Section 1

(0:00 - 0:24)

IELTS Listening Version 54744 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.

(0:25 - 0:39)

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.

(0:41 - 2:12)

Now turn to Part 1 on page 2 of your question booklet. Part 1 You will hear a woman asking a
man in a tourist information office about places to visit in the region. First you have some time to
look at questions 1 to 6. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6. Good afternoon.

Can I help you? Yes, I'm looking for some places to visit when my sister and her children come
to stay. They arrive this weekend from overseas. I'm new to the area and don't really know what
to recommend.

Do you have any ideas? What about going to Alma Park to visit the zoo? Oh, I like the idea of
that. Is it reasonably priced? Yes, it's not a bad price. A standard adult ticket is normally $30, but
there's a special deal for families of $65, which is a saving of $35.

(2:13 - 2:24)

That's a great deal. How do we get there from the city? You can go by bus. Is it very far? The
385 will get you there in approximately 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

(2:24 - 2:53)

There is another bus, the 388, but it takes 20 minutes longer, so it's worth waiting a few more
minutes for the more direct bus. OK. Are there any special things to do there? Can you feed the
animals or anything like that? They've stopped that, but most tourists love the fact that you're
allowed to hold some of the animals and get your photo taken.

They just ask you to make a small payment to help with costs. Oh, the kids would love that. My
sister also likes going to the theatre.

(2:54 - 3:03)

Is there anything good on at the moment? She especially likes comedies. There's a place called
the Entertainment Room in Ascot. I'll just check their website.

(3:04 - 3:17)

Hmm, yes, there's a festival running at the moment with John Rosie as the main entertainer.
He's really funny. How do you spell that? Is it R-O-Z-Y? No, it's R-O-S-I-E.
(3:17 - 3:26)

Got it. And when is it on? Next week. It says it starts on Tuesday with a special matinee show on
the Wednesday.

(3:26 - 3:45)

It was supposed to finish on Friday, but because of the demand it's been extended to Saturday.
It must be good then. Is it expensive? I don't think so.

Let's see. Oh, it says there's a special preview show on the Monday, and they're offering a
discount on tickets that night. We'll try and go then in that case.

(3:48 - 4:37)

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.
Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10. I also wanted to spend a day in the city centre.

The children will get bored just looking at the shops. Is there anything else for them to do?
What's the museum like? It's very popular with children, and there's a very hands-on exhibition
on at the moment. They'd love that.

(4:37 - 4:49)

Sounds good. And there's a workshop on, where they learn how to do origami. Will they need to
bring anything special for that? On this leaflet it says that things like scissors and all of the paper
are provided.

(4:50 - 5:09)

They just advise children to bring a box to carry the completed origami home in. Just a little one
will do. I'm also looking for a weekend activity.

I've heard Bunyabi Island is great. Would we need a car to get round the island? A four-wheel
drive is a great way to explore. You should also try snorkelling at Salty Lake.

(5:10 - 5:23)

Is that in the centre of the island, near the mountain? No, it's on the ocean side. OK, I'll get a
map and check it out. I'd like to stay there at least one night, and I quite like the idea of taking a
tent and sleeping out in the open air.

(5:24 - 6:03)

Are you allowed to camp there? That would be lovely, but I'm afraid...

Section 2
You will hear a school principal talking to a group of parents who are volunteering at a school
fair. First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14. Now listen carefully and answer
questions 11 to 14.

(6:06 - 6:32)
Good evening and thank you for coming to the Kenvale School Fair Volunteers Meeting. As you
know, this is the biggest fundraising event in the school year, and as usual, we're expecting lots
of people to come, which is why we're starting to prepare now, six months before the big day. I'll
begin tonight by talking about the different volunteer roles, so you can decide what you'd like to
do.

(6:33 - 7:02)

The entertainment coordinator position involves deciding what kinds of rides and activities will
be at the fair, and making sure there's a good variety of things to do. From past experience, this
role involves a lot of liaising with other helpers and the entertainers, which means that most of
the work is done after office hours. We need an advertising and promotion coordinator to make
sure that people hear about the fair and lots of people come.

(7:03 - 7:28)

We know this is a big job, so we've decided to have a couple of people doing it to share the
load. The parent who did this role last year has just been offered a job, which starts next month,
so she won't be able to lend us the benefit of her experience, sadly. The technical coordinator
makes sure that there is a suitable stage for the performers, and that there are enough speakers
and people can hear them and so on.

(7:29 - 7:51)

Now, this may sound like a technical background is required, but it's not, as you don't actually
have to set up or fix anything yourself. Having a car is essential, though, because in the week
leading up to the event, you'll need to be able to get to the school early in the mornings, and
occasionally later at night. We also need a staffing coordinator.

(7:52 - 8:09)

This person will be required to look after the many helpers on the day of the fair. This role has
just been created based on our experience of last year's event. We found that our volunteers felt
a bit overworked, and so we're hoping that this role will make things easier.

(8:09 - 8:57)

It will help to reduce stress if you organise the helpers about a month before the fair. Before you
hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20. Now listen and
answer questions 15 to 20.

(9:00 - 9:23)

Now, moving on to the map of the school fair, I'll point out some of the more important areas that
you'll need to know about so you can help direct the visitors. You can see that we'll be using the
large grounds just behind the school, and we'll set up temporary areas and pathways there. The
first thing I'll show you are the fairground rights, which are always popular with the children.

(9:24 - 9:43)

If you look at the map, you'll see the fair entrance at the bottom. From there, follow the main
path in the direction of the river, and it's the third area on the left, the large rectangular area. The
entertainment stage is a big feature of the fair, and this is where everyone will be able to see all
the performers.

(9:44 - 9:57)

To find this, go straight along the main path until you get to the river. Turn right and follow the
path to the end, and there it is. There's not much shade here, so we should remind parents to
bring hats for their children.

(9:59 - 10:32)

If anyone wants a cold drink or a snack, then they'll ask you where the cafe is. Originally, we
were going to put it opposite the toilets, but we've decided to put it near the river to take
advantage of the views and breezes. You can see it on the map.

It's the circular area, surrounded by trees, near the playground. The first A tent is always an
important part of the fair. We wanted to put that in an area that was easily accessible, and a bit
separated from the other attractions, but near the entrance.

(10:33 - 10:53)

If you look at the map, you'll see it's south of the toilets, not far from the school fence line. The
market stalls are where visitors will be able to pick up a bargain, or some homemade produce.
Last year, these were located just south of the meeting area, but the stallholders complained
that it was too exposed and hot.

(10:54 - 11:05)

So, this year, we've moved them to the north of the meeting area. Lots of good shelter provided
by the trees here. Of course, there'll be the ever-popular pony rides.

(11:06 - 12:06)

To reach these, direct visitors to follow the main path from the entrance until they reach the L-
shaped area on the left, next to the playground. That is the end of Part 2. You now have 30
seconds to check your answers to Part 2.

Section 3
Part 3 You will hear two students, called Jamie and Martha, discussing their environmental
science course. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

(12:36 - 12:54)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26. Hi, Martha. Do you have time to talk? We
have to submit our evaluations of our course next week, and I thought it'd be useful to discuss
what we both think.

(12:54 - 13:22)

Good idea. That would help refresh my memory, especially about things we did in previous
years. I agree.
So, let's talk about the modules we took. What about statistics for environmental research? I've
always been hopeless with numbers, so I thought that I'd learn a lot. But, you know, it wasn't at
a high enough level for me.

I actually had to do a lot of reading on my own. Me too. I had to get an additional reading list
from the tutor.

(13:23 - 13:39)

Now, sewage and drainage systems. I wasn't looking forward to that one. Not exactly a pleasant
subject, but, you know, the module convinced me that it's an essential topic to understand for
both cities and rural environments.

(13:39 - 13:56)

Right. And, in the end, not a boring subject. Not at all.

It was quite a revelation. The module on agriculture and food security could have been good.
But the assigned readings were only those ancient government publications.

(13:57 - 14:31)

And the lecture notes clearly hadn't been updated for years. I know. What about the module on
sustainable energy? I really got into the project we had to do to invent something functional.

I devised a windmill to power my laptop. Yep. The projects were great.

So hands-on. Though the personal battery charger I built never really worked. Too bad.

But I'm sure you learned a lot nonetheless. I did. And the government policy module? I wish it
had included policy in other countries.

(14:31 - 14:58)

It was a bit inward-looking, I thought, focused just on this country. I mentioned that to the
lecturer, but she said it was best to concentrate on one country in depth at first. Maybe.

And there was that module called Water Management. I must admit, I got lost in the discussion
about the issues of groundwater levels and flood risk management, which weren't that essential.
You weren't the only one.

(15:00 - 15:49)

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. OK.

I thought some aspects of the course organisation were particularly helpful. Can we talk a bit
about that? Of course. Actually, I was disappointed that I couldn't take any module whenever I
wanted.

(15:49 - 16:13)
That's true. But the variety of modules on offer was a strong point and meant I managed to
cover a lot of subjects. Me too.

More than I expected. I had wanted to finish the course early by doing an extra module each
term, which would have been useful, but unfortunately that wasn't allowed. I had to wait to do
some modules, which I found hard to schedule.

(16:14 - 16:30)

And I think more assigned reading for the modules would have made the lectures easier to
follow. That would have been good. But I was pleased that the course organisers were able to
provide modules focusing on real-life issues, which we can apply later when looking for jobs.

(16:30 - 16:48)

True. And I would have hated it if it had all been theory. What about the written paper we had to
do for Dr Brown? Are there any things we could suggest to improve the way that's handled?
Well, I got lots of help from Dr Brown and his assistant in narrowing down what I wanted to write
about.

(16:49 - 17:00)

Yes, they stopped me from doing something too ambitious. But choosing a topic right at the
beginning of the module was difficult. Maybe he could postpone the decision until halfway
through the term.

(17:01 - 17:12)

Good idea. I was happy with the word limit for the assignment though. Well, as usual, I could
have written on and on, but the limit made me refine my thoughts, so it was OK in the end.

(17:13 - 17:49)

I wish I could have had a session with Dr Brown after he'd marked my written paper. I know it
would be time-consuming, but it would have been really useful. Actually, I was satisfied with Dr
Brown's written feedback.

It was amazingly detailed, so I don't think I needed more. But I wish they could arrange sessions
where students get together and help each other before submitting their written work. Good
idea.

If they provided time for that, it would be quite convenient. Right. Now that we've almost finished
our course, it's time to think about our career prospects.

(17:50 - 19:34)

What type of organisation do you hope to work for? That is the end of Part 3. You now have 30
seconds to check your answers to Part 3.

Section 4
Part 4 You will hear a music student giving a talk about an Italian composer. First you have
some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
(19:38 - 19:56)

Good morning. We're really pleased that our university is going to hold a concert featuring the
music of the Italian composer Salvatore Schiarino. He's considered one of the leading
composers of modern classical music in Europe.

(19:57 - 20:17)

His music is highly unusual, so in order to prepare you for this concert, I'm going to talk about
his life and music. First, some biographical details. Salvatore Schiarino was born in the Italian
city of Palermo in 1947.

(20:18 - 20:41)

Though he did receive some music lessons, he is mainly self-taught as a composer. After a few
years of university in his home city, he moved to Rome in 1969, where he studied electronic
music. This experience served as a turning point in the development of Schiarino as a
composer.

(20:42 - 21:19)

Turning to his work, he composed a great deal in the 1970s and was a music teacher until 1982.
Apart from composing music and teaching, he has also produced a large number of essays on a
range of topics, such as the philosophy behind his work and musical form. Throughout his
career, he has won numerous prestigious awards, most notably a major prize in 2011 which
recognised his musical originality.

(21:19 - 21:45)

So you could say that he is one of the most important composers of our times. Now I'll talk about
the characteristics of his music, which some people are a bit surprised by. The first thing that
many listeners will notice about Schiarino's music is the frequent use of silence.

(21:46 - 22:26)

What is also striking about his music is his preference for extremely soft sounds that are
sometimes at such a low volume that they can hardly be heard. The other unusual aspect of his
music is that he frequently requires musicians to play their instruments in unconventional ways,
so that, for example, a violin may end up sounding very strange and creating sounds we
generally associate with nature. Actually, his novel instrumental techniques have often been
imitated by other composers.

(22:26 - 22:49)

As a result, he is widely regarded as a pioneer in terms of creating new sounds. It may sound
strange, but Schiarino himself has likened his music to a volcano viewed from afar. As you'll
see, it builds up slowly to an exciting climax.

(22:51 - 23:10)

Let's move on to talk about the particular piece that we'll hear at the concert. Many people
consider it to be his finest work to date. It's an immense piece of music for piano, chorus and
orchestra that was completed in 1979.
(23:11 - 23:33)

The work is dedicated to a friend who died unexpectedly, so it was written as a kind of memorial.
In many ways, it is representative of his work as a whole in terms of the sound that it creates. It's
technically formidable and it's a very challenging piece for musicians to play.

(23:35 - 24:05)

The piece opens with a low sound of great complexity that is similar to thunder. This low-pitched
noise is sustained almost uninterrupted for 45 minutes, which may sound quite boring, but I
found it to be very haunting and atmospheric. The sound, by the way, is created by large
vibrating sheets of metal, which are slowly manipulated by two percussionists.

(24:05 - 24:38)

There are very quiet and strange chords produced by string instruments and very complex piano
melodies that quietly appear and then disappear. Even though the piece will be, for many
people, very unusual in terms of the sounds it creates, it actually has a very conventional
structure, which is just another surprising aspect of Schiarino's work. Now let's move on to
another work.

(24:41 - 25:56)

That is the end of Part 4. You now have one minute to check your answers to Part 4. That is the
end of the listening test. You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to the listening
answer sheet.