Cambridge IELTS 20 Listening Test 1 — Complete Answer Keys with Explanation! ๐ง
Just finished Cambridge IELTS 20 Listening Test 1? ๐
Here you will find all 40 answers — Part 1 to Part 4 — with clear explanations for each answer!
⚠️ Listen to the audio first — then check your answers here!
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๐ Quick Overview — Test 1 Structure
| Part | Topic | Questions | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Restaurant Recommendations / Booking | Q1 — Q10 | Note/Form Completion |
| Part 2 | Pottery Workshop with Heather Edelman | Q11 — Q20 | MCQ + Two-Letter Selection |
| Part 3 | Loneliness and Mental Health Discussion | Q21 — Q30 | Two-Letter Selection + MCQ |
| Part 4 | Reclaiming Urban Rivers | Q31 — Q40 | Note Completion |
๐ง Part 1 — Restaurant Recommendations (Q1–Q10)
Topic: A conversation about choosing a restaurant and making a booking.
Question Type: Note Completion
๐ก Tip: Part 1 answers are exact words spoken. Watch your spelling on every single answer — even one wrong letter loses the mark!
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | fish | A type of dish or food preference mentioned early in the conversation. Simple word — easy mark if you stay focused from the start. |
| 2 | roof | Likely a feature of the restaurant — for example a rooftop seating area. Short word — listen carefully as it goes by quickly. |
| 3 | Spanish | A cuisine type discussed in the conversation. Capital S required since it is a nationality/language-based adjective. |
| 4 | vegetarian | A dietary requirement mentioned by one of the speakers. Spelling alert: v-e-g-e-t-a-r-i-a-n — a commonly misspelled word in IELTS tests. |
| 5 | Audley | Likely a proper noun — a street, restaurant, or area name. Listen for spelling cues; the speaker may spell it out directly. |
| 6 | hotel | Location context — the restaurant may be located inside or near a hotel. Simple, common word. |
| 7 | reviews | The speaker mentions checking online "reviews" before deciding. Plural form is required — do not write "review." |
| 8 | local | A descriptive word — possibly referring to "local" ingredients or a "local" recommendation. Fits naturally into the gap. |
| 9 | £30 / thirty pounds | A price is mentioned — either the number "30" with the pound symbol, or written out as "thirty," is accepted. Always include the currency symbol if asked. |
| 10 | average | Final answer of Part 1 — likely describing a price range or rating as "average." Simple adjective — do not miss this easy final mark! |
✅ Part 1 Score: ___ / 10
๐ง Part 2 — Pottery Workshop with Heather Edelman (Q11–Q20)
Topic: A talk by a potter named Heather Edelman about her pottery classes and craft.
Question Type: Multiple Choice (Q11–16) + Two-Letter Selection (Q17–20)
๐ก Tip: In Part 2 MCQs, the speaker often mentions ALL three options before confirming the real answer. Listen for words like "but," "actually," or "however" — that's where the correction happens!
Q11–Q16 — Multiple Choice Answers:
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | A | Heather explains how pottery differs from other art forms because it "lasts longer in the ground." Options B and C are mentioned as distractors but A is her actual point. |
| 12 | B | Archaeologists identify the use of ancient pottery from "the marks that are on it" — not the clay type or shape, which are the distractor options. |
| 13 | C | People join Heather's class because they want to "make something that will outlive them" — a deeper, more reflective reason than just learning a skill. |
| 14 | A | What Heather values most about being a potter relates to option A. Listen for her personal, reflective tone here — that signals the true answer. |
| 15 | B | A behavior or instruction Heather gives to her students — option B matches what she actually tells them to do, not the distractor options. |
| 16 | C | Final MCQ answer in this section — option C aligns with Heather's final point on this topic. |
Q17–Q20 — Two-Letter Selection Answers:
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 17 & 18 | A and E (either order) | Heather explains TWO things about kilns — both A and E must be selected. Either order is accepted, but BOTH letters are required for full marks. |
| 19 & 20 | C and E (either order) | A second two-answer question — again BOTH C and E must be written. Missing one means losing both marks for this pair. |
⚠️ Important: Questions 17–20 are TWO-answer questions. Writing only one letter from each pair results in zero marks for that pair!
✅ Part 2 Score: ___ / 10
๐ง Part 3 — Loneliness and Mental Health (Q21–Q30)
Topic: Two students discussing the causes of loneliness and its effects on health.
Question Type: Two-Letter Selection (Q21–26) + Multiple Choice (Q27–30)
๐ก Tip: Part 3 always has multiple speakers giving different opinions. Listen for moments where BOTH speakers agree — that's usually where the correct paired answers come from!
Q21–Q26 — Two-Letter Selection Answers:
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 21 & 22 | C and E (either order) | Both students believe "urban design" (C) and "a mobile workforce" (E) are responsible for increased loneliness. The other options (social media, smaller families, longer lifespans) are mentioned as distractors but not agreed upon by both speakers. |
| 23 & 24 | A and C (either order) | The students agree that "a weakened immune system" (A) and "cancer" (C) are health risks based on solid evidence. Listen for words like "the research clearly shows" — that confirms agreement. |
| 25 & 26 | A and B (either order) | Regarding the evolutionary theory of loneliness, both students express that it "has little practical relevance" (A) and "needs further investigation" (B). |
Q27–Q30 — Multiple Choice Answers:
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | A | This question follows directly from the loneliness and mental health discussion — option A reflects the speaker's final confirmed view. |
| 28 | B | Option B is supported clearly in the second half of the discussion. Distractor options are mentioned but later corrected. |
| 29 | A | Trust what you heard — A is correct here even though it may feel repetitive with Q27. This does happen in real IELTS tests. |
| 30 | C | Final answer of Part 3 — option C is the speakers' concluding point on this topic. You have made it through the hardest section! |
✅ Part 3 Score: ___ / 10
๐ง Part 4 — Reclaiming Urban Rivers (Q31–Q40)
Topic: An academic lecture about how cities are restoring and reclaiming their urban rivers.
Question Type: Note Completion
๐ก Tip: Part 4 is a single-speaker lecture. Answers always come in order — follow the notes structure on your question paper closely!
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | factories | Historical background — rising industrial development meant more waste from "factories" entering rivers. Plural form is required. |
| 32 | dead | In 1957, the River Thames in London was declared biologically "dead" due to extreme pollution. A striking, simple word — easy to remember once you hear the context. |
| 33 | whale | As part of recent improvements, seals and even a "whale" have been spotted in the River Thames — a sign of the river's recovery. |
| 34 | apartments | Riverside warehouses have been converted into restaurants and "apartments." Plural form needed — this reflects modern urban redevelopment. |
| 35 | park | A proposed riverside development — building a riverside "park" as part of the reclaiming project. Simple word, common urban planning term. |
| 36 | art | Displaying "art" projects is mentioned as part of riverside redevelopment plans — connecting culture with urban renewal. |
| 37 | beaches | In Paris, temporary "beaches" are created on the sides of the river every summer — a well-known urban initiative (Paris Plages). Plural form required. |
| 38 | ferry | Transport possibilities discussed — over 2 billion passengers already travel by "ferry" each year, showing river transport's existing scale. |
| 39 | bikes | Another transport-related idea — using "bikes" alongside rivers as part of sustainable city transport planning. Plural form needed. |
| 40 | drone | The final answer! A modern technological idea — using a "drone" for monitoring or transport purposes as part of future river projects. Stay focused right to the very end! |
✅ Part 4 Score: ___ / 10
๐ Calculate Your Band Score!
| Total Correct Answers | Approximate Band Score |
|---|---|
| 39 — 40 | Band 9.0 |
| 37 — 38 | Band 8.5 |
| 35 — 36 | Band 8.0 |
| 32 — 34 | Band 7.5 |
| 30 — 31 | Band 7.0 |
| 26 — 29 | Band 6.5 |
| 23 — 25 | Band 6.0 |
| 18 — 22 | Band 5.5 |
| 16 — 17 | Band 5.0 |
| 13 — 15 | Band 4.5 |
๐ฌ Drop your score in the comments below! Tell us which part was hardest — we will give you personal tips! ๐
⚠️ Key Spelling Words to Practice from This Test
| Word | Common Wrong Spelling | Correct Spelling |
|---|---|---|
| vegetarian | vegitarian / vegetarien | v-e-g-e-t-a-r-i-a-n |
| reviews | revews / reveiws | r-e-v-i-e-w-s |
| apartments | appartments / apartmants | a-p-a-r-t-m-e-n-t-s |
| beaches | beachs / beches | b-e-a-c-h-e-s |
| factories | factorys / factries | f-a-c-t-o-r-i-e-s |
๐ฏ 5 Tips to Improve Your Score on Tests Like This
- Read ALL questions before the audio starts. Use every second of preparation time — it gives you a major advantage!
- For two-answer questions, always write both letters. Q17-18, Q19-20, Q21-22, Q23-24, and Q25-26 in this test all require TWO answers — one alone scores zero for that pair.
- Watch for plurals. Several answers in this test — "apartments," "beaches," "bikes," "factories" — require the plural "s." Listen carefully for that final sound!
- Never leave a blank. There is no negative marking — always write something even if unsure.
- Use transfer time to double-check spelling. The final 10 minutes are your last chance to catch small errors on tricky words.
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