# Luddites: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 18, Test 3, Listening Part 3

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 18, Test 3, Listening Part 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 21 | A, E | And ultimately, they didn't achieve anything. |
| 22 | A, E | I can see why the Luddites felt so threatened. ... I'm sure I would have felt the same. |
| 23 | B, D | And what about lower unemployment? ... I'm not so sure about that. |
| 24 | B, D | I can't see how people are about to have more leisure time |
| 25 | G | in fact there are more of them than ever ... have become far more efficient |
| 26 | E | because people's earning power has gone up, so they can afford to spend more on personal services like that |
| 27 | B | when they're given much more responsibility and higher status |
| 28 | C | roughly 25% of the population worked on the land ... Now it's less than 0.2% |
| 29 | F | now of course this sector will see huge growth |
| 30 | A | technology will certainly make most of the jobs they do now redundant |

## Why these answers are right

**21. A, E.** One opinion is A. The young woman says the Luddites ultimately did not achieve anything, and the young man agrees. Smashing the knitting machines changed nothing, so their protests were ineffective, which is what option A states.

**22. A, E.** The second opinion is E. The young man can see why the Luddites felt so threatened, and the woman says she would have felt the same. Seeing why someone reacted as they did means finding their attitude understandable.

**23. B, D.** One doubtful prediction is B. The woman asks about lower unemployment and says she is not so sure about it, and the man adds that it might happen in the long term but not in the foreseeable future. Both question whether unemployment will fall.

The why and the trap for questions 24 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/luddites/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Part 3, you will hear two business students discussing automation and the future of work.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

**Young Man:** That seminar yesterday on automation and the future of work was really good, wasn't it?

**Young Man:** Looking at the first industrial revolution in Britain in the 19th century.

**Young Man:** And seeing how people reacted to massive change was a real eye-opener.

**Young Woman:** Yes, it was interesting to hear how people felt about automation then, and what challenges they faced.

**Young Woman:** I didn't know that first started with workers in the textile industry.

**Young Man:** With those protesting workers called the Luddites, destroying their knitting machines because they were so worried about losing their jobs.

**Young Woman:** Yes.

**Young Woman:** And ultimately, they didn't achieve anything.

**Young Woman:** And anyway, industrialization created more jobs than it destroyed.

**Young Man:** Yes, that's true.

**Young Man:** But it probably didn't seem a positive thing at the time.

**Young Man:** I can see why the Luddites felt so threatened.

**Young Woman:** I know, I'm sure I would have felt the same.

**Young Woman:** The discussion about the future of work was really optimistic for a change.

**Young Woman:** I like the idea that work won't involve doing boring repetitive tasks, as robots will do all that.

**Young Woman:** Normally, you only hear negative stuff about the future.

**Young Man:** Bit too optimistic, don't you think?

**Young Man:** For example, I can't see how people are about to have more leisure time, when all the evidence shows people are spending longer than ever at work.

**Young Woman:** No, that's true.

**Young Woman:** And what about lower unemployment?

**Young Woman:** I'm not so sure about that.

**Young Man:** Perhaps in the long term, but not in the foreseeable future.

**Young Woman:** Mmm.

**Young Woman:** And I expect most people will be expected to work until they're much older.

**Young Woman:** As everyone's living much longer.

**Young Man:** That's already happening.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

**Young Woman:** I enjoyed all that stuff on how technology has changed some jobs, and how they're likely to change in the near future.

**Young Man:** Yeah, incredible, like accountants.

**Young Man:** You might think all the technological innovations would have put them out of a job, but in fact there are more of them than ever.

**Young Man:** They're still really in demand and have become far more efficient.

**Young Woman:** Right.

**Young Woman:** That was amazing.

**Young Woman:** 20 times more accountants in this country compared to the 19th century.

**Young Man:** I know.

**Young Man:** I'd never have thought the demand for hairdressing would have gone up so much in the last hundred years.

**Young Man:** One hairdresser for every 287 people now, compared to one for over 1,500.

**Young Woman:** Yeah, because people's earning power has gone up, so they can afford to spend more on personal services like that.

**Young Man:** But technology hasn't changed the actual job that much.

**Young Woman:** No, they've got hair dryers et cetera, but it's one job where you don't depend on a computer.

**Young Woman:** The kind of work that administrative staff do has changed enormously,

**Young Woman:** thanks to technology. Even 20 years ago, there were secretaries doing dictation and typing.

**Young Man:** Yes, really boring compared to these days, when they're given much more responsibility and higher status.

**Young Woman:** Mmm.

**Young Woman:** A lot of graduates go in for this kind of work now...

**Young Woman:** I'd expected there to be a much bigger change in the number of agricultural workers in the 19th century, but the 1871 census showed that roughly 25% of the population worked on the land.

**Young Man:** Yeah, I'd have assumed it would be more than 50%.

**Young Man:** Now it's less than 0.2% (nought point two percent).

**Young Woman:** Hmm, what about care workers?

**Young Man:** They barely existed in the 19th century, as people's lifespan was so much shorter, but now of course this sector will see huge growth.

**Young Woman:** Yeah, and it's hard enough to meet current demand.

**Young Woman:** The future looks quite bleak for bank clerks.

**Young Man:** They've been in decline since ATMs were introduced in the 80s, and technology will certainly make most of the jobs they do now redundant, I think.

**Young Woman:** I agree.

**Young Woman:** Although the situation may change, it's very hard to predict what will happen.

**Announcer:** That is the end of part 3.

**Announcer:** You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part 3.

[Practice Luddites](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/luddites)