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Home / Collection / IELTS Practice Tests Plus Volume 3 / Listening Practice Test 6

IELTS Practice Tests Plus Volume 3

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(954 votes)

Published on: 14 Dec 2017
Tests taken: 401,083

Answer Keys:

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Part 1: Question 1 - 10

1 Moonfleet
2 fields
3 shops
4 summerhouses
5 river

6 dining
7 sea
8 garden
9 parking
10 agent

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

11 A
12 B
13 C
14 B

15 16 B,D
17 18 A,C
19 20 B,E

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

21 A
22 B
23 A
24 C
25 B

26 B
27 B
28 A
29 D
30 C

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

31 (very) thin
32 court documents
33 high-quality
34 buried
35 thickness

36 bleached/whitened
37 dialect
38 baseline
39 evolution
40 trade routes

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Review & Explanations:

Part 1: Questions 1-10

Questions 1-10

Complete the table below.

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

HOLIDAY RENTALS Dates: 10th-22ndJuly
Name of Property	Location	Features	Disadvantage(s)	Booking details
1	• rural • surrounded by 2	• apartment • two bedrooms • open plan	distance from 3	www. 4 .com
Kingfisher	• rural • next to the 5 • nice views	• house • three bedrooms • 6 room • living room • kitchen	expensive?	Phone the owner (01752669218)
Sunnybanks	• in a village • next to the 7	• house • has private 8	no 9	Contact the 10

1 Answer: Moonfleet

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q1 is ‘Name of Property’
The keyword suggests the answer should be the name of a place
We hear the woman introduces a destination to the man by saying ‘there’s a place near here called Moonfleet ...’
To confirm, the man then spells it M-double O- N-F-L-double E- T and it is verified by the woman ‘That’s right.’
Hence, Moonfleet is the answer for Q1

2 Answer: fields

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q2 are ‘Location’ and ‘surrounded by’. Our clue is that the answer will come after ‘rural’.
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun about a place.
After mentioning the place as ‘a rural location’, the woman describes its location which is ‘next to the owner’s house, but it’s got fields all around it’
Note that the place has ‘fields all around it’ which means it is surrounded by ‘fields’
Hence, ‘fields’ is the answer for Q2(‘fields’ in plural form as the place can not be surrounded by one field)

3 Answer: shops

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q3 are ‘Disadvantage(s’) and ‘distance from’
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun about a place
As the blank is in the column ‘Disadvantage(s)’, we pay more attention when the man asks ‘Is there anything we might not like about it’ which means he is concerning about the ‘Disadvantage(s)’
To answer that question, the woman states Moonfleet is ‘quite a distance from the nearest shops’. Note that the words ‘distance from’ is the keyword in Q3.
Thus, our answer for Q3 is shops

4 Answer: summerhouses

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q4 are ‘Booking detail’, ‘www’ and ‘.com’
The keywords suggest the answer should be a website
The woman instructs the man to book the place ‘on the Internet’ and also provides him with the website. The whole line of the website is www.summerhouses.com but ‘www’ and ‘.com’ are already available in the question. Therefore, our answer for Q4 is only ‘summerhouses’

5 Answer: river

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q5 are ‘Kingfisher’, ‘Location’, ‘next to’. Our clue is that the answer will come after ‘rural’ but before ‘nice views’
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun
Moving onto the location of Kingfisher, the woman comments it is ‘even more rural’ then describes it ‘by the river’ before mentioning the nice views there.
We can see ‘by the river’ is similar to ‘next to the river’. The order of things mentioned also matches with our clue.
Thus, ‘river’ is the answer for Q5

6 Answer: dining

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q6 is ‘Kingfisher’, ‘Features’, ‘room’. Our hint is that the answer must come after the mention of ‘house’ and ‘three bedrooms’ and come before the information about ‘living room’ and ‘kitchen’
The keyword suggests the answer should be a type of room
According to the woman, Kingfisher is a ‘three-bedroomed house’ with ‘a dining room as well as a separate living room and a kitchen’
Based on the clue, our answer for Q6 is ‘dining’

7 Answer: sea

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q7 are ‘Sunnybanks’, ‘features’, ‘next to’. Our clue is that the answer will come after the woman mentioning ‘in a village’
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun
Indeed, after claiming that her sister liked Sunnybanks, the woman provides the reason which is ‘it’s by the ‘sea’ so her children really loved it’. Note that ‘by the sea’ is similar to ‘next to the sea’
Hence, ‘sea’ is our answer for Q7

8 Answer: garden

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q8 are ‘Sunnybanks’, ‘features’, ‘private’. That time ‘house’ is not our clue because the woman mentions ‘house’ at the very beginning when she states ‘there’s a house that my sister stayed in last year - it’s called Sunnybanks’.
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun
The features of Sunnybanks are it is ‘quite spacious’ and it has its ‘own garden’. Note that ‘own garden’ is equivalent to ‘private garden’
Hence, ‘garden’ is our answer for Q8

9 Answer: parking

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q9 are ‘Sunnybanks’, ‘Disadvantage(s)’, ‘no’
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun
We listen more carefully when the man asks ‘Any snags? Problems’ which means they are going to talk about Disadvantage(s) related to ‘Sunnybanks’.The woman’s response is ‘there’s nowhere for parking’ as the street too narrow and it is necessary to leave the car in another place.
Hence, ‘parking’ is the answer for Q9

10 Answer: agent

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q10 are ‘Sunnybanks’, ‘Booking detail’, ‘contact’
The keywords suggest the answer should be a noun
The woman instructs ‘There’s an agent you have to contact’ so the way that the man can book Sunnybanks is via ‘an agent’
Thus, ‘agent’ is the answer for Q10.

Part 1

Part 2: Questions 11-20

Questions 11-14

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

According to the speaker, why is it a good time for D-l-Y painting?

A There are better products available now.
B Materials cost less than they used to.
C People have more free time than before.

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q11 are ‘why’ is it a ‘good time’ for ‘D-l-Y painting’
The question asks for the reason that make it be an ideal time for Do-It-Yourself house painting.
Consider 3 option

+ A. The speaker mentions we can now decorate our home in a more efficient and a more environmentally-friendly way thank to ‘the availability of various new DIY materials’. Note that ‘availability’ is the noun form of the adjective ‘available’ and ‘materials’ and ‘products’ are alike

Hence, as A expresses the same idea as the speaker does, A is our answer.

+ B. There is no information about the cost of materials mentioned by the speaker.

+ C. According to the speaker, people’s lives are still busy which is totally opposite with option C.

Overall, A is correct.

What happened in 2009 in the UK?

A A record volume of paint was sold
B A large amount of paint was wasted.
C There was a major project to repaint public buildings.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q12 are ‘happened’ in ‘2009’ in ‘the UK’
According to the speaker, there were about 53 million litres of paint were ‘left untouched’ in the UK in 2009. ’53 million litres’ is considered a ‘large amount’ and ‘left untouched’ suggests the same idea as ‘wasted’.
Hence, B is our answer.
Note option A and C

+ A. It is mention that ‘In 2009’ the paint that was sold in the UK were left untouched’ which means we don’t focus on the event that the paint was sold but more concern about the fact that it was abandoned. Thus, A is incorrect.

+ C. That’s option is not mentioned.

Overall, B is correct

What does the speaker say about paint quantity?

A It’s not necessary to have exact room measurements.
B It’s better to overestimate than to underestimate.
C An automatic calculator can be downloaded from the Internet.

Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q13 is ‘paint quantity’
Consider 3 options

+ A. The speaker states that we are able to ‘avoid unnecessary waste’ ‘if we know exactly how much paint is needed’ which means ‘exact room measurements’ is important and necessary. Thus, A is not correct.

+ B is not mentioned.

+ C. According to the speaker, ‘automatic paint calculators available now’ ‘on websites’ which suggests these tools can be downloaded form the Internet.

Hence, C is correct.

What does Community RePaint do?

A It paints people’s houses without payment.
B It collects unwanted paint and gives it away.
C It sells unused paint and donates the money to charity.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q14 is Community RePaint
The Community RePaint’ s function is to collect the leftover paint and redistribute to different places including local charities and voluntary organisations. Note that ‘collect leftover paints’ and ‘collect unwanted paints’ are similar and ‘redistribute’ has the meaning as ‘give it away’.
Hence, B is correct.
Note option A and C

+ A is totally different with what is mentioned by the speaker.

+ C. The community donates the money to charity by collect the leftover paint, not by selling them.

Thus, A and C are incorrect.

Overall, B is correct

Questions 15-16

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

What TWO pieces of advice does the speaker give about paint?

A Don’t buy expensive paint.
B Test the colour before buying a lot.
C Choose a light colour.
D Use water-based paint.
E Buy enough paint for more than one application.

15-16 Answer: B,D

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q15 and 16 are ‘TWO’ pieces of ‘advice’ does the ‘speaker’ give about ‘paint’
Bear in mind that the speaker won’t mention the options in the right order provided in the question.
+ The first speaker’s advice is about the colour choice. According to him, it is a good idea to get a small sample of the colour you’re thinking of using. Note that ‘get a sample of the colour’ means we have to ‘test the colour’. Therefore, B is one correct answer.

+ Secondly, focusing on the environment, the speaker suggests we should get one of ‘water-based paints that don’t contain harmful chemicals or give off harmful odours’. As option D suggests the same idea, D is the second correct answer.

Consider the other options which are wrong:

+ A. In the speaker’s viewpoint, it’s always better to buy high quality paints which is obviously more expensive as we only need one coat and can save time for painting. Hence, A is incorrect.

+ C, E. The speaker don’t mention these options so they are not given.

Overall, B and D (in any order) are the answer for Q15 and Q16

Questions 17-18

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

What TWO pieces of advice does the speaker give about preparation?

A Replace any loose plaster.
B Don’t spend too long preparing surfaces.
C Use decorators’ soap to remove grease from walls.
D Wash dirty walls with warm water.
E Paint over cracks and small holes.

17-18 Answer: A,C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q17 and 18 are ‘TWO’ pieces of ‘advice’ does the ‘speaker’ give about ‘preparation’
Bear in mind that the speaker won’t mention the options in the right order provided in the question.
+ The first speaker’s advice is about preparing the surface. According to him, once the surfaces have ‘any cracks or patches of loose plaster’ what we must do is ‘Take the plaster out and fill the holes’. Note that ‘take over’ is similar to ‘replace’. Thus, A is correct.

+ the second advice is associated with the problem of dusty and greasy wall and the speaker’s suggestion is ‘Use a solution of decorator’s soap and rinse well with warm water afterwards’. Thus, answer C is correct.

Consider wrong options:

+ B. The speaker assesses that preparing surface is essential for a good job and sometimes it is ‘more important than the painting itself’. Meanwhile option B supports the opposite idea so it is incorrect.

+ D. When the wall gets dirty, the speaker warns that washing with water isn’t enough so D is incorrect.

+ E. In case of there are any cracks or patches of loose plaster, the speaker don’t think ‘painting over them’ is the solution. Hence, E is not correct.

Overall, correct answers are A and C (in any order)

Questions 19-20

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

What TWO pieces of advice does the speaker give about painting?

A Put a heater in the room.
B Wash brushes in cold water.
C Use a roller with a short pile.
D Apply paint directly from the tin.
E Open doors and windows.

19-20 Answer: B,E

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q19 and 20 are ‘TWO’ pieces of ‘advice’ does the ‘speaker’ give about ‘painting’
Bear in mind that the speaker won’t mention the options in the right order provided in the question.
As the question asks about speaker’s advice about ‘painting’, we listen more carefully when he says ‘When you're ready to paint’.
+ The first advice is about pile and brush. The speaker states that ‘clean your brushes with cold water , because it’s more energy-efficient that way’. Hence, B is our first answer.

+ When talking about decorating, the speaker advises to’leave your doors and windows open’ which matches with option E. Hence, E is correct.

Consider wrong options:

+ A. The speaker recommends to open the door rather than heat because the flow air can ‘helps the paint dry quicker’. Thus, A is incorrect.

+ C. According to the speaker, the best choice is a medium-pile roller as the short pile can result to a patchy finish, and that wastes paint and time. Thus, C is not the answer.

+ D. The speaker’s suggestion is keep transferring small amounts of paint into a tray and keep topping it up when you need to which means we should not use the tin directly but use indirectly through a tray. Therefore, D is incorrect.

Overall, correct answers are B and E(in any order)

Previous Next

Part 2

Part 3: Questions 21-30

Questions 21-26

Choose the correct letter; A, B or C.

Why is Matthew considering a student work placement?

A He was informed about an interesting vacancy.
B He needs some extra income.
C He wants to try out a career option.

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q21 are ‘Why’, ‘Matthew’, ‘considering’, ‘student work placement’
+ Talking about his reason for work placement, Matthew firstly mentioned he doesn’t intend to do one as he has got his own savings and he don’t need extra money at the moment. Thus, option B is incorrect.

+ Then he states his actual reason which is because he received ‘an email from the university about a vacancy that looks quite interesting’. As the same idea is suggested in option A, A is the answer.

+ Note that C is not given so it can not be the answer.

Hence, A is our answer for Q21

Which part of the application process did Linda find most interesting?

A The psychometric test.
B The group activity.
C The individual task.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q22 are ‘part’, ‘application process’, ‘Linda’, ‘find most interesting’
We pay attention when the boy asks about ‘What was the application process like’
+ The first to be mentioned is ‘a psychometric test’ and Linda judges it as ‘The dullest’ task which is not a positive comment. Therefore, A is not correct.

+ Moving onto ‘an activity that we did in groups’ which is equivalent to ‘group activity’, she notes it as really fascinating. ‘Fascinating’ is a synonym of ‘interesting’. Thus, B is correct.

+ At last, she mentions individual task but doesn’t share feeling about it. Thus, C is incorrect.

Overall, B is the answer for Q22

During her work placement, Linda helped find ways to

A speed up car assembly.
B process waste materials.
C calculate the cost of design faults

Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q23 are ‘During her work placement’, ‘Linda helped’ ‘find ways to’
Linda’s work is to design ‘some diagnostic software to identify any waste in the car assembly process’. Then Matthew asks for clarification whether the waste is related to ‘materials’. As Linda’s answer is ‘no’, option B is not correct

+ In fact, she helps figure out ‘Anything that can speed the process up helps to cut costs’. The process is associated with car assembly. Therefore, A is the answer.

+ Note that Linda helps to find way to speed up car assembly to cut costs but her work is not to calculate the cost. Thus, C is not correct.

Hence, A is correct answer for Q23

Why did Linda find her work placement tiring?

A She wasn’t used to full-time work.
B The working hours were very long.
C She felt she had to prove her worth

Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q24 is ‘Why’ ‘Linda’ find her ‘work placement’ ‘tiring’
We listen more carefully when Matthew wonders whether it is hard work for Linda and Linda’s response is ‘Yes, it was’
+ As Linda mentioned she has already had experiences in full-time work, A is not correct.

+ She does talk about ‘long hours’ but it is about her full-time job before her work placement, not her work placement so B is incorrect.

+ Her actual issue is that on placement work she has to prove herself like everyone getting a work placement. Thus, C is our answer.

Hence, C is the answer for Q24

What did Linda’s employers give her formal feedback on?

A engineering ability
B organisational skills
C team working

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q25 are ‘What’, ‘Linda’s employers’, ‘give her’, ‘formal feedback’
+ When moving to talk about support from employers to Linda through feedback, Matthew wonders whether these feedbacks are for engineering ability. As Linda’s answer is ‘no’ and she ‘didn’t really need that’, A is incorrect.

+ She then corrects it by saying ‘The evaluation was about general workplace things, like organisational ability’. Thus, B is the answer.

+ C is not given

Hence, B is correct answer for Q25

What was the main benefit of Linda’s work placement?

A Improved academic skills.
B An offer of work.
C The opportunity to use new software.

Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q26 are ‘main benefit’ of ‘Linda’s work placement’
When being asked about the benefit from work placement, Linda shares that the best thing was she received an offer for a job next year. ‘the best thing’ means the main advantage. Thus, B is correct.

+ According to Linda, ‘industrial environment was much more demanding than the academic one’, so her skills are developed thanks to that industrial environment, not about academic skills. Thus, A is incorrect.

+ Although learning new software packages like MS Project is another benefit, it is not the main one as it is ‘apart from’ the best thing which is ‘an offer for a job’. Hence, C is not the answer.

Overall, B is the answer for Q26

Questions 27-30

What does Linda think about the books on Matthew’s reading list?

Choose FOUR answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-F, next to questions 27-30.

Books

27 The Science of Materials

28 Materials Engineering

29 Engineering Basics

30 Evolution of Materials

	Opinions
A	helpful illustrations
B	easy to understand
C	up-to-date
D	comprehensive
E	specialised
F	useful case studies

27 Answer: B

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q27 is ‘The Science of Materials’
When talking about ‘The Science of Materials’, the positive comment Linda makes is about its accessibility which means it is easy to get the idea from that or it is easy to understand.
Thus, B is the answer for Q27

28 Answer: A

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q28 is ‘Materials Engineering’
Despite the disadvantage about being out-of-date, what is considered useful about that book is the pictures really helped to understand the descriptions. Pictures are a kind of illustrations.
Hence, the correct answer for Q28 is A

29 Answer: D

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q29 is ‘Engineering Basics’
As it is noted by Linda to be ‘the widest coverage’, it means it includes a vast area of topics or in other words it is so comprehensive.
Therefore, D is the answer for Q29

30 Answer: C

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q30 is Evolution of Materials
The advantage of that book is being recent publication and covering all the latest developments which means the information it provided is up-to-date.
Thus, C is the answer for Q30

Previous Next

Part 3

Part 4: Questions 31-40

Questions 31-40

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Researching the origin of medieval manuscripts

Background

Medieval manuscripts - handwritten books produced between the fifth and fifteenth centuries
Origin of many manuscripts unknown until 2009; scientists started using DNA testing

Animal hides - two types

Parchment

Sheep skin: white in colour and 31

Greasy - writing can’t be erased so often used for 32

Vellum

Calf skin: most popular for prestigious work because you can get 33 lettering.

Preparation of hides

Treated in barrels of lime - where this was not available, skins were 34 (removed hair -> more flexible)
Stretched tight on a frame
Scraped to create same 35
Vellum was 36

Genetic testing - finding origins

Previously - analysed handwriting and 37 used by the writer

Now - using genetic data from ‘known manuscripts’ to create a 38

Uses of new data

Gives information on individual books

Shows the 39 of the book industry

Helps define 40 in medieval period

31 Answer: (very) thin

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q31 are ‘Parchment’, ‘Sheep skin’, ‘white’, ‘and’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be an adjective.
The first type of manuscripts introduced is call ‘parchment’. Its characteristics are made from sheep skin, white but thin.
Therefore, ‘thin’ is our answer for Q31

32 Answer: court documents

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q32 are ‘Greasy’, ‘writing’ ‘can’t be erased’, ‘used for’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a noun.
As the parchment is ‘greasy’ and ‘hard to be erased’ so it was ‘much sought’ for court documents. Note that ‘sought’ is the past form of the verb ‘seek’. Thus, it means people try to find parchment for the use of court documents.
Hence, ‘court documents’ is the answer for Q32

33 Answer: high-quality

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q33 are ‘Vellum, Calf skin’, ‘most popular for prestigious work’, ‘lettering’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be an adjective
Moving onto the second type which is vellum or calf skin, the speaker mentions it is commonly used for ‘high- status’ documents’. Note that ‘high- status’ documents’ is equivalent to ‘prestigious work’. The reason is because lettering of high quality can be obtained thanks to the best writing surface. ‘lettering’ is the keyword in the question.
However, notice that the word form required for Q33 is an adjective so we have to change the noun high quality into the adjective which is high-quality
Thus, high-quality is the answer for Q33

34 Answer: buried

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q34 are ‘Treated in barrels of lime’ – ‘this was not available’, ‘skins were (removed hair -> more flexible)’ (‘this’ in the question means ‘lime’)
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a verb in passive form.
The next stage after choosing the skin type is to prepare the skin. There are 2 cases:

+ when lime is available, the skins were put into large barrels or vats of lime

+ when lime is unavailable, the hides were buried. Note that ‘hides’ is the synonym of ‘skins’.

Thus, ‘buried’ is the answer for Q34

35 Answer: thickness

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q35 are ‘Scraped’ to ‘create same’. Our clue is that the information about the answer will come after ‘Stretched tight on a frame’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a noun
After being put ‘on stretcher frames and pull them very tight’, the skins were scraped on the frame and will form a uniform thickness. Note that ‘uniform’ is a synonym of ‘same’
Thus, thickness is the answer for Q35

36 Answer: bleached/whitened

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keyword in Q36 is Vellum
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a verb in passive form
Meanwhile the process for parchment is ended after all the stages above, there is one more stage for vellum. At that stage, the skin is bleached. ‘bleach’ means ‘whiten’
Thus, ‘bleached/ whitened’ is the answer for Q36

37 Answer: dialect

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q37 are ‘Genetic testing - finding origins’, ‘Previously - analysed handwriting’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a noun.
It is stated that the origins of ‘mystery’ manuscripts is guessed in 2 ways: based on ‘the analysis of the handwriting style’ and from the ‘dialect’ in which the piece was written’. Note that ‘the analysis of the handwriting style’ is another expression for ‘Previously - analysed handwriting’
Thus, ‘dialect’ is the answer for Q37

38 Answer: baseline

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q38 are ‘using genetic data’, ‘known manuscripts’, ‘create a’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a singular noun.
As 2 techniques in Q37 are considered to be ‘unreliable’, they have to based on ‘what is known, that is, the small number of manuscripts whose origins we do already know’ instead. Thanks to that, a ‘baseline’ is created. ‘Create’ matches with the keyword in Q38 and ‘baseline’ is a singular noun which is suitable for the blank in Q38
Thus, ‘baseline’ is the answer for Q38

39 Answer: evolution

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q39 are ‘Uses of new data’, ‘Shows’ ‘of the book industry’. Our clue is that the answer will come after the mention of ‘Gives information on individual books’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a noun
We pay more attention when the speaker raises question ‘what are the potential uses of this new information’ which means he is going to talk about how data is used. The first function of the data is to clarify individual books and manuscripts which is our clue. The second use is to ‘shed light on the evolution of the whole of the manuscripts production industry in medieval times’. Note that ‘shed light on’ is equivalent to ‘show’ and ‘the manuscripts production industry’ is similar to ‘the book industry’
Based on these evidences, ‘evolution’ is the answer for Q39

40 Answer: trade routes

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

Keywords in Q40 are ‘Uses of new data’, ‘help’, ‘define’, ‘medieval period’
The keywords suggest that the answer should be a noun
In addition to 2 functions mentioned in Q39, ‘new data’ also plays a role to help historians establish which trade routes were. Note that ‘help’ is the keyword in Q40 and the phrase ‘establish which trade routes were’ is similar to give definition of ‘trade routes’ or to define ‘trade route’. The time given is whole millennium. As we are talking about ‘medieval period’, whole millennium indicates ‘medieval period’.
Thus, ‘trade routes’ is the answer for Q40.

Great thanks to volunteer Ha Linh To has contributed these explanations.

If you want to make a better world like this, please contact us.

Part 4

Change Audio Sources

Source 1

Source 2

SECTION 1

You will hear a man called Ken talking on the phone to a friend called Liz about holiday accommodation.

Liz: Hello?

Ken: Hi Liz, it’s Ken here.

Liz: Hi Ken! Nice to hear from you! Are you ...

Ken: This is just a quick call, but Mary and I have just been talking about our summer holiday - we haven’t booked a place yet and we’ve left it a bit late. We were just wondering if you know of any holiday rentals in your area - it’s so nice there.

Liz: Well yes, I can think of two or three places that are very nice - what dates have you got in mind?

Ken: The 10th of July to the 22nd of July.

Liz: Oh yes, that is quite soon isn’t it? Well there’s a place near here called Moonfleet ...

Ken: Is that M-double O- N-F-L-double E- T?

Liz: That’s right. It’s quite a rural location, and it’s next to the owner’s house, but it’s got fields all around it, so it’s very pretty.

Ken: Mm. Sounds OK. Can you tell me a bit more about it?

Liz: Well it’s an annexe to the owner’s house, and it’s an apartment with two bedrooms, and an open-plan living area.

Ken: Well I like the sound of it. Is there anything we might not like about it?

Liz: Well it’s quite a distance from the nearest shops, that’s all ...

Ken: OK. And ... well, I’ll tell Mary but I don’t think she’d mind that. Do you know how you book it?

Liz: You have to book on the internet. There’s a web address - it’s www.summerhouses ...

Ken: One word?

Liz: Yes ... Then dot com. You’ll be able to look at a photograph on that.

Ken: OK . And what about the others? Where are they?

Liz: The second one I’m thinking of is called Kingfisher, and that’s even more rural. It’s a really beautiful location in fact, it’s by the river, and it’s got nice views - it overlooks woodland on the other side.

Ken: Is that an apartment?

Liz: No, it’s a three-bedroomed house. And that’s got a dining room as well as a separate living room and a kitchen. But I expect it’s more expensive. You’ll have to check the prices.

Ken: Mm. It’s probably a bit bigger than we need, but our nephew might be joining us, we’re not sure yet. How do you book Kingfisher?

Liz: You have to phone the owner directly. Shall I give you the number? I’ve got it here in my phone book ... It’s oh one seven five two, double six nine, two one eight.

Ken: Right ...

Ken: And you mentioned a third place?

Liz: Yes, there’s a house that my sister stayed in last year - it’s called Sunnybanks.

Ken: Nice name.

Liz: And the location of that one is rather different ... It’s in the centre of a village, but it’s a very small and quaint place.

Ken: Did your sister like it?

Liz: Oh yes, it’s by the sea so her children really loved it ...

Ken: What’s the accommodation like?

Liz: I’m not sure about the number of rooms because I haven’t been in it myself, but I think she said it’s quite spacious ... And I know it’s got its own garden. It’s not very big, but it’s not shared with anyone else, and it’s supposed to be very pretty.

Ken: Any snags? Problems?

Liz: The only other thing I can think of is that there’s nowhere for parking. The streets are too narrow. So you have to leave your car somewhere else and then walk to the house - it’s only about ten minutes away, but ...

Ken: OK. Well ... I don’t think it matters personally. How do you book it?

Liz: There’s an agent you have to contact. I don’t know his details, but I can ask my sister and let you know tomorrow.

Ken: Thanks Liz, that’d be great. I’ll talk to Mary and see what she says. Thanks for your help.

Liz: That’s OK Ken, I’ll speak to you again tomorrow. I hope you find what you’re looking for ...

SECTION 2

You will hear part of a radio programme about Do-It-Yourself house painting.

Speaker: Good morning everyone, and welcome to our weekly series on home improvements.

Today’s programme is about Do-It-Yourself house painting ... There’s never been a better time for people who like to do their own interior house painting. Although people still lead very busy lives, thanks to the availability of various new DIY materials, you can now decorate your home in a more efficient and a more environmentally-friendly way.

In two thousand and nine alone, approximately fifty-three million litres of the paint that was sold in the UK were left untouched - that’s enough to fill twenty one Olympic-sized swimming pools.

It's easy to overestimate how much paint you’ll need to decorate your room if you use guesswork. And if you know exactly how much paint is needed, you avoid unnecessary waste. There are automatic paint calculators available now - most of the major paint manufacturers provide them - look on their websites, or just google ‘paint calculator’ and see what comes up. Then simply measure the circumference and height of the room in metres, enter this into the calculator along with the type of surface you're painting, and it will tell you how many litres of paint you’ll need.

But if you do end up with leftover paint, you can donate it to an organisation like Community RePaint. They will take the paint from you and redistribute it to local charities and voluntary organisations, so it goes to a good home. You can find more information about Community RePaint on communityrepaint - all one word - dot org dot uk.

Speaker: Another way of avoiding paint wastage is to check you're completely happy with your colour choice before starting to paint. For example, you can get a small sample of the colour you’re thinking of using, then paint a board and move it around the room, so you can see how it looks against your furnishings, and in different lights. Also, it’s always better to buy high quality paints, because you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap paint you might need to apply two or three coats to achieve the same coverage that you’d get from one coat of a good-quality paint. You could also spend a week on a job that could have been done in a day or two. And consider the environment. Most paint manufacturers now sell water-based paints that don’t contain harmful chemicals or give off harmful odours, so get one of these. You can also buy paint that’s packaged in recyclable containers. There’s a lot more choice than there used to be.

You can only do a good job, which will last, if you prepare the surfaces thoroughly before painting. In fact, in many ways if you want to do a professional-looking job, this is more important than the painting itself. If there are any cracks or patches of loose plaster, painting over them won’t solve the problem. Take the plaster out and fill the holes, allowing enough time for the new plaster to dry. And you won’t get a smooth finish if the walls are dusty or greasy, so washing with water isn’t enough. Use a solution of decorator’s soap and rinse well with warm water afterwards.

When you're ready to paint, we suggest you use a medium-pile roller for walls and ceilings. A lot of people tend to use short-pile rollers, but these give a patchy finish, and that wastes paint and time. Similarly, long-pile rollers can create a thick, textured effect, which looks messy. The same goes for brushes. The stronger the bristles, the easier they are to wash and reuse. And as you’ve chosen a water-based paint, clean your brushes with cold water, because it’s more energy-efficient that way. As you're decorating, keep transferring small amounts of paint into a tray and keep topping it up when you need to. This reduces the chance of it being contaminated by dust and pieces of dirt ... And finally, water-based paint doesn’t have a lingering smell, so that's not an issue any more, but it’s air flow rather than heat that helps the paint dry quicker, so to help finish the job in the quickest time leave your doors and windows open. The faster the paint is dry and the job finished, the quicker you can start enjoying your room!

In tomorrow’s programme I’ll be giving some advice ...

SECTION 3

You will hear two engineering students, a woman in her sixth year called Linda and a man in his fifth year called Matthew, discussing the benefits of student work placements.

Hi Linda. Can you spare a few minutes?

Hello Matthew, no problem.

I just wanted to talk to you about temporary work placements ... I’ve never really thought there was a good reason for doing one. I’ve got some savings, so I don’t really need the money at the moment. But I’ve had an email from the university about a vacancy that looks quite interesting. You did a placement last year didn’t you?

I did, yes. In my case I wanted to find out if I was making the right career choice before I began applying for permanent jobs. I thought I wanted to work in car manufacturing but I wasn’t sure. So I applied to Toyota.

What was the application process like?

Lengthy. There were a lot of different parts to it. The dullest one was a psychometric test - you know, when you have to answer loads of questions about yourself.

And you’re trying to guess what’s the best thing to say!

Yes. Then there was an activity that we did in groups, which I found really fascinating. Engineers are renowned for being a bit unsociable, but I thought we made a great team.

And we had an individual task too. We had to sort through various business documents and prioritise them. It was just like what you have to do as a student really, just with different content.

What exactly were you doing on the placement?

I was helping to design some diagnostic software to identify any waste in the car assembly process

Do you mean waste of materials?

No, time. Anything that can speed the process up helps to cut costs.

How did the work placement compare to being a student? Was it hard work?

Yes, it was. I’d had full-time work before - I’ve done various unskilled jobs during university holidays, and some of those involved long hours - so I thought I’d find it easy. I was wrong though. I think when you’re on placement you’re always trying to prove yourself ...

So you push yourself hard to succeed?

Yes. But I got a lot of support from my employers. They were always helpful. And then at the end of the placement I was given formal feedback.

Do you mean on your engineering ability?

Well, no, I didn’t really need that because we had team meetings every other day, and so I had the chance to discuss technical issues and ask about anything that wasn’t clear. The evaluation was about general workplace things, like organisational ability, initiative ... That sort of thing ...

I get the impression you think you benefited from the placement ... ?

Well the best thing is that they’ve offered me a job for next year! Depending on my exam results of course, but still ...

A permanent one?

Yes! But apart from that I learned so much . The industrial environment was much more demanding than the academic one, so my general skills improved. Like time Management ... meeting deadlines ... And on the technical side I learned new software packages like MS Project.

Well, I think you’ve convinced me that work placements are worthwhile ... But while you’re here can you give me advice on something else?

I’m about to make a start on the Engineering Materials module, and I’ve got a booklist here - can you have a quick look and tell me what you would recommend - that’s if you can remember?

Let’s see ... I do remember some of them ... Yes, this one ... The Science of Materials. I found the subject quite hard generally, but this book is very accessible so it suited me. It doesn’t cover everything though ...

What about this one then . Materials Engineering?

Oh yes, I do remember that. But it’s a bit out-of-date now isn’t it, unless it’s a new edition?

I don’t think so ...

But what I liked about it were the pictures. They really helped to understand the descriptions. It’s useful just from that point of view ... Let’s see ... What else? Oh yes ... That one there - Engineering Basics - I think out of all these that’s got the widest coverage ...

But I’ve looked at the contents page, and it hardly mentions nanotechnology.

Yes, you’re right. The Evolution of Materials does though. It’s a recent publication so it covers all the latest developments. It’s a bit thin on the nineteen sixties though, and that decade was quite important.

Well it sounds as if they all complement each other in some ways. I don’t suppose you can lend me .

SECTION 4

You will hear a historian giving a presentation about techniques to identify the origin of handwritten books from the middle ages.

Historian: My presentation today is on how the science of genetics is being used to shed light on the origin of manuscripts - anything written by hand - produced in the medieval period ... that is ... the period between the fifth and fifteenth centuries AD.

As many of you know, thousands of medieval handwritten books still exist today. Some of them have a clear provenance, that is, we know exactly where and when they were written, but the origin of many manuscripts has been a complete mystery, that is, until two thousand and nine when geneticists started using DNA testing to shed light on their origins.

But before looking at the new research, I need to explain something about the way the manuscripts were produced - particularly what they were written on. Virtually all were written on treated animal skins and there were essentially two types. The first was parchment, which is made of sheep skin. It has the quality of being very white but also being thin. It has a naturally greasy surface which meant it was hard to erase writing from it. This made it much sought after for court documents in medieval times.

The second type is vellum, which is calf skin. This was most often used for any very ‘high- status’ documents because it provided the best writing surface so scribes could achieve lettering of high quality.

So, once the animal hides had been chosen, they had to be prepared. Where the right materials were on hand, the skins were put into large barrels or vats of lime, where they were agitated or stirred frequently. But if lime wasn’t available, then the hides were buried. Both these techniques were designed to cause the hair to slough off, and the skins to become gelatinous and therefore more flexible.

The next stage was to put the hides on stretcher frames and pull them very tight. While on the frame they were scraped with a moon-shaped knife in order to create a uniform thickness. For parchment, that was the end of the process, but for vellum there was an additional stage where it was bleached, in order to achieve the desired colour.

Historian: So, what does all this preparation mean for the quest to identify the origins of ‘mystery’ manuscripts? Well, until recently the only way historians and other academics were able to guess at origins was either through the analysis of the handwriting style, or from the dialect in which the piece was written. But these techniques have proven unreliable, for a number of reasons.

It was thus decided to try to look at the problem from a different angle ... to start from what is known, that is, the small number of manuscripts whose origins we do already know. Because these parchments and vellum are both made from animal hides, it was possible to subject them to DNA testing and to identify the genetic markers for the date and location of production. From this was created what is known as a ‘baseline’. The next stage was to test the mystery manuscripts, finding their DNA characteristics and then making comparisons between the known and the mystery scripts. Genetic similarities and differences enabled the

scientists to gain more information about the origins of the many manuscripts we had known virtually nothing about up to that point.

Now you might ask - what are the potential uses of this new information? Well, obviously, it can shed light on the origin of individual books and manuscripts. But that’s not all. It can also shed light on the evolution of the whole of the manuscripts production industry in medieval times. And because that was such a thriving business, involving very large-scale movements right across the globe, the new data, in turn, help historians establish which trade routes were in operation during the whole millennium.

Now if anyone has any questions ...

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IELTS Practice Tests Plus Volume 3

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Part 2: Question 11 - 20

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

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Questions 1-10

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Questions 31-40

Researching the origin of medieval manuscripts

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SECTION 4

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