Cambridge IELTS Book 16 Listening Test 4 Answers with Explanation /

Cambridge IELTS Book 16 Listening Test 4

Part - 1

Question No.	Answer (in bold)	Keywords in the Question	Answer Quotation from Audio Script	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
1	28th	available for week beginning	"It’s free the week beginning the 28th."	available, beginning → free, week beginning	This indicates the exact start date when the cottage is available for rent.
2	550	cost for the week	"it’d be £550 for the week."	cost → £550	The speaker clearly states the weekly cost, which matches the question.
3	Chervil	name of the cottage	"we’re calling Chervil Cottage."	name → calling, Cottage → building	The name of the newly converted cottage is clearly stated as Chervil.
4	garage	originally a	"The building was built as a garage."	originally → built as	The original function of the building is confirmed as a garage.
5	garden	walk through doors into	"You get to it from the living room through French doors."	walk through doors → French doors, into → get to	The French doors from the living room lead directly into the garden.
6	parking	several ___ spaces at front	"parking isn’t a problem – there’s plenty of room at the front."	spaces at front → plenty of room	Plenty of room at the front implies there is available parking space.
7	wood	stove that burns	"We can provide all the wood you need for it."	burns → provide for stove	Wood is mentioned as the fuel used in the stove, making it the correct answer.
8	bridge	views of old	"There’s a famous stone bridge – it’s one of the oldest."	old → one of the oldest	The speaker directly identifies the view as that of a famous old stone bridge.
9	monument	view of hilltop	"view of the hills and the monument at the top."	hilltop → top of the hill, view → view of	The monument on the hilltop is visible from the bedroom, matching the question context.
10	March	deadline for final payment	"the last day of March, please."	deadline → last day, final payment → rest of the money	The speaker requests final payment by the end of March, clearly indicating the deadline.

Part-2

Question No.	Answer (bold)	Keywords in Question	Answer Quotation from Audio	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation of Answer Choice
11	C	main concern about traffic	"a significant number of people complained about the increasing number of heavy vehicles"	main concern = significant complaints; type of traffic = heavy vehicles	C is correct because the speaker highlights that the increase in heavy vehicles was the main issue. A is incorrect since commuters weren’t much affected by the train service cuts. B is wrong because there were only a few complaints about potholes.
12	A	change to the cycle path	"we’re going to add a bit on the side to make it wider"	change = add; widened = make it wider	A is correct as the speaker clearly says they will widen the path. B is not correct because an extension is a future plan. C is wrong because the resurfacing was already done last year.
13	B	why pedestrian crossing postponed	"it would be dangerous to have a pedestrian crossing where we’d originally planned it"	postponed = put on hold; unsafe = dangerous	B is correct since the crossing location was unsafe due to a bend. A is incorrect because the Post Office is not moving. C is wrong because funding wasn’t the reason.
14	B	notices on Station Road	"we’ve now got signs up requesting them not to leave their engines running"	notices = signs; motorists = drivers; switch off = not to leave engines running	B is correct because signs ask drivers to turn off engines. A is wrong — the issue with cyclists was handled with bike racks, not notices. C is incorrect as there is no mention of notices warning pedestrians.
15	C	New car park	"a new car park on the opposite side of the Community Hall, right next to it"	car park = parking area; next to Community Hall = location C	C is correct as it’s located beside the Community Hall on the opposite side, ensuring pedestrian safety.
16	F	New cricket pitch	"into this new area beyond the line of trees"	beyond the trees = further east; new area = location F	F is correct since the cricket pitch will be relocated to an area beyond the line of trees, away from the road.
17	A	Children’s playground	"will be accessible by a footpath from the Community Hall and will be alongside the river"	alongside the river = beside river; footpath from hall = location A	A is correct as it's near the river and reachable via a path from the Community Hall. The location matches perfectly.
18	I	Skateboard ramp	"in the southeast corner near the road"	southeast corner = lower right; near the road = location I	I is correct because the ramp is specifically planned for the southeast corner by the road.
19	E	Pavilion	"to the left of the line of trees and near to the river"	left of trees = west; near river = location E	E is correct since the pavilion stays in its current spot, which is west of the trees and near the river.
20	H	Notice board	"directly on people’s right as they go from the road into the recreation ground"	people’s right = right-hand side; from the road = entrance; location H	H is correct because it describes the exact position — on the right-hand side at the entrance.

Part - 3

Question No.	Answer (in bold)	Keywords in the Question	Answer Quotation from Audio Script	Synonyms / Equivalent Expressions	Explanation of Answer Choice
21	B	reducing traffic congestion	"helped to cut the number of cars on the road significantly."	reducing traffic → cut the number of cars	Both speakers agree this is a major benefit. Jake says it's "the main point".
21	C	improving air quality	"doesn’t the impact of reduced emissions on air pollution have a more significant effect on people’s health?"	improving air quality → reduced emissions, air pollution	They highlight that air pollution reduction is important for health.
23	B	the app should be easy to use	"like a fully functional app – so people can make payments and book bikes easily."	easy to use app → fully functional app, book easily	Amy says a good app is essential; poor apps cause struggles.
23	C	public awareness should be raised	"What does matter though – is having a big publicity campaign."	public awareness → publicity campaign	Both agree raising awareness is crucial for success.
25	C	Amsterdam	"And yet it’s one of the best-used schemes."	surprised → strange that there was such a demand	They’re surprised it’s so successful despite people already owning bikes.
26	F	Dublin	"I’d say price has a lot to do with it. … But the buses are really slow."	disagree → different views: price vs. transport	Amy and Jake disagree about the reasons for success.
27	D	London	"Basically, not enough’s been spent on increasing the number of cycle lanes."	more investment → not enough spent	They agree more investment is needed in infrastructure.
28	E	Buenos Aires	"They built a huge network of cycle lanes … An example of good planning."	well designed → good planning	Amy calls it good planning, showing a well-designed system.
29	B	New York	"it was more than ten times the price of most other schemes."	should be cheaper → more than ten times the price	They criticize the high cost and compare it to taxi fares.
30	A	Sydney	"I can’t quite work out why it hasn’t been an instant success."	disappointing → hasn’t been a success	They expected success but are disappointed by the results.

Part - 4

Question No.	Answer (bold)	Keywords in the Question	Answer Quotation from Audio	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
31	spices	Portuguese ships transporting	"The sailors were carrying spices back to Europe"	transporting = carrying	The sailors on Portuguese ships were transporting spices, making “spices” the correct answer.
32	colony	Dutch established a	"the Dutch arrived and set up a colony there"	established = set up	The Dutch founded a colony on the island, making “colony” the correct answer.
33	fat	Dutch painting suggests dodo was	"the bird appears to be extremely fat"	suggests = appears to be	The Dutch painting depicted a fat dodo, so "fat" fits the blank.
34	head	remaining soft tissue	"only one example of soft tissue... a dodo head"	remaining = surviving	Of the dried parts, only a dried head survives, making “head” the correct answer.
35	movement	capable of rapid	"strong knee joints... capable of movement which was not slow"	capable of = able to	The bird could move fast, contradicting earlier beliefs. “Movement” is correct.
36	balance	maintain	"small wings... probably employed for balance"	maintain = used for	The dodo used wings for balance, especially over uneven terrain.
37	brain	their... was of average size	"bird’s brain... was not small, but average in size"	of average size = not small	The dodo’s brain was average-sized, not tiny.
38	smell	sense of... enabled them to find food	"one sense... well-developed was that of smell"	sense = ability	The dodo’s sense of smell helped it locate food.
39	rats	also escaped onto the island	"ships also brought another type of creature – rats"	escaped = came to land	Rats came from ships and consumed dodo eggs, severely affecting reproduction.
40	forest	farming meant the... was destroyed	"the forest... was cut down so that crops... could be grown"	destroyed = cut down	Farming led to the destruction of forests, which were the dodo's habitat.

Test 4 answer key with extra explanations

Listening

Part 1

Questions 1–10

1 The correct answer is ‘28th’: Shirley says, ‘It’s free the week beginning the 28th’. ‘14th’ is

incorrect as the woman says, ‘it’s already booked that week’. ‘7th’ is incorrect as seven is the

number of nights that the cottage is available, not the date.

2 The correct answer is ‘550’: Shirley says, ‘it’d be £550 for the week’ for Granary Cottage.

‘500’ is incorrect as that is the amount Tom had budgeted to pay, not the actual cost.

3 The correct answer is ‘Chervil’: Shirley gives the name of another cottage and then spells

it out.

4 The correct answer is ‘garage’: Shirley tells Tom that Chervil Cottage ‘was built as a garage’.

‘Cottage’ is incorrect as that is what it is now.

5 The correct answer is ‘garden’: Shirley tells Tom that ‘you get to [the garden] from the living

room through French doors’. ‘Deckchairs’ is incorrect as the gap has ‘a’ in front so the answer

must be singular. ‘Patio’ is incorrect as that has not been built yet.

6 The correct answer is ‘parking’: Shirley says, ‘parking isn’t a problem – there’s plenty of

room at the front for that’. ‘Farmyard’ is incorrect as this is the area where the parking spaces

are located.

7 The correct answer is ‘wood’: Shirley says, ‘We can provide all the wood you need for [the

stove].’ ‘Coal’ is incorrect as Shirley only mentions coal when saying that wood ‘smells so

much nicer than coal’.

8 The correct answer is ‘bridge’: Shirley says, ‘There’s a famous stone bridge … and you can

see it from the living room.’ ‘Hills’ and ‘monument’ are incorrect as these can be seen from

the ‘opposite direction’.

9 The correct answer is ‘monument’: Shirley says, ‘The bedroom window … has a lovely view

of the hills and the monument at the top.’

10 The correct answer is ‘March’: Shirley asks Tom for the rest of the money on ‘the last day

of March, please’. ‘May’ is incorrect as that is when Tom and his wife are arriving.