IELTS LISTENING TEST 17

SECTION 1 Teacher: Good afternoon. May I speak to Emma’s parent? Father: Afternoon. I’m her father. Who am I speaking to? Teacher: This is Emma’s teacher Jane Carson calling from the Art Centre. I’m just calling to talk about her drama class at the centre. Father: Oh, thank you for calling. How’s Emma doing in drama class? You know she just transferred here last month, unlike the others in her class who have been taking the course the whole semester since June. So I’m a bit worried that she might not fit in so well. Teacher: There’s no need to worry. She exhibits a strong performance in her drama class. Father: Is that so? Teacher: Yes. She didn’t adapt to the new environment as quickly as I originally expected, and seemed a bit shy at first. But a few days later, she made a couple of friends and became more talkative and also more involved in class. Emma really is a role model for others (Q1), because she has always been an active participant during class. She voices her own ideas and is very creative. Father: I didn’t expect that. But I can tell that she really enjoys the course, because she’s been talking about it at home frequently these past few weeks. Teacher: That’s great to hear. Interest is always the best teacher. I also have to inform you that there’s been an adjustment in the timetable of the drama class next term. Father: Why is that? Teacher: It’s not that the music room that we currently use isn’t available. As there are too many enrolling for the coming semester, increased class size means that space is limited to house the whole class (Q2). Also the new classroom we use is not available during the current timeframe, so I’m afraid we have to change the time for it. Father: I see. So when would it be? Teacher: As you know, the current class begins at three fifteen. But the new time of the drama class would be a quarter to five. (Q3) Father: I’m afraid I have errands to run during that time. Teacher: On the other campus the class still begins at three fifteen, but for the campus Emma goes to, it is the only time available for drama class. Father: Oh. I see. I have to make adjustments to my chore schedule then. No problem. Father: Miss Carson, I’m thinking about signing Emma up for another art course. I’m thinking about dance class. Teacher: Dance class is a popular course here, a great choice for a child to shape up and have fun. But unfortunately, it is over-subscribed at the moment (Q4). I have to put you on the waiting list. Father: That’s too bad. What else can I choose from then? Could you give me some advice? Teacher: Sure. Emma could take singing class (Q5) as well. This would improve her musicality. Father: Sounds good. When is that? Teacher: It is held every Friday evening. Father: That’s too bad. Emma already has a swimming class earlier that evening (Q5). It will be too late for her to come home if she takes this course. Teacher: There is also a vocal course (Q6) available. Emma’s got a great voice, I’m sure she’ll stand out in the class. Father: Tell me about it. Teacher: The vocal course starts at 4.30 pm every Tuesday. It isn’t fully booked yet. Great teacher, experienced and beloved by students. The price is a bit higher though. Father: How much is it? Teacher: It’s 110 dollars. Father: Oh, that’s too much, way over our budget (Q6). We have to cover the extra cost if we choose it. Teacher: Or maybe Emma could take music class. Father: What is it about? Learning about songs and musicals? Teacher: Well, the students have the opportunity to play different instruments like the piano, drum and so on. They can also learn how to write music under professional guidance. (Q7) Father: That’s exactly what Emma is eager to learn. How much would it cost? (Q8) Teacher: It was 63 dollars last term. But this term it is 85 dollars (Q8), 22 dollars more than the original price. Father: We can afford that. When does the course begin? Teacher: The course starts on September 7th. Father: Can we start one week later, on September 14th? My daughter will be on a trip to France with her Mom on the 7th. (Q9) Teacher: No problem. And the teacher for the class is Jamal Curtis (Q10). Just contact him if you have any further questions regarding the course. Father: Jamal Curtis? How do you spell Curtis? Teacher: Oh, it’s C-U-R-T-I-S. (Q10) Father: Thank you.

SECTION 2 You will hear the manager of a fitness centre giving information about the centre to some new customers. Hello everyone, and welcome to the “Fit for Life” Health Centre — a place which, as the name suggests, is not just for short-term solutions, but rather, intends to put you on a sensible and achievable looting for the rest of your life. And that’s how we’re different. For example, we could immediately put you on a harsh exercise program, expeeling you to work out every day, but such a plan would see you quickly lose interest. That’s why the initial step is a oneand-a-half-hour consultation (Q11), in which your lifestyle, current situation, and long-term goals, are all thoroughly analysed. Now, an important part of this consultation involves analysing what you eat. There’s no point exercising here, and losing weight, then pulling it all back on, later. You will need to show self-control and discipline in your diet (Q12), and we’ll work on that. Similarly, we’ll put you on an exercise regime suitable for your level of fitness, so that will involve a test (Q13), where we will take you through some activities, then measure your heart rate and blood pressure to determine how fit you are. This will be monitored during every subsequent consultation, along with your exercise schedule, and that occurs monthly (Q14), and not half-yearly, as with many other centres. As to our actual exercise machines and programs, you will have to decide whether it is muscle mass, stamina, or general fitness, that you want to develop. Think about which of these three (Q15) you want to target, and we’ll design a specific program for you – but remember, bulging muscles aren’t necessarily suitable for everyone. Sometimes it’s better to think in terms of two simple concepts: muscle definition and stamina; or, if you are female, being fit and healthy, in both mind and body. Now, if you’re going to work out at this gym. you’ll need to think about your reasons for exercising, so let’s consider that in more detail. Muscle mass is certainly popular with the guys, probably seeking, to impress the girls, and with muscles comes the confidence to do that, right? Well, for that, you’ll need our high-stress weight units (Q16), where pumping iron is all the rage. Moving, on to other benefits, one of the main ones is beating the tension of life, right, and the longer the exercise is, the greater the rewards in this respect. Thus, playing squash can certainly help, and so can swimming, but what’s much better, as every jogger will tell you, is their activity, so we have ample jogging machines (Q17), and they’re always popular. They can provide good fitness too, as can the yoga classes; however, again, let’s not forget playing squash (Q18), which, I would say, is the optimum way to improve your general wellbeing. Such an active, energetic game, plus the competitive element, drives you forward into high levels of health and fitness. These, of course, are the ultimate purposes of being here, but remember, the centre is full of like- minded people, all of whom are interesting to meet, and valuable sources of information. The yoga classes have a pre- and post-meeting session, so you’ll certainly meet others there, although they’ll all be yoga enthusiasts, which limits the range somewhat. But whether doing yoga, swimming, or exercising, everyone showers, right, so those facilities are where you’ll hear all sorts of interesting conversations, and really get to know people (Q19) —not like the front-desk area, which is mostly empty as patrons go immediately inside to do their exercise. Of course, the front desk can answer all your questions, and has information brochures, and such like, but for knowing more about a greater variety of subjects and community concerns, look at the notice board in the yoga studio (Q20), where there’s a huge array of papers, leaflets, and articles, all for you to read and consider.

SECTION 3 Tutor: Jerry, how did it go with preparing your lessons? Is there anything you would like to discuss? Jerry: Well, this is actually the first time that I have ever taught in an elementary classroom. After 8 years of learning pedagogy, I want to practice what I’ve learned in an instructive manner, but I’m a bit stuck right now. You know the topic 1 want them to research is a bit hard for pupils. I’m afraid that they won’t be able to handle it on their own. So I need new ideas on designing more effective teaching methods. Mr. Carter, do you have any suggestions? Tutor: Well, you should probably read this book called Professional Learning, written by J.K. Simmons. He is a professor who just transferred here last semester but is already popular amongst the students for his creative teaching methods (Q21). There is an extensive range of learning approaches mentioned in the book including approaches for team research (Q22), which might be helpful to you. Jerry: You mean dividing the students into groups to do research? I’ve never thought of this before. How does it work? Tutor: Professor Simmons has already demonstrated how efficient this approach can be. Basically it aims to increase cooperation between students so they can present the results in a collaborative fashion (Q23). It helps them to develop their own voice and perspective. Jerry: I’ll check out the book as soon as possible. It seems I can borrow some of the essential concepts and work them into my course design. Jerry: Well, I was thinking maybe I could use both observation and nonobservation as part of my teaching methodology. Could you take a look at my teaching plan? Tutor: Sure. What kind of observational methods do you have in mind? Jerry: For the observational part, I intend to include two approaches. First, the pupils can assess each other’s behaviour (Q24). I feel that reviewing fellow students through criteria-based reference evaluation allows constructive feedback. It can also improve their understanding of the subject material. Tutor: That’s a smart move for a large class that would be hard to observe all by yourself. Also, you might want to get the feedback from several different individuals rather than just one. So how do you plan to carry out the peer assessments? Jerry: Oh, every pupil will be required to write a diary, which includes group projects, presentations and in-class discussions. They’ll put down their remarks. I’ll collect them on a regular basis which can also help me see whether they can keep up or not. (Q25) Tutor: Good, what else do you intend to do? Jerry: Besides that, I also plan to do video recording (Q26). I’ve already purchased a camera just in case I miss anything important. I can go back and review their performances anytime I want. Tutor: Would you record every in-class activity? Jerry: No, I’ll just keep track of an in-class simulation (Q27), which would require every pupil to fully participate. Students will act as members of a City Council meeting, discussing issues like whether or not prohibition should be instated in the United States. Tutor: This kind of teaching method is both inspiring and challenging. I can’t wait to see how yours work out. Do you send me a copy of the assessment afterwards, will you? Jerry: No problem. Tutor: So what do you have in mind for the non-observational approaches? Jerry: Well, my plan is to quantify the statistics. Numbers do not lie. It is the most direct way to measure their performance. See how well they’ve learned. Tutor: Where does the data come from? Jerry: I’ll evaluate the test results including the mid-term (Q28), final exam and pop quizzes, which would only take up about 40 percent of the overall assessment. Tutor: Sounds like a lot of tests and assignments. Please remember that you don’t want to wear out your students. Keeping them engaged is the key to efficient learning. Once they are exhausted, they just stop trying. Jerry: Oh, I haven’t thought about that. You are right. I don’t want to frighten them with tons of assignments and exams. I’ll make note of that. Thanks for the advice. Tutor: I remember last time you mentioned questionnaires, right? Jerry: That’s true. But it is not for my students. In fact, they have to design their own questionnaires and choose the respondents using the Internet (Q29). As a complement of other teaching activities, it would deepen the creative learning process. Tutor: Is that all? Jerry: Oh, the pupils will have to conduct interviews of their own (Q30). And for this, they get to choose anyone they like, including relatives, friends and acquaintances to answer the questions. Tutor: Seems to me that you have figured out most of your teaching methods. But you still need to polish some of the activities…

SECTION 4 So what I'm going to talk about to you today is something called "aquaculture". It has been responsible for the impressive growth in the supply of fish for human consumption. There's also been a slight improvement in the state of certain fish stocks due to improved fishery management. Aquatic food production has transitioned from being primarily based on the capturing of wild fish to the culture of increasing numbers of farmed species. In recent years, a type of genetically modified salmon has been farmed in the New England region, produced by a Massachusetts based bio-tech firm. This type of fish is engineered to grow twice as fast as its conventional farm-raised counterpart. As a result, this increases the speed of the local aquaculture industry development, and thus reduces the fishing pressure on wild stock. But local residents have expressed their concerns on the potential negative effects on the ecosystem. Should those GM fish ever escape into the sea (Q31), stronger, healthier and faster growing. These fish might cannibalize others or outcompete wild-type fish for food. Local decision makers and regulators have thus pushed forward a number of measures making it impossible for most GM fish to mate. A small percentage is able to breed only within confined pools. Despite the economic boom of genetically engineered fish, culturing traditional types of fish is still mainstream among fish farmers. Most of them prefer fish with special features, such as tuna (Q32). It is a source of high quality protein with almost no fat. It also contains all essential amino acids required by the body for growth and maintenance of lean muscle tissue. With high nutritional value, this kind of fish will always be popular in the fish market. For the fish farming industry, incidents of fish escaping the farms has been a troubling issue over the years. Due to bad weather, nets that used to hold the fish were often destroyed. Thousands of salmon worth nearly 220 thousand euros escaped from a fish farm in the Norwegian region in July, raising fear that they would breed with wild fish stocks. Cages were thus built to withstand storms (Q33). The frames of the cages are made of PE which is dedicated to marine use. This material has trustable strength, resilience and tenacity. To further strengthen it, strong nets without knots are used to support the cylindrical frame. (Q34) A group of small villages on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa have been trying to develop a local aquaculture industry sustainably. They use a land-based production system that is both economically and ecologically sound. Land-based recirculation can control ocean temperature and optimize growth for the fish that are used to warmer water. All organic waste from the fish is held on land with incoming water sterilized to avoid disease, which has historically plagued ocean based farms. The lack of disease means that no drugs are administered to the fish. However, one problem facing the villagers is lack of suitable land on the coast (Q35) for this system. Hotels & beaches open to tourists take up most of the coastal area. Another problem facing local fishermen is the scarcity of young fish (Q36) used to breed the species. This predicament stems from overfishing during the previous decades. The local commercial fishing industry has been reduced by 50% for this reason and the aquaculture industry has yet to thrive. The government has taken a set of initiatives to safeguard native aquaculture and the fishing industry. An open-air seafood market has been launched. Residents are encouraged to support local fish farming businesses (Q37) by purchasing marine products. As it turns out, there is a public demand for access to locally produced, sustainable sources of fresh seafood. Moreover, local fish farmers are aided to market seaweed and oysters, both of which have additional economic values. Seaweed is used in various ways in cosmetics (Q38). Seaweed extract is often found on the list of ingredients, constituting creams, soaps, shampoos, powders and sprays. It is said to be useful in various ways, including the relief of rheumatic pain and the removal of cellulite. Oyster is a source of seafood popular among the local hospitality industry (Q39). Served with caviar and champagne, it is one of the world's ultimate luxury foods, appealing to gourmets with its succulent and delicate flavor. It thus appears to have the greatest potential for commercial culture. Even though the national and international market has shown demand for marine products in Zanzibar, it is still challenging to survive in the competitive modern fishing industry. The government ought to restore the business by encouraging aquaculture, recreation and shipping (Q40). First, it could utilize modern fish farming technology to supply more high-quality marine products. Tourism is an effective stimulus to boost its sales and with better shipping capability, more products can be delivered abroad.