IELTS listening, version 56337.

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 parts.
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 part one on page two of your question booklet.

Section 1:
You will hear a woman talking to a man about hiring a room for a party.
First you have some time to look at questions one to seven.
Now listen carefully and answer questions one to seven.
Good morning the function company can I help you?
Hi, a friend told me that you can arrange rooms for hire for parties and things like
that.
That's right, we have about ten hotels on our list and we hire out function rooms on
their behalf.
Are you having a party?
Yes, it's for my birthday, my twenty first.
Okay, first of all can you tell me how many people you're inviting?
I'm not sure yet, it depends on the cost.
Okay, well the exchange hotel might be a good choice for you.
They have a room which will seat up to forty five and will take sixty five people standing.
Are you going to have a meal or just a buffet?
I think a buffet, it doesn't have to be a sit down meal.
I don't know the exchange hotel, can you tell me a bit more about it?
Well, it was built about a hundred and fifty years ago.
We regularly arrange parties there, they have a room for hire on the fifth floor.
It's not the most central hotel but it's very easy for people to find, it's very popular
for wedding parties so I'll have to check if it's available.
Okay, is the room nice?
Have you seen it?
I have, it's quite big and very light but the best thing is that it has a wonderful view
on a fine evening you can see for miles.
Sounds good, but how much is it?
It's thirty two pounds ahead, that includes the hire of the room and the standard buffet
but not drinks and you have to have at least thirty five guests.
Well, that won't be a problem, we're likely to be more than that.
Can you tell me when it's available?
I can check that for you, which dates are you looking at?
Uh, ideally the middle to end of April, weekends.
Let me see.
They can do any Saturday in April but not Fridays or Sundays.
Okay, but if I want something bigger what would you recommend?
There's the Limerick Hotel.
How do you spell that?
I'm taking notes.
It's L-I-M-E-R-I-C-K.
There's a large room there which seats up to seventy five people or there's room for
125 standing.
Oh, I expect we'll be standing.
Where is it?
It's in the business district so public transport's good.
It's got a large car park too though.
The room's on the ground floor and it's recently been refurbished.
Is there a garden we could use if we're on the ground floor?
There's a small one that would be available.
Sounds nice, especially if it's a warm evening and the cost.
The buffet is thirty six pounds per person.
Shall I check availability in April for you?
Yes please.
Okay.
You said weekends didn't you?
Yes.
No Fridays again and it's not free on the first Saturday.
That's the sixth but it's free on the thirteenth and thirtieth.
Thank you.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions eight
to ten.
Now listen and answer questions eight to ten.
I think the first hotel looks best for me but I need two or three days to think about
it.
Okay.
Well if I take your booking today I can hold it for a week.
So if you want to change your mind or have a look at other possible hotels we can do that.
To confirm the booking I then need a deposit of thirty five percent.
You pay the other sixty five percent ten days before the party.
Okay and when do I have to confirm numbers?
The number of guests needs to be confirmed five days before the party and you also have
to decide which menu you want then.
That sounds okay.
I'll ring you on Monday.
Is this your direct line?
Um three six eight two zero seven.
I'll be out of the office on Monday but you can call me on my mobile phone on oh double
four two nine eight six double one.
All right I've got all that.
I'll ring you back later.
Thanks.
Bye then.
That is the end of part one.
You now have one minute to check your answers to part one.

Section 2:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.
Welcome to our holiday special.
Today I'll be talking about a new cycle route in this area called the Amston Way.
It's well sign-posted so you can see exactly where to go.
And it's an easy route with no steep hills.
It's 35 kilometers long from Amston to Lowington
and consists partly of cycle paths and partly roads.
Let me outline the route briefly starting at Amston Railway Station.
The first part is a cycle path running eastwards roughly parallel to the rail track.
Almost immediately the railway curves away and goes around the southern side of a little
lake.
But the cycle path takes the northern route around the lake.
Keep your eyes open for the swans that nest there.
The path then joins the road and the next landmark is a group of massive rocks
which tower over the countryside.
You will see them to the east of the road just before the road goes under the railway.
They are very impressive.
Soon you'll come to a fork in the road where you're going to leave the road and head off
toward the river.
But if you want to make a detour to Colleen Nature Reserve, go straight on instead of
leaving the road here.
Continuing along the cycle path you'll reach the river cleave.
The cycle path follows the river southwards.
After a bit you'll see the Ashington China Factory which closed in 1962.
When you get there there's a bridge over the river and you carry on with Langton Forest to
the south and farmland to the north.
The route ends at Langton Village where you'll find a railway station.
So you can either catch the train here or cycle back to Amzden.
Before you hear the rest of the program you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20
into 20.
Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.
One point to remember when you're cycling on the Amzden Way is that you should keep
your eyes open for sheep which occasionally stray onto the cycle path from adjoining fields.
So be careful to avoid accidents.
The path is well constructed so it's not affected by wet or muddy conditions.
There might be the odd car or tractor when you're cycling on roads but most traffic has been
diverted to the main road that bypasses the whole area.
Now a bit more about some of the places you'll see.
The starting point, Amzden Station, was quite busy in the early 20th century with services to
several major cities.
But it was closed in the 1950s.
And actually a small company was set up to turn it into a sort of railway museum,
maintaining it in the style of the 1950s.
And the station was ready for trains to start using it again earlier this year.
It's only used by a few local trains though.
There's a visitor's center at the station which has a small exhibition about the history of
railway transport all over the world.
And a facility for hiring bikes if you don't have one of your own.
There's also a small shop just across the road from the station that sells refreshments.
As I said, you can cycle to Langton and return to Amzden by train or the other way around
because you can take your cycle on the train.
There's no need to book.
There's plenty of room and no extra charge.
However, the service is very limited.
And the trains between these two places don't run on weekdays.
If you want to see the river Elm, there's a footpath from Amzden Station.
And you can safely leave your bike in the car park there.
Leave yourself plenty of time though.
Going down's easy, but the climb up is very steep.
So the walk back up to the top can take quite a while.
But it's worth the effort.
The scenery is wonderful.
And the footpath runs right next to the river down to a waterfall.
Finally, if you'd like to do some more cycling in the area, there are lots of other cycle paths.
We'll be talking on the radio about them, and you'll be able to get full details in the Saturday
edition of the local paper.
The National Cycle Network also has some details on their website, although I have to say
they don't have many local ones yet.
But that may change.
So we'll be telling you more about that.
That is the end of section two.
You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Section 3:
You will hear two students called Tom and Bella attending the third meeting of the after
school club.
They are talking with their professor about the furniture company.
First, you have some time to look at questions 21-26.
Now, listen carefully and answer questions 21-26.
Before we start, Tom and Bella, thanks for coming in today to talk about the key case studies
that will help you to understand your classwork better.
Now, I hope you've read the notes I gave you last week on the furniture company willows. As
this will be the focus of our discussion today.
Let's begin. Who can tell me what the current focus of the company's business is?
The company used to be very large, with many retail outlets across the country.
However, since the recession, there have been fewer people spending money on furniture.
And so the company was forced to close all of its outlets and now only operates online.
Well done, Tom. Bella, can you add anything?
Willows used to produce a very large number of products such as tables, chairs and light
fittings.
However, through market research, they realized that most of their profit was made from the
sale of bookcases, so they now specialize in this one product.
Very good. Does anyone know how our department began its contact with willows?
Did you contact the company, Professor?
No, Tom. It wasn't through me.
Our headmaster saw an article that the manager had written in the newspaper and became
very interested in the company.
He contacted willows and arranged for a student to work their full time during the summer.
Yes, exactly. Does anyone know what the student thought of their time working at willows?
Yes, he's a friend of ours. He worked as a member of the design team, creating technical
drawings of the furniture using a computer.
There was a special software that he used, which he said had a bad interface and was very
difficult to predict.
However, it was very efficient and helpful for quickly drawing up furniture designs.
How interesting.
Yes, it was. We both visited him whilst he was working there, and he showed us around.
Unfortunately, visitors were not allowed to access the IT department, but it was great to chat
with his colleagues.
Did you meet his manager?
His manager is a very busy man, so he didn't have time to meet with us.
However, we were allowed to inspect the account, which really helped us to understand the
effects of the software on the company.
Well, what an exciting experience.
Now, before I forget, next week I'll be conducting face-to-face interviews with each of you to
prepare for job interviews.
Can we do it as a group?
I'm afraid not, Bella. I want to give each of you my undivided attention, and there will be too
much disturbance if I interview you all together.
Plus, it will be more realistic if I interview you alone.
Have you finished writing the feedback on our exam results, Professor?
Yes, I have, Tom. And I must say that I was not disappointed.
I am glad to say that your performance has dramatically increased since you began
attending this after school club, and you have both scored above the average.
If you continue to work hard, your results should soon improve significantly.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 27 to
30.
Now, listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
Now, back to our discussion about willows. Can anyone tell me what business decisions
might benefit the company?
A new system would definitely benefit willows. Their system is very outdated.
I don't think it would help them to gain more profit. However, the system is capable of doing
the work of hundreds of people.
This would, therefore, significantly lower labor costs.
I agree. Unfortunately, unless they also replace the machinery in their workshop, the new
system won't reduce the production time.
That is a shame. If they can't reduce their production time, they won't be able to increase
sales.
The answer is to hire more staff in order to increase the efficiency of the production line.
Yes, you have both made interesting points. Now for one final question before we finish this
week's session.
How will new clients be affected by the new system?
Unfortunately, the new system does not allow clients to connect to the willows system from
home, so they are unable to access their work online.
This also means that the system presents no opportunity to attract more contacts, since
clients are unable to view it from their homes.
Yes, that's true. However, it could definitely benefit clients who visit the showroom.
The system is very interactive and allows clients to easily browse the furniture catalog, which
will save them a lot of time.
It's a shame that staff are still needed to guide clients through the online system, as it means
that no savings can be made in labor costs.
I think the major benefit of the new system is that it enables staff to design the furniture in
front of the client, which allows them to get a lot more involved in the design.
Bravo! You've both contributed fantastic points to our conversation. That concludes our
session for today. I'll see you next week.
That is the end of section 3. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
Thank you.
Now turn to section 4.

Section 4:
You will hear a lecture about a special type of sneezing.
First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
Now, listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Welcome to this lecture in the Health Sciences intended to inspire you and get you thinking
about your research project. Today, I want to show you how even ordinary human behavior
like sneezing, which normally happens when you get a cold, may be worth studying.
Have you ever been walking outside when a bright shaft of sunlight hits you between the
eyes?
The reaction of some people is immediate, an unpleasant prickling in the nose, an increase
in their breathing rate and an uncontrollable watering of the eyes.
Then, almost as quickly, they sneeze and gain relief.
This may happen every time they go into the sun. This so-called photic or light sneeze
is a reflex, which means it can't be controlled, and it's very common.
Anything between one in ten and one in three people might be affected.
In fact, a sneeze is triggered by an irritation of some sort in the linings of the nostrils.
The result is a cascade of reactions, beginning with the stimulation of the nerve endings
all over the face and generating an explosive expulsion of air at up to 95 miles an hour,
like an extremely localized personal hurricane.
The body's coordination of such reactions is complicated and belongs to the subconscious
control hardware that regulates other things, for example, tears in the eyes.
People have been interested in the phenomenon of photic sneezing for thousands of years.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle asked,
Why does the sun prompt us to sneeze, whereas the heat of a fire does not?
A partial answer came two thousand years later, when the English philosopher Francis
Bacon
showed that his photic sneeze had nothing to do with heat.
If he closed his eyes when going into the sun, he didn't sneeze even though the heat was
still there.
Henry Everett, a consultant psychiatrist at John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore,
was the first to make a systematic attempt to understand the condition,
noting in 1964 that 30% of the staff employed in the medical department were photic
sneezers,
Everett did some further investigation.
He found that while 80% of sneezers reported other sneezers among their relatives,
only 20% of non-sneezers did.
Now there are factors that are certain indicators of a photic sneeze.
First of all, those with a condition almost always sneeze a set number of times on exposure
to light.
In addition to this, the sneeze depends on a contrast in visible brightness,
such as when the sun moves out from behind a cloud.
And the sneezing fit won't be repeated immediately.
The body needs time before it can be recharged,
so if you go back into a darkened space and then immediately re-enter bright light,
you will not sneeze again.
Now on to possible applications of research in this area.
The photic sneeze had long been overlooked because its effects are generally less than
serious,
although the government did once study it as a risk factor for pilots.
Yet work on such a simple disorder might lead to important discoveries on more acute
conditions,
such as migraine or epilepsy, which are also caused by cross-wires in the nervous system.
That is why I encourage you to select something similar for your first investigative medical
project.
It could be the beginning of something even more useful.
Now let's talk about the project timetable.
That is the end of part four.
You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.
Thank you.
That is the end of the listening test.
You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to the listening answer sheet.
Please stop writing and wait for your question booklet to be collected.