The global design competition listening test material on this page covers Section 3 of Cambridge IELTS 10 Listening Test 1 in full: the answer key for Questions 21–30, playable audio, an explanation for every question with the exact transcript line that proves it, and the complete recording script. The recording is a tutorial in which student John Wishart shows his professor the Rockpool, a dishwasher driven by liquid carbon dioxide, and asks for help ahead of the competition final.

Five multiple choice items come first, and every wrong option reuses words the speakers actually say, so eliminate as the recording moves rather than matching vocabulary you recognise — the multiple choice strategy covers that routine. The five note completion gaps that follow take ONE WORD ONLY, and you can check all forty keys on the complete Cambridge IELTS 10 Listening Test 1 answers page covering all four sections.

Listening Audio — Section 3

Play the recording once, without pausing, and answer Questions 21–30 before you check the key. In the real exam you hear each section exactly once.

Questions 21–30

Questions 21–25

Choose the correct letter, A , B or C .

• Global Design Competition

21. Students entering the design competition have to produce an energy-efficient design. adapt an existing energy-saving appliance. develop a new use for current technology.

• A — produce an energy-efficient design.
• B — adapt an existing energy-saving appliance.
• C — develop a new use for current technology.

22. John chose a dishwasher because he wanted to make dishwashers more appealing. more common. more economical.

• A — more appealing.
• B — more common.
• C — more economical.

23. The stone in John’s ‘Rockpool’ design is used for decoration. to switch it on. to stop water escaping.

• A — for decoration.
• B — to switch it on.
• C — to stop water escaping.

24. In the holding chamber, the carbon dioxide changes back to a gas. dries the dishes. is allowed to cool.

• A — changes back to a gas.
• B — dries the dishes.
• C — is allowed to cool.

25. At the end of the cleaning process, the carbon dioxide is released into the air. is disposed of with the waste. is collected ready to be re-used.

• A — is released into the air.
• B — is disposed of with the waste.
• C — is collected ready to be re-used.

Questions 26–30

Complete the notes below.

Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

• John needs help preparing for his 26 ………… .
• The professor advises John to make a 27 ………… of his design.
• John’s main problem is getting good quality 28 ………… .
• The professor suggests John apply for a 29 ………… .
• The professor will check the 30 ………… information in John’s written report.

Global Design Competition Listening Answers

Questions and Answers

Global Design Competition Answer Explanations

21. C (develop a new use for current technology) — John corrects the professor’s guess about energy with “that was the focus in last year’s competition”, and states this year’s rule: “We have to adopt an innovative approach to existing technology”. A fails because energy efficiency belongs to the past, so the current requirement is a new use for what already exists.

22. A (more appealing) — John’s reasoning is commercial: buyers “pay a little extra for something that looks different”, which makes dishwashers more appealing. B fails because they are already “an everyday kitchen appliance in most Australian houses”, and C fails because these customers spend more, not less.

23. B (to switch it on) — the stone is not there for looks, as John insists: “Instead of pushing a button, you turn the stone”. The professor summarises it as “a novel way of starting the dishwasher”, so the stone switches the machine on.

24. A (changes back to a gas) — in the holding chamber “the liquid is depressurised and so it reverts to a gas”. B fails because the dishes dry elsewhere in the cycle, and C fails because cooling is never the mechanism; the pressure change is.

25. C (is collected ready to be re-used) — nothing is wasted, because “The carbon dioxide is sent back to the cylinder and can be used again and again”. B fails since only “the oil and grease are separated out and sent to the waste system”, and A is never mentioned at all.

26. presentation — John has reached the final stage, where “I have to give a presentation”, and that is the help he came for. The drawings and the 500-word paper are already finished, so the remaining task is the presentation.

27. model — the professor’s verdict is blunt: “you really need a model of the machine”. The paper exists only in words and drawings, so what would strengthen the entry is the model.

28. material — the professor guesses the difficulty with “is it the materials?”, and John confirms it: “everything that’s top quality is also very expensive”. The problem is not time or ability but the cost of suitable material.

29. grant — the professor proposes funding: “talk to the university about a grant”, offering to help fill out the application forms. The money would not come from the professor or a sponsor, but from the university grant.

30. technical — the paper needs checking because “the technical details you’ve given are accurate and thorough” must be certain. In a global competition, a factual slip is what the professor most wants to rule out, so the details under review are the technical ones.

Listening Transcript — Section 3

JOHN: Erm … hello Professor, I’m John Wishart. I’m working on my entry for the Global Design Competition. My tutor said you might be able to help me with it.

PROFESSOR: Ah, yes, I got a copy of your drawings. Come in and tell me about it. What sort of competition is it?

JOHN: Well, it’s an international design competition and we have to come up with a new design for a typical domestic kitchen appliance.

PROFESSOR: I see, and are there any special conditions? Does it have to save energy for example?

JOHN: Actually that was the focus in last year’s competition. This year’s different. We have to adopt an innovative approach to existing technology, using it in a way that hasn’t been thought of before.

PROFESSOR: I see, that sounds tricky. And what kitchen appliance have you chosen?

JOHN: Well, they’re an everyday kitchen appliance in most Australian houses but they’re all pretty boring and almost identical to each other. I think some people will be prepared to pay a little extra for something that looks different.

PROFESSOR: That’s a nice idea. I see you’ve called your design ‘the Rockpool’; why is that?

JOHN: Basically because it looks like the rock pools you find on a beach. The top is made of glass so that you can look down into it.

PROFESSOR: And there’s a stone at the bottom. Is that just for decoration?

JOHN: Actually it does have a function. Instead of pushing a button, you turn the stone.

PROFESSOR: So it’s really just a novel way of starting the dishwasher.

JOHN: That’s right.

PROFESSOR: It’s a really nice design, but what makes it innovative?

JOHN: Well, I decided to make a dishwasher that uses carbon dioxide.

PROFESSOR: In place of water and detergent? How will you manage that?

JOHN: The idea is to pressurize the carbon dioxide so that it becomes a liquid. The fluid is then released into the dishwasher where it cleans the dishes all by itself.

PROFESSOR: Sounds like a brilliant idea! Your system will totally do away with the need for strong detergents. So what happens once the dishes are clean?

JOHN: Well, to allow them to dry, the liquid carbon dioxide and the waste materials all go to an area called the holding chamber. That’s where the liquid is depressurised and so it reverts to a gas. Then the oil and grease are separated out and sent to the waste system.

PROFESSOR: It sounds like you’ve thought it all out very thoroughly. So, what happens to the carbon dioxide once the process is complete? Not wasted I hope.

JOHN: Actually, that’s where the real savings are made. The carbon dioxide is sent back to the cylinder and can be used again and again.

PROFESSOR: What a terrific idea. Do you think it will ever be built?

JOHN: Probably not, but that’s OK.

PROFESSOR: Well, I’m sure a lot of positive things will come out of your design.

——————————

PROFESSOR: Now, you seem to have thought about everything so what exactly did you need me to help you with?

JOHN: Well, my design has made it to the final stage of the competition and, in a few months’ time. I have to give a presentation, and that’s the part I was hoping you could help me with.

PROFESSOR: Right, well that should be easy enough. What have you managed to do so far?

JOHN: Well, I’ve got detailed drawings to show how it will work and I’ve also written a 500-word paper on it.

PROFESSOR: I see. Well, if you want to stand a good chance of winning you really need a model of the machine.

JOHN: Yes, I thought I might but I’m having a few problems.

PROFESSOR: What is the main difficulty so far? Let me guess – is it the materials?

JOHN: Yes. I want it to look professional but everything that’s top quality is also very expensive.

PROFESSOR: Look, projects like this are very important to us. They really help lift our profile. So why don’t you talk to the university about a grant? I can help you fill out the application forms if you like.

JOHN: That would be a great.

PROFESSOR: You’d better show me this paper you’ve written as well. For a global competition such as this you need to make sure the technical details you’ve given are accurate and thorough.

JOHN: That would be a great help.

PROFESSOR: Is there anything else I can do?

JOHN: Well, I’m really …

Key Vocabulary and Spelling

Study Tips

Every wrong option in Questions 21–25 borrows the speakers’ own words. Energy was “the focus in last year’s competition”, dishwashers are already “an everyday kitchen appliance”, and the waste system receives the oil and grease, not the carbon dioxide. Eliminate cancelled ideas with the multiple choice strategy instead of trusting vocabulary you recognise.

Questions 26–30 take ONE WORD ONLY, so the answer to Question 28 is material even though the speakers say materials in the plural. Read each note stem for its word class with the note completion strategy and write the singular form the key requires.

This is a two-voice tutorial, and the professor’s guesses carry no weight until John confirms them. The materials problem only scores after “is it the materials?” meets John’s “Yes”, so wait for the student’s answer before you commit a letter or a word.

Practice More Listening Tests

Mark the paper section by section, read the explanation for every miss, and record the score on the full Cambridge IELTS 10 Listening Test 1 answers page, which collects keys, explanations and transcripts for all four sections. The free IELTS listening practice course from Simply IELTS builds the tutorial skills this section demands: following two speakers and separating confirmed facts from guesses. Then try this interactive listening test: stoicism ielts listening test with answers and audio for another academic topic, and finish the paper with the Spirit Bear listening test in Section 4.