IELTS Simulation Tests General Training Listening Test 1 (Online Test)

Good evening. Last week Mr Jenkins spoke to you about home security. My name is Malcolm Fletcher and tonight I'm going to talk about personal safety when driving and fire safety in the home.

Of course, we shouldn't go around perpetually frightened of all the bad things that might happen to us but there are some sensible precautions that we should all take to avoid getting hurt. You probably know already that a great number of serious assaults occur in the vicinity of motor vehicles. You should always be alert when walking to your car and check the rear seat of your car before getting in. This is especially important in isolated parking areas or the far corners of major shopping complexes.

Now, once inside your car, get into the habit of locking the doors. Always keep the windows up and the doors locked, especially if you are travelling alone. If at all possible, steer clear of isolated roads after dark. Even with all the high tech communication devices we have today, many serious crimes are committed on lonely back roads.

Make sure your vehicle is mechanically sound and ensure you have adequate fuel in the tank at all times. If your vehicle does break down in a lonely spot, lift the bonnet and then lock yourself inside the car and call for help on your mobile phone. Never under any circumstances leave your vehicle and go with a stranger to seek help. It is better to wait for the police or some other emergency vehicle to stop and offer assistance.

Of course you should never pick up a hitchhiker. Some of the most serious crimes committed in this country have been a direct result of this foolish practice.

If you think you are being followed by someone in another vehicle, ideally, you should drive to the nearest police station! But if there isn't one within easy reach, drive to the nearest open service station or shop, or the nearest occupied house. Now, we are lucky enough to have a police station in this area—do any of you know where it is? Look at this map on the screen and I'll show you how to get to it from the Community Centre where you are now. Then, when you get home, you can work out how to get there from other directions.

From the Community Centre go along Bayview Street toward Maiden Avenue; at the roundabout, take the second exit onto Leigh Street, go past the medical clinic and, at the next roundabout, take the first exit onto Moore Street. You should continue on Moore Street until you have passed the little block of shops on the left and the church on the right. Stay on Moore Street until you go over the bridge and then turn right into Canal Street. You'll find the Police Station on the corner of Canal Street and Cockleshell Court.

Now, let's move on to fire safety. Before I talk to you about safety precautions and procedures, I'd like to mention some of the effects of smoke and heat on humans. There are four ingredients of fire, namely: oxygen, fuel, heat and chain reactions. Almost all materials burn and most household goods burn very easily. The air we breathe contains about 21% oxygen. As fire burns it consumes oxygen, thereby reducing the oxygen content of the air. When that is reduced to 15%, oxygen deficiencies in body tissue cause an impairment of muscle control and dexterity. At between 10 and 14 percent judgment and reasoning are affected. Oxygen reduction to between 6 and 10 percent results in unconsciousness and breathing stops. Sounds scary, doesn't it? But that's not all you have to worry about.

Many materials in the home give off toxic gases as they burn. The main toxic gases are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen oxide. Carbon monoxide is an invisible and odourless gas produced in all fires. It takes up the place of oxygen in the blood thereby reducing the supply of oxygen to the brain. The effect of carbon dioxide is to increase the heart rate and stimulate the rate of breathing, causing an increase in the intake of other toxic gases which contributes to, amongst other symptoms, serious oxygen deprivation.

Hydrogen sulphide, on the other hand, affects the nervous system, causing dizziness and pain in the respiratory system. It does occur naturally in volcanic gases and hot springs and it also results from the bacterial breakdown of organic matter. You're probably familiar with it—you know, it has that characteristic odour of rotten eggs. But, make no mistake, in large concentrations, it's deadly. Lastly, nitrogen oxide is another extremely poisonous gas at high levels of concentration which deadens feeling in the throat and lungs, causes swelling in the throat and a buildup of fluids in the lungs.

LECTURER: Good morning, Archie. I'm glad you came to see me.

ARCHIE: Good morning, Dr Newell. I made an appointment as soon as I got your message.

LECTURER: I'll get straight to the point, Archie. It's about your research proposal—it's not even set out correctly. I understand that you haven't done the unit on 'Research and Academic Inquiry' yet, but nevertheless...

ARCHIE: I must admit, Dr Newell, I was in a bit of a muddle about just how to approach the whole thing.

LECTURER: Well, start a new page in your notebook and listen carefully—I'll run through it with you briefly.

ARCHIE: I'd really appreciate that.

LECTURER: Right, well, for a start—where's your title? I don't think we can consider all this rambling at the top of the page a convincing title...it should be descriptive but concise...you can even omit the pre-amble 'An investigation of...'

ARCHIE: Okay, a clear and compelling title...

LECTURER: Well, let's move on to the Abstract.

ARCHIE: Yeah, I'm not really sure I know what that is...

LECTURER: It's the aim, of your investigation. Yours is only a relatively short dissertation but you'll still have to include the research question, the rationale for the research, the methods you'll use and what you expect the main findings to be.

ARCHIE: But I don't know what I'll find because I haven't done the research yet.

LECTURER: But you must have some idea?

ARCHIE: Well, yes, but the results could be quite different.

LECTURER: That isn't a problem. That's what research is all about. Now, moving on, some people have an introduction and others just combine it with the literature review. In your case, I'd probably suggest you just go with the literature review.

ARCHIE: This is where I note down the books and articles that are related to my field of study, right?

LECTURER: Well, it's a little more than that. You'll have to evaluate the relevant literature and be able to show how your research fits into a certain area.

ARCHIE: So I write down the titles of the published material that has a similar theory to mine.

LECTURER: Yes, but you should demonstrate how your theory is different from others as well.

ARCHIE: That's an awful lot of reading!

LECTURER: Precisely. What you have at the moment is woefully inadequate.

ARCHIE: I guess I need to spend my summer vacation in the library.

LECTURER: Yes, that's not a bad idea but let's move on, shall we?

ARCHIE: There's more?

LECTURER: Yes, your next section should be Methodology.

ARCHIE: I know that means 'methods' but I'm a bit stuck here.

LECTURER: This is your work plan. This is where you summarise your data collection process.

ARCHIE: Like: Who will take part?

LECTURER: Yes, your participants, how you'll get your samples...and, most importantly, how you will measure your samples.

ARCHIE: So that unit on Validity and Reliability will finally come in useful.

LECTURER: Yes, but you'll also have to consider how you'll plan to proceed.

ARCHIE: Got that...then what?

LECTURER: Discussion is the next heading.

ARCHIE: What do I discuss?

LECTURER: Potential outcomes. You must be able to show what significance your findings will have and how you plan to use them. Also, I think I should mention this is the section where you'll state any limitations or weaknesses that your research might have.

ARCHIE: Mmm...there might be a few of those...

LECTURER: Well, that's it in a nutshell really. There are more complex templates for research proposals but I think this is enough considering the length of your dissertation. Oh, one more thing, don't forget to include any ethical considerations there might be. Depending on what you have in mind for your participants you may have to get approval from the Ethics Committee.

ARCHIE: I have to get their written consent, don't I?

LECTURER: Yes, but you will also explain how you're going to protect their identity.

ARCHIE: Oh, fine. I think I can handle that. Thanks very much, Dr Newell.

LECTURER: All I've done is go through the key elements with you; let me explain that the proposal has to convince me that your project is worthwhile and that you have the necessary competence to carry it through.

ARCHIE: I understand.

LECTURER: As you write it you need to bear in mind three basic questions...and they are: What do you hope to accomplish? Why do you want to do it? And: How are you going to do it? I can't make it simpler than that.

ARCHIE: No, no, that's really helpful, thanks.

LECTURER: Just a bit more advice, Archie. Students often come unstuck in their proposals because they don't organise their material; they lack focus; and rely too much on repetition. Failure to cite references correctly will also go against you.

ARCHIE: Is APA style good?

LECTURER: We don't specify a style in this department but whatever you choose it must be consistent.

ARCHIE: I'll stick with APA—I know that one.

LECTURER: Good. One more thing, Archie: don't ramble. You have a tendency to write without a clear sense of direction and include too much detail on minor issues—keep the details for the major issues.

ARCHIE: I'll make a note of it.

LECTURER: Okay. Get the revised proposal in to me by next week and I'll have another look at it before the break.

Good morning. Today, as part of your Business Management course we're starting a unit on problem-solving skills and decision-making. Let's start with a powerful decision-making technique developed by Edward de Bono in his book 6 Thinking Hats, which you'll find on your required reading list. The method works by compelling you to move outside your habitual ways of thinking. Often success in business results from rational, positive thinking but these approaches, used in combination with quite different ones, will improve the over-all quality of your decision-making.

Now, each 'thinking hat' has a different colour and represents a different style of thinking. Let's start with the white hat. When you're wearing the white hat, you look at the information you have; you look at historical trends and try to analyse them; and you take account of gaps in your knowledge and try to fill them.

On the other hand, if you're wearing the red hat, you listen to your gut reaction and instincts. You also try to imagine the intuitive response that other people might have. How would other people, who are unaware of your reasoning and all the facts at your disposal, react?

That brings us to the black hat next. Black hat thinking, as its name suggests, is cautious and defensive; and you examine why something might not work. It all sounds very negative but it is essential to know what the weak points in a plan of action might be. It permits you to alter your approach; eliminate problems; or at least be ready with contingency plans if the worst happens. After all, it is better to spot the fatal flaw and know the risks before you undertake a new enterprise.

The opposite viewpoint, of course, comes with the yellow hat. It helps you to continue when the outlook is gloomy or the problems seem insurmountable. Think positively and you'll see all the advantages and values of the decision and all the opportunities it brings.

Let's look at what the green hat has to offer now. It stands for freewheeling, imaginative, inspired, innovative thinking where there is little or no criticism of ideas. Original solutions to a problem are more likely to arise when you're wearing the green hat.

Finally, the blue hat—this is the hat that the person chairing the meeting wears. The blue hat is in charge and organises the meeting. He or she can point activities in the direction of other coloured hats when required. For example, if ideas have dried up, the blue hat will suggest more green hat thinking. If there is too much exuberance and enthusiasm for an idea, the blue hat will ask for black hat thinking to ensure that any possible defects have been addressed.

Needless to say, you can use Six Thinking Hats by yourself but it really comes into its own when participants with different thinking styles come together to make a sound decision.

Now, another useful way to generate radical ideas or creative solutions to a problem is Brainstorming. You're all familiar with the term 'brainstorming' and I'm sure you've all done it from time to time, but even in well-managed groups, sometimes big egos intimidate less confident participants who, in turn, may feel pressured to conform or are inhibited because of their respect for authority. What I would suggest in this case is a system called the Stepladder Technique. If you follow the flow chart on the board, you'll see there are just five basic steps.

Firstly, members contribute on an individual level. The task is presented to them; they are given time to think and form their own opinions about how to solve the problem. You do this before you get them together as a group.

Secondly, you form a core group of just two people and allow them time to discuss the topic of concern. In the third step, a third member is added to the core group but, and this is most important, that third person presents his or her thoughts before having a chance to hear the proposals that have already been put forward. When all three have explained their ideas, then they can consider their options collectively.

In step four, the same process is repeated—a word of advice here: keep the group small to maximize effectiveness—you can limit the numbers to four, or add more, but I wouldn't go above seven—not if you want a good quality decision. The last step in the process is to get a final decision, but only after all members have been included and had the opportunity to communicate their ideas.

The main benefit of this step-by-step method is to give even the most diffident and quietest of people the chance to share their ideas before they can be influenced by others.