Mintons Car Mart: listening answers and explanations
A woman visits a car showroom to buy a new car. The salesman takes down what she wants (engine, gears, colour), how she plans to pay, her personal details, and information about the car she wants to trade in.
One form, filled in strictly in order, under four headings: the new car, finance, personal details, current car. The salesman's questions mark every gap, and the answers come from the woman, except Q9, where the salesman confirms the model name.
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 1-10 · Form completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Form completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Questions 1-10
How to attack this block: A classic form: the salesman asks, the customer answers. Expect choices that get turned down (1.2 and 1.6, manual, Royal blue, cash, Mrs or Miss) and two spellings. Write the option she actually chooses, not the first one she hears.
Question 1
Answer: 1.4 litresWhen the salesman asks 'What about the engine size?'
litre engine but I find it a bit slow on … a bit more power this time … should do … need a 1.6 or anything
Question says → You hear
Engine sizea bit more power this time
Why: Her current car's 1.2 litre engine feels slow, so she wants more power: 'a 1.4 should do'. Write 1.4 litres (1.4 alone is accepted).
The trap: 1.2 is her present car and 1.6 is more than she needs. Both are said in the same answer.
Question 2
Answer: automaticRight after the salesman shows her a picture of the Max
What kind of gears does she want?
What kind of gear change do you want? I presume youd want a manual? … never driven a car with manual gears
Question says → You hear
Type of gearsWhat kind of gear change do you want
Why: She wants automatic, because she has never driven a car with manual gears.
The trap: Manual is said twice, once in the salesman's guess and once in her reason. Both times it's what she doesn't want.
Question 3
Answer: lightWhen the salesman shows her the colour chart
Also accepted: sky
Which shade of blue does she choose?
This blue's very popular at the moment. … think I prefer this lighter shade here
Question says → You hear
Preferred colour: ... blueI prefer this lighter shade here
Why: She likes Royal blue but prefers the lighter shade, called Sky. The key accepts light or sky before 'blue'.
The trap: Royal is named first and she says she likes it. 'But actually' tells you she's changing her mind.
Question 4
Answer: creditUnder 'finance', when the salesman gives the cash price
How does she want to pay?
position to pay cash, or Would you need credit … like credit provided the terms are reasonable
Question says → You hear
Customer wishes to arrangelike credit provided the terms are reasonable
Why: She'd like credit if the terms are reasonable. 'Arrange' fits credit, which the salesman's colleague will set up.
The trap: Cash is offered first. 'Part exchange' comes next, but it has its own line on the form.
Question 5
Answer: HarriesStart of personal details: 'Could I have your full name?'
What is her surname?
that's H-A-double R
Question says → You hear
Name: Wendythat's H-A-double R
Why: She spells it H-A-double R-I-E-S. Write Harries, with a capital H and two Rs.
The trap: It sounds like the common name Harris. The spelling she gives has an E: Harries.
Question 6
Answer: DrWhen he asks 'Mrs... Miss... Ms...?'
Also accepted: Doctor / Dr.
What is her title?
It's Doctor, actually.
Question says → You hear
TitleIt's Doctor, actually
Why: She is a doctor. Dr, Dr. or Doctor are all accepted.
The trap: The salesman offers Mrs, Miss and Ms. 'Actually' shows she's correcting him, so none of them is right.
Question 7
Answer: AltonAfter 20 Green Banks, when the salesman spells the town back
What town does she live in?
it begins with an A
Question says → You hear
Addressit begins with an A
Why: The salesman guesses O-L-T-O-N; she corrects the first letter to A. The town is Alton, in Hampshire.
The trap: The wrong spelling is said aloud letter by letter. Only the first letter changes, so Alton needs a capital A.
Question 8
Answer: messagesWhen he asks for a daytime phone number
What is the contact number for?
I can give you a number just for messages, and then
Question says → You hear
for ... onlya number just for messages
Why: 'Just for messages' becomes 'for messages only'. Write the plural: messages.
The trap: She mentions working at the hospital, but that's why she is hard to reach, not what the number is for.
Question 9
Answer: LionUnder 'current car', after the make
What is the model name of her current car?
it's called a Lion - like the animal.
Question says → You hear
Model: Nameit's called a Lion
Why: The model is the Lion, 'like the animal'. Write Lion with a capital L.
The trap: The salesman mentions the Fox, the model that came out after it. The year (1996, corrected to 1994) is already on the form.
Question 10
Answer: reasonableThe last question: 'what sort of condition would you say it's in?'
What condition is her car in?
it as reasonable. Do you need to see it?
Question says → You hear
Conditionit as reasonable
Why: She'd describe her car as reasonable. One word.
The trap: Metallic grey comes just before, but colour has its own line. 'Reasonable' was also used earlier about credit terms, so make sure you have it here, too.
The salesman guesses the town starts with O, and she corrects him: it begins with an A. The answer is Alton, not Olton.
Words from this recording worth keeping
make(New car)
the company that builds a car
automatic(New car)
a car that changes gear by itself
shade(New car)
a lighter or darker version of a colour
in the region of(Finance)
about; approximately
credit(Finance)
paying later, in instalments
part exchange(Finance)
giving your old car as part of the payment for a new one
mileage(Current car)
the total distance a car has travelled
metallic(Current car)
with a shiny, metal-like finish
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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 1. 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.
The rest of Cambridge 5 Test 3 Listening
Part 1 · Questions 1-10 · You're hereMintons Car Mart
