IELTS Trainer 2 Academic Listening Test 6 (Online Test)

Guide: Well good morning everyone and a warm welcome to the Willford Living Museum. Before you look around, I’d like to tell you a bit about the history of Willford, and the purpose of the museum.

Well, if we go back to the early 1800s, Willford was very different to what you see today. At that time, the forests had already been cut down. But there were no large urban settlements here, just a few small villages, and this whole area was a place where local people kept animals or grew crops – those were the only economic activities.

But then in 1830, something happened in Willford that transformed the area. The discovery of rich deposits of coal and other minerals opened up many commercial possibilities. Mines were built, so these deposits could be brought to the surface. Then a canal was constructed, so that canal boats could transport the minerals to other regions. Finally. a railway was built through Willford in the 1850s, creating many new opportunities.

By the 1870s, Willford had become an important manufacturing centre. A few factories successfully produced fabrics from cotton and wool.

However, what Willford was best known for, was manufacturing all sorts of tools, machinery and other items out of iron and steel. The attempt to set up a pottery industry here, however, making items for the home out of clay, was never really a success.

So, for the next hundred years or so, Willford was a thriving industrial region. However, by the 1970s, the old industries here were in decline. Much of the land at this site wasn’t being used. So the local council decided to set up a ‘living’ museum here. The idea was for visitors to be able to walk around and visit the sorts of factories, shops, homes and schools that were once found here.

When the museum first opened in 1976, 2000 visitors came on the first weekend alone. Since then, visitor numbers have just grown and grown. They now stand at 300,000 per year and we anticipate further growth in the years to come. In fact, just recently we welcomed our 9 millionth visitor, which was an exciting day for us.

As well as our regular visitors, the museum has a number of other uses. We work closely with universities, whose staff consult the range of documents and artefacts we hold here. As well as that, those making movies and television shows often come to the museum because it makes a great set for historical scenes. There’s even a possibility in future we may open up the museum for weddings and other private events.

Guide: OK, so if you take out your maps, I’ll just point out a few places you might like to visit. So right now, we’re standing in the ticket office, at the bottom of your maps.

So, one place I’d recommend is the old bakery. This is a typical bakery from this area, from about 100 years ago. To get there from the ticket office, walk up Stafford Street. And then turn into Rigby Road. Walk down Rigby Road, there are a few interesting places along the way, and the old bakery is right next to the canal.

Another interesting place is the doctor’s surgery. This was moved here, brick by brick, and rebuilt on the museum site. Walk up Stafford Street, until you reach the dock. You see the café. Walk past that, and the doctor’s surgery is just there.

Cooper’s Cottage is also fascinating – a worker’s cottage from the 19th century. Walk up Stafford Street and take the first turning on the left. The road curves round to the west, then south, as it climbs Jack’s Hill. You’ll pass a few little houses on the way up, and Cooper’s Cottage is right on the summit of Jack’s hill.

The stables are also great. This is where they kept all the horses. Again, walk up Stafford Street to the dock, and turn right. Walk round the dock till you get to the canal. Then cross the bridge over the canal to reach the stables.

Also, be sure to visit the old school. So, walk north-east up through the museum. And it’s not too far. The old school is right on the corner of Stafford Street and Rigby Road.

Now one other thing…

Stella: Hi Nathan. Shall we compare ideas for our assignment on market research?

Nathan : Good idea. So first in the assignment, I think we should explain what ‘market research’ is. One definition I found was this – gathering information about consumers’ needs and preferences.

Stella: I like that, nice and clear. So then, we need to establish the benefits of market research. Why do it? I read that many business people think it’s about finding the next market they can exploit. But it’s more complex than that.

Nathan: I agree. To me, it’s about unpredictability. Markets can change unexpectedly. But if you’ve done research, you can minimise the chance that something will go wrong in your own business.

Stella: That’s a really significant point. You may also learn the most effective means of promoting your business.

Nathan: But that depends on the business. It’s not a general advantage.

Stella: No, you’re right. But I do think, the sums you invest in market research, you’ll see a return on that eventually.

Nathan : That’s it exactly. Great point. The trouble is, too many of those working in business take a short-term view.

Stella: OK, so there are benefits. But there are criticisms of market research, as well. We should acknowledge that in the assignment.

Nathan : But some criticisms are more valid than others.

Stella: Like?

Nathan : Well, apparently some managers say they’re just too busy. But that’s a poor excuse.

Stella: Maybe they think they already know everything they need to know?

Nathan : Maybe they do, but that’s an issue with them, not with market research.

Stella: OK, fair enough. But I read an interesting study out of the USA showing that the results of a lot of market research are just unreliable. The supposed developments identified by the research never occur.

Nathan : Yes, that’s a good point. Then, another question is, can businesses actually see if market research is working? I mean, is it possible for a business to say categorically that increased profits resulted from market research?

Stella: But that’s a criticism of how businesses are structured, not research itself.

Nathan: Yeah OK. Though you’ve got to admit, market researchers love jargon. These are examples from one report I read – ‘psychographics’, ‘coolhunting’ and ‘asynchronous research’. Some people are bound to be put off by these terms.

Stella: Yes, that’s a reasonable complaint.

Nathan : So, what about sources of information for market research? Which sources of information work best? I mean, we all know that putting cameras in stores tells us a lot about consumer behaviour.

Stella: Yes, that’s well documented. But I read that managers can learn a lot about social trends just by doing really obvious things, like keeping up with the news on TV, radio and digital networking sites. I hadn’t thought it could be that simple.

Nathan : No, me neither. Then there’s a lot of data put out by bodies like the national census and the civil service. That can be helpful.

Stella: Maybe, but it depends on the business. What I hadn’t expected, though, was the evidence showing that talking to consumers directly about their preferences really works.

Nathan : Yeah, I was a bit taken aback when I read that. But apparently, it’s more effective than internet questionnaires and polls.

Stella: I think people are less likely to be honest in questionnaires.

Nathan: All right. So, if a business wants to use its own resources for market research, what’s the process?

Stella: Good question. Let’s think about a company that isn’t using outside consultants, but doing it internally. Then I think the first step is staff education. You’ve got to get all employees committed, to maximise the chances of success.

Nathan: Agreed. Then, you need to show staff examples of what they can do every day.

Stella: You mean in their interactions with customers?

Nathan: Yes. What, precisely, should they ask customers in order to get valuable information? Show staff the sorts of things they can ask on a daily basis.

Stella: OK. And next, I was reading an article by the BQR Group. Apparently, staff need to keep an account of what the customers are saying.

Nathan: You mean on computer, or by hand?

Stella: The format doesn’t matter. But, say, every Friday, they should add to the document. So they build up a picture of customer opinions, and the insights aren’t lost.

Nathan: Good point. Right, next, I read about ways of motivating staff. Business Guide magazine had a report on the importance of maintaining motivation.

Stella: So, what, by looking ahead and deciding what to do next?

Nathan: Well, in fact, Business Guide’s approach is to get your staff together round a table as frequently as possible to discuss their findings.

Stella: That sounds like a good approach. Next, you need to provide detailed feedback about any changes you decide. So everyone can see the outcomes of the research.

Nathan: Nice idea. Then you have to ensure continued participation by the staff. You want market research to be ongoing, not just a one-off.

Stella: Oh, this is the idea of delegating, so that each staff member is accountable for market research in one area of the business.

Nathan: Yeah, exactly. And then another aspect of this is…

Student: Hi everyone. My presentation today is looking at drinking water. Now, we know that water is a vital nutrient for human life. But exactly how much of it do we need to drink? Well, today I’m going to review some of the research.

So, for example, there’s a common idea that we should drink 8 glasses of water every day. But researchers say that the 8-glasses-a-day rule is a myth. Some people might need more than 8 glasses, some a lot less. The only group for whom the rule is useful seems to be the elderly, because they don’t always feel thirsty, even when their bodies are actually short of water. So for them 8 glasses a day might be a good rough guide.

OK, let’s look next at what effects water has on the body. One issue of interest is weight loss. And there are lots of theories about this. It’s been claimed that dieters should drink more at night time, or drink when they first wake up, but there’s no research to back this up. But actually, there is some evidence from studies to show that subjects who drank a lot of water, and then had their meals, lost more weight. But that may only be because the water filled them up and reduced their appetites.

I also read some of the research done by Dr Amaldi, who’s looked in depth at this whole issue of drinking water. And one of his studies does support the common claim that water is good for the stomach. In particular, it seems to increase the rate at which digestion takes place, which overall has a number of health benefits.

Another interesting study I read about took place in the US. And this one was investigating the effects of dehydration – that is, not having enough water in the body. And what the US study indicated was that when a subject was low on water, their body’s ability to regulate its own temperature was compromised, compared to a properly hydrated subject.

Now there’s another frequent claim about water that I was interested in looking into. But in my reading anyway I could find no evidence at all to support the idea that hydration improves or enhances the skin in any specific way. So that claim may be a bit of a myth as well.

Another interesting aspect of this concerns the brain. And I read about a couple of research studies investigating how water intake may affect brain function. In the first study, the research subjects were female. And the less hydrated group were affected more frequently by headaches compared to those who drank more water.

In the second study, the research subjects were all male. And this time, a lack of water in the body was associated with a number of findings. In particular, the subjects in this group reported increased feelings of anxiety when dehydrated.

So, in summary we can see that, yes, there are some health benefits from drinking plenty of water. But in many of these studies, the benefit was quite small. And it’s probably true that in general, on the internet and so on, the benefits of drinking lots of water are overstated.

But what about the opposite – can you drink too much water? Well, it’s possible, but it’s not a common problem. Actually, the human body kind of prevents us drinking too much. Australian researchers discovered that when subjects were fully hydrated, they actually found swallowing problematic – their bodies just wouldn’t allow it so easily. So that’s an interesting finding.

It is true that people do occasionally become sick from drinking too much water, although it is rare. So, I mean, there are recorded instances of illness among athletes who have been encouraged to drink a lot, for example.

According to doctors, people who have drunk too much water, too quickly, have become what’s called ‘hyponatremic’. Basically, this means that the make-up of their blood has changed and it now contains such a high proportion of salt that they suffer an adverse effect. But it’s very rare for this sort of hyponatremia to be a dangerous condition.

So, based on the reading I’ve done, the best advice is to trust your body. Drink water when you’re thirsty, but you probably don’t need to drink more often than that.