The University Counselling Service - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 04 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–20 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | C | We can also chase up your tutor if you're not getting proper feedback on how you are getting on in your subject | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the counseling staff can 'chase up' (contact) a teacher if they aren't giving students 'proper feedback' (useful news or reports) about 'how you are getting on' (the student's progress or performance). Answer Explanation: The answer is that the counseling office might talk to teachers if the students do not know how they are doing in their classes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the speaker says they can talk to the tutor (the teacher) if the student isn't getting 'proper feedback.' Feedback means information about how well a student is doing or their 'progress' in a subject. If a student is not told 'how they are getting on,' the counseling service will help by talking to the teacher for them. |
| Q12 | B | You'll have to start adjusting to teaching and learning methods that may be unfamiliar to you, as well as the mounting pressure as the deadline for that first assignment creeps up on you | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that students feel increasing stress (mounting pressure) because the date they must finish their work (the deadline) is coming soon. This matches the idea of time pressure. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students often feel stress because they have a limited amount of time to finish their schoolwork. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker mentions that as the "deadline" for the first homework project gets closer, students feel more and more "pressure." A deadline is a specific time by which work must be finished. Feeling pressure because a finish time is coming is known as "time pressure." |
| Q13 | A | And of course, you have to cope with all this without your usual social network - you know, the social contacts, family and friends you could normally rely on for help | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that students have to manage their new lives without the help and support they usually get from their social contacts, including family and friends. Answer Explanation: The answer says that students coming from other countries find it hard to deal with stress because their family and friends are not there to help them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker explains that students have to handle university life without their 'usual social network.' This means they do not have the 'family and friends' they 'normaly rely on' for help. Missing this support group is a big reason why they feel more stress or anxiety. Keywords like 'social network', 'family', 'friends', and 'rely on' help connect the transcript to the answer. |
| Q14 | C | Studying overseas can trigger a personal crisis - you may have left a lot of what you might call 'unfinished business' back in your own country, or you may have interrupted personal relationships or even sometimes have broken them off to come overseas, and so the student often feels lonely, unhappy, unmotivated and unable to concentrate on studying | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that moving to a new country for school can cause a personal crisis. This happens because students might leave things unresolved at home or have their relationships with people they care about stopped or ended. Answer Explanation: The answer means that changes or problems in a student's private relationships can lead to a difficult time personally. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the text specifically mentions that a "personal crisis" can happen when students leave their home country. It explains that students might have "interrupted" or "broken off" their relationships to move abroad, which causes them to feel lonely or unhappy. The word "disruptions" in the answer choice is a synonym for having these relationships interrupted or ended. |
| Q15 | B | There may be a huge amount of family pressure on you to succeed, and if you fail a subject or drop out of a course because it's too difficult then your self-esteem can suffer | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when students fail or leave their studies early (drop out), they can lose their self-confidence. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students might feel bad about themselves or lose confidence if they do not finish a class or their studies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text connects the loss of 'self-esteem' (how you feel about yourself) to the act of failing or dropping out of a course. 'Drop out' is a synonym for not completing a course. While family pressure is mentioned, it is the actual failure or decision to quit the course that causes the loss of self-esteem. |
| Q16 | C | You may also be off your food, or you may have dietary problems because the local food is not to your liking and upsets you, and this can affect your health and studies. Glenda Roberts is our dietician in the Health Service and we can put you on to her | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that students might have problems eating because the food in the new city is not what they like or it makes them feel unwell. It then identifies Glenda Roberts as the school's dietician (a food expert) who can help them with these issues. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students should go to see Glenda Roberts if they have trouble with the food in the local area. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the speaker mentions that students might face "dietary problems" because the "local food" is not what they like or it makes them feel sick. Immediately after mentioning these food problems, the speaker introduces Glenda Roberts as the "dietician" whom students can talk to for help. Keywords like "local food" and "dietary problems" link directly to choice C. |
| Q17 | A | But remember, full-time students can get a low-interest loan of up to six hundred dollars to buy books and for similar study-related expenses | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that students who go to school full-time are allowed to borrow up to six hundred dollars at a low cost to pay for books and other things they need for their studies. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students who do not have enough money can get help to pay for the books they need for their classes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker clearly mentions that students can get a loan specifically to buy books. Choice B is incorrect because course fees are never mentioned in the talk. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker says the loan is 'low-interest' (meaning it has a small extra cost), not 'no-interest' (meaning it has zero extra cost). Choice A is the only choice that matches the speaker's information. |
| Q18 | B | When you move into a flat, starting-up expenses, including furniture for it, can be covered by a loan through the Welfare Service - see Jill Freeman for details | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that if a student moves into an apartment, they can get a loan from the university's service to pay for the costs of setting up their home, explicitly mentioning furniture as part of that help. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students can receive a loan to help them buy things for their home, like a bed, desk, or chairs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explicitly mentions that when students move into a new apartment, they can get a loan to help pay for starting-up expenses, which specifically includes furniture. This is one of the services provided by the Welfare Service to help students with their money problems. Keywords to note are 'starting-up expenses', 'furniture', and 'loan'. |
| Q19 | B | Well, last academic year, in spite of staff cuts, we counselled two hundred and forty international students for a total of twenty-six hundred hours counselling | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that during the last school year, the office gave advice and help to 240 students from other countries. The bigger number mentioned (2,600) describes the total amount of time they spent working with those students. Answer Explanation: The answer B (240) means that last year, the counseling service gave help to exactly 240 international students. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 240 because the speaker explicitly states this number when reporting how many international students they helped last year. It is important to distinguish between the count of people and other numbers mentioned; for instance, 'twenty-six hundred' (2,600) refers to the total hours of work, while 'twelve' refers to legal appeals, not the number of students. |
| Q20 | A | Well, last academic year, in spite of staff cuts, we counselled two hundred and forty international students for a total of twenty-six hundred hours counselling, and, finally we won all but just one of the twelve appeals that we launched on behalf of students. Not too bad for an understaffed service, don't you think | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that although they lost some staff members, they still provided many hours of help to many students and won 11 out of 12 cases for them. The speaker feels this is a good result for a team that has too few workers. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the Counseling Service did a good job and was successful, even though they did not have enough employees because of staff reductions. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the end of the transcript where the speaker lists their achievements from the last year. Mentioning that they helped hundreds of students and won almost all legal appeals, the speaker concludes by saying it is 'not too bad' for an 'understaffed' office. The phrase 'in spite of staff cuts' directly matches the idea of 'in spite of staff shortages' in the answer choice, and the successful results show the service was 'effective.' |
Transcript
So the counselling services we offer deal with any problems arising from your studies, or in your life outside the university. Let's take academic counselling. If you're confused about subjects or how to combine them in your degree, then we can advise you and discuss the career you are aiming for, so that you can see it all in context. We can also chase up your tutor if you're not getting proper feedback on how you are getting on in your subject.
Besides help with academic problems, you may also need personal counselling: if you think you're already under stress, well, just wait till classes begin next week. You'll have to start adjusting to teaching and learning methods that may be unfamiliar to you, as well as the mounting pressure as the deadline for that first assignment creeps up on you. And of course, you have to cope with all this without your usual social network - you know, the social contacts, family and friends you could normally rely on for help. All of this causes anxiety. Studying overseas can trigger a personal crisis - you may have left a lot of what you might call 'unfinished business' back in your own country, or you may have interrupted personal relationships or even sometimes have broken them off to come overseas, and so the student often feels lonely, unhappy, unmotivated and unable to concentrate on studying. Or there may be other things bothering you. Our resident chaplain can offer you spiritual guidance if that's what you want, or we can put you in touch with community groups that can provide you with social contacts and friendship.
What about exam stress? It affects nearly everyone to some extent, but especially overseas students like yourselves. There may be a huge amount of family pressure on you to succeed, and if you fail a subject or drop out of a course because it's too difficult then your self-esteem can suffer. But it's not the end of the world if you don't pass an exam - I had to resit First Year Anthropology, so I can certainly offer you a sympathetic ear! Anyway, exam failure can lead to worrying changes in the way you normally behave. You may also be off your food, or you may have dietary problems because the local food is not to your liking and upsets you, and this can affect your health and studies. Glenda Roberts is our dietician in the Health Service and we can put you on to her.
And we all have money problems, don't we? But remember, full-time students can get a low-interest loan of up to six hundred dollars to buy books and for similar study-related expenses. That's right, and you can get double that amount if you can't afford an item of equipment you need for your course - a musical instrument, for example. And it doesn't stop there. When you move into a flat, starting-up expenses, including furniture for it, can be covered by a loan through the Welfare Service - see Jill Freeman for details.
Can we help you? Well, last academic year, in spite of staff cuts, we counselled two hundred and forty international students for a total of twenty-six hundred hours counselling, and, finally we won all but just one of the twelve appeals that we launched on behalf of students. Not too bad for an understaffed service, don't you think? That's all from me. Thank you.