Houses of the future: listening answers and explanations
Two students, Mia and Leo, plan a joint presentation on houses of the future. They agree what to focus on and how cities could meet housing demand, then give their opinions on seven ideas, from rooftop gardens to communal vegetable plots.
21-23 come from the planning talk at the start, in order: worries about the task, the type of housing, then urban demand. Mia's 'Let's think of some specific developments' starts 24-30, which follow the list order, one idea per exchange.
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: Each question is about what the students agree on, so wait for both of them. Options are usually raised and then dropped: listen for 'I don't think so', 'not too much of a rush' and 'let's go with that'.
Question 21
Answer: BThe opening exchange, after Mia asks about creative new suggestions
What part of the presentation worries both students?
But we mustn't be too general, we've got to support our points by referring to specific cases. So that'll need a lot of work. … I'm afraid so.
Question says → You hear
finding suitable examplessupport our points by referring to specific cases
Why: Leo says they need specific cases and it'll 'need a lot of work'. Mia's 'I'm afraid so' shows she shares the worry. Specific cases are examples, so B.
The trap: C is Mia's first worry, but Leo says they don't need creative new ideas. The deadline (A) is about six weeks away, 'not too much of a rush'.
Question 22
Answer: AWhen Mia says they'd better decide what type of housing to focus on
What type of housing do they choose?
But I think your suggestion about intergenerational living might be more interesting - let's go with that.
Question says → You hear
family groupshousing for different generations living together
Why: Different generations living together is a family group. 'Let's go with that' is the decision, so A.
The trap: Old people (B) is Leo's second idea and Mia agrees it's important, but then goes back to intergenerational living. Single people (C) is dropped because someone else is doing it.
Question 23
Answer: BWhen Leo says future demand will mainly be in urban areas
How do they agree urban housing demand should be met?
But I think the solution is to design multi-storey apartment blocks. … Building up rather than out, yes.
Question says → You hear
constructing tall buildingsmulti-storey apartment blocks … Building up rather than out
Why: Multi-storey blocks are tall buildings, and Leo agrees with 'Building up rather than out, yes'. That's B.
The trap: Leo's idea of adapting commercial buildings (A) and Mia's smaller homes (C) are both mentioned first, but her 'But I think the solution is' moves past them.
Matching (A-I)
Questions 24-30
How to attack this block: Nine opinions for seven developments, so two are spare. The opinion often comes from the second speaker's reaction, and the wording is paraphrased: 'improve how you feel if you live in an urban high-rise' means especially good for city residents.
Question 24
Answer: BFirst development, Leo's idea about roof space
What do they say about rooftop gardens?
it would greatly improve how you feel if you live in an urban high-rise. … Especially if you don't have a balcony.
Question says → You hear
especially beneficial for city residentsgreatly improve how you feel if you live in an urban high-rise
Why: The big benefit is for people in urban high-rises, and Leo adds 'Especially'. That's B.
The trap: Mia says you could also do it on a one-storey suburban building, but that's possible, not the main benefit.
Question 25
Answer: EWhen Mia says homes will need access to a shared working space
What do they say about shared working spaces?
they aren't having to travel to an office but can still interact with others. That's often how new ideas get generated - by chatting to someone from a different profession.
Question says → You hear
encourage creativityThat's often how new ideas get generated
Why: New ideas coming from chatting with other people means creativity, E.
The trap: Not travelling to an office sounds like an environmental benefit (D), but nobody says that. The point they stress is ideas.
Question 26
Answer: IWhen Mia describes walls that can be moved as needs change
What do they say about moveable internal walls?
Like when children leave school and start working but still continue to live with their parents for many years? Or when an elderly relative moves in with the family
Question says → You hear
both existing and new members of a householdchildren … still continue to live with their parents … an elderly relative moves in
Why: Grown-up children are existing household members and an elderly relative is a new one. Both get their own space, so I.
The trap: Young people are mentioned (children starting work), which can pull you to C, challenging for young people. But the walls help them, not challenge them.
Question 27
Answer: AWhen Mia asks if Leo has heard of smart mirrors that monitor health
What do they say about smart bathroom mirrors?
Hmm, not so sure they're a good idea. … Nor am I. People might worry about conditions which aren't serious at all.
Question says → You hear
cause unnecessary anxietyPeople might worry about conditions which aren't serious at all
Why: Worrying about conditions that aren't serious is unnecessary anxiety, A. Both students doubt the idea.
The trap: Contacting a doctor automatically sounds like it could help some and harm others (H), but their only worry is people panicking.
Question 28
Answer: DWhen Leo turns to transport
What do they say about bike sheds with charging points?
That would encourage more people to cycle, instead of using their car. Much better for the planet.
Question says → You hear
environmental benefitsMuch better for the planet
Why: Cycling instead of driving is 'much better for the planet', so D.
The trap: 'Encourage' is also in option E, but here it's encouraging cycling, not creativity.
Question 29
Answer: HWhen Leo describes the development where cars stayed outside
What do they say about keeping cars out of certain areas?
Great for families with children. … Maybe. But what if you're disabled or elderly, and can't walk far? It wouldn't be so good for people like that.
Question says → You hear
help some peopleGreat for families with children
cause problems for othersIt wouldn't be so good for people like that
Why: Leo says it's great for families, Mia says it's bad for disabled or elderly people. Good for some, bad for others: H.
The trap: The elderly appear again in 30, so don't use G here. In this one they're the people it causes problems for.
Question 30
Answer: GThe last development, Mia's idea
What do they say about communal vegetable plots?
That'd be a great way for older people to get to know one another, especially if they're no longer going out to work.
Question says → You hear
retired peopleolder people … no longer going out to work
share a projectneighbours could decide what to grow together
Why: Older people who no longer work are retired, and deciding what to grow together is a shared project. That's G.
The trap: Getting to know each other sounds social, but it's the opposite of F (social problems). It's a benefit.
Housing for the elderly gets a 'that's true' from Mia, so people pick B. But she then chooses Leo's earlier idea, 'intergenerational living', which is family groups.
All three options are mentioned in quick succession. The answer is the last one Mia gives, 'multi-storey apartment blocks', and Leo agrees: 'Building up rather than out'.
Leo likes the car-free centre for families, Mia worries about disabled and elderly people. Good for some, bad for others, H.
Words from this recording worth keeping
intergenerational(Choosing a focus)
involving people of different ages or generations
accommodation(Choosing a focus)
a place to live
urban areas(Meeting demand)
towns and cities
multi-storey(Meeting demand)
having many floors
suburb(Developments)
a housing area on the edge of a city
securely(Developments)
safely, so it can't be stolen
pedestrianised(Developments)
closed to cars so only people on foot can use it
communal(Developments)
shared by a group of people
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The full Cambridge 21 Test 4 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 4, Listening Part 3. 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.
