Tutorial: Planning a Geography Field Trip: Listening Answers & Explanations
IELTS Listening practice test · 8 questionsPart 3medium
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About this recording
The recording opens: “Right, so this is our planning meeting for the river fieldwork at Ashcombe. You're investigating how the river changes from source to mouth.”
- Transcript length: about 520 words
- Questions: 8
- Question types: Multiple Choice, Matching Features, Sentence Completion
“Tutorial: Planning a Geography Field Trip” 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
Tutorial: Planning a Geography Field Trip answers with explanations
Question 1: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
How many sites do the students finally decide to survey?
- A. three
- B. five
- C. one
- 1
The number of survey sites will be
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Answer: A — three
Why: The students decide to survey three sites after Dr Okonkwo advises that rushing five sites would result in sloppy data, and Callum agrees to focus on three sites measured carefully.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 4 (Dr Okonkwo) “Rushing five sites would give you sloppy data.”
Question 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
What safety measure does the tutor stress for the estuary site?
- A. working there only at low tide
- B. wearing waders to go in deep
- C. avoiding the estuary altogether
- 2
At the estuary the students must
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Answer: A — working there only at low tide
Why: The tutor emphasizes checking tide times and working only at low tide at the estuary because the tide comes in fast, making it an essential safety measure.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 7 (Beth) “My idea was to check the tide times in advance and only work there at low tide.”
Questions 3–5: Matching Features
Which measurement is each person responsible for?
Choose the correct person A–C for each measurement and select the correct letter.
- A. Beth
- B. Callum
- C. Priya
- 3
speed of the flow
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Answer: B — Callum
Why: Callum is responsible for measuring the speed of the flow because he has prior experience using flow meters in the lab, as mentioned in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 9 (Callum) “I've used the flow meters before in the lab, so I know how they work.”
- 4
depth of the channel
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Answer: A — Beth
Why: Beth is responsible for measuring the depth of the channel, as she mentions she doesn't mind getting her boots wet and is careful about taking readings at regular intervals across the channel.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 10 (Beth) “Then I'll do the depth readings — I don't mind getting my boots wet, and I'm careful about taking readings at regular intervals across the channel.”
- 5
width of the channel
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Answer: C — Priya
Why: Priya is assigned to measure the width of the channel because it's described as the most straightforward task, and she can quickly learn it when she joins the team, as mentioned by Dr Okonkwo.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 11 (Dr Okonkwo) “Put her on width; it's the most straightforward, using the tape measure, so she can pick it up quickly when she joins you.”
Question 6: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
How does the tutor want the results recorded in the field?
- A. typed straight into a phone
- B. on waterproof paper in pencil
- C. spoken into a voice recorder
- 6
Field results should be recorded
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Answer: B — on waterproof paper in pencil
Why: The tutor advises using waterproof paper and a pencil for recording results in the field because phones can fail in wet conditions, and pencil still writes when it's wet, unlike ink.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 13 (Dr Okonkwo) “Use waterproof paper and a pencil — pencil still writes when it's wet, ink doesn't.”
Questions 7–8: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
- 7
The students will present their findings as a ______ rather than a written report.(max 1 word)
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Answer: poster
Why: Dr Okonkwo states that instead of a written report, the students should present their findings as a poster, emphasizing the need for selectivity and the importance of using graphs to convey their data effectively.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 15 (Dr Okonkwo) “For this module, not a report — I'd like a poster.”
- 8
The tutor will decide whether to postpone the trip on ______ evening.(max 1 word)
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Answer: Wednesday
Why: The answer is found when Dr Okonkwo says they will make the final decision about postponing the trip due to weather conditions on Wednesday evening and will inform the students via email.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 17 (Dr Okonkwo) “But if there's heavy rain, the river rises fast and becomes unsafe, so I'll make the final call on Wednesday evening and email you both.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 8 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 |
|---|---|
| 8 / 8 | 9.0 |
| 7 / 8 | 8.0 |
| 6 / 8 | 7.0 |
| 5 / 8 | 6.0 |
| 4 / 8 | 5.5 |
| 3 / 8 | 4.5 |
| 2 / 8 | 4.0 |
| 1 / 8 | 2.5 |
| 0 / 8 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
Listening Part 3
- Before the audio, read the questions and note whose view each one asks about — "What does Marta think…" is answered by Marta’s words, not her tutor’s.
- Learn the voices in the first few seconds: names are always exchanged early, and attaching name to voice immediately pays off for the whole part.
Common trap: Attributing one speaker’s opinion to another, especially when a speaker summarises someone else’s view before disagreeing with it.
Full Listening Part 3 strategyPractise “Tutorial: Planning a Geography Field Trip” under exam conditions
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