Audioscripts IELTS Practice 9 Listening Test 01

Part 1

You will hear a man phoning to inquire about a part-time job vacancy.

First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 4.

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 4.

Receptionist: Good afternoon, Riverside Hotel.

Man: Good afternoon. I'm calling about the position I believe you have available.

Receptionist: Oh, yes.

Man: I'd like to ask a few more questions, if possible.

Receptionist: Yes, certainly. Can I have your name?

Man: It's David Lee.

Receptionist: OK, David. Well, if you want to query the details, and then if we are both happy, we could schedule you to come for a chat.

Man: Excellent, thanks. I'm sorry I didn't see the poster for the job but heard about it from a neighbour.

Receptionist: That's fine. What would you like to know?

Man: Well, what kind of work is involved? Cleaning rooms?

Receptionist: It's working at the reception.

Man: Oh, right, good.

Receptionist: And not serving in the bar.

Man: That sounds perfect. And how many shifts a week would it be?

Receptionist: Well, we're really only hectic at the weekend.

Man: So, two days?

Receptionist: Actually, we need Friday nights too. So it would total about 15 hours a week.

Man: That works for me. It wouldn't clash with my lectures.

Receptionist: Are you a student?

Man: Yes. Second year history student.

Receptionist: Oh, nice.

Man: And since I am an international student, would I require a visa check?

Receptionist: Yes, you would. Just bring your passport along.

Man: That's easy enough if I get the role. Where is the hotel located exactly?

Receptionist: Well, we have two sites. The one we are hiring for is in North Avenue.

Man: I'm not familiar with that. How do you spell it, please?

Receptionist: It's N-O-R-T-H Avenue.

Man: Understood. Thanks. Is it near a tram stop?

Receptionist: Yes, the closest one is right opposite the cinema.

Man: Oh, yes, I know where that is. That's convenient. And could I ask about the wage?

Receptionist: We are paying £9.50 an hour.

Man: That's decent. My previous job was only £8.50 an hour.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 5 to 10.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10.

Receptionist: We think it's competitive and we also provide some nice staff perks.

Man: Like what?

Receptionist: Well, we give you a free meal, so you don't go hungry.

Man: Right. Better than cooking for myself.

Receptionist: We surely hope so. And we also give a bonus for working on public holidays.

Man: Oh, that's a generous extra, isn't it?

Receptionist: Yes, we believe so. And then because of the issues with catching buses late at night, if you finish after midnight, we pay for a taxi.

Man: Oh, that's reassuring.

Receptionist: Well, we'd definitely be keen to see you for an interview, if you are still interested.

Man: Oh, yes, absolutely. Could I just check what attributes you are seeking?

Receptionist: Well, for this specific role, we need a friendly manner, which you seem to possess.

Man: Thank you.

Receptionist: And you must be able to dress smartly, you know.

Man: Well, I have a suit...

Receptionist: So, when could you attend an interview? We are actually quite busy tomorrow.

Man: Sorry, I have classes tomorrow. Or Friday, I'm afraid. Saturday is good. That would be the 24th of May.

Receptionist: Fine. In the morning?

Man: Yes, please. Would 10 o'clock suit you?

Receptionist: Ideal. And could you bring along the contact details of two referees?

Man: Yes, of course. No trouble.

Receptionist: Great. I look forward to meeting you.

Man: Oh, before I go, who should I ask for?

Receptionist: Oh, yes, sorry. My name is Alice Walker.

Man: Can you spell that, please?

Receptionist: W-A-L-K-E-R.

Man: OK. I've written that down. Thanks a lot. See you on Saturday then.

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

Part 2

You will hear part of a local news broadcast about the launch of a new community arts centre.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16.

Presenter: Now over to Sarah, who is going to update us on what's launching in the city this week.

Sarah: Right. Thanks, Mark. And now for the headlines. And is there really demand for another gallery in Oakwood?

Well, many of you are familiar with Art Space, the branch of a national charity that opened last decade. It's been incredibly popular, and so the trust has now chosen to establish a second venue in the region. It's going to be in the converted warehouse to the east of Oakwood, so that will be convenient for those of you who've found the original site in the city centre difficult to access.

I was given a private tour, and I can assure you, this is the cutting edge of creative spaces. The entire building has been renovated with an industrial style featuring the charity's brand colours of blue and grey.

The ground floor houses a vast collection of local paintings as well as sculptures. And on the mezzanine, there's a bistro and a library section. You'll discover all the famous artists, as well as some emerging talents.

If they don't have the specific print you desire in the shop, they guarantee to order it for you in 5 days, unlike the main gallery, where it can take up to 2 weeks. They feature all the key disciplines, including photography, ceramics and textiles. But they specifically specialize in pottery, and they boast the largest kiln in the district. Furthermore, a significant part of the first floor is dedicated to art supplies, including the newest paints from Japan. If you can't locate your materials here, they aren't available.

Before you hear the rest of the broadcast, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20.

[Pause]

Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20.

Sarah: The centre will welcome visitors from 10am this Sunday, and if you attend the launch, then you'll have the opportunity to meet the celebrated landscape painter David Miller, who's arriving to cut the ribbon. And he will be remaining until about 1pm to talk to any students who wish to discuss their work and take photos.

Then there will be a variety of exclusive events all day. There will be complimentary passes for upcoming workshops for the first 100 guests and also a unique quiz open to everyone. Simply answer 10 out of 15 art history questions accurately to win a framed print of Miller's masterpiece 'Summer Fields'. While the first individual to get every question right wins a lifetime membership to the Oakwood Arts Society. All participants will be given a commemorative pen with the date of the opening engraved on it.

One of the exclusive launch promotions is a portfolio review, a professional critique of your own artwork, conducted in the studio by expert curators. This would usually be priced at £50, but is offered at a 50% discount for this week only. There are only a few slots remaining for this. So to reserve a time, call 01632 960 784.

Furthermore, if you register as a friend of the gallery, you receive many additional benefits, including the opportunity to attend private viewings before the general public.

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

Part 3

You will hear two international students called Maria and Chen discussing their first term of their master's degree with their academic advisor.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

Advisor: Before we begin, Maria and Chen, thanks for meeting me today to chat about your first term, and well done to you both on passing your mid-term assessments.

Maria: Thank you.

Advisor: I'd like to explore with you the impact of the Study Skills module you attended here last summer. Maria, what did you find most useful about that workshop?

Maria: I believe that having to lead a group discussion really assisted me. I know we spent time on doing independent research, and that was fine, but actually practicing the discussion process was the best part. For instance, last week in our business ethics seminar, when it was my role to facilitate, I felt quite confident.

Advisor: How about you, Chen?

Chen: Well, in my seminar, I was really surprised by the other students. I assumed they'd have done a lot of reading, but they just argued without any evidence at all. Can you imagine that? They didn't care about backing up their claims.

Advisor: So how did you handle your discussion, Chen?

Chen: Honestly, I stayed very quiet. I thought about jumping in and being a bit aggressive to make my point, but I just avoided the conflict. Afterwards, though, I felt really disappointed with my silence. I didn't feel proud of my contribution at all.

Advisor: That's a shame.

Maria: You know, although I was happy with my seminar, I haven't asked a single question in the large lecture hall. Not one query.

Chen: Seriously, Maria? Why's that? Do the professors seem unfriendly?

Maria: Partly that, and I know I lack some background knowledge when they reference local news. But the main reason is that they speak so rapidly. I just don't have the courage to interrupt them at that speed.

Chen: You're correct, Maria. For most of the term, I kept my hand down too. But recently, I've been attempting to volunteer answers. And I've noticed something. If the lecturer thought my point was interesting, the following week they actually asked me to give more details. It really helped me feel included in the class.

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.

Maria: Oh, that's brilliant, Chen. What assisted you to generate those answers?

Chen: I believe one factor was doing extra listening practice. At first, I thought it would teach me lots of new vocabulary, but actually, the main benefit was that it helped me follow what people were arguing about in class.

Maria: I did extra listening practice too, but honestly, it just took up all my free time. I didn't have any energy left for my actual assignments.

Advisor: What about the materials from the pre-sessional course?

Maria: Well, I recall we had to analyze those really lengthy recordings. We complained about them at the time, but now I realize they were really good preparation for the studies I'm doing now.

Advisor: And in the language lab?

Maria: We consistently had note-taking exercises to complete. The tutors didn't just check our spelling, they were really focused on helping us improve our accuracy.

Chen: That's true, Maria, but the subject matter of the audio was a problem for me. I wanted to focus on computer science, but we had to listen to talks on history and art. It just wasn't relevant to my degree subject.

Maria: I agree. Though it was nice that we could choose our own topics for the final presentation.

Advisor: Okay. Let's proceed to reading now.

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 phenomenon related to the navigation of migratory birds.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Good morning, everyone. Well, with many of you preparing for your ornithology projects, it's appropriate that in this morning's lecture I'll be discussing some hypotheses about why flocks of birds sometimes lose their way during migration and, occasionally, end up in what is known as vagrancy.

Regrettably, this type of incident is a common observation in some of the coastal regions that you'll be visiting, where sometimes the weather changes rapidly, disorienting the birds. However, there are numerous other explanations about the drivers of this phenomenon.

The first is that the deviation is connected to genetics. It's often discovered that vagrant birds are carrying a genetic mutation. For instance, a variation in a specific gene is frequently identified in the DNA of lost warblers. Since migratory species depend significantly on their instinct to travel, this type of biological anomaly has the potential to be very disruptive.

Another hypothesis is associated with predators or threats. These have also been shown to influence the displacement of many avian species. Many threats, as I'm sure you know, come from introduced species or human activity. The bird flees these threats in its natural survival response, but whether these dangers directly or indirectly result in severe exhaustion appears to rely upon the specific predator involved. In 2010, for instance, a flock of geese observed after landing in the wrong latitude in Greenland were determined to have been scattered after escaping a hunting bear in their nesting grounds, the same species that can be dangerous to seals.

Conversely, it has also been proposed that some birds wander inadvertently by following ships or structures in the confusion of thick fog. In 2005, Sarah Miller tracked petrels that landed on oil rigs after following the lights at night. However, this theory does not seem to be valid for the majority of inland vagrants, because analysis of the birds' flight paths show that most had not been near the ocean when they diverted.

There are also some modern theories which attribute navigation errors to technology. A rising worry is that electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere causes disorientation. Signals such as those generated by communication towers are of specific worry and have been identified as the trigger for some deviations recently. One of these, a large displacement of pigeons in 2012 in Europe, aligned perfectly with trials using a new 5G network. There were several elements that made this event distinct from historical events. This prompted scientists to investigate a novel reason. For one, all the lost birds were adults. Furthermore, the birds were scattered across 500 kilometres of land, whereas it's more typical for the birds to be found in a cluster.

A concluding theory is linked to social learning and implies that young birds cannot differentiate between experienced and inexperienced guides and will follow lost guides, even to a wrong destination. This is a particularly compelling theory, since the birds that are considered to be most flock-oriented, the geese and swans, are the category that get lost the most regularly. The theory is also backed by data from a swan migration in 1998. Observation of the landed flock showed that, except for the lead bird, all the others had been juveniles at the time of their error.

Without a single unifying explanation, however, it is very difficult for us to prevent this phenomenon except to monitor populations where and when we can. Bird tracking stations have been set up across the globe to help in ringing birds and gathering data.

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