Great Books in Literature - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 2 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–25 Matching
What instructions were the students given about their project?
Write the correct letter, A, B or C next to Questions 21-25.
A. they must do this
B. they can do this if they want to
C. they can't do this
Questions 26–30 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Other requirements for the project
- extract chosen from the author's work must reflect the 26 of the author.
- students must find sound effects and 27 to match the texts they choose.
- students must use a 28 of computer software programs to make the video.
- students must include information about the 29 of all material
Criteria for assessment
- completion of all components - 25%
- 30 (must represent essence of author's work) - 50%
- artistic and technical design of video - 25%
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | A | Have you checked he's on the list that Dr Castle gave us? We can't just choose anyone | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Olivia asking Joey if his author is on the official list and explaining that they are not allowed to pick anyone who is not on that list. Answer Explanation: The answer A means that choosing an author from the teacher's provided list is a requirement that every student must follow. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because Olivia clearly states that students are not allowed to pick just any writer they like. They must verify that the author they want to study is included on the specific list provided by their professor, Dr. Castle. The phrase 'can't just' shows that there is a rule they must follow. |
| Q22 | C | Joey: OK and first of all it says we have to read a biography of our author - I guess it's OK if we just look up information about him on the Internet? Olivia: No, it's got to be a full-length book. I think the minimum length's 250 pages there's a list of biographies, didn't you get that |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Joey asking if it is okay to research the author on the internet, and Olivia tells him no, because they must read a long book instead. Answer Explanation: The answer C means students are not allowed to use the internet to find information about the writer's life for their project. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Olivia says "No" when Joey asks if they can use the internet for biographical information. She explains that the project requires a "full-length book" with a "minimum length" of 250 pages. This means that simply looking up facts on the internet is against the rules. |
| Q23 | B | Yes, or even a collection of poems, they said, but I think most people are doing novels | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that students have the choice to use a collection of poems for their assignment, even though many students choose to use a novel instead. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students are allowed to pick a book of poems for their project if they want to, but it is not something they must do. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Olivia says that while most students choose to read a novel (a long story book), choosing a book of poems is also okay. This makes it an option that students can choose if they prefer, rather than a rule they must follow. Phrases like "or even" show that this is another choice available to them instead of a requirement. |
| Q24 | C | Joey: And then the video we have to make a short video about our author and about the book. How long has it got to be? Olivia: A minute. Joey: What? Like, sixty seconds |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Joey asking about the length of the video project, and Olivia informs him it must be only one minute (or sixty seconds) long. Answer Explanation: The answer C means that making a one-hour video is not allowed and goes against the instructions given to the students. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the students are explicitly told to keep the video very short. Olivia clarifies that the video should only be 'a minute' long, and Joey confirms this means 'sixty seconds.' Because the project requires a specific, very short duration of one minute, making a one-hour video is not an option for them. |
| Q25 | B | So, we can back this up with reference to important events in the writer's life if they're relevant, but it's up to us really | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that students have the option to use facts from the author's life to support their main point, but the final decision to include them or not is their own. Answer Explanation: The answer B means that students are allowed to talk about important parts of the writer's life if they choose to, but they do not have to. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Olivia explains that while they should find a passage about why the author writes, they can include details about the author's life if they think it is helpful. She uses the phrase 'it’s up to us,' which means the students have the choice to include these facts or leave them out. Keywords like 'we can' and 'up to us' show that this is optional. |
| Q26 | interests and style / style and interests | The handout said after we'd read the biography, we had to read the work we'd chosen by our author and choose a passage that's typical in some way that typifies the author's interests and style |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Joey explaining that students must choose a section from the author's book that represents the author's favorite subjects (interests) and their specific writing method (style). Answer Explanation: The answer means that the part of the book chosen by the student must show the author's favorite topics and their unique way of writing. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when Joey describes the tasks listed in the project handout. He mentions picking a specific part of the author's writing that is 'typical,' which he defines as showing the author's 'interests and style.' Olivia agrees with this description, confirming it is a requirement for the project. |
| Q27 | visuals | I think it's more how we can use things like sound effects to create the atmosphere the feeling we want. Joey: And presumably visuals as well? Olivia: Yeah, of course - I mean, I suppose that's the whole point of making a video - but whatever we use has to be historically in keeping with the author |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript captures the moment the students agree on using both sound effects and visuals. Joey specifically asks if visuals are needed, and Olivia says yes, explaining that visuals are the main part of a video but must be appropriate for the author's history. Answer Explanation: The answer visuals refers to images, pictures, or video clips that can be seen on a screen. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is visuals because the students are discussing the elements required for their video project. After Olivia mentions using sound effects to set the right feeling or atmosphere, Joey asks if they should also use visuals. Olivia confirms that visuals are necessary for a video and notes that they should match the historical time period of the author being studied. |
| Q28 | range | Olivia: Sure. And it's important that we use a range — not just one software program. That's actually one of the things we're assessed on | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Olivia explaining that students must use several different computer programs, not just one, and that this variety is a requirement for the project. Answer Explanation: The answer "range" means a variety or many different types of something rather than just one. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "range" because Olivia tells Joey that it is very important to use more than one software program for the project. She specifically uses the word "range" to state this requirement, explaining that it is part of how their work will be graded. |
| Q29 | sources / source | Yeah, so our video has to list all the material used with details of the source in a bibliography at the end | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that students must create a list in their video that includes the 'source' (where it came from) for every item they used. Answer Explanation: The answer means the original place or origin (like a website or a book) where the students found the information, pictures, or sounds for their project. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when Olivia tells Joey about the need to credit the materials used in the video. She explains that it is very important to keep track of where things come from and that the final video must include a list (a bibliography) showing the 'source' for every piece of material used. Keywords to look for are 'list,' 'material,' and 'details.' |
| Q30 | content | Then the second part is actually how successful we are at getting the essence of the work, they call that 'content' and that counts for 50 percent | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the middle part of the grade is called 'content'. This part is worth 50 percent and looks at how well the students show the most important meaning or soul of the writing. Answer Explanation: The answer "content" refers to the specific name of the grading category used to evaluate how well a student shows the main ideas and spirit of the author’s work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section of the transcript where Olivia explains the grading system for the project. She lists three parts: completion (25%), technical/artistic design (25%), and a middle section worth 50%. She explicitly states that the name for this 50% portion is 'content' and that it measures how well the student captures the "essence" of the work. The notes provided by the user specifically ask for the name of the category worth 50% that represents the essence of the work. |
Transcript
Olivia: Hi, Joey. How are you doing? I heard you were sick.
Joey: Oh, hi, Olivia. Yeah, I had a virus last week, and missed a whole pile of lectures, like the first one on the Great Books in Literature... where Dr Castle gave us all the information about the semester project.
Olivia: I can give you copies of the handouts, I've got them right here.
Joey: That's OK. I already collected the handouts but I'm not very clear about all the details... I know we each have to choose an individual author... I think I'm going to do Carlos Castenada... I'm really interested in South American literature.
Olivia: Have you checked he's on the list that Dr Castle gave us? We can't just choose anyone.
Joey: Yeah, I checked, it's OK. Who did you choose?
Olivia: Well, I was thinking of choosing Ernest Hemingway, but then I thought no, I'll do a British author not an American one, so I chose Emily Bronte.
Joey: OK... and first of all it says we have to read a biography of our author - I guess it's OK if we just look up information about him on the Internet?
Olivia: No, it's got to be a full-length book. I think the minimum length's 250 pages... there's a list of biographies, didn't you get that?
Joey: Oh right. I didn't realise we had to stick with that. So what do we have to do when we've read the biography?
Olivia: Well, then we have to choose one work by the writer... again it's got to be something quite long, we can't just read a short story.
Joey: But I guess a collection of short stories would be OK?
Olivia: Yes, or even a collection of poems, they said, but I think most people are doing novels. I'm going to do Wuthering Heights, I've read it before but I really want to read it again now I've found out more about the writer.
Joey: And then the video... we have to make a short video about our author and about the book. How long has it got to be?
Olivia: A minute.
Joey: What? Like, sixty seconds? And we gotta give all the important information about their life and the book we choose...
Olivia: Well you can't do everything... I wrote it down somewhere... yes, Dr Castle said we had to 'find or write a short passage that helps to explain the author's passion for writing, why they're a writer'. So, we can back this up with reference to important events in the writer's life if they're relevant, but it's up to us really. The video's meant to portray the essence of the writer's life and the piece of writing we choose.
Joey: So when we read the biography, we have to think about what kind of person our writer is...
Olivia: Yes... and the historical context and so on. So for my writer, Emily Bronte, the biography gave a really strong impression of the place where she lived and the countryside around.
Joey: Right, I'm beginning to get the idea.
Joey: Er... can I check the other requirements with you?
Olivia: Sure.
Joey: The handout said after we'd read the biography, we had to read the work we'd chosen by our author and choose a passage that's typical in some way... that typifies the author's interests and style.
Olivia: Yes, but at the same time it has to relate to the biographical extract you choose... there's got to be some sort of theme linking them.
Joey: OK, I'm with you.
Olivia: And then you have to think about the video.
Joey: So are we meant to dramatise the scene we choose?
Olivia: I guess we could, but there's not a lot of time for that... I think it's more how we can use things like sound effects to create the atmosphere... the feeling we want.
Joey: And presumably visuals as well?
Olivia: Yeah, of course - I mean, I suppose that's the whole point of making a video - but whatever we use has to be historically in keeping with the author. We can use things like digital image processing to do it all.
Joey: So we can use any computer software we want?
Olivia: Sure. And it's important that we use a range - not just one software program. That's actually one of the things we're assessed on.
Joey: OK.
Olivia: Oh, and something else that's apparently really important is to keep track of the materials we use and to acknowledge them.
Joey: Including stuff we download off the Internet presumably?
Olivia: Yeah, so our video has to list all the material used with details of the source in a bibliography at the end.
Joey: OK. And you were talking about assessment of the project - did they give us the criteria? I couldn't find anything on the handout.
Olivia: Sure. He gave us them in the lecture. Let's see, you get 25 percent just for getting all the components done - that's both sets of reading, and the video. Then the second part is actually how successful we are at getting the essence of the work, they call that 'content' and that counts for 50 percent. Then the last 25 percent is on the video itself, the artistic and technical side.
Joey: Great. Well, that sounds a lot of work, but a whole lot better than just handing in a paper. Thanks a lot, Olivia.
Olivia: You're welcome.