On a TV show from the Good Home Exhibition, the presenter asks expert Liz Shearer to review four new household gadgets. For each one she gives the advantages and disadvantages, then says whether it's a must buy, a maybe buy or a never buy.
Questions 11-20 · 10 marks · 1 question block
One table, filled row by row in the order Liz reviews the gadgets: vacuum flask, key holder, army flashlight, decoy camera. For each gadget she gives advantages, then 'on the down side' or 'on the weaker side', then her verdict. A dashed break comes before the flashlight.
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 11-20 · Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, or A-C) | ||
| 11 | glass | |
| 12 | 18 hoursAlso accepted: eighteen hours / 18 hrs | |
| 13 | a tasteAlso accepted: taste / a strange taste / strange taste | |
| 14 | small sizeAlso accepted: the small size / small / size | |
| 15 | metal | |
| 16 | A | |
| 17 | outside activitiesAlso accepted: outdoor activities / outdoors | |
| 18 | underwaterAlso accepted: under water / beneath water | |
| 19 | weak lightAlso accepted: a weak light | |
| 20 | flashing lightAlso accepted: a flashing light | |
How to attack this block: Read across each row before Liz starts it: advantages, disadvantages, then the verdict letter. Her signposts are reliable ('On the down side', 'On the weaker side', 'My main objection'), so use them to switch columns. One gap is a recommendation letter: listen for how strong her final words are.
What does the vacuum flask not contain?
most of all is the fact that it contains no glass
Question says → You hear
Why: No glass means it can't break, which is why it's called the Unbreakable Vacuum Flask. The gap is glass.
The trap: Stainless steel comes next, but that's what it's made of, and it's already printed.
Also accepted: eighteen hours / 18 hrs
How long does the flask keep drinks warm?
it's true what the manufacturer claims - that it does maintain heat for 18 hours. So that's pretty good.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Maintain heat' is the table's 'keeps warm', and the time is 18 hours.
The trap: 20 years is the guarantee on the steel, already printed.
Also accepted: taste / a strange taste / strange taste
Apart from the price, what's wrong with the flask?
it really works out to be quite expensive and, much more surprisingly, it unfortunately leaves a strange taste
Question says → You hear
Why: The flask leaves a strange taste in your drink. 'A taste' or 'strange taste' both fit after 'leaves'.
The trap: Expensive is said first, but it's already printed. The gap is the second, surprising problem.
Also accepted: the small size / small / size
What is the key holder's other advantage?
You press the button and this means you can find keyholes easily. I also felt the small size was a real advantage.
Question says → You hear
Why: The light for keyholes is printed, and 'I also felt' adds the second advantage: the small size.
The trap: The whistle and high-pitched noise describe how the gadget works, not an advantage in the table.
What doesn't the key holder work through?
And I found that it didn't work through metal, so it's mainly useful for finding in coat pockets, cushions, etc.
Question says → You hear
Why: The table copies 'work through', and the next word is metal.
The trap: Coat pockets and cushions come straight after, but those are where it does work.
What is Liz's verdict on the key holder?
But taken as a whole I thought it was a masterpiece of design and would highly recommend it.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Highly recommend' and 'a masterpiece of design' are her strongest praise, so it's A, a must buy.
The trap: Two disadvantages (the noise and the metal) come just before, which makes B feel safe. 'But taken as a whole' tells you she's overriding them.
Also accepted: outdoor activities / outdoors
What is the army flashlight useful for?
Its advantages are that it can be used for outside activities, and also
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Can be used for' is the table's 'useful for', and the answer is outside activities.
The trap: Military use comes earlier, but that's why it's called the Army Flashlight, not what it's useful for now.
Also accepted: under water / beneath water
Where else does the flashlight work?
and this is one of the surprising features... it does work underwater
Question says → You hear
Why: The surprising feature is that it works underwater. Under water as two words is accepted too.
The trap: Don't write 'surprising'. That's her comment, and the table needs where it works.
Also accepted: a weak light
What is the flashlight's disadvantage?
My main objection to it though was although it did work in these conditions, this model gave off a weak light.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Main objection' marks the disadvantage: a weak light. That's why she says avoid it.
The trap: 'It did work in these conditions' sounds like a complaint coming, but it's praise. The objection is the light.
Also accepted: a flashing light
What makes the decoy camera look realistic?
The advantage of this model is something which makes it look very realistic ... its flashing light.
Question says → You hear
Why: The flashing light is what makes the fake camera look real. 'Realistic' is printed, so the gap is flashing light.
The trap: Difficult to fix to the wall is the disadvantage, already printed. Burglars are the target, not a feature.
The key holder has two disadvantages, which might make you choose B. But Liz ends with 'a masterpiece of design' and 'would highly recommend it', which is a must buy: A.
The table already says 'Expensive' and then 'leaves ...'. Liz says it 'leaves a strange taste', so the gap is a taste (or strange taste), not another word about price.
Two numbers in a row: steel guaranteed for 20 years, then heat kept for 18 hours. The 20 years is printed, so the gap is 18 hours.
The full Cambridge 3 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 3, Test 4, Listening Part 2. 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.
