Manjiro Nakahama - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 2 Academic Listening Test 6 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
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Questions
Questions 11–17 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- Manjiro started work as a 11 when he was still a young boy.
- He spent 12 on a deserted island before he was rescued.
- He became friends with William Whitfield, who was a ship's 13
- The cost of Manjiro's 14 in America was covered by the Whitfield family.
- Manjiro eventually returned to Japan, where he carried out important work as a teacher and 15
- Fairhaven and Tosashimizu are now officially 16
- Every two years, the John Manjiro 17 is held in Fairhaven.
Questions 18–20 Map Labeling
Label the map below.
Write the correct letter A-I next to the questions.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | fisherman | And like many people in that town, he became a fisherman when he was just a youngster | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Manjiro started his work catching fish when he was very young. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Manjiro's first job was catching fish while he was still a young boy. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the transcript which states that Manjiro became a fisherman at a very young age. The speaker uses the word 'youngster' to describe him, which means a young person or a boy. |
| Q12 | six / 6 months | They had to wait for six months before they were rescued by an American whale ship that had stopped at the island by chance | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that Manjiro and his group stayed on the island for a period of half a year until a boat from America found them by accident. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies that Manjiro lived on an empty island for half a year before a ship saved him. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is ‘six/6 months’ because the transcript directly states the amount of time Manjiro and the other fishermen stayed on the land where no people lived after their boat was destroyed. The word ‘wait’ in the text matches the idea of spending time ‘before he was rescued’ as mentioned in the sentence. |
| Q13 | captain | Four of the five Japanese were put ashore in Hawaii, but Manjiro had become friends with the captain, William Whitfield, who came from the town of Fairhaven, where we are now, and he chose to remain aboard, and to return with the boat to the USA | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Manjiro became friends with William Whitfield, and identifies Whitfield as the ship's captain. Answer Explanation: The answer "captain" refers to the person who is the leader or the person in charge of a ship. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "captain" because the transcript mentions that after being rescued by an American whale ship, Manjiro formed a friendship with the person leading that ship. This person's name was William Whitfield. |
| Q14 | education | He came back right here to Fairhaven with Whitfield, and stayed with the Whitfield family who paid for his education here in the town | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when Manjiro came to the town, the Whitfield family let him live with them and paid for him to study at school. Answer Explanation: The answer means the school lessons and learning that Manjiro did. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "education" because the story explains that a family called the Whitfields looked after Manjiro and gave him the money he needed to go to school and learn new things in the town of Fairhaven. |
| Q15 | an interpreter / interpreter | eventually he went back to Japan where he had a responsible position as a university teacher and also served an invaluable role as interpreter during the initiation of relations between Japan and the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when Manjiro went home to Japan, he worked as a university teacher. It also says he was an interpreter who helped during the start of official friendship and talking between Japan and the United States. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a person who translates spoken words from one language into another because they speak both languages. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the text which describes Manjiro's return to Japan. It mentions he had two main jobs: being a teacher at a university and working as an interpreter. The word 'interpreter' matches the blank in the sentence because it describes his important role in helping the United States and Japan communicate. |
| Q16 | sister cities | But the most interesting thing is that the links between Tosashimizu and Fairhaven have remained and grown stronger over the years, in spite of the distance between them, and in fact the two places now have the official status of sister cities | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that over time, the connection between these two towns became very strong, and they are now officially paired together as sister cities. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to two cities in different countries that have a special bond or official friendship to help each other and share culture. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section of the transcript where the speaker describes the modern relationship between Tosashimizu in Japan and Fairhaven in America. The speaker mentions that despite the distance, they have the official status of 'sister cities,' which matches the sentence in the task. |
| Q17 | Festival | There have been a number of visits by the inhabitants of Tosashimizu, in particular at the time of the Festival, which is held every two years here in Fairhaven to celebrate the life and achievements of John Manjiro | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that there is a Festival every two years in Fairhaven to celebrate what John Manjiro did during his life. Answer Explanation: The answer is a special public celebration or event. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Festival' because the speaker mentions that Fairhaven hosts a festival every two years to honor the life and success of John Manjiro. In this context, 'every two years' matches the timing in the question, and 'celebrate the life and achievements' links to 'John Manjiro'. |
| Q18 | I | Now to follow the John Manjiro trail, you go out of here along Center Street, and then head up Main Street until you get to Pilgrim Avenue. Go down there and turn right at the end, go straight on and just on the corner with Oxford Street you'll see a two-storey house. This is the Whitfield family house, and this is where Manjiro first stayed when he came to Fairhaven | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript gives a step-by-step path to find the house. It tells visitors to walk down Pilgrim Avenue, turn right at its end, and then find the house located exactly on the corner where it meets Oxford Street. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Whitfield family house is located at the spot marked 'I' on the map. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found by following the specific walking instructions given in the talk. The speaker says to leave the library, walk on Center Street and Main Street, then go to Pilgrim Avenue. At the end of Pilgrim Avenue, you turn right and walk to the corner of Oxford Street. Position 'I' represents the building at that specific corner. Keywords to note are 'turn right' and 'corner' to identify the exact building. |
| Q19 | B | Now, if you carry on along Oxford Street, then turn left at the end, you'll come to North Street, and about half-way down there is what's known as Old Oxford School | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains how to find the school by walking to the end of Oxford Street, turning left onto North Street, and looking for the building in the middle of that street. Answer Explanation: The answer is the letter B, which marks the spot on the map where the Old Oxford School is located. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the guide provides a clear path to the school. After passing the Whitfield house on Oxford Street, you must turn left to get onto North Street. The speaker mentions that the Old Oxford School is about halfway down that specific street. |
| Q20 | E | Go on to the end of North Street and turn the corner onto Adams Street. If you follow the road down, back towards the library, you go round a couple of sharp bends and on the second of these, you can see the School of Navigation which Manjiro also attended | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript tells us to walk to Adams Street and head back toward the library. On that road, there are two sharp turns. The School of Navigation is located at the second turn. Answer Explanation: The answer is E, which is the spot on the map for the School of Navigation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because the speaker explains how to find the school by walking. You go to Adams Street and move back toward the library. The speaker says the School of Navigation is on the second of two sharp turns (bends) in the road. This matches location E on the map. |
Transcript
Right, so here we are in Fairhaven, and we have a couple of hours to spend in this historic centre before we carry on to our motel. And as you'll know from the itinerary of our trip, we're visiting Fairhaven because of its historical links with a man called Manjiro Nakahama. So I'll begin by giving you a brief overview of his life, and then you can explore the town at your leisure.
Well, Manjiro Nakahama, as he was then known, was born in 1827 in a village by the sea in what is now Tosashimizu in Japan. And like many people in that town, he became a fisherman when he was just a youngster. One day in 1841, when he was just 14 years old, he and some others were fishing far off the coast of Japan when they were caught in a storm and shipwrecked on a small deserted island. They had to wait for six months before they were rescued by an American whale ship that had stopped at the island by chance. Four of the five Japanese were put ashore in Hawaii, but Manjiro had become friends with the captain, William Whitfield, who came from the town of Fairhaven, where we are now, and he chose to remain aboard, and to return with the boat to the USA. So Manjiro unwittingly became the first Japanese ever to set foot on American soil. He came back right here to Fairhaven with Whitfield, and stayed with the Whitfield family who paid for his education here in the town. He studied Mathematics and Geography as well as shipbuilding and navigation. But he missed his mother, and his own country, and eventually he went back to Japan where he had a responsible position as a university teacher and also served an invaluable role as interpreter during the initiation of relations between Japan and the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century.
But the most interesting thing is that the links between Tosashimizu and Fairhaven have remained and grown stronger over the years, in spite of the distance between them, and in fact the two places now have the official status of sister cities. Both places are ports, so in fact the inhabitants have a lot in common. There have been a number of visits by the inhabitants of Tosashimizu, in particular at the time of the Festival, which is held every two years here in Fairhaven to celebrate the life and achievements of John Manjiro. It takes place in the fall, and there's an ever-growing programme including drumming, singing, martial arts, and stalls selling Japanese and American food. So if you're going to be in the region around then, it's really worth a visit.
Now, many of the buildings that Manjiro Nakahama knew in Fairhaven are still standing today, and so if you'd just like to hand round some copies of this map I'll suggest the best route to follow to see them. OK, so if you look at the bottom of the map you can see the Millicent Library, and that's where we are now. Now to follow the John Manjiro trail, you go out of here along Center Street, and then head up Main Street until you get to Pilgrim Avenue. Go down there and turn right at the end, go straight on and just on the corner with Oxford Street you'll see a two-storey house. This is the Whitfield family house, and this is where Manjiro first stayed when he came to Fairhaven. It's still a private residence, so please respect the owner's privacy. OK. Now, if you carry on along Oxford Street, then turn left at the end, you'll come to North Street, and about half-way down there is what's known as Old Oxford School. This was the very same school that Manjiro attended when he lived here. It was considered to be the best school in town because of the quality of the building – unusually, it was built of stone - and the quality of the teaching. Nowadays it's usually closed, except on special occasions. Go on to the end of North Street and turn the corner onto Adams Street. If you follow the road down, back towards the library, you go round a couple of sharp bends and on the second of these, you can see the School of Navigation which Manjiro also attended. And if you follow the road on, you'll soon find yourself back here at the library, and I'd suggest you spend some time looking round that too, if you have any time left.
Right, now, does anyone have any questions...