Cambridge IELTS 2, Test 3, Listening Part 2

Student Union and Radford: listening answers and explanations

Elizabeth Reed, an Assistant Welfare Officer, welcomes new students. She describes what the Student Union does on campus, answers a question about the advice it gives, and then tours the leisure facilities in the town of Radford.

Questions 11-20 · 10 marks · 3 question blocks

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How the answers come

Three blocks in order: the Union's activities (11-14) in her opening talk, the advice services (15-16) after a student's question, and the town locations (17-20) after 'Now, onto Radford', moving from the outskirts into the centre.

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.

Q	Your answer	Answer
Questions 11-14 · Multiple choice (choose FOUR)
11		A and C and E and G(in either order)
12
13
14
Questions 15-16 · Multiple choice (choose TWO)
15		B and E(in either order)
16		B and E(in either order)
Questions 17-20 · Matching (A-C)
17		C
18		A
19		A
20		B

Multiple choice (choose FOUR)

Questions 11-14

How to attack this block: The options are paraphrases, so translate as you listen: fund raising for charities, a papershop, cheap deals at the Ticket Shop, a cafeteria and diner. Three options (politics, a supermarket, accommodation) are never mentioned.

Question 11-14

Answer: A and C and E and G (in either order)Her opening description of the Student Union Building

Which four activities of the Union does the speaker mention?

Many of these events are fund raising activities for charities … They manage the Students' Union papershop … there's the Ticket Shop … the Union Cafeteria and the Big New Diner

Question says → You hear

raising money for good causesfund raising activities for charities
running a newsagent'sthe Students' Union papershop, selling magazines and newspapers
providing cheap ticketssome very good deals
providing catering servicesthe Union Cafeteria and the Big New Diner

Why: A: fund raising for charities is raising money for good causes. C: a papershop selling magazines and newspapers is a newsagent's. E: the Ticket Shop's good deals are cheap tickets. G: a cafeteria and a diner are catering services.

The trap: D, running a supermarket: the papershop also sells stationery and sweets, which can sound like a supermarket, but it's a newsagent's. B (politics) and F (accommodation) are never mentioned.

Multiple choice (choose TWO)

Questions 15-16

How to attack this block: Elizabeth separates what the Union does from what the University Medical Service does. Track who gives which kind of advice: the Union's two areas come at the start and at the end of her answer, with the medical service in the middle.

Question 15-16

Answer: B and E (in either order)After a student asks about help with problems

Which two kinds of advice does the Union give?

the Union run their own advice service, offering help with financial matters such as grants. … However the Union has its own officer who can give advice on legal problems.

Question says → You hear

grantshelp with financial matters such as grants
legal mattersadvice on legal problems

Why: B: the Union's advice service helps with financial matters such as grants. E: the Union also has an officer who advises on legal problems.

The trap: C (medical problems) and D (personal problems): Elizabeth says anything medical goes to the University Medical Service, which also has the counselling centre. That's the university, not the Union.

Matching (A-C)

Questions 17-20

How to attack this block: Three locations: inside the Metro Tower, in the main square, or away from the centre. Places in the same building can share a letter, and two of them do here. Listen for 'in the same building' and 'on the outskirts'.

Question 17

Answer: CFirst place in Radford, as you go into the town

Where is the hi-tech fitness centre?

That's on the outskirts at a place called Renton. Above the pool there's a hi-tech fitness centre.

Question says → You hear

some distance from the centre of the townon the outskirts at a place called Renton

Why: The fitness centre is above the swimming pool, and the pool is on the outskirts at Renton. The outskirts are some distance from the centre: C.

The trap: A: the Metro Tower has sports facilities too (squash, badminton), so you might link the fitness centre with it. But the fitness centre is at the pool, out of town.

Question 18

Answer: AAfter she asks if there are any ice skaters

Where is the ice rink?

the new Metro Tower, right in the centre of town has got an ice rink and a sports hall

Question says → You hear

part of the Metro Tower buildingthe new Metro Tower … has got an ice rink

Why: The Metro Tower has the ice rink inside it. A.

The trap: B: the Metro Tower is 'right in the centre of town', but the main square option is for a different building. The rink is part of the tower.

Question 19

Answer: ARight after the sports hall

Where is the new cinema?

And in the same building there's a new cinema with six screens.

Question says → You hear

part of the Metro Tower buildingin the same building

Why: 'The same building' refers back to the Metro Tower, so the cinema is part of it too: A.

The trap: Thinking every place needs a different letter. Two places share A here.

Question 20

Answer: BThe last place, introduced with 'then, let me see'

Where is the Theatre Royal?

in the main square, just two minutes' walk from the Metro Tower, there's the Theatre Royal

Question says → You hear

in the main square in the centre of the townin the main square

Why: The Theatre Royal is in the main square: B.

The trap: A: the Metro Tower is named in the same sentence, but only to say the theatre is two minutes' walk from it, so it's not part of it.

The questions most people get wrong

Question 15-16

Counselling and medical help are mentioned, but they belong to the University Medical Service, not the Union. The Union covers grants and legal problems.

Question 17

The fitness centre is above the swimming pool, which is on the outskirts at Renton. People forget the pool's location by the time they hear 'fitness centre'.

Question 20

The Theatre Royal is two minutes' walk from the Metro Tower, which pulls people to A. It's actually in the main square, so B.

Words from this recording worth keeping

welfare(Introduction): people's health, comfort and well-being
fund raising(Union events): collecting money for a cause
charities(Union events): organisations that help people in need
venues(Ticket Shop): places where events happen
counselling(Advice services): professional advice for personal problems
outskirts(Radford facilities): the outer parts of a town
productions on tour(Radford facilities): shows travelling to different theatres

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The rest of Cambridge 2 Test 3 Listening

Part 1 · Questions 1-10New TV channel survey
Part 2 · Questions 11-20 · You're hereStudent Union and Radford
Part 3 · Questions 21-30Dissertation information
Part 4 · Questions 31-40Water resources in Australia

Part 2 in other Cambridge 2 tests

Test 3 Part 2 in other Cambridge books

All of Cambridge 2 Listening Next: Dissertation information See all Cambridge listening answers

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