Becoming A Volunteer For ACE - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–13 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Becoming a volunteer for ACE
Questions 14–15 Multiple Choice (Two Answers)
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Questions 16–20 Matching
What does the speaker suggest would be helpful for each of the following areas of voluntary work?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions.
Helpful things volunteers might offer
A experience on stage
B original, new ideas
C parenting skills
D an understanding of food and diet
E retail experience
F a good memory
G a good level of fitness
Area of voluntary work
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | C | we have brought in extra seats so that no one has to stand, but it does mean that the people at the back of the room may be a bit squashed. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that extra seats have been brought in to prevent people from having to stand, but this has resulted in people at the back feeling a bit crowded. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the speaker has to apologize about the seats because some of them are placed very close together, causing discomfort for those sitting in them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'C' because the speaker apologizes for the seating arrangement by mentioning that while they brought in extra seats to avoid anyone standing, it led to people feeling squashed at the back due to the seats being placed too closely together. |
| Q12 | A | Well, you can be as young as 16 or you can be 60 or over; it all depends on what type of voluntary work you want to do. Other considerations, such as reliability, are crucial in voluntary work and age isn’t related to these, in our experience. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that volunteers can be either young (as young as 16) or older (60 or over). The speaker emphasizes that age doesn't matter as much as other things when it comes to volunteering. Answer Explanation: The answer states that the age of volunteers is less important compared to other factors when it comes to volunteering. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'A' because the speaker in the excerpt clearly mentions that age is not a significant factor in volunteering. They explained that what matters more are qualities like reliability, which are crucial in volunteer work. Therefore, the age of volunteers is indeed less important than other factors. |
| Q13 | A | What’s more, training doesn’t end when you start working for us – it takes place before, during and after periods of work. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is saying that learning and getting better at your volunteer work does not stop when you begin working. Instead, training happens before you start, while you are working, and even after you have been working for some time. Answer Explanation: The answer is saying that the training is continuous, which means it keeps happening even after you begin working as a volunteer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'A' because the excerpt clearly states that training is an ongoing process that occurs before, during, and after you start working, emphasizing its continuous nature. This aligns with the idea that training doesn't end when you start working, as mentioned in the excerpt. |
| Q14 | — | — | |
| Q15 | B / E | What we value is dedication it is critical that you have enough hours in the day |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is saying that being dedicated and having enough time available in the day are very important. Answer Explanation: The answer tells us that the speaker asks potential volunteers to think about their level of commitment and their availability. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B and E because the excerpt emphasizes the importance of dedication and time availability, which directly relate to the issues of commitment and availability mentioned in the answer choices. |
| Q16 | B | If you have the creativity to come up with an imaginative or novel way of fundraising, we’d be delighted | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests that if someone can think of a new or creative way to raise funds, the organization would be very happy. Answer Explanation: The answer means that having original, new ideas would be useful for volunteering in fundraising. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'B' because the excerpt emphasizes the importance of creativity and new ideas for fundraising, which aligns with the answer choice 'B' for original, new ideas. |
| Q17 | G | One outdoor activity that we need volunteers for is litter collection and for this it’s useful if you can walk for long periods, sometimes uphill. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about needing volunteers for picking up litter, and it mentions that it's helpful if volunteers can walk for a long time and sometimes uphill. Answer Explanation: The answer suggests that having a good level of fitness would be helpful for litter collection. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because being physically fit, as mentioned in the excerpt, is required for this outdoor activity that involves walking for long periods and sometimes uphill, indicating the importance of having a good level of fitness for litter collection. |
| Q18 | D | it’s good if you know something about nutrition and can give clear instructions. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests that it is helpful if you know about food and diet to give clear instructions. Answer Explanation: The answer 'D' relates to having an understanding of food and diet. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'D' because knowing about nutrition is important for providing clear guidance in the area of voluntary work related to 'Playmates'. This aligns with the mention of giving clear instructions in the excerpt. |
| Q19 | A | If that doesn’t appeal to you, maybe you would be interested in helping out at our story club for disabled children, especially if you have done some acting. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions a story club for disabled children and suggests that volunteering there would be suitable for individuals with acting experience. Answer Explanation: The answer A refers to 'experience on stage,' which means having acted or performed in front of an audience. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the excerpt indicates that volunteers with acting experience would be helpful at the story club for disabled children, implying that being on stage and performing could be beneficial in engaging the children during storytelling activities. |
| Q20 | F | Initially, though, your priority will be to take in a lot of information and not forget any important steps or details. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that initially, it is important for volunteers to take in a lot of information and remember all the important steps or details. Answer Explanation: The answer 'F' suggests that having a good memory would be helpful for volunteers in the area of first aid. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'F' because in the context of first aid work, having a good memory is crucial as it helps volunteers remember important procedures and details to provide effective assistance during emergencies. |
Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Let me start by welcoming you all to this talk and thanking you for taking the time to consider joining ACE voluntary organisation. ACE offers support to people and services in the local area and we’re now looking for more volunteers to help us do this.
By the way, I hope you’re all comfortable – we have brought in extra seats so that no one has to stand, but it does mean that the people at the back of the room may be a bit squashed. We’ll only be here for about half an hour so, hopefully, that’s OK.
One of the first questions we’re often asked is how old you need to be to volunteer. Well, you can be as young as 16 or you can be 60 or over; it all depends on what type of voluntary work you want to do. Other considerations, such as reliability, are crucial in voluntary work and age isn’t related to these, in our experience.
Another question we get asked relates to training. Well, there’s plenty of that and it’s all face-to-face. What’s more, training doesn’t end when you start working for us – it takes place before, during and after periods of work. Often, it’s run by other experienced volunteers as managers tend to prefer to get on with other things.
Now, I would ask you to consider a couple of important issues before you decide to apply for voluntary work. We don’t worry about why you want to be a volunteer- people have many different reasons that range from getting work experience to just doing something they’ve always wanted to do. But it is critical that you have enough hours in the day for whatever role we agree is suitable for you- if being a volunteer becomes stressful then it’s best not to do it at all. You may think that your income is important, but we don’t ask about that. It’s up to you to decide if you can work without earning money. What we value is dedication. Some of our most loyal volunteers earn very little themselves but still give their full energy to the work they do with us.
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OK, so let’s take a look at some of the work areas that we need volunteers for and the sort of things that would help you in those.
You may wish simply to help us raise money. If you have the creativity to come up with an imaginative or novel way of fundraising, we’d be delighted, as standing in the local streets or shops with a collection box can be rather boring!
One outdoor activity that we need volunteers for is litter collection and for this it’s useful if you can walk for long periods, sometimes uphill. Some of our regular collectors are quite elderly, but very active and keen to protect the environment.
If you enjoy working with children, we have three vacancies for what are called ‘playmates’. These volunteers help children learn about staying healthy through a range of out-of-school activities. You don’t need to have children yourself, but it’s good if you know something about nutrition and can give clear instructions.
If that doesn’t appeal to you, maybe you would be interested in helping out at our story club for disabled children, especially if you have done some acting. We put on three performances a year based on books they have read and we’re always looking for support with the theatrical side of this.
The last area I’ll mention today is first aid. Volunteers who join this group can end up teaching others in vulnerable groups who may be at risk of injury. Initially, though, your priority will be to take in a lot of information and not forget any important steps or details.
Right, so does anyone have any questions …