International Student Interviews - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 01 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 1 · Questions 1–10
Audio
Questions
Questions 1–10 Table Completion
Complete the notes. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
| KATE | |
| Her first impressions of the town | Quiet |
| Type of accommodation | 1 |
| Her feelings about the accommodation | 2 |
| Her feelings about the other students | 3 |
| Name of course | Environmental Studies |
| Difficulties experienced on the course | lecturers are 4 |
| Suggestions for improving the course | 5 |
| LUKI | |
| First type of accommodation | 6 |
| Problem with the first accommodation | 7 |
| Second type of accommodation | 8 |
| Name of course | 9 |
| Comments about the course | Computer room busy |
| Suggestions for improving the course | 10 |
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | student accommodation / student hostel | Well, I went straight into student accommodation; it was a kind of student hostel | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Kate explaining to the counsellor that she moved immediately into housing designed for students, which she calls a hostel. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the place where Kate lived when she first arrived in Cambridge. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'student accommodation/hostel' because Kate explicitly states that she lived in student accommodation when she arrived and describes it as a type of hostel. In English, 'accommodation' refers to a place to live, and a 'hostel' is a specific kind of low-cost housing often used by students. |
| Q2 | awful food | K: No, but sometimes I wished I had! The food at the hostel was awful | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Kate saying she wished she could cook her own meals because the food provided at the student hostel was very bad. Answer Explanation: The answer explains that the meals served at the place where Kate lived were very bad. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'awful food' because when the counsellor asks Kate about her living situation and cooking, she mentions that the meals provided at the hostel were terrible. She uses the word 'awful' to describe the 'food', showing her negative feelings about that part of her accommodation. The keywords 'food' and 'awful' help confirm this is her main complaint about where she stayed. |
| Q3 | not really friendly / not very friendly / not friendly / kept to themselves | People seem to keep to themselves; they’re not really very friendly | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Kate's direct feelings about the other students, explaining that they do not interact with her much. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the other students Kate lived with were not social and preferred to stay alone instead of talking to others. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when the Counselor asks Kate about the other students at her hostel. Kate says she has not made many friends because the people there are not very friendly and they prefer to stay by themselves. These descriptions exactly match the items listed as 'not friendly' or 'kept to themselves.' |
| Q4 | busy | I’ve enjoyed the course, but I feel there hasn’t been enough contact with the lecturers. They all seem to be incredibly busy | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Kate saying she wants more time with her teachers, but they are 'incredibly busy' with other work, which makes it hard for her to talk to them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the teachers on Kate's course have too much work to do and cannot help the students very often. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer comes from Kate's comments about her Environmental Studies course. She points out a problem: she doesn't get enough time to speak with her teachers. She uses the words 'lecturers' (which means university teachers) and 'busy' to explain that they do not have much free time for her. |
| Q5 | regular meetings / meetings with lecturers / fortnightly meetings | I think it would be helpful to have meetings with lecturers on the course. Say once a fortnight — something like that.C: Regular meetings. Yes that could certainly help | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Kate suggesting that it would be useful to have meetings with her teachers (lecturers), perhaps every two weeks (a fortnight). The counselor agrees that having these meetings on a regular basis would be helpful. Answer Explanation: The answer provides different ways to describe Kate's suggestion for her classes, which is to have scheduled times to talk to her teachers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found by looking at Kate's response when asked how to improve her course. She notes that students don't get much time with the 'lecturers' (teachers) and suggests having 'meetings' once every 'fortnight' (two weeks). The counselor agrees that 'regular meetings' would be a good improvement. All three options in the answer ('regular meetings', 'meetings with lecturers', or 'fortnightly meetings') correctly summarize Kate's advice using three words or fewer. |
| Q6 | a family / family / homestay | At first I stayed with a family for three months | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript clearly states that in the beginning of his time at the university, Luki lived with a local family. Answer Explanation: The answer is the type of place Luki lived in when he first came to Cambridge. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'family' because Luki mentions that when he arrived, he began by living with one. In student life, staying with local people in their house is also called a 'homestay'. Keywords to look for are 'at first', which means 'in the beginning', and 'stayed with a family'. |
| Q7 | difficult to study | At first I stayed with a family for three months. They were very kind to me but they had three young children and I found it difficult to study | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that Luki lived with a family for three months when he first arrived. The family was very nice, but they had three small children, which made it hard for him to do his schoolwork. Answer Explanation: The answer 'difficult to study' means it was not easy for Luki to read, learn, or complete his tasks at his first home. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'difficult to study' because Luki says these exact words when describing his first home. He mentions that while the family was kind, having three young children around made it hard for him to focus. In the transcript, the phrase 'found it difficult' is a synonym for 'had a problem' or 'found it hard'. This explains why he eventually moved to a student house. |
| Q8 | a student house / student house | So after three months I moved out and now I live with two other students in a student house | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that after the first three months, Luki left his first home (the family) and began living in his second home, which he calls a 'student house'. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the second place where Luki stayed while studying in Cambridge. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'student house' because Luki explains that his living situation changed. After staying with a family for the first three months, he moved to his second location. He clearly states that he now lives in a 'student house' with two other students. |
| Q9 | Bachelor of Computing / Computing | L: I’m doing a Bachelor of Computing | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Luki clearly stating the name of his course when asked about his studies. Answer Explanation: The answer is the name of the college degree or course that Luki is currently taking. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when the counsellor asks Luki about his studies and what he is studying. Luki replies by naming his degree, which is a Bachelor of Computing. This matches the 'Name of course' section in the notes for Luki. |
| Q10 | reserve computer time | but it would certainly help if we could reserve computer time | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Luki saying that it would be very helpful if students were allowed to book their time on the computers in advance. Answer Explanation: The answer means being able to book a specific time to use the computers in advance. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on Luki's suggestion to make the course better. Luki explains that the computer room is always busy, making it hard to work. When the counselor asks about booking a slot, Luki says that being able to do so would improve the situation. The phrase 'reserve computer time' directly matches Luki's wish for a better system. |
Transcript
C = Counsellor
K = Kate
L = Luki
C: Hi there, Kate. Come on in. How are you today?
K: Fine thanks.
C: Hi, Luki. How’s things?
L: OK.
C: Well, as I explained on the phone, I’m a Counsellor here at the Student Services section of the university and I’m interviewing overseas students to help me draw up a guide for new students so I’d be grateful if you could tell me a little about your time since you’ve been here in Cambridge.
K: Right.
L: Good idea.
C: Now, Kate let’s start with you. OK, um … this is your second semester isn’t It? Could you tell us something about your first impressions of the town when you arrived?
K: Yeah well first of all I was struck by how quiet it is here in the evening
Repeat
C: Yes, I suppose Cambridge is a quiet place. Where did you live when you first arrived?
K: Well, I went straight into student accommodation; it was a kind of student hostel.
C: Ah right, so you didn’t have to worry about doing your own cooking or anything like that?
K: No, but sometimes I wished I had! The food at the hostel was awful.
C: Oh dear. But how were the other students?
K: To be honest I haven’t managed to make many friends even though the place is full. People seem to keep to themselves; they’re not really very friendly.
C: Oh I’m sorry to hear that. Well, what about the actual course? You’re studying … uh?
K: I’m doing a Masters by coursework in Environmental Studies.
C: Ah, right, and how are you finding that?
K: Yeah, well, it’s been pretty good really. I’ve enjoyed the course, but I feel there hasn’t been enough contact with the lecturers. They all seem to be incredibly busy. The only chance I’ve really had to talk to them was on the field trip.
C: Well that’s no good. Could anything be done to improve the course in your opinion?
K: Well … I think it would be helpful to have meetings with lecturers on the course. Say once a fortnight — something like that.
C: Regular meetings. Yes that could certainly help. Now Kate, we’ll come back. to you in a minute, but I’d just like to ask Luki some questions.
C: Luki, Where are you from?
L: I am from Indonesia.
C: And how did you find Cambridge when you first arrived?
L: Well, I like it here. I think the city is very beautiful.
C: What about your accommodation? Was that OK?
L: Yes, OK. At first I stayed with a family for three months. They were very kind to me but they had three young children and I found it difficult to study
C: Right, I see.
L: So after three months I moved out and now I live with two other students in a student house. It’s much cheaper and we like it there.
C: Good, and what about your studies? What are you studying?
L: I’m doing a Bachelor of Computing.
C: Computing. I see. Um, apart from the language difficulties, if you can separate them, how have you found the course?
L: OK, but …
C: Yes, go on.
L: Well, the main difficulty for me is getting time on the computers in the computer room. It’s always busy and this makes it very hard to do my practical work.
C: Yes, I’m sure it would. Can you reserve time in the computer room?
L: No, you can’t … but it would certainly help if we could reserve computer time.
C: Yes. I’ll look into that and see if something can’t be done to improve things over there. Now let’s go back to Kate...