Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2, Listening Part 2

Parks and open spaces: listening answers and explanations

A speaker welcomes new members to a Wildlife Club and introduces the parks and open spaces near the town. They describe three places, a week of activities at Longfield Park, and the layout of a new wildlife area, Hinchingbrooke Park.

Questions 11-20 · 10 marks · 3 question blocks

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How the answers come

All answers come from one speaker, in order: first the three places in the table (Halland Common, Holt Island, Longfield Country Park), then Longfield's Monday, Wednesday and Saturday activities, and finally a tour of the Hinchingbrooke Park map, one feature at a time.

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.

Q	Your answer	Answer
Questions 11-13 · Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS)
11		trees
12		Friday and SundayAlso accepted: Friday / Sunday / Friday Sunday / Friday, Sunday
13		farm
Questions 14-16 · Multiple choice
14		C
15		B
16		A
Questions 17-20 · Map labelling (A-I)
17		A
18		I
19		F
20		E

Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS)

Questions 11-13

How to attack this block: The table moves place by place, and Halland Common is done for you, so use it to tune in. For each place you need what's special about it and when it's open. Listen for the summary words the speaker uses ('noted for', 'only open').

Question 11

Answer: treesWhen the speaker moves from Halland Common to Holt Island

What is Holt Island known for?

Then there's Holt Island, which is noted for its great range of trees.

Question says → You hear

Of particular interest: many differentnoted for its great range of trees

Why: 'Noted for' matches 'of particular interest', and 'great range of' is 'many different'. The gap needs a plural noun: trees.

The trap: Willows come next, but they're one kind of tree, grown for basket-making. 'Many different willows' isn't what makes the island special.

Question 12

Answer: Friday and SundayAfter the basket-making, when the speaker explains why the island has limited hours

Also accepted: Friday / Sunday / Friday Sunday / Friday, Sunday

Which days is Holt Island open?

The island is only open to the public from Friday to Sunday, because it's quite small

Question says → You hear

Open: betweenonly open to the public from Friday to Sunday

Why: 'From Friday to Sunday' fits 'between ... and ...' on the table. You need both days for the mark: Friday and Sunday.

The trap: '24 hours' and 'every day' are both nearby, but they're about Halland Common and about why the island isn't open daily.

Question 13

Answer: farmAfter the short walk across the bridge to Longfield

What has Longfield Country Park rebuilt?

Longfield has a modern replica of a farm from over two thousand years ago.

Question says → You hear

reconstruction of a 2,000-year-olda modern replica of a farm from over two thousand years ago

Why: 'A modern replica' is the reconstruction, and 'two thousand years ago' is the 2,000-year-old in the table. What's been rebuilt is a farm.

The trap: Children's activities like bread-making come right after, but they're already in the table. The gap is the thing that was reconstructed.

Multiple choice

Questions 14-16

How to attack this block: Each question is one day: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. The days are said clearly, so they're your signposts. All three options usually borrow words from what you hear, so check whether the recording really says that, or something close but different.

Question 14

Answer: CThe first day of Longfield's programme, about herbs

What will visitors do on Monday?

You'll start with a tour of our herb garden, practise the technique of using them as colour dyes for cloth, and listen to an illustrated talk about their use in cooking and medicine.

Question says → You hear

dye cloth with herbspractise the technique of using them as colour dyes for cloth

Why: Visitors practise using herbs as colour dyes for cloth, which is dyeing cloth with herbs, C.

The trap: A takes 'cooking' from the talk, but listening to a talk about herbs in cooking isn't preparing food. B is never said: there are 'local experts' later, but that's Wednesday.

Question 15

Answer: BWhen the speaker turns to evening insects and birds

What is true about the Wednesday activity?

We keep to a small number of people in the group, so if you want to go you'll need to phone the park ranger a few days ahead. There's a small charge

Question says → You hear

visitors should book in advancephone the park ranger a few days ahead

Why: Phoning the ranger a few days ahead is booking in advance, B.

The trap: A uses 'group', but that's about keeping the group small, not a rule about group bookings. C is contradicted: 'there's a small charge', paid when you turn up.

Question 16

Answer: AThe working party on Saturday, the last of the three days

What should visitors do for the Saturday activity?

One thing, though, is to make sure you're wearing something that you don't mind getting dirty or torn.

Question says → You hear

come in suitable clothingwearing something that you don't mind getting dirty or torn

Why: The one instruction is about clothes: wear something that can get dirty or torn. That's suitable clothing, A.

The trap: B twists 'the rangers will be hard at work all day': visitors can come 'even for just a short while'. C is wrong because you change activities 'when you feel like it', with no need to tell anyone first.

Map labelling (A-I)

Questions 17-20

How to attack this block: Before the talk reaches the map, find the two gates, the lake and the paths. The speaker uses compass directions (north west, southern, western) and landmarks (the lake, the refreshments, the paths), so follow them with your pencil on the map.

Question 17

Answer: AWhen the speaker starts on the Hinchingbrooke Park slide, with the lake

Where is the bird hide?

there's a lake in the north west of the park, with a bird hide to the west of it, at the end of a path.

Question says → You hear

bird hidea bird hide to the west of it, at the end of a path

Why: Find the lake in the north west, then go to its west side, at the end of a path. That's A.

The trap: Don't put it on the lake or east of it. The hide is west of the lake, where a path stops.

Question 18

Answer: IStraight after the bird hide

Where is the dog-walking area?

Fairly close to where refreshments are available, there's a dog-walking area in the southern part of the park, leading off from the path.

Question says → You hear

dog-walking areain the southern part of the park, leading off from the path

Why: Look in the south of the park, near the refreshments, for an area that leads off the path. That's I.

The trap: 'Southern part' alone isn't enough to be sure. Use the second clue too: it's near the refreshments and leads off the path.

Question 19

Answer: FWhen the speaker talks about a place to sit and relax

Where is the flower garden?

you can go to the flower garden: that's the circular area on the map surrounded by paths.

Question says → You hear

flower gardenthe circular area on the map surrounded by paths

Why: The shape gives it away: the round area with paths all around it. That's F.

Question 20

Answer: EThe last feature, signposted 'And finally'

Where is the wooded area?

there's a wooded area in the western section of the park, between two paths.

Question says → You hear

wooded areain the western section of the park, between two paths

Why: Go to the west side of the park and find the space between two paths. That's E.

The trap: The bird hide is in the west too, but it sits at the end of a path beside the lake. The wood lies between two paths.

The questions most people get wrong

Question 14

Cooking is mentioned, which pulls people to A. But food only comes up as the topic of a talk. The thing visitors actually do is practise using herbs as dyes for cloth, so C.

Question 16

B and C sound sensible, but the speaker says the opposite: you can switch tasks when you feel like it and join 'even for just a short while'. The only instruction is to wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty.

Question 18

The dog-walking area is placed by two clues: the southern part of the park, and close to where refreshments are. You need both to pick I.

Words from this recording worth keeping

has its source in(Halland Common): starts at (of a river)
accessible(Halland Common): open and possible to get into
commercially(Holt Island): in order to sell and make money
ancient craft(Holt Island): a traditional skill of making things by hand
replica(Longfield Country Park): an exact copy of something
illustrated talk(Monday): a talk with pictures or slides
working party(Saturday): a group of people who do a practical job together
bird hide(Hinchingbrooke Park): a small hut where you can watch birds without being seen

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Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2, 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.

The rest of Cambridge 9 Test 2 Listening

Part 1 · Questions 1-10Accommodation Form: Student Information
Part 2 · Questions 11-20 · You're hereParks and open spaces
Part 3 · Questions 21-30Self-Access Centre
Part 4 · Questions 31-40Business Cultures

Part 2 in other Cambridge 9 tests

Test 2 Part 2 in other Cambridge books

All of Cambridge 9 Listening Next: Self-Access Centre See all Cambridge listening answers

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