Cambridge IELTS 10 listening test 3 answers for all 40 questions are collected on this page, together with playable audio for each section, the official answer key, an explanation for every single question, and complete transcripts of all four recordings. The paper runs from a childcare enrolment form through a radio interview with the Dolphin Conservation Trust and a discussion about a student theatre report to a lecture on self-regulatory focus theory and leadership. Every explanation quotes the exact words that prove the answer, so you can see why each number, word or letter is right and why the traps fail. Before you begin, read the Section 1 strategy for the form completion routine and the Section 4 strategy for the lecture, then work through the whole paper in one sitting under exam timing.

Section Walkthroughs

• Early Learning Childcare Centre (Questions 1–10) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section
• Dolphin Conservation Trust (Questions 11–20) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section
• Student Theatre Performance Report (Questions 21–30) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section
• Self-Regulatory Focus Theory (Questions 31–40) — audio, answers and a full transcript for this section

Section 1 — Early Learning Childcare Centre

Questions 1–10

Complete the form below.

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

Section 1 Answer Explanations

1. 4 — Carol says “She’s three now but she turns four next month.”, and the director confirms “I’ll put four down because that’s how old she’ll be when she starts.” The form records Kate’s age when she enrols next year, so write 4 rather than three.

2. 46 Wombat — Carol dictates “It’s 46 Wombat Road, that’s W-O-M-B-A-T.” Road is printed after the gap and Woodside 4032 completes the address on its own line, so the house number and street name fill the space.

3. Thursday — Carol requests Monday and Wednesday, but the director reports “I think the centre is already full for Wednesday.”, and swimming rules out Friday, leaving Carol to settle the second day: “I suppose Thursday would be all right because she has swimming on Friday.”

4. 8.30 — the gap precedes the printed am, so the time alone is needed. Carol explains “I need to get to work in the city by 9:00 so I’ll drop her off at 8:30.”, where 9:00 is her city deadline and 8:30 is the start time, written 8.30.

5. red — the green group takes three- to four-year-olds and the red group four- to five-year-olds, and after Carol calls her daughter mature the director decides “I’ll put her in the red group and we can always change her to the green one if there are any problems.” Green is only the fallback option.

6. lunch — the director lists the options, “We can provide breakfast, lunch and dinner.”, but Kate eats breakfast at home and leaves too early for dinner, so Carol confirms “Yes, she’ll only need lunch.”

7. glasses — asked about asthma or hearing problems, Carol answers “No. But she does need to wear glasses.” Glasses is the only medical note the centre records for Kate.

8. BALL — the emergency contact spells her surname aloud: “Jenny Ball. That’s B-A-double L.” Jenny is printed on the form, so only the family name is needed, and the double L rules out a single-L spelling.

9. aunt — the director checks the relationship directly: “Great. So she is the child’s aunt?” Sister describes Jenny’s relationship to Carol, but the form asks for her relationship to the child, which is aunt.

10. month — fees are payable at the end of each term or at a discount, because “we do offer a slightly discounted rate if you pay every month.” Carol takes the monthly option, so the gap after each needs month.

Section 2 — Dolphin Conservation Trust

Questions 11–12

Choose TWO letters, A-E .

11–12. Which TWO things does Alice say about the Dolphin Conservation Trust? Children make up most of the membership. It’s the country’s largest conservation organisation. It helps finance campaigns for changes in fishing practices. It employs several dolphin experts full-time. Volunteers help in various ways.

• A — Children make up most of the membership.
• B — It’s the country’s largest conservation organisation.
• C — It helps finance campaigns for changes in fishing practices.
• D — It employs several dolphin experts full-time.
• E — Volunteers help in various ways.

Questions 13–15

Choose the correct letter, A , B or C .

13. Why is Alice so pleased the Trust has won the Charity Commission award? It has brought in extra money. It made the work of the trust better known. It has attracted more members.

• A — It has brought in extra money.
• B — It made the work of the trust better known.
• C — It has attracted more members.

14. Alice says oil exploration causes problems to dolphins because of noise. oil leaks. movement of ships.

• A — noise.
• B — oil leaks.
• C — movement of ships.

15. Alice became interested in dolphins when she saw one swimming near her home. she heard a speaker at her school. she read a book about them.

• A — she saw one swimming near her home.
• B — she heard a speaker at her school.
• C — she read a book about them.

Questions 16–20

Which dolphin does Alice make each of the following comments about?

Write the correct letter, A , B , C or D , next to questions

• A. Moondancer
• B. Echo
• C. Kiwi
• D. Samson

• Dolphins
• Comments

16. It has not been seen this year.

17. It is photographed more than the others.

18. It is always very energetic.

19. It is the newest one in the scheme.

20. It has an unusual shape.

Section 2 Answer Explanations

11. C (It helps finance campaigns for changes in fishing practices) — Alice states “The charity uses its money to support campaigns – for example, for changes in fishing policy and so forth.” Option A fails because only “about thirty-five per cent of our members are children”, and option B fails because the charity is “still fairly small compared with the big players in animal protection”.

12. E (Volunteers help in various ways) — Alice reports “we now have volunteers working in observation, office work and other things.” Option D fails because the Trust only “hopes soon to be able to employ its first full-time biologist”, so no dolphin expert is employed yet.

13. B (It made the work of the trust better known) — the award “has made our activities even more widely publicised and understood.” Option A fails because “it’s not meant an enormous amount of money for us”, and option C fails because “In the long term it may not bring in extra members”.

14. A (noise) — Alice accepts that “there’ll be little pollution from oil”, but insists that “exploration creates a lot of underwater noise.” Option B fails on her own concession about pollution, and option C fails because the area has long had “very little shipping”.

15. C (she read a book about them) — Alice traces her interest to a story: “Then I came across this story about a family of dolphins”, and she adds “I couldn’t put the book down – I was hooked.” Option A fails because “I had never seen one”, and option B fails because “I hadn’t been particularly interested in them at school”.

16. B (Echo) — “Echo is being rather elusive this year and hasn’t yet been sighted by our observers”, which matches the comment about not being seen this year. The other three dolphins are active, because “All the others have been out in force”, so only Echo fits.

17. C (Kiwi) — “it is Kiwi who’s our real ‘character’” and “we’ve captured her on film hundreds of times.” Samson and Moondancer are merely “often photographed together”, so the dolphin photographed more than the others is Kiwi.

18. D (Samson) — “Samson has a lot of energy – he’s always leaping out of the water with great vigour.” Always leaping matches always very energetic, while Moondancer “curves out and into the water very smoothly”, which signals elegance instead of energy.

19. D (Samson) — “Samson’s the latest of our dolphins to be chosen for the scheme.” Latest to be chosen means the newest member of the scheme; the trap is age, because the youngest dolphin is Kiwi — “he’s not quite – that’s Kiwi”.

20. A (Moondancer) — “she has a particularly large fin on her back, which makes her easy to identify.” The unusually large fin is the unusual shape; noise is shared, since “Echo and Moondancer are noisy too”, and Kiwi is the noisiest of all.

Section 3 — Student Theatre Performance Report

Questions 21–25

Choose the correct letter, A , B or C .

• Theatre Studies Course

21. What helped Rob to prepare to play the character of a doctor? the stories his grandfather told him the times when he watched his grandfather working the way he imagined his grandfather at work

• A — the stories his grandfather told him
• B — the times when he watched his grandfather working
• C — the way he imagined his grandfather at work

22. In the play’s first scene, the boredom of village life was suggested by repetition of words and phrases. scenery painted in dull colours. long pauses within conversations.

• A — repetition of words and phrases.
• B — scenery painted in dull colours.
• C — long pauses within conversations.

23. What has Rob learned about himself through working in a group? He likes to have clear guidelines. He copes well with stress. He thinks he is a good leader.

• A — He likes to have clear guidelines.
• B — He copes well with stress.
• C — He thinks he is a good leader.

24. To support the production, research material was used which described political developments. changing social attitudes. economic transformations.

• A — political developments.
• B — changing social attitudes.
• C — economic transformations.

25. What problem did the students overcome in the final rehearsal? one person forgetting their words an equipment failure the injury of one character

• A — one person forgetting their words
• B — an equipment failure
• C — the injury of one character

Questions 26–30

What action is needed for the following stages in doing the ‘year abroad’ option?

Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G , next to questions

• A. be on time
• B. get a letter of recommendation
• C. plan for the final year
• D. make sure the institution’s focus is relevant
• E. show ability in Theatre Studies
• F. make travel arrangements and bookings
• G. ask for help

• Action
• Stages in doing the ‘year abroad’ option

26. in the second year of the course

27. when first choosing where to go

28. when sending in your choices

29. when writing your personal statement

30. when doing the year abroad

Section 3 Answer Explanations

21. C (the way he imagined his grandfather at work) — Rob explains “I’d visualise what he must have been like in the past, when he was sitting in his consulting room listening to his patients.” He invented the working doctor, because option A fails — his grandfather “never says much about his work” — and option B fails because he never observed his grandfather at work.

22. A (repetition of words and phrases) — Mia recalls that “people kept saying the same thing over and over, like ‘Cold, isn’t it?’”. Option B fails because “everyone wore grey and brown” describes costumes rather than painted scenery, and option C fails because the silence came “before anyone spoke”, not inside conversations.

23. A (He likes to have clear guidelines) — Rob admits “I know I was so frustrated at times, when we couldn’t agree”, but Sophia “helped us work out exactly what to do, for the production. And that made me feel better, I suppose.” Feeling better once the tasks were spelled out shows he likes clear guidelines; nothing supports stress coping or leadership, since Sophia led the group.

24. B (changing social attitudes) — Sophia’s articles covered “how relationships between children and their parents, or between the public and people like bank managers or the police were shifting”. Shifting relationships between groups in society record changing social attitudes, with no mention of political or economic change.

25. B (an equipment failure) — in the final rehearsal the last scene ran with one spotlight, and “it was shining on the wrong side of the stage”, until “we got that fixed”. The stuck spotlight is an equipment failure; option A fails because the actor delivered “this really long speech” without forgetting words, and nobody was injured.

26. E (show ability in Theatre Studies) — in the second year “you need to work really hard in all your theatre studies modules”, because “Only students with good marks get places”. The action required during the second year is proving your ability in Theatre Studies.

27. D (make sure the institution’s focus is relevant) — Mia chose by career direction: “I looked for a university with emphasis on acting rather than directing”. First choosing where to go means checking that each institution’s emphasis fits what you want after graduation.

28. A (be on time) — choices go in by email “about six months before you go”, and Mia’s warning is personal: “I had a friend who missed the deadline and didn’t get her first choice”. Sending in your choices is therefore a deadline task, and the action is to be on time.

29. G (ask for help) — for the personal statement Rob plans: “I’ll get some of the final year students to give me some tips”, and Mia adds “I don’t mind showing you what I did.” Writing the statement is the stage for asking others who have done it for help.

30. C (plan for the final year) — Mia warns against her own mistake: “I got so involved I forgot all about making arrangements for when I came back here for the final year.” Doing the year abroad requires planning ahead, so “Make sure you stay in touch so they know your choices for the optional modules.”

Section 4 — Self-Regulatory Focus Theory

Questions 31–40

Complete the notes below.

Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

People’s focus is to approach pleasure or avoid pain

Prevention goals emphasise avoiding punishment

Factors that affect people’s focus

Prevention Focus: People think about their ‘ought’ self and their obligations

Transformational Leaders:

Transactional Leaders:

Prevention Focus is good for work such as a surgeon

Leaders’ actions affect which focus people use

• ‘Self-regulatory focus theory’ and leadership
• Self-regulatory focus theory
• Promotion goals focus on 31 …………
• The Chronic Factor
• comes from one’s 32 …………
• The 33 ………… Factor
• we are more likely to focus on promotion goals when with a 34 …………
• we are more likely to focus on prevention goals with our boss
• How people’s focus affects them
• Promotion Focus: People think about an ideal version of themselves, their 35 ………… and their gains.
• Leaders
• Leadership behaviour and 36 ………… affects people’s focus
• pay special attention to the 37 ………… of their followers
• passionately communicate a clear 38 …………
• inspire promotion focus in followers
• create 39 ………… to make expectations clear
• emphasise the results of a mistake
• inspire prevention focus in followers
• Conclusion
• Promotion Focus is good for jobs requiring 40 …………

Section 4 Answer Explanations

31. achievement — the theory opens with “Promotion goals in different life situations emphasise achievement.” The note pairs promotion goals with this noun; punishment belongs to prevention goals on the next line.

32. personality — the chronic factor “is connected to a person’s personality”, fixed and carried into every situation. The note stem reads comes from one’s ……, so the noun is personality.

33. Situational — the lecture’s second factor arrives as “Second, there is a situational factor”, driven by context rather than character. The note prints The …… Factor, so the adjective takes a capital letter.

34. friend — the promotion example states “we are more likely to be thinking about pleasure and to have promotion goals when we are spending time with a friend.” Boss belongs to the prevention example printed below the gap.

35. aspirations — under promotion focus “people consider their ideal self, their aspirations and gains.” Ideal self is already printed in the note, so aspirations fills the middle gap.

36. style — leadership matters because “the way leaders behave, or their style of leading, can affect the focus that followers adopt”. Behaviour appears in the note already, so the missing noun is style.

37. development — “Transformational leaders, when interacting with their followers, focus on their development.” The note says these leaders pay special attention to the …… of their followers, and the spoken noun is development.

38. vision — “Their speech is passionate and conveys a definitive vision.” Passionate is echoed by passionately in the note, so the noun after clear is vision.

39. structures — “transactional leaders focus on developing clear structures that tell their followers exactly what is expected of them.” The note pairs this with making expectations clear, and the plural is spoken, so write structures.

40. innovation — the conclusion gives the promotion example: “For a designer who works in a field where a lot of innovation is needed”. Jobs requiring innovation suit promotion focus, while the surgeon example suits prevention focus.

Cambridge IELTS 10 Listening Test 3 Answers

Questions and Answers

Listening Transcripts

Section 1 Transcript

DIRECTOR: Good morning. Welcome to the Early Learning Childcare Centre. How may I help you?

CAROL: Hi. I spoke to you last week about enrolling my daughter to next year.

DIRECTOR: Oh, yes. I’ll just get some details from you. So, you’re her mother?

CAROL: That’s right.

DIRECTOR: And, can I have your name?

CAROL: It’s Carol, Carol Smith.

DIRECTOR: And your daughter’s name?

CAROL: It’s Kate.

DIRECTOR: Now, we have several groups at the centre and we cater for children from three to five years old. How old is your daughter?

CAROL: She’s three now but she turns four next month.

DIRECTOR: I’ll put four down because that’s how old she’ll be when she starts.

CAROL: Fine, she’s so excited about her birthday and coming to the centre.

DIRECTOR: That’s good to hear. And what’s your address?

CAROL: It’s 46 Wombat Road, that’s W-O-M-B-A-T. Woodside 4032.

DIRECTOR: And what’s the phone number?

CAROL: Oh … it’s … 3345 9865.

DIRECTOR: So, have you decided on the days you’d like to bring your daughter here?

CAROL: I’d prefer Monday and Wednesday if possible.

DIRECTOR: Mmm. I’ll check, Monday’s fine, but I think the centre is already full for Wednesday. Erm. Yes. Sorry. It seems to be a very popular day. We can offer you a Thursday or a Friday as well.

CAROL: Oh dear. I suppose Thursday would be all right because she has swimming on Friday.

DIRECTOR: OK, got that. Because a lot of parents work, we do offer flexible start and finish times. We are open from 7:30 in the morning until 6 o’clock at night. What time would you like your daughter to start?

CAROL: I need to get to work in the city by 9:00 so I’ll drop her off at 8:30. You’re pretty close to the city here so that should give me plenty of time to get there.

DIRECTOR: That’s fine. Now, we also need to decide which group she’ll be in. we have two different groups and they’re divided up according to age. There’s the green group. Which is for three- to four-year-olds. And then there’s the red group which is for four- to five-year-olds.

CAROL: She’s quite mature for her age and she can already write her name and read a little.

DIRECTOR: Well, I’ll put her in the red group and we can always change her to the green one if there are any problems.

CAROL: That sounds fine.

DIRECTOR: OK. Let’s move on to meals. We can provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. As she’s finishing pretty early, she won’t need dinner, will you give her breakfast before she comes?

CAROL: Yes, she’ll only need lunch.

———————

DIRECTOR: Now, does she have any medical conditions we need to know about? Does she have asthma or any hearing problems for example?

CAROL: No. But she does need to wear glasses.

DIRECTOR: Oh, I’ll make a note of that.

CAROL: Yes, she’s pretty good about wearing them, she can’t see much without them.

DIRECTOR: Right. OK. Now, I also need emergency contact details.

CAROL: So what sort of information do you need?

DIRECTOR: Just the name and number of a friend or family member we can contact in case we can’t get hold of you at any time.

CAROL: OK. That’d better be my sister … Jenny Ball. That’s B-A-double L. Her phone number is 3346 7523.

DIRECTOR: Great. So she is the child’s aunt?

CAROL: Yes, that’s right.

DIRECTOR: I’ll make a note of that as well. Now, is there anything you’d like to ask?

CAROL: What about payment? How much are the fees each term?

DIRECTOR: Well, for two days and the hours you’ve chosen, that will be $450 altogether.

CAROL: OK, and do I have to pay that now?

DIRECTOR: No, we send out invoices once the children start at the centre. You can choose to pay at the end of each term or we do offer a slightly discounted rate if you pay every month.

CAROL: Oh, I’ll do that then. I find it easier to budget that way and I’m not used to the term dates just yet.

DIRECTOR: Good, it makes it a lot simpler for us as well. Well, that’s everything. Would you like me to show you around …?

Section 2 Transcript

INTERVIEWER: Today we’re pleased to have on the show Alice Bussell from the Dolphin Conservation Trust. Tell us about the Trust, Alice.

ALICE: Well, obviously its purpose is to protect dolphins in seas all around the world. It tries to raise people’s awareness of the problems these marine creatures are suffering because of pollution and other threats. It started ten years ago and it’s one of the fastest growing animal charities in the country – although it’s still fairly small compared with the big players in animal protection. We are particularly proud of the work we do in education – last year we visited a huge number of schools in different parts of the country, going round to talk to children and young people aged from five to eighteen. In fact, about thirty-five per cent of our members are children. The charity uses its money to support campaigns – for example, for changes in fishing policy and so forth. It hopes soon to be able to employ its first full-time biologist – with dolphin expertise – to monitor populations. Of course, many people give their services on a voluntary basis and we now have volunteers working in observation, office work and other things.

I should also tell you about the award we won from the Charity Commission last year – for our work in education. Although it’s not meant an enormous amount of money for us, it has made our activities even more widely publicised and understood. In the long term it may not bring in extra members but we’re hoping it’ll have this effect.

INTERVIEWER: Is it possible to see dolphins in UK waters?

ALICE: Yes. In several locations. And we have a big project in the east part of Scotland. This has long been a haven for dolphins because it has very little shipping. However, that may be about to change soon because oil companies want to increase exploration there. We’re campaigning against this because, although there’ll be little pollution from oil, exploration creates a lot of underwater noise. It means the dolphins can’t rest and socialise.

This is how I became interested in dolphin conservation in the first place. I had never seen one and I hadn’t been particularly interested in them at school. Then I came across this story about a family of dolphins who had to leave their home in the Moray Firth because of the oil companies and about a child who campaigned to save them. I couldn’t put the book down – I was hooked.

—————————

INTERVIEWER: I’m sure our listeners will want to find out what they can do to help. You mentioned the ‘Adopt a Dolphin’ scheme. Can you tell us about that?

ALICE: Of course! People can choose one of our dolphins to sponsor. They receive a picture of it and news updates. I’d like to tell you about four which are currently being adopted by our members: Moondancer, Echo, Kiwi and Samson. Unfortunately, Echo is being rather elusive this year and hasn’t yet been sighted by our observers but we remain optimistic that he’ll be out there soon. All the others have been out in force – Samson and Moondancer are often photographed together but it is Kiwi who’s our real ‘character’ as she seems to love coming up close for the cameras and we’ve captured her on film hundreds of times. They all have their own personalities – Moondancer is very elegant and curves out and into the water very smoothly, whereas Samson has a lot of energy – he’s always leaping out of the water with great vigour. You’d probably expect him to be the youngest – he’s not quite – that’s Kiwi – but Samson’s the latest of our dolphins to be chosen for the scheme. Kiwi makes a lot of noise so we can often pick her out straightaway. Echo and Moondancer are noisy too, but Moondancer’s easy to find because she has a particularly large fin on her back, which makes her easy to identify. So, yes, they’re all very different …

INTERVIEWER: Well, they sound a fascinating group …

Section 3 Transcript

MIA: Hi, Rob. How’s the course going?

ROB: Oh, hi, Mia. Yeah, great. I can’t believe the first term’s nearly over.

MIA: I saw your group’s performance last night at the student theatre. It was good.

ROB: Really? Yeah … but now we have to write a report on the whole thing, an in-depth analysis. I don’t know where to start. Like, I have to write about the role I played, the doctor, how I developed the character.

MIA: Well, what was your starting point?

ROB: Er … my grandfather was a doctor before he retired, and I just based it on him.

MIA: OK, but how? Did you talk to him about it?

ROB: He must have all sorts of stories, but he never says much about his work, even now. He has a sort of authority though.

MIA: So how did you manage to capture that?

ROB: I’d … I’d visualise what he must have been like in the past, when he was sitting in his consulting room listening to his patients.

MIA: OK, so that’s what you explain in your report.

ROB: Right.

MIA: Then there’s the issue of atmosphere – so in the first scene we needed to know how boring life was in the doctor’s village in the 1950s, so when the curtain went up on the first scene in the waiting room, there was that long silence before anyone spoke. And then people kept saying the same thing over and over, like ‘Cold, isn’t it?’

ROB: Yes, and everyone wore grey and brown, and just sat in a row.

MIA: Yes, all those details of the production.

ROB: And I have to analyse how I functioned in the group – what I found out about myself. I know I was so frustrated at times, when we couldn’t agree.

MIA: Yes. So did one person emerge as the leader?

ROB: Sophia did. That was OK – she helped us work out exactly what to do, for the production. And that made me feel better, I suppose.

MIA: When you understood what needed doing?

ROB: Yes. And Sophia did some research, too. That was useful in developing our approach.

MIA: Like what?

ROB: Well, she found these articles from the 1950s about how relationships between children and their parents, or between the public and people like bank managers or the police were shifting.

MIA: Interesting. And did you have any practical problems to overcome?

ROB: Well, in the final rehearsal everything was going fine until the last scene – what’s where the doctor’s first patient appears on stage on his own.

MIA: The one in the wheelchair?

ROB: Yes, and he had this really long speech, with the stage all dark except for one spotlight – and then that stuck somehow so it was shining on the wrong side of the stage … but anyway we got that fixed, thank goodness.

MIA: Yes, it was fine on the night.

———————–

ROB: But while you’re here, Mia. I wanted to ask you about the year abroad option. Would you recommend doing that?

MIA: Yes, definitely. It’s a fantastic chance to study in another country for a year.

ROB: I think I’d like to do it, but it looks very competitive – there’s only a limited number of places.

MIA: Yes, so next year when you are in the second year of the course, you need to work really hard in all your theatre studies modules. Only students with good marks get places – you have to prove that you know your subject really well.

ROB: Right. So how did you choose where to go?

MIA: Well, I decided I wanted a programme that would fit in with what I wanted to do after I graduate, so I looked for a university with emphasis on acting rather than directing for example. It depends on you. Then about six months before you go, you have to email the scheme coordinator with your top three choices. I had a friend who missed the deadline and didn’t get her first choice, so you do need to get a move on at that stage. You’ll find that certain places are very popular with everyone.

ROB: And don’t you have to write a personal statement at that stage?

MIA: Yes.

ROB: Right. I’ll get some of the final year students to give me some tips … maybe see if I can read what they wrote.

MIA: I think that’s a very good idea. I don’t mind showing you what I did. And while you’re abroad don’t make the mistake I made. I got so involved I forgot all about making arrangements for when I came back here for the final year. Make sure you stay in touch so they know your choices for the optional modules. You don’t want to miss out doing your preferred specialisms.

ROB: Right.

Section 4 Transcript

Today, I want to talk about self-regulatory focus theory and how the actions of leaders can affect the way followers approach different situations. Self-regulatory focus theory is a theory developed by Tori Higgins. He says that a person’ focus at any given time is to either approach pleasure or avoid pain. These are two basic motivations that each and every one of us has, and they cause us to have different kinds of goals. Promotion goals in different life situations emphasise achievement. Prevention goals are oriented towards the avoidance of punishment.

In a specific situation, our thoughts might focus more on promotion goals or more on prevention goals. The theory suggests that two factors affect which goals we are focusing on. First, there is a chronic factor. This factor is connected to a person’s personality and says that each person has a basic tendency to either focus more on promotion goals or focus more on prevention goals as part of his or her personality. Second, there is a situational factor which means that the context we are in can make us more likely to focus on one set of goals or the other. For example, we are more likely to be thinking about pleasure and to have promotion goals when we are spending time with a friend. In contrast, if we are working on an important project for our boss, we are more likely to try to avoid making mistakes and therefore have more prevention goals in our mind.

Research has shown that the goals we are focusing on at a given time affect the way we think. For example, when focusing on promotion goals, people consider their ideal self, their aspirations and gains. They don’t think about what they can lose, so they think in a happier mode. They feel more inspired to change.

When people are focusing on prevention goals, they think about their “ought” self. What are they supposed to be? What are people expecting from them? They consider their obligations to others. As a result, they experience more anxiety and try to avoid situations where they could lose.

———————–

Now that I have talked about the two focuses and how they affect people, I want to look at the idea that the way leaders behave, or their style of leading, can affect the focus that followers adopt in a specific situation. In talking about leadership, we often mention transformational leaders and transactional leaders. Transformational leaders, when interacting with their followers, focus on their development. In their words and actions transformational leaders highlight change. Their speech is passionate and conveys a definitive vision. All of these things can encourage followers to think about what could be. In other words, they inspire a promotion focus in their followers.

In contrast, transactional leaders focus on developing clear structures that tell their followers exactly what is expected of them. While they do explain the rewards people will get for following orders, they emphasise more how a follower will be punished or that a follower won’t get rewarded if his or her behaviour doesn’t change. In short, they emphasise the consequences of making a mistake. This emphasis will clearly lead followers to focus on avoiding punishment and problems. This is clearly a prevention focus.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that one focus is not necessarily better than the other one. For a designer who works in a field where a lot of innovation is needed, a promotion focus is probably better. In contrast, a prevention focus which causes people to work more cautiously and produce higher quality work might be very appropriate for a job like a surgeon, for example. The main point of the research, though, is that the actions of leaders can greatly influence whether people approach a situation with more of a promotion focus or more of a prevention focus.

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

The two completion sections carry different word limits: Section 1 allows ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER, so Question 2 scores with 46 Wombat, while Section 4 allows ONE WORD ONLY, so Question 40 must stand as innovation alone. Read the rubric under each task before its audio begins, because a correct idea in the wrong number of words scores zero.

Sections 2 and 3 are option tasks in which the wrong choices quote the recording and then cancel it: ‘little pollution from oil’ kills the oil-leak option, ‘not meant an enormous amount of money’ kills the money option, and the grey and brown costumes in Section 3 were worn, not painted. Eliminate as the speakers concede, and the multiple choice strategy breaks that routine down step by step.

Dictated spellings decide a handful of marks across the paper: Wombat, Ball, Moondancer and Kiwi all arrive by name, and the numbers 8:30, 3345 9865 and 3346 7523 separate the household from the emergency contact. Write digits for every number and apply the listening spelling rules to every dictated word.

Play the whole test in one sitting with a single pass per section, then mark strictly and log every miss by task type. Your error log, not your raw score, tells you whether to drill completion limits next or option elimination, and the next Cambridge paper should attack that weakness first.

Practice More Listening Tests

Mark all 40 answers strictly — no half marks for spelling slips — and log the raw score. Each section page above carries its own audio player, questions and transcript, so replay only the parts you missed. The free IELTS listening practice course from Simply IELTS then turns your error log into targeted practice for form completion, multiple choice, matching and note completion. When the corrections are done, try this interactive listening test: maple syrup IELTS listening test with answer as your next full-length check, and aim to beat this paper’s raw score before moving on to another Cambridge test.