IELTS PREDICTION TEST

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">PART 1: INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TRAVEL AGENCY ENQUIRY</h3>
Agent: Hello, how can I help you?
Sarah: Um, I’m taking a year off and I’m hoping to travel abroad and to find work as well for part of the time. I know you specialize in student travel and work placements.
Agent: That’s right. We can help you arrange your travel and set up a job for you. But first of all, I need some personal details and then we’ll match your details against our database to see what’s available work-wise.
Sarah: Great, OK.
Agent: Your full name?
Sarah: Sarah Brown.
Agent: Date of birth?
Sarah: (1) March the 30th, oh I’m the 31st haha, 1988.
Agent: And your address?
Sarah: 21 Waverly Road, Radstone, RD4 6WV.
Agent: And a contact telephone number please?
Sarah: Um, I can give you my mobile number… (2) 0903775115.
Agent: Fine. Now tell me where you plan to travel to and I’ll see how I can help.
Sarah: Well, I’d like to go to (3) Northern Europe.
Agent: Have you been there before?
Sarah: No, I know Southern Europe quite well as I’ve been there with my family. We always went by plane but now I can choose, I’d like to go by (4) train so I can stop off whenever I want.
Agent: OK, now just as important, what sort of work have you got in mind?
Sarah: Well, I thought about (5) hotel work, because then I might get accommodation with the job, and I’d like to work for about half the year.
Agent: Hmm, that sort of work is usually quite competitive. Perhaps you should consider an alternative just in case, such as… well, lots of students like to work on a (6) farm. We have lots of requests from people looking for student workers for a few weeks at a time throughout the year. You can generally earn quite good money if you’re willing to work fairly long hours.
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Agent: Now travel… buying single tickets would be expensive, so the best option would be to have a European (7) pass, which would give you unlimited rail travel at off-peak times. To start off with, we could issue one for up to three months to cover the countries you’re intending to visit.
Sarah: Sounds good. Do you have any information about youth hostels which I could use to plan my route?
Agent: Yes, I’ll give you a (8) booklet now, but it’s down to you to book your accommodation. At certain times of the year, especially during public holiday periods, such places fill up fast.
And remember, if we are going to arrange work for you in the countryside, you won’t be able to go out easily in the evenings, although you’d probably be too tired anyway.
Sarah: I won’t mind that. And you’re going to be travelling alone?
Sarah: Yes.
Agent: Well, before I make any arrangements for you, you need to have (9) insurance for your entire trip. We can arrange that for you if you like.
Sarah: What does it cover?
Agent: Any valuable items, jewellery for example, your money, your mobile, your health… and if you needed to get back home quickly, you’d be covered so you could buy a plane ticket, right?
Sarah: I’ll do that. I thought I’d take my laptop so I can email and keep in touch with people at home.
Agent: Hmm, not a good idea to lug your computer around with you. It’s much more sensible to rely on an (10) internet cafe. That’s what we tell people to do.
Sarah: Oh, okay.
Agent: Right, so I’ve entered all your details. Let’s see what the database comes up with…

Questions 1-10

Part 1

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">SECTION 2: DRIVING LICENCES AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS</h3>
Edward: Hello, I’m Edward and I’m here to tell you about road conditions in various areas of the UK. I am also going to tell you about driver’s licenses in the UK.
If you have never had a driver’s licence or you have one from another country and you want to get a UK licence, (11) you must be a UK resident [Answer: C]. You will need to show a medical report when your UK licence needs to be renewed.
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If you are trying to translate your original foreign driving licence to apply for a UK licence, which is a must if you want to be able to drive here, (12) you will need to visit an official agency [Answer: A – recognized organisation]. These are scattered throughout the London area and are well equipped to assist you with any questions you might have, and any services they offer are included in your license fee. If you already have a translated licence but need some personal information updating, you do not need to pay for the update; they’ll do it for free.
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When you are getting a new driving licence, you may need to have a new photo taken as some photos are rejected. It’s actually okay if your photo is too small since we can get it enlarged with our printer. (13) The majority of rejected photos are the ones that were taken with a cream backdrop [Answer: B], instead of a monotone grey background. We’ve now found that photos with the latter allow us to identify the licence holder much more easily. If you were wearing glasses on the previous photo, you don’t need to worry about it since it is still allowed.
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If you are not sure whether your previous licence is still valid then the licence checking service is for you. The procedures are quite clear and you just have to follow them. (14) Ideally I would like to see the process going faster, since it can take hours to finish [Answer: A – too slow]. From my standpoint, it will help if all the applicants bring the necessary identification with them, then all they have to do is just fill in the forms accordingly step by step.
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I’m often asked whether I have a personal recommendation about the fastest or cheapest place to get all this done, but I think it really depends on where you are. They can all get busy at some point. All I would say is that there is absolutely no difference in price. (15) The quickest way to complete an application is to fill out the form on the internet [Answer: C], and then bring a print copy with you to the agency location of your choice.
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<h3 data-path-to-node="10">TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN UK CITIES (Questions 16–20)</h3>
Edward: Next, people frequently ask me what I think of the road conditions in some of our cities.
London is obviously the biggest, and there are lots of parking restrictions, one-way systems and so on. But on the whole, (16) I find the traffic signs are very clear [Answer: A – Good signage].
In Edinburgh, most people use digital maps to get to know local traffic and road conditions. It is a city of lights—traffic lights—but (17) they’re extremely efficient as they’re timed perfectly to get the traffic flowing smoothly [Answer: F – Effective traffic lights]. That’s important because pedestrian areas and crossings are always packed with people on foot which needs strong regulation.
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The City of Cardiff has tackled traffic flow in a different way. It recently completed a road expansion scheme and (18) the extra lanes of the dual carriageway are easing congestion [Answer: G – Additional lanes].
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It’s a similar story in Manchester. Instead of going through the town centre, (19) most vehicles choose ring roads so as to avoid the downtown congestion [Answer: D – Ring roads]. It can still happen though, so there’s a possibility that the city will introduce checkpoints where the police can intervene.
And finally, they say all roads lead to Rome, and you could say that about Oxford. (20) I like the many options for getting in and out of the city because drivers can always find alternative routes [Answer: B – Multiple access roads].

Question 11-15

Cities
 
London {good singnage}
 
Edinburgh {Effective traffic lights}
 
Cardiff {Additional lanes}
 
manchester {ring roads}
 
oxford {multiple access roads}

Question 16-20

Part 2

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">SECTION 3: CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALLERGIES</h3>
Elliot: Have you had a chance to look at the information for our project yet, Beth?
Beth: I’ve had a look at most of the stuff on the relationship between climate change and allergies and the role played by pollen from flowering plants and trees.
Elliot: Yeah, me too. The main message is that seasonal allergies seem to be getting worse. In just the last 20 years, the amount of pollen that’s produced by the flowers on birch trees has tripled.
Beth: I read something about allergy sufferers being more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency because we no longer take cod liver oil as a vitamin supplement, like many people used to do in the 1950s in Britain. And since then, allergies have quadrupled in most European countries. But (21) it was only in Britain that cod liver oil was so popular, so that argument doesn’t really make sense [Answer: C – only applies in Britain].
Elliot: No, it doesn’t seem that relevant. What seems to be happening now is that an increasing number of people are getting their first attack in their 40s and 50s.
Beth: Hmm, that must be because of the link with climate change causing rising temperatures.
Elliot: But CO2 levels are seriously affecting pollen counts too, as much as milder winters. CO2 helps stimulate plant growth, and several recent studies have shown that (22) when plants are exposed to more CO2, they produce more pollen [Answer: C – higher quantities of pollen].
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Beth: Really? So people might experience more severe allergic symptoms in future. And another factor is that the pollen season is changing. Scientists are predicting spring will come five weeks earlier by 2130. That’s in the long term, but (23) that doesn’t mean that spring will come earlier every year. Look at last winter—that was really cold until March, and the pollen season was delayed [Answer: A – no clear short-term trend].
Elliot: Right. And another thing we should mention is ragweed as an example of a plant species moving into new areas as a result of climate change.
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Beth: Yes, in the US it’s already the major allergen, but (24) we’re starting to see it grow in Europe for the first time [Answer: A – spreading to more countries], which is really worrying because it’s so allergenic.
Elliot: The problem with tree pollen is also worse in cities (25) because there are so many hard surfaces around and the pollen doesn’t get absorbed so much, just stays in the air [Answer: B – less to absorb the pollen].
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<h3 data-path-to-node="15">POLLEN CHANGES IN EUROPE (Questions 26–30)</h3>
Elliot: So shall we look at the different data tables for seasonal changes for pollen in Europe?
Beth: Okay, but I think we should just focus on the trees and plants which we have the most data for: oak trees, birch trees, and grass. Shall we go through the data for each country in detail?
Elliot: Alright. Starting with Austria.
Beth: Well, (26) here we’ve only got data for birch pollen [Answer: G]. I wonder why there’s no data for oak or grass.
Elliot: Hmm, it would be interesting to compare with neighbouring countries. The picture in France is unusual.
Beth: Yes, (27) the pollen season starts earlier for both oak and birch, but it doesn’t start any earlier for grass [Answer: B – changes for two types only].
Elliot: In the Netherlands, we’ve got complete data for all three plants. Grass and birch pollen are only starting a few days earlier, but (28) oak pollen is starting much earlier—18 days in fact [Answer: A – greatest change for oak].
Beth: Hmm, that’s unusual. Switzerland’s an interesting case. (29) The pollen season starts here earlier than in the past for oak, birch, and grass [Answer: D – earlier start for all types].
Elliot: Yeah, from 21 days to 14 days earlier. The UK shows a different picture again.
Beth: Yeah, here the problem is that (30) wet summers have extended the grass pollen season from five weeks to eight weeks [Answer: C – longer season for grass], which is bad news for allergy sufferers.
Elliot: Right. Well, I think we should have another look…

Questions 21 – 25

European countries
 
Austria {information only available for birch pollen}
 
France {changes identified for two pollen types only}
 
The Netherlands {greatest change recorded for oak pollen}
 
Switzerland  {earlier start dates for all pollen types}
 
UK {a longer season for grass pollen}

Questions 26 – 30

Part 3

<h3 data-path-to-node="2">SECTION 4: SEA LION TRACKING STUDY</h3>
Presenter: Hello everybody. I’m here today to tell you about a new research study that my team here at the university is doing on the sea lions that live along the coast of Western Australia.
You may be wondering why we’ve been studying this animal. Well, Australian sea lions have been identified as an endangered species, so there’s a real need to count them and find out just how many there are.
Up until 1892, the population of these animals was severely depleted because of hunting—that’s no longer allowed. But today there is a new danger. Sea lions often forage for food in the same areas along the coastlines where there are nets used to catch (31) sharks. Unfortunately, they tend to get caught up in the nets by accident and drown.
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<h3 data-path-to-node="7">ANIMAL TRACKING SYSTEMS</h3>
Presenter: Now, we wanted to monitor the population of sea lions in this area, but we weren’t sure of the best way to do it. There are several different animal tracking methods which vary in their effectiveness, and there are different factors to consider.
One of the most important of these is the (32) cost, but you also have to consider how easy your chosen method is to use. You may choose a traditional method like a plastic tag. They’re relatively straightforward to attach, but they’re really only suitable to use with animals that you can (33) catch quite easily.
You might also go with a more modern method like GPS tracking, which uses satellite technology to transmit data on the animal around the clock. One drawback for marine animals though is that they don’t transmit a signal in the (34) ocean; you only get data when they’re on land.
There are certain large animals in remote areas that have to be tracked using a (35) helicopter—the polar bear is a good example.
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<h3 data-path-to-node="13">CHALLENGES OF TRACKING SEA LIONS</h3>
Presenter: Now, an important part of tracking is being able to clearly identify the animal. Some, like zebras, are identified by markings such as their stripes, while the dolphin usually has distinguishing scars on its body that can help tell them apart.
Sea lions don’t have any markings like this, which is just one of the challenges of tracking them. When researchers in Perth tried to use electronic tags in a sea lion study, they found that the sea lions had removed their tracking devices by deliberately rubbing up against (36) rocks. This was something the researchers hadn’t anticipated.
Researchers in California studying American sea lions tried a different method: they applied (37) paint to the animals. They thought this would be a better, less invasive means of identification. Unfortunately, this didn’t work so well either because sea lions molt every year and shed their fur along with the identifying mark.
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<h3 data-path-to-node="18">OUR STUDY</h3>
Presenter: So let’s look at our current study. We have several aims that we’d like to achieve.
The first of these is to try to establish whether sea lions can be identified from the whiskers on their face. These are much coarser than a cat’s whiskers, so easier to see. Our theory is that the pattern of these whiskers may be as individual as a fingerprint on a human. If this is in fact true, then we think this could be an effective way to identify them.
Our second aim is to come up with a (38) diagram of sea lion whisker patterns so this can be used as a guide for us and other studies.
We’re using a few different methods to help us do all this. We know that we need to build up a wide range of visual data. So firstly, we’ve been in touch with (39) zoos around Australia to gather photographs from them of the faces of any sea lions they have.
This won’t be enough to achieve our purpose though, so we’re also broadening our search by inviting the (40) public to take part in our research. We’re hoping this will result in hundreds of useful images we can use.

Listening Test 28

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