Trying to repeat success: listening answers and explanations
A business studies lecturer moves on from business finance to business systems, and explains why companies so often fail when they try to copy their own successful processes. The lecture covers research findings, the limits of relying on experts, typical mistakes and how to get it right.
Questions 31-34 come in the first half: copying versus innovating, the research, consulting experts and why expert knowledge is incomplete. After 'let's consider two types of mistake', the notes (35-40) follow the lecture exactly: the mistakes, the causes of problems, then 'So, what's the solution?'.
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: The lecturer makes contrasts: less glamorous but more frequent, not simpler, not confined to the US. The options borrow the rejected half of each contrast, so note which side the lecturer actually supports.
Question 31
Answer: BEarly on, when the lecturer describes using existing knowledge rather than generating new knowledge
How does copying a process compare with introducing a new one?
It's a less glamorous activity than pure innovation, but it actually happens more often, as a matter of fact. However, surprisingly, getting things right the second time is not necessarily any simpler
Question says → You hear
more frequentit actually happens more often
Why: Copying happens more often than innovation, so it is more frequent, option B.
The trap: 'Less glamorous' is the opposite of 'more attractive' (A), and 'not necessarily any simpler' rules out 'more straightforward' (C).
Question 32
Answer: BWhen the lecturer says there's been a lot of research into how companies repeat success
What does most research on repeating success show?
it has been shown that the overwhelming … of attempts fail. A host of studies confirm this, covering a wide range of business settings
Question says → You hear
produced consistent findingsA host of studies confirm this
Why: Many studies confirm the same result, that most attempts fail. That is consistent findings, option B.
The trap: The research 'hasn't been confined to the United States', but that doesn't say most was done elsewhere (A). It covers a wide range of settings, the opposite of C.
Question 33
Answer: BWhen the lecturer talks about managers 'picking their brains'
What is said about asking experts?
Now, this approach can be used if you … gain rough understanding … or understand smaller, isolated problems.
Question says → You hear
useful in certain circumstancesthis approach can be used if
Why: Asking experts works for a rough understanding or for small, isolated problems. Useful in certain circumstances is option B.
The trap: The lecture then explains the weaknesses of expert knowledge, but never says too few managers ask (A); in fact they 'typically start off' with an expert. Experts are never unwilling (C).
Question 34
Answer: AWhen the lecturer says experts are not aware of their own ignorance
Why might an expert's knowledge of a system be incomplete?
For instance … of details of the system are invisible to managers. Some may be difficult to describe - learned on the job and well known by workers perhaps, but impossible to describe in
Question says → You hear
difficult for workers to explainlearned on the job and well known by workers perhaps, but impossible to describe
Why: Workers know some details from doing the job but can't put them into words. That is option A.
The trap: Workers don't choose to hide details (B) or change them (C). The problem is that the knowledge is hard to describe, not withheld.
Note completion (ONE WORD ONLY)
Questions 35-40
How to attack this block: One word only. The notes follow three headings (two mistakes, causes of problems, solution), and the solution is given as 'first of all', 'secondly', then copying closely. Most answers are the exact word you hear.
Question 35
Answer: combinationThe second mistake, after 'Another mistake is'
Also accepted: system
What does the manager hope to create from the best parts of several processes?
Another mistake is trying to use the best parts of various different systems, in the hope of creating the perfect combination.
Question says → You hear
create an idealcreating the perfect combination
Why: 'Creating the perfect combination' becomes 'create an ideal combination'. One word: combination.
The trap: 'Systems' is close by and is accepted too, but 'perfect' and 'ideal' point at combination. Don't write 'perfect': the note already has 'ideal'.
Question 36
Answer: safetyWhen the lecturer says disadvantages have been overlooked
What might changes to a process have an effect on?
the advantages are real enough, but there are also disadvantages that have been overlooked. For example, the modifications might compromise safety in some way.
Question says → You hear
effect of changes onthe modifications might compromise
Why: Modifications are changes, and what they might compromise is safety.
The trap: Accuracy and comparability are the other two causes, already in the notes above. The example after 'for example' is safety.
Question 37
Answer: attitudeRight after 'So, what's the solution?'
Also accepted: attitudes
What is the first thing to change?
the underlying problem has more to do with attitudes than the actual difficulty of the task … These involve adjusting attitudes, first of all
Question says → You hear
changeadjusting
Why: 'Adjusting attitudes' becomes 'change attitudes'. The key accepts attitude or attitudes.
The trap: 'Realistic and cautious' come straight after, but they describe the new attitude. The thing to change is the attitude itself.
Question 38
Answer: controlThe second part of the solution, after 'Secondly'
Also accepted: controls
What should be imposed strictly?
Secondly, they involve exerting strict controls on the organisational and operational systems.
Question says → You hear
impose rigorousexerting strict
Why: 'Exerting strict controls' becomes 'impose rigorous controls'. Control or controls is accepted.
The trap: 'Systems' follows, but 'rigorous systems' isn't the idea. What is imposed is controls.
Question 39
Answer: factoryWhen the lecturer says to copy the original as closely as possible
Also accepted: factories
Whose physical features should be copied?
Not merely duplicating the physical characteristics of the factory
Question says → You hear
physical features of thethe physical characteristics of the
Why: 'Physical characteristics' is 'physical features', and they belong to the factory.
The trap: Earlier the lecture mentions branch banks and department stores, but the copying advice is about the factory.
Question 40
Answer: skillsStraight after the factory, in the same sentence
What of the original employees should be copied?
but also duplicating the skills that the original employees had
Question says → You hear
of original employeesthat the original employees had
Why: The second thing to duplicate is the skills of the original staff. Plural: skills.
The trap: 'Consistency' comes right after, but it's the advantage of using a template, not something the employees had.
'Not confined to the United States' doesn't mean most research was outside it, and 'a wide range of business settings' is the opposite of C. 'A host of studies confirm this' means the findings agree.
The lecturer criticises relying on experts, so people expect a negative answer. But the approach 'can be used' for a rough understanding or small problems, which is B.
Words from this recording worth keeping
utilise(Copying success)
make use of
glamorous(Copying success)
exciting and attractive
picking their brains(Consulting experts)
asking someone questions to get their knowledge
interwoven(Consulting experts)
closely connected and mixed together
misguided(Two mistakes)
based on bad judgement
overlooked(Causes of problems)
not noticed or not considered
compromise(Causes of problems)
weaken or put at risk
template(Solution)
a model that can be copied
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 8 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 8, Test 3, 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.
