Audioscripts IELTS Practice 13 Listening Test 01

Part 1

You will hear a telephone conversation between a woman who is enquiring about art classes and a receptionist at a creative arts centre.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.

[Pause]

Now Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.

Receptionist: Good morning, Riverside Creative Centre.

Woman: Oh, hello. I was wondering if you could give me some information about the art classes you run?

Receptionist: Certainly. We have a variety of courses. One of our most popular ones is the painting workshop.

Woman: OK. What does that involve?

Receptionist: Well, they focus on landscapes. And as well as teaching you how to paint them, the tutor also shows you how to choose the best location. You know, finding the right spot to set up your easel.

Woman: Right, that sounds nice. How big are the groups?

Receptionist: I'm not sure exactly, but they are usually quite small.

Woman: And could I get a private session there? I'm a bit nervous about painting in front of others.

Receptionist: Let me check. Yes, the tutor does offer one-to-one tuition, although most people find the group atmosphere is a nice way of meeting new people.

Woman: I suppose it must be, yes. And how much does it cost?

Receptionist: It's £120 for the term. But this centre has a special offer for new students. If you sign up for a second term immediately, you get a discount of 15 percent.

Woman: That sounds like a good deal. But you said there were several classes.

Receptionist: That's right. Another one you might be interested in is the Clay Studio.

Woman: Oh, I've heard of them. Have they been running long?

Receptionist: No, they're quite new. They just opened 3 months ago, but I've heard excellent feedback about them. They concentrate on teaching you to create pottery.

Woman: So is that making bowls and cups and things like that? I don't know if I'd be interested in making functional kitchenware.

Receptionist: Well, I don't think they particularly focus on making plates or mugs. It's more to do with techniques that look at artistic expression, like including different textures that make the surface rough or smooth, that sort of thing.

Woman: I see. Well, I might be interested. I'm not sure. Do they have a website I could check?

Receptionist: Yes. Just search for the name of the studio. It'll come up. And if you want to know more about them, every Friday evening they have a demonstration at the centre. It used to be on Thursdays, but they changed it recently.

Woman: Oh, what time?

Receptionist: It's free and you don't need to register. Just turn up at 6.00. And that might give you an idea of whether you want to enrol in a proper class.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.

Receptionist: OK, there's one more course you might be interested in. That's got a rather unusual name. It's called the Elmwood School.

Woman: How do you spell that?

Receptionist: That's E-L-M-W-O-O-D.

Woman: OK.

Receptionist: They've got a very good reputation. They do a bit of oil and acrylic painting, but they mostly specialise in watercolour classes.

Woman: I'd like to learn more about that. I've got a set of paints I've never used. In fact, I think I might have walked past that school yesterday. Is it in the town centre?

Receptionist: No, it's actually just by the station.

Woman: Ah, yes, I know the one. That's very convenient for me.

Receptionist: Exactly. So they don't have any problem with parking or access. And they also offer a special one-day workshop.

Woman: Oh?

Receptionist: Yes, it's specifically on how to use brushes. They cover all the different types, cleaning them, stroke techniques. It gets booked up quickly, though, so you'd need to check it was available.

Woman: Right. Well, thank you very much. I'll go and check that out.

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

Part 2

You will hear a local councillor explaining proposed changes to the town's recycling and waste management system.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 13.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 13.

Alan: Good evening, everyone. My name is Alan Fletcher, and I am the Head of the Environment Committee. We have organised this meeting to update residents on the new waste management regulations we are introducing for Northwood. I will start by outlining the reasons for these changes before we take any questions.

So, why are we overhauling the recycling system in Northwood? Well, we are very aware that landfill usage is becoming a critical issue. It has been particularly obvious with the recent closure of the nearby processing plant. But it is the overall increase in the amount of household waste that is worrying us the most. Up until now, we haven't seen a rise in illegal dumping, but that is certainly something we want to prevent in the future.

We recently conducted a survey of local households, and the feedback was quite revealing. We had anticipated complaints about the frequency of collections, especially in summer, or perhaps the smell from food waste bins, which was mentioned by a few people. But actually, the top priority for residents was the confusion over which plastics can be recycled. It seems the current guidelines are not clear enough.

We believe these new guidelines will make a significant improvement. But simply providing new bins is useless if we don't have a strategy for ensuring that everyone uses them correctly. We have managed to secure funding for the bins themselves, so there will be no extra cost to the taxpayer. What we are currently focusing on developing is an education program to ensure everyone knows exactly what goes where.

Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 14 to 20.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 14 to 20.

Alan: OK, so looking at the map of the central zone of Northwood... You can see Main Street running horizontally through the centre, and Park Avenue crossing it vertically on the right.

Let's start with the commercial bin area. At present, shops leave their bins on the main road, but delivery vans often block them. So, if you look at the top left of the map, there is a small side street leading up towards the Clinic. We have designated the new area on that side street, just before you reach the Clinic entrance. It is safer than the current situation.

Next, we have the new recycling point. We already have one on Main Street at the corner of Church Lane, on the left. But we are planning to install another one at the opposite end of Main Street. It will be located right at the junction where Main Street meets Park Avenue, on the corner facing the park.

Then there is the Cafe with restricted collection times. We have two cafes on the map. We have decided to keep the existing timetable for the Main Street cafe. However, we have introduced new restrictions for the one located on Park Avenue. So the waste trucks will only be allowed to operate there before 7 am. That's the cafe just south of the junction.

Moving on to the glass collection service. We are going to introduce a weekly service on Main Street. It will be located directly outside the Post Office. That's in the centre of Main Street, on the north side, between the bakery and the junction.

We also have a new 'no dumping' sign. This is to stop people leaving large items near the green spaces. You'll find this sign on Park Avenue, positioned right at the entrance to the Playground. It's on the east side of the road.

Now, regarding the compost collection site. We considered placing this on Park Avenue, but we concluded that it might attract pests to the park. So instead, we decided to locate it on Main Street. It is situated behind the Community Hall. You have to go down the little path at the side of the Hall to get to it.

Finally, we plan to install new litter bins. We think the best place for these is on Park Avenue. We are going to put them on the stretch of road north of the junction, on the left-hand side as you head up towards the top of the map.

Okay, so that covers the main points.

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

Part 3

You will hear two architecture students called Tom and Sarah discussing a project about designing a community centre.

First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

Sarah: We've got to finalise our design proposal for the community centre, haven't we, Tom? Were you thinking of focusing on sustainability?

Tom: That's right. I thought we could look at using recycled materials, how they can be incorporated into the structure.

Sarah: OK. Any particular reason? I know you're keen on eco-design.

Tom: Yeah, but practically every project we do involves that. No, the main reason is that there's a specific module on urban regeneration next semester that I might take, so I thought it might be useful preparation for that.

Sarah: Good idea. If I choose that module, I don't have to do the history of architecture essay.

Tom: Exactly. Well, I thought for this project we could look at the relationship between natural light and the way the building is oriented.

Sarah: OK. We would need to allow time for the computer simulations to run. That should be fine if we start now.

Tom: And I don't suppose it'd need much specialist software. We're not doing complex thermal analysis or anything.

Sarah: Though that's not really an issue. We've got access to all the programs in the computer lab. My main worry is that we need to be sure we're not duplicating someone else's idea. It'd be annoying if another group presented the same thing.

Tom: Yeah, true. By the way, the assignment's only 20% of our final mark, isn't it?

Sarah: No, it's actually 15%.

Tom: Oh, right. Better than nothing. Anyway, did you read that book on sustainable architecture on our reading list? The one by Foster?

Sarah: Hmm. I skimmed through it for my last essay, though it wasn't all that relevant there. It would be for this project, though. But to be honest, I found it quite dense. It had lots about the philosophy of design which I hadn't expected. I was hoping for more practical examples.

Tom: Yes, I'd been hoping for more case studies too. It does include references to the recent developments in solar glass, though.

Sarah: Yes, that was interesting. I read a much better article about passive heating by Dr. Chen. About buildings that store heat during the day and release it at night.

Tom: That's the one. I knew the basics, but not about the specific materials. His analysis of data comparing the insulation types and the reduction in heating bills was done in a lot of detail. Very thorough.

Sarah: Was that the article with the sketches of traditional ventilation systems? They were very clear.

Tom: I think those drawings were in another journal.

Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.

Sarah: Anyway, shall we have a look at the methodology for our project? We'll need to get started quite soon.

Tom: Right. So the first thing we have to do is select our site. I think a brownfield site would be best, and obviously it shouldn't be completely flat.

Sarah: So how many options do we need? About three different locations?

Tom: I think that would be enough. There'll be quite a few constraints for each one. Then for each site we need to find out what the soil conditions are like, and also check the access.

Sarah: And we need to keep a careful record of all that.

Tom: That'll be quite time-consuming.

Sarah: And we also need to decide how high we're going to build. You know, whether it's single storey, two floors, or maybe three.

Tom: OK, so then we start sketching. Do you think we can put the library and the cafe in the same block?

Sarah: No. I think we need a separate zone for each function.

Tom: Right, and we'll need to annotate them. We can use different coloured pens. Then we wait for the tutor's feedback. I reckon that'll be about two weeks, depending on how busy he is.

Sarah: Then we see if our plans are viable and write down how much it might cost.

Tom: Then all we have to do is look at our budget and see if there's any gap between them.

Sarah: That's right.

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 the impact of artificial lighting on wildlife.

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

(pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Lecturer: Good morning. In today's lecture, we are going to explore the topic of light pollution, and specifically how artificial lighting in urban areas is affecting local wildlife populations.

Now, for millions of years, life on Earth has evolved under a consistent cycle of light and dark. However, the introduction of electric lighting has fundamentally altered this natural rhythm. We used to assume that only nocturnal animals were affected by this change. One species which is well documented as being sensitive to light is the moth. There have been numerous studies showing how streetlights interfere with their navigation. Another affected species is the sea turtle. Hatchlings naturally use the reflection of the moon on the water to find the ocean, but they are often getting confused by the bright lights of hotels on the beachfront.

But, in fact, we are now discovering that this issue is far more widespread, impacting a vast array of animals in our cities. Ecologists are finding it particularly concerning because it is forcing them to change their behaviour in significant ways. We are not just talking about minor physical disturbances here. These animals are altering their fundamental biological processes.

Let me tell you about some of the research that has been conducted in this field. At the University of Glasgow, a team led by Dr. Davide Dominoni looked at populations of urban birds, such as robins and blackbirds. He monitored these birds over several breeding seasons, which gave him a good dataset to work with. He found that during that time, the city birds had started their morning chorus much earlier than their rural counterparts. Now, since the timing of singing is crucial for attracting a mate, it does suggest that they are trying to avoid the noise of rush hour traffic. Dominoni thinks that this shift reflects the need to be heard clearly, making the most of the quieter pre-dawn hours.

Then, over in Australia, at La Trobe University, another researcher called Kylie Robert has done some experiments with wallabies living near well-lit roads. She has found that the wallabies exposed to constant light tend to have lower levels of melatonin. This hormone regulates sleep and seasonal cycles. But there is one specific consequence that affects the urban wallabies, and that is the timing of their births. They are giving birth weeks later than normal. And if you think about it, that is quite risky for a joey being born closer to winter, simply because food is scarce.

Another scientist, Travis Longcore, at the University of Southern California, is looking at how a range of insects respond to different types of light. He has found that when they are exposed to blue-rich LED lights, their attraction increases significantly compared to the older sodium lights. It is a worrying trend. An insect that spends all its energy circling a lamp post won't be very successful at pollinating flowers.

There is just one more study I’d like to mention, which is by a team in the Netherlands. They have been looking at how bats hunt in an illuminated environment. They have found that a key part of their strategy is to avoid lit areas completely. You do see some species taking advantage of the insects around lights, but many are repelled by it. This is possibly because the bright light makes them highly visible to predators like owls.

So what are the long-term implications of this? One possibility is that we may see a decline in biodiversity. But on the other hand, it is possible that with better lighting design, we can mitigate these effects.

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