Audioscripts IELTS Practice 18 Listening Test 02

Part 1

You will hear a recruitment agent giving information to a student about part-time work at a coffee shop chain.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

(pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

Agent: Good morning, take a seat. I have your file here. So, you are looking for part-time work alongside your studies, is that right?

Student: Yes, that’s right. Ideally, something in the service industry. I’ve worked in a juice bar before.

Agent: Excellent. Well, we have a few openings with a company called The Bean Hive. Have you heard of them?

Student: Oh yes, I buy my coffee there. They seem quite popular.

Agent: They are. And they are actually a fantastic employer. They offer a very competitive package for staff.

Student: Really?

Agent: Yes. For instance, obviously, you get paid for your hours, but they also provide free drinks while you are on shift. You can have as much coffee or tea as you like.

Student: That’s a definite bonus. I love coffee.

Agent: And regarding meals, you don't get them for free, unfortunately, but you do get a 50% discount on all food sold in the shop. So lunch is quite cheap.

Student: That sounds fair enough. What about the uniform? Do I need to buy anything?

Agent: They provide the branded apron and the polo shirt. You just need to provide your own black trousers. They have to be smart, so no jeans or leggings.

Student: Fine. I have a pair already.

Agent: Good. Now, regarding transport. Most of their branches are in the city centre, but if you do a closing shift which finishes after 11 pm, they will pay for a taxi to get you home safely.

Student: Oh, that’s really generous. I usually take the bus, but they stop running around then.

Agent: Exactly. Now, let’s talk about the kind of person they want. The Bean Hive prides itself on efficiency. It gets very busy, so the most important quality they are looking for is that you are reliable. They can’t afford to have staff turning up late.

Student: I understand. I’m very punctual.

Agent: Good. And finally, before we look at specific vacancies, you will need to bring in some ID. Do you have a driving licence?

Student: I don’t, actually.

Agent: That’s okay. A valid passport is also fine.

Student: Yes, I’ve got one of those.

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

(pause)

Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.

Agent: Right, let’s look at where they need people. There are two branches currently recruiting. The first one is on Hartley Street.

Student: Sorry, could you spell that for me?

Agent: Sure. It’s H-A-R-T-L-E-Y. It’s just near the central library.

Student: Ah, I know where that is.

Agent: The role there is for a Barista Support. It’s a good entry-level position.

Student: What does that involve?

Agent: Well, mainly you’d be operating the dishwasher and keeping the tables tidy. But the main responsibility is cleaning the floors. They have to be mopped every hour for safety reasons.

Student: That sounds straightforward. What’s the pay like?

Agent: It’s quite good. The starting rate is £10.50 an hour.

Student: That’s better than my last job.

Agent: And after a probationary period of three months, it goes up to £11.00. The hours are mostly weekends, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Student: Okay. What about the other branch?

Agent: The other one is a bit different. It’s their large flagship store near the train station. The job is for a Stock Assistant.

Student: Stock Assistant? So not serving customers?

Agent: Not really. This role is more about the inventory. You would be responsible for checking the delivery when the trucks arrive in the morning, making sure they’ve brought the right milk and beans.

Student: I think I might prefer that. I’m quite organized.

Agent: It’s a position of trust, so the salary is slightly higher. It’s £11.25 an hour. However, the start time is very early. You have to be there at 5.30 in the morning.

Student: 5.30 am? That is early.

Agent: Yes, but the shift finishes at 11 am, so you have the rest of the day free. And the good news is that you never have to work on Mondays, as that’s when they do their deep clean and use a different team.

Student: Hmm. I’ll have to think about the early starts, but I am interested. Could you put me forward for the Stock Assistant role?

Agent: Certainly. I’ll send your details over today.

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

Part 2

You will hear a project manager talking to local residents about the plans for the regeneration of a local park called Riverside Park.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.

(pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

Project Manager: Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming along to this town hall meeting. I’m Simon Clark, the project lead for the Riverside Park Regeneration initiative. I know many of you have lived in this area for a long time and are very passionate about what happens to our local green spaces.

I’ll start by addressing the location itself. As you know, the site we are developing—the old industrial wasteland next to the river—has been empty for decades. We did consider other locations, such as the open field near the primary school, but that was deemed too small. Some of you asked if we chose this site because of the beautiful river views. While that is a nice bonus, the main reason the council approved this site is actually historical. We want to preserve the remains of the old 19th-century textile mill that still stands there. It’s a vital part of our town’s heritage.

Now, developing this specific site does come with challenges. We aren't worried about flooding, as the new river banks have been reinforced. And fortunately, initial testing showed the poor quality of the soil wasn't as bad as we feared. However, the site is bordered on the north side by the main railway line. This means that noise from passing trains is a significant issue we’ve had to address in our design. We plan to install acoustic barriers to ensure the park remains a peaceful place.

We’ve also been gathering feedback from you, the residents, over the last three months. It’s been really interesting reading your comments. We were expecting complaints about the potential cost, but actually, most people seem happy with the budget. We also received some nice comments about the design of the children's play area. But what really surprised us was how many of you were enthusiastic about the wildlife zone. Over 70% of respondents said they specifically liked the plan to plant native wildflowers to attract bees and butterflies. That was the most popular feature by far.

However, not all feedback was completely positive. Nobody was worried about the safety of the river banks, and you were mostly satisfied with the provision of public toilets. But a few residents did express concern about local parking. They are worried that visitors to the new park will park their cars in the residential streets nearby. I want to reassure you that we are building a dedicated car park to prevent this from happening.

Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

(pause)

Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

Project Manager: Right, let’s move on to the layout. I’ve put a map of the proposed park on the screen.

Orient yourselves first. The River Ouse runs along the bottom of the map, that’s the south side. The railway line runs along the top, the north side. The Main Entrance is on the left, coming off Station Road.

Okay, let’s start with the Café. We know people love a coffee after a walk. If you enter through the Main Entrance on the left, you’ll see a path going straight ahead towards the centre. The Café is the first building you come to on your left, just before the path splits. It has a nice outdoor seating area facing the morning sun.

Next, for the fitness enthusiasts, we have an Outdoor Gym. We wanted this to be in a quiet area, away from the traffic. If you look at the top right-hand corner of the park, near the railway line, there is a cluster of trees. The Gym will be located right in that corner, nestled among the trees for shade.

We are also planning a Boat Hire centre. Obviously, this needs to be by the water. If you follow the river bank along the bottom of the map, you’ll see a small wooden jetty roughly in the middle. The Boat Hire building will be located directly next to the jetty, on the side closer to the Main Entrance.

A key feature for families is the Adventure Playground. We’ve placed this centrally so parents can keep an eye on it. If you walk from the Main Entrance and take the path that branches off to the right, you’ll see a large circular area. The playground will be inside that circle, surrounded by safety fencing.

For those interested in gardening, we have the Rose Garden. This is designed to be a sensory experience. It’s located in the south-east corner of the park. That’s the bottom right on your map. It’s located in the curve of the river, so it’s surrounded by water on two sides. It should be very peaceful.

Finally, we have the Performance Stage for summer concerts. We decided to put this near the old industrial ruins to create a dramatic backdrop. You can see the ruins marked on the map, near the top. The stage will be situated immediately in front of the ruins, facing towards the river, so the audience can sit on the grass slope.

Does anyone have any questions about the specific locations?

That is the end of part two. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part two.

Part 3

You will hear two history students, Ben and Sarah, discussing their research on the climatic event known as The Year Without a Summer.

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

(pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.

Ben: Hi Sarah. Have you finished reading the articles for our seminar on the 19th-century climate crisis?

Sarah: Hi Ben. Yes, I have. I found it absolutely fascinating. I mean, I knew that volcanoes could affect the weather, but I had no idea that one eruption in Indonesia could cause chaos across the entire globe.

Ben: You mean Mount Tambora?

Sarah: That’s the one.

Ben: Yeah. What struck me most wasn't the sheer size of the explosion, even though it was the biggest in recorded history. And it wasn't the distance the volcanic ash traveled. It was the fact that at the time, nobody knew why the weather had changed.

Sarah: Exactly. In 1816, news traveled so slowly. People in Europe and America just thought the sun was dying or it was the end of the world. They didn't make the connection to a volcano on the other side of the planet until decades later.

Ben: That lack of information must have been terrifying. But you know, despite the tragedy, the eruption actually had some unexpected positive side effects on culture. Like the literature of Mary Shelley.

Sarah: Yes! Some people think the dark weather just inspired the gloomy atmosphere of her book, or that it prevented her from traveling to Switzerland. But actually, she was already there on holiday, and the constant rain simply forced her and her friends to stay inside and write stories to pass the time.

Ben: And that’s how Frankenstein was born. It’s amazing to think that a volcano is responsible for one of the most famous horror novels.

Sarah: It influenced art too. Did you see the paintings by J.M.W. Turner?

Ben: The ones with the incredibly bright yellow and orange sunsets? I read his paintings were actually less popular than his earlier work because they looked so strange.

Sarah: Maybe, but scientists today believe those vivid colours were actually accurate depictions of the sky. The volcanic ash in the atmosphere scattered the sunlight, creating these spectacular optical effects.

Ben: So his style wasn't just based on his imagination; it actually recorded the real appearance. That’s a really interesting point to include in our presentation.

Sarah: Definitely. But we should also cover the scientific explanation. It wasn't just the density of the volcanic ash causing the darkness, was it? Or changes in the ocean currents?

Ben: No. The article I read emphasized the role of sulfur dioxide. Apparently, the volcano released millions of tons of it into the upper atmosphere. It formed an aerosol cloud that reflected sunlight back into space, cooling the Earth.

Sarah: And that cooling disrupted the major weather systems. It stopped the seasonal monsoon rains in Asia. It didn't cause constant snow there—that was North America—but it did push the jet stream south in Europe.

Ben: It’s fascinating. Some people argue the Earth's climate is highly resilient, but this event shows how easily the climate balance is disrupted. Luckily, scientists understand the 1816 event much better today.

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.

Ben: We need to break down the specific consequences for different regions, just like the professor asked.

Sarah: Okay. Let’s start with North America. The impact there was bizarre. They had heavy snow in June.

Ben: And frost in every single month of the year. Farmers lost all their crops, so thousands of families gave up and moved west to places like Ohio, looking for better land. It actually accelerated the settlement of the American West. So, a mass movement of population was the biggest outcome.

Sarah: Right. Then there’s Europe. It was already recovering from the Napoleonic Wars. You might expect something like a significant political revolution or the collapse of the banking system due to the stress.

Ben: But what actually happened?

Sarah: The harvest failed, and there were no oats to feed the horses. So, many horses died. The most shocking consequence I read about was a German inventor creating the running machine—the ancestor of the bicycle—because there were no horses to ride. The invention of a new form of transport was essentially a response to the volcano.

Ben: That is a great fact. What about China?

Sarah: They were hit hard too. The cold weather killed the rice crop in the south. But the article mentioned something interesting about the farmers' reaction. Instead of growing rice, which failed, many farmers shifted to growing poppies for opium, because it was more resistant to the cold.

Ben: Wow. So it caused a shift in agricultural crops that contributed to the future opium trade?

Sarah: It seems so. Finally, we have to mention India. The delayed monsoon didn't just cause famine; it changed the ecology of the water.

Ben: You mean the outbreak of a deadly disease?

Sarah: Yes. The drought followed by flooding created the perfect conditions for a new strain of cholera. It started in Bengal and eventually spread globally.

Ben: It’s frightening how one event can trigger such a domino effect.

Sarah: Absolutely. Well, I think we have enough material for the introduction now.

That is the end of part three. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part three.

Part 4

You will hear a design student giving a presentation on the history and development of the umbrella.

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

(pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Student: Good afternoon. For my design history project, I’ve decided to look at an object that is often taken for granted, but which has a surprisingly complex history: the humble umbrella. I chose the umbrella because it is a perfect example of how an object's function and social meaning can shift completely over time. Today, we view it purely as a practical tool to keep us dry, often buying cheap ones and throwing them away without a second thought.

However, for most of its history, the umbrella was a rare luxury item that had nothing to do with rain at all. If we go back to ancient civilizations, such as Egypt, Assyria, and China, the umbrella was used exclusively to provide shade from the sun. In these hot climates, pale skin was a sign of nobility, so this protection was essential. Furthermore, the umbrella was a potent status symbol. It wasn't something you held yourself; it was almost always carried by a servant, who would hold it over a king or a high-ranking official. The more elaborate the umbrella—often featuring tassels and fringe—the higher the status of the person beneath it.

When the umbrella was reintroduced to Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily from China, it retained this association with high status, but it acquired a very specific gender divide. In France and England, it was viewed strictly as a female accessory. For a man to carry an umbrella was considered a sign that he was physically weak. The prevailing attitude was that a true gentleman should not be afraid of getting a little wet. If it was raining heavily, a gentleman would simply hire a carriage.

This attitude began to change in the mid-18th century, thanks largely to one man: Jonas Hanway. He was an English traveller who had seen men using umbrellas in the East and decided to use one in London. For thirty years, he carried an umbrella every day, regardless of the weather. He faced ridicule and even physical abuse. In particular, the men who drove coaches—the taxi drivers of the day—saw the umbrella as a direct threat to their livelihood. They feared that if people could walk in the rain comfortably, they wouldn't pay for a ride. So, they often threw rubbish at him as he walked past. But Hanway persisted, and eventually, the stigma faded.

Technology also played a huge role in the umbrella's evolution. Early European versions were heavy and clumsy. To make the canvas fabric waterproof, it was usually coated in oil or wax, which made it smell unpleasant and stick together when folded. The frame, or 'ribs', were traditionally made of whalebone or cane, which broke easily.

The major breakthrough came in 1852, when an inventor named Samuel Fox introduced the Paragon frame. He replaced the heavy whalebone with lightweight, U-shaped ribs made of steel. This allowed the umbrella to be much slimmer and lighter. Around the same time, the fabric changed. The most expensive umbrellas were covered in silk, which was light and strong but effectively useless in heavy rain once it got soaked. For the mass market, manufacturers began using cotton and later, alpaca wool, which was durable and water-resistant.

The final step towards the modern umbrella happened in the 20th century. While the steel frame was an improvement, the umbrella was still a long, rigid stick. In the 1920s, Hans Haupt invented the telescopic pocket umbrella. This completely solved the issue of storage, allowing the device to be folded down and kept in a bag.

Today, the challenge for designers isn't about status or materials, but sustainability. Because modern umbrellas are so cheap to produce, they are treated as disposable. In fact, millions are discarded every year. The focus now is on creating umbrellas that are wind-proof and durable enough so that they don't get damaged or lost so frequently.

That is the end of part four. You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.