Listening 2026-05 Test 4

==================== IELTS Listening Transcript ==================== PART 1 Speaker 0: You will hear a number of different recordings, and you will have to answer questions on what you hear. There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions, and you will have a chance to check your work. All the recordings will be played once only. The test is in four sections. Write all your answers in the listening question booklet. At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. Now turn to section one on page two of your question booklet. Section one. You'll hear a student phoning a student careers office about a job at a holiday resort. First, you have some time to look at questions one to six on page two. You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first. Speaker 1: Hello. I saw an advert for holiday staff on the notice board, and I'm very interested. Can you tell me something about the resort? Speaker 2: Let me see. Yes. Those jobs are at the Sandy Shores Resort. You may have heard of it as it's quite well known in the area. Speaker 0: The name of the resort is Sandy Shores. So Sandy has been written in the space. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions one to six. Speaker 1: Hello. I saw an advert for holiday staff on the notice board, and I'm very interested. Can you tell me something about the resort? Speaker 2: Let me see. Yes. Those jobs are at the Sandy Shores Resort. You may have heard of it as it's quite well known in the area. Speaker 1: I'm not sure. Where exactly is it? Speaker 2: It's on Jameson Island. Speaker 1: I haven't heard of that one. How do you spell it? Speaker 2: J A M E S O N. It was named after a famous explorer. Speaker 1: Oh, sounds interesting. Speaker 2: Yes. It's a beautiful place. And as it's a large resort, they have vacancies in a few different areas. Speaker 1: When would they want someone to start? Speaker 2: It looks like the applications close by the May 12, and they would need you to begin from the July 11. Speaker 1: Oh, that's perfect. My exams finish on the July 5. Can you tell me something about the jobs? Speaker 2: Well, first of all, there is a vacancy in the Calypso Bistro. That's for a waiter. The work is quite easy, taking orders and serving meals. You don't need any experience as they will train you. Speaker 1: That's good. Speaker 2: They've also got a few vacancies in what is called the guest liaison department. They are involved with the entertainment in the resort, especially the daily music shows and parades. They definitely need people who can sing. What's your voice like? Speaker 1: It's shocking. But I can play piano. Would that be useful? Speaker 2: I don't think so. They already have a band. Speaker 1: Okay. So what else is there? Speaker 2: Among the most popular things for guests are the games and water sports activities, which take place on the beach that belongs to the resort. They are always looking for fit young people to help out with things like volleyball, surfing, and cricket, but they definitely need people who have worked with children for that vacancy. Speaker 1: Well, I coach junior basketball. Speaker 2: Sounds great. Finally, there are vacancies in the reception area. You'd work as part of the concierge department, carrying bags to and from rooms. A requirement for this role is that you can drive. That might seem strange, but some of the villas are quite far away from the resort hub, so they have little golf buggies to take the bags over to them. Speaker 0: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions seven to 10 on page two. Now listen and answer questions seven to 10. Speaker 2: I expect you'd like to know a bit more about the general benefits for staff. Speaker 1: Yes, please. Do they provide free accommodation for staff? Speaker 2: It looks like they only provide it to permanent employees, but staff don't have to pay for transport to and from the island. So you'd have to stay in Port Thomas, but there are plenty of cheap places there. Speaker 1: What about meals? Speaker 2: Yes. They're provided when you're on duty, so you would save money on groceries. If you are interested, we can set up an interview for you. I know the resort personnel manager wants interviews on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday here at the college. Speaker 1: Which day would suit you? Can we do it on Thursday as I work on Wednesdays? Speaker 2: Fine. Is 2:00 okay? Speaker 1: Perfect. Speaker 2: Okay. I've booked you in for then. Is there anything I need to take to the interview? Speaker 2: Let me see. Yes. You need to bring a CV giving details of your work experience and qualifications. And because they are planning on interviewing a lot of people, they've asked everyone to provide a photo as well so they can remember who is who. Do you have any questions? Speaker 0: That is the end of section one. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section two on page three. PART 2 Speaker 0: Section two. You will hear an instructor at a sports center talking to visitors at an open day. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16 on page three. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16. Speaker 3: Good morning. We're delighted to see so many local residents here today at the open day at Bexter Sports Centre. We're looking forward to showing you round, and if there's anything I haven't covered, just get hold of me when we have a break in the cafe at 11:00. At the moment, we're also celebrating the completion of a purpose built dance studio where you'll see a lesson in progress. You'll also see the kids club class in the swimming pool and get the chance to talk to some of our instructors. We have a range of sports facilities, so there's something for everybody. I've already mentioned the kids club. That's Saturdays and Sundays only, and children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Weekday evenings, we have the highest throughput as a lot of people come straight from work for an hour or two. And, of course, the students at the local college tend to pop in any time Monday to Friday whenever they've got a gap between lectures. We organize a wide range of classes from yoga to boxing, and classes are best booked for a term. That's 10 classes. You can pay by debit card, and we give you vouchers, which you just hand in to the instructor. We do accept credit card payments, but I'm afraid we have to charge a fee for that. Or if you prefer, you can turn up and pay cash on the day, but you'll find you save money when you book for a term up front. All the information about our classes is on our website. There are profiles of our instructors too, and you'll see we've recently won a sports award for the standard of the work they do. The guidance they give was highlighted in the award ceremony. If you like what you see here today, you can join now for a membership fee of £20 a month. To tempt you further, if you're a football fan, we've got 30 tickets for the cup final, and you'd be welcome to come along. The coach is free, so it's just the cost of the ticket. But best of all, just today, we're able to offer to people who join completely free an hour with a personal trainer. And finally, a word of warning. A lot of people who join gyms or sports centers give up after a couple of months. At first, they clearly feel better, look better, etcetera, but then the motivation wears off. They start making excuses like they're too busy at work, but it's usually because they joined on their own. So outside the club, there's no one to compare notes with. Don't let that happen to you. Speaker 0: Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20 on page four. Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20. Speaker 3: Now to get the most out of sports activities, make sure you do a range of activities. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to start with the general training classes, where you'll start by working on strengthening your lower limbs. You'll immediately feel the benefits in your day to day life. Then make sure you're building up your strength. Do some light weight training. You'll be surprised how much that increases your ability to stay mentally focused, and that's outside the gym too. Make sure you do our aerobics class. This will give you a really intensive workout and really get your heart pumping. It's the perfect way to release all the tension that's built up during the day. Finally, at least once a week, play a sport such as squash so that your agility improves. This is very good for developing quick responses. You literally think on your feet. It's recommended that you follow this program for about six weeks and then reassess your fitness levels. Speaker 0: That is the end of section two. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section three. PART 3 Speaker 4: Section three. You will hear two sports physiotherapy students called John and Kath preparing a joint presentation on foot injuries in sports players. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26 on page four. And answer questions 21 to 26. Speaker 5: I've had a look at your draft presentation plan and compared it with mine, Kath, and we seem to have the same basic structure. We've both included the same three main sections, that's the anatomy of the foot, the injuries, and the treatment, and we've organised our presentations in the same way. But the types of sports we've chosen to illustrate the possible injuries aren't the same. I'll deal with the anatomy bit. I've got notes and a handout on that from Professor Gilligan's lecture. Speaker 6: Oh, I was hoping to do that. I've downloaded some useful stuff. Speaker 5: I do think we should limit this section though. We don't want to spend much time on anatomy when the main focus is on the treatment. Speaker 6: That's true, but in the last section, maybe the two of us could show how some of these therapies actually work. I could be the patient and you could do the treatment. Speaker 5: Good idea, because it's hard to find pictures as injuries are mostly internal. It would be good to hear some first hand accounts from injured athletes too. Speaker 6: Yeah, but we don't have time. Speaker 5: No. Should we then discuss different types of heel injury? It's worth pointing out that these vary enormously in how bad they are. It might be just a pulled muscle or a bone injury which needs surgery. Sometimes only an expert can tell the difference. Speaker 6: Excellent. I'll do the slides on that. Leave that one to me. Speaker 5: Now what about causes of heel injuries? Speaker 6: Well, it's easy enough to list them. Overuse, improper footwear... Speaker 5: Yes. Speaker 6: Incorrect running style. They're all relevant. But for simplicity, let's just pick one cause. Say, stuff about changing your training habit suddenly. Speaker 5: You mean, like, suddenly doing a lot of mountain training? Speaker 6: Yes. That's a good idea. Speaker 5: And there was research on that in the latest edition of physio journal, wasn't there? Professor Gilligan recommended it to us. Speaker 6: Great. You can leave the bit on stretching techniques to me. I really like all that stuff. Speaker 5: So what's going to be your approach there? Speaker 6: Well, I'll summarize all the various techniques with visual support, and then I'll make the point that the stretching should be carefully managed. Obviously, you have to be careful not to overstretch and to stretch only when your muscles are warmed up. Otherwise, you could do yourself more harm than good. It's also important that on a supervised program, stretching is later on combined with balance exercises, which stretch and also strengthen the muscles. Speaker 5: Okay then. Speaker 4: Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30 on page five. Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30. Speaker 5: It's always useful to have some information on case studies at the end, in case we're short of material. Speaker 6: Mhmm. Did you manage to find anything? Speaker 5: Yes. Speaker 6: A female runner in her thirties talking about her treatment for a swollen heel. Initially, she rested the injury. This did help to reduce the swelling, although it was still a little bit uncomfortable. Then she applied an ice pack to the injury twice a day. Speaker 5: Did that work? Speaker 6: Well, she persisted with this treatment for the first month, but decided it wasn't helping. After this period, she was shown how to use deep tissue massage techniques, and was surprised at how much freedom of movement this created in her foot. Speaker 5: Wasn't she having ultrasound treatment? Speaker 6: Yes. She was having sessions at the hospital, but she remained unconvinced about its value. She felt the same about the balancing exercises she was prescribed. Speaker 5: Okay. That's interesting. I looked at the aftercare programme of a male sprinter who was allowed to do some sports activity as part of his rehabilitation. After four months of treatment, he did some light running on grass wearing shoes that gave plenty of support to his injured heel. Speaker 6: So it didn't hurt? Speaker 5: Well, he found the heel was sore afterwards, and the same happened with some jumping exercises he was asked to try. Speaker 6: Did he go to the gym and use weights? Speaker 5: Yes. After a few weeks. And if he used light weights, he could train without pain. He also tried cycling and found this beneficial as his foot was not making contact with the ground. He expected a similar result with swimming, but found the repetitive kicking motion was actually aggravating the injury. Speaker 6: Well, both these case studies have value. Speaker 4: That is the end of section three. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section four on page six. PART 4 Speaker 7: For centuries, beavers were widespread across Britain's rivers and wetlands. However, due to extensive hunting, they gradually disappeared. They were mainly trapped for their thick fur, which was highly valued in clothing production, as well as for their meat, which was considered a delicacy. But another major reason for their decline was the demand for a certain glandular secretion they produced. This substance was not only used in medicines and perfumes but also played a key role in transport industries, as it was an essential component in waterproofing leather goods and enhancing the quality of certain products. Today, conservationists are leading efforts to reintroduce beavers into carefully selected habitats. However, one of the major challenges is ensuring that these animals are not targeted by illegal hunting again. Government policies and conservation groups are working together to implement legal frameworks that will offer beavers protection from threats in the long run, including both human activities and natural predators. Without such regulations, their population could face another dramatic decline. Beavers are known for their unique physical features, which help them thrive in aquatic environments. One particularly distinctive part of their body serves multiple functions: it assists in swimming, provides balance, and even helps regulate body temperature. This feature, which is broad, flat, and covered in scales, allows them to navigate water efficiently while also acting as a heat regulator. This crucial adaptation is, of course, their tail. As these animals spread across different landscapes, they gradually establish new territories. Their movement patterns are often compared to those of other species that travel across vast distances to find food, shelter, or suitable breeding sites. Similar to birds that relocate seasonally, beavers display a type of migration, particularly when young individuals leave their original colonies to form new groups in distant areas. Apart from their role in shaping ecosystems, beavers have also been historically valued for a particular substance they secrete. This material, which carries a strong musky odor, was once a prized ingredient in fragrance making. Before synthetic alternatives were developed, this beaver derived compound was commonly used in the manufacturing of perfume, as its scent had long lasting properties that helped stabilize fragrances. Despite the ecological advantages of beaver reintroduction, not everyone is convinced that their presence is entirely beneficial. Some landowners and farmers argue that the way beavers modify waterways can lead to certain disruptions. Their habit of constructing lodges and dams using tree branches and mud can sometimes obstruct water flow, causing issues for local residents. Many fear that such changes in river systems could create unwanted complications, leading to headaches for communities that rely on stable water levels for irrigation or infrastructure. Despite these concerns, research has shown that beavers contribute significantly to improving natural habitats. One of the most noticeable effects of their return is the rise in public interest. Scientists, wildlife enthusiasts and tourists have flocked to areas where beavers have been successfully reintroduced. This surge in visitors has provided an economic boost to local businesses, as wildlife observation has become a popular activity. This increase in nature based travel has helped stimulate tourism, benefiting nearby communities financially. Beyond economic advantages, beavers play a crucial role in water management. By building structures that slow the movement of water, they help prevent sudden changes in river levels. This ability to control water flow is particularly important in regions that experience heavy rainfall. Their natural engineering skills assist in reducing the risk of flood, as their dams act as barriers that store excess rainwater and release it gradually over time. Another vital contribution of beavers is their ability to improve water quality. One of the most notable improvements is the reduction of a particular chemical element that when found in excessive amounts can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems. By lowering the concentration of nitrogen, beaver activity helps prevent water pollution and supports a more balanced environment for fish and plant life. Finally, the habitats created by beavers provide shelter and food sources for a wide variety of species. The wetlands they establish become home to many creatures, including amphibians, birds, and small mammals. Additionally, their presence supports the survival of numerous tiny organisms that form the base of the food chain. Among the most abundant of these are insects, which thrive in the damp, nutrient rich environments that beaver modified landscapes offer.