Orientation Tour of the City Museum: Listening Answers & Explanations
IELTS Listening practice test · 10 questionsPart 2medium
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About this recording
The recording opens: “Hello everyone, and a very warm welcome to the City Museum. My name's Diane, and I'll give you a quick orientation before you set off to explore on your own.”
- Transcript length: about 421 words
- Questions: 10
- Question types: Plan / Map Labelling, Multiple Choice, Note Completion
“Orientation Tour of the City Museum” is an original IELTS-style practice recording written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
Orientation Tour of the City Museum answers with explanations
Questions 1–5: Plan / Map Labelling
Label the museum plan. Where is each place located?
Choose the correct location A–F for each place from the list.
- A. immediately on the right of the entrance
- B. straight ahead, at the far end of the entrance hall
- C. on the first floor, up the main staircase
- D. in the corner, left of the Egyptian Gallery
- E. on the right, past the cloakroom
- F. next to the exit
- 1
the cloakroom
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Answer: A — immediately on the right of the entrance
Why: The cloakroom is immediately on the right as you enter through the front doors, as stated in the passage, which matches location A on the map.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 2 “That's immediately on your right as you come in through the front doors — do use it, as large bags aren't allowed in the galleries.”
- 2
the Egyptian Gallery
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Answer: B — straight ahead, at the far end of the entrance hall
Why: The Egyptian Gallery is located straight ahead at the far end of the entrance hall, as mentioned in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 3 “Straight ahead of you, at the far end of the entrance hall, is the Egyptian Gallery.”
- 3
the Natural History Gallery
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Answer: C — on the first floor, up the main staircase
Why: The passage states that the Natural History Gallery is on the first floor, which you reach by going up the main staircase after turning left out of the entrance hall.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 4 “If you turn left out of the entrance hall and go up the main staircase, you'll reach the Natural History Gallery on the first floor.”
- 4
the café
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Answer: E — on the right, past the cloakroom
Why: The café is located on the right-hand side, just past the cloakroom, as mentioned in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 6 “The café is on the right-hand side, just past the cloakroom, overlooking the courtyard garden.”
- 5
the gift shop
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Answer: F — next to the exit
Why: The gift shop is located next to the exit, as indicated in the passage where it states, "the gift shop is right next to the exit, so you'll pass it naturally on your way out.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 6 “And if you're after a souvenir, the gift shop is right next to the exit, so you'll pass it naturally on your way out.”
Question 6: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
What is NOT permitted in the Egyptian Gallery?
- A. taking any photographs
- B. using flash photography
- C. bringing children
- 6
In the Egyptian Gallery, visitors may not use
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Answer: B — using flash photography
Why: Flash photography is not permitted in the Egyptian Gallery because the bright light can damage the ancient paintwork, as mentioned in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 7 “Photography is fine in most of the museum, but please note that in the Egyptian Gallery, flash photography is not allowed, as the bright light can damage the ancient paintwork.”
Questions 7–10: Note Completion
Practical information
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- 7
Suggested donation on entry: £(max 2 words)
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Answer: 3 (also accepted: £3 / 3 pounds)
Why: The answer is found towards the end of the passage, where Diane mentions that although entry to the museum is free, visitors are encouraged to make a suggested donation of three pounds at the collection box by the door.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 8 “Entry to the museum is free, but we do suggest a donation of three pounds if you're able to, and there's a collection box by the door.”
- 8
Adult charge for the Ancient Rome exhibition: £(max 2 words)
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Answer: 5 (also accepted: £5 / 5 pounds)
Why: The answer is found in the section where Diane mentions that the special exhibition on Ancient Rome has an entry fee, specifying that it costs five pounds for adults and is located in the gallery downstairs.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 8 “Our special exhibition on Ancient Rome, though, does have a charge — that's five pounds for adults, and it's in the gallery downstairs.”
- 9
The free highlights tour leaves from the information desk at 11 am and again at:(max 2 words)
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Answer: 2 pm (also accepted: 2pm / two pm / 2 o'clock / 14:00 / two o'clock)
Why: The answer is found near the end of the passage, where it states that the free guided tour of the highlights departs from the information desk at eleven o'clock and again at two o'clock.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 9 “It leaves from right here, by the information desk, at eleven o'clock and again at two o'clock, and it lasts about forty-five minutes.”
- 10
The guided tour lasts about ______ minutes.(max 1 word)
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Answer: 45 (also accepted: forty-five / forty five)
Why: The answer is found near the end of the passage, where it mentions that the free guided tour, which highlights the museum's features, departs twice daily and has a duration of approximately forty-five minutes.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 9 “Finally, if you'd like to learn more, there's a free guided tour of the highlights every day.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 10 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Listening conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single recording is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 10 / 10 | 9.0 |
| 9 / 10 | 8.0 |
| 8 / 10 | 7.5 |
| 7 / 10 | 6.5 |
| 6 / 10 | 6.0 |
| 5 / 10 | 5.5 |
| 4 / 10 | 5.0 |
| 3 / 10 | 4.0 |
| 2 / 10 | 3.5 |
| 1 / 10 | 2.5 |
| 0 / 10 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
Listening Part 2
- In the preparation pause, read the questions and mark the key difference between multiple-choice options, so you listen for meaning rather than matching words.
- For a map task, orient yourself before the audio starts: find the entrance or starting point, the compass if there is one, and every label already printed.
Common trap: Map disorientation: "on your left" is the speaker’s left along the route being described, not the left of the page.
Full Listening Part 2 strategyPractise “Orientation Tour of the City Museum” under exam conditions
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