Guide to Marsden and Melby Walks - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–12 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 13–14 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 15–20 Map Labeling
Label the map below.
Write the correct letter, A-I, next to Questions 15-20.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | — | — | |
| Q12 | B / E | As there are clear signposts all along the way, you don't even need to take a map with you. At one point, the route goes inland slightly and passes a castle built in the 1400s near to a now-vanished market town. The castle's now just a pile of stones but it's a great place to take photos, and fascinating information boards show what it once looked like | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that there are signs everywhere to help you find your way, so you don't need a map. It also describes a castle that is now just old stones but is a good spot for photos. Answer Explanation: The answer means that walkers should visit the old broken building and they do not need to worry about losing their way. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is right because the text says there are many clear signs on the path, so a map is not needed. This means you do not need to worry about getting lost. Also, it mentions an old castle that is now a 'pile of stones.' Since the text says it is a great place for photos, it suggests you should not miss seeing these ruins. |
| Q13 | — | — | |
| Q14 | C / D | At the highest point, you can stop to take in the views, and those with lots of energy can climb the tower that's situated where there was once a seventeenth century hunting lodge. The route continues along the tops of the hills and brings you back down to the starting point - the car park at Melby Coal Mine | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that there is a tower built in the same place where a hunting lodge from the 1600s (seventeenth century) used to be. It also says the walk finishes at the same car park where it started. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies that the Melby Heritage Walk is a loop that ends where it began, and it features a tower built on the location of a previous building. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on two points from the text about the Melby Heritage Walk. First, the text says the walk 'brings you back down to the starting point,' which means it is a 'circular walk.' Second, it mentions a 'tower that’s situated where there was once a seventeenth century hunting lodge,' which confirms that the tower stands on the site of an 'older structure.' |
| Q15 | F | Go through the ticket office to an area where there are lockers to leave heavy bags in, and where you can borrow raincoats. Beyond that room is the exhibition | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that after you go past the ticket office and the locker room, you will reach the exhibition. Answer Explanation: The answer is F, which is the room where the historic pictures and information are shown. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the text explains the path to find the exhibition inside the Main Visitor Centre. You enter the building, pass the ticket office, and go through a room for bags (lockers). The word 'beyond' tells us that the exhibition is the next area reached after that room. |
| Q16 | B | There's a small bathhouse where miners used to wash after their shift underground. You can see that in the building directly to the north of the engine house. The boiler has gone from there now, but there are lines of tin baths on the stone floor | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript describes a building used for washing (a bathhouse) that sits north of the engine house and contains rows of old tin baths. Answer Explanation: The answer B represents the specific location on the map for the miners' bathing area. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker identifies the 'bathhouse' as the building found 'directly to the north of the engine house.' The text confirms that inside this building, there are still 'lines of tin baths' on the floor, which matches the question's focus on the 'Baths'. |
| Q17 | D | There's a display of early mining tools from the days before mechanisation. You can find that in a small L-shaped building in the middle of the northern boundary of the site | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the exhibit with the tools is in a small building that looks like the letter 'L' and is located at the top center of the property. Answer Explanation: The answer D is the letter on the map that shows where the old mining tools are kept. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the transcript describes the location of the early mining tools. It says they are in a small building shaped like an 'L'. This building is found right in the middle of the northern edge or boundary of the mine area. |
| Q18 | A | The vehicle shed, where you can find wagons of different sizes, along with some of the hi-tech cutting machines that were in use until the mine closed, is in the southwest corner of the site, and can be accessed via a covered walkway | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the building for vehicles (the vehicle shed) holds machines and wagons. This building is located in the bottom-left (southwest) part of the land and has a special walking path with a roof leading to it. Answer Explanation: The answer "A" is the place on the map where you can find the buildings that hold the vehicles. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "A" because the transcript describes the location of the "vehicle shed." It says this shed is in the "southwest corner" of the site. It also mentions that this area contains "wagons" and "machines," which are types of vehicles, and it is reached using a "covered walkway." |
| Q19 | H | There is a field with ponies, which are always popular with children, on the north-eastern boundary of the site, not approached via a covered walkway | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says the ponies live in a field at the top-right edge of the mine area and can be reached by a regular path that does not have a roof. Answer Explanation: The answer is the location labeled H on the map. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is H because the transcript states that the ponies are located on the 'north-eastern boundary' of the coal mine. On a map, 'north-eastern' means the area is toward the top and to the right. The text also mentions that you do not use a 'covered walkway' (a path with a roof) to reach this spot, which helps distinguish it from other buildings on the site. |
| Q20 | E | The centre is connected to the ticket office via a short section of covered walkway | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the education building is joined to the ticket office by a short path that has a roof over it. Answer Explanation: The answer is the location marked with the letter E. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because the text describes the education centre's position relative to the ticket office. It mentions that there is a short path with a roof (a covered walkway) linking the education centre specifically to the ticket office. |
Transcript
Here is some information about history and nature walks in the region. They can be completed in less than a day and also be combined with a visit to Melby, a former coal mine now open to the public.
The Marsden Coastal Walk is suitable for all the family as there are no strenuous climbs. The route begins at Marsden harbour, where there are hourly ferries to and from the beautiful Hooker Island, a great place for fishing. The walk covers part of the coastal path trail. As there are clear signposts all along the way, you don't even need to take a map with you. At one point, the route goes inland slightly and passes a castle built in the 1400s near to a now-vanished market town. The castle's now just a pile of stones but it's a great place to take photos, and fascinating information boards show what it once looked like. If you set off early, you can be back in time for midday.
The Melby Heritage Walk is a great place to take photos, especially of the night sky. At certain times of the year, people come here from far and wide. They climb to the top of the valley and take pictures of the stars. In the daytime, it's completely different. As you hike through the dense woods in the valley bottom, the only things you'll hear are the sound of your own footsteps. At the highest point, you can stop to take in the views, and those with lots of energy can climb the tower that's situated where there was once a seventeenth century hunting lodge. The route continues along the tops of the hills and brings you back down to the starting point - the car park at Melby Coal Mine.
Melby Coal Mine has been open to the public for twenty years and has won awards for its visitor experience. Many of the buildings around the mine are still standing and have been converted into display areas.
Firstly, there's an exhibition showing the history of the mine, with many original black and white photos. To see that, you go from the car park, via a covered walkway to the Main Visitor Centre. Go through the ticket office to an area where there are lockers to leave heavy bags in, and where you can borrow raincoats. Beyond that room is the exhibition.
There's a small bathhouse where miners used to wash after their shift underground. You can see that in the building directly to the north of the engine house. The boiler has gone from there now, but there are lines of tin baths on the stone floor.
There's a display of early mining tools from the days before mechanisation. You can find that in a small L-shaped building in the middle of the northern boundary of the site. It's incredible to think how miners were able to use hand implements to cut through rock.
The vehicle shed, where you can find wagons of different sizes, along with some of the hi-tech cutting machines that were in use until the mine closed, is in the southwest corner of the site, and can be accessed via a covered walkway.
There is a field with ponies, which are always popular with children, on the north-eastern boundary of the site, not approached via a covered walkway.
The other building to mention is the education centre. This is where school groups go when they visit the mine, but it's also accessible to the public as it contains a library and small gift shop. The centre is connected to the ticket office via a short section of covered walkway.