Audioscripts IELTS Practice 9 Listening Test 04

Part 1

You will hear a man asking for information about veterinary clinics in the area where he has just moved.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.

Woman: Hello, welcome to the community advice desk. Can I help you?

Man: Yes. I've just moved to this district with my family and our pets, and I'd like to know where we can register with a vet.

Woman: OK. Well, there's Dr Finch at the Oakwood Clinic. We always recommend her for birds because she is an avian specialist and she has great enclosures.

Man: Oh, actually, my only pet is a dog, so that wouldn't be much use to us.

Woman: Right.

Man: Is there anywhere else I could try?

Woman: Yes, the Braxton Veterinary Practice is the next one on my list.

Man: How do you spell that?

Woman: B-R-A-X-T-O-N. And it's Dr Milford who is taking new registrations. The clinic was completely refurbished recently, so the surgical suites are very modern.

Man: That sounds good.

Woman: And it's particularly helpful if you work during the week because they also do appointments on Sundays. They're closed on Mondays, though. The only other place on the list is the animal hospital on River Street. You can register with Dr Kearney. That's K-E-A-R-N-E-Y. He just transferred there, but the hospital has a fantastic reputation.

Man: Oh, yes. I drive past that road every day. That would be the most convenient one. Thanks. Could you tell me, what are their fees like?

Woman: There is a standard consultation fee that all vets charge. Let me see what the brochure says about the River Street hospital. If you need to have microchipping done for identification, you won't have to pay for this, it's complimentary.

Man: Oh, that's good to know.

Woman: What else? The professional grooming service operates on a paying basis, as does the dietary planning service. Some animal hospitals do offer alternative treatments like acupuncture as part of their paid services. River Street are hoping to do this soon. I think they might begin with physiotherapy. And finally, if you need a general health overview before taking out pet insurance, you can get a free dental check for your dog on your first visit. But you'd certainly have to pay for the official passport paperwork if you want to travel abroad with him.

Man: OK, thanks. That's very helpful.

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.

Woman: You might also be interested to know the hospital is running a pilot scheme of workshops for pet owners. I've got the schedule here. Actually, they look very useful.

Man: What sort of topics?

Woman: Well, the first one is about puppy training. It's next week, the 12th of May at 6 pm, and that's taking place in room 3. It says the session will focus on basic obedience, particularly for people with energetic breeds.

Man: My dog is older, but that sounds great for new owners.

Woman: There's also a workshop for managing older pets. It's on pet nutrition and takes place on the 18th of May at 7.30 pm.

Man: Will that be at the animal hospital?

Woman: Actually, it's at the local library on River Street. I imagine they need a larger space for the projector. It says here, all residents welcome.

Man: I will definitely go to that if I finish work on time.

Woman: There are a couple of other talks. One giving advice about how to administer first aid to animals. It's on the 22nd of May. Oh, it's a late afternoon session at 5.15 pm. And it'll be held in room 2. It also says the demonstration is suitable for children over twelve. And finally there's a talk called Understanding Canine Body Language.

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

Part 2

You will hear a campsite manager giving a welcome briefing to a group of new guests at a luxury cabin park.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 13.

Manager: Hello everyone, and welcome to Riverside Lodges. I'm the campsite manager, and I just want to give you a quick briefing to help you settle into your luxury cabins.

First, let me explain how the main control panel works, as it can be a little confusing when you first arrive. It's located in the kitchen area. You'll notice three switches on the right. The top square one is your master switch for electricity. Make sure it's pushed down. The switch itself doesn't have a light, but if the small screen next to it is blank, you'll know the power is off.

The middle switch has a dial around it. This operates the air conditioning. If your cabin gets too warm, simply twist this dial to the blue section. The bottom switch is for the oven and is best left on the auto setting.

Next to these switches is a small red emergency button. Very occasionally, if there's a power surge in the park, the system trips. If everything goes dark, just press this button to reboot the system. You need to hold it down for about 10 seconds before the power returns. There's also a tiny green light that will flash if a reboot is needed.

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.

Manager: Now, let me tell you where you can find a few essential items in your cabin.

If it gets chilly at night, you might want some extra blankets for the sofa bed. You won't find them in the bedroom; instead, look in the hallway wardrobe, the tall wooden one opposite the front door. They're kept on the bottom shelf.

For cleaning up after meals, we provide tablets for the dishwasher. You might expect them to be next to the sink, but they are actually kept in a sliding drawer under the kitchen counter, usually in a green plastic tub. You just need one for a full load.

We also have a bicycle shed for you to use. The key for this is hanging on a peg on the back of the bathroom door. Please don't leave it in your car like our last guests did, as I had to order a replacement!

If you're planning to cook outside, the barbecue is all set up. Should you run out of fuel, there is spare barbecue gas kept in a heavy metal bin outside the back of the cabin, right next to the recycling bags.

And finally, I highly recommend exploring the local woods. I've printed a trail guide mapping all the hiking routes for you. I've left a copy resting on the coffee table in the lounge, along with some restaurant menus.

Speaking of venturing out, let me give you a couple of tips about visiting the local village.

Firstly, getting there. I wouldn't recommend driving your car, as the streets in the centre are incredibly narrow. It's much better to cycle. You do have to pay to use the main bike racks now, so my advice is to lock your bikes at the rack by the post office. It's much more convenient, and it's just a ten-minute stroll to the harbour from there, which is where the nicest cafes are.

As for attractions, the maritime museum is a must-see. However, you need to time your visit right. It gets completely overrun with noisy school trips at the start of the week, so definitely avoid going there on a Monday. Go later in the weekend instead. Just bear in mind that on Tuesdays they do maintenance, so while they don't close completely, you won't be able to see the main exhibits.

Right, I think that covers everything. Enjoy your stay!

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 tutor called David and a former student of his called Yumi.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

David: Hello, Yumi. How are things?

Yumi: Great, thanks, David. How are you?

David: Very well. It's lovely to see you again. It must be almost a year since you finished our preparation course.

Yumi: That's correct. It's great to drop by and catch up.

David: Which degree did you end up joining?

Yumi: Actually, I went directly into the second year of Urban Design. They gave me an exemption for the first year, which probably made the transition much steeper for me.

David: On the flip side, you were fortunate to get those exemptions. Is that the reason you picked that specific degree? I know they offer some good financial grants for that department.

Yumi: I didn't get a grant, actually. But since I had already completed a bachelor's in it back home, I figured it would be smoother if I tackled a subject I was already grounded in.

David: I hadn't realized you skipped the first year. I assumed you began at the start. No wonder you found it demanding. And what do you consider to be one of the major contrasts between university life here and back in your home country?

Yumi: Well, I found it incredibly challenging to participate in seminars because I wasn't used to that part of the academic culture here. The biggest issue is that the professors want you to be argumentative. Absolutely terrifying, I thought, how can I possibly question a senior academic's published theory when they have decades of experience? I guess many international students face identical hurdles. People assume you'll struggle with the language barrier, but in reality it's more a matter of changing your whole attitude toward learning.

David: How did you find the actual lecture material? Was it difficult to follow?

Yumi: I didn't really face many hurdles comprehending the lectures. The core concepts were very similar to what I had covered before.

David: And what about the teaching staff? Are they basically similar to the professors back home?

Yumi: Actually, no. Over here they are much more accessible. At the end of a session, you can just walk up and question them about a slide you missed. Or you can book a time slot and chat with them about any aspect of the module.

David: Perhaps you perceive them differently because you are a postgraduate now, whereas when you were an undergrad back home, you were younger and more intimidated.

Yumi: No, I doubt that's the reason. The majority of the domestic students do it too. In my department, they are always scheduling meetings. They almost never use the time to ask for deadline extensions, which surprised me. It's usually to clarify a concept from the reading that is confusing them. Occasionally they just want to discuss a topic they are truly passionate about for their future dissertation, but getting help with texts is the main thing.

David: That's excellent to hear.

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.

David: And how was your schedule? Was it an intense year?

Yumi: Oh, extremely intense. They keep you incredibly busy. Aside from the core lectures, we had studio workshops in several modules. We completed those in small teams. I also had to go and spend five hours each week in a local architect's office. To be honest, I appreciated this a lot, engaging with real clients constantly.

David: And did you do any fieldwork?

Yumi: Yes, in the spring term, we had to acquire fieldwork experience. So every alternate day we travelled to observe work at various construction sites around the city. Oh, I almost forgot. During the winter break, we were required to do a full-time professional placement for three weeks in a structural engineering firm. And alongside all of that, throughout the whole year, we had our design portfolios, which consumed a massive amount of my free time.

David: That certainly sounds like a punishing schedule. So, are you glad in hindsight that you took it on?

Yumi: Yes, I definitely feel much more resilient now.

David: And do you have any tips for incoming students arriving from abroad?

Yumi: Well, I imagine they need a very strong academic vocabulary. It would be highly beneficial if they devoted more time to mastering the terminology before they start the term. You can fall behind rapidly if you cannot follow the academic debates.

David: It sounds like it was a genuine trial. Well done, Yumi.

Yumi: Thank you, David.

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

Part 4

You will hear a talk about a project on the insects found in public parks in Australia.

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

[Pause]

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Good afternoon. Today I'd like to present the findings of our Year 3 project on insects found in parks throughout our capital. I'll start by saying something about the background to the study, then outline a little bit about our methodology, and then highlight some of our preliminary results.

First of all, how did we settle on our subject? Well, there are three of us in the team, and one afternoon, while we were brainstorming a potential angle, one of the group mentioned that they had noticed far more native bees, one of Australia's most vital pollinators, in their local suburban parks. We were all very intrigued by the concept of why native insects would prefer to colonise a public park. Why is it so appealing to insects when the natural bushland itself is becoming less so?

The first thing we did was to determine what percentage of the municipal area is occupied by green spaces. We guessed that it was around one quarter, and this was confirmed by consulting high-resolution satellite maps in the city's planning department, 28% to be exact.

Our own casual chats with park rangers and walkers led us to suspect that many park users had unique observations to share regarding insect activity, so we decided to interview park visitors from various districts of the city. Just under 150 of them submitted a logbook once every month for half a year, marking off insects they had identified from a standardized sheet.

Concurrently, we were conducting our own fieldwork in designated parks across the municipality. We intentionally selected older parks because they were by far the most established in the region. The primary objective of the research was to examine the mature ecosystems, not the newly planted ones.

Alongside this practical data gathering on urban parks, we were reviewing numerous journals about the loss of insect habitats in the wilderness and analyzing potential drivers for this.

So what did we uncover? Well, so much that I simply won't have time to cover it all here. If you're keen on exploring our full statistical breakdown, we've uploaded interactive 3D models on the university portal, and naturally any of the team would be willing to discuss them with you. Just drop us a message.

What we've chosen to highlight today is data concerning just three insect categories, because we believed these offered a clear reflection of the dynamics occurring in wild and developed zones generally.

The first group to yield a wealth of fascinating data was butterflies, and there was a distinct trend here. They multiply where there are specific nectar sources. Because park flowerbeds are expanding, while native wildflowers are diminishing, there is a significant shift of these insects to the suburbs.

Beetles are also discovering it is more viable to thrive in metropolitan zones. This is because their natural competitors are not adapting quite so successfully to navigate the city environment, so beetles enjoy a higher breeding rate there.

Our last group is the most industrious of pollinators, the hoverfly. Experiencing a drop in the outback, they are seeing a boom in public parks because nowadays landscapers are cultivating a huge variety of shrubs, which ensures there's a constant supply of pollen available, which is what they survive on. An additional reason is the availability of shelter, which is surprisingly superior in parks compared to the open plains. Difficult to comprehend, but it's a fact. By the way, we learned that a major national census on hoverflies is due to be announced, so you should watch out for that.

Now, I'd be glad to address any queries you might have.

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