# The Short Story Competition: answers and explanations

The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Test 2, Listening Part 1

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Test 2, Listening Part 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 3000 words | but the guidelines are around 3,000 words. |
| 2 | surprise ending | But the main point of the competition is that it has to have a surprise ending. |
| 3 | 16 | you need to be 16 or over. |
| 4 | August | You need to submit your entry by the first of August. |
| 5 | COMP4SS | it's www dot COMP4SS dot com |
| 6 | post | But don't post it to us. |
| 7 | famous authors | so we are lucky to be able to use famous authors who are very interested in the competition. |
| 8 | online | they will be published online |
| 9 | public | it will be the public who will vote for their favorite story. |
| 10 | Spain | but the winner gets a trip to Spain to attend a workshop for writers. |

## Why these answers are right

**1. 3000 words.** The note asks for the approximate length of a story. Dave says the guidelines are around 3,000 words, which is the current figure, so write 3,000 words. A figure followed by one word stays inside the limit of two words and a number.

**2. surprise ending.** You need what every story must contain. Dave explains that writers may choose any topic, but the main point of the competition is that the story has to have a surprise ending, so a surprise ending is the required feature.

**3. 16.** The note asks for the minimum age. The caller says she is 18 and asks about an age limit, and Dave answers that entrants need to be 16 or over. That lower boundary, 16, is the minimum age the note wants.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/the-short-story-competition/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** You will hear a telephone conversation between the organizer of a short story competition and someone who wishes to take part in the competition.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.

**Man:** Good morning, Dave speaking.

**Woman:** Oh, hi.

**Woman:** I'm phoning about a short story competition.

**Woman:** Um. I saw an advert in a magazine, and I was just calling to get some details.

**Man:** Yeah, certainly.

**Man:** I'm the competition organizer, so I should be able to help.

**Man:** What kind of details are you looking for?

**Woman:** Well, um, does it cost anything to enter?

**Man:** Yes, there's an entry fee of GBP 5.

**Woman:** OK, that should be fine.

**Woman:** It's a short story competition, so how many words is that?

**Man:** Well, we want to give people a reasonable amount of freedom, but the guidelines are around 3,000 words.

**Woman:** Oh.

**Woman:** That sounds quite a lot.

**Man:** Well, it's not as much as it used to be.

**Man:** We did have a limit of 5,000 words, but some people thought that was too many.

**Man:** So, this year we've reduced it.

**Woman:** Right.

**Woman:** And does the story need to be about anything in particular?

**Man:** No, you can write about any topic you like.

**Man:** But the main point of the competition is that it has to have a surprise ending.

**Woman:** Oh, I see.

**Woman:** That sounds interesting.

**Woman:** I don't think I've ever written a story like that before.

**Man:** Yes, it's something we've introduced for this year's competition.

**Woman:** Right.

**Woman:** Um. I'm 18.

**Woman:** Is there any age limit?

**Man:** Yes, you need to be 16 or over.

**Man:** So, if you're 18, that's fine.

**Woman:** Great.

**Woman:** So you have the competition once a year, is that right?

**Man:** Yes, we start advertising in January.

**Man:** And the competition takes up a lot of the year.

**Man:** We give people a few months to write their story, and then it takes quite a long time to judge all the entries and to announce the winners.

**Woman:** I see.

**Woman:** So, when is the closing date for the competition?

**Woman:** It's already April.

**Woman:** I hope I'm not too late.

**Man:** No, you've still got plenty of time.

**Man:** You need to submit your entry by the first of August.

**Man:** After then, it will be too late.

**Man:** Although you can always enter next year's competition.

**Woman:** OK, good.

**Woman:** So how do I enter?

**Man:** Well, we have a website.

**Man:** And the best way to enter is to complete the entry form online.

**Man:** We also have more details of the competition on the site.

**Man:** Shall I give you the web address?

**Woman:** Yes, please.

**Man:** OK, it's www dot COMP4SS dot com, and that's the number 4, not the word four.

**Woman:** OK, thanks.

**Woman:** I've got that.

**Woman:** So I can complete the entry form online, but how do I send the story?

**Woman:** Do I print it out and send it to you?

**Man:** Well, you may want to print the story out, so you can review it.

**Man:** But don't post it to us.

**Man:** When you've finished your story, you will need to email it to us.

**Man:** The email address is on the website I gave you.

**Woman:** OK, that's fine.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you will have some time to look at the questions 7 to 10.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.

**Woman:** Can you tell me a bit about how the competition is judged, and what the prizes are?

**Man:** Yes, of course.

**Man:** Well, once we have all the entries I send them to all the judges.

**Man:** Our competition is quite popular, so we are lucky to be able to use famous authors who are very interested in the competition.

**Woman:** That's fantastic.

**Woman:** It's great to know that someone famous will be reading my story.

**Man:** Yes, that's right.

**Man:** It takes them quite a while to read through the entries, but eventually they decide on the top 5 stories.

**Woman:** I see, and what happens then?

**Man:** Well, they will be published online, so everyone can read them.

**Man:** They will not be in any order at this point.

**Man:** They will just be the five stories that the judges think are the best.

**Woman:** And do all the top 5 stories get prizes?

**Man:** No, it's just the top story.

**Man:** And the runner up.

**Woman:** So, how is the top story decided?

**Man:** Well, once the top 5 stories are available, it will be the public who will vote for their favorite story.

**Woman:** Right, I see.

**Woman:** So I need to get all my friends to vote for me then.

**Man:** Uh. Yes, that's a good idea.

**Woman:** And what is the prize?

**Man:** Well, the runner-up gets a prize of GBP 300, but the winner gets a trip to Spain to attend a workshop for writers.

**Woman:** Wow!

**Woman:** That's brilliant.

**Woman:** I'd better get writing straight away.

**Man:** Yes, good luck.

**Woman:** Thanks.

**Announcer:** That is the end of section 1.

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

[Practice The Short Story Competition](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/the-short-story-competition)