Cambridge IELTS Book 13 Listening Test 1 Answers with Explanation / Cambridge 13 Listening Test 1 Answers with Explanation

Cambridge IELTS Book 13 Listening Test 1

Part - 1

Question No.	Answer (in bold)	Keywords from the Question	What We Hear in the Audio (Quotation)	Synonyms/Equivalent Words	Explanation
1	choose	how to ___ and cook with seasonal products	"they also show you how to choose them"	select, pick	"Choose" is the correct verb to complete the phrase "how to ___ and cook." It matches the verb used in the audio.
2	private	also offers ___ classes	"yes, they do offer those [private lessons]"	one-to-one, individual	The word “private” is directly stated and refers to an individual or personalized lesson.
3	20/twenty percent	clients who return get a ___ discount	"offer a discount of 20 percent if you return for a further class"	20%, twenty percent	Both "20" and "twenty" are accepted. It refers to the discount amount for returning clients.
4	healthy	food that is ___	"They concentrate on teaching you to prepare healthy food"	nutritious, beneficial	“Healthy” describes the food style taught at Bond’s Cookery School, clearly mentioned in the audio.
5	bones	strengthen your ___	"including ingredients that will help build up your bones and make them stronger"	skeleton, bone structure	The audio discusses food that strengthens bones, making this the right answer.
6	lecture	they have a free ___ every Thursday	"every Thursday evening they have a lecture ... it’s free"	talk, seminar	"Lecture" is used directly in the script and is the weekly free event offered.
7	Arretsa	the ___ Centre	"it’s called The Arretsa Centre – that’s spelled A-R-R-E-T-S-A"	name of the centre	The name is spelled out, confirming the correct answer is "Arretsa."
8	vegetarian	mainly ___ food	"they mostly specialise in vegetarian dishes"	plant-based, meat-free	“Vegetarian” is clearly stated as the food type mainly focused on at the centre.
9	market	located near the ___	"Is it just by the market?" / "That’s right."	bazaar, grocery area	The question confirms the location is near the market, which matches the script.
10	knife	a special course in skills with a ___	"a special two-hour course in how to use a knife"	blade, cutting tool	The course is about knife skills, and “knife” is specifically mentioned in the audio.

Part-2

 

SECTION 2 — Questions 11–13: Traffic Changes in Granford

Question No.	Answer (in bold)	Keywords of the Question	Quotation from Audio	Synonyms / Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
11	B	changes needed to traffic systems	"it’s the overall rise in the volume of traffic of all kinds that’s concerning us"	increase = rise; amount of traffic = volume of traffic	B is correct because the speaker points to the rising volume of traffic. A is incorrect—accidents haven’t increased. C is incorrect—vehicle types aren’t the issue.
12	C	residents complained about	"concerned about the lack of visibility on some roads due to cars parked along the sides"	inconvenience = lack of visibility; parked cars = cars parked	C is correct because parked cars were the top complaint. A (dangerous driving) and B (pollution) were mentioned but were less significant.
13	B	problem with new regulations	"no good introducing new regulations if we don’t have a way of making sure that everyone obeys them"	follow = obey; making people follow = ensuring compliance	B is correct—the speaker highlights enforcement. A is incorrect—they’re within budget. C is incorrect—they’re already working with the police.

SECTION 2 — Questions 14–20: Proposed Traffic Changes in Granford

Question No.	Answer (in bold)	Keywords of the Question	Quotation from Audio	Synonyms / Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
14	E	new traffic lights	"we’re planning to have another set at the other end, at the School Road junction"	new = another set; School Road junction = location of new lights	E is correct because it refers to the new set of traffic lights planned at the School Road end of High Street.
15	D	pedestrian crossing	"we decided to locate it on the High Street, crossing the road in front of the supermarket"	pedestrian crossing = crossing the road; in front of supermarket = key landmark	D is correct as the crossing is placed in front of the supermarket on High Street.
16	B	parking allowed	"parking isn’t allowed on the High Street outside the library, but we’re going to change that, and allow parking there"	allow parking = parking allowed; outside the library = specific location	B is correct since parking will now be allowed outside the library on High Street.
17	G	new ‘No Parking’ sign	"There’ll be a new ‘No Parking’ sign on School Road, just by the entrance to the school"	new sign = new regulation; entrance to the school = key location	G is correct because the ‘No Parking’ sign is placed near the school entrance on School Road.
18	C	new disabled parking spaces	"we’ve got two new disabled parking spaces on the side road up towards the bank"	disabled parking = for disabled drivers; side road = alternate location	C is correct as the new spaces for disabled parking are near the bank, not the supermarket.
19	H	widened pavement	"plan to widen the pavement on School Road… on the bend just before you get to the school"	widen pavement = make it broader; before the school = location clue	H is correct because that bend near the school is where the pavement will be widened.
20	I	lorry loading/unloading restrictions	"lorries will only be allowed to stop there before 8 am… supermarket on School Road"	restrictions = rules; lorry = truck; School Road supermarket = specific store	I is correct as the restriction applies to lorry unloading outside the School Road supermarket.

Part - 3

📘 Section 3: Jack and Emma – Seed Germination Experiment

Questions 21–25: Multiple Choice

Q. No.	Answer	Keywords in Question	Audio Transcript (Paraphrased)	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
21	A	Jack, interested, investigating, seed germination	"There’s an optional module on seed structure and function in the third year that I might do..."	Optional module, third year	Jack is considering a future module related to seed germination, indicating his current interest is preparatory. Options B and C are not supported by the dialogue.
22	C	Main advantage, present experiment	"That should be fine if we start now. A lot of the other possible experiments need quite a bit longer."	Time available, duration	They agree the experiment fits within their time constraints. Options A and B are not discussed as advantages.
23	B	Decide, check with tutor	"We need to be sure we’re the only ones doing it."	Others choosing this topic	They plan to confirm no one else is doing the same experiment. Options A and C are not mentioned as concerns.
24	C	Graves’ book, disappointing	"I found it quite hard to follow – lots about the theory, which I hadn’t expected."	Theoretical focus	The book's heavy theoretical content made it less useful for their practical needs. Options A and B are not cited as reasons for disappointment.
25	B	Jack, article by Lee Hall	"His analysis of figures comparing the times of the fires and the proportion of seeds that germinated was done in a lot of detail – very impressive."	Thorough analysis, statistics	Jack appreciates the detailed statistical analysis. Options A and C are not highlighted in his comments.

Questions 26–30: Flow-Chart Completion

Q. No.	Answer	Keywords in Question	Audio Transcript (Paraphrased)	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
26	G	Select seeds, different ___ and sizes	"I think vegetable seeds would be best. And obviously they mustn’t all be the same size."	Types, varieties	They plan to use various types of seeds differing in size.
27	C	Measure and record the ___ and size	"Then, for each seed we need to find out how much it weighs..."	Weight	They intend to measure the weight and size of each seed.
28	H	Decide on the ___ to be used	"And we also need to decide how deep we’re going to plant the seeds..."	Depths	They will determine the planting depths for the seeds.
29	A	Use a different ___ for each seed	"No, I think we need a different one for each seed."	Container, plant pot	Each seed will be planted in a separate container.
30	E	Record the plant’s ___	"Then we see if our plants have come up, and write down how tall they’ve grown."	Height	They will record the height of each plant after growth.

Part - 4

Q. No.	Answer (in bold)	Keywords in the Question	Answer Quotation from Audio Script	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
31	crow	suitable for city life, general adaptability	“One species which is well known as being highly adaptable is the crow.”	suitable = adaptable	Crows are known for learning new skills and adapting easily to city life.
32	cliffs	walls of city buildings, similar to	“...just like they once perched on cliffs by the sea.”	similar to = just like	Pigeons used to perch on cliffs; now they perch on city buildings, which resemble cliffs.
33	speed	adapting with unusual..., recent urban animals	“...one thing that researchers are finding especially interesting is the speed with which they’re doing this...”	adapting = changing	The animals are adapting very fast, which is unusual.
34	brains	size of their..., Emilie Snell-Rood	“...these small mammals had experienced a jump in brain size...”	size = jump in size	Urban mammals had bigger brains, possibly to handle urban complexity.
35	food	locate new sources of..., new dangers	“...look in different places to find food, for example, and coping with...dangers.”	sources of = places to find	Urban animals need to find new food sources and avoid threats.
36	behaviour(s)	focused on the..., blackbirds	“...she’s been looking not at their anatomy but at their behaviour.”	focused on = looking at	Miranda studied behavioural differences in blackbirds, not physical traits.
37	new	afraid of situations that were..., urban birds	“...that’s anything new – anything they haven’t experienced before.”	new = unfamiliar	Although bold, urban blackbirds are afraid of new, unknown situations.
38	stress	respond to..., producing lower levels of hormones	“...when they’re under stress, their endocrine systems react...”	respond = react	Animals reduce hormone release when stressed in cities.
39	tails	squirrels use their..., to help them communicate	“...a routine part of their communication is carried out by waving their tails.”	help them communicate = part of communication	Squirrels use tail movements to communicate in noisy urban areas.
40	permanent	changes may not be..., long-term possibilities	“...not all of these adaptations will be permanent.”	not be = not all will be	Some changes in animals may reverse once they're fully adjusted to urban life.