Cambridge 12 Listening Test 1 - Answers With Explanation

1. The employee tells the visitor "don't forget to take pictures of the mountains. They're all around you when you're on the boat," directly naming what the cruise notes should mention.

2. "There's also a 40-minute trek round the farm on a horse" — the note gap needs the animal used for the ride.

3. "There are some very beautiful gardens along the side of the lake which also belong to the farm" — visitors are free to walk there.

4. Asked "can we get lunch there?", the employee replies "You can, and it's very good, though it's not included in the basic cost" — confirming lunch is an extra-cost option.

5. "They'll give you a map when you get your ticket for the cruise — there's no extra charge," matching the note that a map is provided free for the cycling trip.

6. The trail "wouldn't be suitable for your seven-year-old. It needs someone who's got a bit more experience" — cycling is only for those with some experience.

7. The employee names and spells the bike-hire shop: "It's called Ratchesons... R-A-T-C-H-E-S-O-N-S. It's just by the cruise ship terminal."

8. "I assume I can rent a helmet from the bike place?" "Sure, you should definitely get that" — a helmet, alongside the repair kit, food and drink, is needed for the ride.

9. The employee warns the route is remote: "you won't see any shops round there, or anywhere to stay," so cyclists must plan to return before the last boat.

10. The employee first quotes $214, then corrects it: the daughter (15) counts as an adult fare of $75 rather than the $22 child fare, bringing the family total for cruise and farm visit to "$267."

11. The manager says kitchen assistants "are pleased that they have so many different things to do, which means they never get bored" — variety of work, not atmosphere (B) or promotion prospects (C), is what most staff say they like.

12. "Some of you'll need to remove your rings and bracelets... they can be a safety hazard" — the concern is jewellery, not hairstyles (already fine) or footwear (already fine).

13. "We don't have any tables free for this evening, and only a few for lunch" — the restaurant is almost fully booked, which is why the day will be busy, ruling out the holiday (A) or the head chef being away (B, who is in fact back).

14. "I think there are two of you here who are under 18... so for you two, the meat slicer is out of bounds" — the age restriction applies specifically to the meat slicer, not the waste disposal unit (A, restricted for everyone) or the electric mixer (B, also restricted for everyone until trained).

15–16. Two stressful factors are named: "when someone tells you to do something you need to do it straightaway" (following orders immediately, A) and "you're on your feet all day long, lifting and carrying" (physically demanding work, E). Breaks are guaranteed (ruling out C) and overtime is optional (ruling out D).

17. Joy Parkins introduces herself as the one who "decide[s] who does what during the day and how long they work for" — she is responsible for staff timetables.

18. "If you injure yourself at all... you must report to [David Field] and he'll make sure the incident is recorded and you get the appropriate treatment" — his responsibility is first aid.

19. "There's Dexter Wills — he's the person you need to see if you smash a plate or something like that" — he handles breakages.

20. "There's Mike Smith. He's the member of staff who takes care of all the stores of perishables" — flour, sugar and similar supplies, i.e. food stocks.

21. Trudie proposes "relating the changes in libraries to external developments, like the fact that far more people can read than they used to" — how social change is reflected in libraries, not a comparison of national systems (A) or a funding history, which they explicitly decide to skip (C).

22. Stewart points out that free digitalised books "are mostly out of copyright... So you won't find the latest best-seller or up-to-date information" — they agree the drawback is that such books are generally old, not that they are hard to read (B, which is Trudie's personal preference, not agreed) or slow to read (A).

23. Stewart fears that "books and magazines will all disappear, and there'll just be rows and rows of computers" — he expects libraries to eventually hold no books at all, rather than keep their traditional role (A) or become community hubs (B, which is Trudie's more optimistic view).

24. Stewart suggests they "find out whether the library has its own budget, or if that's controlled by the local council."

25. "Then there are things like how the library is affected by employment laws" — rules about staff working hours and facilities.

26. "What measures does the library take to ensure their safety? They'd need floor coverings that aren't slippery, and emergency exits" — the design question concerns customer safety.

27. "There's the question of the kind of insurance the library needs to have, in case anyone gets injured."

28. Stewart wonders about "the diary of a well-known local politician from the late 19th century" kept next to the newspaper archive, and why it's located there.

29. Trudie wants to find out "whether people might ask in the library about local organisations... whether they keep a database, or whether they just look online."

30. Stewart wants to compare "a library that's open to the public and one that's part of a museum" — how the local library differs from a museum library.

31. The lecturer warns that pursuing business values carelessly "can actually cause damage, which is not at all the intention."

32. "The right thing backfires, if those leaders adopt values without understanding and managing the side effects that arise" — leaders must anticipate unintended side effects.

33. On the training course, the team "had to construct a bridge across a stream, using building blocks" as the collaboration exercise.

34. "The other teams tried to collaborate on building the structure, and descended into confusion, with everyone getting in each other's way."

35. "In the case of a smartphone that a certain company launched, one director wanted to target the business market, and another demanded it was aimed at consumers" — inconsistent direction hurt its sales.

36. Unfocused hard work "wastes the resources that companies value most — time and energy."

37. "'Lazy' means having a rational determination not to carry out unnecessary tasks" — avoiding work that is not necessary, not avoiding work altogether.

38. "This happened a few years ago with the launch of a chocolate bar" — a creative but memorable campaign that consumers couldn't connect to the product, so sales didn't rise.

39. "Creativity needs to be targeted, to solve a problem that the company has identified" rather than producing novelty for its own sake.

40. The study found "pioneers commanded an average market share of 29 percent, while the followers achieved... only 13 percent" — pioneers' market share was far higher than followers'.