B2 First Listening: How to Solve Part 2 Sentence Completion 🎧
Welcome, my lovely students! 💙 In this lesson, we are going to train Part 2 of the Cambridge B2 First Listening paper. This is the sentence completion task, and the key is not to panic when you see gaps. We are going to learn how to predict, listen and write the exact information you need.
Official exam overview
| Exam | Level | Listening parts | Approx. duration | Audio repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2 First | B2 | 4 parts | Approximately 40 minutes, including 5 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 5 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 2, spelling and precision matter. Your answer must fit grammatically into the sentence, so we need to train prediction before listening.
What does Cambridge really test in Listening Part 2?
Cambridge does not only test if you “hear words”. In Part 2, it tests whether you can follow a longer talk, identify specific information and write a short answer that fits the sentence perfectly. 🎯
Specific information
You must catch exact details from the talk.
Prediction
You predict if the answer is a noun, adjective, place, activity or phrase.
Spelling
Your answer must be written clearly and correctly.
Grammar fit
The word or phrase must fit naturally into the sentence.
B2 First Listening: the 4 parts
| Part | Task type | What you hear | Questions | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Multiple choice | 8 short recordings in different situations | 8 | Main meaning, purpose, attitude and opinion |
| Part 2 | Sentence completion | One longer monologue | 10 | Specific information, spelling and grammar fit |
| Part 3 | Multiple matching | 5 short monologues | 5 | Matching speakers to meanings |
| Part 4 | Multiple choice | One longer interview or conversation | 7 | Detailed understanding and opinions |
In this lesson, we are focusing on Part 2: one longer talk with ten gaps to complete.
Before, During and After Listening 🧠
In Part 2, the sentences are your map. Before the audio starts, you can already predict a lot: the type of word, the topic and the grammar around the gap.
Before listening
- Read all the sentences quickly.
- Underline the words before and after each gap.
- Predict the answer type: noun, adjective, place, activity, object or phrase.
- Think about topic vocabulary.
First listening
- Follow the order of the sentences.
- Write possible answers quickly.
- Do not worry about perfect spelling yet.
- Leave gaps if necessary and keep listening.
Second listening
- Confirm your answers.
- Check spelling carefully.
- Check singular/plural forms.
- Make sure the answer fits grammatically.
Mini example
Sentence: Angela says the bears usually live in ________, though they can also be found in other places.
Before listening, you can predict that the answer is probably a type of place or habitat, because it follows “live in”.
The Keyword Trap: not every nearby word is the answer
In Part 2, Cambridge may mention several related words close to the answer. Your job is to complete the sentence accurately, not to write the first word you recognise.
Example
Sentence: The speaker says the programme was most useful because it improved her ________.
Audio-style sentence: “I learned new vocabulary, of course, but what really changed was my confidence when speaking.”
Correct meaning: The answer is probably confidence, not vocabulary, because the phrase “what really changed” gives the true answer.
How the trap works
| What students hear | What they write too quickly | What they should check |
|---|---|---|
| “I noticed the eyes first, but the markings on the face were more unusual.” | eyes | What exactly completes the sentence? |
| “They live in forests, although some are found in mountain areas too.” | mountain areas | Does the sentence say “usually live in” or “can also be found in”? |
| “The biggest danger is not the climate, but humans.” | climate | Listen after contrast words like “but”. |
Teacher tip 💡: In Part 2, always check the sentence around the gap. The correct answer must make sense grammatically and logically.
The sentence and the audio may not use the same words
In Part 2, the written sentence often gives you a paraphrase of what the speaker says. You must listen for the exact missing word or phrase, but the surrounding sentence may be expressed differently.
| Sentence says | Audio may say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| first interested her | what attracted my attention at the beginning | Initial reason for interest |
| markings | patterns, coloured areas, distinctive lines | Visible features on the animal |
| areas | regions, parts, places | Locations |
| usually live in | are normally found in, tend to inhabit | Typical habitat |
| biggest danger | main threat, greatest risk | Most serious problem |
| eat | feed on, live on, their diet includes | Food |
| make | build, create, construct | Produce something |
| prefer | would rather eat, choose first, like best | Favourite option |
Before listening, read the sentence and predict the topic. During listening, wait for the exact missing information. Prediction guides you, but the audio confirms the answer. 🌟
B2 Listening Part 2 Strategy: Sentence Completion
In the official sample paper, Part 2 is about Spectacled Bears. You hear a woman called Angela Thomas, who works for a wildlife organisation, talking about this animal. For questions 9–18, you complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
Official Part 2 task focus
- Topic: Spectacled Bears.
- Speaker: Angela Thomas, who works for a wildlife organisation.
- Task: complete sentences 9–18.
- Answer type: a word or short phrase.
- Skill: listening for specific information in a longer talk.
Step-by-step strategy
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the title and introduction. | They give you the topic and context before the audio starts. |
| 2 | Look at the words before and after each gap. | They tell you what grammar type is needed. |
| 3 | Predict the answer type. | You listen more actively and avoid random guessing. |
| 4 | Follow the questions in order. | The answers normally come in the same order as the audio. |
| 5 | Write a quick answer during the first listening. | You can improve spelling and form during the second listening. |
| 6 | Use the second listening to check exact words. | This prevents near-miss answers. |
| 7 | Check spelling, singular/plural and grammar fit. | A correct idea can lose the mark if it is written incorrectly. |
Teacher tip 💡: In sentence completion, the sentence is already helping you. Use it. Do not just wait for the audio passively.
Common mistakes Spanish speakers make in Part 2
In Part 2, many students understand the general idea but lose marks because the answer does not fit the sentence, the spelling is wrong, or they write too much. Let’s fix that. 💪
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Trying to translate the whole talk | Your brain gets overloaded. | Follow the gaps and listen for specific information. |
| Not predicting the answer type | You listen without a target. | Before listening, decide: noun, adjective, place, activity or phrase? |
| Writing too many words | You try to copy too much from the audio. | Write only the missing word or short phrase needed. |
| Ignoring singular and plural | You catch the word but not the form. | Check if the sentence needs “area” or “areas”, “animal” or “animals”. |
| Spelling animal or science words incorrectly | The topic vocabulary is unfamiliar. | Use the second listening to confirm spelling and write clearly. |
| Stopping after missing one gap | Panic breaks your concentration. | Leave the gap and move on. Answers come in order. |
| Writing a synonym instead of the audio word | You understand the idea but do not catch the exact word. | In Part 2, try to write the word or phrase used in the recording. |
Useful vocabulary for B2 Listening Part 2
In the official sample task, the topic is wildlife: spectacled bears. Before listening, activate topic vocabulary. This helps your brain recognise important words faster.
| Category | Useful words | Why it matters | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | markings, eyes, cheeks, face, fur, pattern | The task mentions the bear’s markings. | The animal has distinctive markings around its eyes. |
| Habitat | forest, mountain, area, region, habitat, environment | Several gaps ask where bears live or are found. | They are usually found in forest areas. |
| Behaviour | climb, build, make, behave, spend time, search for food | The task includes how bears behave and what they make. | The bears climb trees and make a platform. |
| Food | fruit, plants, tree bark, insects, meat, creatures | The official task asks about what bears eat. | Their diet includes fruit and tree bark. |
| Conservation | danger, threat, humans, hunters, protection, wildlife organisation | The talk is connected to wildlife protection. | Humans are often the biggest threat to wild animals. |
| Research | evidence, study, observation, researcher, report, book | The speaker refers to evidence and someone studying bears. | Researchers found evidence of bears in new areas. |
Teacher tip 💡: Before a Part 2 task, read the title. The title tells you which vocabulary area your brain should activate.
How to train B2 Listening Part 2 every day
Sentence completion improves when you train two things together: listening accuracy and prediction. You need to hear the word, but you also need to know what kind of word you are waiting for.
Daily 15-minute routine
- Listen once without subtitles.
- Write the main topic in one sentence.
- Listen again and write ten keywords.
- Check the transcript and highlight the exact words you missed.
- Practise spelling difficult words from the audio.
- Shadow three useful sentences out loud.
Final Part 2 checklist
Before the audio starts
- Read the title.
- Read all the sentences.
- Underline words around each gap.
- Predict the answer type.
While listening
- Follow the gaps in order.
- Write quick possible answers.
- Do not stop if you miss one.
- Listen for exact information.
After listening
- Check spelling.
- Check singular/plural.
- 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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B2 Listening Part 2 - Spectacled Bear Notes 9 to 13
Spectacled Bears
You will hear a woman called Angela Thomas, who works for a wildlife organisation, talking about the spectacled bear.