Cambridge IELTS 5 · Listening · Test 2 · Part 4
Antarctica — IELTS Listening Answers
All 10 answers for Antarctica, Cambridge IELTS 5 Listening Test 2 Part 4, with the transcript evidence and an explanation for each.
← All Cambridge 5 Listening Test 2 answers
Antarctica answer key at a glance
Questions 31–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this part tests
This part is tested with Note Completion (Q31–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 31–40: Note Completion
Strategy: Predict the word class from the note, find the paraphrase of the note's keyword in the transcript, then copy the answer exactly within the word limit.
“Antarctica is a place of extremes - the highest, coldest and windiest continent and over fifty-eight times the size of the UK”
Antarctica is 'over fifty-eight times the size of the UK', so the figure needed is 58.
“The ice-cap contains almost 70% of the world's fresh water and 90% of its ice, but with very low snowfall, most of the continent technically falls unbelievably into the category of 'desert'”
Despite the ice-cap, 'with very low snowfall, most of the continent technically falls ... into the category of desert'.
“Here science and technical support have been integrated in a very cost-effective way - our Antarctic research programme has several summers-only stations and two all-year-round ones; I was based on one of the all-year-round ones”
'Science and technical support have been integrated in a very cost-effective way', so science is the paired element.
“There's living and working space, a kitchen with a huge food store, a small hospital and a well-equipped gym to ensure everyone keeps fit in their spare time”
The station includes 'a small hospital and a well-equipped gym', alongside living space and a food store.
“Supplies were brought to us on large sledges from a ship fifteen kilometres away at the ice edge”
Supplies arrived on sledges 'from a ship fifteen kilometres away at the ice edge', so ship is the source.
“the buildings are placed on platforms which can be raised above the changing snow level on legs which are extendable”
The buildings rest 'on platforms which can be raised above the changing snow level on legs which are extendable'.
“Maybe you know that an adult in the UK will probably need about 1,700 kilocalories a day on average; someone in Antarctica will need about 3,500 - just over double”
A UK adult needs about 1,700 kilocalories, but 'someone in Antarctica will need about 3,500 — just over double'.
“Within this general field, surveying changes in the volume and stability of the ice-cap is vital, since these may have profound effects on world sea levels and on ocean currents”
Ice-cap changes 'may have profound effects on world sea levels and on ocean currents', so currents is the second effect.
“Thirdly, bubbles in the ice-sheet itself provide an index of pollution because frozen inside them are samples of previous atmospheres over the past 500,000 years, and these provide us with evidence for the effects of such human activities as agriculture and industry”
Bubbles in the ice 'provide an index of pollution' because samples of previous atmospheres are frozen inside them.
“There are an increasing number of opportunities for young people to work for a period in Antarctica - not only as research assistants in projects like mine, but also in a wide range of junior administrative and technical positions including vacancies for map-makers”
There are growing opportunities 'for young people to work for a period in Antarctica', including junior administrative posts.
Learn the question types in this part
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Antarctica listening section come from?
It is Part 4 of Cambridge IELTS 5 Listening Test 2, and it covers Questions 31–40.
What question types appear in Antarctica?
The part is tested with Note Completion. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.