New Flatmate - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 6 Academic Listening Test 6 · Part 1 · Questions 1–10
Audio
Questions
Questions 1–6 Table Completion
Complete the table.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
| Example: Name of new tenant: Anders | ||
| Good Points About Him | Bad Points About Him | |
| Behaviour | He is 1 | He is 2 |
| His Friends | His friends visit 3 | They 4 |
| Other | He pays rent 5 | He doesn’t 6 |
Questions 7–10 Note Completion
Complete the notes.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Issues to Discuss
Communication: 7
Friends: 8
Cigarettes: 9
Cleaning: must 10
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | quiet | He has good points. I mean, at least he’s quiet. He doesn’t play loud music all night, or bother others, or turn his TV up, disturbing everyone | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that one of the positive behaviors of the new flatmate is that he stays silent and does not make noise that would annoy the people living with him. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to someone who is silent and does not make a lot of noise. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by Richard's list of positive things about Anders. Richard specifies that although there are problems, Anders has 'good points,' with the main one being that he is 'quiet' and does not disturb the household with loud music or television. |
| Q2 | impolite | In comparison, this new guy is very impolite. He just grunts in reply, and sometimes ignores me altogether | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Tom comparing the current roommate to the one they had before. He explains that Anders is not polite because he only makes short, unhappy sounds when someone speaks to him, or he pretends he does not hear them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the new roommate, Anders, is rude and does not use good manners when he talks to the people he lives with. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on how Tom describes Anders' personality and behavior. While Richard mentions that Anders is quiet, Tom points out a negative side. He uses the word 'impolite' to describe Anders because Anders does not say 'hi' or smile like the previous roommate. Instead, he just makes short sounds or completely ignores people, which shows a lack of respect or kindness. |
| Q3 | rarely | I rarely see them — maybe once or twice a month. If they came more often, it might be a problem, but as it is, such rare visits don’t matter so much | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Richard hardly ever sees the friends visiting, maybe only one or two times in a whole month, so he describes these visits as 'rare'. Answer Explanation: The answer 'rarely' means that something does not happen very often. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'rarely' because Richard explains that he almost never sees the new flatmate's friends. He mentions they only come over once or twice a month, which he considers to be infrequent or 'rare'. Because they do not visit frequently, Richard believes their presence is not a big problem. |
| Q4 | smoke | Well, I’m not sure, since it’s very obvious when they’re here because of all the cigarette smoke in the house. It stinks up the place, and you know we don’t allow smoking on the premises | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the visitors make the house smell like cigarettes. Tom is upset because they are not supposed to smoke in the apartment. Answer Explanation: The answer "smoke" means that the friends of the new tenant use cigarettes inside the home. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "smoke" because Tom complaining about the smell of cigarettes when Anders' friends visit. He explains that it is a bad point because the house smells bad and the rules for the flat do not allow smoking. The word "smoke" fits into the table to describe the negative action the friends take. |
| Q5 | promptly | This guy pays promptly | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Tom agreeing that the new tenant pays his rent on time, specifically using the word 'promptly'. Answer Explanation: The answer 'promptly' means that the person does something right away or exactly at the scheduled time without being late. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'promptly' because the speakers are comparing the new flatmate, Anders, to their previous one. While the old flatmate was often late with payments, Tom confirms that Anders pays his rent on time. This is listed as one of his positive traits or 'good points' in their discussion. |
| Q6 | co-operate / cooperate | I guess what I’m saying is that, basically, you need to co-operate with the others, and this new guy fails significantly in this respect | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Tom's opinion that a tenant should work well with everyone else in the flat, but Anders does not do this. Answer Explanation: The answer 'co-operate' means to work together with others or help each other to make living in the same house easier. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'co-operate' because Tom explains that being a good housemate is about more than just paying money. He believes that people living together must work together and share responsibilities, but he says the new flatmate, Anders, fails or does a poor job at this. In this context, failing to co-operate is a 'bad point' about his 'other' habits. |
| Q7 | attend meeting | Well, we can’t change a person’s personality overnight, so why don’t we have a weekly tenants’ meeting, and we can just ask him to attend? That way we can get to know him better. I’ll write ‘attend meeting’, and we can take it from there | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Richard suggesting a weekly meeting for the tenants. He believes that asking Anders to go to these meetings is a good way to get to know him and improve communication. He explicitly says he will write 'attend meeting' as a note on the paper. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the new flatmate, Anders, should go to a regular group talk for everyone living in the home. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the conversation where Tom and Richard discuss how to communicate better with Anders. Tom suggests the heading 'Communication'. Richard then suggests holding a weekly assembly for the tenants and says he will write the words 'attend meeting' on their list as the specific action Anders needs to take. |
| Q8 | follow rules | Well, instead of being so direct, and possibly causing offense, I’ll just write, ‘follow rules’, and verbally mention the rules: TV off by 10 pm, no loud music, or bad behaviour, including smoking | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Richard chooses to write 'follow rules' on the list regarding Anders' friends because he thinks being too specific or direct might be rude. Answer Explanation: The answer 'follow rules' means that Anders' guests must obey the house regulations or guidelines. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the conversation between Tom and Richard about what to write on a list for their new flatmate, Anders. When they discuss the topic of Anders' friends, Tom wants to write something very direct about smoking. Richard prefers a softer approach to avoid upsetting Anders, so he decides to write the general phrase 'follow rules' on the paper instead. |
| Q9 | strictly forbidden / forbidden | Tom: Okay, do that, but I still think we need to specifically mention that last issue. You know how I can’t stand the habit, so I’d like this to be another and separate point. Cigarettes! Strictly forbidden! And it’s important to include the ‘strictly’ here. We can’t pussyfoot around too much. Sometimes directness is necessary. Richard: Okay, I’ll write that ‘for-bidd-en’ |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Tom suggesting the exact words 'Strictly forbidden' for the point about cigarettes. Richard says 'Okay' and writes down the word 'forbidden' as requested. Answer Explanation: The answer "strictly forbidden" means that smoking cigarettes is not allowed at all and the rule about this is very strong. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the conversation where Tom and Richard are listing rules for their flatmate. Tom specifically says that the rule for 'Cigarettes' should be 'strictly forbidden' to make it clear that it is not allowed. Richard agrees and writes this down. |
| Q10 | be done | I’d rather be general. I’ll write ‘must be done’ and I’ll tell him that that’s for everyone, not just him. Okay | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Richard deciding exactly what to write on the paper regarding cleaning. He chooses the words "must be done" because he wants the rule to sound general for all the roommates. Answer Explanation: The answer "be done" are the words used to finish the note about cleaning chores in the house. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found at the end of the conversation when Tom and Richard are making a list of rules for their roommate, Anders. They talk about "cleaning duties" because Anders leaves dirty dishes and cups around. Tom wants to write something strong like "must do better," but Richard prefers to be less direct. He decides to write the phrase "must be done" so that it applies to everyone in the flat and doesn't offend Anders. |
Transcript
Tom: Hi, Richard. I’m glad I caught you here. Can I just talk to you about something? Our new flatmate—Anders — is not quite what I had hoped. I was wondering if you shared my concerns about some of his behaviour.
Richard: Ah, yes, Tom, I know what you mean, but we can’t be entirely negative. He has good points. I mean, at least he’s quiet. He doesn’t play loud music all night, or bother others, or turn his TV up, disturbing everyone.
Tom: Sure, he’s quiet, but remember our last flatmate? He’d say ‘hi’ to you, and smile, and treat everyone politely. In comparison, this new guy is very impolite. He just grunts in reply, and sometimes ignores me altogether.
Richard: I guess that’s just his way—y’know, just his character. I don’t think he realises he’s being impolite, and it shouldn’t matter to us too much. We can just ignore him, too, and quietly live our own lives.
Tom: But his friends are hard to ignore, when they visit.
Richard: I know what you mean, but how often does that happen? I rarely see them — maybe once or twice a month. If they came more often, it might be a problem, but as it is, such rare visits don’t matter so much. Wouldn’t you say so?
Tom: Well, I’m not sure, since it’s very obvious when they’re here because of all the cigarette smoke in the house. It stinks up the place, and you know we don’t allow smoking on the premises.
Richard: Well, I’ve never seen them doing this. Maybe they do it outside. Perhaps we can talk to Anders about it. Always remember, though, in one respect, he’s a good tenant. And it’s the most important aspect. The previous flatmate would always pay the rent late.
Tom: I know what you’re going to say. This guy pays promptly. But there’s more to being a good tenant than prompt payment. I mean, you need to turn off the TV, clean up your dishes, dress respectably, be polite, and so on. I guess what I’m saying is that, basically, you need to co-operate with the others, and this new guy fails significantly in this respect.
Richard: Okay, I suppose you have a point there.
Richard: I tell you what, Tom, why don’t we talk to our new flatmate, Anders, about these issues? If we throw him out, we’ll have to go to all the trouble of finding another flatmate, who might not necessarily be much better. So, let’s give the current guy a chance. Here. I’ve got a piece of paper, so let’s make a short list of issues to discuss with him. Get it out into the open.
Tom: Sure. We’ll give him one more chance. So, write, ‘Communication’, and let’s tell him to ...
Richard: Well, we can’t change a person’s personality overnight, so why don’t we have a weekly tenants’ meeting, and we can just ask him to attend? That way we can get to know him better. I’ll write ‘attend meeting’, and we can take it from there.
Tom: Okay, but we have to tell him about his friends. They can’t just do whatever they want. Write a heading ‘friends’ and then write ‘don’t smoke, anywhere, inside or outside’.
Richard: Well, instead of being so direct, and possibly causing offense, I’ll just write, ‘follow rules’, and verbally mention the rules: TV off by 10 pm, no loud music, or bad behaviour, including smoking.
Tom: Okay, do that, but I still think we need to specifically mention that last issue. You know how I can’t stand the habit, so I’d like this to be another and separate point. Cigarettes! Strictly forbidden! And it’s important to include the ‘strictly’ here. We can’t pussyfoot around too much. Sometimes directness is necessary.
Richard: Okay, I’ll write that... ‘for-bidd-en’ ... Okay. And what about cleaning duties? Anders is a little too relaxed about that. Dishes are sometimes not washed, dirty tea cups are left around the place, and so on.
Tom: So, write ‘must do better!’
Richard: Yeahhhh, again Tom, he might take that personally, and it could cause a scene. I’d rather be general. I’ll write ‘must be done’ and I’ll tell him that that’s for everyone, not just him. Okay?
Tom: Okay. As long as he gets the message.