Cambridge 19 Listening Test 2 - Answers With Explanation

1. The form field is 'Coordinator: Gary ___', asking for the coordinator's surname. The answer 'Mathieson' completes his full name — listen for the caller confirming or spelling the surname, since it's a specific proper noun that may be spelled out letter by letter.

2. 'Level: ___.' The answer 'beginners' describes the guitar group's skill level, matching the general context of the call (a beginners' Guitar Group).

3. 'Place: the ___.' The answer 'college' names the type of venue where the group meets.

4. 'On ___ Street, first floor, Room T347.' The answer 'New' is the street name preceding 'Street' — a proper noun; listen for it capitalised and possibly spelled if it sounds unusual.

5. 'Time: Thursday morning at ___am.' The answer '11' (or 'eleven') is the number needed to complete the time, fitting the ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER instruction.

6. 'Recommended website: The perfect ___.' The answer 'instrument' completes what is likely the website's tagline about the guitar as 'the perfect instrument'.

7. 'Tuning guitars (5 minutes) — using an app or by ___.' The answer 'ear' names the alternative method to using an app — tuning 'by ear' is a standard guitar phrase.

8. 'Strumming chords using our thumbs (10 minutes) — keeping time while the teacher is ___.' The answer 'clapping' is a verb-ing form describing what the teacher does to help students keep time.

9. 'Playing songs (15 minutes) — often listening to a ___ of a song.' The answer 'recording' — students listen to a recording as part of learning the song.

10. 'Playing single notes and simple tunes (10 minutes) — playing together, then ___.' The answer 'alone' contrasts with 'together', describing the progression from group to individual playing.

11. The stem asks what made David leave London and move to Northsea. The answer is A, 'He was eager to develop a hobby' — distinguished from B (shorter hours) and C (job dissatisfaction), plausible reasons that aren't the one confirmed as his actual motivation.

12. The stem asks who funded the Lifeboat Institution building in Northsea. The answer is B, 'a local resident' — a single individual donor, distinct from A (a local organisation) and C (the local council), typical distractor sources of funding.

13. The stem asks what worried the doctor in David's health assessment. The answer is A, 'might be colour blind' — distinguished from B (short-sighted) and C (eye surgery), plausible eye-related distractors that aren't the actual concern raised.

14. The stem asks the target launch time after arriving at the station. The answer is B, 'six to eight minutes' — distinct from the faster A (five minutes) and slower C (eight and a half minutes), close numerical distractors that require careful listening to the exact figures.

15. The stem asks what a 'helmsman' like David is responsible for deciding. The answer is C, 'if the lifeboat should be launched' — the key decision-making authority, distinct from A (choosing crew) and B (choosing equipment), which may be other people's responsibilities mentioned nearby.

16. The stem asks what David does besides going out on the lifeboat. The answer is B, 'helps with fundraising' — distinct from A (safety talks) and C (recruiting volunteers), other plausible extra activities that aren't the one confirmed.

17–18. The question asks which TWO things David says about the lifeboat volunteer training. The correct options are C ('The training exercises have built up his mental strength') and E ('The wave tank activities provided practice in survival techniques') — distinguished from A, B and D, which describe other training aspects not confirmed as the two points David makes.

19–20. The question asks which TWO things David finds most motivating about his work. The correct options are A ('working as part of a team') and B ('experiences when working in winter') — distinct from C, D and E, other plausible motivations not selected as the confirmed two.

21. The stem asks what Don first thought about the topic of recycling footwear. The answer is A, 'limited in scope' — distinguished from B (hard to research) and C (boring), other plausible initial doubts not confirmed as his actual concern.

22. The stem asks what Bella and Don disagree about regarding trainers. The answer is B, 'how suitable they are for school' — distinct from A (popularity) and C (wear-out speed), topics they may discuss but agree on.

23. The stem asks why Bella sometimes recycles shoes. The answer is B, 'she no longer likes them' — a personal-preference reason, distinct from A (fit) and C (fashion), similar-sounding but not the confirmed reason.

24. The stem asks what confused Don in the article. The answer is B, 'Less footwear is recycled now than in the past' — a counter-intuitive statistic, distinct from A and C, which describe rising consumption/disposal rather than the recycling rate itself.

25. 'the high-heeled shoes' were rejected for reason E, 'the shoes were too dirty' — distinguishing this pair's rejection reason (cleanliness) from the different reasons given for the other pairs, such as damage or missing items.

26. 'the ankle boots' were rejected for reason B, 'the colour of one shoe had faded' — a fading/discolouration issue specific to this pair.

27. 'the baby shoes' were rejected for reason A, 'one shoe was missing' — an incomplete pair, distinct from the damage-based reasons given for other items.

28. 'the trainers' were rejected for reason C, 'one shoe had a hole in it' — a physical damage reason distinct from the others.

29. The stem asks why the project to make 'new' shoes out of old shoes failed. The answer is C, 'The shoes in the new pairs were not completely alike' — a mismatch/consistency problem, distinct from A (hygiene concerns) and B (insufficient good parts), other plausible but unconfirmed failure reasons.

30. The stem asks how Bella and Don agree to present their topic. The answer is A, 'from a new angle' — a fresh-perspective approach, distinct from B (relevant images) and C (a straightforward way), other presentation styles not the one they settle on.

31. 'Also known as water bears due to how they ___ and moss piglets.' The answer 'move' — their manner of movement is the reason for the 'water bear' nickname.

32. 'Physical appearance — a ___ round body and four pairs of legs.' The answer 'short' describes the body shape, an adjective before 'round body'.

33. 'claws or ___ for gripping.' The answer 'discs' names an alternative gripping structure to claws.

34. 'body filled with a liquid that carries both ___ and blood.' The answer 'oxygen' — a substance the body fluid transports alongside blood.

35. 'mouth shaped like a ___ with teeth called stylets.' The answer 'tube' describes the mouth's shape.

36. 'Habitat — very resilient and can exist in very low or high ___.' The answer 'temperatures' — the extreme condition tardigrades can survive, a plural noun after 'low or high'.

37. 'Cryptobiosis — a type of ___ ensures their DNA is not damaged.' The answer 'protein' — the biological substance responsible for protecting DNA during cryptobiosis.

38. 'Research is underway to find out how many days they can stay alive in ___.' The answer 'space' — the extreme environment being studied for tardigrade survival duration.

39. 'Feeding — consume liquids, e.g. those found in moss or ___.' The answer 'seaweed' — a second example source of liquid they feed on, alongside moss.

40. 'Conservation status — they are not considered to be ___.' The answer 'endangered' — describes their conservation status as not at risk.