IELTS PREDICTION TEST

SECTION 1: SHIPPING OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS 
Staff: Hello, Move It Shipping.
Customer: Hi, I’d like a few more details about your services, please.
Staff: Certainly.
Customer: I’ve been on your website looking into sending some things abroad when I go away to study next term. I see that you provide special empty (Example) boxes so that I can pack them myself, and you then transport them.
Staff: That’s right, we provide those free of charge.
Customer: And can I ask what goods you can transport? Like, do you take electrical goods?
Staff: Well, it depends. If you’ve got something like a computer, that’s fine. But things like washing machines and fridges are too heavy and bulky for our service.
Customer: No, I wouldn’t be taking that sort of stuff.
Staff: You can always check with us if there’s anything you’re not sure about.
Customer: Including… I was wondering about my (1) bicycle. I suppose that would be too bulky?
Staff: No, that’s fine. Though we wouldn’t be able to take a motorbike, sure.
Customer: Is there anything else you don’t take?
Staff: Well, basically the service is restricted to what one man can lift, so (2) 40 kg is the maximum for each package. We do have a list of particular things we can’t transport on our website, but I’ll tell you the main points. So in order to comply with security regulations, we don’t take any sort of (3) liquids, and we also don’t accept any type of foods.
Customer: And if you provide your own containers rather than using ours, we only allow certain types. So can I use cardboard containers?
Staff: Yes, they’re okay if they’re strong enough. But we won’t carry things that have been packed in (4) plastic containers—they crack and break so easily that our policy is simply not to take them.
Customer: Okay, fine. And once I’ve packed everything, you can collect my things from my home and deliver them to wherever I live abroad, is that right?
Staff: Yes, and we do have some special services. For example, we can make special arrangements to deliver on (5) Saturdays if that’s more convenient for you. Or if you’re in a hurry, we have an express delivery option. There’s a surcharge for these services, of course, but it’s very reasonable.
Customer: OK, I’ll keep that in mind. And what happens if the delivery can’t be made for some reason? Like if I haven’t finalised my accommodation, can you keep my stuff for me for a few days?
Staff: Yes, we can arrange (6) storage, though again, there would be an extra charge for that, sure.
Customer: And can you give me an idea of your prices?
Staff: Of course. Roughly how much would you want transported?
Customer: Say for example I had 15 boxes, and I’ve also got a violin that would need packing with special care, I think.
Staff: OK, and it would be collection in the UK?
Customer: Yes, and (7) Sweden would be the destination.
Staff: OK, I’ll do a quick calculation. Let me just get that up on the screen. 15 boxes and one special package… let’s see… it’d be something in the order of £(8) 575.
Customer: Right. And how would I pay that?
Staff: Well, you can pay by debit or credit card over the phone, or if you prefer to pay in cash, you can just give it to the (9) driver when he arrives to collect your belongings, and he’ll give you a receipt.
Customer: Fine.
Staff: And at the same time, you’ll need to hand over some documentation. So you’ll need a copy of your (10) passport.
Customer: A photocopy?
Staff: That’s right, so make sure you get that done in advance and have it ready with you. Then there are also some papers you’ll need that we’ll send you in advance so that you can get them completed in good time. The most important ones are the insurance documents…

Questions 1–10

Part 1

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">SECTION 2: ROAD AND RAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT</h3>
Speaker: Welcome everyone, thanks for coming to this information evening. The purpose of this meeting is to give you a chance to learn more about the road and rail improvement project. We’ve identified several problem areas and we’ve come up with some changes that we think will improve the local environment.
For the (11) shared access paths—by those I mean the paths shared by both bikes and pedestrians—we plan to turn these into open areas with grass around them [Answer: E – create new grassy areas]. Cyclists and pedestrians need to be able to see each other clearly to avoid any accidents, so we’ve decided to remove the large native trees from the area for that reason.
Now along the (12) highway, we want to put trees that are native to this area [Answer: D – plant native trees] to add shade and make it more attractive. We thought possibly the spotted gum, which grows naturally here.
Now I know those of you who live in the (13) housing estate are disturbed by the sound of traffic nearby. We’re aiming to solve this problem by constructing a wall between the estate and the road [Answer: F – build a noise barrier], and possibly in the future, we might consider adding some artwork to it. We think this will be quite an effective solution.
Moving on now to the (14) local roads, we want to encourage more public transport use and solve some of our traffic problems. So we’re going to add a considerable number of stops to the bus routes [Answer: C – provide more bus stops] that run along those roads.
Just finally, as a way of thanking the community for their cooperation, we plan to make the (15) picnic area in the park near the bus terminal more attractive. So we’re adding some colourful new rose beds [Answer: B – add flowering plants] that our gardeners will be putting in at the completion of the project.
<hr data-path-to-node="9" />
<h3 data-path-to-node="10">RENOVATIONS TO RICHMOND STATION (Questions 16–20)</h3>
Speaker: Now I’d like to give you more information about the renovations to Richmond’s train station. Can you all see a copy of the plan?
We envisage Richmond station as more than just a train station; it’ll be a transport hub linking all forms of transport in the area. To this end, we’re building an underground (16) park and ride car park [Answer: A]. That’s the entrance to it on the corner of Progress and Garden Road; you can drive into it from Progress Road.
Now, on the Progress Road side of the site, on the top left of your map, is where we plan to put the (17) bus interchange [Answer: G]. Commuters will have direct access to the platform from the bus interchange via a covered walkway.
Cycling is an important part of our city’s transport plan, so cyclists will also be fully catered for with 80 new (18) bicycle lockers [Answer: C]. You can see where they are on the plan, in the bottom left-hand corner next to the bike path.
Oh, and I forgot the most important thing! You’ll even be able to (19) shower [Answer: D] at the station after your bike ride, as we’re installing showers between the toilets and the platform.
We’ll also install a fountain at the station to make the area more attractive; you can see it in the centre of the plan. And between the fountain and the ticket machine, we’re putting in a (20) lift [Answer: F] for our elderly and disabled passengers. They will be able to buy their ticket, then pass directly to the platform via the lift.
Speaker: So I hope that gives you a much better idea of the new facilities…

Problem areas
 
Shared access paths {create new grassy areas}
 
Highway {plant native trees}
 
Housing estate {build a noise barrier}
 
Local roads {provide more bus stops}
 
Picnic area {add flowering plants}

Questions 11 – 15

Questions 16-20

Part 2

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">SECTION 3: RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT</h3>
Sylvia: Greg, about this project on renewable energy, we’ve got to look at some products that use it and then see how aware people are of this kind of energy.
Greg: Well, first we must clarify what renewable energy is.
Sylvia: I’ve done that. It’s energy from a source which is replaced by a natural process, such as wind, tidal energy from the sea, energy from the sun and so on. And I found some very interesting examples of products using these sources.
Greg: So have I. What have you got?
Sylvia: Well, the first one is a company in Germany which is producing huge kites that pull ships along. The kites are attached by long cables and they fly up to 500 meters above the sea.
Greg: They must be pretty big. And it means that they can be powered by the wind (21) no matter what the weather [Answer: weather].
Sylvia: That sounds like a good idea, but will they really help reduce energy use?
Greg: You bet. As well as that, apparently the shipping industry is one of the worst polluters on the planet as they use cheap diesel fuel which has terrible toxic emissions. The company believes these kites could cut the use of these fuels by 50% and reduce the emissions by the same amount.
Sylvia: Sounds good. And I found a company in the US which is developing a new type of car. Apparently, they’re producing a sports car which doesn’t use petrol at all, just (22) electricity [Answer: electricity], but for the US market only.
Greg: Sounds intriguing. Do we know what it’ll look like?
Sylvia: They’re very secretive about it, and all they say is that it won’t look ugly and it’ll have zero emissions.
Greg: Wow, really? So they say. Any other products?
Sylvia: I found an interesting article about a man in South Africa who’s selling stoves using ethanol to the local people.
Greg: Ethanol?
Sylvia: Yes, it’s made from the sugar of certain crops. Most of the local people use paraffin stoves at the moment and they are dangerous because they can (23) explode [Answer: explode] quite easily.
<hr data-path-to-node="18" />
<h3 data-path-to-node="19">THE SURVEY (Questions 24–30)</h3>
Greg: Right. Now for the next part, we have to do a survey to find out how aware the public is about this kind of energy. Who shall we approach? Local businesses?
Sylvia: I think it’s easier to do a survey of the general public rather than local companies. Last time we sent all those email surveys to commercial organizations and we only had replies from 5% of them.
Greg: Oh, I forgot that. OK then, what about the other students and the lecturer here in the university?
Sylvia: You know what the lecturers are like, they’re so busy they won’t have the time. But the (24 &amp; 25) students [Answer: university students] will, I’m sure.
Greg: Okay. And as well as that, we could target the local schools like last time. School kids just love doing surveys.
Sylvia: I think we want to stick to adults for this, don’t you? Maybe we could approach (24 &amp; 25) people who rent or own properties [Answer: local residents] around here, since they’re the ones who have to pay for the energy.
Greg: Exactly. Now, what about the kind of questions we want to include in the survey?
Sylvia: Well, we need to find out if they know what renewable energy is. I know it’s been all over the news lately, but (26) I think a lot of people are still in the dark about it [Answer: A – Many people know little about it].
Greg: Do you think so? I’m not sure I agree, but we can have that in if you want. We also need to find out what they think about traditional energy sources like gas and coal.
Sylvia: And (27) we ought to see what they think is going to happen to the consumption of traditional energy sources [Answer: B – possible future developments].
Greg: You’re right. Then there’s nuclear power. That’s an interesting one because it’s cleaner and more efficient in many ways, but (28) the safety factor has always worried people [Answer: C – Some people think it is unsafe].
Sylvia: Yes, I know that the technology has improved greatly, but I don’t think everyone is convinced. Are there any problems with renewable energy?
Greg: One argument is that it’s going to be too expensive. But (29) once enough people want it, the price is bound to come down [Answer: A – Prices will drop in the future].
Sylvia: Hmm, that’s true. But the other thing is they don’t like it; they say some of the technology is ugly, like the big windmills used. A lot of people think they spoil the countryside.
Greg: I agree they’re not that bad, they’re pretty efficient. So perhaps it’s a case of (30) choosing the right place for them, where they look least out of place [Answer: B – should be put in carefully selected locations].
Sylvia: A good point. It’ll be very interesting to see the results of this survey.

Questions 21–23

Questions 24–25

Questions 26–30

Part 3

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">PART 4: NEW ENGINEERING DESIGNS – SCOTTISH CASE STUDY</h3>
Lecturer: Good morning everyone. In the last lecture, we discussed innovation in engineering design, and today I want to look at a case study. I’ll be talking about an engineering project which was recently carried out in Scotland to restore two old waterways—canals in fact—and then link them together.
I’ll talk about the design features, but first, I’ll tell you a little bit about the historical background of the project. One of these canals, called the Forth and Clyde, opened in 1790, and it’s the (31) oldest of Scotland’s canals. The other, the Union Canal, opened in 1822.
Although the two canals were built at different levels, together they enabled vessels to travel from west to east across (32) central Scotland. This is because the canals were connected near a town called Falkirk by a complicated system of locks, which have steps and gates allowing boats to move from one level to another.
However, from 1842, the two canals faced serious competition when the (33) railway opened, which served the same cross-country route. After that, their use declined steadily, and in the 1930s, the locks at Falkirk were demolished.
<hr data-path-to-node="7" />
<h3 data-path-to-node="8">THE MILLENNIUM PROJECT</h3>
Lecturer: Times change, however. Moving on now to the turn of the millennium, Scotland embarked on an ambitious new project. The aim was to upgrade the country’s infrastructure, especially in the area of (34) transport. It was a very big investment indeed, and in fact, the whole project was just one part of a long-term plan which had been developed to stimulate the national (35) economy. And amongst other things, it involved restoring the two old canals and bringing them back into use.<button class="button ng-star-inserted" aria-label="View source details for citation from IELTS Song Ngữ 🎉. Opens side panel." data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQvoAQahgKEwi27a3CyICTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQmQI"></button>
&nbsp;
However, there was one major challenge. As I mentioned just now, the Forth and Clyde Canal lies below the level of the Union Canal. There’s a 35m difference, and the locks had been destroyed. So the problem was how to get boats from one level to the other.
<hr data-path-to-node="11" />
<h3 data-path-to-node="12">THE FALKIRK WHEEL (MECHANICAL LIFT)</h3>
Lecturer: Whatever kind of solution was chosen, it was felt that it should be really innovative and imaginative—a fitting way to mark the beginning of a new millennium. The resulting structure was a mechanical lift for boats, and because it rotates, it was called the Falkirk Wheel.<button class="button ng-star-inserted" aria-label="View source details for citation from Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Opens side panel." data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQvoAQahgKEwi27a3CyICTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQmgI"></button>
&nbsp;
The Falkirk Wheel was completed in 2002, and it was the first structure of its kind—an engineering innovation. The structure consists of two very large tanks, each large enough to contain a boat. In fact, these are fixed onto opposite sides of a vertical arm.<button class="button ng-star-inserted" aria-label="View source details for citation from Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Opens side panel." data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQvoAQahgKEwi27a3CyICTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQmwI"></button>
&nbsp;
Basically, what happens is that the arm lowers one boat from the higher canal to the canal below, and at the same time, it raises another boat from the lower canal to the level of the upper canal. How does this work? Well, the tanks are mounted in such a way that they stay in a (36) horizontal plane.
As one boat, together with the water that it floats in, sails into the upper tank, another floating boat simultaneously enters the lower tank. The system works on scientific principles which ensure that the weight of each boat plus the water that it floats in will be (37) equal to the other.
So once the boats have entered the tank, the arm rotates, and because the tanks are in balance, only a very small amount of energy is required for this rotation. Engineers generally agree that the Falkirk Wheel is highly functional. It’s also visually stunning; it’s an unusual shape, it looks very attractive with a lot of curves. In fact, it almost looks like a (38) sculpture.
<hr data-path-to-node="18" />
<h3 data-path-to-node="19">MANUFACTURING</h3>
Lecturer: So where was the Falkirk Wheel manufactured? Well, it was produced entirely off-site at a place in England, about 370km away. It was constructed from (39) steel—1,200 tonnes of it. It was also very strong. For example, the joints were bolted together as well as being welded. This was because a lot of (40) stress would be placed on them by the weight of the boats and the water. Over 15,000 bolts were used, and each one was tightened by hand.<button class="button ng-star-inserted" aria-label="View source details for citation from Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Opens side panel." data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQvoAQahgKEwi27a3CyICTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQnAI"></button>
&nbsp;
Of course, since it’s been in use, the design has been tested on an ongoing basis…

[Q1] Listening Test 30

IELTS Listening Exam

Tổng quan

Lịch sử làm bài

Download PDF

Bài test nổi bật

[COM] Information for fire wardens

Có thể bạn quan tâm

[Q1] Listening Test 26

[COM] Environmental Science modules

[COM] MOVING OFFICE

Bài thi tương tự

[COM] Information for fire wardens

[Q1] Listening Test 26

[COM] Environmental Science modules

[COM] MOVING OFFICE

Sẵn sàng cho kì thi IELTS máy?