The Renovation of the Old Gaumont Theatre: Listening Answers & Explanations
IELTS Listening practice test · 10 questionsPart 2medium
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About this recording
The recording opens: “Good afternoon, and thank you all for coming to hear about the restoration of our much-loved Old Gaumont Theatre. My name's Rosa, and I chair the community trust that now owns the building.”
- Transcript length: about 496 words
- Questions: 10
- Question types: Matching Features, Multiple Choice, Note Completion
“The Renovation of the Old Gaumont Theatre” 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
The Renovation of the Old Gaumont Theatre answers with explanations
Questions 1–5: Matching Features
What will each part of the building become?
Choose the correct new use A–F for each part of the building and select the correct letter.
- A. a restored theatre and cinema
- B. a café open to everyone
- C. a local history exhibition
- D. a rehearsal space for community groups
- E. a workshop for building scenery
- F. office space to rent out
- 1
the main auditorium
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Answer: A — a restored theatre and cinema
Why: The main auditorium will be restored as a theatre and cinema, with the original seats repaired, as stated in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 3 “The main auditorium — the big hall with the sloping floor — will be restored as a theatre and cinema, with the original seats repaired rather than replaced, because they're rather beautiful.”
- 2
the grand foyer
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Answer: B — a café open to everyone
Why: The passage states that the grand foyer, with its lovely tiled floor, will become a café open to everyone during the day, not just to ticket-holders.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 4 “The grand foyer at the front, with its lovely tiled floor, will become a café open to everyone during the day, not just to ticket-holders.”
- 3
the old projection room
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Answer: C — a local history exhibition
Why: The old projection room is being converted into a local history exhibition, as stated in the passage: "Upstairs, what used to be the projection room...we're turning it into a little local history exhibition.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 4 “Upstairs, what used to be the projection room is too small for performances, so we're turning it into a little local history exhibition, telling the story of the building.”
- 4
the old dressing rooms
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Answer: D — a rehearsal space for community groups
Why: The passage states that the old dressing rooms, which were in a terrible state, are being converted into a rehearsal space that community groups can book cheaply in the evenings.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 5 “Behind the stage, the old dressing rooms were in a terrible state, and those we're converting into a rehearsal space that community groups can book cheaply in the evenings.”
- 5
the basement
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Answer: E — a workshop for building scenery
Why: The basement will be used as a workshop for building and painting scenery, as stated in the passage where it mentions that volunteers will work there on scenery construction.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 5 “And the basement, which once held the coal boiler, will be a workshop where our volunteers build and paint the scenery.”
Question 6: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
What does Rosa say the project needs most at the moment?
- A. money
- B. volunteers' time and skills
- C. council permission
- 6
The project's greatest current need is
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Answer: B — volunteers' time and skills
Why: Rosa emphasizes that the project most urgently needs volunteers' time and skills, especially those with practical abilities like carpentry and painting, rather than financial contributions.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 8 “We're desperate for volunteers, especially people with practical skills: carpentry, painting, electrics, that sort of thing.”
Questions 7–10: Note Completion
Facts and figures
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- 7
The trust bought the building for £______.(max 2 words)
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Answer: 1 (also accepted: one / £1)
Why: The answer is found in the passage where it states that the trust purchased the building for a symbolic price of one pound from the council.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 2 “Last spring our trust bought it for a symbolic one pound from the council, on the condition that we restore it and reopen it for the community.”
- 8
Percentage of the cost covered by the grant: ______%(max 1 word)
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Answer: 70 (also accepted: seventy)
Why: The answer is found when Rosa mentions that the National Lottery Heritage Fund grant will cover seventy percent of the total restoration cost.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 6 “The good news is that we've been awarded a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund covering seventy per cent of that.”
- 9
Cost to sponsor a seat and have a name plaque: £______(max 2 words)
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Answer: 50 (also accepted: £50 / 50 pounds / fifty)
Why: The answer is found in the section where Rosa explains the fundraising options, mentioning that for fifty pounds, a small plaque with your name can be placed on the back of one of the restored seats.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 7 “You can sponsor a seat: for fifty pounds, a small plaque with your name, or a loved one's, goes on the back of one of the restored seats.”
- 10
The first volunteer day is Saturday the ______.(max 2 words)
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Answer: 8th (also accepted: eighth / 8 / the 8th)
Why: The answer is found near the end of the passage, where Rosa corrects the leaflet information by stating that the first volunteer day is on Saturday the eighth, not the eighteenth.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 8 “And a quick correction to what's on your leaflet: our first volunteer day is Saturday the eighth, not the eighteenth, so do come along.”
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 “The Renovation of the Old Gaumont Theatre” under exam conditions
Free, auto-marked, with the audio + 10 minutes to check and an instant band estimate.
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