Saving for the future: listening answers and explanations
A lecturer looks at whether men and women save money differently. She starts with a quote from George Bernard Shaw, compares what each group saves for, explains why women need to save more for old age, and suggests what can be done about it.
Questions 31-35 run through the first half: Shaw's quote, then what women save for, what men save for, and why women alone in old age need money. The signpost 'So what can be done about this situation?' starts the summary for 36-40, which follows the talk in order.
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 THREE WORDS)
How to attack this block: The sentences stick close to the lecture's wording, and each gap is a word or short phrase the speaker says. Two gaps sit inside lists ('economics and finance', 'and a house', 'and for retirement'), so listen for the item that isn't printed.
Question 31
Answer: politicsWhen the lecturer quotes George Bernard Shaw
What is the first subject Shaw says men are supposed to understand?
A man is supposed to understand politics, economics and finance and is therefore unwilling
Question says → You hear
men are supposed to understand ..., economics and financeA man is supposed to understand politics, economics and finance
Why: The sentence prints the second and third items of Shaw's list, so the gap is the first one: politics.
The trap: Not much of one, but don't write 'instruction' from later in the quote. Check the spelling of politics.
Question 32
Answer: learnThe second half of the Shaw quote, after 'He also said'
What are women more prepared to do, according to Shaw?
A woman, having fewer pretensions, is far more willing to learn
Question says → You hear
more prepared tofar more willing to learn
Why: 'More willing to' becomes 'more prepared to'. The gap needs a verb: learn.
The trap: 'Accept instruction' in the first half of the quote is about men refusing to learn. It's the opposite idea and doesn't fit 'about them'.
Question 33
Answer: children's educationWhen the lecturer turns to research on women in North America
Also accepted: their children's education
What do women save for besides a house?
Research studies of women in North America have found that women are far more likely … save for their children's education and they are also more likely
Question says → You hear
Women tend to save forsave for their children's education
Why: Women save for their children's education and for a house. The house is printed, so the gap is children's education.
The trap: A car comes next, but that's what men save for (Q34).
Question 34
Answer: a carSignposted by 'men, on the other hand'
Also accepted: car
What do men save for besides retirement?
men, on the other hand, tend to save for a car
Question says → You hear
Men tend to save fortend to save for a car
Why: The sentence repeats 'tend to save for' word for word. The answer is a car; 'car' alone is also accepted.
The trap: Retirement is said in the next sentence, but it's already printed. 'Household budget' is part of a side comment about cars.
Question 35
Answer: nursing careWhen the lecturer explains why women need to save more
What might women alone in old age have to pay for?
Since women are likely to be the ones left … have to pay for nursing care, because they don't have a spouse to look after them
Question says → You hear
Women who are left alonethe ones left
may have to pay forhave to pay for nursing care
Why: Women outlive men, so they may be left without a partner and have to pay for nursing care. Write both words.
The trap: Divorced women looking after children comes straight after. That's a different reason women need money, not what they pay for in old age.
Summary completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Questions 36-40
How to attack this block: The summary covers the 'what can be done' section. It paraphrases more than the sentences did: 'think about their financial future when a ... occurs', 'develop their ... in dealing with financial affairs'. Read each sentence for the type of word it needs before the lecturer gets there.
Question 36
Answer: crisisAfter the signpost 'So what can be done about this situation?'
What event makes many women think about their finances?
The research indicates that … crisis … make them think about their future financial situation. But of course this is the very worst time for
Question says → You hear
only think about their financial future when a ... occurscrisis … make them think about their future financial situation
Why: The research says it takes a crisis to make women think about their financial future. The summary's 'a' before the gap needs a singular noun: crisis.
The trap: 'Under pressure' is said a moment later and means much the same, but it doesn't fit 'when a ... occurs'.
Question 37
Answer: early twentiesWhen the lecturer says women need to think ahead
Also accepted: early 20s
At what age should women start thinking about pensions?
Even women in their early twenties need to think about pensions
Question says → You hear
start thinking about pensions when they are in theirwomen in their early twenties need to think about pensions
Why: Write early twenties (or early 20s). Both words matter: 'twenties' alone is a different, wider age range.
The trap: 'Professional positions' follows, but it's about the kind of women who are starting to do this, not their age.
Question 38
Answer: confidenceWhen the lecturer says research suggests a further problem
What do women need to develop to deal with money well?
lack of confidence. The best way for them to overcome this is by getting themselves properly
Question says → You hear
develop their ... in dealing with financial affairslack of confidence
Why: Women avoid dealing with money because of a lack of confidence. The way to deal with financial affairs better is to develop confidence.
The trap: 'Economic skills and knowledge' come at the very end of the talk and look tempting, but the summary is following this section, where the problem named is confidence.
Question 39
Answer: money managementWhen the lecturer says 'This College, for example'
What classes could women attend?
night classes in Money Management, and increasing numbers of women are enrolling
Question says → You hear
attend classes innight classes in Money Management
Why: The college runs night classes in Money Management. Write money management.
The trap: 'Night' fits after 'attend' but not before 'classes in'. The subject of the classes is the answer.
Question 40
Answer: low-risk investmentsAfter the mention of stocks and shares being profitable
Where should most of women's savings go?
at least 70% of a person's savings should be in low-risk investments but for the rest
Question says → You hear
a high proportion of their savingsat least 70% of a person's savings
Why: 70% is the 'high proportion', and it should be in low-risk investments. Write all three words, with the hyphen.
The trap: 'Well-informed risks' are for 'the rest', the smaller part. Stocks and shares are already in the summary sentence.
The summary says women need to develop their ... , but the lecturer talks about a lack of confidence. You have to turn the problem round into the thing to develop: confidence.
Stocks and shares, 'well-informed risks' and 70% are all in the same few sentences. The high proportion (70%) goes into low-risk investments.
Words from this recording worth keeping
pretensions(Shaw's quote)
claims to be more important or clever than you are
assumptions(Shaw's quote)
beliefs accepted as true without proof
retirement(What men save for)
the time after you stop working for good
spouse(Why women need to save)
a husband or wife
poverty cycle(Why women need to save)
a situation where being poor keeps causing more poverty
initiatives(What can be done)
new plans set up to solve a problem
enrolling(What can be done)
officially joining a course
low-risk investments(Advice on saving)
ways of saving where you are unlikely to lose money
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The full Cambridge 5 Test 1 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 1, 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.
