# An Introduction to Volunteering and Its Impact: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 3, Listening Part 2

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 3, Listening Part 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 11 | A, E | They might even do some painting or wallpapering |
| 12 | A, E | or even do some babysitting, so that parents can go out for a while |
| 13 | B, E | most volunteers feel that what they're doing gives them a purpose in their lives |
| 14 | B, E | volunteering may be a valuable element of their CV when they're applying for jobs |
| 15 | F | The songs take the listeners back to their youth. |
| 16 | A | who had almost stopped walking altogether, by using herself as an example |
| 17 | E | So he hardly ever saw anyone, but together they go out to the cinema. |
| 18 | G | the woman decided to try it herself |
| 19 | D | he's helping them to realize that they aren't helpless, and that they can do something themselves to improve their situation |
| 20 | C | now the girl is far better at expressing herself, and at understanding other people |

## Why these answers are right

**11. A, E.** One correct activity is A. When Lucy lists ways volunteers support a struggling family, she says they might do some painting or wallpapering alongside family members. Painting and wallpapering are decorating. Shopping, option D, is only mentioned as advice on how to shop sensibly.

**12. A, E.** The second correct activity is E. Lucy says volunteers can even do some babysitting so that parents can go out for a while. Babysitting is a form of childcare. Cleaning and delivering meals, options B and C, are never mentioned in her list of tasks.

**13. B, E.** One benefit to volunteers is B. Lucy says most volunteers feel that what they do gives them a purpose in their lives. Option C is a trap: she calls volunteers lucky in her own opinion, but she does not say they realize how lucky they are.

The why and the trap for questions 14 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/an-introduction-to-volunteering-and-its-impact/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Section 2.

**Announcer:** You will hear a woman talking to a group of college students about volunteering to help other people.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Good morning, my name's Lucy Crittenden, and I'm the director of operations for an organization that arranges volunteering in this part of the country.

**Lucy Crittenden:** I'm hoping I can persuade one or two of you to become volunteers yourselves.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Let me start by briefly explaining what we mean by volunteering.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Volunteers are teenagers and adults who choose to spend some time unpaid, helping other people in some way.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Most volunteers devote two or three hours to this every week.

**Lucy Crittenden:** While a few do much more, the people they help may have physical or behavioral difficulties, for example. Volunteers can do all sorts of things, depending on their own abilities and interests.

**Lucy Crittenden:** If they're supporting a family that's struggling for example, they may be able to give them tips on cooking.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Or recommend how to plan their budget, or how to shop sensibly on their income.

**Lucy Crittenden:** They might even do some painting or wallpapering, perhaps alongside any members of the family.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Who are able to do it, or even do some babysitting, so that parents can go out for a while.

**Lucy Crittenden:** The benefit from volunteering isn't only for the people being helped, volunteers also gain from it.

**Lucy Crittenden:** They're using their skills to cope with somebody's mental or physical ill health.

**Lucy Crittenden:** And volunteering may be a valuable element of their CV when they're applying for jobs.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Employers usually look favorably on someone who's given up time to help others.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Significantly, most volunteers feel that what they're doing gives them a purpose in their lives, and in my opinion, they're lucky in that respect.

**Lucy Crittenden:** As many people don't have that feeling.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Now, I'd like to tell you what some of our volunteers have said about what they do, to give you an idea of the range of ways in which they can help people.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Habib supports an elderly lady who's beginning to show signs of dementia.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Once a week, they along with other elderly people, go to the local community center, where a group of people come in and sing.

**Lucy Crittenden:** The songs take the listeners back to their youth.

**Lucy Crittenden:** And for a little while, they can forget the difficulties that they face now.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Our volunteer Consuela is an amazing woman.

**Lucy Crittenden:** She has difficulty walking herself.

**Lucy Crittenden:** But she doesn't let that stop her.

**Lucy Crittenden:** She helps a couple of people with similar difficulties, who had almost stopped walking altogether, by using herself as an example.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Consuela encourages them to walk more and more.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Minh visits a young man who lives alone, and can't leave his home on his own.

**Lucy Crittenden:** So he hardly ever saw anyone, but together they go out to the cinema.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Or to see friends, the young man hadn't been able to visit for a long time.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Tanya visits an elderly woman once a week.

**Lucy Crittenden:** When the woman found out that Tanya is a professional dressmaker.

**Lucy Crittenden:** She got interested.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Tanya showed her some soft toys she'd made, and the woman decided to try it herself.

**Lucy Crittenden:** And now she really enjoys it, and spends hours making toys.

**Lucy Crittenden:** They're not perhaps up to Tanya's standard yet, but she gains a lot of pleasure from doing it.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Alexei is a volunteer with a family that faces a number of difficulties.

**Lucy Crittenden:** By calmly talking over possible solutions with family members, he's helping them to realize that they aren't helpless, and that they can do something themselves to improve their situation.

**Lucy Crittenden:** This has been great for their self-esteem, and the last volunteer I'll mention, though there are plenty more, is Juba.

**Lucy Crittenden:** She volunteers with a teenage girl with learning difficulties.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Who wasn't very good at talking to other people.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Juba's worked very patiently with her, and now the girl is far better at expressing herself, and at understanding other people.

**Lucy Crittenden:** OK, I hope that's given you an idea of what volunteering is all about.

**Lucy Crittenden:** Now I'd like to talk to you about...

**Announcer:** That is the end of section 2.

**Announcer:** You now have half a minute to check your answers.

[Practice An Introduction to Volunteering and Its Impact](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/an-introduction-to-volunteering-and-its-impact)