Cambridge IELTS Book 17 Listening Test 4 Answers with Explanation /

Cambridge IELTS Book 17 Listening Test 4

Part - 1

Easy Life Cleaning Services (Questions 1–10)

Question No.	Answer	Keywords in the Question	Audio Script Quotation	Synonyms / Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
1	floor(s)	cleaning the ___ throughout the apartment	"No, I don’t have any, but the floor would need cleaning."	surface → floor	The client mentions that they don’t have carpets but the floor needs cleaning. It’s part of the basic package.
2	fridge	cleaning the ___ every week	"Actually, I hardly ever use that, but can you do the fridge?"	clean → do	The client specifically requests weekly cleaning of the fridge instead of the oven.
3	shirts	ironing clothes – ___ only	"It wouldn’t be much, just my shirts for work that week."	clothes → shirts	The word shirts is clearly mentioned as the specific item to be ironed.
4	windows	cleaning all the ___ from the inside	"So for example, if the inside of your windows need cleaning, we could do that."	clean → cleaning	They offer monthly cleaning for the inside of the windows, and the customer agrees.
5	balcony	washing down the ___	"But would you be able to do something about the balcony?"	wash → do something about	The customer wants the balcony washed every month, and the cleaner agrees.
6	electrician	a plumber or an ___	"And the same thing if you need an electrician."	same thing → similar service	The service also includes organizing an electrician, just like they can arrange a plumber.
7	dust	allergic to ___	"… capturing up to 99% of all the dust in the air."	allergic → troubled by	The special cleaning service is for people allergic to dust, as it captures 99% of it.
8	police	background check carried out by the ___	"… they have to undergo a security check with the police to make sure…"	background check → security check	All cleaners are background-checked by the police for safety.
9	training	all cleaners are given ___	"… we give them training for it. That lasts for two weeks."	given → receive, provided	Cleaners receive two weeks of training before starting.
10	review	send a ___ after each visit	"… we ask all our clients to complete a review of their performance after every visit and to email it to us."	send → email	After each visit, clients are expected to send a review.

Part-2

Question No.	Answer (bold)	Keywords in the Question	Answer Quotation from Audio Script	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation of Answer Choice
11	A	staff often leave because of	"what they don’t realise is that it’s the lack of training in many hotel jobs which is a huge factor"	leave = quit, because of = due to	Many managers wrongly assume long hours or low pay are the main cause, but the speaker says the actual issue is a lack of training. So A is correct.
12	A	impact of high staff turnover on managers	"managers may have to cover some duties while waiting for new staff to arrive"	impact = effect, cover duties = take over work	Staff turnover leads to more work for managers. B and C are not mentioned directly in relation to turnover’s impact on managers.
13	A	mistake should managers avoid	"make sure you never give certain staff preferential treatment"	mistake = error, treat staff equally = fair treatment	The speaker calls this a basic error. Shifts and staffing are discussed, but A is directly stated as something to avoid.
14	C	unexpected benefit after improving staff retention	"they also noticed a significant increase in the amount each customer spent during their stay"	rise = increase, spending per customer = amount spent	Spending per customer increased unexpectedly. Options A and B are mentioned but not described as the unexpected benefit.
15	A	The Sun Club	"staff... invited to meetings where their ideas are welcomed"	relationships = communication, teamwork = working together	This shows improved communication and partnership between staff and managers, reflecting better teamwork and relationships.
16	C	The Portland	"scheme for recognising talent... training for individuals with management potential"	career = promotion, opportunities = training	Career development is the focus here—training for staff with potential, so C fits best.
17	B	Bluewater Hotels	"sent on an all-expenses-paid trip abroad"	incentives = rewards, financial benefits = paid trip	Trips are financial rewards, clearly making B the correct option.
18	C	Pentlow Hotels	"management programme... chance to work in various roles"	career = development, opportunity = training and roles	The programme offers career opportunities and growth, fitting option C.
19	B	Green Planet	"vouchers to help cover the cost of childcare"	financial benefits = support for expenses	This is a clear financial benefit aimed at improving staff retention, so B is correct.
20	A	The Amesbury	"creating a co-operative and supportive environment... staff are part of a large family"	relationships = emotional bonds, teamwork = cooperation	The emphasis is on building strong team relationships and support, making A the best match.

Part - 3

Question No.	Answer	Keywords in the Question	Answer Quotation from Audio Script	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation of Answer Choice
21	C	could have worked harder	"I think I should have practised more."	worked harder = practised more	Thomas admits he didn’t practise enough, meaning he acknowledges he could have worked harder.
22	E	fellow students admired him	"All my classmates assumed I would achieve it; they thought I was brilliant."	fellow students = classmates; admired = thought I was brilliant	His classmates believed in him and expected him to succeed, showing admiration.
23	A	disbelief	"I thought ‘this can’t be happening’"	disbelief = can’t be happening	He expresses shock when he realises he isn’t good enough, which shows disbelief.
24	D	gratitude	"I just kept thinking how fortunate I was. What a great chance this was!"	gratitude = fortunate, great chance	He feels lucky and thankful for the opportunity to train in Kenya.
25	B	table tennis bat	"A factory was making rolls of the rubber in bulk for something like horse harnesses."	mass produced = in bulk	The rubber was originally mass produced for another purpose, not for sports.
26	F	cricket helmet	"The Australian batsman who first wore it was booed and jeered by people watching."	unpopular = booed and jeered	The helmet was disliked by spectators when first introduced.
27	A	cycle helmet	"Serious cyclists ended up with wet hair from all the hard exercise."	excessive sweating = wet hair	Cyclists experienced wet hair due to sweat, indicating poor ventilation.
28	D	golf club	"A club was made entirely of wood, it would easily break and players had to get another."	replaced = get another	Wooden clubs were fragile and often needed to be replaced.
29	C	hockey stick	"When the game started you had to produce a stick yourself."	make their own = produce yourself	Players had to make their own sticks since they weren’t manufactured.
30	G	football	"You can imagine the damage to players’ necks when the ball was headed."	caused injuries = damage to necks	The ball caused injuries due to its heavy, waterlogged condition.

Part - 4

Maple Syrup (Questions 31–40) 

Question No.	Answer (Bold)	Keywords in the Question	Quoted Sentence from Audio	Synonyms/Equivalent Expressions	Explanation
31	golden	colour described as	"Maple syrup is a thick, golden, sweet-tasting liquid"	colour = golden appearance	The word "golden" directly describes the colour of maple syrup in the audio.
32	healthy	very ___ compared to refined sugar	"It provides a healthy alternative to refined sugar."	alternative to = compared to	The audio mentions that maple syrup is healthy compared to refined sugar.
33	climate	best growing conditions and ___	"In these areas, the climate suits the trees perfectly."	growing conditions = climate	The climate is directly mentioned as suitable, matching the idea of “best growing conditions.”
34	rocks	used hot ___ to heat the sap	"They boiled the liquid by placing pieces of rock that had become scorching hot"	hot = scorching, heat = boiled	Hot rocks were used to heat the sap, matching the question perfectly.
35	diameter	correct ___ (of tree trunk)	"Until the trunks reach a diameter of around 25 centimetres."	correct = suitable, diameter = width of trunk	Trees need a certain diameter before being tapped, directly stated in the audio.
36	tube	a ___ carries the sap into a bucket	"Drilling a small hole... inserting a tube into it that ends in a bucket."	carries = connects, ends in = flows into	A tube carries sap from the tree to the bucket, clearly matching the question.
37	fire	evaporators are heated by means of	"A fire is built and the pans are then heated."	heated by = source of heat = fire	The pans (evaporators) are heated by fire, matching the process described.
38	steam	a lot of ___ is produced	"The evaporation process creates large quantities of steam."	produced = created	The word steam is directly used and is the substance produced during evaporation.
39	cloudy	makes the syrup look ___	"Gives the syrup a cloudy appearance"	look = appearance, cloudy = not clear	The syrup looks cloudy due to sugar sand; this appearance is undesirable.
40	litre / liter	a ___ of maple syrup	"It takes 40 litres of sap to produce one litre of maple syrup."	quantity = litre	The final product amount is one litre; this is a clear numeric reference in the audio.