PA P E R 4 L I S T E N I N G

General Description

Paper Format Background sounds may be included before speaking begins,

The paper contains four parts. Each part contains a recorded
text or texts and corresponding comprehension tasks.
Number of Questions
30.
to provide contextual information.
Task Types
From the following: multiple choice, note taking, blank
filling, sentence completion, multiple matching, selection
from 2 or 3 possible answers.

Text Types
Task Focus
From the following:
Understanding gist, main points, detail or specific
Monologues: answerphone/freephone messages, information, or deducing meaning.
commentaries, documentaries/features, instructions, lectures,
news, public announcements, publicity/advertisements,
Answering
reports, speeches, stories/anecdotes, talks.
Candidates indicate their answers by shading the correct
Interacting speakers: chats, conversations, discussions, lozenges or writing the required word or words on an
interviews, quizzes, radio plays, transactions. answer sheet.

Recording Information Timing

Each text is heard twice. Approximately 40 minutes.

Recordings will contain a variety of accents corresponding

Marks
to standard variants of English native speaker accent, and to
English non-native speaker accents that approximate to the Each question in this paper carries one mark.
norms of native speaker accents.

Part Task Type Number of Task Format

and Focus Questions

1 Multiple choice 8 A series of short unrelated extracts, of approximately

Gist, main points, detail,
function, location, roles and
relationships, mood, attitude,
intention, feeling or opinion
30 seconds each, from monologues or exchanges
between interacting speakers. The multiple-choice
questions have three options.

2 Note taking, blank filling or 10 A monologue or text involving interacting speakers

sentence completion and lasting approximately 3 minutes.

Gist, main points, detail or

specific information

3 Multiple matching 5 A series of short related extracts from monologues, of

approximately 30 seconds each. The multiple-
As for Part 1 matching questions require selection of the correct
option from a list of six.

4 Selection from 2 or 3 7 A monologue or text involving interacting speakers

possible answers and lasting approximately 3 minutes. The questions
require candidates to select between 2 or 3 possible
As for Part 2 answers, e.g. true/false; yes/no; three-option multiple
choice; which speaker said what, etc.

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P R E PA R I N G F O R PA P E R 4
Paper 4 has a standard structure of four parts, which helps
candidates to be clear about what they have to do in each
part. The instructions for each task are heard on the tape,
and candidates should read and listen as directed. It is worth
taking time to go right through a sample listening test, so
that students understand exactly what to expect in the
examination.
Candidates should use the questions on the page to help
predict what they will hear. This is not simply exam
technique. When listening, we all bring a variety of extra
areas of knowledge to everything we hear, whether it be the
context in which we hear it, our knowledge about the
speaker(s), or our knowledge about the subject itself. The
use of pre-listening tasks in classwork will be of great benefit
in raising awareness of this.
Candidates need to have the opportunity to hear as much
spoken English as possible, with as much variety as possible.
Leisure interests, such as music and video, should be
exploited to encourage students to listen to English outside
the classroom, as well as frequent and varied practice within
it.
Part 1
The eight questions in this part of the paper are presented
both on the question paper and on the tape, so that
candidates are led carefully through them. The testing focus
is spelt out in each question, for example:
Part 3
This is a multiple-matching task. Candidates listen to a
series of five short pieces with different speakers, which are
related in some way. For example, they may all be speaking
about aspects of the same subject, such as travel, or about
similar experiences or objects, such as journeys or vehicles.
Alternatively, the link may be functional, such as a series of
different speakers asking for information, or apologising.
Reading through the questions carefully before listening will
provide valuable support in helping candidates to focus on
the identifying aspects of each piece, and this should be
stressed in preparation and practice.
Part 4
In this part of the paper the question type may vary, but the
number is always constant at seven. The questions may
either have two alternatives (Yes/No, True/False), or three.
The latter may be in the form of three-option multiple
choice or may take the form of Who said what?, where the
conversation has two people expressing opinions, feelings
or agreement. In this task, candidates must select which
speaker expresses the opinion/feeling, etc., or whether both
agree. Alternatively, the questions might ask, for example, in
a discussion comparing three schools, Which school offers
what?, or, in a discussion about holidays, Which holiday
includes what? As in Part 2, they follow the order of the
information in the conversation. Candidates can prepare for
this part by noting down, for example, the main points of a
conversation, or predicting the content of the text from the
task.

What is her job?

What is he doing?
What are they talking about?
What emotion/attitude/feeling/opinion is being
expressed?

Candidates can prepare for this part by listening to short

extracts of speech and concentrating on understanding the
general idea or main points of what they hear.

Part 2
The ten questions in this part of the paper may take several
forms, including notes with gaps in them, incomplete
sentences, or table completion. Candidates do not need to
write a full sentence as an answer: they should use the size
of the answer boxes to guide them. Three words is normally
the maximum necessary. Minor spelling errors are not
penalised, but the candidates intention must be clear.
Candidates will not be asked to spell words which are
above the FCE level. However, where a word has been spelt
out letter by letter, for example, a proper name, and where
this would actually be a test of the candidates ability to
follow the spelling, the spelling must be correct. Preparation
for this part should include practice in selecting information
and note taking while listening.

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 2 3

Part 1 5 You overhear someone making a telephone call.

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer, Who is the woman talking to?
A, B or C.
A her employer
B her doctor 5
1 You overhear a man telling someone about his most recent holiday. C her friend

What does he say about his holiday?

6 You overhear a woman talking in a caf to a friend.
A There were too many people there.
Why did she decide to become a vegetarian?
B The heat was uncomfortable. 1
C The trips were too expensive. A to save money
B for health reasons 6
2 You hear a man talking on the radio about oil pollution at the seaside. C because she likes animals

What should people do at the moment?

7 At a hotel, you hear a tour guide addressing a group of people.
A keep away from the area
What is the main point of the guides speech?
B help clean the beach 2
PA P E R 4 L I S T E N I N G T E S T B S A M P L E PA P E R

C save some of the affected birds A to advertise the programme

B to announce timetable changes 7
3 You hear someone being interviewed on the radio about a film and a book. C to warn of possible problems

What is the man saying?

8 You hear two men talking about a new video system.
A He was glad he saw the film first.
Where is it?
B The film had a greater effect on him. 3
C He was surprised by how good the book was. A in an airport
B in a museum 8
4 You hear a sportsman talking on the radio. C in a shop

Why has he decided to give up playing?

A He has got a new job.

B He is too old. 4
C He is tired of travelling.

0100/4/2 S00 0100/4/2 S00 [Turn over

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 4 5

Part 2 Part 3

You will hear part of an interview with Paul Flynn, a young racing driver. For questions 9-18, complete You will hear five students talking about travelling around Europe using an Inter-Rail ticket. The ticket
the sentences. allows people under the age of twenty-six to travel wherever they want within Europe for one month.
For questions 19-23, choose which of the opinions A-F each speaker expresses. Use the letters only
once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.

What does Paul say about starting as a racing driver?

A It was good value for money.
As well as money, you need lots of skill and lots of 9
Speaker 1 19

B I got to see some really interesting places.

At the beginning, its risky to 10
Speaker 2 20

C I found it very tiring.

These days, not many racing drivers start off by 11
Speaker 3 21

D I enjoyed practising my language skills.

Before learning to be a racing driver, you must first obtain an ordinary
Speaker 4 22
12
E Its not something Id want to do again.

Before you can race, you must have both a special driving test and a Speaker 5 23
13 F It didnt work out as I expected.

Pauls prize for doing well at racing school was free entry to his
14

Many people are surprised that a racing track is 15

than a normal road.

New racing drivers must learn to use 16 of the track.

Paul agrees that, off the track, racing drivers are 17

A successful racing driver is a competitive person who likes winning and loves
18

0100/4/2 S00 0100/4/2 S00 [Turn over

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 6

Part 4

You will hear a conversation between two friends about restaurants. For questions 24-30, decide
which restaurant each statement refers to.

Write A for Angelinas,

B for Blaines
or C for The Chophouse.

24 It has its own car park. 24

25 There is a good choice on the menu. 25

26 It was recommended to me for the quality of its food. 26

27 The chef has had some good publicity. 27

28 It gives groups the best deal. 28

29 You can eat outdoors. 29

30 The staff are efficient. 30

0100/4/2 S00

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 PA P E R 4 T E S T B TA P E S C R I P T
Part 1
1 Female: Hi John, how was your holiday? You look
really brown.
Male: Yes, you know I just love lazing around on
the beach. I was a bit worried because it can
be, you know, unbearably hot there
sometimes, but we obviously went at the
right time.
Female: Did you do any sightseeing?
Male: I couldnt be bothered, besides, all the
excursions from the hotel cost a fortune. I
wasnt paying that. It was just nice getting
away from work, you know. It made a
change not to be surrounded by people all
wanting you to do something immediately.
You should go there, youd like it.
2 I know how upset we all are about the
terrible oil spill on our wonderful local
beach ... . You smell the oil before you get to
the seafront, and then you see it, dark, green,
brown ... and all the birds coated in it ... .
Now, people are trying to be helpful by
going to the beach and rescuing and
cleaning some birds. This is wonderful, but
Im afraid, so many people walking about is
actually interfering with the cleaning of the
beach. Therell be plenty of need for
volunteers later, Im told, but for the time
being if you want to help, the message is,
please let the specialists take care of things.
3 Interviewer: So tell listeners Jim ... how did you discover
the book?
Jim: Well, Id seen the film as a young man it
actually took America by storm if you
remember and I thought ... most films are
... can add a certain charm or attraction to a
story ... so I didnt expect the book to be as
good as the film. I still cant believe how
wrong I was ... I loved it ... and I really cant
praise it enough.
4 Reporter: So, the rumour is that youve decided to drop
out of international competitions next year?
Male: Well, when you get to your early thirties most
people in this business feel its time to be
thinking of something new like becoming a
coach, but what its really all about is that Ive
spent the past fifteen years living out of a
suitcase. Apart from a slight shoulder injury I
got last year I feel Ive been lucky up to now
and so I feel I ought to quit while Im ahead
and maybe change direction completely.
5 Well, the chemist gave me some different
tablets, because the ones the doctor gave
me were making me feel ill. But the thing is,
she said I should try and rest my wrist as
much as possible. But I just dont think
theyll be prepared to give me any time off
work. You know how busy we get this time
of year.
6 Woman 1: So, hows things, now youre a vegetarian?
Woman 2: Well, in some ways its cheaper, because
there are so many things I cant eat! Ive had
to relearn how to cook and also to look
carefully at all the food labels. Therere lots
of things youd never believe which are not
suitable for vegetarians. My family still teases
me about it they say people need meat to
stay healthy! I feel much better than I used
to, which of course was the whole point,
although I know its more common to do it
because you are an animal lover which, of
course, Im keen on too.
7 Well, before you go into dinner, Id like to
explain a bit about the programme weve
organised. As you know, all the guided tours
are included in the price of the holiday, but I
must tell you that we usually leave the hotel
quite early in the morning, so Im afraid that
on those days, it will mean we have to be up
much earlier than most of you would
normally be on holiday. If youre late, then
Im afraid well have to go without you.
Youll find all the details in the timetable of
events in your welcome packs. Thank you,
and enjoy your dinner.
8 Male 1: This system seems both efficient and user-
friendly.
Male 2: Yes, weve had a very favourable response
from the public. The screen is small but big
enough for visitors to see clearly what they
need.
Male 1: Whats the picture quality like?
Male 2: Surprisingly sharp and you can adjust the
brightness to suit your individual taste.
Male 1: Anything else you can get on it?
Male 2: Theres additional information about all the
items in the collection including those not
currently on display.
Part 2
Interviewer: How old are you, Paul?
RD: Twenty-two.
Interviewer: How long have you been a racing driver?
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RD: Well, I started racing karts, you know the
very small open racing cars that kids drive
round a special track, when I was about
twelve years old and then gradually moved
up into cars.
Interviewer: Is it a rich mans sport?
RD: Very much so! Theres three things you need
to get into it; money, and quite a bit of it,
lots of skill of course, and perhaps most
importantly of all, plenty of luck. If you
havent got one of them, then youre just not
going to make it, Im afraid.
Interviewer: So, a lot of people go to a local karting track,
dont they? Because they want to have a go,
but very few make it into racing. If you do
progress a bit, whats the next stage? Were
you spotted when you were karting?
RD: Those things dont really happen. Youve
really got to make the first moves yourself.
Interviewer: How do you do that then?
RD: There are a number of ways to do it. The first
way, which is taking a big risk, is to buy a car.
But that really is quite a risk I mean, you
might be a total failure and I couldnt have
afforded that actually. Its better to go to a
school, and what you do, you go along, and
you get a fair bit of track practice before you
start any racing. Or, and this is fairly unusual
for drivers these days, you could begin by
joining a team, if theyll accept you. Most big
teams dont take on unknown drivers, though.
Interviewer: Do you need a special licence to drive a full-
sized racing car on a racetrack?
RD: Well, first of all, you actually need a normal
driving licence, which you cant get until
youre 17, and from there you go along to
the track, where youve got to pass a special
driving test before you can race. Another
thing ... . Youve also got to have a medical
test, to say youre physically fit.
Interviewer: How did you do it then?
RD: I did a weeks course at the school, which
was quite expensive, about 2000, and at
the end of that you get your first race, which
I won, as well as coming top of the course,
which meant I won a prize. The prize was
free entry to my next three races. I won all of
those and so moved up a level.
Interviewer: When you go to the racing school, what sort
of things do they teach you?
RD: Youd be surprised. Members of the public
who come to the racing tracks, theyre
shocked because the tracks wider than a
normal road and theyre used to driving only
on one side of the road, and as soon as they
get on to a racing track, they try to do the
same, when actually youve got to use all of
it, not just half.
Interviewer: And how did you find professional racing,
when you eventually turned to that?
RD: I found it a bit scary at first. All the drivers were
very quick and I had to match their speed.
Interviewer: But theyre all good friends, the
professionals, arent they?
RD: Theyre friends off the track, but on the track,
its as if theyre total strangers. And if youre
coming into a corner, side by side, both drivers
are wanting to come out of the corner first.
Interviewer: And what do you think is the basic
ingredient of the successful racing driver?
RD: Well, of course, youve got to be
competitive. In everything I do, Ive got to be
first. Even something as silly as when Im
eating my dinner, I have to finish first, and a
racing drivers got to be competitive like
that. And also, of course, you have to be
crazy about speed. Without that, youll never
get to the top.
Interviewer: Youve committed yourself now to racing
cars, havent you Paul?
RD: Yes. I decided really to go for this and not to
stop until Id made it. So, Ive had a good start!
Part 3
Speaker One: I went by Inter-Rail this summer with a group
of friends from university. I think it worked
very well, although a few of them said theyd
never do it again I guess it wasnt quite like
they thought it was going to be not as
comfortable probably. We usually slept in
hostels or on the train so we were
completely exhausted but I think we had a
great time. Next year Ill see if I can perhaps
visit fewer places and not get so worn out.
Speaker Two: I travelled about 6,000 kilometres in four
weeks with a couple of friends from college.
We spent weeks planning out the route and all
the places we were intending to go to. Would I
do it again? Well, Id have to think carefully
about that but, on the whole the trip was good
for me as I was the official translator, which
was great as Im normally a bit shy of talking to
people I dont know. On the last night of the
holiday they treated me to a really expensive
meal for helping them out. It was terrific!
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Speaker Three: Well, I guess I had a good time now I look
back on it, and I saw eight countries in four
weeks. Everything went well but I think that
from now on Ill probably choose to do
something else. I want to meet local people
rather than just people who work for the
train service! I did get to know quite a few
other English and American students and
they were great but it didnt do much for my
French and German.
Speaker Four: I think its definitely the best way of getting
around Europe even though you have to
spend money on the Inter-Rail ticket before
you leave. I have a friend who hitch-hikes
and he says thats the only way to travel
because its free and you see more
interesting places. But I knew I could jump
on a train wherever I wanted in the morning,
while he would still be standing in the rain
hoping for a lift. So all in all I think I got the
better deal, especially as I could take the
night train and save on hotel bills.
Speaker Five: Ive done it quite a few times now and Im
used to the kind of problems that arise like
having to sleep in a park because the train
arrived too late for me to get a hostel bed, and
trying to keep to a tight budget. The mistake
people often make is to just get off at the
tourist spots. Try getting off the train at the little
villages like I do. Theyre usually fascinating
and the people are friendlier too. Even if they
dont understand your miserable attempt at
their language they still smile and nod.
Part 4
Male: You know weve been talking about where
to celebrate Annas birthday? Well, I went
along to a few restaurants yesterday and
picked up their menus.
Female: Oh, that was a good idea! So which ones
did you get?
Male: Well, I thought these three looked about the
best Angelinas, Blaines and The
Chophouse. I think we should think about
the problem of parking when we make the
decision. Blaines does have some spaces set
aside for customers, but it was a nightmare
trying to park outside The Chophouse
double yellow lines everywhere. Angelinas
is next to the public car park so that was OK.
Female: Um, youre right. Maybe we should just
encourage everyone to share cars. OK, so
lets look at the menus. I know some of
Annas friends dont eat meat.
Male: Well, I checked that they all do vegetarian
dishes, but I think Angelinas looked the
most varied. Its certainly more imaginative
than Blaines and The Chophouse, and I
think that would be the place to go to if you
wanted something a bit different. I have to
say though that one of my friends at work
was telling me that he had had a brilliant
meal in The Chophouse last month, huge
servings, and only 10 a head. Angelinas
has great food and is more fashionable with
prices to match, but of course, you feel
fashionably hungry when you leave.
Female: I should think theyre trying hard to get back
their customers after all the problems they
had last summer you remember that piece
in the paper about it having a dirty kitchen?
Male: Yes, it sounded revolting, but Im sure its OK
now its got a new chef. Blaines chef was
in the paper the other day, did you see it? He
was doing all the cooking for his sisters
wedding. Anyway, we should be careful
about choosing a place because of the chef
itll probably be his night off when we go
and some junior will be on duty. I hear
Angelinas chef is hardly ever there.
Female: Oh, look, you can get a 10 per cent discount
at Blaines if there are more than 15 of you
in a group, and Angelinas does a 10 per
cent discount and free desserts for parties of
15 or more, which is even better. The
Chophouse will decorate the room for you if
you tell them in advance.
Male: Well, I prefer a discount to a few balloons,
especially as therell be at least 20 of us. I
had a good look round when I went for the
menus, and I really liked The Chophouse. Its
just by the river and you have a great view if
you ask for a table by the window.
Female: Thats true, but what about Angelinas? It
says here we can have drinks in the garden if
the weather is fine and then either eat inside
or stay where we are.
Male: Ugh! Think of all those insects flying around!
Youd like Blaines they have a large extension
built of glass and full of plants its just like
being outside. It was closed when I first went
there to get the menu, so I went to The
Chophouse. All the staff were sitting around
in jeans and T-shirts but they certainly
seemed to know their job. They went out of
their way to be helpful. The staff at
Angelinas were a bit suspicious of me
wanting to take a menu away. They were all
very well-dressed but I think they could do
with a few lessons in customer relations!
Female: Well, which one is it going to be then?
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PA P E R 4 T E S T B A N S W E R K E Y

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

1 C 9 luck 19 C 24 B
2 A 10 buy a/the car 20 D 25 A
3 C 11 join(ing) (a/the) (racing) team 21 E 26 C
4 C 12 (driving/driver()(s)) licence 22 A 27 B
5 C 13 medical (test/exam) 23 B 28 A
6 B health test 29 A
7 C 14 next three/3 races 30 C
8 B three/3 next races
15 wider
16 all (the) (sides) (not just half) (of it)
both sides (not just half) (of it)
all parts (not just half) (of it)
17 (all) (good) friends
friendly
18 (a/the) speed
speeding

Each question is given one mark. The total score is adjusted to give a mark out of 40.

PA P E R 4 L I S T E N I N G A N S W E R S H E E T

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