Question Focus: Reason for adopting wind power - no external electricity supply
Correct Answer: the grid
Passage Reference: That means we're not connected to the State Electricity Commission's grid, and we have to produce our own electricity.
Why this is correct: The speaker explains that because he lives far from the city, his farm is not connected to the grid, so they must make their own electricity. This directly matches the note saying electricity was not supplied by this source.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write electricity company or city supply, but these words are not said by the speaker. You must copy the exact idea from the audio. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'not connected to the State Electricity Commission's grid' = Notes: 'electricity not supplied by the grid'
Tips: Listen carefully for negatives like not connected, as they often explain reasons.
Key Vocabulary:
- grid = electricity network
- connected = linked
Question Focus: Problem with diesel and petrol generators
Correct Answer: noise
Passage Reference: The problems with this were twofold. A lot of fuel was wasted because the generators usually didn't run to their full capacity. And more importantly to my wife, the generators were extremely noisy, especially at night.
Why this is correct: The speaker says the generators were extremely noisy, especially at night. The summary paraphrases this as excessive noise.
Common Mistake: Some students write sound or loudness, but you must use the exact word from the recording. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'extremely noisy' = Notes: 'excessive noise'
Tips: Adjectives in the audio often become nouns in summaries.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: Effectiveness of the hybrid system
Correct Answer: moderately windy sites
Passage Reference: Their farm is considerably less windy than ours, so even in moderately windy sites, the hybrid system appeared to work well.
Why this is correct: The speaker explains that even farms with less wind could use the system, saying it worked in moderately windy sites. This completes the note correctly.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write only windy sites, missing the key modifier. That changes the meaning. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'moderately windy sites' = Notes: 'successful even in moderately windy sites'
Tips: Listen for adverbs like moderately. They are important details.
Key Vocabulary:
- moderately = not very
- sites = places
Question Focus: Timeline - when change happened
Correct Answer: 1984
Passage Reference: In 1984, we found that we were rarely using our diesel generator and decided to try our hand at becoming self-sufficient in wind-generated power.
Why this is correct: The speaker clearly says In 1984 before describing stopping the diesel generator. This date matches the timeline row.
Common Mistake: Some students confuse this with 1975, when he bought the farm. This is a context shift trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'In 1984' = Table: '1984'
Tips: Write down dates as soon as you hear them. Numbers come fast.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: What they stopped using
Correct Answer: diesel generators
Passage Reference: we were rarely using our diesel generator
Why this is correct: He explains they were rarely using the diesel generator and then stopped relying on it. The note uses the plural form, which is acceptable.
Common Mistake: Some students write petrol generators, but at this point he only mentions diesel. This is a distractor trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'rarely using our diesel generator' = Notes: 'stopped operating diesel generators'
Tips: Notice when the speaker narrows focus from two things to one.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: Country supplying turbines
Correct Answer: Danish
Passage Reference: we imported four wind generators from Denmark. America and Australia were dabbling in the technology, but we were too far behind the Europeans. The benefits of wind generators were much more obvious to the Danes, and now, as a result, they supply about 50% of wind turbines around the world.
Why this is correct: The speaker says the turbines came from Denmark and explains that the Danes now supply 50 percent worldwide. Danish fits the sentence grammatically.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write Europeans, but that is a general comment, not the supplier. This is a context shift trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'from Denmark' = Notes: 'from the Danish'
Tips: Countries can appear as adjectives like Danish or nouns like Danes.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: Diagram detail - measurement type
Correct Answer: Height
Passage Reference: It is about 46 meters high, with a rotor diameter of 43.5 meters.
Why this is correct: The speaker says the turbine is 46 meters high, so the label for 46 metres must be Height.
Common Mistake: Some students write size or length, but those words are not used and are unclear. This is a paraphrase trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: '46 meters high' = Table: 'Height - 46 metres'
Tips: For tables, listen for what the number describes, not just the number.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: Annual power output
Correct Answer: 1 million
Passage Reference: It should produce over 1 million kilowatt hours per year for us.
Why this is correct: The speaker states it should produce over 1 million kilowatt hours per year. The note already includes the unit, so only the number is needed.
Common Mistake: Some students write 600 kilowatts, confusing machine size with output. This is a number trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'over 1 million kilowatt hours per year' = Notes: '1 million kilowatt hours per year'
Tips: Separate machine capacity from yearly production.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: Maintenance frequency
Correct Answer: twice
Passage Reference: we expect it to last for about 20 years with regular six-monthly maintenance.
Why this is correct: Six-monthly maintenance means twice a year. The table paraphrases this frequency.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write every six months, which is too many words and not in the table format. This is a word limit trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'six-monthly maintenance' = Table: 'twice a year'
Tips: Convert time expressions logically when needed.
Key Vocabulary:
Question Focus: Future income source
Correct Answer: selling power
Passage Reference: There is also the possibility of selling the electricity that we generate back to the Electricity Commission, but I think that is all in the future.
Why this is correct: The speaker mentions selling the electricity back to the Electricity Commission as a future possibility. This matches selling power.
Common Mistake: Some students write free electricity, which is not about income. This is a meaning trap.
Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'selling the electricity back' = Notes: 'selling power to State Electricity Commission'
Tips: Listen for phrases about future plans or possibilities.
Key Vocabulary:
- sell back = return for money
General Tips:
- FIB answers follow the order of the recording. Use the timeline to predict what comes next.
- Always check the word limit. Extra words mean automatic loss of marks.
- Write the exact word you hear, not a synonym you prefer.
- Pay attention to signpost phrases like dates and changes in time.
- Numbers and measurements often appear once only. Stay focused when you hear them.