Household Waste Recycling: listening answers and explanations
A student presents her group's project on household waste recycling in Britain. She covers targets and benefits, problems people report, how glass is collected and reused, and then companies that turn recycled glass, paper and plastic into new products.
Questions 31-35 come in the first half: targets, benefits, the survey, bring banks, then glass figures. Questions 36-40 run down the company table in order, glass, then paper, then plastic, and each company name is your signpost.
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.
Q
Your answer
Answer
Questions 31-35 · Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Questions 31-35
How to attack this block: Lots of figures in this half: 9%, 2008, 12.5%, 1990, two million, seven billion, 500,000. Read each sentence carefully so you know which figure it wants, then wait for the matching idea (lower emissions, recycled not thrown away).
Question 31
Answer: 12.5%Right after the point about the government's recycling targets
Also accepted: 12.5 per cent / 12.5 percent
By how much must CO2 emissions fall by 2008?
The agreed targets for the UK mean that by 2008 we must reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5%, compared with 1990
Question says → You hear
need to be ... lower than in 1990reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5%, compared with 1990
Why: Emissions must be reduced by 12.5% compared with 1990. Write 12.5% with the percent sign.
The trap: 9% comes first, but it's the share of people who recycle.
Question 32
Answer: incineration plantsWhen she gives the two main ways recycling helps
Besides landfill sites, where does recycling cut emissions from?
recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfill sites and incineration plants
Question says → You hear
reduces emissions from landfill sites andreduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfill sites and incineration plants
Why: The sentence repeats 'landfill sites and', so the answer is the next two words: incineration plants.
The trap: 'Virgin materials' comes just before, as part of the energy point. It's not a source of emissions.
Question 33
Answer: drop-offWhen she reports what came up in their street survey
Also accepted: drop off
What kind of sites are there too few of?
One problem is that there aren't enough 'drop- off sites, that is, the places where the public are supposed to take their waste.
Question says → You hear
a lack of '...' sitesthere aren't enough 'drop- off sites
Why: 'Aren't enough' becomes 'a lack of'. The answer is drop-off, and she even explains the term.
The trap: 'Bring banks' is the next term, but that's printed in the sentence after, and landfill sites were already mentioned.
Question 34
Answer: cookingWhen she says 'Another difficulty'
What glass can't be recycled with other glass?
toughened glass used for cooking doesn't fully melt at the temperature required for other glass
Question says → You hear
Glass designed to be utilised fortoughened glass used for cooking
Why: Glass for cooking doesn't melt at the same temperature, so it must be picked out. 'Used for' becomes 'designed to be utilised for'. Write cooking.
The trap: Plastic bags and umbrellas come just before, but they aren't glass. 'Toughened' describes the glass and doesn't fit after 'for'.
Question 35
Answer: 500,000After 'Glass is easy to recycle'
Also accepted: 500000
How much glass is recycled in the UK each year?
Two million tons of glass is thrown away each year … seven billion bottles and jars; but only 500,000 tons of that is collected and recycled
Question says → You hear
tons of glass is recycled each yearonly 500,000 tons of that is collected and recycled
Why: Of the glass thrown away, only 500,000 tons is collected and recycled. Write 500,000; 'tons' is printed.
The trap: Two million tons is the amount thrown away, and seven billion counts bottles and jars, not tons.
Table completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
Questions 36-40
How to attack this block: The company names are read out clearly, so you always know which row you're on. Each answer is a product or use, said a few words after the name. Watch the two-word limit.
Question 36
Answer: roadsWhen she lists new uses for green glass
What does CLF Aggregates use recycled glass to make?
A company called CLF Aggregates makes a product for roads, and 30% of the material is crushed glass.
Question says → You hear
material used for makingmakes a product for roads
Why: CLF makes a road material that is 30% crushed glass. The answer is roads.
The trap: Fibreglass and water filtration are mentioned just before, but as general uses, not CLF's product.
Question 37
Answer: soil conditionerAfter the waste left over from making recycled paper
What does Papersave sell for use on farms?
currently sells this to farmers as a conditioner, soil
Question says → You hear
for use on farmssells this to farmers
Why: Papersave sells unusable waste paper to farmers as a soil conditioner. Write both words.
The trap: Martin's office stationery is on the row above. 'Farmers' is printed in the table as 'farms', so it can't be the gap.
Question 38
Answer: containersWhen she moves on to plastic
What does Pacrite make for collecting waste?
recycling plastic bottles to make containers which are used allover the country to collect waste
Question says → You hear
... for collecting wastecontainers which are used allover the country to collect waste
Why: Pacrite turns plastic bottles into containers used to collect waste. Write containers.
The trap: Bottles and car bumpers are what Pacrite recycles, not what it makes.
Question 39
Answer: pencilsWhen she talks about the Save-a-Cup scheme
What does Waterford make from used cups?
such as Waterford, which turns the cups into pencils
Question says → You hear
WaterfordWaterford, which turns the cups into pencils
Why: Waterford turns polystyrene cups into pencils. Plural: pencils.
The trap: 'Cups' is the material, not the product.
Question 40
Answer: business cardsStraight after Waterford
What does Johnson & Jones make?
Johnson & Jones, a Welsh-based firm, which has developed a wide variety of items, including business cards.
Question says → You hear
Johnson & Jonesincluding business cards
Why: Of their 'wide variety of items', the one named is business cards. Two words, within the limit.
The trap: 'Welsh-based firm' and 'wide variety of items' come first, but they describe the company, not the product.
Papersave sells waste paper to farmers as a soil conditioner. Both words are needed, and 'farmers' (already in the table) is the trap.
Words from this recording worth keeping
targets(Introduction)
official goals to be reached by a certain date
virgin materials(Benefits of recycling)
new raw materials that have never been used
landfill sites(Benefits of recycling)
places where rubbish is buried
incineration plants(Benefits of recycling)
places where rubbish is burned
baling(Bring banks)
pressing material into large tied blocks
toughened glass(Glass)
glass treated to make it stronger and heat-resistant
conditioner(Paper)
something added to improve the quality of soil
polystyrene(Plastic)
a light plastic used for cups and packaging
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 5 Test 3 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 5, Test 3, 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.
