New Eating Plan - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 6 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 1 · Questions 1–10
Audio
Questions
Questions 1–5 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
- Peter and Mary’s diet will be both sensible and 1
- Every two months, they can eat 2
- On Saturdays, they will go 3
- This coming Saturday, they will go to 4
- In every meal, there will be 5
Questions 6–10 Table Completion
Choose the correct letter, C, I, or B.
C Chocolate I Ice cream B Biscuits
| Peter’s opinion | Mary’s opinion | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays | B | 6 |
| Thursdays | 7 | 8 |
| Sundays | 9 | 10 |
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Practical | That’s right, sensible, and practical — allowing us to indulge in some sweet foods on occasions | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Peter confirming that their diet plan will be both smart (sensible) and easy to stick to (practical). Answer Explanation: The answer means that the new food plan Peter and Mary made is smart and easy to actually do. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Practical' because Peter mentions this word when describing their new eating plan. After Mary says the plan should be 'sensible', Peter agrees and adds the word 'practical', which means the plan is useful and can be managed in their daily lives. |
| Q2 | Pizza / Pizzas | No. I said once every two months. Once a week was ice cream, not pizza | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Mary correcting Peter's mistake; she clearly states that pizza is the food they are allowed to eat only once every two months. Answer Explanation: The answer "Pizza(s)" refers to the specific food that Peter and Mary agree they can eat only one time every two months while on their new diet. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "Pizza(s)" because the two students are planning how often they can eat certain treats. While Peter wants to eat pizza more often, Mary sets a strict rule that they can only have it once every two months. In their conversation, they use words like "cut out" to mean they will stop eating bad foods and "indulge" to mean enjoying a special treat. |
| Q3 | light walking / walking | No, hiking is Sundays, allowing Saturdays for the light walking exercise | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Mary correcting Peter's mistake about their schedule, stating that Saturday is the day they have dedicated to gentle walking. Answer Explanation: The answer means that on Saturdays, the two students plan to do exercise by taking easy or gentle walks. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is determined by Mary's explanation of their weekly exercise schedule. When Peter confuses the days, she clarifies that hiking happens on Sundays, while Saturdays are specifically for 'light walking exercise.' The keywords to look for are 'Saturdays' and 'light walking.' |
| Q4 | Pine Park | Mary: That’s later in the month. This Saturday we’ll visit Pine Park | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Mary telling Peter that their plan for this upcoming Saturday is to go to Pine Park. Answer Explanation: The answer "Pine Park" is the name of a specific park that Peter and Mary planned to visit this Saturday. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because direct evidence from the conversation shows Mary choosing this location for their first Saturday walking exercise. While Peter suggests Hill Park, Mary explicitly states that for "this Saturday," their destination is Pine Park because Hill Park is too far away. |
| Q5 | Fruit juice | The only common factor is the fruit juice, but otherwise we’ll have a variety of healthy fare, from salads, to fish, to lean meat | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that while they will eat many different kinds of healthy food, the one thing that will always be included in their meals is fruit juice. Answer Explanation: The answer is a drink made from fruit that the two people will include in every meal they eat during the week. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on Mary's description of their weekday eating habits. She explains that they will 'vary' their food options, like fish or salads, to keep the diet fun. However, she mentions one 'common factor,' which is a synonym for something that is always present. That specific item is 'fruit juice.' |
| Q6 | B | Peter: Okay, well, I’ll go for the biscuits. I love those crunchy little things with my cup of tea. So do you, right?Mary: I do indeed, so I’ll have them, too, saving the ice cream for later | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Peter choosing biscuits for Tuesday and asking if Mary likes them. Mary answers that she does and says she will also have "them" (the biscuits) on that day. Answer Explanation: The answer is B, which stands for biscuits. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Mary decides to eat biscuits on Tuesday. Peter chose biscuits first, explaining that he likes them with his tea. When he asks Mary if she wants them too, she agrees and says she will have them, too, while saving her other treats for later in the week. |
| Q7 | I | Well, if you think that way, I’ll eat the ice cream on Thursdays, not the chocolate. Okay | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Peter explicitly choosing to eat ice cream on Thursdays as his designated snack. Answer Explanation: The answer 'I' stands for Ice cream, which is one of the snack options Peter and Mary can choose from. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'I' because it refers to Peter's choice of snack for Thursdays. In the conversation, Mary suggests that they should eat different snacks on certain days to make their diet more interesting. Peter agrees to this and decides to eat ice cream on Thursdays instead of chocolate so that his snack is different from Mary's. |
| Q8 | C | Peter: Well, if you think that way, I’ll eat the ice cream on Thursdays, not the chocolate. Okay?Mary: Well, if you’re having that, then I can’t have ice cream. In order to be different, I’ll have the chocolate | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that because Peter picks ice cream for Thursday, Mary decides to pick chocolate so their treats are not the same. Answer Explanation: The answer "C" stands for chocolate, which is the snack Mary decides to have as her treat on Thursdays. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "C" because, in their diet plan, Peter and Mary decide to eat different snacks to make their eating plan more fun. On Thursdays, Peter chooses to have ice cream. Because Mary wants their snacks to be different, she chooses to have the chocolate instead. This makes "C" the correct choice for Mary's snack on Thursday. |
| Q9 | B | I do indeed, so I’ll have them, too, saving the ice cream for later | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Mary agreeing with Peter and choosing to eat the same snack (biscuits) as him on Tuesday because she wants to wait until later in the week to eat her ice cream. Answer Explanation: The answer B stands for 'Biscuits', which is the snack Mary decides to have for her treat on Tuesday. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because when Peter and Mary choose their snacks for the week, Peter picks biscuits for Tuesday. He asks Mary if she also likes them, and she agrees, saying she will have them as well on that day to save her ice cream for later. In this context, 'them' refers to the biscuits Peter just mentioned. |
| Q10 | I | Well, the whole point of this was to taste different snacks, but if you want the same thing, okay. I, for one, am sticking to the original plan, with ice cream to finish the week, and not another dose of chocolate | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Mary confirming that she will follow their first plan by eating ice cream at the end of the week (Sunday). Answer Explanation: The answer 'I' stands for ice cream, which is the food Mary decides to have for her treat on Sunday. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'I' because Mary clearly states her choice for the end of the week. She mentions that she will 'stick to the original plan' and have ice cream. To 'stick to' something means to follow it without changing. 'Finish the week' is a way to describe Sunday since it is the last day being discussed in their weekly schedule. |
Transcript
You will hear two students, Peter and Mary, discussing their new eating plan.
Peter: Okay Mary, I know I’m putting on weight with all my bad eating habits.
Mary: That’s right. Chocolate bars, pizzas, and all washed down with litres of soft drink. And with all the sugar in soft drink, I think we can say you’re definitely overindulging, don’t you think?
Peter: I know, I know. I intend to definitely stop drinking that from now on.
Mary: And that’s part of the sensible eating plan that we have agreed we need to formulate—one that we can both follow.
Peter: That’s right, sensible, and practical — allowing us to indulge in some sweet foods on occasions.
Mary: On rare occasions, and we’re going to cut out all the pizzas and hamburgers.
Peter: Well, not totally. I thought you said pizzas could be eaten once a week. You know how I like pizzas.
Mary: No. I said once every two months. Once a week was ice cream, not pizza.
Peter: Yeah, that’s because you like ice cream. I prefer pizza.
Mary: Peter, if you want to lose weight, you need to be disciplined, in both what you eat, and what you do, which brings us to the issue of exercise.
Peter: That’s right. So, jogging twice a week, and hiking on Saturdays, right?
Mary: No, hiking is Sundays, allowing Saturdays for the light walking exercise. I’ve investigated, and discovered there are a lot of walking trails around this suburb, with many beautiful places if you just look around.
Peter: So what’s happening this Saturday? A walk around the city?
Mary: That’s later in the month. This Saturday we’ll visit Pine Park.
Peter: Hill Park is nicer, with great views, too,
Mary: Yes, but we have to travel too far to reach Hill Park, so I ruled that out, and I love the smell of pines.
Peter: And what about the weekday meals? Salads every night, I suppose?
Mary: No, it’s important to vary the meals so that the food remains interesting and fun. The only common factor is the fruit juice, but otherwise we’ll have a variety of healthy fare, from salads, to fish, to lean meat.
Peter: I'd rather have meat every night, but you’re the boss.
Mary: If you want to lose weight, you’ll have to accept this program, okay?
Peter: Okay.
Peter: Now Mary, you said we could have a little treat in our diet plan three times a week: specifically, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Mary: Yes. A very small treat, but something to reward us for all the discipline shown. Such rewards will motivate us to continue the diet.
Peter: So, on Tuesdays, what can I choose?
Mary: You have a choice between a small serving of chocolate, ice cream, or biscuits.
Peter: Okay, well, I’ll go for the biscuits. I love those crunchy little things with my cup of tea. So do you, right?
Mary: I do indeed, so I’ll have them, too, saving the ice cream for later.
Peter: But I know how much you like ice cream, so why don’t you save it for the end of the week? That will give you the motivation to keep going, and you can have chocolate midweek?
Mary: That’s a good idea, but I think the most important thing is for you and I to eat different things on those other two days.
Peter: Well, if you think that way, I’ll eat the ice cream on Thursdays, not the chocolate. Okay?
Mary: Well, if you’re having that, then I can’t have ice cream. In order to be different, I’ll have the chocolate.
Peter: So, we can compare our different snacks, and maybe even share a little with each other.
Mary: Exactly! And the variety and fun involved will take our minds of wanting more.
Peter: Eating for fun! A good idea!
Mary: And then you can have the chocolate on Sunday, right?
Peter: But I like biscuits? Actually, I want biscuits again—to have with my cup of tea.
Mary: But you have the biscuits on Monday, remember, and we can’t repeat.
Peter: Ah come on! This isn’t fixed in concrete. I can have them again instead of chocolate. You might like variety, but I don’t. I’m a creature of habit.
Mary: Well, the whole point of this was to taste different snacks, but if you want the same thing, okay. I, for one, am sticking to the original plan, with ice cream to finish the week, and not another dose of chocolate.