Cambridge 11 Listening Test 2 - Answers With Explanation

1. The note contrasts his temporary weekday accommodation type; 'hostel' is a single noun completing 'a ___', a common short-term accommodation type for students.

2. The full postal address reads '17 Buckleigh Street, Stamford, Lincs'; the missing word is the street name, a proper noun that must be spelled correctly, since precise address spelling is a typical listening test focus.

3. UK postcodes combine letters and digits in a fixed pattern; here it's 'PE9 7QT', which must be transcribed exactly with the correct spacing.

4. A part-time job noun follows 'as a' — 'waiter', a common student job in a restaurant or café.

5. The label explicitly frames this as his major subject, contrasted with the given minor subject 'history' — so the answer is the paired subject name, 'politics'.

6. A hobby noun (gerund form) follows 'does a lot of' — 'cycling', paired with the interest noted next.

7. This continues the hobbies note; 'cinema' follows 'the' and names a specific interest (watching films), distinct from the activity-based hobby in Q6.

8. An adjective is needed to describe the group of young people he wants to work with — 'disabled', fitting the grammatical slot after 'who are'.

9. A time expression follows 'at' — formatted as '4.30 pm', using the exam convention of a period between hour and minute plus the am/pm label.

10. A UK mobile number, transcribed digit by digit exactly as given, following the standard '07' mobile prefix.

11–12. The question asks about changes ALREADY made, not ones still planned. A (rooms repurposed for different use) and B (new type of seating installed) describe completed work. C (elevator), D (exterior repair) and E (extra seats) are plausible-sounding distractors representing other refurbishment details not confirmed as finished. Both letters must be selected together for credit, in either order.

13–14. 'Currently offer to the public' asks about existing services. B (backstage tours) and D (a bookshop) are the two confirmed public facilities; A (rooms for hire), C (costume hire) and E (a café) are plausible facilities used as distractors.

15–16. C (puppet-making) and E (lighting) are the two workshop topics confirmed as currently offered; A (sound), B (acting) and D (make-up) are other plausible theatre-workshop topics offered as distractors.

17. On the ground floor plan, the box office (the ticket sales point, usually near the entrance) is marked at G.

18. The theatre manager's office is marked at D on the plan.

19. The lighting box (technical control room) is marked at B on the plan.

20. The artistic director's office is marked at F on the plan.

21. A frames the study's aim around ecological distribution — why organisms live where they do — the standard focus for a field-trip ecology report. B shifts toward conservation policy and C toward classification methodology, both related but different academic angles used as distractors.

22. A (string), commonly used for marking out sample areas or transects in ecological fieldwork, is the forgotten item; B (a compass) and C (a ruler) name other plausible measuring tools that were not the ones forgotten.

23. C concerns the quantity or level of detail in the write-up, distinct from structural changes about ordering (A) or how information is categorised (B) — a common academic-writing feedback theme in these section-3 dialogues.

24. B evaluates how easy the method was to carry out. Note that being 'simple' (B) doesn't necessarily mean 'accurate' (A) — the exam deliberately separates these evaluative dimensions, and C (needing special equipment) contradicts the simplicity implied by the correct answer.

25. B concerns her physical vantage point when observing the site, a common cause of a distorted map; A (wrong scale) and C (wrong time) are other plausible mapping errors offered as distractors.

26. B involves cross-checking the hand-drawn map against photographic evidence, a practical accuracy step; A (digitising it) and C (adding internet information) describe different follow-up actions not chosen here.

27–28. A (lack of water) and D (high temperatures) are the two problems affecting splash-zone organisms — both relate to the risk of drying out when exposed above the water line. B (wind), C (lack of food) and E (large waves) are plausible but incorrect distractors.

29–30. C (incorrect identification of some organisms) and E (missing organisms when counting) are the two error sources for their report — practical observation errors. A (inaccurate habitat records), B (observer influence on behaviour) and D (generalising from a small sample) are other plausible methodological errors used as distractors.

31. Pairs with 'physical' to form 'physical and social context' — a standard phrase in architecture lectures for a building's surroundings and community.

32. 'Disused' signals an abandoned industrial building type; 'factory' is the noun completing the site description.

33. A geographical feature the building sits next to — 'canal', a waterway consistent with the site's industrial, waterside heritage.

34. The structure allowing people on foot to reach the building — 'bridge', crossing the canal from Q33.

35. A simple geometric shape describing the building's form — 'box', i.e. a rectangular/cuboid structure.

36. An exterior wall repurposed for a media/display function — 'screen', suggesting projections or a media façade.

37. A material used under the floor for vibration/acoustic isolation — 'rubber', a flexible, sound-dampening material.

38. An adjective describing the wall's form — 'curved', contrasting with a flat, straight design and relevant to how sound travels inside.

39. Paired with 'ceiling panels' as adjustable acoustic elements — 'curtains', fabric that can be drawn to change how sound reflects or is absorbed.

40. An adjective naming an architectural style being criticised as a poor fit for the site — 'international' (style), a recognised 20th-century architectural movement.