Day-To-Day Operations Of The Australian Quarantine Service - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 1 Academic Listening Test 6 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–17 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.
Questions 18–20 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
- The acceptable material for packing goods in Australia is 18.
- The belongings most of time are refused due to problems with the 19.
- The customs must be given notice of the goods from 20 days before it arrives in Australia.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | A | We hope to provide you with a better understanding of why such heavy security regulations are necessary by educating you on how we operate and why we do the things we do | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the point of the tour is to help people learn the reasons behind the strict security rules by teaching them how the airport works. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the main goal of the Sydney Airport talk is to teach or give information to the audience. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker says their goal is to provide a 'better understanding' by 'educating' the visitors on their operations. Helping people understand by teaching is the same as educating them. The speaker also notes that they are not trying to 'persuade' (Choice B) people to fly there, and while they want people to be 'comfortable' (Choice C), that is not stated as the main purpose. |
| Q12 | C | Sydney Airport actually employs 440 people | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript specifically says that the total number of workers at the airport is 440. Answer Explanation: The answer means that 440 people have a job at Sydney Airport. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 440 because the speaker provides the total number of staff after rejecting other guesses. While 200 people work in only one terminal, the whole airport employs 440 people in total. The word 'employs' means to give someone a job. |
| Q13 | A | Notice that even though there are so many of us around him, Milton stays quite calm. This is the precise reason he was chosen for the job | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Milton stays calm even with a crowd nearby, and says this is exactly why he was picked for the job. Answer Explanation: The answer means that dogs are picked to work at the airport because they can stay relaxed and quiet even when many people are around them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker mentions that being calm is the specific reason Milton was chosen for his role. While Milton is friendly and good at finding drugs, the speaker clarifies that dogs aren't born knowing how to sniff out drugs—they are taught that later. The key quality they look for when choosing a dog is its ability to stay calm in a busy environment with many people. |
| Q14 | B | In this airport alone, over 52,000 packages were shipped in and out over the past year | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that during the previous year, more than 52,000 boxes or parcels were sent through this specific airport. Answer Explanation: The answer is 52,000 items. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker mentions that more than 52,000 packages were handled by the airport during the past year. In the transcript, other numbers are mentioned: 4,400 refers to the typical number of packages sent every month, and 72,000 is the expected number for the current year. Since the question asks specifically for last year's total, 52,000 is the only choice that fits. |
| Q15 | C | If you attempt to pass any of the prohibited items on this list posted at the entrance, you are still allowed to board the plane, but you'll be given a warning and your item will be confiscated | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that passengers with items that are not allowed will receive a warning and have the item taken, but they can still get on their flight. Answer Explanation: The answer means that if a person has forbidden items in their bag, the airport staff will give them a warning. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from the section of the transcript regarding security scans. It mentions that even if a passenger tries to bring prohibited (not allowed) items, they are still permitted to enter the plane. Instead of being arrested or stopped from flying, the passenger is simply given a warning, and the item is taken away (confiscated). |
| Q16 | B | It is important to control the introduction of new plants into an ecosystem, so we must prohibit the transport of any fertile seeds | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that because new plants can change an environment in a bad way, the security team must stop or forbid people from moving seeds that are able to grow. Answer Explanation: The answer is plant seeds. These are specific items that travelers are forbidden from bringing on a flight. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explains that bringing new plants into a different environment can be dangerous for the local species. To prevent this, the airport has a strict rule to prohibit or ban the transport of any fertile seeds. While carry-on items and parcels are allowed (though they are scanned for safety), seeds are specifically listed as things that are not allowed. |
| Q17 | B | If an illegal plant or simple sharp object like a pocket knife is found, it is simply disposed of in our biohazard waste containers, and the package itself is returned to the sender (or passenger, if it is for a passenger flight) | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that if security finds a sharp object such as a pocket knife, they "dispose of" it. This means they throw it away. They put the item in a "biohazard waste container," which is a safe place to put things that are not allowed on a plane. Answer Explanation: The answer means if security finds a pocket knife, it is put into a special trash bin for dangerous items. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains that when a sharp item like a pocket knife is discovered, it is "disposed of," which is a synonym for thrown away. The "biohazard waste containers" mentioned represent the safe receptacle for these items. |
| Q18 | paper | For shipped goods, the most common material used (and the most widely accepted) is paper | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when people send things, the most usual and allowed material to use is paper. Answer Explanation: The answer is a thin material used for wrapping or making boxes, which is commonly allowed for shipping items. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the speaker explicitly states that paper is the most common and accepted material for shipping goods at the airport. This matches the sentence's requirement for an 'acceptable material' used for 'packing goods'. Keywords to look for are 'material' and 'widely accepted'. |
| Q19 | package labels | A more common problem, though, is the package labels. When an item does not make it to the right place, this is the most common reason | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that labels are the most frequent cause of items getting lost or not arriving at the right destination. Answer Explanation: The answer "package labels" refers to the stickers or tags on a box that tell the post office where to deliver it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "package labels" because the speaker identifies this as the main reason why items fail to get to the correct location. While packaging material is important, the speaker highlights that problems with labels are a "more common problem" and the "most common reason" for delivery failure. Keywords to look for include "common problem" and "most common reason." |
| Q20 | two to ten | Make sure it is packed correctly, and we ask that you notify customs between 2 and 10 days within the item's scheduled arrival date | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that if you are getting a package, you must tell the customs office about it starting from 2 days up to 10 days before the day the package is supposed to get to Australia. Answer Explanation: The answer "two to ten" refers to the number of days before a package arrives that someone must inform the government office (customs) about it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "two to ten" because the speaker provides specific instructions for people receiving items from other countries. They use the word "notify," which means to give official information, and state that this must be done within a time frame of "2 and 10 days" before the expected arrival of the items. |
Transcript
Hi everyone, and welcome to Sydney Airport. Today, I'll be giving you the inside information on the day-to-day operations of the Australian Quarantine Service here. We hope to provide you with a better understanding of why such heavy security regulations are necessary by educating you on how we operate and why we do the things we do. We're not here to try to persuade you to fly through Sydney Airport, though we hope you'll find your experience relatively stress-free and comfortable.
First things first, our personnel. Can anyone guess how many people work at Sydney Airport? We have 200 alone working in Terminal 2, so can you guess how many in the whole airport? I heard someone say 360, that's getting closer... What? Did someone say 2,000? That's way too high. Sydney Airport actually employs 440 people. A lot, right? And about half of those employees work in security-related matters.
Moving on to our not-so-human employees, let's come and see our favourite pooch, Milton. Milton is our best drug-sniffing dog on the force. He's friendly to most people - you can even come pet him at the end of our tour. Burnouts beware, though, he'll find everything. Notice that even though there are so many of us around him, Milton stays quite calm. This is the precise reason he was chosen for the job. Dogs that are chosen are not predisposed to sniff out different narcotics - that's something we teach them already.
So here's a part of the airport most people never notice - the cargo transport terminal. This is where packages are shipped to and from. Normally we ship around 4,400 packages per month. In this airport alone, over 52,000 packages were shipped in and out over the past year. We ship to and from 170 different countries. Not bad, eh? Probably it will go up to over 72,000 packages this year. And despite over 100 flights in and out of here daily, the number of lost or delayed packages is impressively low. If you send your package through here, rest assured we'll get it where it's going.
Let's move on to the area most of us are familiar with, the passenger terminals. In order to be allowed into this area, you must pass through security with your ticket and if you're travelling internationally, your passport. If you're travelling domestically, you just need a legal form of ID. If you don't have those, you will not be allowed to pass through security and board your flight.
During the security scan, your carry-on items will be checked for dangerous items such as weapons, sharp objects, and liquids that exceed our specified limit. If you attempt to pass any of the prohibited items on this list posted at the entrance, you are still allowed to board the plane, but you'll be given a warning and your item will be confiscated. Don't worry, we will not arrest you for having too much shampoo in your bag, or anything like that.
We also search your carry-ons and parcels for any perishable items. We prohibit the transportation of local vegetation and prohibit parcels containing any insects in them. You may or may not have learned about this in Biology class, but when some plants are introduced to a new environment, they spread wildly and wipe out the current species around it. It is important to control the introduction of new plants into an ecosystem, so we must prohibit the transport of any fertile seeds.
So what happens to parcels containing possibly suspicious items? It's of course something we do not take lightly here. If an object passes through the scanner that appears suspicious in any way, it is separated out for manual search by a member of our trained security personnel. If an illegal plant or simple sharp object like a pocket knife is found, it is simply disposed of in our biohazard waste containers, and the package itself is returned to the sender (or passenger, if it is for a passenger flight). More serious weapons are reported to higher authorities for investigation.
As far as parcel security, the material of the parcel is important. For shipped goods, the most common material used (and the most widely accepted) is paper. Make sure it is packed sturdy enough, with no rips or tears. We've definitely had packages rip open before due to haphazard packing. A more common problem, though, is the package labels. When an item does not make it to the right place, this is the most common reason. The label may not be in the right place or marked clearly enough.
If you're receiving any items from abroad that must be declared, please remember our guidelines in order to ensure the timely delivery of your item. Make sure it is packed correctly, and we ask that you notify customs between 2 and 10 days within the item's scheduled arrival date.
Okay, before we move on, are there any questions?