each note's words around the gap carefully.
Question 31
Answer: convenientIn the introduction, when she explains her two reasons
What positive quality do pockets have?
nothing is quite as convenient as being able to pop your phone or credit card into your pocket.
Question says → You hear
They are ...nothing is quite as convenient
Why: 'Nothing is quite as convenient' means pockets are very convenient. The gap follows 'are', so it needs an adjective.
The trap: Overlooked is already in the note, after 'but'. Bags and briefcases are mentioned, but they're the less convenient option.
Question 32
Answer: suits'If we think about male fashion first'
What did men start wearing in the 18th century?
that was the time when suits became popular.
Question says → You hear
Men started to wearsuits became popular
Why: 'That was the time' points back to the 18th century, when suits became popular. Plural: suits.
The trap: Breeches, waistcoats and jackets come next, but they are the parts of the suit, not the new fashion.
Question 33
Answer: tailorWhen she describes the three lined garments
Who sewed the pockets into the lining?
pockets were sewn into this cloth by whichever tailor the customer used.
Question says → You hear
sewed pockets into the liningpockets were sewn into this cloth by
Why: The active note 'A ... sewed pockets' matches the passive 'were sewn ... by whichever tailor'. Singular after 'A'.
The trap: Customer is in the same phrase, but the customer chose the tailor; the tailor did the sewing.
Question 34
Answer: professionWhen she contrasts decorative and plain coat pockets
What group did men with bigger pockets belong to?
they were often larger but plainer if the wearer was someone with a profession who needed to carry medical instruments
Question says → You hear
Bigger pocketslarger but plainer
belonged to a certain type ofsomeone with a profession
Why: 'Larger' matches 'bigger', and the wearer had a profession that meant carrying instruments. The note's 'type of profession' needs that word.
The trap: Doctor and physician come straight after, but they are examples. 'A certain type of doctor' would change the meaning.
Question 35
Answer: visible'The development of women's pockets was a little different'
How were women's pockets different from men's?
For one thing, they weren't nearly as visible or as easy to reach as men's.
Question says → You hear
less ... than men'sweren't nearly as visible … as men's
Why: 'Weren't nearly as visible as' means less visible than. The gap takes one adjective.
The trap: 'Easy to reach' is the other half of the sentence, but 'less easy to reach' needs more than one word.
Question 36
Answer: stringAfter she says wealthy women worried about pickpockets
Also accepted: strings
What joined the pair of pockets together?
So - what they did was to have a pair of pockets made that were tied together with string.
Question says → You hear
produced in pairs using ... to link them togethera pair of pockets made that were tied together with string
Why: 'Tied together with string' matches 'using ... to link them together'. String or strings are both accepted.
The trap: Fabric, recycled cloth and linen come next. They are what the pockets were made of, not what joined them.
Question 37
Answer: waistStraight after the fabrics and embroidery
Also accepted: waists
Where did women hang the pockets?
Women tied the pockets around their waist so that they hung beneath their clothes.
Question says → You hear
hung from the women's ...tied the pockets around their waist
Why: The pockets were tied around the waist and hung down beneath the clothes. Waist or waists are accepted.
The trap: Clothes is in the same sentence, but the note already says 'under skirts and petticoats'. The gap is the body part.
Question 38
Answer: perfumeWhen she talks about long skirts and petticoats
What is one item women reached through the opening?
They would have an opening in the folds of their skirts through which they could reach whatever they needed, like their perfume.
Question says → You hear
reached through a gap in the materialan opening in the folds of their skirts through which they could reach
Why: 'Like their perfume' gives the example, and 'Items such as' in the note asks for exactly that.
The trap: Skirts and petticoats are clothes, not items carried in the pockets.
Question 39
Answer: imageWhen dresses became tighter at the end of the 19th century
What did the hidden pockets harm when dresses changed?
the pairs of pockets became very noticeable - they stood out too much and detracted from the woman's image.
Question says → You hear
had a negative effect on thedetracted from the woman's image
Why: 'Detracted from' means made worse, a negative effect. What they made worse was the woman's image.
The trap: Shape fits after 'dresses changed', but that's already in the note. 'Noticeable' is an adjective and can't follow 'the'.
Question 40
Answer: handbagThe last sentence of the talk
What did women carry after pouches?
That was when small bags, or pouches as they were known, came into fashion and, of course, they inevitably led on to the handbag of more modern times
Question says → You hear
before women carried aled on to the handbag
Why: Pouches 'led on to the handbag', so the handbag came after them. Singular after 'a'.
The trap: Bags is said with pouches, but those are the small bags already in the note. Bag alone is not the answer.
The note's 'negative effect on the ... of women' paraphrases 'detracted from the woman's image'. 'Noticeable' and 'stood out' come first and pull people towards the wrong words.
Words from this recording worth keeping
overlooked(Reason for choice of subject)
not noticed or given enough attention
lined(Pockets in men's clothes)
having an extra layer of cloth on the inside
decorative(Pockets in men's clothes)
made to look attractive
vulnerable to theft(Pockets in women's clothes)
easily robbed
embroidery(Pockets in women's clothes)
patterns sewn onto cloth with thread
petticoats(Pockets in women's clothes)
thin skirts worn under a dress
bulky(When dresses changed)
large and taking up a lot of space
detracted from(When dresses changed)
made something seem less good
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The full Cambridge 18 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 18, Test 2, Listening Part 4. 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.
