Working as a lifeboat volunteer: listening answers and explanations
David, a volunteer with the Lifeboat Institution in Northsea, talks about why he moved there from London and how he joined. He covers his health check, launch times, his role as helmsman, his other work, the training and what motivates him.
Every question follows the order of the talk. Questions 11-16 cover his move, the building, the health check, launch times, the helmsman role and his other duties. 17-18 come from the paragraph on training, and 19-20 from the last paragraph on motivation.
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: David mentions all three options in nearly every question, so wait for the one he confirms. Watch time and money details carefully: a number can belong to a different stage, and a donation can come from a person rather than an organisation.
Question 11
Answer: ARight at the start, when he explains how he became a volunteer
Why did David leave London for Northsea?
I'd been really keen on boats as a teenager, and I thought if I went to live by the sea, I might be able to pursue that interest a bit more in my free time.
Question says → You hear
eager to develop a hobbyI might be able to pursue that interest a bit more in my free time
Why: An interest he pursues in his free time is a hobby, and wanting to do more of it is developing it.
The trap: C is the strongest distractor: he says website design 'was interesting'. What he didn't like was city life. Working hours are never mentioned.
Question 12
Answer: BWhen he describes the building as one of the largest in the county
Who paid for the lifeboat building?
It was built 15 years ago with funds provided by a generous member of the public who'd lived here all her life.
Question says → You hear
money provided byfunds provided by
a local residenta generous member of the public who'd lived here all her life
Why: A member of the public who lived there all her life is a local resident.
The trap: The government is mentioned, but as the source of money the charity does not rely on. No local organisation is named.
Question 13
Answer: AWhen he says the doctors were most interested in his eyesight
What worried the doctor during the health check?
They gave me tests for colour blindness and they thought I might have a problem there, but it turned out I was OK.
Question says → You hear
was concerned aboutthey thought I might have a problem there
Why: 'Thought I might have a problem' is the doctor's concern, and it was about colour blindness. It turned out fine, but the question is about the concern.
The trap: Short-sightedness and eye surgery come first, but they're past history: the surgery fixed his eyesight, 'so that was OK'.
Question 14
Answer: BWhen he describes what happens after the coastguard gets an alert
How quickly do they try to launch the boat once at the station?
Our target's to get there in five minutes, then we try to get the boat off the dock and out to sea in another six to eight minutes.
Question says → You hear
After arriving … launch the boat withinthen we try to get the boat off the dock and out to sea in another six to eight minutes
Why: There are two stages. Getting to the station takes five minutes; launching, after they arrive, takes 'another six to eight minutes'.
The trap: Five minutes is the time to reach the station, not to launch. Eight and a half minutes is the national average, not their aim.
Question 15
Answer: CWhen he explains his new 'helmsman' qualification
What does David decide as helmsman?
And it's ultimately my decision whether it's safe to launch the boat.
Question says → You hear
the responsibility of decidingit's ultimately my decision
Why: 'My decision whether it's safe to launch' matches 'deciding if the lifeboat should be launched'.
The trap: Equipment comes up just before, but his job is to check it works, not to decide what to take. Choosing the crew is never mentioned.
Question 16
Answer: AAt 'As well as going out on the lifeboat'
What else does David do besides going out on the boat?
I speak to youth groups and sailing clubs in the area about the sorts of problems that sailors and swimmers can have if the weather suddenly gets bad.
Question says → You hear
gives talks on safety at seaI speak to youth groups and sailing clubs
Why: Speaking to groups about dangers at sea is giving talks on safety.
The trap: Fundraising is mentioned straight after, but other volunteers do it: 'we also have a lot of volunteers who organise activities to raise money'.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 17-18
How to attack this block: Ropes and knots, casualty care and the residential course all come up, so tick nothing just for being mentioned. Check what David actually says about each one: was it brief, challenging, or did it build a skill?
Question 17-18
Answer: C and E (in either order)The paragraph on training, from 'a continuous process' to the wave tank
Which two things does David say about his training?
it's given me the confidence to deal with extreme situations without panicking. … They had a wave-tank where they could create extreme weather conditions - so we could get experience at what to do if the boat turned over
Question says → You hear
built up his mental strengththe confidence to deal with extreme situations without panicking
practice in survival techniquesexperience at what to do if the boat turned over
Why: C: confidence and not panicking in extreme situations is mental strength. E: the wave tank gave experience of what to do if the boat turned over in a storm, which is survival practice.
The trap: B is tempting because ropes and knots come up, but 'we've done a lot' is the opposite of brief. D fails because his first aid course made casualty care easier. A: the course was led by specialists; leadership isn't mentioned.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 19-20
How to attack this block: The motivation section is short and the answers come close together. Listen for what he finds rewarding, not just what he does: technology and IT come up, but as something he learns about and helps with.
Question 19-20
Answer: A and B (in either order)The last paragraph, from 'the work's hugely motivating'
Which two things motivate David most?
They're a great group - we're like a family really … But actually, it's the colder months that can be the most rewarding time.
Question says → You hear
working as part of a teamThey're a great group - we're like a family really
experiences when working in winterit's the colder months that can be the most rewarding time
Why: A: the volunteers are 'like a family', which keeps him going on cold nights. B: 'the colder months' are winter, and 'the most rewarding' shows they motivate him.
The trap: E is the strongest distractor: he learns about technology and helps others with IT, but he never says he develops new equipment. C and D aren't mentioned.
Five minutes is the target for getting to the station. The question starts 'after arriving', so it's the next stage: six to eight minutes to get the boat out.
He used to be short-sighted and had eye surgery, but both were OK. The doctors only had a doubt about colour blindness, and that's the concern the question asks about.
The fitness and thank-you options sound natural for rescue work, but David never mentions them. He talks about the 'family' of volunteers and says the colder months are the most rewarding.
Words from this recording worth keeping
pursue(Moving to Northsea)
spend time doing an activity you enjoy
donation(The building)
money given to help a charity
short-sighted(Health assessment)
unable to see distant things clearly
ultimate responsibility(Helmsman role)
the final duty for something
underestimate(Other duties)
think something is smaller or less serious than it is
competence(Training)
the ability to do something well
casualty(Training)
a person who is hurt in an accident
rewarding(Motivation)
giving you satisfaction
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The full Cambridge 19 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 19, Test 2, 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.
