IELTS Listening Practice Test 1

Transcript (revealed after you submit) WOMAN: Good morning. I’m calling because I’d like to find out about joining the leisure centre. Could you tell me what’s involved? MAN: Of course. We offer three types of membership. The most popular one is the Standard membership, which gives you access to the gym and all the swimming sessions. WOMAN: That sounds good. How much does the Standard membership cost? MAN: It’s forty pounds a month, and there’s no joining fee at the moment. WOMAN: Great, forty pounds is fine. Can I sign up over the phone? MAN: Yes, I just need a few details. Can I take your full name? WOMAN: It’s Karen Fletcher. That’s F-L-E-T-C-H-E-R. MAN: Thank you, Fletcher. Now, which activities are you most interested in? WOMAN: Mainly swimming, but I’d also like to try one of your classes. MAN: We have lots to choose from. The yoga class is very popular, and there’s a beginners’ course starting soon. WOMAN: I’d love to do the yoga class. Which day is it on? MAN: It runs on Tuesday evenings, and it begins at seven o’clock and lasts for an hour. WOMAN: Tuesday evenings suit me well. Do I need to bring anything? MAN: Just bring a towel and a bottle of water. We provide the mats. WOMAN: Good to know. Is there parking at the centre? MAN: Yes, there’s a free car park behind the building, but it can get busy, so many members come by bicycle. WOMAN: I’ll probably walk, actually. One more question. How do I pay each month? MAN: The easiest way is by direct debit. We’ll set that up when you come in. WOMAN: All right. When should I come in to finish everything? MAN: If you could pop in on Thursday, that would be ideal. Please bring some photo identification, such as a passport. WOMAN: A passport, got it. And who should I ask for when I arrive? MAN: Ask for the duty manager, whose name is Daniel. He’ll show you around and complete the forms. WOMAN: Thank you, Daniel. I’ll see you on Thursday. MAN: We look forward to it. Have a lovely day.

Transcript (revealed after you submit) GUIDE: Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to Greenfield Country Park. My name is Tom, and I’ll give you a short introduction before you head off to explore on your own. The land you’re standing on has an interesting history. Many people assume it was always farmland, but in fact it was once a quarry, where stone was dug out for building the local town. When the quarry closed, the council bought the site and spent several years turning it into the park you see today. It only opened to the public just this spring, so everything still feels wonderfully new. There’s a huge amount to see and do. By far the most popular attraction with families is the adventure playground, with its rope bridges and climbing towers. The lake and the cafe are lovely too, but it’s the playground that everyone talks about. Before you set off, a few words about safety. There are some steep drops near the water, so we ask that you keep to the marked paths at all times. This protects both you and the wildlife. Now let me tell you about the main places you can visit. At the boathouse, down by the water, you can hire rowing boats and kayaks by the hour, and the staff will show you how to use them. The visitor centre, near the main gate, runs guided tours every hour, so if you’d like to learn more about the park’s history, that’s the place to go. Sadly, the old mill is closed at the moment, as we are repairing the roof, but we hope to reopen it next month. If you enjoy birdwatching, don’t miss the wildlife hide beside the reeds. One thing to remember there: please switch off your cameras, because flash photography frightens the birds and spoils it for everyone. For those of you with little ones, the play area behind the cafe is designed for younger children under eight, with soft ground and low equipment. And finally, the meadow walk on the far side of the park is completely free and open all year, with beautiful flowers in the summer months. That’s everything from me. Maps are available at the desk, and I hope you have a wonderful afternoon. Enjoy your visit to Greenfield.

Transcript (revealed after you submit) TUTOR: Come in, Maya and Josh. Thanks for coming to talk about your geography project on urban rivers. How’s it going so far? MAYA: Quite well, I think. To be honest, it was the documentary we watched in class that first got me interested in the topic. TUTOR: I remember that one. So you’re looking at the river that runs through the city centre? JOSH: That’s right. We spent last weekend down by the river taking measurements. It went mostly to plan, though we did hit one problem. The water sensor stopped working on the second day, so we lost some of our readings. TUTOR: That’s a shame, but these things happen. You can note it as a limitation. Now, looking at your plan, I think it’s strong, but I’d really like to see some historical records included, to show how the river has changed over time. MAYA: That’s a good idea. There’s an old archive at the library we could use. TUTOR: Perfect. Is there anything you’re finding difficult? MAYA: What worries me most is getting the referencing right. I always lose marks on that. TUTOR: Don’t worry, I can check the references for you before you submit, if you send them early. MAYA: Oh, that would be a huge help, thank you. JOSH: How should we divide up the writing? MAYA: Let’s just split it up by section, so we each take a couple of parts and it’s clear who did what. JOSH: Sounds fair. And who’s doing what exactly? TUTOR: Why don’t we sort that out now. Josh, you’re best with the software, so you do the maps. JOSH: Happy to. I’ll draw the maps and get them looking neat. MAYA: And I’ll write the introduction, then, since I’ve read the most background. TUTOR: Great. As I said, I can check the references for you when you’re ready. Josh, there was also that phone call to make. JOSH: Oh yes, I’ll contact the council office to ask for the flood data. I’ll ring them on Monday. TUTOR: Excellent. One last thing. I’ll need your first draft by next Monday, so please keep to that. It gives us time to make changes before the final hand-in. MAYA: Next Monday, got it. We’ll make sure it’s ready. TUTOR: Wonderful. You’re both doing really well. Send me those references whenever you like.

Transcript (revealed after you submit) LECTURER: Good morning everyone. Today’s lecture is about a substance so common that we rarely think about it: salt. Yet for thousands of years, salt was one of the most valuable commodities on Earth, and controlling it meant controlling wealth and power. Let’s start with why salt matters to the body. Humans cannot survive without it. Salt helps our nerves send signals and keeps the balance of fluids in our cells. Before refrigerators existed, salt had another vital use. It was the main way people used to preserve food, especially meat and fish, allowing it to be stored for months. Because it was so useful, salt became one of the first goods to be traded across long distances. Ancient routes known as salt roads stretched for hundreds of miles, and whole cities grew up around the trade. In fact, the word salary comes from the Latin term for salt, because Roman soldiers were sometimes paid an allowance to buy it. So where does salt come from? There are two main sources. The first is the sea. When seawater is left in shallow pools and the sun causes the water to evaporate, crystals of salt are left behind. This method is still used in warm countries today. The second source is underground, where ancient seas dried up long ago and left thick layers of rock salt. This is removed by digging deep mines. Salt also had a darker side in history. Because governments knew people had to buy it, they often placed a heavy tax on salt. In some countries this caused great anger among the poor. A famous example took place in India, where a protest march against the salt tax became an important moment in the struggle for independence. In the modern world, salt is cheap and plentiful, so its value has fallen. Today most of the salt produced is not eaten at all. Instead, the largest amount is used by industry, for making products such as glass, paper and plastic. In colder regions, huge quantities are also spread on roads in winter to melt ice and keep traffic moving safely. However, there are concerns. Doctors warn that eating too much salt can raise our blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease. For this reason, health experts advise us to check the labels on the food we buy. To sum up, this ordinary white substance has been a driver of trade, a cause of conflict, and a necessity for life itself. In the next lecture, we’ll look at another everyday material with a surprising past: sugar. Thank you.