Challenges facing the cruise ship industry: listening answers and explanations
A student gives a presentation on the cruise ship industry. She looks at overtourism in cities like Barcelona, Bruges and Dubrovnik, at how younger people see cruises, and at what cruise lines are doing to win them over.
One ten-gap note block in order. 31-34 cover overtourism, one city at a time. 'they also have an image problem' starts the perception section (35-36), and 'So what solutions are there' starts the solutions (37-40). The last answer comes after a short aside about her grandparents.
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: The notes follow the talk closely but paraphrase almost every line, for example 'one of the worst problems' for 'among the greatest threats'. Most gaps need a noun. Keep track of the city names in 31-34 and the 'e.g.' lists in 37-38, which tell you an example is coming.
Question 31
Answer: PollutionRight after she defines overtourism
Also accepted: pollution
What is one of the worst problems caused by overtourism?
Pollution, for example, is among the greatest threats to many popular tourist destinations.
Question says → You hear
one of the worst problemsamong the greatest threats
Why: 'Among the greatest threats' becomes 'one of the worst problems'. The gap starts the sentence, so a capital is fine: Pollution.
The trap: Excessive tourism 'destroying the beauty spots' comes later and sounds bad too, but it isn't named as one of the greatest threats.
Question 32
Answer: taxWhen she mentions Barcelona
What have cities like Barcelona introduced to cut tourist numbers?
Several cities, such as Barcelona, have responded by imposing a tax which all visitors to the city from cruise ships have to pay.
Question says → You hear
is being introduced in some citiesSeveral cities, such as Barcelona, have responded by imposing
Why: 'Imposing a tax' is the measure. The note says 'a tourist ...', so the noun tax completes it.
The trap: 'A couple of euros' is the amount, not the measure. Green campaigners doubt it will work, but that doesn't change what was introduced.
Question 33
Answer: chocolateWhen she says Bruges was becoming like a theme park
What, besides souvenirs, were shops in Bruges only selling?
with shops only catering for tourists, selling chocolate, which Belgium is famous for, and other souvenirs
Question says → You hear
only stocking ... and souvenirsselling chocolate … and other souvenirs
Why: 'Selling chocolate ... and other souvenirs' matches 'only stocking ... and souvenirs'. Chocolate is uncountable here, so no s.
The trap: The aside about Belgium sits between the two items, so you may lose the first one. Zeebrugge is the port, not something sold.
Question 34
Answer: timingWhen she mentions the TV series
What does Dubrovnik control about cruise ship arrivals?
What it does now is control the timing of all cruise ship entries to the city's port.
Question says → You hear
managing the ... of cruise ship arrivalscontrol the timing of all cruise ship entries
Why: Control is managing, entries are arrivals, so the word in the gap is timing.
The trap: 'Limit the numbers' comes first, but the note already uses 'limits the number of tourists'. The method is the timing.
Question 35
Answer: costStart of the image problem section, after the elderly
What do people assume about cruises that puts them off?
A recent survey showed that cost is also a major factor in putting younger groups off going on a cruise.
Question says → You hear
an assumption about thecost is also a major factor in putting younger groups off
Why: Young people think cruises are expensive, and she says they're wrong ('what they don't realise'). So the assumption is about cost.
The trap: 'Good value' comes next, but that's the reality she gives to correct the assumption, not the assumption itself.
Question 36
Answer: rulesWhen she says 'And another perception is'
What do people think there may be too many of on a cruise?
And another perception is that cruises have lots of rules about what to wear and how to behave.
Question says → You hear
People think there may be too manyanother perception is that cruises have lots of rules
Why: 'Perception' matches 'people think', and 'lots of rules' becomes 'too many'. The gap needs a plural noun: rules.
The trap: Formal is said straight after, but it's an adjective and doesn't fit after 'too many'.
Question 37
Answer: divingWhen she talks about ships designed for 21 to 45 year olds
Which activity is mentioned besides boxing and well-being?
There's even a boxing ring on one ship, and most offer diving expeditions.
Question says → You hear
boxing, ... and well-being programmesa boxing ring … diving expeditions … a huge focus on well-being
Why: The three examples come in the note's order: boxing, diving, well-being. The gap needs one word, so diving.
The trap: Writing 'diving expeditions' breaks the one-word limit. Contemporary decor is mentioned too, but it isn't an activity.
Question 38
Answer: veganWhen she says food is always very important on a cruise
What kind of food option shows the varied menus?
cruise ships have had to radically update their menus to suit the tastes of their younger customers. Vegan dishes are standard, for example.
Question says → You hear
including ... optionsVegan dishes are standard, for example
Why: Vegan dishes are her example of the new food, so the gap is the adjective vegan before 'options'.
The trap: Paperless menus come next, but that's about how menus are shown, not the food.
Question 39
Answer: wifiEnd of the solutions, when she talks about people working on longer cruises
Also accepted: wi-fi / WiFi
What reliable service do cruise lines provide?
so companies have to guarantee wifi that can be relied upon at all times
Question says → You hear
providing reliableguarantee wifi that can be relied upon
Why: 'Can be relied upon' means reliable, and the thing guaranteed is wifi. Wi-fi and WiFi are also accepted.
The trap: Screens are mentioned just before, for menus, but they aren't what has to be reliable.
Question 40
Answer: videosAfter the aside about her grandparents and old TV ads
What high quality content are they using on social media?
Leading cruise lines now employ top agencies to produce first rate videos for social media channels.
Question says → You hear
high qualityfirst rate
Why: 'First rate' means high quality, and what the agencies produce is videos. Use the plural.
The trap: Brochures and TV ads come earlier, but they're the old-fashioned marketing that 'felt dated'.
Dubrovnik 'had to limit the numbers of cruise ships', which makes 'number' the obvious guess. But the note already says 'limits the number'; what it manages is the timing.
She first says cruises can be good value, which sends people to 'value'. The assumption in the note is about cost, which is what puts younger people off.
Brochures and TV ads come first and sound like marketing answers. The improvement on social media is first rate videos, said at the very end.
Words from this recording worth keeping
overtourism(Problems with overtourism)
too many tourists visiting one place
deter(Problems with overtourism)
discourage someone from doing something
catering for(Problems with overtourism)
providing what a particular group wants
image problem(Problems of perception)
a bad reputation with the public
perception(Problems of perception)
the way people see or understand something
selling point(Solutions)
a feature that makes people want to buy
contemporary(Solutions)
modern, in today's style
first rate(Solutions)
of the highest quality
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The full Cambridge 21 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 21, Test 2, Listening Part 4. 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.
