Audioscripts IELTS Practice 8 Listening Test 01

Part 1

You will hear a conversation between two friends called Mark and Chloe about a summer food festival.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 and 2.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 and 2.

Chloe: Hi, Mark. Glad you're here. I've been trying to reach you all morning.

Mark: Sorry about that. I went into the cafe this morning to grab a coffee and I found something really interesting.

Chloe: What? A magazine?

Mark: No, a leaflet for a summer food festival. It's mainly Italian food. Look, I brought it with me.

Chloe: Italian food? I absolutely love pasta. Let's have a look. So what's this group mentioned on the front, 'Gusto'?

Mark: They're incredibly popular at the moment. They had a screen showing highlights of their cooking demonstrations at a stall near the cafe, so I watched them for a bit.

Chloe: Oh, do they use modern electric appliances to speed things up?

Mark: Not at all. That's the best part. You won't see any metal pans or gadgets in sight. They use amazing traditional equipment, like large clay ovens. I've never seen anything like it being used live before.

Chloe: Sounds fantastic. Shall we get tickets then?

Mark: Yes, definitely. The only issue is there aren't different ticket prices based on where you sit. It's a flat rate for all seats in the tent.

Chloe: Well, in that case, we should sit right at the front. We'd get a really good view of the cooking.

Mark: Yeah, I thought that too initially, but I'd actually recommend we grab seats at the back. It gets incredibly hot near those clay ovens, so sitting further away means you can avoid the heat. The middle section is already fully booked anyway.

Chloe: True, I didn't think of the heat. Anyway, we can figure the exact seats out when we arrive.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 3 to 10.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 3 to 10.

Chloe: So will you complete the online booking form on your laptop, or shall I do it on my tablet?

Mark: I'll do it. OK, Name: Mark Willis. Address... 52 Westville Road.

Chloe: Is that Westville with one 'L' or two?

Mark: Two. That's W-E-S-T-V-I-L-L-E. Road. Southbay. Do you remember our new postcode? I always forget it.

Chloe: Just a second. I've got it saved on my phone. Ah, it's SB4 9KT. Do you need the landline number, too?

Mark: Yes, please. I'm terrible at remembering phone numbers.

Chloe: It's 01384 662 159.

Mark: Thanks. So let's reserve two tickets for the Gusto demonstration. Okay... If you're happy that £8.50 each is reasonable, how do you feel about the wine tasting event in the afternoon?

Chloe: I wasn't entirely sure at first, but I've spotted something on the programme that might just convince me.

Mark: What's that then?

Chloe: Free snacks.

Mark: Really?

Chloe: Yes, look at this. Saturday, 12th of August. Wine tasting. Ticket £9, and it says it includes free snacks served out on the terrace.

Mark: Sounds like a great deal to me. Let's book two tickets for that.

Chloe: OK. What else? How about the Pasta Masterclass on the 18th of August?

Mark: Mario Rossi? Oh wait, I've just realized that's my football practice night. I can't miss it again.

Chloe: That's fine. I'll just have to attend that one on my own. But we can definitely go to the Italian film and dinner night together, can't we?

Mark: Yes, I'm sure Emma and Dan would love to come to that as well. Wow, £12 a ticket though. We'll need to book four tickets in total for that one.

Chloe: I wish we lived closer to the venue. Look, students, senior citizens and locals get a 40 percent discount on all events.

Mark: If only we had that luck! Let me just put my credit card details in...

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

Part 2

You will hear the events coordinator of a space observatory giving information to some group leaders who are organising a field trip.

First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.

Good morning, and thank you for inviting me to your committee meeting to present the space observatory and to outline a bit about the educational programs you can run with your youth groups there.

Let me start with some basic information about your visit. Regarding opening times, we operate every day of the week from 10 am to 6 pm. We actually used to offer late-night stargazing on Wednesdays, but due to recent staff scheduling changes, that extended session is now strictly on Tuesdays, when we keep the doors open until 10.30 pm. And actually, the only holiday in the entire calendar when we completely shut the facility is on New Year's Day.

If you bring a youth group to the observatory, upon arrival we request that you bypass the ticket desks inside and assemble with your group by the main gate. One or more of our science communicators will meet you out there and outline the safety protocols. We perform this briefing outside because our lobby is rather narrow, and we truly haven't got the space for addressing large numbers indoors without blocking the exits.

Regarding the duration of the visit, you should schedule a minimum of two hours for the core experience. This allocates 20 minutes for registration and orientation, followed by a full hour dedicated to the spectacular planetarium projection, and finally 40 minutes to explore the interactive galleries.

There are two dining areas in the complex. If you intend to purchase hot food there, you'll need to arrange your meal orders well in advance, as the kitchens can get completely overwhelmed during peak hours and they won't accept large walk-in group orders. Alternatively, beside the observatory on the grassy bank there are benches, and groups are more than welcome to unpack their own homemade sandwiches and consume them there in the sunshine.

Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.

When the groups eventually enter the observatory, we insist that bulky items are securely stowed away. Visitors must leave things like heavy coats, along with their umbrellas or skateboards, in the designated lockers before they access the main dome. I'm afraid previously we have had a few nasty accidents involving tripping hazards in the dark, so this is now a strict policy. Moreover, some of the telescope lenses are incredibly sensitive and we don't want them to be scratched by zips or buttons.

But we do supply visiting groups with clipboards containing custom-made worksheets on them. There's a huge amount that young people can discover in the observatory, and it's much more engaging for them to have a specific educational task to complete. Obviously, they'll need to remember to carry their own pen or pencil for these.

We also actively encourage visitors to record the background sounds. For teenagers who might be producing science podcasts for school, it's highly beneficial to record the audio of the control room that they can later edit into their files. Just bear in mind that flash photography is banned.

There are also several activities that groups can engage in after the main presentation. In the lecture hall on the upper level, there are back-to-back showings of animated films about the solar system. We formerly ran a practical lab with hands-on experiments—like building water rockets—but regrettably, that entire room was damaged recently when lightning struck the local grid, causing a massive power surge. So that space is entirely unavailable for now.

However, we do offer a state-of-the-art virtual reality suite where visitors can wear headsets and experience a selection of astronaut simulations. These simulations educate the users about the extreme physical challenges of space travel; specifically, how they manage gravity, perform delicate exterior repairs, and dock safely with space stations.

And I believe that covers the essential points. Please do not hesitate to raise any queries.

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 Marcus talking to his tutor about a draft proposal he has written for a competition.

First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

Tutor: Right, Marcus. You wanted to see me to get some feedback on your group's proposal, the one you're submitting for the Biological Society field trip competition.

I've had a look through your draft, and I think it's a really solid choice of destination.

In fact, I only have a few minor things to say about it.

But remember, even in an outline document like this, you really have to be careful to avoid spelling mistakes.

Also, you have inconsistent page borders throughout the proposal, and that definitely includes the index page.

So please read it through carefully before officially submitting it, okay?

Marcus: Will do.

Tutor: And I've made a few notes on the proposal about things which could have been better ordered logically.

Marcus: Okay, I'll take a look.

Tutor: As for the writing itself, I've annotated the proposal as and where I thought it could be improved.

Generally speaking, I feel you've frequently used complicated terminology and passive verbs just for the sake of it.

As a consequence, although your paragraphing and inclusion of subheadings certainly help, it's quite hard to follow your train of thought at times.

So, try to cut the academic jargon down a bit, can you?

Marcus: Really? I thought it sounded more professional.

Tutor: Clarity is more important.

Yes, and don't forget simple formatting like numbering.

Marcus: Didn't I use bold text for emphasis?

Tutor: I didn't mean that.

Look, you've remembered to include headers and footers, which is good practice, but listing your ideas clearly is vital.

Number them, or use bullet points, which is even clearer visually.

Then you'll properly focus the reader on your main points.

Anyway, moving on to the content, I thought your suggestion to go to the Blackwood Coastal Reserve was a very good idea.

Marcus: I've actually always wanted to go there.

My mother was a great fan of nature documentaries and marine life, so I was subjected to seeing all the series growing up, many of which were filmed right there on that coast.

As a consequence, the landscape feels very familiar to me, and it's awesome both biologically and visually.

So it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit in person.

The subsequent research I did and the online video clips I watched made me even keener.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

Tutor: Interesting.

Right, let's look at the specific content of your proposal now.

Marcus: Did you find it comprehensive enough?

Tutor: Well, yes and no.

You've listed several different topics on your contents page, but I'm not entirely sure they're all relevant to a biology trip.

Marcus: No?

Well, I thought that from the perspective of a field trip, one thing I absolutely needed to focus on was the limestone cliffs and sea caves themselves.

The way they drop straight down to the crashing ocean is just amazing.

And the fact that the surrounding softer chalk was eroded by waves and tides, leaving these huge rock stacks high above the water.

It's hardly surprising that tourists flock to see the area.

Tutor: Well, yes, I'd agree with including those geological points.

Marcus: And then there's the fact that it's been home to infamous smugglers, and all the maritime history that goes with that.

The incredible risks they took trying to hide their goods from the coastguard patrols in those caves.

Their history is so rich.

All those wonderful stories.

Tutor: Well, I agree it's historically fascinating, but... it's not immediately relevant to your biology proposal, Marcus.

So at this stage, I strongly suggest you completely drop that and focus on other considerations.

For instance, I think an indication of what the students on the trip could actually do when they get there should be far more central.

So that certainly needs to be included and expanded upon significantly.

And I'd also like to see something about the local insects and vegetation too, not that I imagine there's much to see.

Presumably, the harsh ocean winds haven't helped plant life.

Marcus: Okay.

I'll do some work on expanding those two areas instead.

But you're right about the vegetation.

There's not much apart from some very tough, low-growing shrubs.

Although it's wet and freezing there in the winter, the soil is heavily saturated with salt from the sea spray, so normal rainwater can't balance it out.

So it's a constant case of extreme salinity or frost, really.

Tutor: So I understand.

Now, before we look at everything in more detail, I've got a few factual questions for you.

It would be a good idea to include the answers in your finished proposal, because they're currently missing from your draft.

Marcus: Fine, go ahead.

Tutor: So you mentioned the rock stacks and the archways, which was good, but what total area does the coastal reserve cover?

Do you know?

Marcus: It spans roughly 15,000 acres.

And the highest cliff is at about 250 meters above sea level.

Tutor: Larger than I expected.

OK.

And where's the nearest accommodation?

That's a crucial practical detail that you haven't included.

Have you done any research on that?

Marcus: Yes, I have.

There's nowhere to camp in the reserve itself.

But there's a converted lighthouse called The Beacon, which is quite near the entrance.

All kinds of tours start from The Beacon, too.

Tutor: What kind of tours?

Marcus: Well, the most popular are in high-speed motorboats, but I wouldn't recommend hiring those for a biology trip.

I think the best way to appreciate the area and get close to the wildlife would be to hire sea kayaks instead, and paddle around the coves on those.

Jet skis are strictly not allowed, and it's impossible to drive around the headland in private vehicles because the coastal paths are far too narrow.

Tutor: Okay, kayaks sound like a great idea.

Lastly, what else is worth visiting while you're there?

Marcus: There are several historical shipwrecks just off the coast, but I haven't looked into any specifics yet.

I'll find out more about them for the final draft.

Tutor: Okay, good.

Now what I'd like to know is...

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

Part 4

You will hear a lecturer's introduction to an oceanography module.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

So, welcome to your introductory oceanography lecture. We'll begin with some basics. Firstly, what do we actually learn by studying oceanography? Well, we learn a great deal about all the physical and chemical processes that have affected—and that continue to affect—the marine environment. But we learn far more than that, because studying oceanography also informs us about the different kinds of interactions that develop between a particular marine ecosystem and the people that heavily rely on it.

OK, we like to think of oceanography as broadly having two main branches. There's the study of the nature of our oceans—its physical features, what it actually looks like—and then there's the study of the ways in which we choose to exploit it, and of the pollution from those activities on our waters. Our current disposal of single-use plastics is a prime example of that negative impact.

But there are more specific study areas to consider too, and we'll be looking at each of these in turn throughout the semester. These include biological oceanography, by which I mean the study of the aquatic environment and all its marine life. Then there's bathymetry. That specifically looks at the shapes of the coastlines and the sea floor. There's the study of maritime law and cultural oceanography too, of course, which is the study of coastal communities.

We also have economic oceanography, in which we examine all kinds of resources and their commercial use—fisheries, for example. Next comes historical oceanography, the understanding of how people and their waters, and the ways they interact, have fundamentally changed over a period of time. And demographic oceanography, an aspect I'm particularly interested in, which takes as its focus the location of ports, the services that those ports provide, and the migration of people to and from such coastal towns. And lastly, we have hydrography. That's the art and science of nautical charting. You'll be doing a lot of that practical work yourselves.

So, to summarise before we continue, we now have our key answer. Studying this subject is absolutely critical because, without oceanographic knowledge, we would know very little about our marine surroundings, and we wouldn't be able to accurately identify all the hazards that relate to them. So, by definition, we wouldn't be in an informed position to work out how to implement any solutions for them.

OK, now for some practicalities. What do oceanographers actually do in the field? Well, we collect data to begin with. You'll be doing a lot of that on your first research vessel trip. How do we do this? There are several means. We might, for example, conduct a sample count—measure a fish population in a given reef, perhaps. We also frequently need images of the ocean depths, which we can produce by means of sonar generation technology, or with the help of autonomous underwater drones. We've come a very long way from the early exploration of the seas by wooden ships, when navigators only had basic compasses and paper at their disposal!

After we've gathered our raw information, we must comprehensively analyse it. We need to look for trends, most commonly those of causes and consequences. This kind of information helps us to predict and hopefully resolve environmental shifts that could severely affect the oceans we depend on.

But we don't keep all this information confidential. We then need to publish our findings so that other people can access it and be informed by it. And one traditional way in which this information can be published is in the form of nautical charts. You'll all have used one at some stage of your life already. Let's consider the benefits of charts from a navigator's perspective. Charts can be easily rolled up and put in a cabin, and can provide a great store of reference when they're collected into a maritime atlas. They can depict the physical features of the entire ocean if necessary, or just a small part of it in much greater detail. But there is a notable drawback. You can't exactly replicate something that is three-dimensional, like our seabed, on a flat piece of paper, because paper has only two dimensions. And that means there'll always be a certain degree of inaccuracy on a chart. It simply can't be avoided.

We can also use deep-sea photography—pictures taken by highly specialized cameras at extreme pressure below the waves. These are great for showing all kinds of geological features that are not easy to see from the surface. You can easily illustrate areas of bleached coral, or how much shipping is on the trade routes at a given time, or gather detailed information about hydrothermal vents, for example.

Then there are marine satellites. These are instruments that circle the Earth and transmit thermal information directly to computers at our receiving stations. They circle the Earth several times a day and can provide a massive volume of information. You'll all be familiar with the data they give us about the global climate, for example.

So what we're going to do now is look at a short presentation in which you'll see all these tools in action...

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