Cambridge 17 Listening Test 4 - Answers With Explanation

1. "cleaning the ___ throughout the apartment" needs a noun for a surface; "floor(s)" is the basic cleaning task covering the whole apartment.

2. "cleaning the ___ once" needs a singular noun for an appliance; "fridge" is the weekly additional service.

3. "Ironing clothes – ___ only" needs a plural noun narrowing which garments are ironed; "shirts" is the specific item covered.

4. "cleaning all the ___ from the inside" needs a plural noun for a household feature; "windows" is the monthly task, done only from indoors.

5. "Washing down the ___" needs a singular noun for an outdoor apartment feature; "balcony" is the other cleaning task listed.

6. "a plumber or an ___" needs a singular noun for another tradesperson; "electrician" is the paired professional service offered if needed.

7. "allergic to ___" needs an uncountable noun for a common allergen; "dust" is the reason for a specialised cleaning service.

8. "background check carried out by the ___" needs a noun for the checking authority; "police" is the standard vetting body.

9. "given ___ for two weeks" needs an uncountable noun for a preparation process; "training" is the onboarding period before cleaners start work.

10. "send a ___ after each visit" needs a singular noun for feedback; "review" is the customer feedback mechanism after each visit.

11. The answer, A, identifies training gaps as the overlooked cause of staff departures, rather than the more commonly assumed causes of long hours (B) or low pay (C), which serve as distractors.

12. The answer, A, points to a heavier workload for managers as the direct impact, rather than morale (B) or missed targets (C), plausible but incorrect distractors.

13. The answer, A, identifies unequal treatment of staff as the critical mistake to avoid, rather than scheduling issues (B) or understaffing (C), secondary distractors.

14. The answer, C, is the unexpected financial benefit (a rise in spending per customer), distinguishing it from a fall in complaints (A) or a rise in membership (B), both plausible distractors.

15. The Sun Club is matched to A — improving relationships and teamwork was its approach to reducing turnover.

16. The Portland is matched to C — providing career opportunities was its approach.

17. Bluewater Hotels is matched to B — offering incentives and financial benefits was its approach.

18. Pentlow Hotels is matched to C — providing career opportunities was its approach, the same category as The Portland.

19. Green Planet is matched to B — offering incentives and financial benefits was its approach.

20. The Amesbury is matched to A — improving relationships and teamwork was its approach.

21–22. The two agreed points are C (he could have worked harder) and E (fellow students admired him) — balancing a self-critical observation with a positive social one. The other options (should have felt more positive, training too challenging, parents disappointed) are distractors not confirmed as their shared points.

23–24. The two correct feelings are A (disbelief) and D (gratitude), capturing Thomas's reaction to his experience in Kenya, while relief, stress, and homesickness (B, C, E) are plausible emotional distractors not selected.

25. The table tennis bat is matched to B — its material was being mass produced for another purpose before being adopted for the bat.

26. The cricket helmet is matched to F — it was unpopular among spectators, perhaps seen as changing the traditional look of the game.

27. The cycle helmet is matched to A — it could cause excessive sweating for the wearer.

28. The golf club is matched to D — it often had to be replaced, suggesting durability issues with early materials.

29. The hockey stick is matched to C — people often needed to make their own, pointing to limited early availability.

30. The football is matched to G — it caused injuries, likely due to the materials or construction used early on.

31. "colour described as ___" needs an adjective for a colour; "golden" is the descriptive term used for maple syrup's appearance.

32. "Very ___ compared to refined sugar" needs an adjective describing a nutritional quality; "healthy" is the comparative claim made about maple syrup.

33. "growing conditions and ___" needs a singular noun paired with "conditions"; "climate" is the environmental factor best suited to maple trees in Canada/North America.

34. "used hot ___ to heat the sap" needs a plural noun for a heating method; "rock(s)" is the traditional technique of heating stones to warm sap.

35. "may not have the correct ___" needs a singular noun for a measurable tree property; "diameter" fits, since trunk width takes about 40 years to reach a tappable size.

36. "a ___ carries the sap into a bucket" needs a singular noun for the conduit; "tube" is the physical connector between the tap and the bucket.

37. "heated by means of a ___" needs a singular noun for a heat source; "fire" is the traditional heating method for evaporator pans.

38. "A lot of ___ is produced" needs an uncountable noun for a by-product of heating liquid; "steam" is the natural result of evaporating the sap.

39. "makes the syrup look ___" needs an adjective describing appearance; "cloudy" is the visual defect caused by sugar-sand sediment.

40. "make a ___ of maple syrup" needs a unit-of-volume noun; "litre" (liter) is the measurement unit, emphasising how much sap is needed relative to the syrup produced.