Gavin has just moved into an apartment and phones Diane at an insurance company to insure his belongings. She asks about the flat and what he owns, works out the yearly cost, and then takes his personal details for the policy.
Questions 1-10 · 10 marks · 3 question blocks
Three blocks in order: the flat (1-2), the items and their value (3-6), then the application form (7-10) once Gavin agrees to take the policy. Gavin gives almost every answer, except the yearly cost, which Diane calculates.
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.
| Q | Your answer | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Questions 1-2 · Multiple choice | ||
| 1 | B | |
| 2 | A | |
| Questions 3-6 · Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 3 | fridgeAlso accepted: refrigerator / a fridge / a refrigerator | |
| 4 | stereoAlso accepted: stereo system / a stereo | |
| 5 | books | |
| 6 | 184Also accepted: $184 / 184 dollars | |
| Questions 7-10 · Form completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 7 | Murray | |
| 8 | 16C | |
| 9 | South Hills | |
| 10 | EnglishAlso accepted: British | |
How to attack this block: Two numbers, each with a distractor said aloud. Gavin corrects himself on the floor, and the rent options are designed to catch you mishearing fifteen and fifty.
Which floor is Gavin's apartment on?
It's on the third, no … second floor. … Second
Question says → You hear
Why: He starts to say third, stops himself and says second, and Diane repeats 'Second' to confirm it. B.
The trap: C, third floor, is said first and then corrected. A, ground floor, only comes up as Diane's reason for asking: ground floor flats are less safe.
How much is the monthly rent?
how much is the rent? … It's $615 per month.
Question says → You hear
Why: Gavin says $615 per month, which is option A. 'Per month' matches 'monthly'.
The trap: B and C play on fifteen and fifty. Later, Diane asks '50 or 15?' about the fridge, which can make you doubt the rent too, but that's a different price.
How to attack this block: The table gives you the prices, so listen for the item that goes with each price. Prices are said straight after items, and the TV that Gavin mentions isn't in the table. Question 6 is a cost Diane works out at the end.
Also accepted: refrigerator / a fridge / a refrigerator
Which item is worth $450?
And how much did you pay for the fridge? … Er, $450. … 50 or 15? … 50
Question says → You hear
Why: Diane asks the price of the fridge, Gavin says $450, and she checks it's fifty, not fifteen. Fridge goes with $450.
The trap: The stereo is named in the same sentence as the fridge, but its price comes next and is $1,150.
Also accepted: stereo system / a stereo
Which item is worth $1,150?
50, and the stereo system cost $1,150.
Question says → You hear
Why: The stereo system cost $1,150. 'Stereo' or 'stereo system' both fit.
The trap: The television comes up next, but it's 'very old and not worth much', so it isn't in the table.
What goes with CDs in the $400 row?
No, each one and, all together, the CDs and books cost me about
Question says → You hear
Why: The row starts 'CDs and', so you need the other half of the pair: books. Plural, as Gavin says it.
The trap: Watches come just before and are already in the table. Gavin's watches are $1,000 each, so the table shows $2,000 for both.
Also accepted: $184 / 184 dollars
How much does the insurance cost for a year?
that's Private Contents insurance, it comes to $184.00 for a twelve-month period
Question says → You hear
Why: 'A twelve-month period' is a year, so the annual cost is $184. The dollar sign is printed in the table, so 184 is enough.
The trap: $4,000 is the total value of his things, said just before. That's what's insured, not what the insurance costs.
How to attack this block: Classic form details: a spelled-out surname, a house number with a letter, a two-word suburb and a nationality. The nationality isn't stated directly, so you have to infer it from where Gavin was born.
What is Gavin's surname?
Gavin Murray, that's M-U-R-R-A-Y.
Question says → You hear
Why: He spells it letter by letter. Copy it exactly, with a capital M and a double R.
The trap: Spelling. Murry or Muray loses the mark.
What is the number of Gavin's address?
It's 16C Biggins Street, South Hills.
Question says → You hear
Why: Biggins Street is printed, so you need what comes before it: 16C. Diane repeats it as she writes.
The trap: Dropping the C. The letter is part of the address.
In which suburb does Gavin live?
That's right, it's two words, 'South Hills'.
Question says → You hear
Why: The address ends in South Hills, and Gavin points out it's two words. Capitalise both.
The trap: Writing it as one word, Southhills. He tells you it's two words for a reason.
Also accepted: British
What is Gavin's nationality?
No . . . I was born in London, although my mother is from Tasmania.
Question says → You hear
Why: Gavin says no to Australian and explains he was born in London, which makes him English (British is also accepted).
The trap: Australian is said by Diane and rejected. Tasmania and Hobart refer to his mother, and he studies in Sydney, so none of those give his nationality.
Gavin says 'third' first, then 'no, second floor'. Diane repeats 'Second', which confirms it.
Nobody says a nationality. Gavin says he's not Australian, he was born in London, and his mother is from Tasmania. The answer is English (or British), worked out from London.
16C is a number and a letter together. Write both with no gap; just 16 loses the mark.
The full Cambridge 2 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 2, 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.
