Audioscripts IELTS Practice 11 Listening Test 04

Part 1

You will hear a man telephoning for information about a county fair. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 7.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 7.

Woman: Good afternoon, Oakwood Fair enquiry desk. How can I help you?

Man: Oh, hello. My wife and I are visiting the district and we've noticed some flyers about the fair this weekend. Could you give me some details about the activities, please?

Woman: Certainly.

Man: Firstly, are there still passes available for the rock concert on Friday?

Woman: There are, but only £20. The £10 standing tickets have all been snapped up.

Man: OK. And the location is the park, isn't it?

Woman: Yes, that's correct. The central park. Make sure you don't go to the sports field by mistake. And there's a guest artist who isn't listed on the flyers. Sarah Jones is going to sing with the group.

Man: Oh, I think I've seen her on TV. Doesn't she play the guitar or piano or something?

Woman: Yes, the piano. She normally performs solo. And apparently this is her debut with a rock band.

Man: Well, I'd definitely like to catch that. Then the next thing I want to query is the boat races. I saw a banner near the canal. What do they involve?

Woman: Well, you purchase a model wooden boat, or as many as you wish. They're two pounds each. And you paint your number on the side. There'll be several heats, depending on the volume of boats entered, and Mike Smith, a local celebrity chef who lives nearby, is going to signal the start. All the boats will be released into the canal at the side of the library. Then they'll drift along the water for 1 kilometre, as far as the stone bridge.

Man: And are there any rewards?

Woman: Yes. The first boat in each heat to reach the finish line earns its owner free entry for the fireworks display on the final night of the fair.

Man: You said you can buy a boat? I'm sure my nephews will both want one.

Woman: They're available at a booth in the square. You can't miss it. It's got a huge poster displaying a sailing ship.

Man: OK, I'll head there this evening. I recall driving past there earlier. Now, could you inform me about the craft exhibition, please?

Woman: Well, entry is gratis and the exhibition is being hosted in Caulfield House.

Man: Sorry, how do you spell that?

Woman: C-A-U-L-F-I-E-L-D. Caulfield.

Man: Is it simple to locate? I'm not very oriented in the town yet.

Woman: Oh, you won't have any trouble. It's right on the edge of Oakwood. It's the only brick building in that area, so it's easy to spot.

Man: I've seen it. I assume it's open all afternoon?

Woman: Yes, but if you'd like to see the trophies being presented for the best pottery, you'll need to be there at four o'clock. The trophies are being handed out by a well-known writer, James Black. He has a cottage locally and supports a lot of charity drives.

Man: Wow, I've read his books. I'll certainly attend the ceremony. Right.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 8 to 10.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 8 to 10.

Man: I've scanned a schedule of shows that are being put on this weekend, and I'd like to know which are appropriate for my nephews and which ones my wife and I might attend.

Woman: How old are the boys?

Man: Six and eight.

Woman: What about The Magic of Merlin? That's targeted at six to twelve-year-olds.

Man: So if I take the boys, can I anticipate they'll like it more than I do?

Woman: I believe so. If you'd fancy something for yourself and your wife and leave the boys with a minder, you might appreciate Shadow and Light. It's about a historical mystery that actually occurred in Oakwood 100 years ago, and young kids might find it a bit intense.

Man: Oh, thanks for the heads-up. And finally, what about Pirate Adventure?

Woman: That's a musical, and it's for all ages. In fact, it won a prize in the Regional Arts Contest a few weeks ago.

Man: OK. Well, cheers and thanks for all the details. I'm excited for the fair.

Woman: Goodbye.

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

Part 2

You will hear a guide at a science centre talking to a group of students.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16.

Sarah: Hello everyone and welcome to the Science Discovery Centre, a place with a fascinating array of displays which I'm confident you'll find engaging. My name's Sarah, and I'll introduce you to the different zones as we walk through. But before we start, let me just give you a summary of what we offer here.

Well, primarily, we have an extensive exhibition on space exploration, featuring models of rockets and satellites. I'm sure you'll spot some familiar spacecraft. This is the zone that draws the biggest crowds of students, so it's advisable to visit it first thing in the morning to avoid the queues.

Then there is the Biology wing. The centre was established fifty years ago, and several local universities contributed their research findings to help launch the project. So they hold a particular significance for us. We have a stronger connection to them than to other displays.

The robotics lab has some incredible interactive machines, but unfortunately it's currently shut for maintenance. You'll have to return next semester to experience it fully, but a few of the robots have been relocated to the main hall.

'Future Energy' is a visiting exhibition. You've likely heard about it on social media or in magazines. It's generated a lot of buzz because it showcases innovations from around the globe and offers details about their environmental impact, how they work, who benefits, and so forth.

Then there's the geology collection. This is what you might term a local specialist collection because all the rocks and minerals originate from this region and were formed millions of years ago, and many of them were found by amateur geologists exploring the countryside and gifted to the centre.

All our antique scientific instruments were bequeathed to the centre by a famous physicist when he passed away in 1950, and according to his wishes, we are prohibited from expanding that specific collection. He felt it was complete as it was, and we respect his view.

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.

Sarah: Okay, that was a brief overview of the exhibits, and now here's some logistical information, should you require it. Most of the visitor amenities are on the ground floor, so we head down the escalator here.

When you arrive at the bottom of the escalator, you'll find yourself in a reception zone with benches and information screens where you can plan your route before continuing your tour of the centre.

We have a fantastic cafeteria which offers hot meals throughout the day in a bright setting. To get there, when you reach the bottom of the escalator, walk directly forward to the opposite side of the reception zone, then turn left into the hallway. You'll see the entrance to the cafeteria in front of you.

If you only want a drink or if you'd prefer a spot with a play area for younger siblings, we also have a snack bar. When you reach the bottom of the escalator, you'll need to walk directly forward, turn left into the hallway, and the snack bar is right there on the left.

And speaking of younger children, there are family restrooms on the ground floor. Traverse the reception zone, proceed directly ahead along the hallway on the right, and you will find the facilities on the right-hand side.

The lockers, where you must store backpacks and heavy coats, are on the right-hand side of the reception zone. It's through the final door before you reach the hallway. There are washrooms on every level, but on the ground floor, they're the first doors on the right when you arrive down there.

Okay. Now, if you need to use the lockers, please do so now and then we'll begin our circuit.

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

Part 3

You will hear a student called Mark discussing his final year dissertation on sports psychology with his tutor. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.

Tutor: Hello, Mark. Take a seat. Now, before we plan your upcoming dissertation, I'd like to review the pilot study you conducted last semester for your research methods module. So, how did you select your participants for that?

Mark: Well, I recruited eight participants, all amateur athletes and all male. Five were runners, and there was also a cyclist, a swimmer and a tennis player. They were all competing at a regional level in their respective sports and they'd participated in several tournaments across the country and a couple had won medals as well.

Tutor: And they were quite young, weren't they?

Mark: Yes, between 20 and 24. The average was 22.5. I wasn't specifically looking for athletes who were members of a club, but this is something that's standard for serious amateurs and they all were.

Tutor: Right. Now, you gathered your information via video calls, didn't you?

Mark: Yes. I decided if I was going to interview active athletes, it'd only be feasible online because their training schedules are so tight. I recorded the sessions using screen capture software. I'd been concerned about the connection stability, but it was fine. I secured at least a 40-minute conversation with each person, occasionally more.

Tutor: Did doing it remotely make it less personal? I suspected it might.

Mark: It was actually quite relaxed, though, and honestly they seemed very eager to share. And I don't believe using video meant I received less detailed responses. Quite the contrary, actually.

Tutor: Fascinating. And you were investigating how athletes use visualisation before competitions.

Mark: That's correct. My study explored the way athletes perceive their mental preparation and how this is connected to the specific techniques they choose to employ. But that angle didn't appear instantly. When I began, I was more focused on attempting to measure the effect of anxiety on their performance, and also whether someone like a runner might use a different mental strategy from, say, someone playing tennis or swimming.

Tutor: It's intriguing that the choice of technique is so personal, isn't it?

Mark: Yes. You'd assume there to be standard protocols in coaching, but that's surprisingly uncommon.

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.

Tutor: You only included male athletes in your pilot. Was that because female athletes are less interested in psychology?

Mark: I think many of the women are very much engaged with psychology. But in practical terms, the access I had was more restricted. They'd likely be hesitant to participate if I approached them without a formal introduction. Now, team sports have quite different dynamics. Did you read Dr. Sarah Smith's paper about the psychology of team captains in rugby?

Tutor: No.

Mark: She highlights that a lot of captains in contact sports tend to downplay their emotions in matches and show less vulnerability, like hiding pain instead of seeking help. And she proposes this is because otherwise they'd just be dismissed as weak.

Tutor: But you could contend they're just doing what's necessary. I mean, a rugby match is typically a very physical battle.

Mark: Yes, she doesn't address that aspect, but I think you're likely correct. I was captivated by the influence of the spectators at a sporting event when it came to the level of arousal. The participants I spoke to felt this was crucial. It's all related to what we define as competition as a social ritual. They felt the crowd had specific demands and it was their duty as athletes to satisfy these demands, to demonstrate a form of respect. They weren't scared of appearing as if they'd put everything on the line.

Tutor: I suppose historically the spectators would have had those expectations of fair play too. But that's not really valid today, not in professional leagues anyway.

Mark: No. And I also became curious about what equipment designers are developing too with respect to safety gear. Athletes are quite exposed to injury, aren't they? Because the impacts they sustain are very forceful and frequent. So I'd guess some innovations in protective materials could shield the players from the potentially career-ending consequences of this kind of trauma.

Tutor: Yes, but athletes often ignore it. They reject gear that noticeably hinders their speed, but that's their limit. Anyway, returning to your main dissertation, do you have a plan for the next step?

Mark: I was considering designing a survey for coaches, involving...

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 about a method of removing pollution from contaminated water.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Lecturer: As we discussed in the previous seminar, a primary driver of environmental degradation is the increasing volume of heavy metals in our water systems over the past few decades. If we could eliminate the traces of lead and mercury, perhaps the health of aquatic ecosystems could also be restored. One promising technique involves maximizing the capability of certain wetland plants to filter toxins.

Dr. Elena Rossi, a botanist from the University of Milan in Italy, suggests that the world's natural wetlands could theoretically filter 20% of the industrial runoff in rivers, the equivalent of the volume discharged by factories in the last 20 years, and experiments are underway into how this might be implemented.

Rossi initially arrived at the concept that plants might be useful in this manner, not through a focus on water purity, but rather out of worry for the vegetation itself and the insects relying on it. Healthy wetlands are lush, green and dense and support biodiversity. But wilting can happen if water is toxic, which is a probable result if it holds excessive levels of chemicals. Wilting is naturally disastrous for farmers trying to harvest reeds or fish in those marshes.

In the 1990s, Rossi was examining marshes in Asia, so polluted with industrial waste, that the mud had become sterile, like clay. There she encountered a specialist in the field of bioremediation, who proposed that toxins from the water had accumulated in the sediment. This is now appearing increasingly probable.

Let me clarify. For millennia, chemical levels in the water have been balanced, in part, by a biological interaction between roots and bacteria, microscopic organisms in the mud. Roots draw up nutrients from the sediment and convert them into biomass and other organic structures. While a fraction of these chemical compounds stay in the roots, some migrate from the stems to leaves and shoot tissues, which lock the toxins in the plant structure.

The introduction of intensive agriculture led to the saturation of wetlands with pollutants. When farmers began draining the natural swamps and dredging them for irrigation, they disturbed the settled toxins. This remobilised the heavy metals and released them into the current. And in some regions, clearing by property developers has destroyed all buffer zones, leaking poison into the sea. Tons of pollutants have been flushed from the world's marshes where they are contained and poured into the oceans.

So, what is the solution? Scientists are now gathering proof that even minor adjustments to landscaping can substantially help to lower the concentration of metals in the water. Some councils have already begun adopting a strategy known as phytoremediation. This intends to enhance the cleansing power of wetlands and keep them functional through proven methods. These involve maintaining buffer zones along riverbanks and diversifying the species of reeds being planted. Tactics like these can dramatically boost the volume of metals trapped in the biomass, so environmental engineers are now assembling evidence for their application in fighting water pollution.

One European project into the capacity for extracting metals on industrial sites is occurring in Germany. Ecologist Hans Mueller of the University of Berlin is leading a pioneering trial on a former mining site in the region. He and his team are monitoring the impact on metal absorption of the mulch that is generated from debris, both forestry, including bark and pine needles, and waste collected in parks, such as grass clippings and hedge trimmings.

In Canada, water specialist Sarah Jenkins is trialling another potential water purification method. Jenkins and 10 volunteers are attempting to restore water quality by introducing algae that grow rapidly during summer. Like mulching, the method has already been validated in the lab. Jenkins now aims to demonstrate that it can be utilised in real lakes and that the resulting toxin reduction can be precisely calculated.

It's anticipated in the coming years that initiatives such as these will highlight the contribution that gardeners and other land owners can make in mitigating the damaging impacts of industrial effluents. For instance, in nations like China, where most manufacturing plants discharge vast quantities of wastewater, altering such entrenched practices will demand a shift in policy. Dr. Rossi contends that factories should gain tax credits, not just for the goods they manufacture, but also for the clean water they return to the ecosystem.

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