LISTENING:

 

 

• What is the CAE Listening test like?

The test has four sections and takes about 40 minutes:

 

 

 

1. Part 1 - three short extracts from conversations with multiple-choice questions

2. Part 2 - Sentence completion

3. Part 3 - conversation with multiple-choice questions

4. Part 4 - Multiple matching

 

• Scoring

There are 30 questions in the CAE Listening Test. It makes up 20% of the entire exam.

 

• How to prepare for the CAE Listening test

 

 

1. Listen! The more English you listen to the better your will do. Listen to the radio, English language TV, podcasts...

2. Recordings may be: monologues: announcements, radio broadcasts, speeches, talks, lectures, anecdotes, etc.; or interacting speakers: radio broadcasts, interviews, discussions, etc.

3. You will hear the audio twice

4. Read the instructions carefully before you start

5. You have time to read the questions before you hear the audio

6. Think about the topic, the speaker(s) and the context as you read the questions.

 

 

 

 

 

• Part 1 - three short extracts from conversations with multiple-choice questions

 

 

In this part, you will hear short extracts from exchanges between interacting speakers with two multiple-choice questions on each extract.

 

You’ll hear two different extracts. For questions 1-4, choose the answer which fits best according to what you hear. There are two questions for each extract. You can listen to the audio twice.

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You hear two people talking about World Cup Football.

 

 

1  

What do the two people agree about?

 

 

 They believe the standard of the football is good.
 They think it is a good opportunity to socialise.
 They agree that it gives a sense of global unity.

 

2  

What, in the man’s opinion, is the best thing about this year’s tournament?

 

 It takes place in a similar time zone.
 His team are expected to do well.
 The tournament coincides with his time off from work.

You hear two people talking about why one of them became a tour guide.

 

3  

Why did the woman become a tour guide?

 

 

 She wanted the opportunity to travel to Turkey.
 She needed experience for her chosen career.
 Someone from a travel company asked her to work for him.

 

4  

What is the main reason she gives for quitting the job?

 

 She didn’t like the busy schedule.
 She didn’t have the chance to be creative.
 She didn’t like the attitudes of the tourists.

 

 

 

 

• Part 2 - Sentence completion

 

 

In this part, you will hear a monologue (which may be introduced by a presenter). You then have to complete 8 sentences with information heard on the recording. You can listen to the audio twice.

 

You will hear a radio programme about the life of the singer, Lena Horne. For questions 1-8, complete the sentences.

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The 'talented tenth' was a label given to those African Americans who had good social positions and were .

She left school and began her singing career at the well-known .

Her mother was keen that Lena's singing career would bring about the collapse of .

Lena refused to sing for audiences of servicemen and prisoners which were .

When Lena entered Hollywood, black actors were generally only hired to act in the roles of .

While she was working for Hollywood, Lena found that, during the , much of her spoken work was removed from the film.

Lena spent a lot of the 1950s working in due to her being considered a Communist.

Most people will remember Lena for her .

 

 

 

• Part 3 - conversation with multiple-choice questions

 

In this part, you will hear a conversation between two or more speakers. You then have to answer 6 multiple choice questions which test your understanding of the speakers' attitudes and opnions. You can listen to the audio twice.

 

You will hear a radio interview with the comedian Brain Conley, who does a considerable amount of work in panto, a type of family-friendly show which is popular at Christmas. For questions 1-6, choose the answer which fits best according to what you hear.

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1  

Brian likes Birmingham because:

 

 It has provided him with a steady income
 It is where he grew up
 It was where he first became famous

 

2  

When they discuss children’s participation in panto, Brian says that

 

 he prefers children not to come up on stage
 it’s important to get the parents’ permission if a child wants to participate
 he thinks that children’s participation adds a certain quality to the show

 

3  

According to Brian, the advantage of panto is that

 

 All the actors can change their lines to reflect current events.
 The qualities required in panto match his talents.
 It gives him the chance to play a comedy character.

4  

Brian became involved in comedy because

 

 He had wanted to do it since he was a child.
 His friends at school encouraged him to do it.
 He found he could earn more by doing comedy.

 

5  

What does Brian say about providing comedy for corporate events?

 

 It is easy because the audience has had a lot to drink.
 He has learnt how to respond to comments from the audience.
 It’s the only way for many comedians to find work.

 

6  

What does Brian feel with regards to nerves?

 

 He agrees with a comment someone made early in his career
 He no longer feels nervous because he is more experienced
 The extent of his nerves has changed over the years

 

 

 

 

• Part 4 - Multiple matching

 

 

In this part, you will hear five speakers.

Each speaker talks about a related topic. In this example all the speakers are talking about holidays.

There are two blocks of five matching questions.

Read the questions carefully before you listen.

You can listen to the audio twice. Click on the 'See script' button to review your answers.

 

You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about their recent holidays or breaks.

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For questions 1-5, choose from the list the type of holiday the person had.

1. Speaker 1:
2. Speaker 2:
3. Speaker 3:
4. Speaker 4:
5. Speaker 5:


For questions 6-10, choose from the list what each speaker is expressing.

6. Speaker 1:
7. Speaker 2:
8. Speaker 3:
9. Speaker 4:
10. Speaker 5:

 

• Part 5:

 

 

You'll hear a commentator talking about the importance of organic food. Complete the notes, using one word or a short phrase.

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We support naturally grown produce partly because it . Naturally grown produce is healthier than food. Whether farm animals have an illness or not, they are given growth promoting drugs, and anti-parasite drugs on a daily basis. Consumers dislike the idea of animals raised in . The use of pesticides is monitored every year, for which more than £ of public money is spent. Billions of pounds are spent on cleaning up the mess made by . are the ones who benefit from GM products. Organic food becomes less expensive as consumers . It's also important to reduce in farm workers. However, shopping is difficult, since there are competing interests.