Question 1student accommodation / hostel
Well, I went straight into student accommodation; it was a kind of student Q1 hostel.
Kate first lived in a student hostel.
CAMBRIDGE IELTS 1 · LISTENING
Questions, answers and available transcript excerpts for Cambridge IELTS 1, Test 2.
The answer key is listed below, followed by available explanations and supporting sentences.
Well, I went straight into student accommodation; it was a kind of student Q1 hostel.
Kate first lived in a student hostel.
The food at the hostel was awful.
Her complaint concerns the food.
People seem to keep to themselves; they’re not really very friendly.
Students keep to themselves and are unfriendly.
I’ve enjoyed the course, but I feel there hasn’t been enough contact with the lecturers. They all seem to be Q4 incredibly busy.
Lecturers are too busy for sufficient contact.
I think it would be helpful to have meetings with lecturers on the Q5 course. Say once a fortnight — something like that.
She proposes fortnightly meetings with lecturers.
At first I stayed with a family for three months.
His first accommodation was a family homestay.
They were very Q6 kind to me but they had three young children and I found it difficult to Q7 study
The children made studying difficult.
So after three months I moved out and now I live with two other students in a student house.
He now shares a student house.
I’m doing a Bachelor of Computing.
This names his course.
No, you can’t … but it would certainly help if we could reserve computer time.
He suggests reserving computer time.
Well, the range of bicycles is enormous — there are racing bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes or just plain ordinary bikes for riding round town.
Mountain bikes complete the list of types.
They vary Q11 enormously in two basic ways: price and quality.
Quality is the other variable besides price.
However, in broad terms you can spend anything from $50 to $2,000 on a bike so, Q13 you’ll need to know what you are looking for.
The upper price is $2,000.
Single speed cycles — that is bikes with no gears, are really only suited to short, casual rides.
Single-speed bikes suit short or casual rides.
Three speed cycles on the other hand are all that is really necessary for most town riding, going to the shops and things like that.
These bikes suit town riding and shopping.
Five and ten speed bicycles are best suited to riding over long distances or hilly terrain and to serious touring, so if it’s serious touring you’re interested in, get a five Q16 or ten speed bike.
Serious touring completes the list of uses.
So I would tend to recommend the ten speed bike as the price is similar — however you’ll be getting better quality components.
Prices are similar.
So I would tend to recommend the ten speed bike as the price is similar — however you’ll be getting better quality components.
The ten-speed bike has better components.
Buying a cycle is like buying clothes, first of all you find the right size and then you try it on to see if it fits.
The comparison is with buying clothes.
Contrary to what you might imagine, the size of the cycle is not determined by the size of the wheels (except in children’s cycles), but by the size of the frame.
Frame size determines adult bicycle size.
F: (sarcastically) Fascinating, Im sure! Q21
Well its not as boring as youd think.
Her sarcasm implies the topic is dull.
M: Yes, theyre an extremely nourishing food. Q22
Nourishing food is good for health.
M: Well, itd be a good practice run for my tutorial next week. Ill do the same Q23 for you some time.
F: OK. Fire away.
She agrees to help him practise his tutorial.
Well apparently there was an English Duke who was particularly fond of bananas and he used to cultivate them in his hothouse, which is where you have to grow them in England, of course, because of the cool climate and they became quite popular in the UK. So he was the one Q24 responsible for cultivating the Cavendish banana which was then introduced into Australia.
The English Duke cultivated the bananas later introduced to Australia.
You see you only get one bunch of bananas per tree and it can take up to three years for a tree Q25 to bear fruit if you don’t do anything special to it.
Each plant produces one bunch.
No, no, around 15 months in good conditions for a tree to produce a bunch of Q26 bananas.
Modern growing conditions take about fifteen months.
They tend to like to grow uphill Q27 or at least thats the common wisdom.
Bananas prefer uphill locations.
If you plant them in rich soil and give them plenty of water at the beginning Q28 of summer, then they should be well advanced by the beginning of winter when growth virtually stops.
They need plenty of water as well as rich soil.
No, though even here, the growers put plastic bags around the bunches to Q29 protect them and keep them warm.
Plastic bags protect the fruit.
The interesting thing is that once one banana ripens, it gives off a gas which then helps all the others to ripen so they pretty much all ripen within a few hours Q30 of each other.
Gas released by ripe fruit helps the other bananas ripen.
I believe New Zealand takes a small proportion of Q31 or 32 the crop but otherwise theyre mostly grown for the domestic market, which Q32 or 31 is surprising when you think about it because we grow an enormous number of bananas each year.
Some Australian bananas go to New Zealand.
I believe New Zealand takes a small proportion of Q31 or 32 the crop but otherwise theyre mostly grown for the domestic market, which Q32 or 31 is surprising when you think about it because we grow an enormous number of bananas each year.
The domestic market is Australia.
This series of lectures is organised by the Students’ Union and is part of the union’s attempt to help you, the students of this university, to stay healthy while coping with study and social life at the same time.
The series helps students maintain their health.
So Q33 it’s a great pleasure for me to welcome back Ms Diane Greenbaum who is a professional dietician and who has been kind enough to give up her time, in Q34 what I know is a very hectic schedule, to come along and talk to us today.
The speaker is a professional dietician, a health expert.
So today I’m going to talk about ways of making sure that you eat well while at the same time staying within your budget.
Her topic is eating well affordably.
However sometimes we think we’re eating the right foods but the vitamins are escaping, perhaps as a result of cooking and anyway we’re not getting the full benefit of them.
Cooking can cause vitamin loss.
Now, there are fat soluble vitamins which can be stored for quite some time by the body and there are water soluble vitamins which are removed more rapidly from the body and so a regular daily intake of these ones is needed.
Water-soluble vitamins require a regular daily intake.
Now firstly, you must eat a variety of foods.
Variety is recommended.
Now youll need to shop two or three times a week to make sure that theyre fresh, and store your vegetables in the fridge or in a cool dark place.
Vegetables belong in the fridge or a cool dark place.
Next, on the middle of our pyramid we find the things that we can eat in moderation. Not too much though! And thats where we find milk, lean meat, Q40 fish, nuts, eggs.
The middle tier should be eaten in moderation.
And then at the bottom of the pyramid are the things that you can eat lots of! Because theyre the things that are really good for you Q41 And here we have bread, vegetables and fruit.
Foods in the bottom tier should be eaten in large amounts.
C = Counsellor K = Kate L = Luki
C: Hi there, Kate. Come on in. How are you today?
K: Fine thanks.
C: Hi, Luki. Hows things?
L: OK.
C: Well, as I explained on the phone, Im a Counsellor here at the Student Services section of the university and Im interviewing overseas students to help me draw up a guide for new students so Id be grateful if you could tell me a little about your time since youve been here in Cambridge.
K: Right.
L: Good idea.
C: Now, Kate lets start with you. OK, um this is your second semester isnt It? Could you tell us something about your first impressions of the town when you arrived?
K: Yeah well first of all I was struck by how quiet it is here in the evening Example Repeat
C: Yes, I suppose Cambridge is a quiet place. Where did you live when you first arrived?
K: Well, I went straight into student accommodation; it was a kind of student Q1 hostel.
C: Ah right, so you didnt have to worry about doing your own cooking or anything like that? Tapescripts
K: No, but sometimes I wished I had! The food at the hostel was awful. Q2
C: Oh dear. But how were the other students?
K: To be honest I haven’t managed to make many friends even though the place is full. People seem to keep to themselves; they’re not really very friendly. Q3
C: Oh I’m sorry to hear that. Well, what about the actual course? You’re studying … uh?
K: I’m doing a Masters by coursework in Environmental Studies.
C: Ah, right, and how are you finding that?
K: Yeah, well, it’s been pretty good really. I’ve enjoyed the course, but I feel there hasn’t been enough contact with the lecturers. They all seem to be Q4 incredibly busy. The only chance I’ve really had to talk to them was on the field trip.
C: Well that’s no good. Could anything be done to improve the course in your opinion?
K: Well … I think it would be helpful to have meetings with lecturers on the Q5 course. Say once a fortnight — something like that.
C: Regular meetings. Yes that could certainly help. Now Kate, we’ll come back. to you in a minute, but I’d just like to ask Luki some questions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C: Luki, Where are you from?
L: I am from Indonesia.
C: And how did you find Cambridge when you first arrived?
L: Well, I like it here. I think the city is very beautiful.
C: What about your accommodation? Was that OK?
L: Yes, OK. At first I stayed with a family for three months. They were very Q6 kind to me but they had three young children and I found it difficult to Q7 study
C: Right, I see.
L: So after three months I moved out and now I live with two other students in a student house. It’s much cheaper and we like it there. Q8
C: Good, and what about your studies? What are you studying?
L: I’m doing a Bachelor of Computing. Q9
C: Computing. I see. Um, apart from the language difficulties, if you can separate them, how have you found the course?
L: OK, but …
C: Yes, go on.
L: Well, the main difficulty for me is getting time on the computers in the computer room. It’s always busy and this makes it very hard to do my practical work.
C: Yes, I’m sure it would. Can you reserve time in the computer room?
L: No, you can’t … but it would certainly help if we could reserve computer time. Q10
C: Yes. I’ll look into that and see if something can’t be done to improve things over there. Now let’s go back to Kate...
Radio presenter: Well, last week we talked about buying camping equipment and today I’d like to talk to you about buying a bicycle. A simple enough exercise, you might imagine, but there are lots of things to look out for to make sure you get the best deal for your money. Well, the range of bicycles is enormous — there are racing bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes or just plain ordinary bikes for riding round town. They vary Q11 enormously in two basic ways: price and quality. This means that the choice you Q12 make will probably be determined by the amount of money you want to pay, your own personal needs, what is actually available or a compromise of all three things. However, in broad terms you can spend anything from $50 to $2,000 on a bike so, Q13 you’ll need to know what you are looking for. Single speed cycles — that is bikes with no gears, are really only suited to short, casual rides. Their attraction is their simplicity and reliability. After years of Q14 neglect they still manage to function, though not always too efficiently. If it’s basic transport you’re after then you can’t go wrong. Three speed cycles on the other hand are all that is really necessary for most town riding, going to the shops and things like that. Like the single speed bike Q15 they are simple and reliable. If you are going to be going up and down lots of hills, then you’ll probably want something more efficient. Five and ten speed bicycles are best suited to riding over long distances or hilly terrain and to serious touring, so if it’s serious touring you’re interested in, get a five Q16 or ten speed bike. However it’s worth remembering that the difference in price between a five and ten speed cycle is usually very little and so it’s well worth Q17 paying that little bit extra to get the ten speed one. So I would tend to recommend the ten speed bike as the price is similar — however you’ll be getting better quality components. Q18 Now the next thing we need to look at is size. Buying a cycle is like buying clothes, first of all you find the right size and then you try it on to see if it fits. Q19 Contrary to what you might imagine, the size of the cycle is not determined by the size of the wheels (except in children’s cycles), but by the size of the frame. So Q20 you’ll need to measure the length of your legs and arms to get a frame that is the right size for you. Well, that’s all from Helpful Hints for today …
F = Fiona M = Martin
F: Hi there, Martin. How are you going with your Australian studies tutorial paper?
M: Oh good. I’ve finished it actually.
F: Lucky you. What did you do it on? I’m still trying to find an interesting topic. Tapescripts
M: Well after some consideration I decided to look at the history of banana growing in Australia.
F: (surprised) Banana growing!
M: Yes, banana growing.
F: (sarcastically) Fascinating, Im sure! Q21
M: Well its not as boring as youd think. And I wanted to tie it in to the work Ive been doing on primary industries and the economy. Anyway I bet there are a few things you didnt know about bananas!
F: Such as?
M: Such as the fact that bananas were among the first plants ever to be domesticated.
F: Oh, really?
M: Yes, theyre an extremely nourishing food. Q22
F: I suppose youre going to tell me the whole history of banana growing now arent you?
M: Well, itd be a good practice run for my tutorial next week. Ill do the same Q23 for you some time.
F: OK. Fire away. So where were these bananas first domesticated?
M: According to my research, the Cavendish banana, which is a type of banana and the first type to be cultivated here, actually originated in China but they had a fairly roundabout route before they got to Australia.
F: You mean they didnt go straight from China to Australia?
M: No, they didnt. It seems that in 1826, bananas were taken from South China to England.
F: I suppose they would have made a welcome addition to the English diet.
M: Yes, Im sure. Well apparently there was an English Duke who was particularly fond of bananas and he used to cultivate them in his hothouse, which is where you have to grow them in England, of course, because of the cool climate and they became quite popular in the UK. So he was the one Q24 responsible for cultivating the Cavendish banana which was then introduced into Australia.
F: I see. And weve been growing them ever since?
M: Yes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F: Are they hard to grow?
M: Well, yes and no. To grow them in your garden, no, not really. But to grow them commercially you need to know what you’re doing. You see you only get one bunch of bananas per tree and it can take up to three years for a tree Q25 to bear fruit if you don’t do anything special to it. But this period is greatly reduced with modern growing methods, particularly in plantations where you have perfect tropical conditions.
F: Right! So what are you looking at? One year? Two years?
M: No, no, around 15 months in good conditions for a tree to produce a bunch of Q26 bananas. And once youve got your bunch you cut the bunch and the plant down.
F: So how do the trees reproduce then?
M: Well, bananas are normally grown from suckers which spring up around the parent plant, usually just above the plant. They tend to like to grow uphill Q27 or at least thats the common wisdom.
F: So that’s why banana plantations are usually on hillsides, is it?
M: Yes. They grow best like that.
F: That’s interesting!
M: If you plant them in rich soil and give them plenty of water at the beginning Q28 of summer, then they should be well advanced by the beginning of winter when growth virtually stops. But in a country like England, theyre hard to grow, although you can grow them in a hothouse.
F: But in Australia, its not difficult?
M: No, though even here, the growers put plastic bags around the bunches to Q29 protect them and keep them warm. If you go up to the banana growing districts, youll see all these banana trees with plastic bags on them.
F: But how do they stop the bananas going bad before they reach the shops?
M: Well, the banana bunches are picked well before the fruit is ripe. Once you cut the bunch, the bananas stop growing but they do continue to ripen. The interesting thing is that once one banana ripens, it gives off a gas which then helps all the others to ripen so they pretty much all ripen within a few hours Q30 of each other.
F: Amazing! So do we export lots of bananas overseas, to Europe and Asia for instance?
M: Well, oddly enough, no. I believe New Zealand takes a small proportion of Q31 or 32 the crop but otherwise theyre mostly grown for the domestic market, which Q32 or 31 is surprising when you think about it because we grow an enormous number of bananas each year.
F: Yes, well thank you for all that information. Im sure the tutorial paper will go really well you certainly seem to have done your research on the subject.
M: Lets hope so.
J = John D = Diane Greenbaum
J: Good morning, good morning, everyone, and welcome to our regular lecture on health issues. This series of lectures is organised by the Students’ Union and is part of the union’s attempt to help you, the students of this university, to stay healthy while coping with study and social life at the same time. So Q33 it’s a great pleasure for me to welcome back Ms Diane Greenbaum who is a professional dietician and who has been kind enough to give up her time, in Q34 what I know is a very hectic schedule, to come along and talk to us today.
D: Thank you. Thank you very much, John. May I say it’s a pleasure to be back. Now, stresses at university, being away from home and having to look after yourselves, learning your way around the campus all contribute to making it quite hard sometimes to ensure that your diet is adequate. So today I’m going to talk about ways of making sure that you eat well while at the same time staying within your budget. Q35 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have a well balanced diet, then you should be getting all the vitamins Tapescripts
that you need for normal daily living. However sometimes we think we’re eating the right foods but the vitamins are escaping, perhaps as a result of cooking and anyway we’re not getting the full benefit of them. Now, if you Q36 lack vitamins in any way the solution isn’t to rush off and take vitamin pills. though they can sometimes help. No it’s far better to look at your diet and how you prepare your food. So what are vitamins? Well, the dictionary tells us they are food factors essential in small quantities to maintain life. Now, there are fat soluble vitamins which can be stored for quite some time by the body and there are water soluble vitamins which are removed more rapidly from the body and so a regular daily intake of these ones is needed. Q37 OK, so how can you ensure that your diet contains enough of the vitamins you need? Well, first of all, you may have to establish some new eating habits! No more chips at the uni canteen, Im afraid! Now firstly, you must eat a variety of foods. Then you need to ensure that you eat at least four Q38 servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Now youll need to shop two or three times a week to make sure that theyre fresh, and store your vegetables in the fridge or in a cool dark place. Q39 Now let s just refresh our memories by looking at the Healthy Diet Pyramid. OK, can you all see that? Good. Well ,now, as you see weve got three levels to our pyramid. At the top in the smallest area are the things which we should really be trying to avoid as much as possible. Things like Example yes, sugar, salt, butter all that sort of thing. Next, on the middle of our pyramid we find the things that we can eat in moderation. Not too much though! And thats where we find milk, lean meat, Q40 fish, nuts, eggs. And then at the bottom of the pyramid are the things that you can eat lots of! Because theyre the things that are really good for you Q41 And here we have bread, vegetables and fruit. So dont lose sight of your healthy diet pyramid when you do your shopping.
PRACTICE TEST 3