Bidcaster Archaeological Dig: listening answers and explanations
Hayden, an archaeologist, welcomes visitors to a community dig next to Bidcaster Castle. He explains who set up the project, how a gold coin led to it, what the team has found so far and what happens next, then uses a site map to point out four highlights.
All answers come from Hayden, in order. Q11-16 cover the background and the finds. 'Take a look at the map. Our present location is marked at the bottom' starts Q17-20, which follow the order on the question paper: bridge, rubbish pit, meeting hall, fish pond.
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: Hayden often names all three options, then rules two out. Listen for the contrast words: 'but', 'Here', 'still waiting', 'we don't know that for sure yet'. The general statement ('Coins are often found by...') is usually the distractor; the specific case ('Here, a walker...') is the answer.
Question 11
Answer: BThe opening, when Hayden introduces himself
Who started the community project?
I'm a full-time archaeologist for the town council, but I was asked to join the project by NHA, a charity which sets up projects like this up and down the country.
Question says → You hear
a national charitya charity which sets up projects like this up and down the country
Why: NHA asked Hayden to join, and it's a charity that sets up projects 'up and down the country', which means a national charity: B.
The trap: C, the local council, is Hayden's employer, but the 'but' tells you the council didn't start the project. A: the castle owners only let the team use their facilities.
Question 12
Answer: AWhen Hayden asks 'how did we get to where we are today?'
How was the gold coin found?
Here, a walker found it on the ground after a rainstorm washed away some of the earth and sand.
Question says → You hear
Heavy rain had removed some of the soila rainstorm washed away some of the earth and sand
Why: A rainstorm washed away earth and sand, so heavy rain had removed some of the soil: A. 'Here' marks this coin's story.
The trap: Metal detectors and rabbits come first, but as ways coins are 'often' found in general. 'Here' switches to what actually happened.
Question 13
Answer: AAfter Peter Swift, the amateur historian, contacts Hayden
What made the archaeologists think there had been a village here?
Just by chance, the team found some old maps and documents in our library, which showed 500-year-old drawings of ruined buildings
Question says → You hear
the lucky discovery of old recordsJust by chance, the team found some old maps and documents
Why: 'Just by chance' is lucky, and old maps and documents are old records. After that, 'We knew then we were on to something': A.
The trap: B is close: the drawings show ruined buildings on the grassy area. But those are in the old documents, not bases visible in the grass today. No unusual stones are mentioned.
Question 14
Answer: CWhen Hayden lists what three summers have produced
What is the team still hoping to find?
Normally, you'd expect to find brooches and other jewellery, but we're still waiting to uncover any such items.
Question says → You hear
still hoping to findwe're still waiting to uncover
Why: Brooches are jewellery, and 'still waiting to uncover' means they haven't found any yet: C.
The trap: Broken pots ('more than you can count') and animal-bone tools have already been found, so the team isn't still hoping to find them.
Question 15
Answer: BWhen Hayden says 'Besides the discovery of the village'
What was found across the river from the castle?
No other houses or huts so far, but we can see the borders of an ancient field system.
Question says → You hear
the outline of fieldsthe borders of an ancient field system
Why: The borders of a field system are the outline of fields: B.
The trap: C is ruled out directly ('No other houses or huts so far'). A, a palace, is what they first thought a long wall was, but it 'turned out to be a modern wall'.
Question 16
Answer: CWhen Hayden says 'we'll be back next summer'
What will the team do after this summer's work ends?
In the meantime, we're putting on a series of guided tours for school groups this autumn.
Question says → You hear
start to organise school visitsputting on a series of guided tours for school groups
Why: 'In the meantime' means between this summer and next, and guided tours for school groups are school visits: C.
The trap: A: the TV documentary suggested the finds will go to the museum, 'but we don't know that for sure yet'. B: the documentary has already been made, so they're not taking part in one.
Map labelling (A-G)
Questions 17-20
How to attack this block: You start at the bottom of the map. Follow each route with your pencil as he speaks: 'take the main path', 'bends to the left', 'turn right at the first information board'. Two places are given by position on the site instead (the northwest corner, the central area), so check the compass and the castle walls.
Question 17
Answer: FWhen Hayden mentions the team of divers in the river
Where are the bridge foundations?
To reach the bridge, take the main path ahead of you. Go straight on and keep going till the path bends to the left. You'll see a smaller track leading off to the right. Follow that to take you to the river
Question says → You hear
bridge foundationsthe foundations of an ancient bridge
Why: From the bottom of the map, go straight up the main path to where it bends left, take the smaller track off to the right, and follow it to the river. That's F.
The trap: The path bends left, which pulls people to the left side of the map. But you leave the main path there and turn right onto the smaller track.
Question 18
Answer: AWhen Hayden says 'You might be interested to see the rubbish pit'
Where is the rubbish pit?
This is very near the castle walls in the northwest corner of the site.
Question says → You hear
rubbish pitvery near the castle walls in the northwest corner
Why: The pit is in the northwest corner, close to the castle walls, and the shells and fishbones came from the castle kitchen above it. That's A.
The trap: The castle kitchen might pull you towards the castle itself, but the pit is outside it, by the walls. Check the compass too: northwest is top left only when north is at the top.
Question 19
Answer: GWhen Hayden says what they excavated in the first summer
Where is the meeting hall?
It's the largest structure in a central area of the site next to the current excavation area.
Question says → You hear
meeting hallthe site of a meeting hall
Why: The hall is in the central area, next to where they're digging now, and it's the largest structure there. That's G.
The trap: The current excavation area is beside it. Don't label the excavation area itself: the hall is the big structure next to it.
Question 20
Answer: EThe last highlight, 'Last year, we discovered a fish pond'
Where is the fish pond?
you turn right at the first information board you come to and follow the path into the trees. Before you come out of the trees, you'll see it on your right.
Question says → You hear
fish ponda fish pond in the ancient village
Why: From your start point, turn right at the first information board, follow the path into the trees, and the pond is on your right while you're still in them. That's E.
The trap: Fish ponds were usually beside a river, but this one is 'further away'. 'If you reach the river, you've gone too far' rules out anything on the riverbank.
Hayden works for the town council and the castle owners let the team use their facilities, so both feel involved. But he was asked to join the project by NHA, a charity that sets up projects 'up and down the country'. That's the national charity that started it.
All three options are mentioned. The museum display isn't certain ('we don't know that for sure yet') and the TV programme already happened. Only the school tours this autumn are a plan.
The longest route: right at the first information board, into the trees, and the pond is on your right before you leave them. 'If you reach the river, you've gone too far' warns you off the riverbank.
Words from this recording worth keeping
community project(Introduction)
a project run with and for local people
facilities(Introduction)
buildings or services provided for people to use
amateur historian(The gold coin)
someone who studies history as a hobby
on to something(The gold coin)
about to discover something important
uncover(Finds)
find by digging or removing a covering
in the meantime(Plans)
in the period before something else happens
foundations(Map highlights)
the lowest part of a building, below ground
excavated(Map highlights)
dug up to find old remains
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