JAMES: Kate I’m really busy at the moment trying to manage both my schoolwork and part-time job.

KATE: Oh James that sounds like a lot to handle. Where do you work?

JAMES: I managed to get a job working in the local bakery, learning how to make bread and cakes. Since I’m studying business it’s really useful to experience at first hand how a shop is run and interact with the customers.

KATE: Wow, it sounds really interesting. I’d love to come in and try the produce one day. Is it nearby?

JAMES: It’s about 15 minutes away. Which is frustrating because it’s too far to walk from my house and I have to drive there despite the commute my tutor recommended it to me as it’s renowned in certain circles for being a very well-run and successful business.

KATE: Is it a part of the Kingfisher Baker’s chain?

JAMES: No it’s an independent family-run store. Which is good because they’re really supportive and eager to help me with the information I need.

KATE: How do you find the theoretical aspect of the schoolwork?

JAMES: I find the Practical work far more interesting but my tutors are really enthusiastic and I get on well with my classmates which makes the lessons a lot more enjoyable. Also, I recently found out that I can _Q22 complete the theoretical aspects of the course within one year because of the Practical experience I’m getting.

KATE: Wow, that’s great.

JAMES: I know I was so relieved. I find the theory pretty hard to understand so I was really worried about taking it for another year.

KATE: Do you get assessed every term or just once at the end of each Academic Year?

JAMES: No there’s an assessment every turn which is great because it really takes the pressure off. In the first term, it’s really relaxed you conduct your own experiments on your topic of choice and then everyone in your _Q23 class assesses each other as a practical exercise. It’s just a shame that practical experience doesn’t count towards the grades.

KATE: Yes, that’s true.

JAMES: Anyway enough about me. What are you studying?

KATE: Oh, I’m not sure what I want to study yet but I’ve been making inquiries about the English language course.

JAMES: Do you know what career path you’re interested in following?

KATE: Since Spanish is my first language I thought that studying English would be really beneficial if I decided to apply for a job in England I really enjoy art and I’m very creative but I don’t think that becoming an artist is a very practical choice, I was thinking of using my passion for art in a different way like _Q24 working as a curator in an art exhibition for example.

JAMES: Wow that sounds really interesting. I think you’d be good at that.

KATE: The problem is that the course is very expensive as you have to buy materials yourself and they don’t offer any scholarships to cover expenses. I need to order a _Q25 catalog of the courses on offer so I can see if there are any other modules that might perhaps be cheaper to study.

JAMES: Luckily the courses don’t start until September, so at least you have plenty of time to get organized.

KATE: I can’t believe I have to wait until September I’m already so excited about starting.

JAMES: What other art focused modules could you choose from?

KATE: History of Art Is My First Choice since there isn’t so much expense involved I think it would be really interesting as they invite a number of _Q26 guest lecturers from across the globe to speak on specialist subjects.

JAMES: That sounds great. What about sculpture?

KATE: Well sculpture looked like a really suitable option at first since it’s the easiest course but again the utensils and materials are provided so you have to spend a _Q27 lot of money on supplies. I’m also considering the option of digital painting. There isn’t much reading involved and the accommodation is located inside the studio. So you would never have to worry about commuting.

JAMES: Commuting is such an inconvenience so that’s definitely a big Advantage. What do you think of art Theory?

KATE: That’s definitely an option for me there are no exams as you _Q28 get assessed on your coursework and _Q29 research is conducted independently. So you can work from home which is really convenient. The only other option is photography, but I’m not so keen on that.

JAMES: Why not?

KATE: I’ve just never really been interested in it and I see it more as a medium for documentation, rather than an art form. You’re also required to buy one of those really _Q30 expensive cameras with a digital display and microfocus capabilities, which I can’t afford.

JAMES: Well let me know what course you decide on.

KATE: I will thanks for talking it over with me.

JAMES: No problem, see you later.

IELTS listening MANGROVETREE RESORT listening practice test has 10 questions belongs to the Leisure & Entertainment subject..

Welcome to all of you. Can everybody see and hear me? Good I’m David your guide for this tour of the Mangrove Tree Resort. I’ll start today with some general background information. Has there have been a number of changes made I printed the map of the new complex for each of you. And I’d just like to point out where everything is and then you can take a look at it for yourself. Basically, the best feature of our new location is that we have our own private beach which is on the left and accessible directly from the hotel.

Now we’re standing at the information desk and we’re going to look at the views in each direction. Tap to the West there’s a gift shop where guests can shop for small trinkets made by local villagers from shells and starfish. If you look carefully up there on the other side of the _Q11 restaurant there’s a state-of-the-art _Q12 spa facility just next to the Grove of palm trees. Where guests can have treatments including massage or detoxify their body in the steam room.

A major drawback of our previous Hotel complex was that there was no room for an on-site helicopter Port. Which meant that our most important guests were forced to commute from the local airport. As we were unable to construct a suitable facility on the Eastern side we have constructed a large heliport to the north. Guests wishing to stretch their legs after a long flight can simply head south to the _Q13 tennis courts for a match on our splendidly manicured courts. Now if you look in front of you there’s a _Q14 swimming pool in the center equipped with slides and a diving board which is the main feature of the new complex and is overlooked by all of the other buildings. We have decided to maintain the family-friendly status of our original Hotel however from guests we have come to realize that parents also enjoy time to relax without having to look after their children, therefore we have constructed a the fun _Q15 play center where parents can leave their children with a trained childminder and take some time for themselves. This facility is located just to the north of the swimming pool and is covered with a small canopy to protect the children from the Sun. Many of our working guests will require access to a quiet space for work if you direct them just sat at the swimming pool they will discover our _Q16 conference center which comes complete with meeting rooms, offices, and Wi-Fi access. In order to access the Wi-Fi network they should simply report to the information desk where an assistant will provide them with a personal password. This desk is situated Just Between the conference center and the beach.

Finally, the complex also contains a large _Q17 Sports Center where guests can enjoy our gym facilities and take part in sessions for yoga and Pilots. Overlooking the swimming pool from the southeast the center offers stunning views of the entire complex and across the ocean.

Next, I would like to discuss our new restaurant which is run by the award-winning Chef Alberto Brava. Every week he will offer a new menu of fresh seafood such as crab and sea bass, which has been caught that day by local fishermen. The daily menu will include a range of organic meats and vegetables freshly grilled on the _Q18 barbecue served with a selection of specially prepared sauces and spices. There is no menu specifically for vegetarians however there will be a large range of grilled vegetables for them to choose. The hotel now has a selection of Suites to cater to our more Discerning guests and provide for special occasions. As these sweets are finely decorated with furniture and paintings they are not suitable for families with children. Art Tiki Suite is the finest of them all it is likely to ornate for business people but would be perfect for couples on their honeymoon who may even _Q19 have been married in the hotel.

Finally I would like to share some exciting news our hotel has won awards in the past for its fantastic service however we have just won the _Q20 prestigious green award for our efforts in reducing our carbon footprint, the award will be proudly displayed in the restaurant facility where it can be admired by our guests and staff alike.

Well here we are back at our starting point the information desk.

MAN: Hello, you are through to the complaints department at Clifton Antiques. Before we begin I’ll just need to take a few details from you. Is that okay?

WOMAN: Yes, of course, no problem.

MAN: Okay, can I please have your full name?

WOMAN: My name is Anna Lumley. That’s Anna L-U-M-L-E-Y.

MAN: Right and could you give me a contact number? Which we can use to reach you during the week.

WOMAN: My mobile phone number is _Q1 077876345.

MAN: Okay great. How can I help you today Anna?

WOMAN: I ordered a large number of items from you last week on the 20th of _Q2 February and was expecting them to be delivered on the _Q2 27th. However, only half of the shipment has arrived I just want to make sure that they haven’t been lost in transit.

MAN: Right, okay I’m sorry for the inconvenience, let me track the parcel and see if I can find out when you should expect to receive the rest of your items. And what did you list as a delivery address?

WOMAN: I arranged for the parcel to be delivered from your Warehouse on Ardell Road to my work address at 235 akandale Road.

MAN: What was it, sorry?

WOMAN: 235 akandale Road. _Q3 A-k-e-n-d-a-l-e.

MAN: East C.

WOMAN: Yes, East Sea.

MAN: Right okay. I found your parcel here on our system. I can see that you’ve received your shipment. However, nothing is mentioned about the missing items. I would advise that you wait for two days and if the other items don’t arrive then it may be necessary for you to claim insurance coverage for the value of the items. How much are the missing items worth?

WOMAN: They cost me 34,500 dollars.

MAN: Well, the insurance company will cover you for ten percent of the value so you could claim _Q4 3,450 from them, just fill in the form on our website. And when the loss is confirmed you’ll receive the money within one week. We will refund the rest of the money to you within a month. So you won’t suffer a financial loss.

WOMAN: That sounds fine.

MAN: I’ll just need to take a list of the missing items from you. So we can check it against our records. Is that okay?

WOMAN: Sure, no problem. Unfortunately, I lost the items are one of a kind and therefore Irreplaceable there were some small items such as lamps and chairs. That aren’t very valuable however there was a large item of antique furniture, and a bag for a first edition _Q5 books which were among the first ever to be printed on a press.

MAN: Right, okay. Is there anything else?

WOMAN: Yes, I also purchased a Victorian rocking course for my daughter. Some large oil _Q6 paintings originating from the Edwardian period and a few decorative fruit bowls.

MAN: Right, okay. I’ve taken a list of your missing items so I’ll phone the warehouse to see if any of them are lying around.

WOMAN: Ah, I almost forgot there were a couple of other pieces that I’ve spotted on your website and would like to order. Can I do that now?

MAN: Of course, no problem. Can you give me a description of the items that you’re looking to purchase?

WOMAN: There was a gold clock and a golden-framed vintage _Q7 mirror.

MAN: Okay perfect. I’ll charge the items to the payment card that you used before and they should be delivered to you within the next week. Is there anything else, that I can do for you today?

WOMAN: Yes to the items that I received in the shipment are damaged, so I need to make a claim for a partial refund.

MAN: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I need to take down a few details of the actual damage over the phone. Before you put in a full report, can you tell me which pieces are damaged?

WOMAN: A draw is missing from the antique mahogany _Q8 desk and there is also a dent on one of the corners so it’s unusable.

MAN: I see. Any idea of the price of repairing it?

WOMAN: No well, I don’t think it can be repaired. I will need a new one.

MAN: Okay, I’ll make a note of that and we’ll see what we can do. Anything else?

WOMAN: I also purchased a set of dining chairs with navy leather padding. However, the color is faded and one of the _Q9 leg has completely split down the middle.

MAN: Okay, are there any other damaged pieces?

WOMAN: Yes, I purchased a set of Chinese Crockery to furnish my dining room table. However, when I open the box I found that a cup was missing and that some _Q10 plates had smashed, four actually.

MAN: And is that all of the items?

WOMAN: Yes, I think that’s all.

MAN: Right. I’ll calculate the value of the damaged items and we’ll issue you a refund.

WOMAN: Okay, thank you so much for your help.

MAN: No problem at all, it was my pleasure. Goodbye.

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the second lecture in our series on chain stores in the UK. Today I will be focusing on a very successful global petrol company called Telsa. Paying particular attention to their expansion and future development. There will be time for questions at the end, so please refrain from interrupting during the talk. When it was founded the company was a family-run organization with only one shop open in a small town in southern England. The family was able to compete with other local companies by offering special discounts for returning customers. Which resulted in a huge expansion of their client base. This strategy was so successful that they were able to open _Q31 petrol stations across the country.

Subsequently increasing their market share in England within a decade Telsa were running establishments throughout the UK including Wales and Scotland. By comparing the sales income from all of their stores they were able to collate data that highlighted which areas were the most profitable and receptive to their business. They discovered that by closing the less profitable stations in the south of _Q32 Scotland they could increase the income from their other more profitable stations. This example demonstrates the importance of constantly monitoring and maintaining a clear view of the finances of the company. Once the expertise required to run the company had exceeded the abilities of the family they needed to hire professional consultants.

After assessing the company’s financial statements the consultants advised that Tesla closed the _Q33 head office of the convenience stores in Oxford. They deemed the head office unnecessary and identified it as a financial drain on the company. As the premises were expensive to run and generated no income. In order to avoid firing any employees they transferred over 200 staff to other offices and _Q34 retrained them to carry out their new roles. Now that Telsa had conquered the petrol market in the UK. They were able to branch out into other niche areas that offered prospects for profits. They realized that they could establish a new environmentally friendly brand image by selling _Q35 fresh food in their convenience stores that had been grown by local farmers. This strategy would not only broaden the scope of the company but also help to strengthen its relationships with local communities. Every year Telsa holds a meeting in London where all of the consultants and managers meet to discuss future plans for development and improvement. These meetings are essential to the evolution of the company as feedback is heard from all levels of the organization from the sales staff to the CEOs. They did this by assigning every _Q36 manager the task of holding staff discussions at which ideas and concerns would be passed on for evaluation at the meeting. Tesla decided to accommodate the individuality of each of their stores instead of forcing them to conform to one overriding company identity. They realized that by increasing the flexibility of the _Q37 profit making strategies of each of the retail stores they subsequently became more commercially successful. The level of staff satisfaction also increased as a result. As the individuals felt that they were not being constrained to one way of thinking to avoid misunderstandings and mistakes any future changes were introduced in _Q38 stages in order to familiarize the staff with the new regulations.

Now it’s time to conclude the lecture for today. So I will leave you with some food for thought before you leave. In order to run a successful business one cannot underestimate the importance of maintaining an open mind when deciding on _Q39 strategies for expansion. Sometimes it’s necessary to employ an independent consultant, who can offer an objective and unbiased view on the running of your company. Emotion will only ever cloud your ability to make business-related decisions. Research suitable case studies and look at how department stores. For example, were able to alter their _Q40 organisation structure whilst minimizing costs and staff redundancies. Precedents are an essential resource when it comes to making decisions for your own business so don’t undervalue them. Well, that wraps up our lecture for today, if there are any questions.