Gratis IELTS Listening Test: Bereid je voor met meer dan 125 IELTS Listening-oefentests om een hoge IELTS Listening-bandscore te behalen.

1. Break
Break is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

2. Time
Time is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

3. Shower
Shower is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

4. Money
Money is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

5. Memory
Memory is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

6. Lifting
Lifting is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

7. Fall
Fall is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

8. Minicab
Minicab is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

9. Parking
Parking is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

10. Anxiety
Anxiety is correct because this detail is stated in the recording at the point where the question is answered.

Nora: It's really good to see you, Marcus. Since I had to give up work, I feel I'm losing touch with my friends and colleagues.

Marcus: We really miss you in the office. We were all so sorry you had to leave. But you must be relieved to have more time to look after your aunt. How is she?

Nora: Well, she's very cheerful, but she needs a lot of help.

Marcus: Have you tried to get any support from the local council?

Nora: No. I didn't know I could.

Marcus: Yes. But for different kinds of practical support, they realise that carers sometimes need time for all the other responsibilities they have, apart from the person they're caring for, and also that they sometimes need a break.

Nora: Absolutely. OK, so tell me more, how do I go about getting this support?

Marcus: Well, you'd have to have an assessment of your aunt's needs. That means someone would come round and talk to you about the situation and what you need. So for a start, they'd want to know the amount of time you spend looking after your aunt every day.

Nora: OK.

Marcus: Then they'll probably ask you what sorts of tasks you do for your aunt during the day. Things like if she needs help with getting dressed, for example.

Nora: Right. I help her with that. And also I help her get into the shower in the morning.

Marcus: Yes. That sort of thing. They'll probably ask you if you do the shopping for her, and help her at meal times, and whether she can cope using money.

Nora: Yes. That's becoming a bit of a problem. She used to be very good at it, but not anymore.

Marcus: And be ready to tell them about anything you find particularly difficult about caring for your aunt.

Nora: So recently I've noticed she started to have quite bad problems with her memory. If I wasn't there, I think she'd forget to eat, for example. And often she doesn't seem quite sure what day it is.

Marcus: Yes. Tell them about that. And are there any physical difficulties you have caring for her? Lifting her, for example.

Nora: Yes. She's quite heavy, and I'm afraid of hurting my back. I'd be in real trouble if that happened.

Marcus: They can give you advice about that, and also about how to avoid the possibility of your aunt having a fall.

Nora: Great. So, once they've done this assessment, if I'm eligible, what happens next?

Marcus: Well, they might support you financially. So they might help you with travel costs, like if you have to get a minicab to take your aunt for an appointment, for example.

Nora: I usually drive her myself, actually. So could I claim for the petrol?

Marcus: You could. And you can claim for the parking, too.

Nora: Oh, right.

Marcus: And if you need help with the housework, they can arrange for someone to come along once or twice a week. And one other thing. I hope you don't mind me saying this, but it's important you look after yourself. And it seems to me you're dealing with quite a bit of anxiety.

Nora: I am, yes.

Marcus: Well, tell the council, because they may be able to give you some advice on how to minimise it.

Nora: Really? Though, actually, I feel so much better having talked to you. I'll get in touch with the council straight away. Now, shall we go for coffee, or something?

11. B
(A) is incorrect. The council took ownership later.

(B) is correct. The initial planting was done by residents from nearby streets.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: a gardening charity.

12. A
(A) is correct. Hartley organised public pressure so the council would keep the land as a park rather than sell it for housing.

(B) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: blocking army exercises.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: winning maintenance funding.

13. B
(A) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: council permission was refused.

(B) is correct. , after inspection, the army concluded that the park was too small for practical use.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: a better site was chosen.

14. B
(A) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: 2013 plan used unchanged.

(B) is correct. The plans dated from 2013 but were revised in 2015 before work began.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: 2015 plan finished in 2016.

15. B
The correct answer is B because the statue of Lillian Hartley is now immediately north of the lily pond near the centre of the park, and that position is labelled B.

16. D
The correct answer is D because the wooden sculptures are on the riverbank where the path from the East Gate makes a sharp bend, which corresponds to D.

17. F
The correct answer is F because the playground is between the river and the path from the lily pond to the river, and that location is marked F.

18. C
The correct answer is C because the maze is found by entering from the West Gate, walking north, and turning left, which places it at C.

19. A
The correct answer is A because the tennis courts remain in the southern corner where the perimeter path makes a right-angled bend, labelled A.

20. G
The correct answer is G because the fitness area is beside the lily pond on the same side as the West Gate, matching G on the plan.

I'm delighted this evening to introduce our guest speaker, Sarah Holloway, who is going to talk to us about the recent transformation of Whitfield Park. Over to you, Sarah. Thank you very much. I'm sure you all know Whitfield Park well, it has been one of the city's landmarks for well over a century, and the city council has been responsible for it for most of that time. What perhaps fewer of you will know is how the park actually began.

Unlike many city centre parks, which started life as the private gardens of a large house, Whitfield was originally just an unused patch of waste ground. The first flowers there were actually planted by a small group of local residents who lived in the surrounding streets. They began work on the site in 1892. At that point nobody was entirely sure who legally owned the land, and it was a full twenty years later before the city council finally took it into public ownership. Some of you will have seen the statue near one of the gates. That figure is Lillian Hartley, who played a really important role in the early history of the park.

Once the council legally owned the land, its first instinct was to sell it off as building plots for housing. A great many local residents, however, wanted the park to stay open as a place where everyone could enjoy fresh air and green space, bear in mind that this is a very densely built up residential district. Lillian Hartley was at the heart of that campaign, and it was she who organised the petitions and the public demonstrations which, in the end, persuaded the council to drop the sale and keep the land as a park.

Soon afterwards, in 1914, the First World War broke out, and most of the park was dug up and used to grow vegetables, which were sold to local residents. At one point the army did look into taking over the park as a site for troop exercises. They actually wrote to the city council about it, but when they inspected it they concluded that the park was simply too small to be of any practical use to them, so the idea was dropped. The only military activity in the park during the war was the occasional public meeting held on a small area of grass that had been kept clear of vegetable plots.

After the war, the park was largely returned to the way it had been before 1914, and from then on it remained almost unchanged for decades. New plans for transforming the park were drawn up several times over the years; the most recent version dates from 2013, but those plans were then revised in 2015, well before any actual work had got under way. Work on the ground finally began in 2016 and was completed, on schedule, last year.

All right, I'd like to describe some of the more important changes that have been made, and one or two things that have deliberately been left as they were. If you take a quick look at the map you've been handed, you'll see the familiar outline of Whitfield Park. The river forms the northern boundary, and there is a gate in each of the three other walls.

From there, follow the path up towards the river and the enlarged children's playground sits between that path and the river itself. If you keep your eye on the riverbank, over towards the East Gate side, the new wooden sculptures are at the point where the path coming up from that gate makes a sharp bend.

Back near the West Gate side of the park, there is a maze, a circular pattern of paths separated by low hedges. Head in from the West Gate, walk north towards the river, and then turn left to find it. Close to the same central lily pond, on the side facing the West Gate, you'll also find the new outdoor fitness area.

Down in the southern corner, where the perimeter path makes that distinct right angled bend, the tennis courts are still in their familiar position, though we have now doubled them from four to eight. Now, since you are all keen gardeners, I'm sure you'll want to hear about the plants that have been chosen for the new beds.

21. B
(A) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: are home to just under half of all people.

(B) is correct. Nina says most of the biggest cities are built by the sea.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: are expanding at double the rate of inland cities.

22. A
(A) is correct. Owen says pollutants from inland agriculture and industry travel down rivers to cities.

(B) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: can leave too little land for farming upstream.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: can cause factories to damage rural scenery.

23. C
(A) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: The system did not include enough channels.

(B) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: The builders selected the wrong construction materials.

(C) is correct. Port Selby's drainage channels were built without allowing for global warming and rising sea levels.

24. B
(A) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: take measures to restore coastal ecosystems.

(B) is correct. Nina says they need money to replace the drainage channels for flood protection now.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: stop disposing of waste materials into the ocean.

25. A
(A) is correct. They say coastal cities must act together internationally.

(B) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: more sharing of information.

(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: agreement on shared policies.

26. B
B is correct because they decide not to spend too long on historical background, so they will keep it short.

27. A
A is correct because they decide to use slides with maps showing geographical factors.

28. F
F is correct because they choose the Meriton case study as the basis for past mistakes, focusing on one example.

29. G
G is correct because they need to look at websites for future risks, so online research is required.

30. C
C is correct because they plan to ask audience members from different places, involving other students.

Tutor: OK, so what I'd like you to do now is to talk to your partner about your presentations on environmental planning. You should have done most of the reading now, so I'd like you to share your ideas and talk about the structure of your presentation and what you need to do next.

Nina: OK, Owen, I'm glad we chose quite a specific topic: coastal cities. It made it much easier to find relevant information.

Owen: Yeah, and cities are growing so quickly. I mean, we know that more than half the world's population lives in cities now.

Nina: Yeah, though that's all cities, not just coastal ones. But most of the biggest cities are actually built by the sea. I'd not realised that before.

Owen: Nor me. And what's more, a lot of them are built at places where rivers come out into the sea. But apparently this can be a problem.

Nina: Why?

Owen: Well, as the city expands, agriculture and industry tend to spread further inland along the rivers. And so agriculture moves even further inland up the river. That's not necessarily a problem, except it means more and more pollutants are discharged into the rivers.

Nina: That's a serious problem.

Owen: Right.

Nina: Did you read that article about Port Selby on the south coast?

Owen: No.

Nina: Well, apparently back in the 1950s, they built channels to drain away the water in case of flooding.

Owen: Sounds sensible.

Nina: Yeah, they spent quite a lot of money on them. But what they didn't take into account was global warming. So they built the drainage channels too close to sea level. And now sea levels are rising, they're more or less useless. If there's a lot of rain, the water can't run away. There's nowhere for it to go.

Owen: So they did not help much in the end.

Nina: So what are the authorities doing about it now?

Owen: I don't know. I did read that they're aiming to stop disposing of waste water into the ocean over the next 10 years. But that won't help with flood prevention now, will it?

Nina: No, really, they just need to find the money for something to replace the drainage channels in order to protect against flooding now. But in the long term, they need to consider the whole ecosystem.

Owen: Right.

Nina: Really though, coastal cities can't deal with their problems on their own, can they? I mean, they've got to start acting together at an international level instead of just doing their own thing.

Owen: Absolutely. The thing is, everyone knows what the problems are and environmental planners have a pretty good idea of what we should be doing about them. So they should be able to work together to some extent.

Nina: But it's going to be a long time before countries come to a decision on what principles they're prepared to abide by.

Owen: Yeah, if they ever do.

Nina: So I think we've probably got enough for our presentation. It's only 15 minutes.

Owen: OK, so I suppose we'll begin with some general historical background about why coastal cities were established. But we don't want to spend too long on that. The other students will already know a bit about it.

Nina: It's all to do with communications and so on.

Owen: Yes, we should mention some geographical factors, things like wetlands and river estuaries and coastal erosion and so on.

Nina: We could have some maps of different cities with these features marked.

Owen: On a handout, you mean, or some slides everyone can see.

Nina: Yeah, that'd be better.

Owen: It'd be good to go into past mistakes in a bit more detail. Did you read that case study of the problems there were in Meriton with flooding a few years ago?

Nina: Yes, we could use that as the basis for that part of the talk. I don't think the other students will have read it, but they'll remember hearing about the flooding at the time.

Owen: Hmm, OK. So that's probably enough background. So then we'll go on to talk about what actions have been taken to deal with the problems of coastal cities.

Nina: OK, what else do we need to talk about? Maybe something on future risks looking more at the long term if populations continue to grow?

Owen: Yeah, we'll need to do a bit of work there. I haven't got much information, have you?

Nina: No, we'll need to look at some websites. Shouldn't take too long.

Owen: OK. And I think we should end by talking about international implications. Maybe we could ask people in the audience. We've got people from quite a lot of different places.

Nina: That'd be interesting if we have time, yes. So now should we go on?

31. B
B is correct because eucalyptus woodland provides nesting places and shelter for birds, bats and small mammals.

32. E
E is correct because damage to eucalyptus woodland affects a wider community of species, not only the trees themselves.

33. D
D is correct because oil from eucalyptus leaves is used in disinfectant, where it can kill certain germs.

34. G
G is correct because lime from road construction was washed into the soil and interfered with tree roots.

35. K
K is correct because affected trees recovered surprisingly quickly when iron was supplied directly.

36. I
I is correct because occasional fire removes fast-growing competitors that would otherwise use water needed by eucalyptus trees.

37. leaves
The correct answer is leaves. The lecturer says the process begins when insects settle on eucalyptus leaves and feed on them.

38. sugar
The correct answer is sugar. The lecturer says the insects produce a sweet liquid containing sugar, which attracts bell-miners.

39. grass
The correct answer is grass. The lecturer says grass tends to dominate afterwards if fires occur too often.

40. nesting
The correct answer is nesting. The lecturer says dense growth creates protected nesting sites for bell-miners when fire is suppressed.

Good morning. Today I want to focus on the eucalyptus tree, one of the best known features of the Australian landscape. Many people call it a gum tree, but the name eucalyptus actually covers hundreds of related species, from small scrubby trees to very tall forest giants.

Now, eucalyptus trees are important in several ways. Ecologically, they provide nesting places and shelter for birds, bats and small mammals. Their flowers also produce nectar, which is an important food source for insects and birds. So when eucalyptus woodland is damaged, the effect is felt across a much wider community of species.

As for their value to people, the trees are also useful. Oil from eucalyptus leaves has long been used in cleaning products, and one common use is in disinfectant, because the oil can kill certain germs. Eucalyptus timber is also used in building and fencing, although that is not really the main focus of today's lecture.

So, these trees can live for centuries, and some individuals survive for four hundred years or more. That is why researchers became concerned when large numbers began dying much earlier than expected in different parts of Australia.

Now, one disease that attracted attention was Mundulla Yellows. The leaves of affected trees slowly turned yellow and then, over time, the whole tree declined. For years the cause was unclear. Eventually, researchers discovered that lime, or calcium hydroxide, had been used in road construction nearby. Rain washed the lime into the surrounding soil, where it interfered with the roots of eucalyptus trees. The trees were still surrounded by nutrients, but they could no longer absorb the iron they needed for healthy growth. When iron was supplied directly to affected trees, they recovered surprisingly quickly.

However, Mundulla Yellows affected only a limited number of places. A much wider problem on the east coast was Bell miner associated dieback. Now, bell miners are small native birds, but they are not the direct cause of the damage. The process begins when insects settle on eucalyptus leaves and feed on them. While feeding, these insects produce a sweet liquid containing sugar. Bell miners are attracted to that liquid, and they aggressively chase away other birds and insects that might otherwise reduce the insect population. As a result, the insects multiply, the leaves are badly damaged, and the trees gradually lose their ability to survive.

But some scientists think fire history is also part of the explanation. An influential theory, first proposed by the ecologist William Jackson, links the type of vegetation in a region to the frequency of bushfires. If fires occur too often, grass tends to dominate the area afterwards. If fires occur at moderate intervals, eucalyptus forest is more likely to persist. This is because occasional fire removes fast growing competitors which would otherwise take up the water eucalyptus trees need. And it also helps maintain the soil by preventing dense undergrowth from changing the soil structure and removing nutrients.

At the other extreme, if fires are almost completely suppressed, a different ecosystem can develop. Scientists sometimes call this dry rainforest. Now, the name sounds contradictory, because we usually associate rainforest with wet tropical conditions. But in this case it means a dense, shaded vegetation system with relatively few species. It can create excellent conditions for bell miners, because the thick growth gives them protected nesting sites while excluding many of the species that would normally compete with them.

What this tells us is that before European settlement, Aboriginal communities used controlled burning over long periods, and this probably created a more balanced pattern of vegetation. Since European settlement, fire has often been suppressed, roads and farms have altered drainage, and some local ecosystems have shifted away from eucalyptus woodland. The decline of eucalyptus trees, then, is not caused by one single factor. It is the result of disease, insects, birds, soil chemistry and fire management interacting with one another.