Australian Studies Tutorial - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 01 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 3 · Questions 21–32
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–24 One Choice
Circle the correct answer.
Questions 25–30 Note Completion
Complete Martin’s notes
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Commercially grown banana plant
Each banana tree produces 25 of bananas.
On modern plantations in tropical conditions a tree can bear fruit after 26 .
Banana trees prefer to grow 27 and they require rich soil and 28 . The fruit is often protected by 29 .
Ripe bananas emit a gas which helps other ones 30 .
Questions 31–32 Two Choices
Circle the TWO correct boxes.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | B | F: (sarcastically) Fascinating, I’m sure!M: Well it’s not as boring as you’d think |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Fiona using a sarcastic voice to call the topic interesting, which really conveys that she finds it boring. Martin understands this and uses the word 'boring' to describe her opinion. Answer Explanation: The answer means that at the beginning of the talk, Fiona thinks Martin's topic is boring and not interesting. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Fiona's reaction shows she doesn't think the topic of 'banana growing' is exciting. She uses sarcasm, which is saying the opposite of what you really mean, when she calls it 'fascinating.' We know she actually thinks it is 'dull' because Martin immediately tries to defend his choice by saying it is 'not as boring' as she thinks. In English, 'dull' and 'boring' have the same meaning. |
| Q22 | C | Yes, they’re an extremely nourishing food | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Martin saying that bananas are a food that is very good for the body's health. Answer Explanation: The answer means that bananas are a type of food that helps people stay healthy. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Choice C because Martin says bananas are 'nourishing.' In English, 'nourishing' means that a food gives your body what it needs to be healthy, strong, and well-fed. This matches the description that the fruit is good for your health. |
| Q23 | D | Well, it’d be a good practice run for my tutorial next week. I’ll do the same for you some time.F: OK. Fire away | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Martin explaining that speaking to Fiona is a way to practice his upcoming school talk. Fiona agrees to help by letting him start his practice. Answer Explanation: The answer means Fiona chooses to listen to Martin talk about bananas because she wants to be a helpful friend and let him practice his school presentation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because Martin asks Fiona if he can practice his tutorial on her. He says it would be a 'good practice run' for his real talk next week. Fiona agrees to do this favor for him and tells him to start by saying 'OK. Fire away.' This shows her main reason for listening is to help him prepare for his schoolwork. |
| Q24 | B | Well apparently there was an English Duke who was particularly fond of bananas and he used to cultivate them in his hothouse, which is where you have to grow them in England, of course, because of the cool climate and they became quite popular in the UK. So he was the one responsible for cultivating the Cavendish banana which was then introduced into Australia | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that an English man (a Duke) grew the bananas in England. Because he grew them there, he was the person who brought this type of banana to Australia. Answer Explanation: The answer is England, which means the bananas was brought to Australia from the United Kingdom (England) rather than coming directly from China. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is England because the speaker, Martin, describes a "roundabout route" (a path that is not direct). He mentions that although bananas started in China, they were first taken to England in 1826. In England, a Duke grew them in a special warm building called a hothouse. Finally, from England, they were brought (introduced) into Australia. Therefore, England was the last place they were before arriving in Australia. |
| Q25 | one bunch | You see you only get one bunch of bananas per tree and it can take up to three years for a tree to bear fruit if you don’t do anything special to it | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript clearly states that a person only gets one cluster of bananas from each individual tree. Answer Explanation: The answer 'one bunch' refers to the single group or cluster of bananas that a single banana tree can create. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in Martin's explanation of how bananas grow. He mentions that even though it takes a long time for a tree to grow, it only produces a single group of bananas. In this context, 'produce' means to make or grow, and 'per tree' means each tree. |
| Q26 | 15 months / fifteen months | But this period is greatly reduced with modern growing methods, particularly in plantations where you have perfect tropical conditions. F: Right! So what are you looking at? One year? Two years? M: No, no, around 15 months in good conditions for a tree to produce a bunch of bananas | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Martin explaining that even though banana trees can take a long time to grow naturally, specialized farms with perfect weather can make them ready much faster, specifically in approximately 15 months. Answer Explanation: The answer "15 months" refers to the specific amount of time needed for a banana tree to grow fruit when using modern farming techniques in a hot climate. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 15 months because Martin talks about how long it takes for a banana plant to produce fruit on modern plantations. He mentions that while it normally takes up to three years, this time is much shorter in tropical areas. He then says it takes about 15 months when the weather and conditions are good. |
| Q27 | uphill / on hillsides | They tend to like to grow uphill — or at least that’s the common wisdom.F: So that’s why banana plantations are usually on hillsides, is it?M: Yes. They grow best like that | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Martin using the word "uphill" to describe the way the plants grow, and Fiona confirms this means they are seen on "hillsides," which Martin agrees is their preferred environment. Answer Explanation: The answer "uphill//on hillsides" means that banana trees like to grow on ground that rises up, such as the side of a hill. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the conversation where Martin explains that new shoots (suckers) appear above the parent plant, moving higher up the ground. They discuss how this preference for growing "uphill" is why farmers usually place their farms on "hillsides," which are sloping grounds. |
| Q28 | lots of water / plenty of water | If you plant them in rich soil and give them plenty of water at the beginning of summer, then they should be well advanced by the beginning of winter when growth virtually stops | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that if you use good soil and give the plants a lot of water when summer begins, they will grow very well before the cold winter starts. Answer Explanation: The answer means that banana plants need a big amount of water, not just a little, to grow well. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer describes one of the two main things banana plants need to grow successfully. In the conversation, Martin explains the best conditions for the plants. He mentions that they need 'rich soil' (good quality dirt) and 'plenty of water' (a lot of water) at the start of summer. This matches the sentence in the notes asking what the trees require along with rich soil. |
| Q29 | plastic bags | M: No, though even here, the growers put plastic bags around the bunches to protect them and keep them warm | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that farmers put plastic bags around the groups of bananas. They do this to keep the fruit safe and warm. Answer Explanation: The answer 'plastic bags' refers to soft, thin covers made of plastic used to wrap things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'plastic bags' because Martin says that people who grow bananas use these bags to cover the fruit. This helps to protect the fruit and keep it warm. In the text, 'protect' is a keyword that shows why 'plastic bags' is the right answer to complete the sentence about how the fruit is kept safe. |
| Q30 | to ripen / ripen | The interesting thing is that once one banana ripens, it gives off a gas which then helps all the others to ripen so they pretty much all ripen within a few hours of each other | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when a single banana turns ripe, it lets out a gas. This gas then helps every other banana in the group to become ripe very soon after. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the gas coming from a banana that is already ripe makes the other bananas in the bunch become ripe as well. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on Martin's explanation of how bananas ripen after being picked. He mentions that when one fruit becomes ripe, it releases a gas. This specific gas acts on the rest of the bananas, causing them to all ripen together quickly. Key words to note are 'ripens', 'gas', and 'helps all the others'. |
| Q31 | — | — | |
| Q32 | C / D | Well, oddly enough, no. I believe New Zealand takes a small proportion of the crop but otherwise they’re mostly grown for the domestic market, which is surprising when you think about it because we grow an enormous number of bananas each year | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that while Australian banana production is very large, the fruit is not sent to many other countries. Martin states that New Zealand buys a small amount, but the majority stays within the "domestic market," which is Australia. Answer Explanation: The answer means that people in New Zealand and Australia are the ones who buy and eat bananas grown in Australia. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is chosen because the speaker, Martin, clarifies that Australia does not export many bananas to far-off places like Europe or Asia. Instead, he mentions that a small part of the crop goes to New Zealand, while the rest is sold in the domestic market, which refers to the country of Australia itself. Key terms to note are "domestic market," which means selling goods within one’s own country, and "proportion," which refers to a part of a whole. |
Transcript
F = Fiona
M = Martin
F: Hi there, Martin. How are you going with your Australian studies tutorial paper?
M: Oh good. I’ve finished it actually.
F: Lucky you. What did you do it on? I’m still trying to find an interesting topic.
M: Well … after some consideration I decided to look at the history of banana growing in Australia.
F: (surprised) Banana growing!
M: Yes, banana growing.
F: (sarcastically) Fascinating, I’m sure!
M: Well … it’s not as boring as you’d think. And I wanted to tie it in to the work I’ve been doing on primary industries and the economy. Anyway I bet there are a few things you didn’t know about bananas!
F: Such as?
M: Such as the fact that bananas were among the first plants ever to be domesticated.
F: Oh, really?
M: Yes, they’re an extremely nourishing food.
F: I suppose you’re going to tell me the whole history of banana growing now aren’t you?
M: Well, it’d be a good practice run for my tutorial next week. I’ll do the same for you some time.
F: OK. Fire away. So where were these bananas first domesticated?
M: According to my research, the Cavendish banana, which is a type of banana and the first type to be cultivated here, actually originated in China but they had a fairly roundabout route before they got to Australia.
F: You mean they didn’t go straight from China to Australia?
M: No, they didn’t. It seems that in 1826, bananas were taken from South China to England.
F: I suppose they would have made a welcome addition to the English diet.
M: Yes, I’m sure. Well apparently there was an English Duke who was particularly fond of bananas and he used to cultivate them in his hothouse, which is where you have to grow them in England, of course, because of the cool climate and they became quite popular in the UK. So he was the one responsible for cultivating the Cavendish banana which was then introduced into Australia.
F: I see. And we’ve been growing them ever since?
M: Yes.
F: Are they hard to grow?
M: Well, yes and no. To grow them in your garden, no, not really. But to grow them commercially you need to know what you’re doing. You see you only get one bunch of bananas per tree and it can take up to three years for a tree to bear fruit if you don’t do anything special to it. But this period is greatly reduced with modern growing methods, particularly in plantations where you have perfect tropical conditions.
F: Right! So what are you looking at? One year? Two years?
M: No, no, around 15 months in good conditions for a tree to produce a bunch of bananas. And once you’ve got your bunch you cut the bunch and the plant down.
F: So how do the trees reproduce then?
M: Well, bananas are normally grown from suckers which spring up around the parent plant, usually just above the plant. They tend to like to grow uphill — or at least that’s the common wisdom.
F: So that’s why banana plantations are usually on hillsides, is it?
M: Yes. They grow best like that.
F: That’s interesting!
M: If you plant them in rich soil and give them plenty of water at the beginning of summer, then they should be well advanced by the beginning of winter when growth virtually stops. But in a country like England, they’re hard to grow, although you can grow them in a hothouse.
F: But in Australia, it’s not difficult?
M: No, though even here, the growers put plastic bags around the bunches to protect them and keep them warm. If you go up to the banana growing districts, you’ll see all these banana trees with plastic bags on them.
F: But how do they stop the bananas going bad before they reach the shops?
M: Well, the banana bunches are picked well before the fruit is ripe. Once you cut the bunch, the bananas stop growing but they do continue to ripen. The interesting thing is that once one banana ripens, it gives off a gas which then helps all the others to ripen so they pretty much all ripen within a few hours of each other.
F: Amazing! So do we export lots of bananas overseas, to Europe and Asia for instance?
M: Well, oddly enough, no. I believe New Zealand takes a small proportion of the crop but otherwise they’re mostly grown for the domestic market, which is surprising when you think about it because we grow an enormous number of bananas each year.
F: Yes, well thank you for all that information. I’m sure the tutorial paper will go really well you certainly seem to have done your research on the subject.
M: Let’s hope so.