Simon, a researcher, talks to two students about the robotic float project for ocean research. He describes the float, the countries involved and how its operating cycle works, then answers their questions about when the data will be useful.
Questions 21-30 · 10 marks · 3 question blocks
All in order, and every answer comes from Simon. Questions 21-22 describe the float and the project; 23-25 start when he says 'let's move onto how floats work'; 26-30 follow the uses of the data in the list order, from El Niño to crops.
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 21-22 · Note completion (ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 21 | cigar | |
| 22 | 13 countriesAlso accepted: thirteen countries / 13 different countries / thirteen different countries / 13 | |
| Questions 23-25 · Diagram labelling (ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 23 | activated | |
| 24 | 50 kmAlso accepted: 50 kms / 50 kilometres / 50 kilometers / fifty km / fifty kilometres | |
| 25 | temperature | |
| Questions 26-30 · Matching (A-C) | ||
| 26 | A | |
| 27 | C | |
| 28 | A | |
| 29 | B | |
| 30 | C | |
How to attack this block: Two quick facts at the start. The second has two country numbers, one for now and one for next year, so check the tense in the notes: 'have worked ... so far'.
What shape is the float?
It looks a bit like a cigar and it's about one and a half metres long.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Looks a bit like' becomes 'shaped like', and the object is a cigar.
The trap: One and a half metres is the length, not the shape. Later he says 'a bit like underwater weather balloons', but that's about what it does.
Also accepted: thirteen countries / 13 different countries / thirteen different countries / 13
How many countries' scientists have worked on the project so far?
Over the last five years scientists from thirteen countries have been taking part in the project
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Over the last five years ... have been taking part' matches 'have worked ... so far'. Write 13 countries (13 alone is also accepted).
The trap: Fourteen is next year's number, once Indonesia joins. Five is the number of years, not countries.
How to attack this block: The diagram follows the float's cycle in order: dropped, sinks, drifts, rises, transmits. Simon gives several numbers (2,000 metres, 10 days, 50 kilometres, five hours), so match each to the label it belongs to.
What does the satellite do after the float is dropped?
Each of the floats is dropped in the ocean from a boat at a set point and activated from a satellite.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Activated from a satellite' becomes 'activated by satellite'. The gap needs a past participle to match 'dropped': activated.
The trap: The data is later 'beamed up to the satellite', which is the end of the cycle. The first step is activating the float.
Also accepted: 50 kms / 50 kilometres / 50 kilometers / fifty km / fifty kilometres
What is the average distance the float travels?
During this time it's possible for it to cover quite large distances but the average is fifty kilometres.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'The average is' gives you the label exactly. Write 50 km; the unit is needed.
The trap: 2,000 metres is a distance too, but it's how deep the float sinks. 'Quite large distances' is the possible maximum, not the average.
Besides salinity, what does the float record?
most importantly variations in salinity, that's salt levels, and the changes in temperature
Question says → You hear
Why: Salinity is printed, so the gap is the second item: temperature.
The trap: 'Salt levels' is just Simon explaining salinity. Weather balloons are a comparison, not something it measures.
How to attack this block: Three time periods: now, soon, far in the future. Listen for time phrases: 'already', 'right now' (A); 'well on the way', 'quite soon' (B); 'a long way off', 'a long way in the future' (C). Letters can be used more than once.
When can float data help with understanding El Niño?
Some of the data has already helped in completing projects. For example, our understanding of the underlying causes of El … events is being confirmed by float data.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Already helped' and the present continuous 'is being confirmed' mean it's happening now: A.
The trap: Climate change comes straight after and is 'a long way off'. Don't let that time phrase run back onto El Niño.
When can float data help with understanding climate change?
to help us to understand the mechanics of climate change, like global warming and ozone depletion. That's part of an ongoing variability study but the results are still a long way off.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'A long way off' means far in the future: C.
The trap: 'We're using' and 'ongoing' sound like the present, but the results, which are what helps us understand, are a long way off.
When can float data help with naval rescues?
we can advise the navy on search and rescue … That's happening right now and … many yachtsmen owe their lives to the success of this project.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Happening right now' is A. He adds that many yachtsmen owe their lives to it.
The trap: 'However, this is not the case' sounds negative, but it's contrasting with the climate results being far off. It means forecasting is not far off.
When can float data help with sustainable fishing?
We're well on the way to completing a project on this. We hope it will help to bring about more sustainable fishing practices. We'll be seeing the results of that quite soon.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Well on the way' and 'quite soon' mean the near future: B.
The trap: The project is already in progress, which pulls people to A. But the results, which help fishing, aren't here yet.
When can float data help with choosing crops?
we could make sure that the farmers planted appropriate grain varieties … I agree that this concept is still a long way in the future
Question says → You hear
Why: Planting the right grain varieties is crop selection, and Simon agrees it's 'still a long way in the future': C.
The trap: 'It will come eventually' could sound like B, but 'a long way in the future' is clearly long-term. A student even calls it science fiction.
'Confirmed by float data' doesn't sound like a time phrase, but it comes with 'has already helped in completing projects' and 'is being confirmed' (present). That's A, at present.
Thirteen countries have taken part so far; fourteen is next year, when Indonesia joins. The notes say 'so far', so 13.
'Well on the way to completing' and 'quite soon' both point to the near future, not now. People choose A because the project is already running.
The full Cambridge 7 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 7, Test 3, 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.
