Video Library Application Form: listening answers and explanations
Louise wants to join a video library, and Mr Max fills in the application form with her at the counter. He takes her address and contact details, asks a few survey questions about the films she likes, and then explains the fee and when her card will be ready.
Everything comes in order. Questions 1-5 are personal details from Louise's mouth, the film choices (6-8) come in one long answer when Mr Max shows her a list, and the last two answers come from Mr Max as he wraps up: the fee, then the card.
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 1-5 · Form completion (ONE WORD OR A NUMBER)
next weekAlso accepted: in a week / in one week / the following week
Form completion (ONE WORD OR A NUMBER)
Questions 1-5
How to attack this block: Pure detail-copying: a street name, a post code, a phone number, a licence number and a month. The danger is mixing up numbers, so read ahead and notice that the home number is already printed: the gap is the work number, which comes second.
Question 1
Answer: BlackStraight after Mr Max asks for her address
What is the name of Louise's street?
Apartment 1, 72 Black Street, Highbridge.
Question says → You hear
Apartment 1, 72 ... Street72 Black Street
Why: The form already prints the apartment, the house number and 'Street', so the gap is just the name in between: Black. Mr Max repeats it a moment later, which gives you a second chance.
The trap: Highbridge is also in the address, but it comes after 'Street' and is already printed on the form.
Question 2
Answer: 2085When Mr Max says Black Street is just around the corner
What is Louise's post code?
OK, so the post code is 2085, right? … Yes, 2085.
Question says → You hear
Post codethe post code is 2085
Why: Mr Max says the post code himself and Louise confirms it, so you hear 2085 twice. Write it as digits.
The trap: Not much of a trap, but don't mix it up with the 72 from the house number, which you heard seconds earlier.
Question 3
Answer: 9456 1309When Mr Max says he needs both her home and work numbers
Also accepted: 94561309
What is Louise's work phone number?
Home is 9835 6712 and work is 9456 1309.
Question says → You hear
(work)work is 9456 1309
Why: She gives home first and work second. The form already has the home number, so the gap needs the second number, 9456 1309. Writing it with or without the space is fine.
The trap: Writing the home number 9835 6712 because it's the first number you hear. It's already on the form.
Question 4
Answer: 2020BDWhen Mr Max asks for some ID
Also accepted: 2020 BD
What is Louise's driver's licence number?
Yes, I know it off by heart, it's an easy one, 2020BD.
Question says → You hear
Driver's licence numberwe need your driver's licence number
Why: She says it from memory: 2020BD. It mixes numbers and letters, so copy both parts exactly. A space between them is accepted.
The trap: Leaving off the letters BD. A licence number only counts if it's complete.
Question 5
Answer: JulyRight after she shows her licence, when he asks her date of birth
In which month was Louise born?
25 July 1977.
Question says → You hear
Date of birth … Month25 July 1977
Why: The day (25) and the year (1977) are printed on the form, so the only missing piece is the month, July. Use a capital letter and spell it correctly.
The trap: Writing the number 7 is risky when the form asks for the month and the recording says the word. Write July.
Multiple choice (choose THREE)
Questions 6-8
How to attack this block: Louise talks about almost every option on the list, so you have to sort likes from dislikes. Listen for her attitude words: 'love', 'good for me', 'completely taken by' versus 'not very keen' and 'not musicals though'. The options are categories, so you have to translate what she describes into the right label.
Question 6-8
Answer: B and D and F (in either order)When Mr Max shows her the list for his survey
Which three types of film does Louise like?
I love anything that makes me laugh. … anything with a bit of a love story is good for me. … I'm completely taken by documentaries of the great outdoors, you know the sort, animals, plants and far away places.
Question says → You hear
Comediesanything that makes me laugh / jokes and funny punch lines
Romancea bit of a love story
Wildlifeanimals, plants and far away places
Why: B: films that make her laugh, with jokes and punch lines, are comedies. D: a love story is romance. F: documentaries about animals, plants and far-away places are wildlife films.
The trap: E, westerns: the word is said, but she is 'not very keen' and it's her father who likes them. C, musicals, is rejected outright, and A, action, never comes up.
Short answers (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS)
Questions 9-10
How to attack this block: Two quick facts near the end, both from Mr Max. He almost forgets the fee, so stay alert after he asks her to sign. For the card, listen for the time phrase, not for when she can borrow videos.
Question 9
Answer: $25When Mr Max hands her a pen and says he nearly forgot
Louise reads out two eight-digit numbers back to back. The form already shows the home number, so you need the second one, 9456 1309, copied digit for digit.
Five of the six options are talked about. Westerns are her father's taste, not hers, and musicals are rejected. Wildlife is never said: you have to recognise 'animals, plants and far away places' as wildlife documentaries.
Mr Max says she can borrow videos now, which tempts people to write 'now' or 'today'. The card itself won't be ready until next week.
Words from this recording worth keeping
off by heart(Personal details)
from memory, without looking
survey(Film preferences)
a set of questions asked to collect opinions
conducting(Film preferences)
carrying out or doing
punch lines(Film preferences)
the last, funny line of a joke
softie(Film preferences)
a gentle, sentimental person
documentaries(Film preferences)
factual films about real life
refundable(Membership fee)
you can get the money back
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 2 Test 1 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 1, 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.
The rest of Cambridge 2 Test 1 Listening
Part 1 · Questions 1-10 · You're hereVideo Library Application Form
