IELTS LISTENING – Shakespeare, Ghosts & the Supernatural S63T3

IELTS LISTENING Shakespeare, Ghosts & the Supernatural listening practice test has 10 questions belongs to the Literature & History subject..

Julie: That was an interesting lecture.

Lecturer: I’m glad you thought so.

Dave: Yes, it made a break from the usual lectures on literary style, It certainly made me look at some of Shakespeare’s plays, like Hamlet, and the playwright himself in a new light.

Julie: Me too! I always thought Shakespeare believed in the supernatural and that was the reason why so many of his plays, like Hamlet and Macbeth, _Q21 featured a ghost.

L: What you thought is a common misconception. However, when you think about it, it was unlikely that Shakespeare would have been sympathetic to a belief In ghosts.

Dave: Why?

L: Well, he was Protestant, as was his audience, and the Protestant religion did not subscribe to a belief in ghosts as spirits returning from another world. Also, Hamlet was set In Denmark and, although fictional, the play „would have _Q22 reflected the Protestant beliefs of the Danes, too.

Julie: So, the main religion in England at the time was Protestantism?

L: Very much so. Any other religions, like Catholicism, were not tolerated by the religious authorities or James I, who was head of the Church of England at the time.

Julie: What did the Catholics believe about ghosts?

L: Their religion was compatible with a belief in the spirit world as it were. Ghosts were seen as lost souls that were in Purgatory, that is to say, a state between Heaven and Hell.

Julie: So It was obvious, really, that Shakespeare incorporated ghosts into his play for other reasons, right?

L: Absolutely. It’s certainly odd to write about something you really _Q23 don’t believe in and then ask the audience to believe in it.

So, yes, there was clearly another motive.

Julie: I guess when you think about it, it’s quite apparent. As you mentioned in the lecture, ghosts appear in Macbeth and Hamlet really to show what the characters are thinking and as a catalyst for certain events.

L: Quite right. ,

Dave: And I think it’s quite plain that Shakespeare had no belief in the supernatural. The fact that the ghosts seen by Macbeth and Hamlet are only often either visible to themselves or speak only to them suggests that the ghosts are only _Q24 as real as the Imagination of those who see them.

Julie: So, would you say that the audience was as sceptical as Shakespeare with regard to ghosts?

L: Well, as you know, the official line would have been that they didn’t believe in ghosts, as it was not in line with Protestant beliefs prevalent at the time. Nevertheless, contrary to expectations, they do seem to have been a superstitious lot. Belief in witches and astrology were common back then, but how they justified their beliefs in religious terms Is quite a mystery.

Julie: People, I think, today are a lot less gullible than In that period though, don’t you agree? I mean honestly! Believing in witches and astrology and all that…

L: Well, judging by the popularity of TV programmes today like ‘Most Haunted’ I would say there’s a fair amount of _Q25 Interest in the supernatural still.

Julie: I guess most people are like me – curious, but not entirely convinced when it comes to the spirit world.

Dave: Well, I think ghosts are just the product of certain people’s Imaginations!

Julie: You can’t overlook the fact that many supernatural events cannot be explained.

Dave: Personally, I think ghosts are just as _Q28 likely to exist as UFOs and aliens.

L: Well, I think at least the latter do exist,

Julie: I agree; it’s absurd to think we are alone in the universe. 

Dave: Hmmm…

L: You certainly seem to be quite a sceptic, Dave.

Dave: Actually I do believe in some aspects of the paranormal… 

Julie: Like?

Dave: Well, not ghosts and aliens, obviously, but things like telepathy and premonition.

Julie: It’s easier to understand or _Q30 believe in telepathy and premonition as you hear of so many examples of these phenomena occurring In real life. Not just reported stories but from friends and acquaintances. I’m inclined, though, to think premonitions are more coincidence than due to a paranormal event. But maybe I’m just saying that, as I’ve not had first-hand experience of premonitions.

 Dave: So, you believe in telepathy then?

Julie: I think that the evidence in favour of it is impossible to deny. What do you think, Miss?

L: Maybe I’m less sceptical than most but I’m inclined to keep a pretty _Q27&29 open mind on most things. Anyway, it’s been a very interesting discussion but I’m afraid I have to leave now as I’m due to give another lecture.

Julie: Well, thank you for your time, and also your wonderful lecture!

Dave: Yes, thank you, we appreciated it!

L: My pleasure!

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IELTS LISTENING – Medieval English castle S63T2

 

IELTS LISTENING Layout of a Medieval English Castle listening practice test has 10 questions belongs to the Architecture & Culture subject..

Today we are going to study the typical layout of a medieval English castle. Highly fortified and with difficult access, medieval castles were Impressive strongholds, designed to keep the castle’s inhabitants safe and the invaders at bay.

The main entrance Would have been the Outer Gatehouse, located at the bottom right-hand corner of the diagram, just by the _Q11 chapel buildings. However, even If you had entered via the Outer Gatehouse into the castle grounds, you would still have been outside the main part of the castle. The buildings in the Outer Court were not the main residential areas of the castle. These latter buildings belonged to the inner castle area and were heavily protected both by a water-filled channel known as a ‘moat’ which extended around a third of the inner part of the castle as well as the fortified walls around the castle exterior.

To enter the Innermost area you had to enter a long, narrow tunnel known as a barbican, over, and directly above which, the Gatehouse was located. The barbican, being the only access point to the inner castle, was narrow and heavily guarded to prevent large enemy forces storming the inner castle area, The inner castle area held the main buildings around which daily life revolved. Here the _Q12 Great Hall, along, with the _Q13 Great Chambers and Kitchens were located, as well as the castle _Q14 Bakehouse. The Great Hall was the only building with a courtyard view to the back and front. Whilst the Great Hall enjoyed a central location in the inner castle area, the Great Chambers and Kitchen were less prominently positioned. Both of the latter buildings were located off to either side of the Great Hall. The Great Chambers, unlike the Bakehouse. which is next to one of the towers, did not enjoy a courtyard view. Part of the exterior castle wall formed the back wall of the Great Chambers as it did with the _Q15 Stables, located in the Outer Court.

The layout I have just described will give you a _Q16 better idea as to the design of a medieval castle. There was no blueprint for castles though and the design and layout of each castle was determined greatly by local demands, function, and purpose for which the fortification was intended. What we see in the castle design here is an advance on earlier medieval designs. Those medieval castles that predated this one had very basic residential and living areas.

In such castles, the main focal point was the Keep rather than the Great Hall and Great Chambers, as In later years. _Q17 Little more than a fortified tower, the Keep doubled up as basic accommodation for the castle’s residents. As the years passed, the living areas became more luxurious, evolving into separate buildings. Confusingly, the Keep was known as a ‘don geon’, meaning fortified tower in French. The term ‘dungeon’ was only used in later years to refer to underground prisons. In fact, at the time when the Keep dominated castle affairs, the use of latter-day dungeons for imprisonment was an unknown and alien concept, the judicial systems favouring more physical forms of punishment instead. Another dissimilarity between earlier and later medieval castles was In their fortification. A moat, fortified walls, and a barbican were typical features of most castles. However, it was recognised with the passage of time that the narrow, fortified entrance of the _Q20 barbican was insufficient defence against an enemy intent on invading the castle. As a result, extra, more reliable fortifications were added in the form of a portcullis and a drawbridge. The portcullis was a spiked metal gate that could be dropped vertically down from under the gatehouse, thereby sealing off the inner castle entrance from the outside world. To protect the main castle entrance further, a drawbridge was placed in front of the portcullis. This was a retractable bridge between the gatehouse and the outside area of the castle. However, the portcullis always remained the last line of defence against the enemy.

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IELTS LISTENING – Details of Order S63T1

IELTS LISTENING Details of Order listening practice test has 10 questions belongs to the Commerce & Customer Service subject..

Representative: Good afternoon! Magnificent Marquees, how can I help you?

Caller: Oh hello, I would like to hire a marquee. You see, it’s for special occasion. My oldest daughter’s celebrating her 18th birthday and her coming of age. There was no question of her waiting until her 21st, although I’m sure well be having a big celebration then, too!

Representative: So, you’re celebrating in style! Well, of course, I’d be happy to help. First, could you give me some details about guest numbers?

Caller: Right, yes…Well, I was anticipating just a small ‘do’ but my daughter seems to have other ideas!

Representative: Well, you can’t blame her; It’s a special day!

Caller: I guess…I told her to limit numbers to around 50 guests but the guest list seems to be growing daily. She would like to invite double that number but we decided to split the difference and settle on _Q1 80 rather than 100!

Representative: If you don’t mind some of the guests standing, then our marquee sizes always allow standing space for almost double as many as those seated. For instance, one of our smaller marquees seats 30 guests but accommodates 50 standing.

Caller: That sounds interesting. How big is that marquee? As not only am I working to a budget but also we’re limited by our garden size.

Representative: Can you give me an idea of both your budget and the size we’re looking at?

Caller: Yes, I’m thinking of spending between £400-£600. I can stretch to another hundred or two but that’s the maximum _Q2 limit. As for size, well, our garden’s 15 metres by 30 metres.

Representative: OK… Well, our _Q3 4.5 by 9 metres marquee would fit in nicely. The _Q4 hire and installation comes to £450 but that allows you to have the marquee for 2 days.

Caller: The marquee size you mentioned sounds fine and will accommodate the guests that we are expecting. Yes, I think that’s the size I’ll go for.

Representative: So, now as to the cost of lighting and fittings…

Caller: Oh, will that be very expensive?

Representative: It depends on what you want but the _Q5 cost of carpeting the marquee will add on another £150. With regard to the lighting, prices vary quite a bit. If you opt for chandelier lighting, then it’s another £90. But that’s the most expensive option. Otherwise, the average pricing is around _Q6 £55.

Caller: I think I’ll go for the more economic lighting then.

Representative: Then there’s the furniture: tables and chairs and so on. You decided on seating for 30 guests… Well, at £3 per chair, that will work out at £90 In total. You will then probably need 5 tables at least and so with each table costing £4, that brings us to a total of £20 for the tables.

Caller: OK, so I’m still just within my budget. Great! I’ll go ahead with the booking then.

Representative: Wonderful. So there’s only one more important detail that I need. When would you like us to set up the marquee?

Caller: Well, my daughter’s birthday is on June 6th, so ideally _Q7 a day beforehand. Then we could have it taken down the day after her birthday.

Representative: Yes, no problem.

Caller: Great. Well, I’ll go ahead with the order then.

Representative: Wonderful!

Representative: OK, so that I can process your order, I need to take down some details. May I start by taking down your name and postcode?

Caller: Yes. It’s _Q8 Jenny Lakewell and the postcode’s _Q9 CV6TL3.

Representative: Is that Jenny with a double ‘N’?

Caller: Yes, that’s correct.

Representative: And is that Jenny with a ‘Y’ or an ‘IE’ at the end?

Caller: Yes, it confuses everyone. I use the first spelling.

Representative: And, I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch the postcode, was that ‘CB6’?

Caller: No, It’s with a ‘V’, not a ‘B’. So it’s CV6.

Representative: Right you are. Can I have a contact number also, please?

Caller: My mobile number is 0-7-9-0-0 4-5-6. Oh, hold on a minute! I forgot I’ve got a different number now. So it’s _Q10 0-7-9-then double 4, not double 0, followed by 3-2-5-8-8-3.

Representative: Great! That’s everything for the moment. Well be sending you details and an invoice through the post in the next few days.

Caller: OK. And thank you for your help. Goodbye!

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IELTS LISTENING -Darwin’s Theory of Evolution S63T4

IELTS LISTENING Darwin’s Theory of Evolution listening practice test has 10 questions belongs to the Evolution & Science History subject..

Today few people can be unaware of Darwin and his theory of evolution. He _Q31 single-handedly revolutionised the way we think about the natural world.

However, when I say ‘single-handedly’ that is not entirely correct. At precisely the same time as Darwin was formulating his theory of evolution, another scientist, Alfred Russell Wallace, was working on a virtually _Q32 identical theory. In parallel to Darwin. However, whilst Darwin’s name has been preserved for posterity, the name of Wallace is virtually unknown. Why one should have been celebrated in scientific circles whilst the other was relegated to obscurity is puzzling. Both decided to make their discoveries public in a joint announcement once they were made aware of one another’s work. There is no question that Darwin acted dishonorably, therefore, falsely claiming the _Q33 sole credit for a theory of evolution. However, the publication of Darwin’s ground-breaking ‘On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection’ the following year almost certainly helped to secure him enduring fame.

The publication of Darwin’s book proved to be a watershed in the history of science. It also proved _Q34 extremely controversial in the eyes of the Church since Darwin claimed that Man was merely an animal, homo sapiens, and a product _Q35 of evolution rather than of divine intervention. Such a theory was In direct opposition to religious dogmas of the day and threatened to undermine the very core of religious belief.

Today, however, many have successfully managed to reconcile Darwin’s theory of evolution with religion. Only for some people, known as ‘Creationists’, is Darwin’s theory seen as being Incompatible with religion. For these individuals, Darwin’s theory is seen as heretical since they believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible and a biblical reference to the world being created in seven days rather than as a slow evolutionary process spanning millions of years. In addition, Darwin’s claim that Man is no more than a highly evolved ape Is regarded as a blasphemy, since Creationists insist on the divine origin of Man.

Whilst not many would dispute Darwin’s theory of evolution nowadays, curiously, an ape-man that bridges the gap between Man and ape has yet to be found. The search for the _Q36 ‘missing link‘, as it has been called, has both occupied and perplexed scientists since the time of Darwin. Many hoaxers over the years have tried to exploit the desire of scientists to find conclusive _Q37 proof of  Darwin’s theory in the form of a missing link. The most memorable and also convincing hoax was that of the ‘Piltdown Man’. Named after the Sussex village where it was first unearthed in 1908, the skull of the Piltdown Man represented a transition from an ape to a man. _Q38 So convincing a hoax was it that it fooled the scientific establishment into believing for some 40 years that the ‘missing link’ had indeed been found. In fact, the Manchester Guardian newspaper went so far as to call the discovery of the ape-man skull ‘by far the earliest trace of mankind that has yet been found in England’.

The find was credited to a local solicitor and fossil hunter, Charles Dawson. When Dawson died in 1916, Piltdown Man’s place In history seemed secure. In 1950, a reconstruction of a head was made based on the skull. However, only 3 years later, the skull was declared _Q39 a fake. People later questioned how such a hoax could have escaped detection without the compliance of an expert.

It is certainly an interesting footnote In the theory of evolution. However, the questions _Q40 still remain today: where Is the missing link and why hasn’t it been found?

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