IELTS Listening Mock Test 5

A: Welcome to the Clayhouse Maker Studio! I can get you registered for a membership right now. Can I start with your full name? B: Hi! Yes, it's Amara Kovac. That's Amara, A-M-A-R-A, and my surname is spelled K-O-V-A-C. A: Got it, Amara. And what's a good contact phone number for you? B: It's 0-7-4-1-2-5-5-8-9-6-3. A: Let me read that back: 0-7-4-1-2-5-5-8-9-6-3. Perfect. Now, the Standard tier gives basic access to clay wheels, but the Creative membership includes free firing and glazing. Which one would you prefer? B: Definitely the Creative option. I plan to make quite a few large pots, so free glazing is perfect. A: Excellent. And when would you like this membership to start? B: Well, I'm busy with a work project until the 12th of October, so I originally thought about starting then, but actually, let's make it the 15th of October to be safe. A: Perfect, the 15th of October it is. Now, the Creative membership is normally sixty pounds a month, but with our autumn promotion, it'll only be forty-five pounds per month for your first year. B: That's a real bargain! Also, do we get our own storage lockers here? I have quite a lot of gear. A: Yes, every member gets a personal locker to keep their tools and unfinished projects. We also host regular exhibitions where you can display your work to the public. We don't have 24-hour access yet, unfortunately, though we hope to next year. B: That's fine. I do follow your Instagram page, but a colleague at work actually recommended you, which is how I first heard about this place. A: Word of mouth is always the best! Now, our members' social nights run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Which evening are you most likely to come in? B: Thursdays are usually quite hectic for me, so I'll definitely be attending the Tuesday sessions instead. A: Great. Lastly, we offer a free welcome gift: either a basic clay sculpting tool set, or a protective cotton apron. B: Oh, I already have plenty of tools from my college days, but a fresh apron would be incredibly useful. I'll take that, please! [Q1] Surname: ________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q2] Contact number: ________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q3] Membership type chosen: ________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q4] Start date: ________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q5] Monthly fee: £________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q6] Why does Amara choose the Creative membership instead of the Standard one?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q7] Which day of the week does Amara plan to attend the social nights?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q8] How did Amara first find out about the Clayhouse Maker Studio?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q9] Which welcome gift does Amara decide to accept?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q10] Which TWO features of the Clayhouse Maker Studio are mentioned in the conversation?

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Greenwood Community Tool and Craft Hub—I’m Hina, and I’ll be leading your induction today. Let’s start with a quick overview of our layout so you can find your way around easily. Right as you step through the main entrance, the room on your immediate left is where we keep all our horticultural equipment, which is our Garden Tool Library. If you look straight ahead, past the reception desk, that large central space is our Woodworking Station, where we have workbenches and power drills. Now, if you walk straight through the double doors at the very back of that woodworking space, you’ll step into a covered outdoor courtyard which houses our Repair and Maintenance Depot. Coming back toward the front, just to the right of the reception counter, there's a small room; we originally planned to use this for safety equipment lockers, but we've actually turned it into the Administrative Office. Finally, to reach our quietest zone, take the narrow corridor running down the right-hand side of the main hall; at the very end of this hallway, tucked into the far right corner, is our Sewing and Craft Studio, though people often mistake it for our kitchen! Now, moving on to our borrowing rules: as standard members, you're allowed to borrow up to four items at any one time, which we found is much more manageable than our old limit of six. You can keep any equipment for a standard borrowing period of ten days before returning it. If something breaks during normal use, there is no penalty as long as you report it, but we do charge a small fee if the damage is due to clear negligence. Don't forget our weekly events, especially the popular 'Fix-it Workshop' which has moved from Saturday mornings to Wednesday evenings. Lastly, for those volunteering to close up, please remember to clean the workbenches thoroughly and log your hours on the computer near the exit, but leave the power switches and outdoor shed locks to the security staff. [Q11] Position 1 — the room immediately on the left of the main entrance

(Shared with Q11.) [Q12] Position 2 — the large open space directly ahead of the entrance, past the reception desk

(Shared with Q11.) [Q13] Position 3 — the covered outdoor area accessed through the double doors at the back of the central space

(Shared with Q11.) [Q14] Position 4 — the small room located immediately to the right of the reception desk

(Shared with Q11.) [Q15] Position 5 — the room at the end of the corridor, in the far right corner

(Shared with Q11.) [Q16] How many items are standard members permitted to borrow at one time?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q17] What is the standard borrowing period for any piece of equipment?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q18] Under what circumstance will a member be charged a fee for a damaged tool?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q19] When is the weekly 'Fix-it Workshop' now held?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q20] Which TWO tasks must volunteers complete when closing the hub?

C: Come in, Tomas, Aisha. Take a seat. So, we're here to finalize the preparations for your soil ecology fieldwork next week. Have you started dividing up the tasks yet? A: Yes, Dr. Ingrid. We've got a rough list, but we need to pin down who's doing what. For instance, extracting the core samples from the ground. I initially thought I'd do the digging in the woodland area, but... B: Yes, we talked about it, and since I gained a lot of hands-on experience extracting cores during my summer internship, we agreed it would be much quicker if I handle the collection of all the soil cores myself. A: Right, which is great because it frees me up for other things. Though, we still have to carry those heavy testing kits from the lab to the vehicle, and then across the field. They weigh a ton! I can probably carry them. B: Well, there are three large kits, Tomas. It's really a two-person job if we want to avoid throwing our backs out. We should definitely share that load. A: Yeah, you're right, we'll both lift those. Now, for the actual testing on-site, specifically measuring the soil pH levels. It has to be done immediately after extraction to get accurate readings. B: Can you take care of that, Tomas? I'll be busy labeling the core tubes. A: Absolutely. I've already calibrated the digital pH probe, so I'll run the pH tests in the field. B: Great. Now, what about the more complex chemical composition analysis? I mean, testing for nutrient levels like nitrogen and potassium. I thought we could do that in the student lab ourselves? C: Well, you could, but you aren't certified to operate the high-precision mass spectrometer yet. I know the park ranger has a basic kit, but for your research-grade data, you'll need to hand your samples over to our department's laboratory technician. They will process them and email you the results. A: Okay, so the lab technician will handle the chemical analysis. That's a relief. And what about the official permit to collect samples in the reserve? Dr. Ingrid, do we need you to apply for that? C: Well, I did start the paperwork with the city council, but their policy changed last month. It turns out that because this is an educational project, the reserve's park ranger has the authority to issue permits directly on-site. You just need to hand him your project proposal when you arrive. B: Oh, that's much easier! So the park ranger will grant the permit when we check in. Excellent. C: Now, let's talk about the scientific design. Remind me, what's the primary goal of your study? A: Well, we want to evaluate how soil characteristics differ when you move from open, grassy fields into dense pine woodland. So, comparing the soil properties under those two different types of vegetation covers. C: Good. It's vital to focus on vegetation and not get sidetracked by other variables, like human foot traffic, which some students try to measure at the same time. B: Definitely. By the way, Dr. Ingrid, should we book the department's motorized core-drilling machine? It would save us a lot of physical digging. A: Wait, isn't that machine out of order anyway? C: Actually, it was repaired last week. But the issue is that the machine is far too destructive for your specific site. The pine woodland has highly sensitive, shallow root systems belonging to protected wild ferns. A heavy motorized drill would sever those roots and cause permanent damage. You must use manual hand augers instead. B: Right, hand augers it is then. We certainly don't want to damage any native plants. A: I agree. Looking back at the pilot study we did last Friday... I'm slightly concerned about how we collected the samples. The weather was extremely hot, which made the topsoil very dry, but that's just a natural factor we can't control. My main worry was that we gathered all five samples within a tiny two-meter radius. It just didn't give us a realistic representation of the area. B: You're spot on. Fortunately, we used airtight plastic bags, so moisture loss wasn't an issue, but we definitely need to space out our sampling points much wider next week. C: Yes, a wider grid is essential. And what's your backup plan if it rains on Tuesday? Heavy rain can seriously alter surface nutrient levels. A: Well, if it's just a light drizzle, we'll keep working and record the precipitation. But if there's a heavy downpour, we can't just throw plastic sheets over the plots because that alters the natural runoff. B: And we can't afford to postpone the entire project by a week either. So, in the event of heavy rain, we'll just wait in the vehicle until it stops, and then carry out the collection the following morning once the soil has settled. A: Right, so we'll push it to Wednesday morning if the weather turns bad on Tuesday. C: That sounds like a sensible contingency plan. Now, what about safety and extra gear? The reserve has strict rules. B: Do we need to bring our own high-visibility vests? C: No, the park ranger actually provides those at the entrance gate. And safety helmets aren't necessary because there are no steep cliffs or falling hazards. But do keep in mind that mobile signal is non-existent in the valley, so you won't be able to use online maps on your phones. You must have a physical, paper map of the park with you. A: I'll print a hardcopy map tonight. And what about taking photos of the soil layers? Should we bring the department's digital camera? B: Well, we could, but its battery life is terrible. Since we'll need to take quite a few photos, I think it's better if we just use our smartphones. I have a high-capacity portable power bank we can bring to keep them charged up all day. A: That's a much better setup. I'll make sure the power bank is fully charged, and I'll print the map. We're all set! [Q21] Collecting soil core samples

(Shared with Q21.) [Q22] Carrying the heavy testing kits

(Shared with Q21.) [Q23] Measuring the soil pH level in the field

(Shared with Q21.) [Q24] Analyzing the chemical composition of the samples

(Shared with Q21.) [Q25] Securing the official site permit

(Shared with Q21.) [Q26] What is the primary objective of the students' fieldwork?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q27] Why do they decide to use manual hand augers instead of a motorized core-drilling machine?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q28] What concern does Tomas raise about their pilot study?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q29] How do they plan to handle unexpected heavy rain on Tuesday?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q30] Which TWO items do the students agree to bring on the field trip besides the sampling equipment?

Good morning, everyone. Today we are examining the integration of haptic technology—that is, technology that simulates the sense of touch—into remote physical rehabilitation. Now, while virtual reality has long been used for visual guidance, adding tactile feedback represents a massive leap forward. Some early commentators suggested this would triple equipment costs, but thanks to mass-produced microprocessors, the actual increase in setup expenses is barely fifteen percent, making it highly accessible. Let's look at a recent clinical trial led by my colleague, Mei-Ling. They monitored patient compliance during home-based wrist exercises. Interestingly, the trial did not just meet its initial conservative estimate that forty percent of patients would stay on track. In fact, while they had optimistically targeted eighty-five percent, the final analysis showed a solid seventy-two percent of participants fully adhered to the daily schedule, which is outstanding for unsupervised home care. A key element of these devices is customization. Rather than relying on rigid factory settings, the software automatically modifies the intensity based on real-time muscle fatigue, ensuring patients are never pushed to the point of pain. What truly surprised the research team, however, when evaluating the hand-tracking gloves, was how quickly older adults—who are often assumed to be technophobic—adapted to the glove's interface, even faster than some younger digital natives. Now, we also trialed a wearable chest sensor called the 'HeartBeat-Band'. This device wasn't just for safety; it actively helped by monitoring breathing rhythms to prevent overexertion, and additionally, it allowed patients to share their real-time progress reports directly with clinicians, eliminating the need for manual logs. Let's detail some specific hardware modalities. First, the 'FlexGlove' prototype uses miniature motors to actively oppose the wearer's finger movements, providing realistic resistance feedback to rebuild grip strength. In contrast, the 'AeroSleeve' system relies on small air bladders that inflate and deflate to deliver pneumatic pressure along the forearm, mimicking a therapist's firm grip. For temperature therapy, we have the 'ThermoSkin' patch. This uses thermoelectric modules to deliver rapid thermal stimulation, switching between warm and cool sensations within seconds to reduce joint inflammation. Finally, the 'WaveAir' projector is unique because it is entirely contactless; it emits high-frequency acoustic signals, creating localized ultrasonic waves that stimulate the skin's surface from a distance of up to half a meter. [Q31] Why is haptic technology viable for home rehabilitation today?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q32] What did Mei-Ling's clinical trial primarily investigate?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q33] What percentage of participants successfully completed the prescribed exercise program?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q34] How is the feedback from the haptic devices customized?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q35] What unexpected finding did researchers note regarding the hand-tracking gloves?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q36] Which TWO benefits of the wearable chest sensor are mentioned?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q37] The 'FlexGlove' prototype

(Shared with Q31.) [Q38] The 'AeroSleeve' system

(Shared with Q31.) [Q39] The 'ThermoSkin' patch

(Shared with Q31.) [Q40] The 'WaveAir' projector