Audioscripts IELTS Practice 6 Listening Test 04

Part 1

You will hear a telephone conversation between a woman and a representative at a training academy.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

Staff: Training academy admissions. Good morning.

Caller: Hi. I'm looking for information on the marketing seminar in the spring.

Staff: 'New Trends in Marketing'?

Caller: Yes, that's the one. Could I ask you for some details about it?

Staff: Of course.

Caller: Okay. I know the seminar lasts for a whole week, but actually I can only attend for the final two days. Will that be any cheaper?

Staff: Let me check the system. Well, you could book the two days individually, but that wouldn't really save you much, as it still costs £150 for each day. In fact, if you book for the whole week, you also receive an invitation to a complimentary networking reception on the final evening, so that's likely the better package.

Caller: Right, I'll do that. How much are the fees in total?

Staff: It's £550.

Caller: All right. I'd like to book for the entire week. Now, can I settle that with a company credit card?

Staff: I'm afraid not. We don't accept those at the moment. You'll have to pay by bank transfer. Or you can send a cheque to the admissions office.

Caller: Fine. So it's probably simplest if I pay by bank transfer. Now then, what else do I need to sort out? Right. How about accommodation? I suppose that's not part of the price.

Staff: No, I'm sorry, it's not. But we do have a few single rooms available for attendees at the training centre, if you wish. Those are very basic, but if you're interested, you'll need to decide quickly because there's always a high demand for them. They are only £40 per night, but they are quite small, and you'd have to buy your own food because they don't provide you with that. But it's very practical because it's in the same complex as the lecture theatres.

Caller: Uh-huh.

Staff: Or there's a very affordable hotel, which is £85 per night, and I believe that includes your breakfast.

Caller: Is it very far from the training centre?

Staff: It would be about a fifteen-minute walk away from here.

Caller: I see. That sounds perfectly acceptable.

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.

Staff: The booking links are all in our training pack, which I'll email to you shortly.

Caller: Great. Thanks. That'll be very convenient. Oh, and can you also email me a registration form?

Staff: Of course. I'll send that over to you immediately along with the pack. Is there anything else?

Caller: Yes, actually. Can you let me know where exactly the training centre is?

Staff: Certainly. It's located on Farnham Avenue.

Caller: Farnham? Could you spell that, please?

Staff: Yes, it's F-A-R-N-H-A-M. Avenue.

Caller: Got it. Is that near the main square?

Staff: Not quite. It's right at the beginning of the road, directly opposite the art gallery. You can't miss it.

Caller: Oh, I know it. What's the best way to get there from the airport?

Staff: Well, you could take a shuttle bus. It's only a five-minute ride and will cost you £10.

Caller: That sounds easy enough. Are there any other options?

Staff: Yes, you can get the tram, which departs every twenty minutes from the terminal. Just make sure you don't take the number 24, as that heads into the city centre. You need the number 42, which takes you straight to the training centre doors.

Caller: Right. Number 42. Got that. Thanks for all your help.

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

Part 2

You will hear an introductory briefing to a group of volunteers at a national athletics championship.

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

(Pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 13.

Mark Jones: Good evening and welcome, everyone. I'm Mark Jones and I'm the volunteer coordinator here at the Athletics Stadium. We're expecting this year's National Athletics Championship to host over 20,000 spectators a day, and you are among the 300 additional volunteers recruited to help manage the event.

Now, to help things run smoothly, we have assigned you to four squads: the orange, purple, green, and blue squads. I'll explain how these are allocated, and then we'll give out colour-coded wristbands so we can recognise you in the crowds.

First of all, those who will be manning the help desks and handling all questions regarding the championship, you will be in the green squad. We've also put the merchandise staff in the green team, so you'll be selling programmes. Also within the green squad, we have recruited a vital group responsible for guiding spectators to their seats. If you have been appointed as one of our stewards, you'll be positioned in the spectator stands, generally assisting people. So, for this role, please also collect a green wristband.

Moving on to the blue squad. Those of you tasked with scanning entry passes at the gates will be placed in this team. Now, originally we planned to have the blue team handle the information tents, but we’ve actually decided to place you at the medical posts spread across the venue, ready to assist with any incidents. So you'll be receiving a blue wristband for those duties.

The majority of our catering personnel have been assigned to the orange squad. This means if you are a catering manager, or if your primary role involves being one of the food handlers, you will need an orange wristband. However, because we need so many people just to serve drinks—and this includes the coffee stand volunteers—you will actually fall under the blue squad.

Finally, those who will be directing the flow of vehicles out in the coach parks belong to the purple squad.

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.

Mark Jones: Right. Now that everyone knows their squad, I'll outline the schedule for the rest of this evening.

This welcome talk concludes at 7.30, and directly after that, you'll hear from Sarah Green from the finance department. She handles all volunteer expenses. Now, you won't be given cash for your meals, but Sarah will be handing out vouchers for the weekend, so please make sure you see her.

Following Sarah's briefing, you'll hear from David Miller, our stadium manager. He will review a map of the stadium with you. During his session, he won't be covering general health and safety, but he will walk you through the procedures for an evacuation, ensuring everyone knows where the assembly points are.

Then, at 8.30, we will take a short pause. Please don't go to the main public cafe. Instead, head up to the top floor, where the volunteers' lounge is situated, for a quick tea break.

After the break, we'll be reassembling in Room 205. We were initially going to do a practical demonstration there, but instead, you will be shown a short video about essential customer service skills.

We'll conclude the evening with refreshments. We've arranged for a light supper to be served in the press box. Just so you know, that isn't on the top floor—it's actually located down on the ground floor, and food will be available from 9.30 onwards.

After supper, you'll be formally introduced to your squad leaders. We're aiming to have you all dismissed by ten, so I'll hand over to Sarah...

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

Part 3

You will hear a conversation between a university administrator and an engineering student.

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

(Pause 30 seconds)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

Administrator: Good morning. Can I help you?

Student: Good morning. Yes, I've just switched to the Faculty of Engineering, and I'd like some information about accessing the workshops.

Administrator: Well, the Faculty of Engineering has workshops on two campuses, as I expect you're aware. This one here is the City campus, and the other is on the Riverfront.

Student: And is there a significant difference between the two facilities?

Administrator: Not really for the basic equipment. Access to 3D printers and the laser cutters is available at both locations, and each site has a variety of hand tools.

Student: Oh, yes, I understand.

Administrator: But the Riverfront campus is more focused on civil engineering infrastructure. It houses testing rigs covering most of the structures built in modern cities, along with a vast collection of construction materials.

Student: Ah, right. But I'm training to be a mechanical engineer, so I need to look at components for the 1 to 5 horsepower engine range.

Administrator: Then you've come to the right location. Here at City campus, we maintain the heavy machinery for mechanical engineering, alongside advanced systems for robotics. But naturally, you'll need to get familiar with both campuses to fully utilize our facilities.

Student: You haven't mentioned software. Is it installed on both campuses?

Administrator: The latest versions are, yes. However, if your modules require you to run older versions of the programs, you'll need to log into the online archive, which is exclusively hosted here at City campus.

Student: I see. Now, regarding reserving the machines... I'm commuting from out of town, so I'm hoping I can block out quite a long session and reduce the number of visits I have to schedule.

Administrator: Right, well, undergraduates are permitted to book two slots at a time from each campus.

Student: Only two slots?

Administrator: Only two per location.

Student: But that's four in total. Oh, I see. And how long does a single slot last?

Administrator: The standard booking duration is three hours. But of course, those periods can be extended if nobody else is waiting. You are allowed to extend any active slot a maximum of two times.

Student: Do I have to come back to the administrator's desk to do that?

Administrator: No, you can manage it via the booking portal or our mobile app. Just bear in mind you can't renew overdue slots this way; it must be done before the expiry time shown in your current booking.

Student: So, if I book two consecutive slots, I can use a machine for up to six hours. Is that what you mean?

Administrator: Yes, provided the equipment isn't pre-booked by a post-graduate.

Student: What happens if it is?

Administrator: Well, occasionally a machine is urgently reserved by another student. In that scenario, the system would send you an automated text message, and you'd be required to leave the machine within fifteen minutes. Don't forget we also close at weekends.

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

(Pause)

Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.

Student: I imagine it'll take me some time to learn what I need. There's such a lot here.

Administrator: Yes, there is. But if you need assistance getting started this term, we're running several technical skills seminars.

Student: Oh, what do they focus on?

Administrator: Let me check the schedule. The first one is dedicated to minimizing workshop hazards. Yes, here it is: how to use the equipment safely. That covers everything from protective gear to operating the heavy power tools without injury.

Student: That sounds essential. Is there anything on using digital design tools?

Administrator: Let's see. The introductory session on CAD for beginners was actually held last semester. For this current semester, the focus shifts to manufacturing, specifically designing 3D models for the printers.

Student: That sounds fascinating, too. What about the portfolio seminar I saw advertised?

Administrator: Ah, yes.

Student: What does that involve? Like, binding a physical folder of drawings?

Administrator: No, it's entirely focused on digital presentation skills. You know, building a website from scratch and learning how to embed your interactive designs into your site. Anyway, here's a flyer with the exact dates and details about all of them.

Student: Thanks a million. That'll be very helpful.

Administrator: Not at all.

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 given by a marine biologist on the subject of sharks.

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

(Pause)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Lecturer: It is a common misconception that sharks are exclusively native to tropical oceans. And you would be forgiven for thinking this, because the vast majority of shark species do indeed thrive in warmer waters. But this hasn't always been the case. If we go back 20 million years, we would find that there were sharks swimming in vast sections of the globe, spanning multiple climate zones. But now, unfortunately, only very small fragments of their former global habitat remain.

My particular area of research focuses on Basking sharks, which are a fascinating species of filter-feeding shark. Paleontologists estimate that tens of millions of years have passed since the Basking shark diverged from its ancestors and developed as a distinct species. At one time in history, the Basking shark had a much wider range than most people imagine, with records from several major ocean regions. In maritime museums today, you can observe fossilized teeth that provide evidence of their historical range. Many of these paleontological finds are millions of years old. However, records from the Southern hemisphere are much less extensive than those from the Northern hemisphere, and some historic populations appear to have declined sharply.

Over recent centuries, the numbers of Basking sharks in several regions have been affected by shifting climates and human activity. In the 20th century, sightings declined dramatically in parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Today, one of the best-documented modern populations is found in the Atlantic.

So, how can you distinguish a Basking shark from a Whale shark, a species with which you're probably much more familiar? Well, generally speaking, Basking sharks do not quite reach the impressive overall length of Whale sharks. While their mottled skin patterns might appear somewhat similar to the untrained eye, the respiratory openings present a clear distinction. While the Whale shark has a very broad mouth, the Basking shark's gill slits are noticeably wider and more elongated. Furthermore, Basking sharks possess a large, rather prominent conical snout, whereas this facial structure is completely absent in Whale sharks.

Well, I'd like to shift our focus now to the Sea of the Hebrides in Scotland. That's the exact region I've just returned from conducting my fieldwork. A specialized marine reserve was established there specifically to protect the Basking shark. It covers an area of roughly 10,000 square kilometres, the vast majority of which is open ocean. We estimate there are now around 5,000 Basking sharks residing in Scottish waters, and almost all of them congregate within the boundaries of this reserve.

But despite living in a protected zone, which effectively keeps them safe from commercial fishermen, they still face a number of modern challenges that severely threaten their future. One of these is the pervasive and ever-present danger of plastic pollution. This is an environmental crisis that has harmed many marine species, including sea turtles. And conservationists are deeply concerned that a similar ecological disaster could occur in the Sea of the Hebrides.

Scotland's sharks are particularly vulnerable to these localized threats because they rely on an incredibly narrow feeding ground. The reason for this localized congregation is quite interesting. It occurs because the entire population migrates to just a handful of specific bays. These bays were originally identified by a dedicated local scientist who took a particular interest in their migration patterns and managed to track them using acoustic tags.

When you witness a Basking shark in the wild in Scotland, the overriding sensation is one of immense power. They are incredibly majestic creatures, and you would honestly never guess that they possess such ecological fragility.

The Basking sharks don't have the Sea of the Hebrides entirely to themselves, I should add. We managed to ban cargo ships from the area, but they actually share this marine environment with a fleet of about 500 tourist boats operating in the region. A significant proportion of the sharks' natural behaviour is drastically altered by the noise generated by these vessels—the hum of engines, the ping of sonar, and so on. And they've even been documented actively diving deep to avoid humans.

One final piece of fascinating historical detail. In ancient Scotland, one of the greatest tests of courage for a coastal fisherman was to use a harpoon to catch a shark from a small wooden skiff. Now, it seems, in modern Scotland, the greatest test we face will be to see if these magnificent animals can be successfully protected.

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