November 2022 - IELTS SIMULATOR

IELTS LISTENING – An Admission Officer From a UK University S31T2

November 24, 2022/0 Comments/in IELTS Listening /by admin

IELTS LISTENING

An Admission Officer From a UK University

MAN: As I said earlier, there is I think at Rexford an excellent combination of physical and geographical advantages – as well as having a rural setting and still being close to central London, something that will certainly be of interest to you is that Q₁₁ Rexford is just 35 minutes from London Airport. At Rexford, we have a strong research capability. We came 7th out of 101 universities in last year’s research assessment, carried out by a government body, and did particularly well in your particular subjects, engineering, and science. Actually, we got a top research grade of five for engineering, geography, and computer sciences.

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One further point – and I know from talking to you individually that a number of you may be looking for some experience in industry after the course – Q₁₂ is that all our science and engineering research departments have unusually close relationships with industry in the area.

Anyway that’s enough sales talk from me … I’ll just take a sip of this coffee that’s just arrived, thank you, and then I’ll say something about what actually happens when you apply.

Right … Now if you do decide to make an application, what you do is send it directly to me in my department. I will then immediately send confirmation and the application process begins. Er … I’d like to say at this point that you shouldn’t worry if this process doesn’t work all that quickly – I mean occasionally there are postal problems, but most often Q₁₃ the hold-up is caused by references – the people you give as referees, shall we say, take their time to reply. Anyway, it’s absolutely normal for this process to take three to four months. What I do in this period is keep in touch with you and reassure you that things are moving along.

One of the ways we’ve devised to help you decide about applying as well as later when you’ve been accepted … hopefully … is to put you in contact with, if possible, a student from your own Q₁₄ country who is at present studying with us. What you can do is phone them up – we will, of course, liaise between you – and discuss your concerns with them. That way you can get an objective opinion of what you can expect if you come to live and study at Rexford – not only the academic atmosphere but important details like what the leisure facilities are like and whether the English Q₁₅ weather and food are really as awful as everybody says!

If you decide you can face it, the contact can also help you just before you leave, with tips on what to pack and that sort of thing. At the moment I think we’ve got two second-year students and one postgraduate from this country.

Now to move on to the other concerns you expressed earlier. Q₁₆ At a UK university – as I’m sure you know – you will be in an environment where independent learning is the norm, which takes most students a while to adjust to, and at a time when you will be separated from your normal surroundings and, in most eases, your family. This can be a difficult time. But remember that something like 25% of our student body are international students like yourselves and that there are several organisations in the university and city whose main purpose is to offer help and ensure that your time with us is enjoyable and useful.

One or two of you touched on the subject of accommodation earlier. Q₁₇ So I’ll just add a few points: it is the University’s policy to give priority in the allocation of residence places to three categories, and those are: visiting students, exchange students, and new postgraduate students. However, demand exceeds supply, so there is still a need to put your name down early for campus accommodation, particularly if your family is accompanying you. This means that the earlier you decide whether you want to study with us … and so get the procedure moving, the better it will be for everybody. Yes?

WOMAN: What if you would prefer to live outside the university?

MAN: Q₁₈ If you’re planning to live off-campus, you’ve got to sort things out even earlier.

As with everything in short supply, the good accommodation gets snapped up months before the beginning of term – in other words, if you’re starting in October you need to be thinking about it in June or at the very latest July. So you do need to think very carefully about what you need, how much you can afford to pay, well in advance. What you can’t do is leave it until a few days before the start of term. Q₁₉ The agencies in town are pretty good – it’s just a matter of contacting them in good time. Of course, we have a full-time accommodation officer available to help all students. She’ll get in touch with you when you’re accepted – she’s got plenty of contacts in the town and will deal with the agencies on your behalf.

One or two of you asked me earlier about your level of spoken English. Obviously, most of you have already achieved a lot – I wish I could speak your language half as well. Having said that though, I’m afraid the lecturers will make little or no allowance for the presence of non-native speakers in the audience. Q₂₀ So anything you can do to improve your spoken English – even beyond the pretty high levels most of you have already reached – will help make your stay with us that bit more fun for you. Some extra practice before you arrive is worth more than … for example private lessons afterward when you won’t really have time. Oh … and one last thing before I invite further questions: it’s very important that you…

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IELTS LISTENING – MINTONS CAR MART Customer Enquiry S31T1

November 24, 2022/0 Comments/in IELTS Listening /by admin

IELTS LISTENING

MINTONS CAR MART Customer Enquiry

MAN: Good morning, please take a seat. How can I help you?

WOMAN: Well, I’m thinking of buying a new car and I’d like some advice.

MAN: Sure, yes. Had you got any particular make in mind?

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WOMAN: I’m interested in a Example Lida – I’ve had one before and liked it. But I haven’t really made up my mind.

MAN: Sure. We’ve got various models. Umm, right. What about the engine size? Any ideas?

WOMAN: The one I’ve got at the moment’s a 1.2-litre engine but I find it a bit slow on long journeys. I’d like a bit more power this time … Q₁ a 1.4 should do, don’t think I need a 1.6 or anything.

MAN: Right. Well, I think the model you’re looking at is the Max. Here’s a picture.

WOMAN: Oh, yes … have you got one in?

MAN: Yes. I’ll take you to have a look at it in a minute. I’ll just get a few more details.

Er … Is there anything else to do with the engine? What kind of gear change do you want? I presume you’d want a manual?

WOMAN: I’d want Q₂ automatic – I’ve never driven a car with manual gears.

MAN: Right. Well now, here’s the colour chart for the Max. Have you given that any thought? This blue’s very popular at the moment.

WOMAN: Yes, it is nice, I like blue. What’s it called? ‘Royal’?

MAN: Yes.

WOMAN: But actually, I think Q₃ I prefer this lighter shade here – ‘sky’.

MAN: Yes, that’s popular too.

WOMAN: I think I’ll go for that.

MAN: You might have to wait a week or so for that colour, but I assume that’d be OK?

WOMAN: Oh yes, fine.

MAN: Well, we can go outside and you can have a good look at one, and perhaps take it out. But first, can I just ask you about finance? The cash price is going to be somewhere in the region of seven and a half thousand. How would you like to pay? Are you in a position to pay cash, or would you need credit?

WOMAN: I’d like Q₄ credit provided the terms are reasonable.

MAN: Well you can discuss that with my colleague in a moment; we have various arrangements. And would you be interested in us taking your present car as part exchange?

WOMAN: Yes.

MAN: OK, fine. So I’ll just need some details from you and then we can do a valuation … Is that OK?

WOMAN: Fine, yes.

MAN: Could I have your full name?

WOMAN: Wendy Q₅ Harries, that’s H-A-double R-I-E-S.

MAN: And is that Mrs … Miss … Ms …?

WOMAN: It’s Q₆ Doctor, actually.

MAN: Oh, right. And your address?

WOMAN: 20 Green Banks.

MAN: Is that ‘Green’ spelled as in the colour?

WOMAN: Yes, that’s right.

MAN: OK.

WOMAN: Q₇ Alton.

MAN: Is that O-L-T-O-N?

WOMAN: Not quite, it begins with an A, not an O.

MAN: Oh yes, that’s in Hampshire isn’t it?

WOMAN: That’s right.

MAN: And do you know your postcode?

WOMAN: Yes. It’s GU8 9EW.

MAN: Do you have a daytime phone number?

WOMAN: Well, I work at the hospital but it’s a bit difficult to get hold of me. I can give you a number just for Q₈ messages, and then I’ll get back to you when I can.

is that OK?

MAN: That’s fine.

WOMAN: It’s 0-7-9-8-2-5-7-6-4-3.

MAN: Fine. And about the car, you have now, what make is it?

WOMAN: It’s a Conti.

MAN: Do you know the year or the model name?

WOMAN: I think it’s 1996, and it’s called a Q₉ Lion – like an animal.

MAN: Then it must be 1994 because they brought out the Fox after that.

WOMAN: Oh right, yes.

MAN: Mileage? Roughly?

WOMAN: I’m not sure. I know it’s less than seventy thousand.

MAN: OK. What colour is it?

WOMAN: It’s grey, metallic grey.

MAN: Right, and one last thing-what sort of condition would you say it’s in?

WOMAN: I’d probably describe it as Q₁₀ reasonable. Do you need to see it? It’s parked outside.

MAN: Not at the moment, no. Perhaps you could call in one day next week …

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IELTS LISTENING – North American Women’s Attitude To Money And Saving S29T4

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North American Women’s Attitude To Money And Saving

OK, so we’ve been looking at the attitudes of various social and cultural groups towards the management of their personal finances – how important they feel it is to save money, and what they save their money for. One aspect that we haven’t yet considered is gender. So if we consider gender issues we’re basically asking whether men and women have different attitudes toward saving money and whether they save money for different things:

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Back in 1928 the British writer George Bernard Shaw wrote in his Intelligent Women’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism that A man is supposed to understand _Q31 politics, economics, and finance and is therefore unwilling to accept essential instruction.’ lie also said, ‘A woman, having fewer pretensions, is far more willing to _Q32 learn‘. Now, though these days people might question a lot of the assumptions contained in those statements, recent research does suggest that there are some quite fundamental differences between men and women in their attitudes to economic matters.

Let’s look at what men and women actually save for. Research studies of women in North America have found that women are far more likely to save for their _Q33 children’s education and they are also more likely to save up in order to buy a house one day. The same studies have found that men, on the other hand, tend to save for _Q34 a car, which by the way takes a surprisingly large amount of the household budget in North America. But the other main priority for men when saving money is their retirement. When they’re earning, they’re far more likely to put money aside for their old age than women are.

Now, this is rather disturbing, because, in fact, the need for women to save for their old age is far greater than for men. Let’s consider this for a moment. To start with, it is a fact that throughout the world, women are likely to live many years longer than men, so they need money to support them during this time. Since women are likely to be the ones left without a partner in old age, they may therefore have to pay for _Q35 nursing care, because they don’t have a spouse to look after them. Furthermore, the high divorce rates in North America are creating a poverty cycle for women. It is the divorced women who will most often have to look after the children and thus they need more money to look. after not just themselves but others.

So what can be done about this situation? The population in North America is likely to contain an increasing number of elderly women. The research indicates that at present for women it takes a _Q36 crisis to make them think about their future financial situation. But of course, this is the very worst time for anyone to make important decisions. Women today need to look ahead, think ahead – not wait until they’re under pressure. Even women in their _Q37 early twenties need to think about pensions, for example, and with increasing numbers of women in professional positions, there are signs that this is beginning to happen. Then research also suggests that women avoid dealing effectively with their economic situation because of a lack of _Q38 confidence. The best way for them to overcome this is by getting themselves properly informed so they are less dependent on other people’s advice. A number of initiatives have been set up to help them do this. This College, for example, is one of the educational institutions which offers night classes in _Q39 Money Management, and increasing numbers of women are enrolling on such courses.

Here, they can be given advice on different ways of saving. Many women are unwilling to invest in stocks and shares, for instance, but these can be extremely profitable. It is usually advised that at least 70% of a person’s savings should be in _Q40 low-risk investments but for the rest, financial advisors often advise taking some well-informed risks. Initiatives such as this can give women the economic skills and knowledge they need for a comfortable, independent retirement. The increasing proportion of elderly women in the population is likely to have other economic consequences…

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IELTS LISTENING – ANTARCTICA S30T4

November 23, 2022/0 Comments/in IELTS Listening, IELTS Listening Easy Demo for All /by admin

IELTS LISTENING

ANTARCTICA

Tonight I’m going to talk to you about that remarkable continent Antarctica – remote, hostile and at present uninhabited on a permanent basis. For early explorers, it was the ultimate survival contest; for researchers like me, it remains a place of great intellectual challenges; while for the modern tourist, it’s simply a wilderness of great beauty.

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First, some facts and figures. Antarctica is a place of extremes – the highest, coldest and windiest continent and over _Q31 fifty-eight times the size of the UK. The ice cap contains almost 70% of the world’s fresh water and 90% of its ice, but with very low snowfall, most of the continent technically falls unbelievably into the category of _Q32 desert! Huge icebergs break off the continent each year, while in winter half the surrounding ocean freezes over, which means its size almost doubles.

Research and exploration has been going on in Antarctica for more than two hundred years, and has involved scientists from many different countries, who work together on research stations. Here _Q33 science and technical support have been integrated in a very cost-effective way – our Antarctic research programme has several summers-only stations and two all-year-round ones; I was based on one of the all-year-round ones.

The research stations are really self-contained communities of about twenty people. There’s living and working space, a kitchen with a huge food store, a small _Q34 hospital and a well-equipped gym to ensure everyone keeps fit in their spare time. The station generates its own electricity and communicates with the outside world using a satellite link.

Our station – Zero One – had some special features. It wasn’t built on land but on an ice shelf, hundreds of metres thick. Supplies were brought to us on large sledges from a _Q35 ship fifteen kilometres away at the ice edge.

Living in the Antarctic hasn’t always been so comfortable. Snow build-ups caused enormous problems for four previous stations on the same site, which were buried and finally crushed by the weight. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but these buildings became a huge challenge to architects who finally came up with a remarkable solution – the buildings are placed on _Q36 platforms which can be raised above the changing snow level on legs which are extendable.

Food is one of the most important aspects of survival in a polar climate. People living there need to obtain a lot more energy from their food, both to keep warm and to undertake heavy physical work. Maybe you know that an adult in the UK will probably need about 1,700 kilocalories a day on average; someone in Antarctica will need about _Q37 3,500 – just over double! This energy is provided by foods which are high in carbohydrates and fat.

Rations for fieldwork present an additional problem. They need. to provide maximum energy, but they must also be compact and light for easy transport. Special boxes are prepared, each containing enough food for one person for twenty days. You may be familiar with coffee processed by freeze-drying, which preserves the quality of the food product while making a large saving in weight – well, this type of presentation is ideal in our situation. It wasn’t available to earlier polar explorers, whose diet was commonly insufficient for their health.

I think that being at the cutting edge of science has a special appeal for everyone working in Antarctica, in whatever capacity. As a marine biologist, my own research was fascinating; but it’s perhaps climate change research that is the most crucial field of study.

Within this general field, surveying changes in the volume and stability of the ice cap is vital, since these may have profound effects on world sea levels and on ocean _Q38 currents. A second important area is monitoring the size of the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica since this is an indicator of global ultra-violet radiation levels. Thirdly, bubbles in the ice sheet itself provide an index of _Q39 pollution because frozen inside them are samples of previous atmospheres over the past 500,000 years, and these provide us with evidence for the effects of such human activities as agriculture and industry.

There are an increasing number of opportunities for _Q40 young people to work for a period in Antarctica – not only as research assistants in projects like mine but also in a wide range of junior administrative and technical positions including vacancies for map-makers. I hope that the insights I’ve provided will encourage you to take up these opportunities in this fascinating continent.

IELTS LISTENING – An Admission Officer From a UK University S31T2

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IELTS LISTENING – MINTONS CAR MART Customer Enquiry S31T1

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IELTS LISTENING – North American Women’s Attitude To Money And Saving S29T4

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IELTS LISTENING – ANTARCTICA S30T4

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