Cambridge IELTS 10 listening test 2 answers for all forty questions are gathered on this page, together with an explanation for every item and the full transcript of each recording. The paper runs from a town centre visitor survey in Section 1, through a talk on city centre developments and a student discussion about Thor Heyerdahl, to a lecture on the future of management in Section 4. Play each section’s audio in order, answer under exam conditions, and then mark everything against the master key, where every explanation quotes the exact evidence from the transcript. Note completion, multiple choice, matching and choose-TWO-letters tasks all feature, so the paper rehearses the whole range of listening skills. Start with the Section 1 strategy guide and finish your warm-up with the Section 4 strategy.

Section Walkthroughs

• Town Centre Visitor Survey (Questions 1–10) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section
• City Centre Developments Talk (Questions 11–20) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section
• Thor Heyerdahl Presentation (Questions 21–30) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section
• The Future of Management (Questions 31–40) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section

Section 1 — Town Centre Visitor Survey

Questions 1–10

Complete the notes below.

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Section 1 Answer Explanations

1. Hardie — the interviewer asks “Can you spell that, please?”, and Luisa dictates “it’s H-A-R-D-I-E”. A capital letter is required for a surname, and the spelling Hardy loses the mark even though it sounds identical. Write only the surname, because Luisa is already printed in the notes.

2. 19 — Luisa gives her address as “It’s 19, White Stone Road”, so the missing house number is 19. White Stone Rd is already printed on the form, and Bradfield is the area, so neither can fill the gap. The task allows one word and/or a number, and 19 alone scores.

3. GT8 2LC — the interviewer sets a trap with “Is the postcode GT7?”, and Luisa corrects it: “It’s actually G-T-8, 2-L-C”. Write the corrected version with no full stops or hyphens, exactly as the key prints it. A correction always overrides the first number you hear.

4. hairdresser — asked whether she is a student, Luisa answers “I’ve actually just finished my training. I’m a hairdresser”. Student is the distractor, because her training is finished, so her occupation is hairdresser. One word is needed, and the job noun needs no capital letter on the form.

5. dentist — Luisa cancels her normal reason first with “it’s not for shopping today”, then gives the real purpose: “to see the dentist”. The notes already print to go to the, and dentist completes the phrase. Never take the first activity mentioned when a negative rules it out.

6. lighting — Luisa says “the lighting should be better” when she walks home after a later shift. The note places better before the gap, so the noun lighting completes the suggestion. Lights would break the collocation, and this first improvement concerns walking at night.

7. trains — her transport complaint is “I don’t think there are enough trains”, which matches the note more frequent. The gap needs a plural noun that can be frequent, and trains is the only service she criticises. The bus carried her today, but buses are never criticised, so bus cannot score.

8. safe — turning to cycling, Luisa reports that “there are no safe places to leave your bikes”. The gap sits directly before parking places for bicycles, so the adjective safe is required. Keep the word class exact, because safely and safety both score zero.

9. shower — cycling uphill would leave her sweaty on a hot day, so she asks for “a shower somewhere at work”. The note needs a singular noun after use a, and the shower is the facility she requests. Sweaty describes the problem rather than the solution, so it fails.

10. training — her final request is help on busy roads, and she asks the council to consider “offering training for that” because it would lift her confidence. The note places cycling directly before the gap, so the noun training follows naturally under the one-word rule. Confident describes her feelings, not the thing offered, so it cannot score.

Section 2 — City Centre Developments Talk

Questions 11–14

Choose the correct letter, A , B or C .

• New city developments

11. The idea for the two new developments in the city came from local people. the City Council. the SWRDC.

• A — local people.
• B — the City Council.
• C — the SWRDC.

12. What is unusual about Brackenside pool? its architectural style its heating system its method of water treatment

• A — its architectural style
• B — its heating system
• C — its method of water treatment

13. Local newspapers have raised worries about the late opening date. the cost of the project. the size of the facilities.

• A — the late opening date.
• B — the cost of the project.
• C — the size of the facilities.

14. What decision has not yet been made about the pool? whose statue will be at the door the exact opening times who will open it

• A — whose statue will be at the door
• B — the exact opening times
• C — who will open it

Questions 15–20

Which feature is related to each of the following areas of the world represented in the playground?

Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-I , next to questions

• A. ancient forts
• B. waterways
• C. ice and snow
• D. jewels
• E. local animals
• F. mountains
• G. music and film
• H. space travel
• I. volcanoes

• Features
• Areas of the world

15. Asia

16. Antarctica

17. South America

18. North America

19. Europe

20. Africa

Section 2 Answer Explanations

11. A — local people — the speaker states that “the idea for these initiatives came from you, the public”, so the public, meaning local people, originated the projects. B fails because the City Council only conducted the consultation exercise, and C fails because the SWRDC supplied the money. Funding and organising are different from having the idea.

12. C — its method of water treatment — the special feature is the recycling system that “enables seawater to be used in the pool”, the only one of its kind in the world. A fails because the 1930s style deliberately blends with the surrounding buildings rather than standing out. B fails because the pool is simply described as heated, with no claim that the heating is unusual.

13. C — the size of the facilities — the local press questioned “enough room for the number of visitors”, and room maps onto the size of the facilities. A fails because the speaker confirms they are “on schedule for a June 15th opening date”. B fails because the project is “well within budget”, so the cost raises no concern.

14. A — whose statue will be at the door — one decision remains open: a competition will let the public “decide on the sculpture we plan to have at the entrance”. Sculpture paraphrases statue, and the famous historical figure is still to be chosen. C fails because Coral White is already engaged to declare the pool open, and B fails because the June 15th date is fixed.

15. E — local animals — Asia is represented by equipment shaped like “snakes, orang-utans, tigers and so on”, which the speaker calls fauna native to the forests of the region. Fauna is the formal word for local animals, so E matches. No other area in the list uses animals as its feature.

16. F — mountains — the Antarctic area offers “climbing blocks in the shape of mountains”. C is the deliberate trap, because the speaker refused an ice rink and rejected slides for the glaciers, so ice and snow feature nowhere. The rejected options confirm that mountains is the final choice.

17. D — jewels — South America takes El Dorado as its theme, with “mines full of precious stones”. Precious stones paraphrase jewels, which D states directly. The games replicate a search for treasure, and no other area involves mining, so D belongs only here.

18. H — space travel — after considerable debate, the designers “opted for rockets and the international Space Station” for North America. G is the trap, because the contribution of cinema and jazz was considered and then dropped. Rockets and the Space Station both point straight to space travel.

19. A — ancient forts — Europe offers “medieval castles and other fortifications”, the most traditional choice of all the areas. Fortifications paraphrases forts, and medieval signals ancient. The answer is the buildings themselves, since no weapons or battles are mentioned.

20. B — waterways — Africa features “wonderful mosaics and trails to represent the great rivers”. Rivers paraphrase waterways, so B is the match. The mosaics and trails are the artwork, but the feature they represent is the rivers of the continent.

Section 3 — Thor Heyerdahl Presentation

Questions 21–22

Choose TWO letters, A-E .

21–22. Which TWO hobbies was Thor Heyerdahl very interested in as a youth? camping climbing collecting hunting reading

• A — camping
• B — climbing
• C — collecting
• D — hunting
• E — reading

Questions 23–24

Choose TWO letters, A-E .

23–24. Which do the speakers say are the TWO reasons why Heyerdahl went to live on an island? to examine ancient carvings to experience an isolated place to formulate a new theory to learn survival skills to study the impact of an extreme environment

• A — to examine ancient carvings
• B — to experience an isolated place
• C — to formulate a new theory
• D — to learn survival skills
• E — to study the impact of an extreme environment

Questions 25–30

Choose the correct letter, A , B or C .

• The later life of Thor Heyerdahl

25. According to Victor and Olivia, academics thought that Polynesian migration from the east was impossible due to the fact that Eastern countries were far away. the lack of materials for boat building. the direction of the winds and currents.

• A — the fact that Eastern countries were far away.
• B — the lack of materials for boat building.
• C — the direction of the winds and currents.

26. Which do the speakers agree was the main reason for Heyerdahl’s raft journey? to overcome a research setback to demonstrate a personal quality to test a new theory

• A — to overcome a research setback
• B — to demonstrate a personal quality
• C — to test a new theory

27. What was most important to Heyerdahl about his raft journey? the fact that he was the first person to do it the speed of crossing the Pacific the use of authentic construction methods

• A — the fact that he was the first person to do it
• B — the speed of crossing the Pacific
• C — the use of authentic construction methods

28. Why did Heyerdahl go to Easter Island? to build a stone statue to sail a reed boat to learn the local language

• A — to build a stone statue
• B — to sail a reed boat
• C — to learn the local language

29. In Olivia’s opinion, Heyerdahl’s greatest influence was on theories about Polynesian origins. the development of archaeological methodology. establishing archaeology as an academic subject.

• A — theories about Polynesian origins.
• B — the development of archaeological methodology.
• C — establishing archaeology as an academic subject.

30. Which criticism do the speakers make of William Oliver’s textbook? Its style is out of date. Its content is over-simplified. Its methodology is flawed.

• A — Its style is out of date.
• B — Its content is over-simplified.
• C — Its methodology is flawed.

Section 3 Answer Explanations

21. B — climbing — Olivia credits his ambition to camping trips in Norway, but Victor corrects her: “it was climbing that he spent his time on as a young man”. The flat no signals that camping is the trap, and the corrected hobby is climbing. Take the second speaker’s version whenever a correction intervenes.

22. C — collecting — Olivia tells Victor to open with the boy’s “passion for collecting things”, and Victor confirms he had his own little museum. D fails because Heyerdahl “wouldn’t go hunting with his dad”, and E fails because his mother did the reading aloud. The little museum proves collecting was his own pursuit.

23. B — to experience an isolated place — Victor explains the couple wanted “to live wild in a remote location with few inhabitants”. A remote location with few inhabitants paraphrases an isolated place. D is the trap, because survival skills were learnt as preparation before they left home, not as the purpose of the move.

24. E — to study the impact of an extreme environment — Olivia says they went “to find out how harsh weather conditions shaped people’s lifestyles”. Harsh weather conditions paraphrase an extreme environment, and shaped maps onto impact. The carvings and the radical theory behind A and C only appeared after they arrived, so neither explains why they set out.

25. A — the fact that Eastern countries were far away — Victor reports that academics dismissed migration from the east “because of the huge, empty stretch of ocean” between the islands and the nearest inhabited land. That distance means Eastern countries were far away. B fails because the ship-building point concerns the communities east of Polynesia, and C fails because currents and winds were what Heyerdahl himself studied.

26. C — to test a new theory — Victor floats the idea of private reasons and spectacular adventures, but Olivia counters that the journey was “simply trying out his idea, to see if migration from the east was possible”, and Victor agrees. Trying out the migration idea means testing a new theory, so C wins and B fails.

27. C — the use of authentic construction methods — Victor says the most important factor was that he used “only ancient techniques and local materials to build his raft”. Ancient techniques paraphrase authentic construction methods. A fails because Victor has read nothing about being first as his motivation, and the 97-day crossing only answers a side question about speed, so B fails as well.

28. A — to build a stone statue — on Easter Island, Heyerdahl wanted to discuss the “old stone carvings and then make one himself” to learn the process. Making a carving himself means building a stone statue. B fails because the reed boat belongs to a later trip, as the correction “No, that was later on in Egypt” shows, and C fails because talking about carvings is not learning a language.

29. B — the development of archaeological methodology — Olivia credits him as the first to establish “what modern academics call practical archaeology”, recreating the past through experiments like the raft trip. That is a legacy in method, so B wins. A fails because his ideas about Polynesian origins were “completely discredited”, and C fails because archaeology was already an academic subject.

30. A — Its style is out of date — Victor found “the overall tone somewhat old-fashioned” and calls for a new, revised edition, which is a criticism of style. C fails because “the research methods he used were very sound”. B fails because Olivia’s word challenging describes the subject matter, not over-simplified content.

Section 4 — The Future of Management

Questions 31–40

Complete the notes below.

Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

• THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT
• Business markets
• greater 31 ………… among companies
• increase in power of large 32 ………… Companies
• rising 33 ………… in certain countries
• External influences on businesses
• more discussion with 34 ………… before making business decisions
• environmental concerns which may lead to more 35 …………
• Business structures
• more teams will be formed to work on a particular 36 …………
• businesses may need to offer hours that are 37 ………… , or the chance to work remotely
• Management styles
• increasing need for managers to provide good 38 …………
• changes influenced by 39 ………… taking senior roles
• Changes in the economy
• service sector continues to be important
• increasing value of intellectual property
• more and more 40 ………… workers

Section 4 Answer Explanations

31. competition — the first market development is “a major increase in competition” among companies from all round the world. The notes print greater before the gap, and greater paraphrases the increase the lecturer describes. Choice for consumers is the result of this trend, not the missing noun.

32. global — mergers and takeovers mean governments are losing power to “major global corporations”. The notes read large before the gap and Companies after it, so the adjective global is required. Major paraphrases large, and corporations paraphrases companies.

33. demand — in fast-expanding economies such as India, China, Brazil and Russia, “demand is growing very fast”. The notes use rising, which paraphrases growing, so the missing noun is demand. Resources come under pressure as a consequence, which rules resources out of the gap.

34. customers — companies are “consulting customers more and more before making their business decisions”. The notes print more discussion with, so the people being consulted, customers, complete the line. Consumers appear earlier in the lecture, but the sentence you need names customers directly.

35. regulation — environmental concerns will force longer product lifecycles, and “in some cases, regulation will need to be strengthened”. The notes read environmental concerns which lead to more, so regulation is the noun that fits. Pollution and waste are what the measures reduce, not the missing word.

36. project — teams will be created “with a specific project in mind” and disbanded once the work ends. The notes use particular, which paraphrases specific, so project fills the gap. The singular form matches the single piece of work described.

37. flexible — to attract and retain staff, firms will offer “flexible hours” alongside remote working. The notes read hours that are, so an adjective is needed, and flexible is exact. Remote describes the working, not the hours, so it cannot be transferred to this gap.

38. leadership — senior managers will need far more than efficiency, above all “great skills in leadership”. The notes print provide good before the gap, and leadership is the noun that follows. Efficiency is the old requirement, which makes it the standing trap in this question.

39. women — management will become more consultative and collaborative because of “more women moving into senior management positions”. The notes print taking senior roles, which paraphrases the movement described. The answer is the plural noun women, with no article.

40. self-employed — the final trend is that “more and more people are becoming self-employed” to gain freedom and control. The notes read more and more workers, so self-employed describes those workers. The hyphenated form counts as one word under the ONE WORD ONLY rule.

Cambridge IELTS 10 Listening Test 2 Answers

Questions and Answers

Listening Transcripts

Section 1 Transcript

INTERVIEWER: Excuse me.

LUISA: Yes?

INTERVIEWER: I wonder if you could spare a few minutes to do a survey on transport. It won’t take long.

LUISA: No, that’s fine.

INTERVIEWER: Lovely. The survey is on behalf of the local council. They’d like to know about what transport you use any suggestions for improvement. Can I start by asking you how you travelled to town today?

LUISA: Sure. I came on the bus.

INTERVIEWER: Great. Now can I get a few details about yourself?

LUISA: OK.

INTERVIEWER: What’s your name?

LUISA: It’s Luisa …

INTERVIEWER: Yes.

LUISA: Hardie.

INTERVIEWER: Can you spell that, please?

LUISA: Yes, it’s H-A-R-D-I-E.

INTERVIEWER: Great. Thanks. And can I have your address?

LUISA: It’s 19, White Stone Road.

INTERVIEWER: Oh, right. I know that area. It’s Bradfield, isn’t it?

LUISA: That’s right.

INTERVIEWER: Is the postcode GT7?

LUISA: It’s actually G-T-8, 2-L-C.

INTERVIEWER: Great. And could I ask what your job is? Are you a student?

LUISA: I’ve actually just finished my training. I’m a hairdresser.

INTERVIEWER: Oh, right. And one more question in this section. What is the reason for you coming into town today?

LUISA: Actually it’s not for shopping today, which would be my normal reason, but to see the dentist.

INTERVIEWER: Right. Thanks.

—————————-

INTERVIEWER: Now in this last section I’d like you to give us some ideas about the facilities and arrangements in the city for getting to and from work, er, any suggestions you have for improvements.

LUISA: Well, something I’ve thought about for some time is that when I do walk and I’m doing a later shift, I think the lighting should be better.

INTERVIEWER: Yes, good point.

LUISA: And of course, I think it’s a real shame they’ve been cutting down on the number of footpaths. They should have more of those. Then people would walk more.

INTERVIEWER: Yes, right.

LUISA: And, I don’t think there are enough trains. That’s why I don’t use them – you have to wait so long.

INTERVIEWER: Thanks. And finally I’d like to ask your opinion on cycling. As you may know, there’s a drive in the city to get more people to cycle to work.

LUISA: Right.

INTERVIEWER: But we realise that there are things which the council, but also employers, might do to help encourage workers to cycle to work.

LUISA: Yep. Well, I have thought about it and where I work there are no safe places to leave your bikes.

INTERVIEWER: OK.

LUISA: And also, I’d have to cycle uphill and on a hot day I’d arrive at work pretty sweaty so I think I’d need a shower somewhere at work.

INTERVIEWER: Right.

LUISA: And I suppose the last thing is that I wouldn’t be all that confident about cycling on such busy roads. I think I’d like to see you offering training for that, you know. I’d feel a lot better about starting if that was the case.

INTERVIEWER: Well, that’s very helpful. Thank you very much for your time.

LUISA: No problem. Bye.

Section 2 Transcript

Good morning. I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to say a little about two exciting new developments in the city: the Brackenside Open-Air Swimming Pool and the children’s Adventure Playground in Central Park. As many of you may know, the idea for these initiatives came from you, the public, in the extensive consultation exercise which the City Council conducted last year. And they have been realised using money from the SWRDC – the South West Regional Development Commission.

First of all, Brackenside Pool. As many of the older members of the audience will remember, there used to be a wonderful open-air pool on the sea front 30 years ago but it had to close when it was judged to be unsafe. For the design of this new heated pool, we were very happy to secure the talents of internationally renowned architect Ellen Wendon, who has managed to combine a charming 1930s design, which fits is so well with many of the other buildings in the area, with up-to-the-minute features such as a recycling system – the only one of its kind in the world – which enables seawater to be used in the pool.

Now, there has been quite a bit of discussion in the local press about whether there would be enough room for the number of visitors we’re hoping to attract, but the design is deceptive and there have been rigorous checks about capacity. Also, just in case you were wondering, we’re on schedule for a June 15th opening date and well within budget: a testimony to the excellent work of local contractors Hickman’s.

We hope that as many people as possible will be there on June 15th. We have engaged award-winning actress Coral White to declare the pool open and there’ll be drinks and snacks available at the pool side. There’ll also be a competition for the public to decide on the sculpture we plan to have at the entrance: you will decide which famous historical figure from the city we should have.

————————

And now, moving on the Central Park Playground, which we’re pleased to announce has just won the Douglas Award for safety: the news came through only last week. The unique design is based on the concept of the Global Village, with the playground being divided into sex areas showing different parts of the world – each with a representative feature. For example, there is a section on Asia, and this is represented by rides and equipment in the shape of snakes, orang-utans, tigers and so on – fauna native to the forests of the region. Moving south to the Antarctic – we couldn’t run to an ice rink I’m afraid but opted instead for climbing blocks in the shape of mountains – I thought they could have had slides for the glaciers but the designers did want to avoid being too literal! Then on to South America – and here the theme is El Dorado – games replicating the search for mines full of precious stones. And then moving up to North America, here there was considerable debate – I know the contribution of cinema and jazz was considered but the designers finally opted for rockets and the international Space Station. Eastwards to Europe then, and perhaps the most traditional choice of all the areas: medieval castles and other fortifications. Then last, but not least, moving south to Africa and a whole set of wonderful mosaics and trails to represent the great rivers of this fascinating and varied continent.

Now, the opening date for our Global Playground is 10th July. And again we’d love to see you there – so make a date and come and see this magnificent, original new amenity right in the heart of the city.

Section 3 Transcript

VICTOR: Right, well, for our presentation shall I start with the early life of Thor Heyerdahl?

OLIVIA: Sure. Why don’t you begin with describing the type of boy he was, especially his passion for collecting things.

VICTOR: That’s right, he had his own the little museum. And I think it’s unusual for children to develop their own values and not join in their parents’ hobbies; I’m thinking of how Heyerdahl wouldn’t go hunting with his dad, for example.

OLIVIA: Yeah, he preferred to learn about nature by listening to his mother read to him. And quite early on he knew he wanted to become an explorer when he grew up. That came from his camping trips he went on in Norway I think …

VICTOR: No, it was climbing that he spent his time on as a young man.

OLIVIA: Oh, right … After university he married a classmate and together, they decided to experience living on a small island, to find out how harsh weather conditions shaped people’s lifestyles.

VICTOR: As part of their preparation before they left home, they learnt basic survival skills like building a shelter. I guess they needed that knowledge in order to live wild in a remote location with few inhabitants, cut of by the sea, which is what they were aiming to do.

OLIVIA: An important part of your talk should be the radical theory Heyerdahl formed from examining mysterious ancient carvings that he happened to find on the island. I think you should finish with that.

VICTOR: OK.

————————-

OLIVIA: All right, Victor, so after your part I’ll talk about Thor Heyerdahl’s adult life, continuing from the theory he had about Polynesian migration: Up until that time of course, academics had believed that humans first migrated to the islands in Polynesia from Asia, in the west.

VICTOR: Yes, they thought that travel from the east was impossible, because of the huge, empty stretch of ocean that lies between the islands and the nearest inhabited land.

OLIVIA: Yes, but Heyerdahl spent ages studying the cloud movements, ocean currents and wind patterns to find if it was actually possible. And another argument was that there was no tradition of large ship-building in the communities lying to the east of Polynesia. But Heyerdahl knew they made lots of coastal voyages in locally built canoes.

VICTOR: Yes, or sailing on rafts, as was shown by the long voyage that Heyerdahl did next. It was an incredibly risky journey to undertake – sometimes I wonder if he did that trip for private reasons, you know? To show others that he could have spectacular adventures. What do you think, Olivia?

OLIVIA: Well, I think it was more a matter of simply trying out his idea, to see if migration from the east was possible.

VICTOR: Yes, that’s probably it. And the poor guy suffered a bit at that time because the war forced him to stop his work for some years …

OLIVIA: Yes. When he got started again and planned his epic voyage, do you think it was important to him that he achieve it before anyone else did?

VICTOR: Um, I haven’t read anywhere that that was his motivation. The most important factor seems to have been that he use only ancient techniques and local materials to build his raft.

OLIVIA: Yes. I wonder how fast it went.

VICTOR: Well, it took them 97 days from South America to the Pacific Island.

OLIVIA: Mm. And after that, Heyerdahl went to Easter Island, didn’t he? We should mention the purpose of that trip. I think he sailed there in a boat made out of reeds.

VICTOR: No, that was later on in Egypt, Olivia.

OLIVIA: Oh, yes, that’s right.

VICTOR: But what he wanted to do was talk to the local people about their old stone carvings and then make one himself to learn more about the process.

OLIVIA: I see. Well, what a great life. Even though many of his theories have been disproven, he certainly left a lasting impression on many disciplines, didn’t he? To my mind, he was first person to establish what modern academics call practical archaeology. I mean, that they try to recreate something from the past today, like he did with his raft trip. It’s unfortunate that his ideas about where Polynesians originated from have been completely discredited.

VICTOR: Yes. Right, well, I’ll prepare a PowerPoint slide at the end that acknowledges our sources. I mainly used The Life and Work of Thor Heyerdahl by William Oliver. I thought the research methods he used were very sound, although I must say I found the overall tone somewhat old-fashioned. I think they need to do a new, revised edition.

OLIVIA: Yeah, I agree. What about the subject matter – I found it really challenging!

VICTOR: Well, it’s a complex issue …

OLIVIA: I thought the book had lots of good points. What did you think of …

Section 4 Transcript

Well, I’ve been talking to managers in a number of businesses, and reading surveys about the future of management. And what I’m going to present in this seminar is a few ideas about how the activity is likely to change in the next ten years. It isn’t a scientific, statistical analysis – just some ideas for us to discuss.

One area I want to mention is business markets, and I’m sure a really significant development will be a major increase in competition, with companies from all round the world trying to sell similar products. Consumers will have much more choice – for instance, food products sold in Australia might be manufactured in the USA, China, Finland and dozens of other countries. At the same time, mergers and takeovers mean that governments are actually losing power to major global corporations. We can probably all think of companies that exert a great deal of influence, which may be good for consumers. A third point I want to make about markets is that in the rapidly expanding economies, such as India, China, Brazil and Russia, demand is growing very fast. This is putting pressure on resources all over the world.

I think businesses are becoming more open to external influences. In particular, companies are consulting customers more and more before making their business decisions. Companies are finding out what they want and providing it, instead of making products and then trying to sell them, which is the model of years ago.

Another influence is that concerns about the environment will force manufacturers to extend product lifecycles, to reduce the amount of pollution and waste. And in some cases, regulation will need to be strengthened.

Many societies are much more fluid and democratic, and the structure of companies is changing to reflect that. I think we’re going to see a greater emphasis within companies on teams created with a specific project in mind. And when they’re completed, the teams will be disbanded and new ones formed.

More and more people see work as simply one part of their lifestyle, and not the most important one, and as the workforce is shrinking in some countries, businesses are having to compete for staff instead of being about to choose among a lot of applicants. Typical examples that will attract and retain staff are traditional ones like flexible hours and – something that has been made possible by advances in technology – remote working, with people based at their home, abroad, or almost anywhere they choose.

——————-

Management styles will almost certainly continue to change. Senior managers will require a lot more than the efficiency that they’ve always needed. Above all they’ll need great skills in leadership, so that their organisation can initiate and respond to change in a fast-moving world, where they face lots of competing requirements and potential conflicts.

In most of the world, the senior managers of large businesses are mainly men in their fifties and sixties. The predominant style of management will almost certainly become more consultative and collaborative, caused above all, by more women moving into senior management positions.

Many of the changes are influenced by developments in the wider economy. The traditional emphasis of business was manufacturing, and of course the service sector is very important. But we shouldn’t overlook the growing financial contribution of IP, that is, intellectual property. Some books and films generate enormous sums from the sale of related DVDs, music, games, clothes, and so on.

Another point I’d like to make is that although I’ve been talking about companies, one trend that they have to face is the move away from people working for the same employer for years. Instead, more and more people are becoming self-employed, to gain the freedom and control over their lives that they’re unlikely to get from being employed.

OK, well that’s all I want to say, so let’s open it up for discussion.

Listening Band Score Conversion

Your raw score out of 40 converts to an IELTS band score using the official listening conversion table below.

Key Vocabulary and Spelling

Study Tips

Treat the four sections as one exam: complete them in order, play each recording once only, and mark yourself straight after each section while the audio is fresh. A full paper under real conditions builds the stamina the listening module demands.

The recordings mix an interview, a talk, a two-student discussion and a lecture, so build tolerance for different voices, speeds and accents in advance through practising diverse accents.

Twenty of the forty answers are note completion, so drill the word-limit rules with the note completion strategy. A right word in the wrong form, such as train where trains is required, still loses the mark.

Mark strictly, then re-listen only to the sentences quoted in the explanations above. Studying the exact evidence for each answer trains your ear to catch paraphrase, corrections and distractors in every section of the next paper.

Practice More Listening Tests

You have the full Cambridge IELTS 10 Listening Test 2 key, so keep the momentum going. The free IELTS listening practice course from Simply IELTS turns each question type on this page into a focused lesson with audio and instant marking. Then take a fresh recording under strict exam timing: try this interactive listening test: maple syrup ielts listening test with answer. To lift a weak section, pair the relevant explanation list above with the Band 8 listening strategy guide, and check your spelling against the listening spelling rules before your next attempt.