Michael Alexander phones Judy at Total Insurance to claim for things damaged when his belongings were shipped back to Australia. She takes his address and the shipping details, then goes through the four damaged items: what is broken and what each will cost.
Questions 1-10 · 10 marks · 2 question blocks
The form (1-3) comes first: suburb, shipping company and arrival date. Then Judy asks about the damage and the table (4-10) runs item by item in the same order as the call: television, cabinet, dining table, china. For each item listen for the damaged part first, then the price.
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: Classic Part 1 details: a suburb that is spelled out, a company name and a date. Each one comes with a near-miss: the street already on the form, the port the ship stopped at, the date it left.
Which suburb does Michael live in?
It's 24 Manly Street, Milperra near Sydney. … Milperra. M-I-L-P-E-R-R-A.
Why: Michael spells the suburb letter by letter, which tells you it is the answer and that the spelling counts. Write Milperra with a capital M.
The trap: Manly Street is already printed on the form. The spelling is the real test: Milpera with one r loses the mark.
What was the shipping company called?
Yes, the company who packed everything up at the point of origin. … First Class Movers.
Question says → You hear
Why: Judy explains that the shipping agent is the company that packed his things, and Michael names it: First Class Movers. Three words is exactly the limit.
The trap: Michael hesitates before the name, so listen through the 'er'. China and Singapore come next, but they are places, not the agent.
Also accepted: 28th November / November 28
When did the goods arrive?
It left on the 11th of October and got to Sydney on the 28th of November.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'Got to Sydney' means arrived, and the date with it is the 28th of November. Write 28 November.
The trap: 11 October is said first, but it is the departure date. The week in Singapore is a distraction too.
How to attack this block: Michael describes each item the same way: which part is damaged, which parts are fine, then a price. The traps are the undamaged parts he names and the first price he gives before correcting it. One word only, so no 'the'.
What part of the television needs replacing?
it isn't an electrical problem. The screen has a huge crack in it so it's unusable.
Question says → You hear
Why: The damage is a huge crack in the screen, and Michael says it will need a new one. The gap is screen.
The trap: Judy mentions electrical problems, but Michael says that isn't the issue. Don't write 'TV' either: the table is asking which part.
Which room is the damaged cabinet from?
The cabinet from the bathroom was damaged as well, it's a lovely cabinet, we use it to keep our towels in.
Question says → You hear
Why: 'The cabinet from the bathroom' becomes 'the bathroom cabinet' in the table. One word: bathroom.
The trap: Towels is the word that comes after, but it describes what the cabinet holds, not what kind of cabinet it is.
Which part of the cabinet is damaged?
Well, the back and the sides seem okay but the door has a huge hole
Why: The door has a huge hole, so the damaged part is the door.
The trap: The back and the sides are mentioned first, but as the parts that are fine. 'But' is the turn to the answer.
How much will a replacement cabinet cost?
when I bought it last year I paid $125 for it. But the one I've seen here in Sydney is a bit more expensive, it's $140.
Question says → You hear
Why: Judy asks for the replacement cost, and the replacement he has found costs $140. The $ is printed, so write 140.
The trap: $125 is what he paid last year. It comes first, but 'But' introduces the current, higher price.
What part of the dining table is split?
It must have been very hot inside the container because one leg has completely … The top and the other three look okay thank goodness.
Question says → You hear
Why: One leg has split down the middle. The table says 'A ... is split', so the singular leg fits.
The trap: The top is mentioned straight after, as one of the parts that look okay.
What were the six broken china items?
They were all in the one box which must have got dropped because some plates were broken - six actually.
Question says → You hear
Why: Six plates were broken. The gap follows 'Six', so it must be plural: plates.
The trap: Dishes, cups and saucers are all in the set he describes, but only the plates were broken.
What is the total replacement value of the china?
they can be up to $10 each as it's such a good set. … Okay, so that would be around $60 altogether? … Yes, that's right.
Question says → You hear
Why: Judy multiplies six plates by $10 and checks 'around $60 altogether'. Michael agrees. 'In total' matches 'altogether', so write 60.
The trap: $10 is the price per plate. The table asks for the total, which only Judy says.
Two dates come in one sentence. 11 October is when the ship left; the form wants the arrival date, 28 November.
Michael paid $125, but the replacement he has seen in Sydney costs $140. The table wants the cost now, so 140.
You hear '$10 each' first. Judy does the sum, 'around $60 altogether', and the table asks for the total.
The full Cambridge 8 Test 2 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 2, 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.
