A man who wants restaurant work talks to a woman at an employment agency. She describes the staff benefits at Milo's Restaurants and the kind of person they want, then goes through two current vacancies: a breakfast supervisor and a junior chef.
Questions 1-10 · 10 marks · 2 question blocks
All in order, and almost every answer comes from the woman. Questions 1-5 cover benefits, then the person specification. 'Let's have a look at the current job vacancies' starts the table: 6-8 are the Wivenhoe Street job, and 'the job at the City Road branch' gives 9-10.
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: Benefits first, then requirements. One word only, so pick the key noun. The man suggests things that turn out not to be benefits (free uniforms, weekend discounts), so wait for the woman to confirm.
What does every member of staff get?
For example, all employees get training - even temporary staff.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'All employees' matches 'all staff'. Even temporary staff are trained, which the man finds unusual.
The trap: Uniforms come next, but the man asks if they're free and she says she guesses not.
What can staff get at Milo's restaurants on weekdays?
you can get a discount at any of their restaurants. … Even at weekends? … No
Question says → You hear
Why: The discount works at any of their restaurants, but not at weekends. That's why the note says 'during weekdays'.
The trap: If you hear 'Even at weekends?' and miss the 'No', the weekday limit looks wrong. It's the same benefit either way: discount.
What transport is paid for after midnight?
if you have to do a late shift and finish work after midnight. the company will pay for you to get a taxi home.
Question says → You hear
Why: The company pays for a taxi home after a late shift, so taxi is the benefit.
The trap: Bus and bike are also mentioned. The bus is how most people get there, and the bike is his own plan, not something provided.
What must staff keep at a high standard?
We had to make sure we gave a really high level of service. … that will be equally important at Milo's.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'High level' matches 'high standard', and the woman confirms it will be 'equally important at Milo's'.
The trap: Detail ('an eye for detail') comes right after and fits the meaning loosely, but 'a high standard of detail' isn't the phrase. The gap is the word after 'high level of'.
What subject must the applicant have a certificate in?
So the only other thing that's required is good communication skills, so you'll need to have a certificate in English.
Question says → You hear
Why: A certificate is a qualification, and it's in English. Write it with a capital E.
The trap: Communication is the skill they want, but the qualification itself is in English.
How to attack this block: Read the table across each row: location, job, duties, pay. Expect a spelled-out street name, three prices in a row for the salary, and a day that's easy to confuse with the day the restaurant is closed.
On which street is the first vacancy?
Wivenhoe. W-I-V-E-N-H-O-E. It's quite central, just off Cork Street.
Question says → You hear
Why: The man asks 'Sorry, where?' and she spells it out. Copy the letters exactly, with a capital W.
The trap: Cork Street is the nearby street mentioned straight after the spelling. It's only there to help find it.
What must the breakfast supervisor keep clean?
checking all the procedures for cleaning the equipment are being followed.
Question says → You hear
Why: The thing being cleaned is the equipment. Portions are already in the table, so this is the second duty.
The trap: Procedures is in the same phrase, but procedures are followed, not cleaned.
Also accepted: £9.75
What is the starting hourly pay?
In my last job I was getting £9.50 per hour. … to begin with, you'd be getting £9.75 but that goes up to £11.25 after three months.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'To begin with' means the starting salary, £9.75. The £ is printed in the table, so write 9.75.
The trap: £9.50 is his old pay and £11.25 comes after three months. Only one of the three is the starting rate.
What does the junior chef organise besides the stock?
you'd be responsible for making sure there's enough stock each week - and sorting out all the deliveries.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Sorting out' is the paraphrase for 'organising'. Write the plural, deliveries.
The trap: Stock is already printed in the table. The gap is the second job in the sentence.
Which day does the junior chef get off once a month?
they're closed on Mondays. But you do get one Sunday off every four weeks.
Question says → You hear
Why: Every four weeks is roughly once a month, and the day off is a Sunday. Capital S.
The trap: Monday is said first, but the restaurant is closed every Monday, not once a month.
Three prices in two sentences: £9.50 (his old job), £9.75 (to begin with) and £11.25 (after three months). The table asks for the starting salary: 9.75.
Mondays are said first, but the restaurant is closed every Monday. The table says 'once a month', which matches 'one Sunday off every four weeks'.
'An eye for detail' comes right after and also sounds like a standard. The note's 'high standard of' matches 'a really high level of service'.
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 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.
