Laura’s Work Placement - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–22 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 23–24 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 25–30 Matching
What source of information should Tim use at each of the following stages of the work placement?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to questions.
Sources of information
A company manager
B company’s personnel department
C personal tutor
D psychology department
E mentor
F university careers officer
G internet
Stages of the work placement procedure
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | — | — | |
| Q22 | A / E | Do you think you got any better at managing your time and prioritizing things? You always used to say you had trouble with that … Oh, definitely. There was so much pressure to meet the project deadline. And I also got better at explaining things and asserting my opinions, because I had to have weekly consultations with the marketing manager and give him a progress report. |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Laura improved her ability to manage time and prioritize tasks, as well as enhancing her communication skills by explaining things and asserting her opinions. Answer Explanation: The answer choices A and E refer to the skills of organisation and communication, respectively. These are the skills Laura improved during her work placement. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A (organisation) and E (communication) because Laura mentioned she got better at managing her time and explaining things during the work placement, indicating improvements in organisation and communication skills. |
| Q23 | — | — | |
| Q24 | B / C | Oh, yes. I worked it out – it would have been 250 per cent more. The new brochure looks really professional; it enhances the image of the company straight away. |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript indicates that the new brochure made the company look more professional, which improved its image. Answer Explanation: The answer indicates that the company got the benefits of an improved image (C) from Laura's work placement. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B and C because the excerpt mentions a direct benefit of an improved image through the professional look of the new brochure, aligning with option C. Option B, updates for its software, was not directly mentioned as a benefit in the provided excerpt. |
| Q25 | D | Actually, they’ve got copies in the psychology department – I’ve seen them there. I’ll just go to the office and pick one up. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript indicates that the person is mentioning they have seen booklets at the psychology department and plan to go there to get one. Answer Explanation: The answer 'D' refers to the psychology department. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'D' because the psychology department is mentioned in the excerpt as the place where the booklets can be obtained. Therefore, it is the appropriate source of information for obtaining the booklet. |
| Q26 | F | One of the career officers would be better, they’ve got more knowledge about the jobs market than your personal tutor would have. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is saying that a university careers officer would be a better source of information compared to a personal tutor because they have more knowledge about job opportunities. Answer Explanation: The answer indicates that Tim should use a university careers officer when discussing options for his work placement. This means he should seek advice from someone at the university who specializes in helping students navigate their career paths. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'F' because university careers officers have more expertise in the job market and can provide better guidance when it comes to exploring different work placement options. This aligns with the idea shared in the excerpt that they have more knowledge about job opportunities than a personal tutor. |
| Q27 | G | They told me at the careers office that it’s best to be proactive, and get updates yourself by checking the website for new placement alerts. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript indicates that Tim was advised to proactively seek updates himself by using the website to check for new work placement opportunities. Answer Explanation: The answer 'G' (internet) is selected because Tim should use the internet to check for new placement alerts and get updates about work placement opportunities. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'G' (internet) because the excerpt specifically mentions that checking the website for updates is recommended, indicating that the internet is the source Tim should use to stay informed. |
| Q28 | B | Not really … But it is the company who notifies you if they want you to go for an interview. You get a letter of invitation or an email from personnel departments. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when a company wants to invite someone for an interview, they contact the individual directly through a letter or an email sent by the personnel department. Answer Explanation: The answer 'B' indicates that the company's personnel department should be the source of information for Tim when responding to an invitation for an interview. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'B' because the excerpt specifically mentions that the personnel department of the company is responsible for sending out invitations for interviews. Therefore, Tim should rely on the company's personnel department for information regarding the interview invitation. |
| Q29 | E | Right … So, once you’ve had an interview you should let your mentor know what the outcome is? I mean whether you’re offered a job, and whether you’ve decided to accept it? | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests that after Tim completes an interview for a job, he should inform his mentor about what happened during the interview, such as whether he got offered the job and if he decided to accept it. Answer Explanation: The answer, 'E,' means that Tim should use a mentor as a source of information to inform about the outcome of the interview. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E (mentor) because in the excerpt, Tim is advised to share the outcome of his interview with his mentor. A mentor can provide guidance and support throughout the work placement process, including decisions regarding job offers. |
| Q30 | C | And that’s something you should ask your own tutor to provide. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests that Tim should ask his personal tutor to provide a reference. Answer Explanation: The answer choice 'C' corresponds to asking the personal tutor, which is Tim's tutor who personally guides him in his studies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'C' because the excerpt explicitly mentions that Tim should request a reference from his own tutor, indicating that the personal tutor is the appropriate source of information for this stage. |
Transcript
TIM: Hi, Laura – could you spare a few minutes to talk about the work placement you did last summer? I’m thinking of doing one myself …
LAURA: Hi, Tim. Sure.
TIM: Didn’t you do yours at an environmental services company?
LAURA: That’s right … It’s only a very small company and they needed someone to produce a company brochure, and I wanted to get some business experience because I’m interested in a career in occupational psychology in a business environment. It was good because I had overall responsibility for the project.
TIM: What kind of skills do you think you developed on the placement? I mean, apart from the ones you already had … Did you have to do all the artwork for the brochure, the layout and everything?
LAURA: We hired the services of a professional photographer for that. I did have to use my IT skills to a certain extent because I cut and pasted text from marketing leaflets, but that didn’t involve anything I hadn’t done before.
TIM: Do you think you got any better at managing your time and prioritizing things? You always used to say you had trouble with that …
LAURA: Oh, definitely. There was so much pressure to meet the project deadline. And I also got better at explaining things and asserting my opinions, because I had to have weekly consultations with the marketing manager and give him a progress report.
TIM: It sounds as if you got a lot out of it then.
LAURA: Absolutely. It was really worthwhile … But you know, the company benefited too …
TIM: Yes, they must have done. After all, if they’d used a professional advertising agency to produce their brochure instead of doing it in-house, presumably they’d have paid a lot more?
LAURA: Oh, yes. I worked it out – it would have been 250 per cent more. And I thought the end result was good, even though we did everything on site. The company has quite a powerful computer and I managed to borrow some scanning software from the university. The new brochure looks really professional; it enhances the image of the company straight away.
TIM: So in the long run it should help them to attract clients, and improve their sales figures?
LAURA: That’s the idea. Yeah.
———————
TIM: Well, all in all it sounds very positive – I think I will go ahead and apply for a placement myself. How do I go about it?
LAURA: It’s easy enough to do, because there’s a government agency called STEP – S-T-E-P – that organises placements for students. You should start by getting their booklet with all the details – I expect you can download one from their website.
TIM: Actually, they’ve got copies in the psychology department – I’ve seen them there. I’ll just go to the office and pick one up.
LAURA: Right. And then if I were you, after I’d looked at it I’d go over all the options with someone …
TIM: I suppose I should ask my tutor’s advice. He knows more about me than anyone.
LAURA: One of the career officers would be better, they’ve got more knowledge about the jobs market than your personal tutor would have.
TIM: OK …
LAURA: And then when you know what you want you can register with STEP – you’ll find their address in the booklet. And once you’ve registered they assign you to a mentor who looks after your application.
TIM: And then I suppose you just sit back and wait till you hear something?
LAURA: They told me at the careers office that it’s best to be proactive, and get updates yourself by checking the website for new placement alerts. Your mentor is supposed to keep you informed, but you can’t rely on that.
TIM: I don’t suppose it’s a good idea to get in touch with companies directly, is it?
LAURA: Not really … But it is the company who notifies you if they want you to go for an interview. You get a letter of invitation or an email from personnel departments.
TIM: And do I reply directly to them?
LAURA: Yes, you do. STEP only gets involved again once you’ve been made a job offer.
TIM: Right … So, once you’ve had an interview you should let your mentor know what the outcome is? I mean whether you’re offered a job, and whether you’ve decided to accept it?
LAURA: That’s right. They’ll inform the careers office once a placement has been agreed, so you don’t have to do that.
TIM: Is that all then?
LAURA: More or less. Only once you’ve accepted an offer you’ll probably have to supply a reference, because the placement will be conditional on that. And that’s something you should ask your own tutor to provide. He knows about your academic ability and also about your qualities, like reliability.
TIM: Well, thanks very much for the information – I’m starting to look forward …