Music therapy for surgical patients: listening answers and explanations
A lecturer describes a review of research into playing music to patients after surgery. She explains how patients feel after operations, what the study found about music, how it was played, why it seems to work and what the researchers recommend.
One ten-gap note block in order. 31 is in the background section. 'Earlier this year, a research team' starts the recent research, and 32-40 follow the study from start to finish: the data, the music, how it was played, results, the explanation, recommendations and the next study.
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: A long, steady lecture with no strong signposts inside the research section, so follow the notes line by line. Most gaps are nouns, and two need an adjective (calming, awake). Several gaps sit next to a tempting word that's said first and then contrasted.
Question 31
Answer: routineEarly in the background, after mobilising and sitting up in bed
What unwelcome change can surgery cause for patients?
They may also be negatively affected by having their routine disturbed, you know, like if they can't do the things they normally do
Question says → You hear
unwelcome changes to theirnegatively affected by having their routine disturbed
Why: 'Negatively affected' is unwelcome, and a disturbed routine is a change to it. The gap is routine.
The trap: Physiotherapy appointments come straight after, but they're an example of what disturbs the routine, not the thing that changes.
Question 32
Answer: trialsWhen she says 'Earlier this year, a research team'
What did the study review data from?
They identified nearly a hundred trials involving a total of seven thousand patients
Question says → You hear
reviewed data from about 100identified nearly a hundred trials
Why: 'Nearly a hundred' matches 'about 100', and what they found was trials. Use the plural.
The trap: Patients is said in the same sentence, but there were seven thousand of them, not about 100.
Question 33
Answer: calmingWhen she says the researchers explored the patients' choice of music
What effect did all the music in the study have?
a wide variety of music styles was evident. However, a common factor was that the chosen music had a calming quality.
Question says → You hear
all listened to music with a ... effecta common factor was that the chosen music had a calming quality
Why: 'A common factor' means all the music shared it, and that factor was a calming quality. Effect replaces quality, so the gap is calming.
The trap: The variety of styles comes first, with 'However' after it. Variety is what differed, not what they all had.
Question 34
Answer: pillowsAfter the part about headphones
How was the music mostly played?
More often though, the mode of delivery was by what are known as music pillows.
Question says → You hear
mostly played through musicMore often though, the mode of delivery was by what are known as music pillows
Why: 'More often' matches 'mostly', and the note already has 'music', so write pillows.
The trap: Headphones are mentioned first, but only for some patients. 'More often though' tells you the main method is next.
Question 35
Answer: anxietyWhen she says surgical patients were asked to report their experience
What feeling did patients say they had little or none of?
surgical patients said that either they had no feelings of anxiety at any point, or those feelings were only slight
Question says → You hear
an absence or low levels ofno feelings of anxiety at any point, or those feelings were only slight
Why: 'No feelings' is absence and 'only slight' is low levels. The feeling is anxiety.
The trap: Dissatisfaction comes next, but that's what patients without music reported.
Question 36
Answer: medicationWhen she says the feedback was cross-checked against medical notes
What did patients given music need less of?
those who were given music to listen to didn't need as much medication to ease their pain
Question says → You hear
needed lessdidn't need as much medication
Medical records confirmedcross-checked against their medical notes
Why: 'Didn't need as much' is needed less, and the thing they needed less of is medication.
The trap: Pain is right next to it, but 'needed less pain' makes no sense. The pain relief is the medication.
Question 37
Answer: awakeWhen she mentions patients under general anaesthetic
When did music give the best results?
And it even worked when patients were played music under general anaesthetic, although the positive effects were greater when patients were awake.
Question says → You hear
The best results were achievedthe positive effects were greater
Why: 'Greater' positive effects means the best results, and these came 'when patients were awake'. The gap follows 'they were', so the adjective awake.
The trap: Anaesthetic is the word you hear first, with 'even worked', but that's the weaker result.
Question 38
Answer: distractionWhen she says it's not entirely clear how or why music works
Why did the study think music was effective?
A lot of people listen to music in daily life as a way to relax and forget their problems, but the researchers came to the conclusion that it worked on patients by distraction.
Question says → You hear
The study concludedthe researchers came to the conclusion
Why: 'Came to the conclusion' matches 'concluded', and the reason is distraction. 'Served as a ...' needs a noun.
The trap: Relaxing is how people use music in daily life, but the 'but' tells you the researchers reached a different conclusion.
Question 39
Answer: natureWhen she gives the researchers' recommendations
Besides music, what sounds do the researchers recommend?
if they prefer, recordings taken from nature can be just as good as music
Question says → You hear
either music or sounds fromrecordings taken from nature can be just as good as music
Why: Recordings from nature are sounds from nature, offered as an alternative to music.
The trap: Ward is mentioned in the next sentence, but that's where patients return to, not a source of sound.
Question 40
Answer: volumeNear the end, when she says there's more to learn
What will the next study investigate about the music?
the team now plan to focus their next research on the most appropriate volume to play the music at
Question says → You hear
A future study will investigate the bestplan to focus their next research on the most appropriate volume
Why: 'Most appropriate' matches 'best', and the thing they'll study is the volume.
The trap: Timing (before, during or after surgery) comes up earlier and sounds like a research topic, but they said it didn't make much difference.
'A wide variety of music styles' is said first, which makes people think of style or variety. The common factor is the 'calming quality', and the gap needs the adjective calming.
Music worked even under general anaesthetic, which sounds like the big finding. But 'the positive effects were greater when patients were awake', so the best results were with patients awake.
Relaxation is the obvious reason and it's said first, as what people normally use music for. The researchers concluded it worked 'by distraction'.
Words from this recording worth keeping
undergo surgery(Background)
have an operation
mobilising(Background)
moving around after an illness or operation
post-operative(Recent research)
after an operation
mode of delivery(Recent research)
the way something is given or played
audible(Recent research)
able to be heard
cross-checked(Recent research)
compared with another source to make sure it's right
general anaesthetic(Recent research)
a drug that makes you fully unconscious for surgery
distraction(Conclusions)
something that takes your attention away
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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 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.
