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    IELTS Listening · Practice test

    Ravensworth: IELTS Listening practice test

    Volunteering at a castle, a tour of the grounds, a museum placement and a lecture on Roman concrete.

    • 4 parts
    • 40 questions
    • About 35 minutes
    Sit this test with the recording

    Part 1 · Questions 1–10

    Volunteering at a castle

    You will hear a conversation between a man and the volunteer coordinator at a castle.

    Questions 1–5

    Complete the form below.

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

    Volunteer Registration

    Name
    Peter 1
    Former occupation
    2
    Role chosen
    room 3
    Availability
    one day a week, on 4s
    Training day
    5 May, 10.00–15.00

    Questions 6–10

    Complete the notes below.

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

    Practical information

    6 references are needed, from people who are not relatives
    Uniform: a green 7 is provided; wear your own dark trousers
    Volunteers park behind the 8 block, with a permit
    Free entry to trust properties for a volunteer and one 9
    To report an absence, 10 rather than send an email

    Part 2 · Questions 11–20

    A tour of the castle grounds

    You will hear a guide introducing a tour of a castle and its grounds.

    Questions 11–15

    Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

    1. 11What does the guide say about the castle's appearance?
      • AMost of it was built in the nineteenth century.
      • BIt was rebuilt exactly as it had been.
      • COnly the battlements are modern.
    2. 12The family left the castle in 1946 because of
      • Adamage done during the war.
      • Bthe cost of taxes on inheritance.
      • Cthe failure of their business.
    3. 13Photography inside the castle
      • Ais not permitted at all.
      • Bis allowed without flash.
      • Crequires a permit from the desk.
    4. 14What does she say about climbing the tower?
      • AIt is included in this tour.
      • BIt needs a separate ticket.
      • CIt is closed for repairs.
    5. 15Visitors may sit on the furniture
      • Ain one room only.
      • Banywhere outside the state rooms.
      • Cnowhere in the building.

    Questions 16–20

    Label the plan below. Write the correct letter, A–H, next to questions 16–20.

    Ravensworth Castle and grounds
    CastleCourtyardGatehouseABCDEFGH
    1. 16Round tower
    2. 17Walled garden
    3. 18Ice house
    4. 19Stable block
    5. 20Chapel

    Part 3 · Questions 21–30

    A museum placement

    You will hear two students, Bea and Omar, discussing a work placement at a museum with their course leader.

    Questions 21–24

    Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

    1. 21Why do placements most often go wrong, according to Dr Whitlam?
      • AStudents expect more interesting work than they get.
      • BMuseums give students too much responsibility.
      • CThe placements are too short to be useful.
    2. 22What does he say will matter most about their archive work?
      • Athe number of items they catalogue
      • Bthe method they leave behind
      • Cthe quality of their photographs
    3. 23What does he warn them about their working days?
      • AThey must not change them once agreed.
      • BThey will have to work some weekends.
      • CThey may be asked to work extra hours.
    4. 24The best reflective reports are those which
      • Adescribe a problem and the student's response to it.
      • Bquote widely from the literature.
      • Cshow that the placement ran smoothly.

    Questions 25–26

    Answer the questions below.

    Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

    1. 25What should the students keep from the first day of the placement?
    2. 26Which group of people does Dr Whitlam say they should ask for help?

    Questions 27–30

    What does Dr Whitlam advise about each of the following? Choose the correct letter, A–F, next to questions 27–30.

    Advice

    • AArrange it straight away.
    • BDo it if the placement allows, but it is optional.
    • CThere is no point preparing for it in advance.
    • DStudy it closely and keep it with you.
    • EAsk the curator to do it for you.
    • FLeave it until the second half of the placement.
    1. 27the object handling training
    2. 28the conference in June
    3. 29the collections database
    4. 30the museum's collections policy

    Part 4 · Questions 31–40

    Roman concrete

    You will hear part of a lecture about Roman concrete.

    Questions 31–40

    Complete the notes below.

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

    Roman concrete

    The marine recipe

    lime, seawater and volcanic 31 from the bay of Naples
    plus an aggregate of rock or broken 32
    proportions recorded by 33 in the first century BC

    Modern concrete by comparison

    Portland cement is fired at about 34 degrees and sets within a month
    in seawater, chloride reaches the 35 reinforcement, which rusts and cracks it

    Why the Roman material lasts

    seawater dissolves the ash, and new 36 crystallise in the cracks
    lumps of lime, made by 37 mixing, react with water to seal later cracks

    Why we do not use it

    it gains strength very 38
    it is far weaker in 39, so Roman buildings had to be massive

    Why it still matters

    cement production causes about 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions

    Question types in this test

    Next step

    Hear the recording once, on the clock, and get every mark explained

    Sit this Listening test