IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 1

Published on: 06 Dec 2017
Tests taken: 5,880,157

Answer Keys:

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Part 1: Question 1 - 10

1 flights
2 April
3 cheapest/budget
4 non-smoking
5 John A. Smyth/John A Smyth

6 110 dollars/$110
7 Cultural Centre/Cultural Center
8 camel ride
9 desert
10 stars

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

11 18
12 police records
13 references
14 (recent) CV
15 transportation

16 Red Cross
17 Tuesday afternoons
18 foreign accent
19 Disabled Children
20 75/seventy-five pounds/75 lb

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

21 adverse
22 deforestation
23 jungle
24 soil samples
25 inverse

26 saline
27 ionisation/ionization
28 narrow
29 photographs
30 map

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

31 fruit trees
32 polish/ furniture polish
33 mosquitoes/mosquitos
34 yellow fever
35 (whole) building

36 small scale
37 humans
38 resistant
39 cheaper
40 life cycle

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Review & Explanations:

Part 1: Questions 1-10

Questions 1-3

Complete the notes below write ONE WORD only for each answer.

NOTES OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION

example answer

information source : found in the brochure

Included services 1 and accommodation

Sydney arrival date: 15^th of 2

Accommodation criteria: 3

1 Answer: flights

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q1 should be “services” and “accommodation”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

By accurately locating the keywords, the answer “flights” is quite easy to spot.

Note: Paying attention to word limit.

The answer for Q1 is flights.

2 Answer: April

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q2 should be “Sydney arrival date”

From the question and word limit, we can assume that the answer must be a month

By accurately locating the keywords, the answer “April”.

Note: It may make you confused when they remind to 18th of August but make sure that you hear the whole sentence and understand it.

The answer for Q2 is April.

3 Answer: cheapest/budget

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q3 should be “Accommodation criteria”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a adjective.

The question: “Which one would you prefer?” suggests that the answer will soon appear.

First, they tell the customer there are 2 kinds of accommodation: the budget and the standard but the latter is not available. And then the customer choose the cheapest one.

As the exercise imposes word limit on the candidate’s answer, the answer for Q3 is cheapest (budget can also accepted since it's the cheapest option)

Questions 4-6

Complete the form below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer.

BOOKING INFORMATION
Room type:	4
Credit card holder:	5
Total cost for one night:	6

4 Answer: non-smoking

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q4 should be “room type”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a adjective.

“Let’s look at the room options?” suggests that the answer will soon appear.

He asked the customer : “would you prefer a non-smoking room?”.

By accurately locating the keywords, the answer “non-smoking” is quite easy to spot.

Hence, the answer for Q4 is non-smoking.

5 Answer: John A. Smyth/John A Smyth

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q5 should be “credit card holder”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a name.

More simple, you just have to find out a name they remind

By accurately locating the keywords, the answer “John A.Smyth” is quite easy to spot.

Hence, the answer for Q5 is John A.Smyth.

6 Answer: 110 dollars/$110

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q6 should be “cost one night”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a number.

“I’ll check the price” suggests that the answer is around here.

By accurately locating the keywords, the answer “$ 110”.

Note: First, they said “the room will cost 100 dollars”. Some people just heard that and write the answer. However, you have to continue to hear, it will cost plus 10 dollars tax (important information). You will be wrong if you just hear the first half of the sentence.

Hence, the answer for Q6 is $110 or 110 dollars.

Questions 7-10

Complete the sentence below.

Write no more than TWO words for answer.

The 7 is within walking distance of the accommodation

The customer books 8

Aboriginals stone carvings are in the 9

The Dreamtime can be experienced beneath the 10

7 Answer: Cultural Centre/Cultural Center

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q7 should be “within walking distance of accommodation”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be noun.

It’s easy to spot when you hear the whole sentence: “We’d definitely like to visit the Cultural Centre. Yes, that’s very popular. It’s within walking distance of the accommodation…”.

Hence, the answer for Q7 is Cultural Centre.

8 Answer: camel ride

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q8 should be “customer books”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be noun.

Before deciding to book camel ride, they talk about kangaroo farm and camel ride as a sign for the answer of Q8

“That sounds perfect. OK, we’ll go on the camel ride” is customer’s choice instead of kangaroo farm.

Hence, the answer for Q8 is camel ride

9 Answer: desert

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q9 should be “Aboriginal stone carving”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be location.

First, the tour guide reminded to place well-known for stone carving as a suggestion for the answer.

“Are the carvings in the desert?”. It is easy to spot the answer for Q8 from this question.

Hence, the answer for Q9 is desert.

10 Answer: stars

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q10 should be “Dreamtime”and “beneath”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be noun.

As you know, “beneath” is equal to “under”

So, the answer “star” is quite easy to spot since it is directly confirmed through sentence “We really want to try to experience the Dreamtime under the stars”. Hence, the answer for Q10 is star.

Part 1

Part 2: Questions 11-20

Questions 11-15

Complete the Notes Below

Write NO MORE THAN 2 WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer

Public Service broadcast

Volunteer workers must be at least 11 years old

Job applicants should not have 12

Job applicants are asked to submit 13 and 14 .

The employer will pay the expenses of 15 and phone calls.

11 Answer: 18

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q11 should be “at least” “years old”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be number.

Simply, you just need to write the minimum age that volunteers must be.

So, the answer “18” is quite easy to spot since it is directly confirmed through sentence “Applicants must be over 18 years of age.”

Hence, the answer for Q11 is 18.

12 Answer: police records

Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q12 should be “should not have”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

Another rule that “persons interested in these positions may not have police records”

So, the answer “police records” is quite easy to spot.

Hence, the answer for Q12 is police records.

13 Answer: references

Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q13 and Q14 should be “job applicants” and “submit”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be nouns.

The answer “references” and “CV” is quite easy to spot since it is directly confirmed through sentence “applicants must supply references from past or present employers or teachers along with their recent CV”

Hence, the answer for Q13 is references.

14 Answer: (recent) CV

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q13 and Q14 should be “job applicants” and “submit”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be nouns.

Hence, the answer for Q14 is CV

15 Answer: transportation

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q15 should be “employee”, “pay expenses” and “ phone calls”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

The sentence “Although all positions are volunteer, the employer will reimburse some of your expenses.” suggests that the answer will appear soon.

The answer “transportation” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentence “they will pay for transportation to and from the job site. Aside from that, the cost of phone calls is covered”

Hence, the answer for Q15 is transportation.

Questions 16-20

Complete the table below

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer

People need help	Duties	Requirement for volunteers	Service Time
Wheelchair users	Drive clients to scenic locations	- Excellent health - must own a First Aid certificate from the 16	17
The blind	Read books to blind people	- Read English clearly - No 18 is an advantage	Monday mornings
19	Take care of them on holiday	- have knowledge of basic first aid - good health - can elevate to a maximum of 20	1 week in August

16 Answer: Red Cross

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords in Q16 are Wheelchair users, must own First Aid certificate from
From the keywords, the answer is likely to be an organization. Our clue is that the answer will come after ‘’excellent health’’ being mentioned
As the order in the table suggests, the first volunteer vacancy is related to helping the persons confined to wheelchairs or wheelchair users. Alongside with the requirement of ‘’excellent health’’, helpers are also expected to demonstrate their First Aid certificate. This is issued by the Red Cross

Hence, the answer is Red Cross

17 Answer: Tuesday afternoons

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords in Q17 are Wheelchair users, Service Time
From the keywords, the answer is supposed to be a time
In order to assist people relying on the wheelchairs, it is require that voluntary workers have already possessed a car so they can travel their clients around the city for sightseeing. This takes place every Tuesday afternoons, meaning that volunteer will offer this service on Tuesday afternoons

Hence, the answer is Tuesday afternoons

18 Answer: foreign accent

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords in Q18 are The blind, no, is an advantage
The second position aims to recruit volunteers helping the blind or people who could not see. After the requirement of the ability to read English precisely, the speaker adds that there is a preference for voluntary workers who don’t have foreign accent. Thus, readers without foreign accent can take advantage to be preferred and prioritized.

Hence, the answer is foreign accent

19 Answer: Disabled Children

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords in Q19 are People need help
From the keywords, the answer is supposed to be a group of people who need the assistance of volunteers (the same kind of words with wheelchair users and the blind)
When the speaker says ‘’finally’’, we know that he is turning to the last vacancy. In this position, the organization welcomes people who volunteer to look after disabled children. Hence, the target group for this vacancy consists of disabled children

Hence, the answer is disabled children

20 Answer: 75/seventy-five pounds/75 lb

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords in Q20 are elevate, maximum
From the keywords, the answer is supposed to be a weight. The clue is that the answer will come after the mention of ‘’good health’’ and ‘’basic First Aid knowledge’’.
Not only are volunteers anticipated to be in good physical health conditions and have fundamental First Aid understanding, but they should also have the ability to lift the up to 75 pounds. Note that ‘’lift’’ is equal to ‘’elevate’’ while ‘’up to’’ means the maximum level.

Hence, the answer is 75 pounds

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Part 2

Part 3: Questions 21-30

Questions 21-30

Complete the notes below

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer

Environmental change Discussion

Agricultural work is having an 21 effect on the environment.
Too much farming operation has caused a serious problem, which is called 22 .
Many places now seem to look like desert rather than 23 .
One proof the article had pointed out to show that things can hardly grow in some areas is the 24
The relation between the number of farmers and the acreage of woodland is 25 .
One reason for plants cannot grow is that the earth contains too much 26 .
Researchers have carried out a test to show the 27 of the solution.
The possible range of salinity to grow plants is 28 .
The 29 in Dr.Horst's books are useful and worth studying.
The student needs a 30 to do his presentation

21 Answer: adverse

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q21 should be “Agriculture”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be an adjective to support the noun (effect).

The sentence “Agriculture is having a really adverse impact on the environment” basically has the similar meaning as the answer, in which the “effect” is a synonym of “impact”.

Hence, the answer for Q21 is adverse

22 Answer: deforestation

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q22 should be “too much farming”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

Pete introduced: “There are too many farmers doing too much farming” implies the answer is around here.

“Deforestation” is the noun that demonstrates the situation when too much farming and exactly what we can fill in the blank.

Hence, the answer for Q22 is Deforestation

23 Answer: jungle

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q23 should be “desert”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

The answer “jungle” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “He said the place looked more like the desert than jungle in some parts.”

Hence, the answer for Q23 is jungle.

24 Answer: soil samples

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q24 should be “hard to grow”.

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

The answer “ soil samples” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “Then read what the article says. Right there. The first thing it points out is how soil samples show it is hard for anything to grow there”

Note: As you see, all keywords above appear in this sentence.

Hence, the answer for Q24 is soil samples

25 Answer: inverse

Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q25 should be “relation” , “farmers” and ”acreage of woodland”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be an adjective.

The answer “inverse” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “As the number of farmers increases, the acres of forest have decreased. It’s an inverse relation.

Moreover, while the number of farmers increases, the acres of forest increase, thereby causing an inverse relation.

Hence, the answer for Q25 is inverse.

26 Answer: saline

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q26 should be “earth contain too much”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

The answer “saline” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “I’m just starting to look into that subject, but my sister

Marie is a geologist and she says the problem is that the soil has too much saline, with no plants helping to adjust the chemistry”

Hence, the answer for Q26 is saline.

27 Answer: ionisation/ionization

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q27 should be “Researcher”, “test”, “solution”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun

The answer “ionisation” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “Scientists who’ve gone there have taken measurements. They do this by gathering a sample of the soil and running a simple test that shows the ionisation of the solution”

Hence, the answer for Q27 is ionisation.

28 Answer: narrow

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keywords concerned in Q28 should be “salinity” and “grow plants” .

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a adjective to support to “range”

The answer “narrow” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “There is a narrow spectrum of salinity in which the plants will grow”

Note: “spectrum” is a synonym of “range”

Hence, the answer for Q28 is narrow

29 Answer: photographs

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q29 should be “study” and “Dr Horst’s book”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun

The answer “photograph” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “Here, study these photographs and check the damage yourself”. It also explained that the photograph is in Dr. Horst’s book in the second sentence “That’s what Dr Horst who wrote this book here did”

Hence, the answer for Q29 is photograph

30 Answer: map

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q30 should be “presentation”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun

The answer “map” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through Pete’s saying “I’m headed over to the Geography Department to borrow a map for my presentation.”

Hence, the answer for Q30 is map

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Part 3

Part 4: Questions 31-40

Questions 31-35

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Bees that help with pollination benefit flowers and 31 .

Bees produce wax that can be made into candles and 32 .

Dragonflies primarily eat 33

Insects in summer can be harmful because they can carry such deadly diseases as malaria, 34 and sleeping sickness

Harmful insects may destroy crops, clothes, furniture, and even the 35

31 Answer: fruit trees

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q31 should be “bees”, “pollination”, “flowers”

The answer “fruit trees” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentence “Bees help plants in the process of pollination, and thus are necessary to most flowers and fruit-producing trees”

Hence, the answer for Q31 is fruit trees.

32 Answer: polish/ furniture polish

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q32 should be “bees”, “candles”, “produce wax”

The answer “polish” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentence “Moreover, they produce beeswax, which is useful in candles and it’s also used as a first-rate furniture polish”

Hence, the answer for Q32 is polish

33 Answer: mosquitoes/mosquitos

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q33 should be “dragonflies” “eat”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun

The word "primarily" in question 33 has the same meaning as the word "mainly" in the audio. The answer for this question is quite easy to be found since it is directly confirmed through sentence “Dragonflies mainly eat mosquitoes and also a few other insects.”

Hence, the answer for Q33 is mosquitoes.

34 Answer: yellow fever

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q34 should be “insects in summer”, "harmful" and "deadly diseases".

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a name of disease

When the speaker mentioned "those harmful insects, we can start to find the answer. The speaker took an example of mosquitoes and saitd that they could be deadly since they carried “malaria and yellow fever”. This information is quite easy to locate. Since "malaria" and "sleeping sickness" have been given, the answer for Q34 is yellow fever.

35 Answer: (whole) building

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q35 should be “harmful insects” , destroy”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun

The answer “whole building” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentences “Other insects, of course, destroy food crops. In China, for instance, locusts continue to be a danger to the harvest in some areas. Less important, but still annoying, moths eat people’s clothes and dust mites slowly destroy carpets. Worse, but still in the home, termites or “white ants” eat wood - the wood of your house. If they are not stopped, they can eventually destroy the whole building”

They list these things that insects destroy, so you should listen carefully to not miss any information.

Hence, the answer for Q35 is whole building.

Questions 36-40

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

How to kill bad Insects

Chemical Method

These solutions to insect problems are often not worthwhile because:

a) They are effective on a 36

b) They Can bring harm to 37

c) Insects become 38 to the chemicals quickly.

Biological methods

These Methods are 39 than chemical methods of eliminating harmful insects.

Breeding control method

In order to control the breeding of insects, one needs to understand the insects’ 40

36 Answer: small scale

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q36 should be “effective”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun or adjective +noun.

The answer “small scale” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentences “chemicals can only be used in a limited area for a limited time. It’s a small-scale solution”.

Hence, the answer for Q36 is small scale.

37 Answer: humans

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q37 should be “bring harm”

From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun.

The answer “humans” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentences “It’s no secret that the chemicals remain harmful to humans”

Hence, the answer for Q37 is humans.

38 Answer: resistant

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q38 should be “insects become”, “to the chemicals”

From the question, we can assume that the answer should be a noun or adjective

The answer “resistant” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentences “They then breed with the other survivors, and just like that insects become resistant to most poison in a few generations”

Hence, the answer for Q38 is resistant.

39 Answer: cheaper

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q39 should be “these method” and “than chemical method”

From the question, we can assume that the answer should be a comparative adjective

The answer “cheaper” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentences “This is a cheaper alternative to chemicals.”

Hence, the answer for Q39 is cheaper.

40 Answer: life cycle

Listen from here Locate Explain Report

The keyword concerned in Q40 should be “understand the insect’s”

From the question, we can assume that the answer should be a noun

The answer “life cycle” was noticed since it is directly confirmed through sentences “It’s clear that we must have an understanding of the life cycle of the insect”

Hence, the answer for Q40 is life cycle.

Part 4

Change Audio Sources

กำลังโหลด...

SECTION 1

Woman: Good morning. I’ve been looking at your holidays to Australia in your brochure. I’m thinking of going during the second half of next month.

Man: Good morning. As you can see from our brochure, we offer a wide variety of packages to various destinations in Australia. Is there anything in particular that interests you?

Woman: Yes, my husband and I are very interested in the holidays in the Outback.

Man: These holidays are becoming increasingly popular. Would you like to arrange flights and accommodation with us, or just accommodation?

Woman: Can you arrange flights from Sydney?

Man: Certainly.

Woman: OK, flights and accommodation then.

Man: Right. You said that you wanted to travel next month. Which date would you prefer? I should point out that there are no daily flights available, so if you have a flexible itinerary, that’s better.

Woman: Well, we arrive in Sydney on the 15^thof April and we were thinking of travelling to the Outback on the 18^thof August, er... I mean April.

Man: OK. There’s only one flight from Sydney to Alice Springs on the 18^th, so I’ll book you on that. It leaves at 10 in the morning, which is quite convenient. Shall I book two seats for you?

Woman: Yes, please.

Man: As for your stay in the Outback, you can see from the brochure that we offer three packages - budget, standard, and luxury. The budget package is about 500 Australian dollars. The standard package is about 700 and the luxury one is approximately 1,000, though it does depend on exactly what you would like regarding extras. Which one would you prefer?

Woman: Well, we can’t decide between the budget and standard options.

Man: Ah, well, actually, just looking at my computer here, on the date that you want to fly into Alice Springs, there is no standard accommodation available. It’s fully booked, I’m afraid.

Woman: That’s OK. We think that the cheapest one should be fine for us. We don’t mind roughing it for a few days and we don’t expect to be spending much time at the accommodation. We prefer the outdoors.

Man: Right. Let’s look at the room options. First of all, would you prefer a non-smoking room?

Woman: Yes. Neither of us smokes.

Man: OK.

Woman: Oh, before I forget, could you book everything in my husband's name, please?

YMan: es, of course. Are you paying by credit card?

Woman: Yes.

Man: In that case, I’ll need your husband’s name exactly as it appears on the card.

Woman: Of course. It’s John A. Smyth. That’s Smyth with a “Y”.

Man: John ... middle initial “A”... surname Smyth, S-M-Y-T-H. Is that correct?

Woman: Correct.

Man: Thank you. I’ll just check the price. The room will cost 100 dollars a night plus 10 dollars tax, so 110 dollars per night in total. Is that OK?

Woman: Yes, that’s fine. Book us for three nights, please.

Man: Most of the guests like to participate in some special activities and trips while they are staying in the Outback. Is there anything that interests you and your husband?

Woman: Yes, there are several things we’d like to see and do. We’d definitely like to visit the Cultural Centre.

Man: Yes, that’s very popular. It’s within walking distance of the accommodation and it’s free. It’s also a great place to pick up souvenirs of your trip.

Woman: We were thinking about visiting one of the nearby farms.

Man: There are two farms nearby - a sheep farm and a kangaroo farm. There is also an opportunity to ride camels in the desert. Have you ridden a camel before?

Woman: No, but it sounds like fun. Could you give me some more details about the kangaroo farm and the camel ride?

Man: Certainly. The kangaroo farm includes information on how the animals are raised whilst the camel ride provides information on desert flora and fauna. Which would you prefer? You can arrange to see the kangaroos in the wild if you like, rather than on a farm.

Woman: That sounds perfect. OK, we’ll go on the camel ride and see the kangaroos in their natural habitat.

Man: OK. I’ll arrange that for you. I forgot to mention that the journey also includes a stop at a place of aboriginal artwork. It’s a place well-known for its stone carvings of animals and mythical creatures.

Woman: That sounds great! Are the carvings in the desert?

Man: Yes.

Woman: Wonderful!

Man: Well, that’s perfect then. I’m sure you'll have a lovely trip, but remember that you need take care in the sun.

Woman: Yes. We’re really looking forward to our trip. We really want to try to experience the Dreamtime under the stars.

Man: Of course. That’s what a trip to the Outback is really all about.

Woman: Yes. Now, how about the cost...

SECTION 2

Continuing our broadcast of public service announcements, Worldwide Helpers announces upcoming vacancies for a number of volunteer worker positions. All applicants must meet the following requirements.

First of all, applicants must be over 18 years of age. The company apologises, but there can be no exceptions to this rule. Second, persons interested in these positions may not have police records. Minor traffic offences like a parking ticket are, of course, no problem. But, and I quote, “past and present drug users and sex offenders” need not apply. The employer will, of course, check with the police to verify your clean record.

In addition, applicants must supply references from past or present employers or teachers along with their recent CV. These references must testify as to the applicant’s work habits and/or character. Remember, these are references from employers or teachers. A note from your dear old Mum won’t do. Worldwide Helpers assures me that they will contact these references to confirm they are genuine.

Although all positions are volunteer, the employer will reimburse some of your expenses. For example, they will pay for transportation to and from the job site. Aside from that, the cost of phone calls is covered.

As for the positions themselves, there are three types. The first involves assisting persons confined to wheelchairs. For this position, volunteers must be physically fit and in excellent health. They must be able to lift at least 150 pounds. They should also have a current First Aid certificate from the Red Cross. But the most important requirement is that the volunteer must have his own car. On Tuesday afternoons, the volunteers take their clients to various scenic spots around the city to experience and enjoy nature.

If you don’t drive, but you’d still like to get involved, the centre has a number of openings for people to read to the blind. Readers must, of course, read English clearly. Persons with no foreign accent are preferred. For these positions, you must be available on Monday mornings. Oh, wait, I see a note here. There is one opening for someone who can read Urdu. Apparently, there is a Pakistani blind person who’d like to hear his or her native language. But the other positions are all in English.

And finally, there are a limited number of volunteers needed to care for disabled children. I'm sorry, but the information I’ve been given does not say how many children or what disabilities they have. In any case, you are needed to care for the children for one week in August. Apparently, this will be at the close of the summer holiday. I would guess this involves helping them with the routine chores of daily life.
Again, volunteers for this position must know basic First Aid, be in good health, and be able to lift up to 75 pounds.

OK, our next announcement is looking for someone to “facilitate” tiger breeding at the London Zoo. And, get this, it’s a "strictly volunteer” position. That means you don’t get paid! Oh my God... I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, but I just have to laugh...

SECTION 3

DAVE: Are you just leaving the library now? I saw you get there at 8:00 a.m.!

PETE: Yeah, I’ve been there all day.

DAVE: What for? They hired a cute new librarian or something?

PETE: I wish. No, it’s the presentation that I will give in Environmental Science the day after tomorrow.

DAVE: What’s it about? I heard you were really excited about the class. And Dr Schnee also calls you for the “arcane” questions, as he calls them.

PETE: It’s about environmental damage in the Yucatan.

DAVE: Excuse me, what? Or is that where?

PETE: Yucatan. It’s a state in Southeast Mexico.

DAVE: So what’s happening there?

PETE: Agriculture is having a really adverse impact on the environment. There are too many farmers doing too much farming. It’s really destroying the forests and ruining the soil. Deforestation is a major problem there now.

DAVE: How did you learn about this? I don’t recall Dr Schnee saying anything about it in lecture.

PETE: Yes, but my brother went there last month, you know, to look at the old cities the Maya Indians built. That’s what first got me interested.

DAVE: Your brother Tom?

PETE: No, Dick, Harry’s twin. Anyway, he told me how few trees there were now and how much empty ground that grows almost nothing. He said the place looked more like the desert than jungle in some parts. It brought environmental damage. So I started looking for materials in the library. Here, look at this magazine.

DAVE: What’s in it?

PETE: It's an old issue of “National Geographic”. It includes interviews with tourists who’ve been there in the past few years. It’s pretty bad. See the photos?

DAVE: I see the photos, but one or two photos don’t prove anything.

PETE: Then read what the article says. Right there. The first thing it points out is how soil samples show it is hard for anything to grow there. It says how an area of 21,000 square kilometres has lost most of its forest in the past ten years. See, there are graphs. As the number of farmers increases, the acres of forest have decreased. It’s an inverse relation.

DAVE: So how big is that state? I’m sorry, but I’ve never really learned the metric system.

PETE: It’s bigger than the state of Massachusetts!

DAVE: That’s shocking! Anything else?

PETE: There’s lots of else. Scientists say there’s a “growing area” of about 10.5 square kilometres where nothing can grow at all. It’s like the beginning of a desert.
DAVE: Oh yes. What Dr Schnee called “desertification”. But, why can’t anything grow there? I’ve never really studied soil chemistry.

PETE: I’m just starting to look into that subject, but my sister Marie is a geologist and she says the problem is that the soil has too much saline, with no plants helping to adjust the chemistry. Apparently, that’s a common problem with soil types throughout areas with rainforest. Once you lose the plant cover, it’s difficult to bring it back. Reforestation is almost impossible, even if the land is not being used for other purposes.

DAVE: Wait a minute. What is “saline”?

PETE: Saline is salt dissolved in water. Scientists who’ve gone there have taken measurements. They do this by gathering a sample of the soil and running a simple test that shows the ionisation of the solution. The Geology Department in our own university has reviewed the soil at the site, too. They’re right. It looks pretty bad. The level of salinity is going up. But the plants that would solve that problem can’t be planted in soil like that. There is a narrow spectrum of salinity in which the plants will grow.

DAVE: And once you pass the threshold, there is no way to put the problem right?

PETE: Exactly. It’s possible that no one can do anything to stop the trend now. All because of human greed! I...

DAVE: Wait a second. How do you know these “scientists” can be trusted? What kind of reputation do they have? Are they reliable?

PETE: Oh they're definitely reliable. They include four members of the faculty from the Geology Department right here at MIT. Here, study these photographs and check the damage yourself. That’s what Dr Horst who wrote this book here did. He’s newly appointed, but Dr Schnee says he’s brilliant.

DAVE: So, where are you going now?

PETE: I’m headed over to the Geography Department to borrow a map for my presentation. You know, this whole problem could have been avoided! The farmers there in the Yucatan...

DAVE: Uh, Pete??

PETE: What?

DAVE: Go take a break! Leave some studying for the rest of us.

SECTION 4

Good afternoon, and welcome to Insect Biology 101. I’d like to begin this course with a few remarks about good insects and bad ones. Bugs are all around us and that’s both a benefit and an annoyance - sometimes maybe even serious harm. First, let’s talk about the good things that insects do for us.

Probably the most important insect for humans, and maybe for all other life, is the bee. Bees help plants in the process of pollination, and thus are necessary to most flowers and fruit-producing trees. That is, they carry pollen from “male” flowers to “female”. If it weren’t for bees, we’d have very few food plants and no fruit either. In fact, there would be no "we”. No less a thinker than Albert Einstein pointed out that, without bees, humanity would be dead within a year or less. We’d starve. It’s that simple. That should maybe make us just a little humble.

A little less dramatic is the fact that bees also make the honey we eat. Moreover, they produce beeswax, which is useful in candles and it’s also used as a first-rate furniture polish. Sure, these may not be vital to our lives, but they can serve as reminders of how important bees are. That’s a point I keep coming back to in this course. Though, in all fairness, I should point out that butterflies aid in pollination as well as bees.

Now, here in Michigan, what’s the worst part of summer? Yep, that’s right - mosquitoes. But I’m talking about helpful insects, right? So let’s look at the dragonfly first. If there were no dragonflies, there would be even more mosquitoes! Dragonflies mainly eat mosquitoes and also a few other insects. Yes, that’s right. They don’t just fly around, and they also help to eliminate harmful insects. So, the next time you see a dragonfly, don’t you dare kill it!

Now let’s talk a little about those harmful insects. Take the mosquitoes I just mentioned as an example. Not so many years ago, mosquitoes here in America weren’t just annoying. Some were even deadly. They carried malaria and yellow fever. My own ancestor, the Confederate General John Bell Hood, lived through the worst battles of Civil War only to die at age thirty-eight from yellow fever. A pest, not a bullet!

Well, besides the mosquitoes, in summer there is also a kind of insect that never seems tired. Right, that is the fly. Before I go on talking, I must mention an African fly called the Tsetse fly, which feeds on blood and can cause serious diseases in the people and animals that it bites. Besides, it is still a bearer of sleeping sickness, which affects around 300,000 people every year in Africa and can be treated only with toxic drugs that are hard to administer. Worse still, the drugs sometimes don’t work.

Other insects, of course, destroy food crops. In China, for instance, locusts continue to be a danger to the harvest in some areas. Less important, but still annoying, moths eat people’s clothes and dust mites slowly destroy carpets. Worse, but still in the home, termites or “white ants” eat wood - the wood of your house. If they are not stopped, they can eventually destroy the whole building. Usually they seriously damage a building before anyone even notices them. So, as we all know, insects can be a real trouble.

For some decades in the West, to kill insects with chemicals seemed a good remedy. Unfortunately, chemicals can only be used in a limited area for a limited time. It’s a small-scale solution. The insects come back. Worse still, some of the poisons used like DDT were found harmful to the environment. Many kinds of wildlife, like hawks, were harmed. And people in chemical-using rural areas have one of the highest rates of liver cancer in the world. It’s no secret that the chemicals remain harmful to humans.

Like all species, insects adapt to their changing environments at an amazing rate. When a new chemical is introduced to their habitat, the insects that survive are generally the ones with some way of resisting the harmful effects. They then breed with the other survivors, and just like that insects become resistant to most poison in a few generations. An insect generation, remember, is a couple of months at most!

So, again we have to ask: what to do? Well, there are biological solutions. Some of these are pretty simple. One is destroying the insects’ habitat. You take away their home or food. Cleaning your kitchen is the best way to prevent roaches. No garbage: no food. Getting rid of marshes and swamps eliminates mosquitoes. Other solutions might include bringing in dragonflies or bats in areas where mosquitoes are many. This is a cheaper alternative to chemicals. Biological methods like this also bring no extra pollution to the environment. But you have to be careful. If you change the environment too much, you might be hurting other forms of life accidentally.

One recent method of controlling insect populations involves interrupting their breeding cycle. What does that mean? It means "birth control for bugs”. Insects are provided with food that makes them unable to reproduce. Since they can’t have babies, the population disappears, or nearly so. And since no young are born, resistance is not a problem with no young insects developing increased resistance.
Interrupt the life cycle, eliminate the bug! It’s clear that we must have an understanding of the life cycle of the insect. At least, that’s the plan. We’ll go into more details as this course goes along. Now I will stop here to see whether you have any questions or not.

NEW

IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 1

Part 1: Question 1 - 10

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

Questions 1-3

NOTES OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION

Questions 4-6

BOOKING INFORMATION

Questions 7-10

Questions 11-15

Public Service broadcast

Questions 16-20

Questions 21-30

Environmental change Discussion

Questions 31-35

Questions 36-40

How to kill bad Insects

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

Comments:

About us

Our mission

IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 1

Part 1: Question 1 - 10

Part 2: Question 11 - 20

Part 3: Question 21 - 30

Part 4: Question 31 - 40

Share your score

Questions 1-3

NOTES OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION

Questions 4-6

BOOKING INFORMATION

Questions 7-10

Questions 11-15

Public Service broadcast

Questions 16-20

Questions 21-30

Environmental change Discussion

Questions 31-35

Questions 36-40

How to kill bad Insects

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

Comments:

About us

Our mission