School Visit to Hinchingbrooke Country Park

ANNOUNCER: Part 1. You will hear a teaching assistant calling a country park about a school visit. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.

SALLY: Good morning, Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Sally speaking. I'm one of the rangers.

JOHN: Oh, hello. My name is John Chapman, and I'm a teaching assistant at a local primary school. I've been asked to arrange a visit to the park for two of our classes.

SALLY: OK, what would you like to know?

JOHN: Well, I'm new to this area, so perhaps you could tell me something about the park first.

SALLY: Of course. Altogether the park covers 170 acres, which is about 69 hectares.

SALLY: There are three main types of habitat: wetland, grassland, and woodland.

SALLY: The woods are well established and varied, with an oak plantation and other areas of mixed species.

JOHN: Right.

SALLY: The wetland is quite varied too. The original farmland was dug up about 40 years ago to extract gravel.

SALLY: After the gravel was removed, the pits filled with water and formed two large lakes.

SALLY: There are also several smaller lakes, ponds, and a stream flowing through the park.

JOHN: OK, so with these habitats there must be quite a variety of wildlife.

SALLY: There certainly is. There are many species of birds, insects, and animals such as deer and rabbits.

JOHN: And I understand you organise educational visits for schools.

SALLY: That's right. We can organise a wide range of activities and adapt them for different ages.

JOHN: Could you give me some examples?

SALLY: One focus is science. Children study plants, trees, and insects, and collect and analyse data.

SALLY: Another focus is geography. Children practise reading a map and using a compass to navigate around the park.

JOHN: Do you do anything related to history?

SALLY: Yes. Children explore how the use of the land has changed over time.

SALLY: We also cover leisure and tourism. Children learn about visitors, their needs, and how the park manages the problems they may cause.

SALLY: Another subject is music. Children experiment with natural materials to create sounds and explore rhythm and tempo.

JOHN: That must be fun.

SALLY: Most children really enjoy it.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.

SALLY: All the activities are educational. Learning outside the classroom encourages children to be creative and to explore and discover for themselves.

JOHN: I imagine they feel a sense of freedom that they may not usually experience.

SALLY: That's right. Often children discover they can do things they didn't realise they could do.

SALLY: They develop new skills, which increases their self-confidence.

JOHN: It sounds great. What about the cost of a full-day visit?

SALLY: If there are more than 30 children, the cost is £4.95 per child.

SALLY: We send an invoice afterwards, so you don't pay for children who cannot attend.

SALLY: There is no charge for teachers or other adult leaders.

JOHN: That sounds very fair. Thank you for the information. I'll discuss it with my colleagues and get back to you.

SALLY: We look forward to hearing from you. Goodbye.

JOHN: Goodbye, and thank you.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 1. You now have one minute to check your answers.

Stanthorpe and Malatte Twinning Association

ANNOUNCER: Part 2. You will hear the chairman of Stanthorpe Twinning Association, which organizes the link between Stanthorpe in England and a town in France, talking to members about the year's events. First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.

SPEAKER: It's great to see so many members of the Twinning Association here tonight.

SPEAKER: Since the twinning link between our towns, Stanthorpe in England and Malatte in France, was established, the relationship between the towns has gone from strength to strength.

SPEAKER: Last month, 25 members of the association from Stanthorpe spent a weekend in Malatte.

SPEAKER: Our hosts arranged a wonderful program. We learned how cheese is produced in the region and had the chance to taste the products.

SPEAKER: The theme park trip had to be cancelled, but the boat trip down the river on the final day was the highlight.

SPEAKER: This is a special year because it marks 25 years since the association was founded.

SPEAKER: In Malatte they are planning to celebrate by building a footbridge in the municipal park.

SPEAKER: Here in Stanthorpe we have decided to plant a Poplar tree in the museum gardens.

SPEAKER: We also considered buying a garden seat, but the authorities were not happy with that idea.

SPEAKER: Our fund-raising events have gone very well this year.

SPEAKER: The pancake evening was extremely popular and made record profits.

SPEAKER: Everyone also enjoyed the French cookery demonstration, which was almost as successful.

SPEAKER: Our film show was limited by the size of the venue, so we hope to find a larger one next year.

SPEAKER: We are looking forward to welcoming our French visitors next week.

SPEAKER: Their coach will arrive at 5 pm on Friday.

SPEAKER: That first evening, try not to do too much because they will be tired.

SPEAKER: It's best to have dinner at home or in the garden rather than going out.

SPEAKER: If the weather is good, you might even plan a barbecue.

SPEAKER: The following morning is market day in town, which is always a nice place to walk around.

SPEAKER: On Saturday evening we will meet at the football club.

SPEAKER: There will be music from Toby Sharp and his band, performing English and Scottish country songs.

SPEAKER: Toby is already well known to many of you because last year he organized our quiz night.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.

SPEAKER: On Sunday we will take our visitors to Farley House.

SPEAKER: You can see the car park at the bottom of the map.

SPEAKER: There is an excellent farm shop where visitors can buy local produce.

SPEAKER: It is located in the old stables, which are arranged around a courtyard.

SPEAKER: The shop is in the far corner on the left.

SPEAKER: There is also a small cafe on the right as you enter.

SPEAKER: For visitors who have difficulty walking, there is a disabled entrance on the far side of the house.

SPEAKER: Children will probably enjoy the adventure playground.

SPEAKER: It is at the northern end of the larger lake.

SPEAKER: Near the house you will also find several gardens.

SPEAKER: The kitchen gardens are rectangular and surrounded by a wall.

SPEAKER: They are located to the north-east of the house near the smaller lake.

SPEAKER: Another attraction is the Temple of the Four Winds.

SPEAKER: To reach it, take the path from the car park past the western side of the stables and house.

SPEAKER: When the path forks, take the right-hand path.

SPEAKER: Continue with the woods on your left, and the temple will be at the end.

SPEAKER: From there you can enjoy excellent views across the whole area.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 2. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Part 2.

Colin and Marie's Discussion on Food Trends, Projects and Innovations

ANNOUNCER: Part 3. You will hear two food science students, Marie and Colin, discussing their final year projects. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

COLIN: I haven't seen you for a while, Marie.

MARIE: No, I've been busy with my project.

COLIN: You're making a vegan alternative to eggs, aren't you? Something that doesn't use animal products.

MARIE: Yes. I'm using chickpeas. I had two main aims when I started researching egg alternatives, but I discovered chickpeas actually have several advantages.

COLIN: Right.

MARIE: What about your project on reusing waste food? You were focusing on bread, weren't you?

COLIN: Yes. It’s been hard work but enjoyable. The process was fairly simple – breaking stale bread into a paste, then reforming it.

MARIE: And you were using 3D printing to turn the paste into biscuits, right?

COLIN: Yes. I had used 3D printing before, but this time I experimented with different patterns for the biscuits.

COLIN: I also tried adding fruit and vegetables to give the biscuits a more appealing colour.

MARIE: It must have been satisfying to create something tasty from food waste that would normally be thrown away.

COLIN: It really was. I’m hoping some restaurants might be interested, so I plan to send them some samples.

MARIE: I found something online yesterday that might interest you. A company has developed touch-sensitive sensors for food labels.

COLIN: How does that work?

MARIE: When the label feels smooth, the food is fresh. When the label develops bumps, it means the food has gone bad.

MARIE: The technology was originally developed to help visually impaired people identify whether food was safe to eat.

COLIN: Interesting. Does it work only with solid food?

MARIE: No, it can also be used with milk or juice.

MARIE: I was thinking it might also be useful for drug storage in hospitals and pharmacies.

COLIN: That's a good idea.

MARIE: And maybe it could be adapted for other information too, like the weight of food products.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30. Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

COLIN: I recently read an article predicting future food trends.

MARIE: Such as a stronger focus on local products. Shops still sell lots of imported food, though.

COLIN: Yes, and consumers need to be encouraged to change their habits.

COLIN: Another issue is the reduction of plastic packaging.

MARIE: Exactly. Almost everything in supermarkets is still wrapped in plastic.

COLIN: The government probably needs to introduce stronger regulations.

MARIE: What about the growing interest in gluten-free and lactose-free foods?

COLIN: Yes, many people buy them even without a diagnosed allergy.

MARIE: Another trend I’ve noticed is celebrity chef products.

MARIE: People watch chefs on TV and then buy branded foods such as spice mixes.

COLIN: I tried a ready-made spice mix once, but it didn’t taste very good.

MARIE: Did the article mention ghost kitchens?

COLIN: No, what are those?

MARIE: They’re delivery-only kitchens. They may use the name of a restaurant, but customers never actually visit them.

COLIN: So people think the food comes from a restaurant, when it really comes from somewhere else.

MARIE: Exactly.

COLIN: Another trend is the use of different mushrooms for health benefits, such as treating heart problems.

MARIE: That could be risky if people don’t know which varieties are safe to eat.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 3. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.

The Céide Fields: A Neolithic Site in Ireland

ANNOUNCER: Part 4. You will hear an archaeology student giving a presentation on an important site in Ireland called the Céide Fields. First you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

SPEAKER: For my presentation today, I'm going to talk about the Céide Fields in the northwest of Ireland, one of the largest Neolithic sites in the world.

SPEAKER: I recently visited the site and observed the work currently being carried out by a team of archaeologists.

SPEAKER: The site was first discovered in the 1930s by a local teacher called Patrick Caulfield.

SPEAKER: While people were digging in the bog, they kept hitting rows of stones.

SPEAKER: Patrick Caulfield realized these stones were actually ancient walls buried beneath the bog.

SPEAKER: He contacted the National Museum in Dublin, but at the time his discovery was not taken seriously.

SPEAKER: Around 40 years later, his son Seamus Caulfield, who had become an archaeologist, continued the investigation.

SPEAKER: He used iron probes to map the pattern of stones beneath the bog.

SPEAKER: This was a traditional technique that local people had used for centuries to locate fuel in the bog.

SPEAKER: Later, carbon dating confirmed the site was over 5,000 years old.

SPEAKER: The bog covering the site helped preserve the remains extremely well.

SPEAKER: A bog contains around 90% water, which slows down the process of decay.

SPEAKER: Dead plants accumulate in layers, forming peat.

SPEAKER: Preservation occurs because peat is acidic and lacks oxygen.

SPEAKER: For bog formation, at least 175 days of rain each year are required.

SPEAKER: This region of Ireland receives around 225 rainy days annually.

SPEAKER: The Neolithic farmers at Céide likely lived in relatively stable communities for several centuries.

SPEAKER: Their settlements consisted of groups of houses surrounding a community building.

SPEAKER: Unlike earlier dwellings, these houses were rectangular, not round.

SPEAKER: A small hole in the roof allowed smoke to escape.

SPEAKER: This suggests they were among the first people to cook indoors.

SPEAKER: Another important innovation introduced by Neolithic settlers was pottery.

SPEAKER: Archaeologists have discovered fragments of Neolithic pots at Céide and other locations in Ireland.

SPEAKER: These pots were used for storing food.

SPEAKER: They were also used as lamps when filled with fat and lit.

SPEAKER: The Céide Fields themselves were probably used as paddocks for grazing animals.

SPEAKER: Each field was likely large enough to support an extended family.

SPEAKER: Farmers may have practiced rotational grazing to prevent overgrazing.

SPEAKER: Interestingly, no buildings have been found that would have sheltered animals during the winter.

SPEAKER: Archaeologists believe farming at Céide eventually stopped suddenly.

SPEAKER: One possible reason was that the soil became less productive.

SPEAKER: The farming system may have been too intensive to sustain long-term agriculture.

SPEAKER: At the same time, climatic changes made conditions much wetter.

SPEAKER: These wetter conditions encouraged the formation of the bog that now covers the site.

SPEAKER: Today, this bog protects and preserves the ancient landscape of the Céide Fields.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 4. You now have one minute to check your answers to Part 4.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of the listening test. In the IELTS test, you would now have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the listening answer sheet.