Improvements to Red Hill Suburb: listening answers and explanations
On a local radio show, presenter Carol talks to Graham Campbell, a city councillor, about the plan to improve the fast-growing suburb of Red Hill. He explains what residents are worried about and what will happen to the power lines, then goes through the changes marked on a map sent to residents.
Questions 11-13 come first: residents' main worry, the power lines and who pays. Then 'we've also put together a map' starts the map (14-20), which follows the order of the list: trees, wider footpaths, coloured road surface, new sign, traffic lights, artwork and playground. Each change is placed using street names: Days Road, Hill Street, Carberry Street, Thomas Street and Evelyn Street.
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: Graham answers each point directly, but a near-miss sits close by: traffic for the safety worry, the cost of the power lines, and local business rates raised by Carol. Listen for who actually pays and what is actually done.
Question 11
Answer: AWhen Carol asks about the community consultation
What are community groups mainly worried about?
People we've heard from are mainly worried about traffic in the area, and, in particular, the increasing speed of cars near schools. … before there is an accident as the children walk to the school.
Question says → You hear
mainly concerned aboutmainly worried about
Why: The worry is speeding cars near schools and an accident as children walk there. That is the safety of people on foot, option A.
The trap: 'Traffic' is the first word you hear, but the problem is speed, not traffic jams (B). Pollution (C) is never mentioned.
Question 12
Answer: BWhen Graham raises the second concern, the power lines
What will happen to the overhead power lines?
the power company have agreed to move the power lines underground at a cost of $800,000
Question says → You hear
buriedmove the power lines underground
Why: Moving lines underground means burying them, option B.
The trap: The lines are 'very old', which makes repaired (C) tempting. But the decision is to move them underground, not fix them.
Question 13
Answer: BWhen Carol asks whether local business rates will go up
Who will pay for the work on the power lines?
will that mean an increase in rates for the local businesses in that area? … Well, the power company have agreed to bear the cost of this themselves
Question says → You hear
paid for bybear the cost of this themselves
Why: 'Bear the cost' means pay, and it's the power company paying. That is option B.
The trap: Local businesses (C) come from Carol's question, and the answer is no. The council (A) is mentioned, but it now has extra money for other things.
Map labelling (A-H)
Questions 14-20
How to attack this block: The changes come in the same order as the list. Each is placed by a street junction or a landmark (the supermarket in Days Road, the corner of Carberry and Thomas Street, halfway down Hill Street). Find the street names on the map before the recording starts and follow them with your pencil.
Question 14
Answer: CThe first change on the map, right after Graham mentions the map
Where will the trees be planted?
Firstly, we'll plant mature pine trees to provide shelter and shade … of the supermarket in Days Road.
Why: The pine trees go just to the right of the supermarket in Days Road. On the map that spot is C.
The trap: The supermarket comes back later as the landmark for the artwork, which is across Hill Street from it. The trees are 'just to the right of' the supermarket itself.
Question 15
Answer: DWhen Graham turns to the traffic problems
Where will the footpaths be widened?
In order to address the traffic problems, the pavements on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Street will
Question says → You hear
wider footpathsthe pavements on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Street
Why: Pavements are footpaths, and the wider ones are on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Street: D.
The trap: Thomas Street comes up again in the very next change, the coloured road. The footpaths are the ones tied to the Carberry corner.
Question 16
Answer: GWhen Graham talks about separating residential streets from the main road
Where will the road surface be coloured?
We think it's very important to separate the local residential streets from the main road. So the roadway at the entry to Thomas Street from … a signal 'for traffic to slow down.
Question says → You hear
coloured road surfacethe roadway at the entry to Thomas Street
Why: The coloured surface is at the entrance to Thomas Street from the main road, to tell drivers to slow down: G.
The trap: The footpaths were also on Thomas Street, but at its corner with Carberry Street. The coloured surface marks the entry to Thomas Street from the main road.
Question 17
Answer: BWhen Graham talks about more signs at intersections
Where will the new sign go?
A 'keep clear' sign will be erected at the junction of Evelyn Street and Hill Street
Question says → You hear
new signA 'keep clear' sign will be erected
Why: The 'keep clear' sign goes at the junction of Evelyn Street and Hill Street: B.
The trap: Hill Street appears in four of the changes. The other street in the junction, Evelyn Street, is what pins down this one.
Question 18
Answer: FWhen Graham talks about controlling the flow of traffic
Where will the traffic lights be?
install traffic lights halfway down Hill Street where it crosses Days Road
Why: The lights go halfway down Hill Street, where it crosses Days Road: F.
The trap: Days Road was where the trees went too. Here the clue is the crossing with Hill Street, not the supermarket.
Question 19
Answer: AWhen Graham says there is also something for the children
Where will the artwork be?
an artist will incorporate that story into paintings on the wall of a building on the other side of Hill Street from the … supermarket.
Question says → You hear
artworkpaintings on the wall of a building
Why: The paintings go on a building across Hill Street from the supermarket: A.
The trap: The supermarket is again the landmark, but this time the place is on the opposite side of the street from it. That isn't the trees' spot (C).
Question 20
Answer: EThe last change, 'And finally'
Where will the children's playground be built?
we've agreed to build a new children's playground which will be at the other end of Hill Street close to the intersection with Carberry Street
Why: The playground is at the far end of Hill Street, near where it meets Carberry Street: E.
The trap: Carberry Street was also part of the footpath corner, with Thomas Street. This one is the Hill Street and Carberry Street end.
'Traffic' is the first word in residents' complaint, which pulls people to B. The worry is the speed of cars near schools as children walk past: pedestrian safety.
The artwork goes on a wall 'on the other side of Hill Street from the supermarket'. Students who stop at 'supermarket' pick the tree spot (C) instead of A.
Words from this recording worth keeping
consultation(Residents' concerns)
asking people for their opinions before deciding
overhead power lines(Power lines)
electricity cables carried above the ground
bear the cost(Who pays)
pay for something
rates(Who pays)
local taxes paid on property
mature(Trees)
fully grown
shelter(Trees)
protection from wind, rain or sun
erected(New sign)
put up, built
incorporate(Artwork)
include something as part of a whole
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 8 Test 4 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 8, Test 4, Listening Part 2. 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.
