Listening 2026-07 Test 6

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 7. London relocation services, Daniel speaking. How may I help you? Good morning. My family and I are moving to London later this year and I wonder if you can help. Sure. First of all, I'll need to get some personal details. May I take your full name please? It's Anna Woods. Thanks. Where are you moving from? Northern Ireland just outside Belfast actually. Right. And what's your current address? It's 118 Ford Ice Park. I'll spell that for you. It's F-O-R-D-Y-C-E. And that's in Balisillum. And what's the postcode? It's BT149BJ. All right. And could I take a contact phone number? I'll give you my mobile number as you can get me on that anytime. It's 07840051963. Great. Got that. Now we always like to get a bit more information about the families that we're moving. It helps with the search. Are you moving for work? Yes. My husband's just got a new job in London. And what about you? Do you work? Well, I've been working as a teaching assistant recently, but I'm actually a qualified nurse and I'd like to get back into that if possible. Right. And do you have any children? Yes, the son. So we need to find a school for him. Is it a secondary school you'll be looking for? No, he's still in primary school. He's not quiet at the secondary level yet. Fine. So let's go on to talk about your requirements for the property. Do you have a preferred location? Is your husband's job in the centre? No, it's in East London, but we'd rather live somewhere quieter. Sure. There are some lovely areas in the south. Okay, that sounds great. Now my husband doesn't want to spend too long commuting to work every day. So I imagine that ideally he'd like to be not too far from a station then. Yes. He drives now, but I guess that's not going to be possible and he's not keen on buses. But what about you or your son? Do you have any preferences? Does your son do any sport, for example? He's quite active, so I'm sure he'd love a park nearby to run around in. He doesn't do swimming or anything like that. Great. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 8 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 8 to 10. So what sort of property do you have in mind? We have friends who live in an amazing flat over there. But as we've always lived in a house, I think we'll stick with that. We'd find it hard to adapt to a flat. Okay. And size wise, how many bedrooms would you like? Well, there's just myself, my husband and our son. So you definitely need a two bedroom property, but how about having a guest room? I might be able to find a three bedroom property for you. Yes, that would be ideal. We're sure to have family visiting often. All right, I've made a note of that. Now, are there any other requirements for your new property? Well, it's not essential, but it'd be handy to have an office for when my husband works from home. It doesn't need to be a big one. I guess it all comes down to budget. Yes. Okay, Anna. Well, I've certainly got enough to be getting on with, and I will... That is the end of part one. You now have one minute to check your answers to part one. Listen carefully and answer questions one to four. Good afternoon. You're through to reception at the Island Hotel in Crete. How may I help you today? Yes, hello there. I'm hoping to book a double room for my wife and myself for about two weeks from the 25th of April of this year. Firstly, could you tell me whether it's particularly hot during this time? Yes, of course, sir. During late April and early May, the daytime temperature shouldn't exceed 19 degrees Celsius. But the weather has been rather erratic and difficult to predict in recent years, so I am unable to say for certain. Okay, that sounds good. My wife doesn't like going outside when it's very hot. I haven't booked flights yet, but I must say that I'm unfamiliar with Crete and its transport system. Does the hotel provide an airport shuttle service? Yes, sir. We provide a complimentary airport pickup service for all our guests. It takes about 40 minutes to get here from the airport, but it's at least 60 minutes at rush hours. And you will be provided with a fully air-conditioned shuttle bus. Okay, excellent. In that case, do you have any rooms available for the dates I gave you? I shall have a look on the system now for you, sir. Bear with me just a moment. Yes, sir. I can see now that we have several rooms available. Would you prefer a garden view or a sea view? Well, ideally I would like a sea view room with a balcony, but of course that depends on the difference in price. Not to worry, sir. All of our standard double rooms have ensuite facilities and a balcony. If you would like one of our sea view rooms, there is a premium of 60 euros per night. Okay, so could you tell me the total nightly rate for a standard double room with a sea view? Yes, of course, sir. For the spring months, our rate is 216 euros per night. For 14 nights altogether, this will come to 3,024 euros. Perfect. I also read on your website that the hotel has gym and spa facilities. Are there any other facilities on offer? Yes, we have a large outdoor infinity pool overlooking the ocean, with luxury sunbeds and a poolside bar. We also have three full-size tennis courts, where we run a popular doubles tournament, with the winner receiving two all-inclusive spa day vouchers. Goodness, I shall have to brush up on my tennis skills. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 5 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10. Are there any other activities organized by the hotel that we can partake in? It's just that it's our wedding anniversary on the 30th of June, and I would like to provide my wife with a perfect romantic getaway. I can assure you, sir, that your wife won't be disappointed. Ours is a five-star resort, which is renowned for its luxury and beauty. In terms of activities, the hotel provides thrice-weekly entertainment. On Tuesdays, guests will take a minibus and partake in learning to cook succulent fish dishes, with our Michelin-starred chef Enrique. The class will take place in a beautiful valley deep in the Cretan Hills, where guests will be treated to an intimate piano performance by our in-house concert pianist Pedro. On Wednesdays, a select number of guests will be fortunate enough to explore the mountains by helicopter, before being transported to a tropical Cretan garden by shuttle bus. Finally, on Thursdays, after a fancy dinner, we provide a spectacular fireworks display, which guests can view from the comfort of a cable car. Oh wow, that all sounds absolutely wonderful. I shall book the room now, and then I need to look at flights, so as not to become extortioned. Would you like to take my details now or later? That is the end of section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers. [BLANK_AUDIO] "Hi, good afternoon." "Hi, welcome to the Carlton Hotel. How can I help you?" "We've just driven up from London, and we're going to stay here in York for a few days. We'd like to book a couple of rooms." "Okay, sir. So, for how many nights is that?" "We'll be leaving on Monday morning, so let me see, that's three nights." "And you said two rooms. Who are the rooms for?" "I'm here with my wife and two kids. They are nine and eleven. Sorry, nine and twelve. The eldest has just had his birthday. So, it'd like one twin room for the kids, and another double for my wife and I." "Okay, well, we've got two rooms available, both on sweet." "Great. How much are they per night?" "Let me see. The twin room is £40 per night, and the double room is £50 per night." "Okay, that sounds reasonable. So, what is the total for three nights for both rooms?" "Let me check. That will be a total of £270." "And that includes everything." "Yes, that's price includes tax." "Okay. Can I pay by credit card?" "Yes, sure. You'll need to pay for the first night now, and you can pay for the other nights when you leave, or you can pay for all three nights now." "I think I'll just pay for everything now, as will definitely be here till Monday." "Okay, that's fine. I'll just need to take some details from you to confirm the booking. Can you give me your full name?" "Yes, it's Michael Fernsby. That's F-E-R-N-S-B-Y." "And what's your date of birth, please?" "The 15th of October 1968." "The 5th of October 1968." "No, the 15th." "Oh, okay, sorry. And can you give me your address?" "Sure, it's 273 Stanton Court. That's S-T-A-N-T-O-N." "London W-C-2-D-5-J-B." "W-C-2-D-5-J-B?" "Yes, that's right." "And your telephone number?" "My mobile number is hold on. Just let me check. I can never remember it." "Ah, here it is. It's 08773-879-456." "Okay, those rooms are booked for you then." "Okay. I know a bit out of town here. Can you give me some information about getting into the centre of town? We'll probably head in tomorrow." "Well, you could drive in, but the parking is not great in town. It's difficult to get a space and is quite expensive if you're staying there all day." "Yes, we're thinking of going to look around some of the shops and to look at the wall around the city. So, we'll probably be there most of the day." "In that case, you're probably best taking a taxi or the bus." "How much is a taxi?" "Into town, it will be about £12. Actually, no, I'd say it's around £15. Fares have increased recently. We can book it here for you and it will pick you up outside. It only takes about 10 minutes." "Right, I see. What about the bus? How much is that and where does it go from?" "It's only £2 per person. It's not far from here. You go out of here, turn right onto Oak Tree Avenue and it's about a five minute walk down the road. You can't miss it. The bus ride is about 15 minutes." "Oh, okay. Maybe we could do that." "Or you could walk actually if you like walking. Part of the way you can walk through the nice park, which is fairly popular with visitors to York. It's about 30 minutes but it's quite pleasant." "Right, well, there's a few options there. We'll have a think about it. I'll go and get my wife and kids. They're just waiting in the car." "Okay, no problem. Thanks for booking with us." Good morning, Greenfield Community Arts Centre. How can I help you? I'm calling because I saw an advertisement about your art classes. I'd like to know a bit more about the course. Of course. The course is quite popular. It runs for 12 weeks, and classes take place once a week in the evening. That sounds good. Is the location easy to get to by public transport? Yes, very convenient, actually. If you take the number 16 bus, the bus stop is right next to a supermarket, and our building is just across the street from there. Great. And how much does the course cost? The tuition fee itself is fixed, so you don't need to worry about that changing. However, students may sometimes need to pay a little extra for materials, such as paper or special art supplies. That's understandable. If I want to register, how do I make the payment? You can transfer the fee directly to our bank account. The account number is 1, 2, 5, 0, 4, 8, 9, 0, 0. Let me write that down. 125,048,900. That's correct. And if I have more questions later, who should I contact? You can contact Sally Patterson. She's responsible for course administration, and we'll be happy to help. Perfect. Could you tell me a bit about what we'll learn in the class? Certainly. During the first few weeks, students will focus on the basics of drawing. For example, you'll learn how to draw a person's face, including proportion and shading. That sounds interesting. On the first day, please remember to bring some pencils, because we'll start sketching straight away. Okay, I'll bring those. We also have an inspiration session where the teacher shows students a short cartoon film to demonstrate different artistic styles. That sounds fun. Yes, students really enjoy it. At the end of the course, we organise a competition where all participants can display their artwork. Oh, nice. And if the weather is good, the final session will be held outdoors in the park, where students can practice drawing natural scenery. That sounds wonderful. Thank you for all the information. You're welcome. We hope to see you in the class soon. Test 1. Exam Practice. Listening Section 1 You will hear a telephone conversation between a woman and a man who works for a holiday company about a holiday she would like to go on. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6. Pause the recording for 30 seconds. 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. Holidays for you. Sean speaking, can I help you? Oh hi, I've been looking at your website. I'm interested in a cycling holiday in Austria in April. Ah, we have two trips in April, one last 14 days and the other 10 days. Hmm, I think the 10 day trip is better. So let's see, I've got a calendar here. What are the dates? The length of the trip that the woman chooses is 10 days, so 10 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 1 to 6. Holidays for you. Sean speaking, can I help you? Oh hi, I've been looking at your website. I'm interested in a cycling holiday in Austria in April. Ah, we have two trips in April, one last 14 days and the other 10 days. Hmm, I think the 10 day trip is better. So let's see, I've got a calendar here. What are the dates? Well, that trip is in the middle of the month. It starts on the 17th of April and it finishes on the 27th. That suits me. I can't leave work before the 10th of April. Let me see if there are any spaces. Is it just for yourself? Myself and my sister, so two of us. Yes, we have spaces. Is it a big group? At the moment, there are 12 people booked on this trip and with you two, that will be 14. The maximum number is 16, so it's almost fully booked. We can't go over that because it's hard to keep a larger group together. I need to check that I'm fit enough for this, but the distances look okay. The website says we'll ride approximately 45 kilometres a day. Is that right? That's correct. And I've got the exact distances here. It really depends on which part of the trip. Some days are only 35 kilometres and some are more, but you'll never have to cycle more than 50 kilometres in one day. Oh, okay, I can manage that. And we stay in hotels? Yes, they all have restaurants and the rooms have ensuite facilities. And do they have pools? It's how I relax after a long day. There is a swimming pool in a few of the hotels, but none of them has a gym. I don't think we'll need a gym after all that cycling. I better find out how much the holiday costs before I get too excited. Including flights, it's £1,177 per person. Oh, we'll book our own flights on the internet. That's just £1,013. And we can book insurance for you if you want. And which meals are included in that price? Well, breakfast, of course. And the hotels will provide you with a packed lunch each day. We do stop during the afternoon and a village somewhere for a rest, so any snacks you buy then are extra. Then dinner will be in the hotel every evening, and that's included in the price of the holiday. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at question 7 to 10. Pause the recording for 30 seconds. Now listen and answer question 7 to 10. And you provide the bicycles, of course. What else? A lock and a bell come with a bike as well as lights, although you shouldn't need to cycle in the dark. There's a small bag or panier on the front of the bike where you can put the things you want to take with you during the day, like water or fruit. But we won't allow you to cycle unless you bring a helmet. We don't provide these locally because, like walking boots on a walking holiday, it's really important it fits properly. Okay. If there's any special gear you need for your holiday, we recommend a particular website and you can get a discount by quoting your booking reference. Great. What is it? It's www.Balantine.com. That's all one word and I'll spell it for you. www.ba.com. Good. I've got that down. I've been looking at your website while we've been talking. I see we cycle along the river Danube. Yes. It's one of Europe's most well-known areas for cycling. It looks fascinating. Lots of beautiful countryside and things to see. I should warn you that we do reserve the right to make some alterations to the roots if the weather is bad. Some of the tracks sometimes get very muddy. Okay. Well, hopefully it won't rain too much. I know we stop in towns and villages but do we get a chance to look around because I'm really interested in history? Oh, yes. You get opportunities to explore. Is there something in particular you want to see? There's a theatre in a town called Grine. A friend of mine went there last year and said it was amazing. Let's see. Yes, there's a guide who'll take you round the building. We don't have any other tours arranged but you can visit several castles and museums on the holiday. Well, thank you for all that information. I'd like to book that then. Right. Well, I'll just... That is the end of section one. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Pause the recording for 30 seconds. [BLANK_AUDIO] --- You will hear a man sharing his experiences with the oceanic island travelling. First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 17. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 17. Hello, my name is Damon and I would like to share my experiences of oceanic island travelling. First of all, some of you have been asking me how oceanic island travelling keeps its tour group members updated while they are on the travel trip. Please note that the information board is updated daily and we encourage you to check it every morning before you begin your day on the beach in the cottage or participating in any of the many activities offered. So please remember to check it at the reception area in the front of the visitor centre of the resort. You are probably aware of the many different activities offered on our trips. There is something you should know before booking. Reservations are not necessary for most activities such as sandsocker, beach volleyball and even scuba diving. However, if you are planning to participate in our water skiing activity we encourage you to book that activity at least 48 hours beforehand as we hire an outside group to conduct this activity and we need to notify them of how many participants will be involved. One of the many activities available to the guests is the Mystery Cave Tour. Some people interested in participating in those tours don't know what the ticket price includes. The ticket price includes transportation to the caves. All participants are required to wear a safety helmet inside the caves and the ticket has covered that for you. If you are joining this tour you will need to wear some comfortable shoes as there will be some walking involved with this tour. If you are interested to see a map of the Mystery Cave in advance of your trip you can see it on the Oceanic Island Travelling website. Of course we will offer you a map of the cave if you need it during the tour but it will cost an extra fee. For those of you interested in visiting the Davison Wildlife Park you should know that the park is an excellent site for families. Although it does attract a lot of zoologists to do some research. Again transportation to the park is included in your ticket price. And please note that children aged 12 and under receive a discounted ticket price. In the wildlife park children can often watch elephant shows which are really an attraction but now some elephants are ill and they need some time to recover. Still there is another activity that should entertain kids. They are allowed to feed the animals. This activity is extremely popular with kids. Among the most popular animals at the zoo are the collection of red kangaroos. The size of these kangaroos is similar to that of black bears but generally they are bigger than adults and if you are lucky you might even be able to see some baby kangaroos while you are visiting. The crocodiles are also very popular at the wildlife park. These prehistoric animals have a lifespan of over 50 years. A male crocodile can even be expected to live to the age of 80. You won't get as close to the crocodiles as you will to some of the other animals in the park as they are somewhat dangerous. You will be able to view these animals from a distance in their natural habitats. Before you hear the rest of the talk you have some time to look at questions 18-20. Now listen and answer questions 18-20. For those of you that have previously participated in this tour please know that some of the activities which were previously available are no longer available and have been replaced with new activities. The barbecue and the bonfire are now restricted by the ordinance due to fire precautions in the area. Instead of going hiking on the hills most of our tourists prefer to visit many of the gift shops in the area to buy souvenirs for themselves or for family and friends who are not on the tour. The EMU Farm which has previously been a popular place to visit is now temporarily closed for business but newly available to you is a popular trip offered to the Nelson cheese factory in which visitors can take a tour and learn all about the process of manufacturing cheese. And finally a visit to the St. John's Fruit Farm is another very popular day trip. The fruit farm is within walking distance of our cottages and you can get there by minibus this time but will have a few nature trails that go past the cottages in the future. At the farm you will be able to pick strawberries and apples in the farms orchards and fields. Many tourists enjoy this activity a lot. We don't have hill hiking in the area but we do have tours that involve in other destinations. Contact me if you are interested. Contact is the end of section 2. Thank you. --- Section 3. You will hear a lecturer called Dr. Lewis talking to a first-year chemistry student called Leila about her work in laboratory. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26. you Now, listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26. Hello, Leila. Now, this is just a general chat about your progress. First of all, how do you think you are getting along with your chemistry lab work? Well, I'm not sure, Dr. Lewis. I don't feel very confident. I mean, what we do isn't really all that difficult, but I didn't do much science practice. But, presumably, you've been reading the background information for the experiments on the department website. Is that useful? Well, it depends. The last experiment about freezing points of different liquids, it would have been helpful if there had been more detail on the website about how to actually measure the temperature. We didn't do this as accurately as we needed to, so the information we got wasn't very useful. We were okay with the equipment, but we certainly wouldn't have been if we hadn't read the stuff on the website before. And some of these safety warnings seemed a bit extreme, too. But you do have to be aware of the dangers. Yes, of course. Now, what about your lab reports? Students sometimes get very behind with these. The thing is, I don't know where to begin, so I end up putting it off. Well, try setting aside half an hour. Just to do a small part of it. Then the rest won't seem as daunting. And it's important to avoid using informal language or language that's too personal. Yes, I got quite a bit of feedback on that in my last lab report, but the feedback on the introduction was really negative. I'd like to follow the guidelines. I didn't spend it all describing the experimental method, for example, because that's all given in the lab notes. Okay. But apparently, I didn't give enough information about why the experiment was significant. Yes, you may need to do a bit of work for that. And don't forget to put the correct references in your review of the literature. What was the feedback like for your results in discussion section? Okay. Apparently, the labeling of the graphs and tables wasn't always clear, but they liked the way I separated out the different effects of temperature and didn't teach on the different possible reaction mechanisms. Yes, that's good. To link each stage in the experiment to possible explanations rather than treating them separately. Hmm. It takes some students a long time to learn how to make those connections. My summary at the end wasn't too bad either, though they said I needed more emphasis on how it related to possible future experiments. Well, it sounds as if you came all right, actually. But you could join what's called the "Minter" scheme. This is where you talk informally to another student, probably a postgraduate in actual work. Things like how to approach lab reports. Right. Well, I'm feeling a bit better about things now I've talked to you, but I'm so worried about all the articles and books we're supposed to get through. Would that be something a mentor could help me to learn? Sure. That would be really good. And I think the lectures would all make more sense then. Yes. So, how do I go getting a mentor then? I did see a leaflet about it. I think it said something about the University Office. Oh, they just print the leaflets. I heard leaflets themselves say you need to go through the student services. But actually, I can put you in touch with someone in this department myself. That might be better. That sounds good, Dr. Lewis. Thanks. Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30. Now, listen and answer questions 27 to 30. How are you getting on with the reading anyway? Well, I've been using chemistry 3 quite a lot. It's not too high a level and I like the way it links the theory and the practice, especially the sections giving real life examples. Yes, that's definitely a strong point. I wanted to read the chemistry of water, but it isn't in the library. They said it was out of print. Yes, that's a pity. It's still one of the best overviews of the topic. Have you ever looked at introduction to chemical bonding? I got it on order at the library. I was going to buy it, but it seemed a lot to pay for what you get. Yes, I agree, but I would recommend you read it as soon as possible. By the time you get to the end of the year, it won't be so relevant. Okay. What do you think about basic inorganic chemistry? Quite a lot of people have thought that. It's not awfully expensive. Well, it covers a lot, but not enough for this course. I'd say you'd be better saving your money there. Okay. Thanks, Dr. Lewis. Now, the last thing I would... --- 4. You will hear parts of a lecture about oxytocin and trust. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. 3. You will hear parts of a lecture about oxytocin and trust. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. 4. You will hear parts of a lecture about oxytocin and trust. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40. The development of trust is an essential social tool, allowing people to form productive and meaningful relationships, both at a professional and personal level. Trust is indispensable in friendship, love, families and organisations and plays a key role in economic exchange and politics. Much recent evidence indicates that trust contributes to economic, political and social success. When we make contacts with strangers such as doing business with the clients who we meet for the first time, our trust in them can only rely on their kindness. So, from our own judgement or the comments from other people, we can have a rough idea if the stranger is trustworthy. Trust is important because it is the basis around which all human relationships evolve. Without trust, there can be no relationship. Trust can come naturally or it can be manifested. If you find trust of this magnitude in life, then you are lucky. Also, you can always count on them to protect, through all, if not most of life's perils. Trust is important because if you don't trust someone, then they are not available. Believe it or not, reducing the chance of suffering from poverty is to understand trust because when you trust other people, you can have more support and resources. However, our ability to trust others varies from individual to individual, just like different people's ability of recognising a person's face is not the same. Bonds of trust are also extremely fragile. A single act of betrayal, such as a marital affair, can instantly erase years of trustworthy behaviour. The consequences of such breaches in confidence can be disastrous and not only for a relationship. The study demonstrates how oxytocin can facilitate social interactions after trust has been violated by potentially lowering defence mechanisms associated with social risks and by overcoming negative feedback that is important for adapting behaviour in the future. Luckily, oxytocin in our body has the ability to inspire trust in and among people. This chemical is released whenever interaction happens between people. To study social interactions, economists and more recently neuroscientists take advantage of a simple experiment. Two participants play the so-called "trust game". The first participant is faced with a decision to keep a sum of money or share it with the second participant who has no obligation to give the money back. He would get more money if the second person returns it. In this game, the first person is left with an important social dilemma to trust or not to trust. Although it is more profitable to trust, doing so leaves the investor at risk of betrayal. Trust is not something that naturally occurs when two people meet for the first time. It involves a process. One person has to show the quality of being trustworthy to the other person. This can be achieved by certain behaviours and communication. Therefore, trust is conditional. People should not take it for granted. Oxytocin does not only exist in human beings. Animals also have this gift and it can be seen when they have cooperation with each other. Oxytocin in monkeys, for example, allow them to work together to find food and to fight against enemies. The Nash Equilibrium's Game Theory, the first participant will make the best decision he can with no expectations that the second participant would change his decision. The second participant will do the same. So, the outcome depends on the decision of the other person. This game is similar to the one we just talked about. The Oxytocin level doesn't stay the same in a person's body. Studies have found that people who are under a lot of stress would have higher levels of Oxytocin. Oxytocin causes a substantial increase in trust among humans, thereby greatly increasing the benefits from social interactions. It's also noted that the effect of Oxytocin on trust is not due to a general increase in the readiness to bear risks. On the contrary, Oxytocin specifically affects an individual's willingness to accept social risks arising through interpersonal interactions. To sum up, Oxytocin is like a kind of social glue that is helpful in social bonding. Further research is needed to explore Oxytocin and trust, and how this hormone can be used to strengthen our trust in others and even treat mental disorders that specifically relate to deficiencies in social behaviour. Next we're going to talk about... That is the end of section 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers.