Management course enrolment: listening answers and explanations
Brian Ardley is about to start a part-time management course and talks to a college tutor. He asks what to do before the course, then about the college facilities (food, childcare, careers advice, fitness, library, computers) and finally about the college's Business Centre and how much it costs to join.
Question 21 comes in the first minute. Questions 22-25 follow Brian's questions about facilities in the same order as the table. The tutor's 'By the way, do you know about our Business Centre?' is your signal to move to the summary for questions 26-30. Almost every answer is said by the tutor.
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: All three options are touched on in the opening exchange. Listen for what Brian will actually do next, not what he has already done or what the college doesn't require.
Question 21
Answer: ARight after he says he's already written his case study
What will Brian do before the course begins?
would it be possible to sit in on a teaching session, to see what it's like? … Fine. Just let me know which date
Question says → You hear
attend a classsit in on a teaching session
Why: 'Sit in on a teaching session' is attending a class, and the tutor agrees to arrange it. That's the one thing still to happen: A.
The trap: B is tempting because the college wants a written case study, but Brian says he's already done it. C is out because the college doesn't give a reading list in advance.
Table completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
Questions 22-25
How to attack this block: Each row is one facility, and Brian asks about them in order, so the facility name is your signpost. The gaps are short noun phrases; check that each fits the grammar of the row, for example 'reduced ... for students' needs a noun.
Question 22
Answer: in advanceWhen Brian mentions his food allergies
When should Brian tell the refectory about his diet?
Provided you warn the refectory in advance, it won't be a problem.
Question says → You hear
inform themwarn the refectory in advance
Why: 'Warn' becomes 'inform' in the table, and the gap needs the time phrase after it: in advance.
The trap: 'All day' comes just before, for the refectory's opening hours. It's about when it's open, not when to tell them.
Question 23
Answer: nurseryWhen Brian says his daughter is three
Which facility has a long waiting list?
she's eligible to join the nursery … The waiting list for a place is quite long though, so you ought to apply now.
Question says → You hear
long waiting list, apply nowThe waiting list for a place is quite long … you ought to apply now
Why: The gap is the name of the facility, at the start of the row. The tutor names it, then gives the waiting-list warning that is already in the table.
The trap: Nursery Nurse is the person who supervises it. Write the facility, nursery, not the job title.
Question 24
Answer: annual feeWhen Brian asks about the fitness centre next to the college
What is cheaper for students at the fitness centre?
students pay an annual fee that's much less
Question says → You hear
reducedmuch less
Why: 'Much less than the general public pay' becomes 'reduced' in the table. What is reduced is the annual fee, two words.
The trap: The tutor first says the centre is open to everyone, which can make you think nothing is special for students. The difference is the price, and the words you hear are annual fee, so don't swap in 'price' or 'cost'.
Question 25
Answer: tutorWhen Brian asks about access to computers
Who should Brian ask about getting a computer password?
your tutor will need to arrange with the technical support team for you to get a password
Question says → You hear
arrange a password with the technical support teamarrange with the technical support team for you to get a password
Why: The tutor arranges the password, and the tutor says 'ask him or her about it when you start'. So the gap is tutor.
The trap: Technical support team is the loud phrase, but it's already printed in the row.
Summary completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
Questions 26-30
How to attack this block: The summary squeezes the Business Centre conversation into a few lines. Questions 26 and 27 come together in one sentence and can go in either order. Question 30 needs the type of member who pays £50, so listen for who pays what.
Question 26
Answer: laptopsAfter 'manuals for self-study' and the computer materials
Also accepted: printers
Name one thing you can hire from the Business Centre.
And you can hire laptops to use in your own home or workplace as well as printers that you can take away.
Question says → You hear
It is possible to hireyou can hire laptops … as well as printers
Why: Two things can be hired, and they fill questions 26 and 27 in either order. Laptops is one of them; plural, as said.
The trap: Books, videos and manuals are mentioned just before, but they're materials to study, not things you hire.
Question 27
Answer: printersSame sentence as question 26
Also accepted: laptops
Name the other thing you can hire.
laptops to use in your own home or workplace as well as printers that you can take away
Question says → You hear
andas well as printers
Why: 'As well as' adds the second item: printers. Either order with question 26 gets both marks.
The trap: Don't write the same item twice. Laptops and printers are two separate answers.
Question 28
Answer: report writingWhen Brian asks about improving his study skills
Which study skill does Brian mention?
I don't have much idea about report writing, and I'm sure I'll need it on the course
Question says → You hear
study skills (e.g.I don't have much idea about report writing
Why: Brian gives report writing as his example of a study skill, and the tutor says there's plenty of material. Two words, as in the recording.
The trap: It's Brian who says it, not the tutor. If you only listen to the tutor you'll miss it.
Question 29
Answer: marketingWhen Brian asks if the centre covers the main areas of business
What subject, besides finance, does the centre cover?
Yes, topics like finance, and of course marketing - that's a popular one.
Question says → You hear
other subjects include finance andtopics like finance, and of course marketing
Why: Finance is printed, so the gap is the next topic: marketing.
The trap: Finance comes first and is easy to write down by reflex, but it's already in the summary.
Question 30
Answer: IndividualWhen Brian asks how much it costs
Which type of membership costs £50 a year?
£100 a year for a company, and £50 for an individual, with no discount for students
Question says → You hear
membership costs £50 per year£50 for an individual
Why: £50 goes with 'an individual'. The summary needs an adjective before 'membership', and Individual fits.
The trap: Company membership is £100. Student is tempting because Brian is a student, but the tutor says students get no discount, so there's no student rate.
Writing something and reading are both mentioned, but Brian has already written his case study and there's no reading list. The only thing still to do is sit in on a class.
Two prices come together: £100 for a company and £50 for an individual. Students are mentioned last, but only to say they get no discount.
Words from this recording worth keeping
enrol(Introduction)
officially sign up for a course
case study(Before the course)
a detailed description of one real example
refectory(Facilities)
a canteen in a college
eligible(Nursery)
allowed to join because you meet the conditions
one-to-one(Careers advice)
between one adviser and one person
self-study(Business Centre)
learning on your own, without a teacher
at their own speed(Business Centre)
as fast or slowly as suits them
enrolment form(End of the conversation)
the form you fill in to join a course
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 6 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 6, Test 1, Listening Part 3. 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.
