IELTS Listening Mock Test 8

A: Good morning, thank you for calling HomeShield Services. My name is Aisha. How can I help you today? B: Hello, Aisha. I'd like to book a repair for an appliance under my service plan. My name is Tomas Pekarek — that's T-O-M-A-S, and the surname is spelled P-E-K-A-R-E-K. A: Thank you, Mr Pekarek. Let me pull up your account on our system. Do you happen to have your policy number handy? B: Yes, it's TX-8422... oh, sorry, I read the wrong line on my membership card. It's actually TX-8412. A: No problem. Let me read that back to confirm: T-X-8-4-1-2. Is that correct? B: Yes, that's it. And the appliance that needs fixing is my washing machine. It was working fine yesterday, but now it has a problem. A: I see. And what exactly is the fault you are experiencing? B: Well, at first I thought it was just noisy during the spin cycle, but this morning I noticed water is leaking from the bottom. A: Oh dear, that does sound like it needs looking at. We'll need to schedule a technician to visit. Let me check the schedule... I have an opening this Wednesday morning... oh, wait, that slot's just been booked. The earliest available now is Thursday afternoon. Does that work for you? B: Thursday is fine, I can work from home that day. What about the repair cost? Is it covered under my plan? A: Yes, your basic plan covers both parts and labour. However, please note there is a standard call-out fee of thirty-five pounds which you'll need to pay. B: Okay, that's reasonable. Do I need to prepare anything, and where should the technician park? A: Please make sure you empty the machine's drum before they arrive. You don't need to unplug it from the wall, and don't worry about cleaning up the floor. For parking, please don't use the visitor bays or park on the main road; they should park in your driveway. Also, when they arrive, you must show them some photo ID and a utility bill. B: Got it. Driveway parking, empty drum, photo ID and a utility bill. Thank you, Aisha! A: You're very welcome, Tomas. We'll see you on Thursday. Have a great day! [Q1] Surname: ________

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

(Shared with Q1.) [Q3] Type of appliance: ________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q4] Current fault: water is ________ from the bottom

(Shared with Q1.) [Q5] Scheduled day for repair: ________

(Shared with Q1.) [Q6] What is covered under Tomas's basic service plan?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q7] How much is the standard call-out fee?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q8] What must Tomas do before the technician arrives?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q9] Where is the technician advised to park their vehicle?

(Shared with Q1.) [Q10] Which TWO items of documentation must Tomas show the technician?

Hello everyone, and a very warm welcome to the Greenwood Eco-Hub. My name is Tomas, and I’ll be guiding you around our community garden today. Before we start exploring, let me help you get your bearings using the map on your brochures. We are currently standing at the main entrance gates on the south side of the garden, with the central pathway stretching directly ahead of us to the north. As you step through these gates, on your immediate right, you'll see a wooden building. This is our Demonstration Kitchen, where we host popular weekend cooking workshops using freshly harvested crops. On the left side of the path, directly opposite the kitchen, there's a smaller wooden shed. Now, we initially planned to store our seed collection here, but we realized we needed a secure place for our gear, so this is actually our Tool Shed, where volunteers can borrow gardening equipment. If you continue straight up the central path, you'll reach a main junction. Turning left at this junction and following the path all the way to the far western corner leads you to the Rainwater Harvesting Station. It sits right next to the boundary wall, catching water from the roof of the greenhouse which is situated just to its right. Now, returning to the junction, if you take the eastern path instead, you'll see a large fenced area on your left. This is the Children's Play Area, which keeps the younger ones safe and occupied while their parents are gardening. Finally, at the very end of this eastern path, tucked away in the far north-east corner, is our Indoor Propagation Room. We did contemplate putting our Compost Depot in that quiet corner, but we decided it was much more practical to have the compost closer to the main planting beds along the central path. So, yes, that northeast corner is where we protect our delicate young seedlings. Now, let me share a few details about how you can get involved. Our standard annual membership is highly popular. For just twenty dollars a year, you get full access to our tools and resources, and you receive a fifteen percent discount on all our weekend workshops. Unfortunately, we can't offer free seed packets anymore due to budget cuts, and our complimentary soil testing is limited to once a year rather than being unlimited, but the workshop discount alone makes it incredibly worthwhile. If you'd like to help out as a volunteer, we run work bees every Saturday morning from nine to twelve. We always have plenty of weeding to do, but this Saturday we are focusing on repairing the raised timber beds, which have started to rot. We had scheduled a session to paint the main boundary fence, but because of the heavy rain forecast, we've had to postpone that until next month. To sign up for any of these sessions or workshops, please don't look at our old social media page, as we haven't updated it in months. You can write your name down on the physical clipboard in the volunteers' lounge, but the most reliable and up-to-date schedule is always posted on our official website, where you can also reserve your spot online. When you do come along to garden with us, please remember a few house rules. While we encourage everyone to taste the fresh herbs, please do not pick any fruit or vegetables on your own, even if they look completely ripe. Only our designated garden leaders are authorized to harvest the main crops, which we then distribute at our Sunday markets. Lastly, regarding what to bring: we supply all the spades and hand tools you will need, and we have large bottles of sunscreen by the gate for everyone to use. However, for hygiene reasons, we do not provide gardening gloves, so please ensure you bring your own pair. Also, while we have drinking water taps, we don't supply paper cups, so a reusable water bottle is essential to keep yourself hydrated. Right, let's head down the path and take a closer look! [Q11] Position 1 — On the immediate right as you enter the main gates

(Shared with Q11.) [Q12] Position 2 — On the left of the path, directly opposite the kitchen

(Shared with Q11.) [Q13] Position 3 — In the far western corner, to the left of the greenhouse

(Shared with Q11.) [Q14] Position 4 — The fenced area along the left side of the eastern path

(Shared with Q11.) [Q15] Position 5 — Tucked away in the far north-east corner

(Shared with Q11.) [Q16] What is a benefit of the standard annual membership?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q17] What is the main volunteering task scheduled for this Saturday?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q18] How should visitors find the most up-to-date workshop schedule?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q19] What is the rule regarding harvesting crops in the garden?

(Shared with Q11.) [Q20] Which TWO items are visitors asked to bring themselves when attending a gardening session?

A: Good morning, Tomas. Come on in. I've had a look through the draft report on your seed germination experiment, the one with the organic compost mixtures. B: Thanks, Dr. Ingrid. I was a bit anxious about the results section, actually. I hope the data on the soil blends made sense. A: It did, mostly. Your methodology was solid, but we need to refine how you present the findings and plan the next steps. Let’s look at the feedback on the five specific chapters first, shall we? I've made some notes on what to change, what to keep, and what to cut. B: Great. Let's start with the Literature Review. I thought I might need to expand that section with more recent studies on seedling growth. A: Actually, no, it's already quite long. In fact, you've over-explained the basic chemical processes of compost. You should condense that part significantly. Keep the citations of course, but don't go into detail about every single chemical reaction. B: Oh, okay. I'll trim down the chemistry details then. What about the Methodology chapter? I wasn't sure if the description of the temperature controls was clear enough. I initially wrote about the automated greenhouse system, but then I simplified it. A: The temperature details are perfect as they are. But the section on your soil mixture ratios is a bit confusing. You've used percentages in some paragraphs and ratios in others. You need to make sure the measurements are consistent throughout. Stick to just ratios. B: Right, consistency is key. I'll rewrite that so it's all ratios. And for the Results section? I made those three-dimensional bar charts... I thought they looked quite professional. A: Well, they look fancy, but they are actually quite hard to read. A simple two-dimensional line graph would show the daily growth rate much more clearly. Let's change those charts entirely. B: That makes sense. Simpler is better. And the Discussion chapter? I tried to compare my results with the 2018 study by Miller. A: Yes, that comparison was excellent and highly relevant. Don't touch that part. But you did suggest some very ambitious theories about global agricultural trends based on just twenty seedlings. That's a bit of a stretch! You must remove those sweeping generalizations and keep the discussion focused strictly on your local data. B: Ah, yes, I got a bit carried away there. I'll delete the global claims. Lastly, the Conclusion and future work section. I suggested doing a field trial next semester. A: A field trial is a brilliant idea, and your outline of how to set that up is spot on. Keep that exactly as it is. It really shows you're thinking like a researcher. B: Fantastic, I'm glad that part worked. Now, looking at the project as a whole, what should be my main priority for the final revision? I mean, apart from editing those sections. A: Well, your overall academic writing style is good, but you need to be careful with your terminology. You kept using the term 'growth rate' when you actually measured 'total height'. That's a fundamental distinction in plant biology, you see. B: Oh, of course! Rate implies height over time, but I only measured the final... oh, wait, I did record weekly changes, but yes, you're right, my calculations were only for the final height on day fourteen. I'll correct that term throughout. A: It’s a common oversight. Also, regarding the layout of the appendix—you've put the raw data tables in a separate document. Let's make sure they are attached directly at the very end of your main report, not sent as an email attachment. B: Got it. I'll merge them into the appendix of the main file. Thank you, Dr. Ingrid. This gives me a clear checklist to work with. [Q21] Literature Review

(Shared with Q21.) [Q22] Methodology

(Shared with Q21.) [Q23] Results

(Shared with Q21.) [Q24] Discussion

(Shared with Q21.) [Q25] Conclusion and Future Work

(Shared with Q21.) [Q26] What error did Tomas make regarding biological terminology in his report?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q27] Where does Dr. Ingrid suggest placing the raw data tables?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q28] What was Tomas's initial concern about the Methodology section?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q29] Why does Dr. Ingrid criticize Tomas's 3D bar charts in the Results section?

(Shared with Q21.) [Q30] Which TWO aspects of Tomas's draft report does Dr. Ingrid praise?

Good afternoon, everyone. Today we're exploring a seemingly mundane element of our urban landscape: the public bench. Originally, municipal authorities didn't install these benches in parks merely as convenient spots to catch one's breath. Rather, they saw them as tools of social reform, aiming to offer wholesome open-air recreation that might lure working-class families away from local drinking establishments. Now, historical accounts often claim these heavy, standardized benches made their debut in London's royal parks in 1855. But in fact, that trial actually took place in Paris in 1855, and it wasn't until three years later, in 1858, that London officially integrated them into its own green spaces. With the rise of industrial foundries, cast-iron ends became the norm; this wasn't just about durability or making repairs cheaper—which actually remained quite costly—but about civic identity, as foundries cast elaborate municipal crests and local symbols directly into the metal frames. In recent decades, however, we’ve witnessed the rise of what urban planners call 'defensive architecture'—think of center armrests or severely sloped seats. Proponents claim these prevent anti-social behavior, but in my view, by actively deterring marginalized groups from resting, such modifications fundamentally strip these spaces of their democratic and inclusive purpose. Interestingly, a recent environmental psychology study examined how bench orientation affects user experience. Benches facing a bustling walking path, rather than a quiet garden bed, were highly preferred; because instead of feeling exposed, users reported a strong sense of security, deriving comfort from the passive observation of passing crowds—what we call 'people-watching'. During a landmark observational study in Williamson Square, researchers noted several intriguing behavioral patterns: they found that solitary sitters almost invariably claim the absolute ends of an empty bench, leaving the middle unoccupied as a buffer, and they also observed that people adjusted their seating angles throughout the day, shifting their bodies to follow or avoid direct sunlight. Now, let's turn our attention to how bench design has mirrored changing societal values across different periods. During the mid-twentieth century, municipal design shifted toward utilitarianism; cities favored heavy, brutalist benches constructed from poured concrete and plain steel plates, prioritizing low maintenance above all else. In stark contrast, the late twentieth century saw the emergence of the Scandinavian cooperative style, which arranged seats in circular clusters rather than straight lines, specifically to foster community interaction and face-to-face dialogue. Fast forward to the modern defensive era, and we see the rise of benches featuring sloped seats and multiple metallic dividers, designed to restrict how people can sit or lie down. Fortunately, the latest trend is far more welcoming: the contemporary eco-design movement, where designers utilize recycled, locally-sourced timber to create organic forms that harmonize with nature, proving that sustainability and social comfort can go hand in hand. [Q31] Why were public benches first introduced on a large scale in mid-19th century European parks?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q32] What does the lecturer say about the debut of mass-produced park benches?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q33] According to the lecturer, how did the introduction of cast-iron ends affect bench manufacturing?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q34] What is the lecturer's view on modern "defensive design" features on benches?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q35] A study on bench orientation showed that seats facing a busy pathway...

(Shared with Q31.) [Q36] Which TWO social behaviors did researchers observe in the Williamson Square bench study?

(Shared with Q31.) [Q37] Benches made primarily of recycled, locally-sourced timber.

(Shared with Q31.) [Q38] Seating arranged in circular clusters to promote community conversation.

(Shared with Q31.) [Q39] Heavy benches constructed from concrete and plain steel plates.

(Shared with Q31.) [Q40] Benches featuring sloped seats and multiple metallic dividers.