B1 Preliminary Listening: How to Solve Part 3 Gap Fill 🎧
Welcome, my lovely students! 💙 In this lesson, we are going to train Part 3 of the Cambridge B1 Preliminary Listening paper. This is the gap-fill task: you listen to one speaker and complete six missing pieces of information.
Official exam overview
| Exam | Level | Listening parts | Approx. duration | Audio repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | B1 | 4 parts | Approximately 35 minutes, including 6 minutes to transfer answers | Each piece is heard twice |
Important exam instructions
- You must answer all the questions.
- While listening, you write your answers on the question paper.
- At the end, you have 6 minutes to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet.
- You must use a pencil on the answer sheet.
- Each question carries one mark.
Teacher tip 💡: In Part 3, the sentence gives you clues before the audio starts. Look at the words before and after each gap to predict what kind of answer you need.
What does Cambridge really test in B1 Listening Part 3?
In Part 3, Cambridge tests whether you can listen to one speaker and catch specific information. You do not choose A, B or C here. You must write the missing answer in the gap. 🎯
Specific information
You listen for names, objects, places, activities or things people bought.
Grammar fit
Your answer must fit naturally into the written sentence.
Spelling
You need to write the word clearly and correctly.
Order
The answers usually appear in the same order as the questions.
B1 Preliminary Listening: the 4 parts
| Part | Task type | Questions | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Multiple choice with pictures | 1–7 | Specific information in everyday situations |
| Part 2 | Multiple choice | 8–13 | Opinion, feeling, agreement, reason and final meaning |
| Part 3 | Gap fill | 14–19 | Listening for one or two words, a number, a date or a time |
| Part 4 | Multiple choice | 20–25 | Detailed understanding in an interview |
In this lesson, we are focusing on Part 3: six gaps about Anita’s holiday in Cuba.
Before, During and After Listening 🧠
In Part 3, the written text is your map. Before the audio starts, read the title and all six sentences. The words around each gap tell you what kind of answer you need.
Before listening
- Read the title: Anita’s Holiday in Cuba.
- Read questions 14–19 quickly.
- Underline the words before and after each gap.
- Predict if you need a person, object, animal, place, product or gift.
First listening
- Follow the questions in order.
- Write quick possible answers.
- Do not worry too much about perfect spelling yet.
- If you miss one gap, leave it and continue.
Second listening
- Confirm the exact answer.
- Check spelling carefully.
- Check if the answer needs singular or plural.
- Make sure your answer fits the sentence.
Mini example
Sentence: On the swimming trip, electronic armbands kept the ________ away.
Before listening, we know the answer is probably a plural noun or a thing/animal that can be “kept away”. This prediction makes the answer easier to catch.
The Keyword Trap: not every travel word is the answer
In Part 3, you may hear several useful words close together. The correct answer is the word or phrase that completes the written sentence, not the first interesting word you hear.
Example
Sentence: Anita enjoyed visiting a farm where ________ is produced.
Audio-style sentence: “The farm was beautiful, and we learnt how coffee is grown and prepared there.”
Correct meaning: The answer would be coffee, not “farm” or “beautiful”, because the sentence asks what is produced.
How the trap works
| What students hear | What they write too quickly | What they should check |
|---|---|---|
| “The gardens were full of people looking at the flowers.” | gardens | What attracted most people? |
| “The armbands were useful because they kept insects away.” | armbands | What did the armbands keep away? |
| “In the theatre, we watched a musical show.” | theatre | What did Anita see in the theatre? |
Teacher tip 💡: Always ask: “What exactly does the gap need?” The words around the gap are more important than random words you recognise.
The Keyword Trap: not every travel word is the answer
In Part 3, you may hear several useful words close together. The correct answer is the word or phrase that completes the written sentence, not the first interesting word you hear.
Example
Sentence: Anita enjoyed visiting a farm where ________ is produced.
Audio-style sentence: “The farm was beautiful, and we learnt how coffee is grown and prepared there.”
Correct meaning: The answer would be coffee, not “farm” or “beautiful”, because the sentence asks what is produced.
How the trap works
| What students hear | What they write too quickly | What they should check |
|---|---|---|
| “The gardens were full of people looking at the flowers.” | gardens | What attracted most people? |
| “The armbands were useful because they kept insects away.” | armbands | What did the armbands keep away? |
| “In the theatre, we watched a musical show.” | theatre | What did Anita see in the theatre? |
Teacher tip 💡: Always ask: “What exactly does the gap need?” The words around the gap are more important than random words you recognise.
B1 Listening Part 3 Strategy: Gap Fill
In the official sample paper, Part 3 is called Anita’s Holiday in Cuba. You hear a radio presenter called Anita talking about her holiday in Cuba. For questions 14–19, you write the correct answer in each gap.
Official Part 3 task focus
- Questions: 14–19.
- Task type: gap fill.
- Answer length: one or two words, a number, a date or a time.
- Topic: Anita’s holiday in Cuba.
- Skill: listening for specific information and writing it accurately.
Step-by-step strategy
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the title and introduction. | They tell you the topic and speaker before listening. |
| 2 | Read all six sentences. | You get a map of the listening before it starts. |
| 3 | Look at the words around each gap. | They help you predict the grammar and meaning of the answer. |
| 4 | Follow the gaps in order. | The answers usually come in the same order as the recording. |
| 5 | Write short answers only. | The instructions allow one or two words, a number, a date or a time. |
| 6 | Use the second listening to check spelling and form. | You can confirm if the answer is singular, plural or correctly spelled. |
| 7 | Do not leave blanks. | Each question gives one mark, so every answer is an opportunity. |
Teacher tip 💡: Your mental formula for Part 3 is: gap grammar + topic clue + exact audio word.
B1 Listening Part 3 Strategy: Gap Fill
In the official sample paper, Part 3 is called Anita’s Holiday in Cuba. You hear a radio presenter called Anita talking about her holiday in Cuba. For questions 14–19, you write the correct answer in each gap.
Official Part 3 task focus
- Questions: 14–19.
- Task type: gap fill.
- Answer length: one or two words, a number, a date or a time.
- Topic: Anita’s holiday in Cuba.
- Skill: listening for specific information and writing it accurately.
Step-by-step strategy
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the title and introduction. | They tell you the topic and speaker before listening. |
| 2 | Read all six sentences. | You get a map of the listening before it starts. |
| 3 | Look at the words around each gap. | They help you predict the grammar and meaning of the answer. |
| 4 | Follow the gaps in order. | The answers usually come in the same order as the recording. |
| 5 | Write short answers only. | The instructions allow one or two words, a number, a date or a time. |
| 6 | Use the second listening to check spelling and form. | You can confirm if the answer is singular, plural or correctly spelled. |
| 7 | Do not leave blanks. | Each question gives one mark, so every answer is an opportunity. |
Teacher tip 💡: Your mental formula for Part 3 is: gap grammar + topic clue + exact audio word.
Useful vocabulary for B1 Listening Part 3
The official Part 3 is about Anita’s holiday in Cuba. This vocabulary will help you prepare for travel, nature, swimming trips, countryside activities, theatre, farms and gifts.
| Category | Useful words and phrases | What it may help you identify | Example meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | gardens, flowers, trees, plants, visitors, attraction | What attracted most people | The most popular thing in a garden. |
| Swimming trip | swimming, trip, armbands, sea, water, keep away | What the armbands protected people from | Something was stopped from coming near. |
| Countryside | countryside, farm, horse, bike, path, almost fell off | An activity where Anita nearly fell | She nearly fell from something she was riding. |
| City and theatre | capital city, theatre, show, performance, musical, dance | What Anita saw in a theatre | A performance in the capital city. |
| Farm products | farm, produced, grown, made, coffee, sugar, fruit | What is produced on a farm | A product that is made or grown there. |
| Gifts | gifts, presents, bought, took home, souvenirs, family | What Anita bought for other people | Things bought to give to friends or family. |
| Grammar clues | the ___ was, kept the ___ away, fell off a ___, bought some ___ | The form of the answer | “Bought some ___” often needs a plural noun or uncountable noun. |
Teacher tip 💡: In gap-fill tasks, vocabulary and grammar work together. The topic tells you the meaning; the sentence tells you the form.
How to train B1 Listening Part 3 every day
Part 3 improves when you train your listening and your grammar prediction at the same time. You are not only listening; you are preparing your brain to catch the exact missing word.
Daily 15-minute routine
- Read six short gap-fill sentences before listening.
- Predict the type of word needed in each gap.
- Listen once and write quick possible answers.
- Listen again and correct spelling or singular/plural forms.
- Check the transcript and highlight the exact audio words.
- Repeat two useful sentences out loud.
Final Part 3 checklist
Before the audio starts
- Read the title.
- Read all six sentences.
- Underline words around the gaps.
- Predict grammar and topic.
While listening
- Follow the gaps in order.
- Write short possible answers.
- Do not stop if you miss one.
- Listen for exact words.
After listening
- Check spelling carefully.
- Check singular and plural forms.
- Check grammar fit.
- Transfer answers carefully.
Practise with Intellego 🎧
You can also train this skill with Intellego: listen, type what you hear and get instant correction. It is perfect for building real listening accuracy, and you can find the free version here:
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B1 Listening Part 3 - Exam Practice
Question 14 - 19
For each question, write the correct answer in the gap. Write one or two words or a number or a
date or a time.
Question 14
ANITA'S HOLIDAY IN CUBA:
In the National Gardens, the 14 was the thing that attracted most people.
On the swimming trip, electronic armbands kept the 15 away.
On the day in the countryside, Anita almost fell off a 16.
In the capital city, Anita saw a 17 in a theatre.
Anita enjoyed visiting a farm where 18 is produced.
Anita bought some 19 as gifts.