A market researcher stops someone in the street to ask questions for a new television channel. The respondent gives his job and salary, describes his viewing habits, and says what the new channel should do, how often adverts are acceptable, and what mail he wants.
Questions 1-10 · 10 marks · 3 question blocks
All ten answers come from the respondent, in the order of the researcher's form: personal background (1-2), current viewing habits (3-5), the new channel (6-7), and finally adverts, promotions and mail (8-10).
How to attack this block: Simple facts, but each one needs a small step: a job to classify, a salary to place in a band, a reason to pick out, and 'just over an hour' to fit into a range. Listen for the respondent's final word, not his first thought.
Which job category does the respondent fit?
Systems analyst, but for the form I don't know whether it would count as professional or business or what. … OK, it's more like business.
Question says → You hear
Why: He isn't sure at first, then decides it's 'more like business'. B.
The trap: A, the professions: 'professional' is the first category he considers, but he chooses business.
Which salary band is the respondent in?
No, I don't mind. It's £40,000 a year.
Question says → You hear
Why: £40,000 is more than £35,000, so it falls in the top band, C.
The trap: B goes up to £35,000, which is close enough to tempt you if you don't check. £40,000 is over that limit.
Why does the respondent watch TV?
at work I tend to read for information and what have you, so I'd say that with TV it probably just helps me relax and unwind
Question says → You hear
Why: TV helps him relax and unwind, so A, relaxation.
The trap: C, information: that's what he reads for at work, the contrast to TV. Comedy later sounds like B, entertainment, but his main reason is to relax.
How long does the respondent watch TV each day?
Not a lot really . . . I should say just over an hour.
Question says → You hear
Why: Just over an hour falls in the 1-2 hour band, B.
The trap: 'Not a lot really' pushes you towards A, 30 minutes to 1 hour, but 'just over' means more than one hour.
How to attack this block: Each option holds two answers, and both must be right. Find the two things the respondent says and look for the option that has exactly that pair; options with only one right half are the traps.
At what times of day does the respondent mainly watch TV?
Well, a little around breakfast time and then it tends to be really late - eleven or even midnight - when I've finished work.
Question says → You hear
Why: Breakfast time is the early morning, and eleven or midnight is at night. C has both.
The trap: A and D include midday, which is never mentioned. A is half right (early morning), which is why it's tempting.
What would the respondent like more of on the new channel?
I think we need more about things like local information ... you know, providing a service for the community. And in the same vein, perhaps more for younger viewers
Question says → You hear
Why: He wants more local information, a service for the community, and more for younger viewers. Those are local service and children's programmes, A.
The trap: B and D include documentaries, which he mentions first but says we don't need any more of. C has local service but adds health programmes, which he never mentions.
What advice would the respondent give the channel?
pay a lot of attention to the quality of the actual broadcast, you know, the sound system. … they ought to do lots more of these kinds of interview, you know, talking with their potential customers
Question says → You hear
Why: His two points are better sound quality and more interviews with potential customers. D has exactly those two.
The trap: A and B are half right: A has sound quality and B has talking to customers, but drama and training broadcasters are never mentioned. 'Interview' in C refers to famous people, which he doesn't say.
How to attack this block: Short answers at the end of the interview. Watch for conditions: 'as long as they're held here' and 'except for the information about the promotion'.
How often should adverts come?
Well out of that list I'd say every quarter of an hour.
Question says → You hear
Why: A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes, B.
The trap: A, 10 minutes: 'ten minutes' is said, but it's how long adverts shouldn't last each time, not how often they come.
On what condition would he attend special promotions?
Yes, I'd be very happy to, as long as they're held here in my area.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'As long as' gives his condition, and 'here in my area' means locally. C.
The trap: A and B (expenses, a special invitation) aren't mentioned. The condition is purely about location.
What mail would the respondent like?
Well, I'd prefer not. .. except for the information about the promotion you mentioned.
Question says → You hear
Why: He doesn't want general mail, but he does want the information about the promotion he's just agreed to. That's mail he has asked for: B.
The trap: A, no mail: 'I'd prefer not' sounds like a clear no, but 'except for' adds the one thing he does want.
'Information' is said, but about reading at work. With TV, it 'just helps me relax and unwind', so relaxation, A.
News and documentaries are the first programmes named, but he says we don't need any more of them. Local service and younger viewers (children's programmes) are what he wants, A.
He starts with 'I'd prefer not', which looks like 'no mail'. The exception that follows, information about the promotion, makes it requested mail, B.
The full Cambridge 2 Test 3 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 3, 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.
