IELTS LISTENING TEST 10

SECTION 1 Section 1. You will hear a conversation between two students talking about job hunting. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5. You will see there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first. Oh, hi, Anna. How's it going? I haven't seen you since graduation. Hi, Bradley. Things are great. I've been travelling around Europe for the last month, but now that I'm back, I really need to find a job so I can start renting my own place. Yeah, me too. My mum's driving me crazy. I've got an interview on Thursday. It's a company called Power. I'm pretty nervous. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do great. Bradley has got an interview at a manufacturing company called Power, so Power 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 5. Oh, hi, Anna. How's it going? I haven't seen you since graduation. Hi, Bradley. Things are great. I've been travelling around Europe for the last month, but now that I'm back, I really need to find a job so I can start renting my own place. Yeah, me too. My mum's driving me crazy. I've got an interview on Thursday. It's a company called Power. I'm pretty nervous. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do great. Do you know what the job involves? Well, the company has many sections, like sourcing materials and taking care of waste management, but I'm interviewing for a job in the warehouse section. Wow, I bet that will be really interesting. You should apply too. They still have a couple of jobs left. I found the job I'm interviewing for on their website. The reference is SW35FT. Thanks, Bradley. That's really nice of you. I'll apply later today. Is there a contact I could ask for? The manager is Susan Thatcher, but you should contact her personal assistant. Her name is Jane Hitcher. How do you spell the surname for me, please? Yes, it's H-I-T-C-H-E-R. OK, great. I actually found a job listing for a place at Cotton, but the work hours don't suit me. You should look into it. Ah, that's the grocery company, right? I heard that the jobs in their distribution office are really well paid. The advertisement I saw was looking for people to work in the supermarket office, but the pay still looked very good. Was there a description of the job? The company is looking to increase their production of cakes and pastries so you would be working as a cook in the bakery. After a month, they evaluate your performance and there's potentially an opportunity for promotion to a management position. That sounds like a great opportunity. I'll definitely look into it. Do you have the reference number? I'll write it down in my notebook. Sure. I also have the reference for a job at the art museum. I'll give you the reference for that first. It's S-G-H-6-6-7. Great. That's really near my house. And what's the reference number for the bakery job at Cotton? The reference is A-R-W-2-0-4. I'll send them my application this afternoon. Who's the contact? The name on the advert was Melanie, but it specifically said not to contact her in person. You should use the office as your contact, so just post your application there directly. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6-10. Now listen and answer questions 6-10. You seem to have found way more job listings than I have. Where are you finding them all? At first I was keeping an eye out for listings on the internet, but all of the jobs listed there were in the city. I found that the best place to find local jobs was in magazine adverts. Adverts? You know, the section at the back of Job Plus Magazine? Where can I buy that? You don't buy it. It's a free magazine. Just go to your nearest corner shop and buy the newspaper. The magazine comes with it. Oh, I never realised. My mum buys the newspaper every week, so there's probably a copy lying around at home somewhere. I'll have a look for it when I get back. All this job hunting is so stressful and time-consuming. I can't wait until it's over either. I'm so tempted just to pay someone to do all this for me. What do you mean? I could go to a recruitment seminar or to an agency. The agency sounds like a great idea. They charge a fee before taking you on as a client though, plus only large corporations hire new employees through an agency. Well, I think it would be exciting. If you decide to go to an agency, make sure you take your student card with you. Your student status is valid for another month, and agencies often give students a 10% discount. OK, great. I'll remember that. All of the placements I've applied to require a referee. I've never had a job before, so I don't know who to ask. Who did you use? I had a summer job working as a waitress, so I asked my old boss. I got on with him really well, so I trusted him to give me a good reference. If you haven't had a job before, you should ask one of your tutors. That's a really good idea. I used to really enjoy my history classes with Mr. Fredericks. Perhaps I'll ask him. I miss being a student. I don't feel mature enough to be earning money and finding a place of my own. Yeah, university was great. Have you heard about their summer programme? I'm thinking of applying for the art course. That sounds like fun. Do you have to pay? No, the tutors are running it as a research project. You just need to fill out a feedback form at the end. Great. Well, I'll see you there. Good luck with your job hunting. Thanks. Good luck to you too. See you soon. Bye. That is the end of section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

SECTION 2 Section 2. You will hear part of a talk given by a director of a museum. First, you'll have some time to look at questions 11 to 15. Listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Silence, please. We are now ready to start the meeting. I have called this meeting to discuss City Museum matters, as there have been a number of changes made and I want to ensure that you are all fully informed. There will be time for questions at the end, so please don't interrupt until I'm finished. Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's begin. Firstly, some rumours have been brought to my attention that our regular receptionist Jane has been fired for her inexperience. This is untrue and I want to set the record straight. Jane has had to take sick leave because she is ill. David is temporarily taking Jane's place at reception. He is also continuing his work as a security guard, so please be considerate, as he is quite busy. Second on the agenda is the matter of the new Egyptian display at the museum. A very generous benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has donated a large collection of Egyptian tombs and mummies to improve our display. As we have a surplus of staff, I see no need to hire extra employees to monitor this new display, which means that you will have the exciting opportunity of taking on this responsibility. Any volunteers can put their names forward after the meeting. Thanks to a number of generous donations last year, the museum is certainly not suffering from a lack of money. I do, however, feel that we are short of publicity, so I'm hiring a new public relations team, which will hopefully be able to attract more new visitors to come and view our magnificent displays. I now have a serious matter to address. As you are all aware, a priceless statue was stolen from the museum last week during our annual open night. The police questioned everyone at the scene, and they have provided us with a report on how the thieves were able to get past our security precautions. All of the items in our displays are listed in our brochure and on our website, which is a very valuable resource for the public. The security guards at this site are very well trained, but the online information meant that the thieves were able to steal the statue because they knew what they were looking for. We have also looked at our security system to see if it can be upgraded. However, we have been told that it will not be outdated for another five years. It has been suggested by the police that we hire more guards. However, I do not believe this would be the right approach. We would run the danger of having too much security, which would intimidate visitors and cause them to feel unsafe. Instead, I feel that we should buy some new closed-circuit television cameras so that we can monitor every part of the gallery without disturbing our visitors. Another benefit of this system is that there is no need to buy any more computers to display the camera feed, as we already have some spares in our store. Now let's move on to other matters. We have expanded our supply of books at the library and are therefore looking to hire a new member of staff. This job role does not carry many responsibilities, but our new librarians should have worked in a library. In other words, they should be experienced. We welcome young applicants who are interested in becoming highly trained in the art of book preservation. Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20. As the final matter for today's meeting, I am delighted to show you the plans for our proposed new extension to the reception area. Please turn your attention to the plan in front of you. If you enter through the entrance doors and go around the sharp corner, you will find on your left the new box office. From this position, the box office manager can both sell tickets and ensure that no visitors are able to enter the museum without paying. From here, if you walk towards the door on the far left wall, you will come across our new children's room, where visitors can leave their children to play whilst they explore our displays. Directly to the right of the children's room is where we originally intended to locate the cafe, but we felt that it would be better placed in the bottom right corner of the plan, where we can create a more intimate atmosphere. Due to generous donations, we now have the available funds to build a fantastic new multimedia room, where visitors will have access to computers, cameras and TVs. This exciting new space will be in the top right corner, where it is safely away from the entrance doors. Finally, the showroom will be built in the top left corner, directly opposite the new multimedia room. I hope that you are all as excited about this new space as I am. And now that I am finished, I would be happy to answer any questions. That is the end of section 2. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

SECTION 3 CHARLOTTE: Excuse me, Dr Twain. May I speak with you for a minute? DR TWAIN: Of course, please come in. CHARLOTTE: I'm Charlotte York. I'm considering taking your course in Tourism. DR TWAIN: Right. Well, Charlotte, how can I help you? CHARLOTTE: I have been considering studying Tourism, however, it is such an important decision that I would like to seek some advice about it first. Would you mind answering some of my questions? DR TWAIN: Absolutely, fire away! CHARLOTTE: Well I have been discussing courses with my parents and they are concerned that I will not be able to get a well-paid job with a degree in Tourism. The reason that I want to study the course is that I have a great interest in the subject and I think I would really enjoy it. I believe the only way that I will enjoy my life is if I enjoy my career. Happiness is far more important than money (Q21), don't you think? DR TWAIN: Absolutely. I would much rather be happy and poor rather than rich and miserable. Money cannot buy you happiness. CHARLOTTE: I'm glad you agree. DR TWAIN: You needn't worry about money, Charlotte. A large part of the Tourism course is dedicated to teaching students how to manage finances, a skill that you can apply to your everyday life as well (Q22). I would also recommend that you take a sideline course in time management, as this can be incredibly useful in efficiently planning your workload. Efficiency is the key to success! CHARLOTTE: I'll remember that. DR TWAIN: Now I have found that some students have natural talents that really help them to succeed in the course. Communication skills, for example, can be very beneficial. Do you have any strengths? CHARLOTTE: Maths was always my favourite subject at school so I really enjoy solving mathematical problems, however I find statistics quite difficult. I have always been very capable and self-sufficient. I have a lot of confidence in my abilities and will take the initiative in situations without needing to depend on anyone else for their help. (Q23) DR TWAIN: That's a really great quality to have and will be particularly useful if you choose to study Tourism. CHARLOTTE: That's great. DR TWAIN: I would recommend that you spend some of your time researching the course. A lot of people who are uneducated on the subject claim that Tourism is a shrinking industry and that it will become irrelevant in the future. If you study the published research however, you will see that the truth is quite the opposite. The industry has, in fact, grown significantly as people have developed an ever-increasing interest in culture and travel (Q24). Have you compared the university course with a polytechnic? CHARLOTTE: Yes, I have. I was interested in studying the course in modules. However, the university doesn't offer that option. I don't have enough funds to be able to attend an expensive university, so I was relieved to see that the course is quite affordable (Q25). I also considered attending a summer school instead of university to save money and so that I could work during the rest of the year, but I really wanted the university experience. DR TWAIN: I think that university would suit you well. DR TWAIN: Now, what about the courses? Are you interested in any of the other subjects on offer? MELANIE: I have looked at a few. I was interested in Travel and Business as it sounds similar to Tourism. DR TWAIN: That is really worth learning, however, be aware that it is difficult and will demand a lot of your time. (Q26) MELANIE: OK, that's good to know. DR TWAIN: You might find that Japanese is an interesting course and it will teach you valuable skills in speaking the language. Personally, it's not bad and could be of some help, but not that much. (Q27) MELANIE: OK, Japanese, got that… What about Medical Care? DR TWAIN: Well, if you have time, the course will teach you a lot about curing diseases and illnesses, or dealing with injuries outside, although it's not essential. CHARLOTTE: So, OK, if it's useful (Q28), I'll take it. DR TWAIN: If you enjoy using technology and are worried about fulfilling the entry requirements, computing is very relaxed about the skills that applicants must possess. (Q29) CHARLOTTE: I'm terrible with computers so I'm not sure that I would enjoy that course. How about Public Relations? DR TWAIN: Yes, I would recommend that course. It would be related to entering the Tourism industry as it will educate you on how to approach clients and develop associations with them. (Q30) CHARLOTTE: That's great! Thank you so much for your help!

SECTION 4 Welcome class to your very first lecture in this series on Business in the Modern World conducted by myself, Dr Toby Bennett. Today we will be looking into the practice of company outsourcing, using TCP Technologies as a case study. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this practice, I will give you a summative definition: company outsourcing involves the contracting of various business activities by one company to another. This practice will sometimes occur from a western company to a party based in a third world country, the rationale being to make significant financial savings on lower international labour rates and to potentially increase quality. Now, our case study for today is TCP Technologies – a party located in India that receives outsourced tasks from western companies. The manager of TCP Technologies is a man called Manjeet Khanna who has personally developed a series of aims and philosophies by which the company is expected to operate. He claims that the most important of these philosophies is to create a workplace where each individual member has the opportunity to contribute their opinion to the operations of the company. That is to say that he found it important to develop a democratic (Q31) environment. As a means of ensuring quality from every individual at TCP Technologies, a grading system has been developed that encourages an ethos of hard work and recognises accomplishment. This grading of individuals is based upon a series of factors such as turnover, hours worked and efficiency. Every month Khanna publishes the grades on an internal website (Q32) where staff can access not only their own grades, but also compare it to others. A spirit of playful competitiveness has developed through this method, which has resulted in increased efficiency and turnover across the company. Khanna also saw it as essential to develop a culturally diverse group of employees as a means of presenting a multi-faceted image that would appeal to a host of potential employees from across the globe. This cultural openness has not only increased the quantity of incoming contracted opportunities by 7%, but has also benefitted the company itself significantly. A level of transparency (Q33) now exists that had not before been apparent. According to questionnaires carried out recently, these newly introduced measures have significantly increased the rate of staff satisfaction, which has subsequently led to an increase of 32% in the company's income. (Q34) These figures are truly admirable and serve as a testament to the measures that Khanna has introduced to the workplace at TCP Technologies. In a recent interview published by the Economist, he declared, 'The figures speak for themselves – my system works!' When asked if he had any advice for companies on methods they could employ to streamline workflow and increase turnover, he replied, "It's simple, really. A company must see itself not as one entity comprised of nameless components, but instead as a living organism composed of cells, each one essential to the functioning of the whole. I suggest that the motto by which your management operates will be 'employee first'." (Q35) Many benefits have been reaped from the aforementioned changes in management style, such as a significant decrease in staff turnover. This improvement alone has solved many problems that had before stunted the growth of the company. A lot of these improvements came from the realisation that the solution (Q36) does not have to be produced internally, but can come from any other company. The grading system also immeasurably enhanced the dynamics of the company. The fact that this measuring system is solely produced for staff members and inaccessible by management means that it cannot be used as a judging criterion for promotion (Q37). It has proven itself a relaxed and informal means of stimulating workflow. When asked about specific features of his managing style, Khanna mentioned that it is important for him to respond personally to any complaints filed by staff members. Having found the existing complaints process slow and ineffective, he introduced a new online system that created a direct line of communication between Khanna and all employees of the company. The complaint form, dubbed by Khanna as a ticket (Q38), eradicates the middleman, is easily accessible to all employees online and has an interface that can be instinctively navigated. Any staff-related complaint, such as those relating to air conditioning and food quality, can be submitted directly to Khanna via this online system. Entitlement to vacation (Q39) is also a popular issue discussed through this forum. The main benefit of using this system is that staff must include their personal details on the ticket before they are able to submit it. In the past, anonymous complaints had been at the root of much confusion and caused many wasted work hours, so the new system has put a ban (Q40) on this form of complaint. That wraps up the lecture for today. Please remember that attendance is mandatory… (fade out)