What People in Britain Think of Doctors - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 08 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–36 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 37–40 Matching
Which statement applies to each of the following people who were interviewed by Shona?
Choose FOUR answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-F, next to questions 37-40.
A. gave false data
B. decided to stop participating
C. refused to tell Shona about their job
D. kept changing their mind about participating
E. became very angry with Shona
F. was worried about confidentiality
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | B | Now I had to set up my programme of research in three different countries so I approached postgraduates in my field in overseas departments, contacting them by email, to organise things for me at their end | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that Shona spoke with people called postgraduates (students) in departments in other countries. She sent them emails to ask them to help set up her research project in those locations. Answer Explanation: The answer means Shona got assistance from people who were studying for a degree in other countries. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Shona mentions contacting "postgraduates" in other countries to help her. In English, postgraduates are students who have already finished their first degree and are continuing their studies. She chose to talk to people "in overseas departments," which means they were in different countries. She contacted them because she needed someone "to organise things" for her, which is another way of saying she needed help. |
| Q32 | B | I decided that people under 18 should be excluded because most of them are students or looking for their first job, and also I decided at this stage just to focus on men who were in employment | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that the researcher did not include young people looking for work. Instead, they chose to study only men who currently had jobs. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the researcher only invited men with jobs to take part in the study. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explains who they chose for their research group. They said they would not include (exclude) people under 18. They also said that for this part of the study, they only wanted to look at (focus on) men who had jobs (in employment). They decided to study women and people without jobs later in a different project. |
| Q33 | A | With the questionnaire, rather than limiting it to one specific point, I wanted to include as much variety as possible | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Shona chose to make her questionnaire cover many different topics or areas instead of sticking to only one small part. Answer Explanation: The answer means Shona wanted her survey to collect many different kinds of information or facts. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because Shona explains that her goal was the opposite of making the survey narrow. She mentions that she did not want to focus on just one specific idea. Instead, she wanted to gather as many different types of information as she could. In her talk, 'variety' is a synonym for 'wide range,' and 'limiting it' is what she wanted to avoid. |
| Q34 | A | At the moment it looks as if, in the UK, despite the fact that newspapers continually report that people are unhappy with medical care, in fact it is mainly the third level of care, which takes place in hospitals, that they are worried about. Government reforms have been proposed at all levels and although their success is not guaranteed, long-term hospital care is in fact probably less of an issue than the media would have us believe | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that even though newspapers keep saying people are unhappy with their doctors and medical care, Shona found that the problems are mostly just in hospitals, and even those problems are not as big as the media says they are. Answer Explanation: The answer is option A because the research shows that news reports about how much people dislike medical care in the UK are not completely accurate. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is (A) because Shona's initial findings suggest a gap between what the media portrays and what citizens actually feel. She notes that while newspapers often report that the public is unhappy with medical care in general, her research indicates that people are mostly worried about hospital care, and even that is a smaller problem than the media suggests. This means the press is misrepresenting (telling a story that is different from the truth) the current situation and the public's level of concern. |
| Q35 | C | Certainly I will need to do more far-reaching research than I had anticipated in order to establish if people want extra medical staff invested in the community, or if they want care to revert to fewer, but larger, key medical units | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Shona needs to do more study to see if people would like more workers in their local area or if they would like fewer, bigger medical centers. This is a way to find out what people prefer. Answer Explanation: The answer means Shona must do more study to find out what people like or want regarding medical care. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Shona explains that she needs to do more research to find out what people 'want.' She is comparing two different options for medical care to see which one the public likes better. In this context, finding out what people 'want' is the same as identifying their 'preferences.' |
| Q36 | C | But I was taken aback and rather concerned that something I thought I'd set up very well didn't necessarily seem that way to everyone in my own department | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Shona was shocked and a bit worried because the project she thought was organized perfectly was not seen the same way by the other people in her work group. Answer Explanation: The answer means that people you work with (your colleagues) will not always have the same opinion or agree with your ideas. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Shona mentions being surprised and worried that people in her department did not view her project setup as positively as she did. She thought she had organized it very well, but her colleagues had a different opinion. This shows that despite her own confidence, her colleagues did not agree with her assessment. Keywords like 'department' refer to her colleagues or the place she works, and the phrase 'didn't necessarily seem that way' indicates their disagreement. |
| Q37 | B | one of the subjects who I had approached while he was out shopping in town, decided to pull out when it came to the second round | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that a man Shona met in a public place decided to 'pull out,' which means he stopped being part of the interview process when it reached the second stage. Answer Explanation: The answer B means that the person who was interviewed decided to quit or leave the research project before it was finished. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Shona describes a situation where a man she met while he was shopping—meaning he was 'in the street'—chose to 'pull out' of the research. In English, the phrase 'pull out' is a synonym for 'stopping participation' or 'withdrawing' from an activity. |
| Q38 | F | And one of the first-year students I interviewed wanted reassurance that no names would be traceable from the answers | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that the student was worried that their name might be connected to their answers, so they asked for a promise that this would not happen. Answer Explanation: The answer means the student wanted to keep their identity secret so no one would know their specific answers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because the transcript describes a 'first-year student' (which is another way to say an undergraduate) who asked for 'reassurance'. Specifically, they wanted to be sure that 'no names would be traceable'—this means they wanted to keep their identity hidden. In research, keeping names and identities private is called 'confidentiality'. |
| Q39 | D | Then, one of the people that I work with got a bit funny. The questions were quite personal and one minute he said he'd do it, then the next day he wouldn't, and in the end he did do it | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that a co-worker acted strangely by saying he would do the interview, then saying he wouldn't, and finally agreeing to do it in the end. Answer Explanation: The answer is D, which means the person could not make up their mind about being part of the study. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because Shona describes a colleague (someone she works with) as being unreliable in his commitment to the interview. She notes that he repeatedly switched between agreeing and refusing to participate before finally doing it. This behavior is a clear example of someone who 'kept changing their mind.' |
| Q40 | C | The most bizarre case was a telephone interview I did with a teacher at a university in France. He answered all my questions in great detail – but then when I asked how much access he had to dangerous substances he wouldn't tell me exactly what his work involved | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about a university teacher in France who answered most of Shona's questions. However, he refused to explain exactly what he did for his job when the topic of dangerous materials came up. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the person would not explain what their job was or what they did for work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Shona describes an interview with a teacher at a university in France. During this call, the teacher answered most questions but stopped when asked about the details of his work. The phrase 'wouldn't tell me exactly what his work involved' is a synonym for refusing to talk about his job. |
Transcript
I've been doing some research into what people in Britain think of doctors, the ones who work in general practice – the first call for medical care – and comparing this with the situation in a couple of other countries. I want to talk about the rationale behind what I decided to do.
Now I had to set up my programme of research in three different countries so I approached postgraduates in my field in overseas departments, contacting them by email, to organise things for me at their end. I thought I would have trouble recruiting help but in fact everyone was very willing and sometimes their tutors got involved too.
I had to give my helpers clear instructions about what kind of sample population I wanted them to use. I decided that people under 18 should be excluded because most of them are students or looking for their first job, and also I decided at this stage just to focus on men who were in employment, and set up something for people who didn't have jobs and for employed women later on as a separate investigation.
I specifically wanted to do a questionnaire, and interviews with a focus group. With the questionnaire, rather than limiting it to one specific point, I wanted to include as much variety as possible. I know questionnaires are a very controlled way to do things but I thought I could do taped interviews later on to counteract the effects of this. And the focus group may also prove useful in future, by targeting subjects I can easily return to, as the participants tend to be more involved.
So I'm just collating the results now. At the moment it looks as if, in the UK, despite the fact that newspapers continually report that people are unhappy with medical care, in fact it is mainly the third level of care, which takes place in hospitals, that they are worried about. Government reforms have been proposed at all levels and although their success is not guaranteed, long-term hospital care is in fact probably less of an issue than the media would have us believe. However, I've still got quite a bit of data to look at.
Certainly I will need to do more far-reaching research than I had anticipated in order to establish if people want extra medical staff invested in the community, or if they want care to revert to fewer, but larger, key medical units. The solution may well be something that can be easily implemented by those responsible in local government, with central government support of course.
This first stage has proved very valuable though. I was surprised by how willing most of the subjects were to get involved in the project – I had expected some unwillingness to answer questions honestly. But I was taken aback and rather concerned that something I thought I'd set up very well didn't necessarily seem that way to everyone in my own department.
I thought you might also be interested in some of the problems I encountered in collecting my data. There were odd cases that threw me – one of the subjects who I had approached while he was out shopping in town, decided to pull out when it came to the second round. It was a shame as it was someone who I would like to have interviewed more closely.
And one of the first-year students I interviewed wanted reassurance that no names would be traceable from the answers. I was so surprised, because they think nothing of telling you about themselves and their opinions in seminar groups!
Then, one of the people that I work with got a bit funny. The questions were quite personal and one minute he said he'd do it, then the next day he wouldn't, and in the end he did do it. It's hard not to get angry in that situation but I tried to keep focused on the overall picture in order to stay calm.
The most bizarre case was a telephone interview I did with a teacher at a university in France. He answered all my questions in great detail – but then when I asked how much access he had to dangerous substances he wouldn't tell me exactly what his work involved. It's a real eye-opener . . .