IELTS 21 Academic Listening Test 4: Answers & Transcript

Sarah: Good morning, City Sports Centre. Sarah speaking. How may I help you today?

Mark: Hello, Sarah. My name's Mark Davies, and I'm calling because I'd like to make a booking for one of your tennis courts, please.

Sarah: Certainly, Mr. Davies. We'd be happy to help with that. What date were you thinking of for your booking?

Mark: I was hoping for this coming Saturday. Let me just check my diary... yes, that would be the 14th of October.

Sarah: The 14th... just a moment while I pull up the booking system. Hmm, I'm afraid Saturday the 14th is completely fully booked for tennis courts, Mr. Davies. We have a junior tournament running all day, actually. Would you be able to come on another day, perhaps? We have some availability on Sunday the 15th, or even later next week?

Mark: Oh, that's a shame about the 14th. But Sunday the 15th works perfectly fine for me, actually. I'm quite flexible this weekend. What times do you have available then?

Sarah: Okay, on Sunday the 15th, let's see. We have a couple of afternoon slots – there's 3 pm and 4 pm still free on Court Five. And, ah, wait, I see a 6 pm slot has just opened up on Court number 3 due to a cancellation. Would any of those suit you?

Mark: Oh, 6 pm sounds absolutely ideal! Yes, I'll definitely take that one, please. It means I can get a bit of practice in after work.

Sarah: Excellent. So that's Sunday the 15th of October at 6 pm on Court 3. Just to confirm your name for the booking, you said Mark Davies, didn't you? Could you just spell that surname for me, please?

Mark: Yes, that's right. Davies. It's spelled D-A-V-I-E-S.

Sarah: Got it. D-A-V-I-E-S. Thank you, Mr. Davies. And a contact number, please, just in case we need to get in touch regarding your booking?

Mark: Certainly. My mobile is 07700 900505.

Sarah: Great. And for non-members, the cost for an hour on the court, off-peak, is £12.50. If it were peak time, it would be seventeen pounds, but 6 pm on a Sunday is off-peak, so it's the lower rate.

Mark: Twelve pounds fifty, understood. That's quite reasonable. I was actually going to ask about your membership options. I play quite a bit, so I might be interested in joining.

Sarah: Oh, that's fantastic, Mr. Davies! We have several membership tiers designed to suit different needs. Our most popular is the Annual Membership. This offers unlimited court bookings, access to our well-equipped gym, and significant discounts on all our coaching programmes and pro-shop purchases.

Mark: Okay, an Annual Membership sounds like it would suit me best, definitely. How much is that for the year, then?

Sarah: Right, the Annual Membership fee is usually two hundred pounds, and that was the price up until last month. However, for the new financial year, which started on the first of October, we've had a slight increase. So it's now £250 per year. Still excellent value, considering what you get.

Mark: Two hundred and fifty, right. That's a fair bit upfront, but if I were to play twice a week, it would definitely pay for itself. What about floodlights? If I play in the evenings, particularly in winter, would there be an extra charge for those?

Sarah: Yes, absolutely, that's a good question. There is a separate charge for using the floodlights, as they're quite expensive to run, electricity-wise. For non-members, it's £5 per hour, in addition to the court hire fee. Members, however, pay a reduced rate of just two pounds fifty per hour for floodlights.

Mark: Okay, so five pounds per hour for floodlights if I'm not a member. Got it. And finally, do you offer any tennis coaching sessions? I'm looking to improve my backhand, specifically.

Sarah: We certainly do! We have both individual one-to-one lessons with our resident pro, which are thirty-five pounds per hour, and we also run regular Group Coaching sessions. Many people find the group environment really motivating.

Mark: I think a group session might be better for me to start with, actually. Just to get back into the swing of things. How much are those per session?

Sarah: Ah, the Group sessions for non-members are... let me see... twenty pounds per session... no, my apologies, Mr. Davies, I'm looking at the old price list from last season. They've just been updated. They're actually £15 per session now, for non-members. And members get an even further discounted rate of twelve pounds.

Mark: Fifteen pounds, got it. That sounds much more reasonable. Thanks for all the information, Sarah. It's been really helpful. I think I'll go ahead with the court booking for now, and I'll definitely give the membership and coaching some serious thought.

Sarah: No problem at all, Mr. Davies. So your court is booked for Sunday the 15th of October at 6 pm on Court 3. You can pay the £12.50 when you arrive at reception. We look forward to seeing you.

Mark: Excellent. Thank you very much, Sarah. Goodbye.

Sarah: You're most welcome. Goodbye, Mr. Davies.

Sarah Evans: Good morning everyone, and welcome to Meadowbrook Farmers' Market. For those of you who are new stallholders or perhaps thinking of joining us, my name's Sarah Evans and I'm the market manager. I just wanted to run through a few key points about how we operate to ensure everything runs smoothly and everyone understands their responsibilities. It’s vital we maintain our high standards.

Sarah Evans: First off, let's talk about pitches. Our standard pitch size is three by three metres. If you need a larger space, you must arrange this with me well in advance, as availability is limited, especially during peak season. We allocate pitches on a first-come, first-served basis for bookings, but priority is always given to regular stallholders. The pitch fee for a standard spot is currently forty pounds per day. That's a slight increase from last year; it used to be thirty-five pounds, but rising costs meant we had to adjust it. So, forty pounds. This covers your space and access to power if requested beforehand.

Sarah Evans: Now, a critical aspect of our market, and what makes us a 'farmers' market', is the origin of your produce. All goods sold must be grown, reared, or produced by the stallholder themselves. We don't allow re-selling of produce bought from wholesalers or other farms. This is a strict rule to ensure authenticity for our customers. Furthermore, everything must originate within a fifty-mile radius of Meadowbrook. That's fifty miles, not seventy-five as some might think. We do occasional spot checks, so please be prepared to provide evidence of origin if requested.

Sarah Evans: Moving onto waste management, which is a big topic for us. We're very keen on keeping our environmental impact as low as possible. Stallholders are entirely responsible for their own waste. This means you must take all your refuse home with you at the end of the day. We do not provide bins for trade waste, so please don't leave any rubbish bags next to the public litter bins. They're not for you. We strongly encourage the use of biodegradable or recyclable packaging for your products. We're actually looking into a scheme to collect soft plastics for recycling in the future, but for now, it's down to individual stallholders to manage all types of packaging. Cardboard boxes, for example, should be flattened and taken away. As for food waste, if you have any unsold produce that's still perfectly good, we have a partnership with the local food bank, 'Harvest Share', who collect donations at 3:30 pm. This is a great way to prevent waste and help the community.

Sarah Evans: Next, trading hours. The market is officially open to the public from 9 am to 3 pm. That’s nine in the morning until three in the afternoon. Stallholders are permitted to arrive and begin setting up their pitches from 7:30 am onwards. I repeat, seven thirty am. Please don't arrive before then as the site won't be ready and you'll cause congestion. It used to be 7 am, but we changed it due to noise complaints from local residents. All stalls must be fully set up and ready to trade by 8:45 am, fifteen minutes before opening. Packing down should commence no earlier than 3 pm, when the market closes, and all stallholders must have vacated the site by 4 pm at the very latest. Not 5 pm as some people sometimes assume, but 4 pm. We need the site clear for cleaning crews.

Sarah Evans: Just a quick reminder on general conduct: please ensure your stall is safe, clean, and accessible at all times. Always keep your prices clearly visible. And remember, smiling faces make happy customers! If you have any questions or need further clarification on any of these points, please don't hesitate to speak to me, Sarah Evans. That's E.V.A.N.S. You can find me in the market office near the main entrance, or drop me an email. My details are on the market notice board. We really value our stallholders and want to ensure Meadowbrook continues to be a thriving hub for local produce.

Dr. Evans: Right then, Liam, Chloe, thanks for coming in. So, we're here today to discuss your group presentation on household food waste. I've had a look at your initial proposal, which was quite comprehensive, and I think you've got a solid foundation. The main aim for today is to outline the structure, assign responsibilities, and pinpoint some key research areas.

Liam: Thanks, Dr. Evans. We've been brainstorming quite a bit since submitting the proposal. I'm particularly interested in the economic impact, not just environmental, but I know Chloe wants to focus on consumer behaviour aspects. It's a huge topic, isn't it?

Chloe: Absolutely, Liam. It's surprising how much goes to waste in homes, even when people think they're being careful. I'm keen to explore why it happens, beyond just expiry dates, and what behavioural nudges could actually work. I think the challenge will be narrowing down the focus so we don't try to cover too much.

Dr. Evans: Precisely, Chloe, that's a very valid point. And remember, the scope is specifically *household* food waste, not commercial or industrial, so keep that in mind when you're looking at data. For the presentation structure, I suggest we follow a standard format: a concise introduction, then we'll delve into the causes, followed by the impacts, then potential solutions, and finally, a strong conclusion. How does that sound?

Liam: Sounds perfectly logical, Dr. Evans. I'd be happy to take on the 'causes' section. I've already started looking at some of the underlying reasons, like over-purchasing, poor storage, and misunderstanding 'best before' labels. I think that ties in well with what I mentioned about economic factors, too.

Chloe: Great, Liam. And I'm happy to tackle the 'impacts'. I think I can weave in the environmental consequences, like landfill emissions and resource depletion, as well as the social aspects, like food insecurity when so much is being thrown away. I think that's where the emotional connection for the audience will be strongest.

Dr. Evans: Excellent. So, Liam, causes, and Chloe, impacts. That leaves the introduction, solutions, and conclusion. Who'd like to take the lead on solutions?

Liam: Well, I think solutions would be a good section for both of us to contribute to, wouldn't it, Chloe? It feels like it naturally follows on from both causes and impacts, so we could each bring our perspectives there.

Chloe: I agree, Liam. That makes sense. We could each pick a couple of key strategies. Perhaps I could look at community initiatives and policy changes, and you could focus on individual household strategies and technological innovations, for instance?

Dr. Evans: That's a very sensible division for the solutions section. You can jointly work on the introduction and conclusion, making sure they frame your individual contributions effectively. Now, let's talk sources. What kind of research are you planning to draw upon?

Liam: We've definitely earmarked academic journals, of course. Peer-reviewed studies will give us the solid data we need. I've found a few articles on behavioural economics related to food waste, which I think will be really insightful.

Chloe: And I was also thinking about government reports. They often have national statistics and policy recommendations, which would be really useful for the impacts and solutions sections. I've found some interesting reports from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs – DEFRA – in the UK.

Dr. Evans: Good, good. Academic journals are essential, and government reports are absolutely invaluable for official data and policy context. Now, what about other types of sources? For example, would you consider anything from non-governmental organisations?

Liam: I thought about charity websites, but I wasn't sure if they'd be considered academic enough for a university presentation. Some of them seem to have really good, practical case studies though.

Chloe: I had a similar thought about news articles. They're good for current events and public perception, but maybe not substantial enough for our core arguments.

Dr. Evans: You're both right to be discerning. Charity websites can be excellent for practical initiatives and real-world examples, provided you cross-reference their claims with more academic sources. So yes, they can definitely add a layer of practical application. However, news articles, as Chloe mentioned, while useful for context, aren't suitable as primary academic sources for this level of presentation. Avoid using them to back up your main arguments. Also, resist the temptation to conduct your own surveys; it's too time-consuming for the scope of this project.

Liam: That's really helpful clarification, Dr. Evans. So, academic journals, government reports, and potentially relevant NGO or charity sites for case studies.

Chloe: Perfect. One last thing – visual aids. I think we need to make sure we have some really striking graphs and images to convey the scale of the problem. That'll help keep the audience engaged.

Dr. Evans: Absolutely, Chloe. Visuals are key. Just ensure they're properly referenced and clear. We've covered a lot. Your next step should be to go away, refine your individual research based on this structure, and then meet again next week to discuss your initial findings and how you plan to integrate them. Remember to focus on quantitative data where possible to really drive home the scale of the problem. Any other questions for now?

Liam: No, I think that's clear. Thanks for your guidance, Dr. Evans.

Chloe: Yes, thank you. It's much clearer now how to approach it.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: Good morning, everyone. Today, we're delving into one of the most remarkable feats of the natural world: honeybee navigation. These tiny insects, no larger than your thumbnail, possess a navigational prowess that has fascinated scientists for decades. Their ability to find food, return to their hive, and even communicate the precise location of resources to their hive mates is nothing short of astonishing. We'll explore the three primary mechanisms they employ: the sun compass, polarised light detection, and the celebrated 'waggle dance'.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: Let's start with the sun compass. It's their primary navigational tool. Bees use the sun as a fixed point of reference, much like sailors historically used celestial bodies. However, the sun moves across the sky throughout the day, doesn't it? To account for this, bees possess an incredible biological 'sun compass', relying on an internal clock to compensate for the sun's apparent movement throughout the day. This internal clock is remarkably precise, allowing them to maintain an accurate bearing regardless of the time. They can use this method reliably for most of their foraging trips, as long as the sun is visible, of course.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: But what happens on cloudy days? This brings us to their second amazing ability. When the sun is obscured by clouds, they switch to a remarkable backup system: detecting patterns of polarised light in the sky. Sunlight, as it passes through the atmosphere, becomes polarised. While humans can't see this directly, bees have specialised photoreceptors in their eyes that allow them to perceive these patterns. So, even a small patch of blue sky, particularly directly above the sun, is enough for them to discern these patterns and orient themselves. It's an ingenious solution to a common problem.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: Now, arguably the most famous aspect of bee navigation is the waggle dance. This was famously deciphered by Nobel laureate Karl von Frisch, and it's a true marvel of animal communication. It's essentially a sophisticated way for a successful forager to inform her sisters about the precise location of a food source. Imagine being able to tell someone exactly where a restaurant is, miles away, without speaking a single word. That's what the waggle dance achieves.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: The dance itself takes place inside the dark hive, on the vertical surface of the honeycomb. A bee that has found a rich source of nectar or pollen will return to the hive and perform a series of movements. The core of the dance is the 'waggle run', where the bee wiggles her abdomen from side to side. Then she'll return in a semi-circle, do another waggle run, then return in the opposite semi-circle. This forms a figure-of-eight pattern.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: The crucial information conveyed is twofold: direction and distance. The direction of the food source is indicated by the angle of the waggle run. The angle of this waggle run, relative to the vertical line on the comb, directly correlates to the angle of the food source relative to the sun. So, if the bee dances straight up, the food is directly towards the sun. If she dances at a 30-degree angle to the left of vertical, the food is 30 degrees to the left of the sun's position. It's a precise angular map.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: Distance, on the other hand, is communicated by the duration of the waggle run. A longer waggle run means a greater distance. For example, a waggle run lasting about one second usually indicates a food source roughly 100 metres away. If the food source is 200 metres, the waggle run might be two seconds. So, it's not simply the number of waggles, but the time spent 'waggling' that's important. It's incredibly efficient.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: Furthermore, the enthusiasm and intensity of the dance also conveys information about the quality of the food source, like its sugar content. A really rich patch of flowers will elicit a much more vigorous and prolonged dance, attracting more bees from the hive.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: It's important to note the limitations of the waggle dance too. This dance is primarily used for food sources located more than, say, 50 metres from the hive. For closer sources, they tend to use simpler 'round dances' or simply scent cues. And while bees can fly further, the waggle dance is generally not performed for resources beyond about 10 kilometres, as the energetic cost of foraging that far starts to outweigh the benefits.

Dr. Eleanor Vance: So, to summarise, honeybees integrate these sophisticated navigational systems. They use an internal clock and the sun as their primary compass, a backup system of polarised light detection when the sun is obscured, and the remarkable waggle dance to communicate precise coordinates to their fellow foragers. These abilities highlight the incredible complexity and adaptive genius of these vital pollinators. Thank you.