Audioscripts IELTS Practice 11 Listening Test 02

Part 1

You will hear a young woman phoning a local library about joining the reading club. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

Librarian: Good afternoon, Northfield Library. Sarah speaking.

Sophie: Oh, hello. I'm interested in joining the reading club and I was told to give you a call.

Librarian: That's good. Could I have your name, please?

Sophie: Yes, it's Sophie Green.

Librarian: Thank you. I'm Sarah, the Library Manager. So, do you know much about what the club does, Sophie?

Sophie: I've chatted to David. I think he's the leader of the group. And he told me a lot about it. How it's a way for members to discuss recent books, for example. That's what made me interested.

Librarian: Fine. Well, let me take down some of your details. First of all, how old are you? You know the club is for adults aged from 18 to 30?

Sophie: I've just turned 25.

Librarian: And where do you live, Sophie?

Sophie: Well, that's a bit complicated. At the moment, I'm staying with a friend here, so I'm in a shared house from Monday to Thursday. I go back to my own flat at the weekend.

Librarian: OK. So where's the best place to send you the membership pack?

Sophie: Oh, to my friend's address, please. That's 23 Meadow Road. M-E-A-D-O-W. Harrogate.

Librarian: Oh, I know Harrogate. And what's the postcode?

Sophie: H-G-1-5-X-Y.

Librarian: Right. Thank you. So are you working here or are you studying?

Sophie: I started a new job at the local hospital a couple of months ago. I'm a trainee nurse.

Librarian: Oh, what do you do?

Sophie: Well, I've done several different shifts. I've just finished a night rotation on the ward and now I'm working as a receptionist in the outpatient clinic.

Librarian: Uh-huh. That can't leave you much time for reading.

Sophie: Oh, it's not too bad. I always have a book in my bag.

Librarian: What are you reading?

Sophie: My passion is to write a novel eventually, so my main interest is fiction.

Librarian: And I suppose you're also reading non-fiction, aren't you? I know a lot of people read biographies too.

Sophie: Actually, I chose travel. To be honest, I'm finding it quite inspiring.

Before you hear the rest of the phone call, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.

Librarian: OK, so with your job and your writing, do you have time for any other hobbies?

Sophie: Well, I spend quite a lot of time swimming, both at the local pool to keep fit and also in the sea when I visit the coast.

Librarian: Anything else?

Sophie: For relaxation, I'm also keen on the theatre. I used to go at least once a month, but I can't afford the tickets so often now.

Librarian: Right. Are you sure you'll have enough time for the Reading Club?

Sophie: Yes, I've checked the rota and I can swap my shifts at work and that will free up the evenings.

Librarian: So is there any particular genre on the Reading Club's list that appeals to you, Sophie?

Sophie: Well, my brother is deaf, so I'm particularly interested in books about disability to try and understand his experience better.

Librarian: That's great. Well, the best way to get started is to attend an introductory meeting with some of the current members.

Sophie: Right. Can you tell me how to go about arranging that?

Librarian: I'll need to talk to Oliver, our events coordinator. I can book a slot in the meeting room with him, if you like.

Sophie: Yes, please.

Librarian: He'll be here next Wednesday, the 20th. I can fit you in early evening. Would you like to pick a time? He generally finishes around 6.30.

Sophie: Well, would 5.45 be OK? My shift ends at 5, so I'd have plenty of time to walk to the library.

Librarian: Right, that's fine. Oh, and could I have a phone number we can reach you on?

Sophie: Yes, my mobile number's 07700 900 123.

Librarian: Thank you. Well, we look forward to meeting you next week.

Sophie: Thanks very much. Goodbye.

That is the end of Part 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Part 2

You will hear a manager at a sports complex talking to two new employees on their first day.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16.

Alex: Hi, welcome to the team. I'm Alex, and I'll be supervising both of you for the first few weeks you're working here at the Riverside Sports Centre. I'll give you a brief overview of the complex now, then introduce you to some of the key personnel.

It's a modern facility, and it's been expanded several times. In fact, as you can see, we're undertaking a significant upgrade at the moment. The reception area has just been retiled, and we're about to start on the roof of the main hall. That'll be a massive project. The budget is tight, so we've had to delay buying new gym equipment. I hope you're comfortable using the existing machines.

When the centre was designed, the focus was mainly on competitive sports, and the changing rooms were quite basic. We've renovated them with individual cubicles, offering more privacy. This means slightly less space overall, but we've taken the opportunity to install lockers that can easily be accessed with a digital wristband. We've also converted a few old offices into other uses, like using them for storage.

We strive to engage the local community in the centre. One way is by offering taster sessions, so people can try out different sports and learn how to stay fit. These are extremely well-attended. What we're discovering is that people want to buy healthy snacks or a smoothie while they're here. So we're investigating the feasibility of opening a juice bar in the near future. We have a small shop, which sells swimwear and goggles, and that draws in a steady stream of buyers. Then there are two studios that will be painted next week, and they'll be available for rent, for yoga classes and private lessons, such as martial arts. We're also thinking about renting out rackets to casual tennis players.

Now I want to mention our coaching programmes. We recently launched a series of clinics that anyone can attend. Ultimately, we plan to offer courses in swimming, but we're holding off until we've recruited the appropriate instructors. That's turning out to be harder than we anticipated. There's a huge interest in learning about the tactical side of team sports, and our football clinic has already begun with excellent feedback. We're going to launch one on basketball next month. Several members have asked about clinics on nutrition, and that's something we're reviewing for next year. An unexpected hit is the workshop on archery. We happen to have a staff member who competes at a national level, and he volunteered to lead a session. It was so well-received, we're now hosting them every fortnight.

Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20.

Alex: Right, if you look at the plan on your handouts, I can guide you to some important locations. Standing here in the entrance hall, you're likely wondering why the first aid room isn't here, where visitors might look for it. Well, you might have spotted it on your way in. Although it's connected to this block, it's in the annex, with a direct exit to the ambulance bay.

For the duty manager's office, you go across the entrance hall and through the glass doors. Turn left, and it's the room at the end of the passage, with the door on the right.

The control room is where the security cameras and PA system are managed, and it's at the rear of the facility. When you're through the glass doors, turn right, turn left at the vending machine, and left again at the end. It's the first room along that passage. The control room has a view over the swimming pool, which of course is adjacent to us.

The head coach's office is through the glass doors, turn left, and it's the second room you come to on the left-hand side.

And finally, for now, the room where I'll show you next, the staff kitchen. So, if you'd like to follow me...

That is the end of Part 2. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Part 3

You will hear two geography students called Mike and Emma talking about the fieldwork project they are doing on river erosion.

First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.

Mike: I've got my data from our trip to the River Wye, Emma, so we can start putting together our presentation on the erosion rates we measured.

Emma: OK. I've got my laptop. Let's review the objectives of the study first.

Mike: Right. What did you write down?

Emma: I just noted something about understanding the various techniques used to measure river flow.

Mike: But we need something about what influences the speed of the water in different sections.

Emma: I agree. And something about identifying which areas are most at risk of flooding.

Mike: In our objectives? But we weren't really investigating that aspect.

Emma: I guess not. OK, now there's the checklist of gear we were told to bring. Why did they ask us to pack a stopwatch?

Mike: It was something about timing the float as it moved downstream. But of course we didn't use it because we were calculating depth and we'd brought the measuring staff for that.

Emma: But not the tape measure to stretch across the banks. Didn't Dr Evans get annoyed that we left that in the van?

Mike: Yeah, she went on a bit. Anyway, we borrowed one from another group. Now, the next part is the methodology. I emailed you the outline.

Emma: Yeah, um... It was good, but I don't think we need all these specifics about when we arrived and when we departed and how we assigned the roles.

Mike: OK, I'll edit that down. Then we have to explain our data collection process clearly. So let's start with how we determined the river's width. I was amazed how basic that was. I'd assumed we'd use laser rangefinders, not just hold a tape measure and shout the numbers across.

Emma: Not very scientific, but I suppose it worked. But the way we tested the acidity of the water was fascinating.

Mike: In the samples from the meander? Yeah. Oh, I wanted to verify the indicators we used in the field when we tested those vials. Was it litmus paper and universal indicator?

Emma: That's correct. OK, and we need the sketch of the river bend. You left that task to me. And I had to draw it while the water level was high. Well, that was tricky, but the spot I chose was right on the edge. Then I realised I should have stood further back to get a wider perspective, so I had to redraw it.

Mike: But at least I'd brought the waterproof notebook, or I'd have had trouble writing it all down in the rain.

Emma: Yeah, it looks professional. We could download a satellite image of the valley and see if we need to adjust our sketch.

Mike: I searched, but I couldn't find a recent one. But you took some photos, didn't you?

Emma: Yeah, I'll send you the files if you like.

Mike: OK, I'll update my diagrams using those. Then I can insert them into our slides.

Emma: Perfect!

Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.

Mike: When we discuss our results, I thought we could categorise them by the different sections we surveyed along the river and the challenges the banks face in each section. So for the upper course...

Emma: The source area. Yeah. We saw mostly large boulders that have rough surfaces that act as friction.

Mike: But not against other rocks that might smash them.

Emma: Collision. No, that's not the primary factor there, but the roughness slows the water down because it's in contact with the bed for most of the time.

Mike: Right. And since the water is slow, it needs to be able to find a path around obstacles or flow over them so it doesn't get backed up. Then in the middle and lower courses nearer the mouth, we need to talk about the impact of sediment transport.

Emma: Yes, and how the river deposits material to build up banks or even form islands by dropping the load it's carrying.

Mike: I haven't written anything on the human impact. I don't know what to include for that.

Emma: No, we weren't focusing on that. Maybe we need to consult some journals.

Mike: Good plan. I've got the handouts from Dr Evans' hydrology module, but they're too broad. But we could email her to ask which articles in the library would be most relevant.

Emma: Right. OK. Now, I wrote a summary of the limitations of our study, but I don't know if you concur. For instance, the timing of the measurements and whether doing it in winter skewed the results.

Mike: Yes, doing it in winter might have affected the results.

Emma: Right. Our general procedure for sampling seemed valid. But we might not be all that precise as far as the velocity readings go.

Mike: Yeah, we might have miscalculated the flow, if the float got stuck in weeds, for example. I wasn't confident about the way we estimated the depth. I concluded it was likely acceptable.

Emma: Yeah, and the notes we made on the bank vegetation, they weren't very comprehensive, but they were sufficient for this purpose. I'm not sure we classified all the soil types accurately, though.

Mike: OK. We should note that in the evaluation.

That is the end of Part 3. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Part 4

You will hear part of a lecture to students of civil engineering about the construction of a sports stadium.

First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Lecturer: We've been exploring the factors the engineer has to account for when planning residential structures. I'm going to shift focus now to examine the construction of large-scale sports venues, and I'll demonstrate this by referring to the new Riverview Stadium that's just been inaugurated in the capital.

So, similar to a housing project, when planning a stadium, an engineer needs to determine the capacity of the venue. For example, is it to be used primarily for football, or for athletics, or for concerts? The second element the engineer needs to evaluate is the accessibility of the site. This involves its transport links, naturally, but it also involves the environmental impact of the structure, how it affects the ecosystem it's built upon. And finally, for landmark sports venues, the engineer may also be seeking a unifying aesthetic theme on which to ground the architecture, a kind of identity for the stadium and the team that plays there.

Let's examine the new Riverview Stadium in relation to these principles. The site selected was a plot in an industrial zone that had been neglected in earlier regeneration schemes. It was previously occupied by a warehouse that had been derelict for decades. The entire district was quite far from the skyscrapers of the financial quarter and retail park, but it was merely two kilometres from the motorway. The plot itself was bounded to the south by a railway line, which had historically been used by trains transporting coal when the region was a hub for mining.

The lead engineer appointed for the job was Sarah Jenkins. She discovered the primary logistical hurdle was the isolation of the plot in a zone that lacked any adjacent infrastructure of note. To acknowledge the fact that the potential of the stadium in this rather gritty setting was still to be realized, she decided to design a structure based on the concept of a beacon, something that shines light on the surrounding area.

So, how was this manifested in the structure of the stadium? Well, Jenkins decided to prioritise public transport access to the venue and to utilize the proximity of the tracks. As fans arrive at the gate, they consequently have to pass through a tunnel. She wanted to generate a sense of anticipation as they view the pitch first from the shadows and then in full light, and the initial impact she wished to achieve from the profile of the roof as a whole was that of a wave.

The first aspect that fans encounter, the eastern facade, is simply a tall, glass surface unbroken by any pillars. This might seem stark, but it reinforces Jenkins' vision of the venue, that the spectator arriving is drawn in and curious about the atmosphere inside. And this glass facade also serves another function. During the day, it acts as a giant mirror reflecting the sky and clouds.

The seating bowl itself accommodates 50,000 spectators. The roof is suspended by twelve enormous cables. These are anchored in concrete and so are capable of withstanding any wind pressure from storms and stopping it from damaging the canopy. The seats are manufactured from recycled plastic, all collected from local waste centres. In order to enhance the viewing experience of the spectators and to improve the sightlines, the rows are not uniform; they are tiered.

The lighting is also adaptable depending on the time of day and the nature of the event being hosted. In order to facilitate this, there are hundreds of LED units in the gantry above the pitch which are all independently controlled. And the roof also has vents, which can be opened or shut to regulate the temperature.

The feedback from the fans to the new stadium has overwhelmingly been favourable. However, the review of some architectural critics has been less glowing. Despite Jenkins' attempts to integrate modern technology, they condemn the scale of the development as being excessive rather than modest, and argue it doesn't respect the history of the neighbourhood or community for which it is designed.

That is the end of Part 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers.