A student talk about the French writer Victor Hugo. The speaker covers his early career in Paris, why he was sent into exile, and the house he bought on the island of Guernsey, walking through it floor by floor before explaining what happened to it after his death.
One ten-gap note block, strictly in order. 31 is in the introduction, 'But first, his early career' gives 32, the exile section gives 33-34, and the tour of the house goes ground floor (35-36), next level (37), top (38), then his guests (39) and what happened in 1927 (40).
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: Follow the house floor by floor: the notes use 'ground floor' and 'first floor' while the speaker says 'lower level' and 'next level'. Many gaps sit in lists with one item printed (portraits and tapestries, wallpaper and ..., poverty and education), so listen for the item that's missing.
Question 31
Answer: plotIn the introduction, after the musical and film
What do we know more about than the author?
some of us, I'm sure, have a pretty general idea of the plot, but we know much less about the author.
Question says → You hear
We know more about its overall ... than about its authora pretty general idea of the plot, but we know much less about the author
Why: 'A pretty general idea' matches 'overall', and what we know is the plot.
The trap: The stage musical and the film are in the same section, but the note already covers them as 'theatre and cinema'.
Question 32
Answer: poverty'But first, his early career'
What social issue, besides education, did he speak about?
he also gave many speeches about issues like the level of poverty in his society.
Question says → You hear
spoke publicly about social issuesgave many speeches about issues
Why: Speeches are speaking publicly, and the first issue named is poverty. Education is printed already.
The trap: Literature and the Romantic movement come just before, but they're in the previous note.
Question 33
Answer: EuropeStart of the exile section
Where did he have to live after leaving France?
So Victor Hugo was forced to reside in other parts of Europe.
Question says → You hear
had to live elsewhere inwas forced to reside in other parts of
Why: 'Forced to reside' matches 'had to live', and 'other parts of' matches 'elsewhere in'. Capital E.
The trap: Guernsey is named straight after, but the note is about everywhere he lived in exile, and Guernsey was only the third place.
Question 34
Answer: poetryWhen the speaker says how he bought the house
What had he written that paid for the house?
he bought using the money he'd made in France from the publication of a collection of his poetry.
Question says → You hear
income from the sale of some ... he had writtenthe money he'd made … from the publication of a collection of his poetry
Why: The money came from publishing a collection of his poetry. 'Some poetry' fits the note.
The trap: Les Misérables is mentioned just before, but he wrote it while living on Guernsey, after he bought the house.
Question 35
Answer: drawingsStart of the floor-by-floor tour, the ground floor
What else, besides portraits and tapestries, is on the ground floor?
portraits of its members still hang in rooms on the ground floor, along with drawings that he did during his travels that he felt were important to him.
Question says → You hear
that he valuedthat he felt were important to him
Why: 'Along with' adds the drawings he did on his travels, and 'important to him' matches 'valued'. Plural.
The trap: Portraits and tapestries are both already in the note. Travels is close by, but it isn't an object.
Question 36
Answer: furnitureStill on the ground floor, when the speaker describes the walls
What cheap wooden items did he buy for the carvings?
using wooden furniture that he bought in the market. The items were relatively inexpensive, and he used them to create intricate carvings.
Question says → You hear
bought cheap ... made of woodwooden furniture … relatively inexpensive
Why: 'Relatively inexpensive' matches 'cheap', and the wooden items he bought were furniture.
The trap: Panelling and carvings are what he made from it, not what he bought. The note already says 'wall carvings'.
Question 37
Answer: lamps'On the next level of the house'
What, besides the wallpaper, has a Chinese design?
There's a strong Chinese influence in these areas in things like the wallpaper pattern and the lamps
Question says → You hear
a Chinese designa strong Chinese influence
Why: The wallpaper is printed in the note, so the gap is the other item: lamps. Plural.
The trap: Sofas and wall coverings come just before, but they're described by colour (red and blue), not as Chinese.
Question 38
Answer: harbour'And then, at the very top of the house'
Also accepted: harbor
What could he see from the room where he wrote?
there's a room called the Lookout, called that because it looks out over the harbour.
Question says → You hear
had a view of thelooks out over the harbour
Why: 'Looks out over' matches 'had a view of'. British harbour or American harbor are both accepted.
The trap: The library comes just before, on the floor below, where he relaxed in the afternoons. The Lookout is where he wrote.
Question 39
Answer: children'he was also true to his values'
Who else did he entertain besides other writers?
he also invited a large group of local children from the deprived areas of the island to dinner once a week.
Question says → You hear
poorfrom the deprived areas
Why: 'Deprived' matches 'poor', and the people he invited were children. The gap needs a plural noun.
The trap: Writers are printed already. Deprived is an adjective, and 'poor' already does that job.
Question 40
Answer: relativesThe final sentences of the talk
Who gave the house to Paris in 1927?
In 1927, the house was owned by his relatives, and they decided to donate it to the city of Paris.
Question says → You hear
gave ownership of the housedecided to donate it
Why: 'Donate' matches 'gave', and the people who did it were his relatives.
The trap: Family is mentioned earlier, when he lived in the house with them, so it's tempting. The 1927 owners are called his relatives.
Les Misérables is the famous book, so people write 'novels'. The house was bought with money from a collection of his poetry, published before he reached Guernsey.
Family is said earlier (he lived there with his family), but in 1927 the house was owned by his relatives, and they gave it to Paris.
Words from this recording worth keeping
insight(Introduction)
a deeper understanding of something
highly regarded(His early career)
greatly respected
outspoken(His early career)
saying exactly what you think, even if it offends
exile(His exile from France)
being forced to live outside your own country
reside(His exile from France)
live in a place
intricate(His house on Guernsey)
having many small, detailed parts
solemn(His house on Guernsey)
serious and formal in mood
deprived(His guests)
without enough money or basic comforts
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The full Cambridge 18 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 18, Test 4, 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.
