IELTS Trainer 2 General Training Listening Test 4 (Online Test)

You will hear a man talking to a group of people who are looking around a community garden.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.

Man: Well, good morning everyone and welcome to this open day at the community garden. Our garden belongs to the local community and, as you’ll see, what we grow here is mostly fruit, and different kinds of vegetables. First, I’ll tell you some background information.

Well, recently we made an interesting discovery at the garden. Before, we didn’t know much about the history of this site. We only had a few documents and records. Then we found some ancient implements, like spades and forks, for digging. They were buried in the earth. Experts say these are at least 1000 years old. So people have been using this land for growing produce for a long time. There are some photographs of these implements in the club house, as well as a diagram of what we think the garden might have looked like, if you want to look later.

So, why was this location so good for gardening? As you can see, we’re in a slight valley. And storms blow very hard up this valley, which can be a problem. But being in a valley, we get good freezing frosts here in winter, which gardeners like because it kills the bugs. The great thing, though, is the stream that runs through the valley, so we can irrigate the gardens even through long, dry summers.

Now what we do know is that in 1860, gardening stopped here. This was a time of rapid development in this area. And on that date, the City Infirmary was constructed on this site, so this is where doctors and surgeons worked to take care of the health needs of the growing population. Also, many new houses were put up for people who commuted into the city each day to work. There was even talk of a new military camp, although that never happened in the end.

Then in the 1980s, the old buildings here were removed. And this land again became a productive garden. Today, these gardens produce large quantities of fruit and vegetables. Each plot of land is worked by a volunteer member of the garden, and they donate what they grow to families in this neighbourhood who are struggling financially. Occasionally we’re approached by local businesses and restaurants wanting to buy our organic produce, but we just don’t have enough.

We also have a good relationship with the local college. In fact, several of the academics there are members of the garden. Each week, undergraduates enrolled on the college’s horticulture course have a class here, to learn about their subject first hand. And in future the college hopes to hold workshops here, to help local people establish vegetable gardens at home.

Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.

Man: OK, now I’ll just point out a few places of interest around the gardens. So, can you all look at your maps please? OK, so we’re now standing at the main entrance to the gardens, outside the club house.

So, you might be interested in our worm farms. This is where we make fertiliser. To get there, from the main entrance, head north. You’ll pass gardens on either side of the path. Just before the path curves round to the right, there’s a turning on the left. Go down there and the worm farms are inside the first building you come to.

It’s also worth visiting our seed store. Again, head north and follow the path as it curves round to the right through the gardens. You’ll come to the orchard. Follow the path around the edge of the orchard – but don’t go too far. The seed store is actually located inside the orchard – a very pretty spot.

Now the machinery shed might interest some of you. From the main entrance, just go into the car park and walk right to the end. You’ll see a little path heading out to the west – it’s down there.

Our compost heaps are also pretty impressive. So, head north from the main entrance, go past the first gardens and take the first turning on the left. Go to the end of that path. The compost heaps are built in the shape of a letter ‘U’.

The drying room is also interesting. This is where we dry fruit, to preserve it. To see how it’s done, walk up through the gardens till you come to the orchard. Keep heading north and the drying room is right at the very end of that path – as far as you can go.

Now one other thing I’ll mention…

You will hear two technology students called Alya and Jason talking about their joint presentation on the benefits of playing video games.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

Alya: Well, Jason, shall we do some planning for our joint presentation?

Jason: Yeah, let’s compare the reading we’ve been doing. Did you read that article by Dr Franklin?

Alya: Yes, the use of games in therapy.

Jason: So, we’ll need to explain what kind of ‘therapy’ he’s talking about.

Alya: OK, so it’s treating people after accidents or illnesses – rebuilding their body strength.

Jason: Exactly. And Dr Franklin sees huge potential for games.

Alya: But he made the point that this isn’t new. Really, since the 1990s, therapists have been experimenting with games.

Jason: Yeah, I agree, Dr Franklin illustrated that this has been going on for many years, it’s not a sudden breakthrough.

Alya: I was hoping he’d give some idea about how many health professionals now employ games in therapy.

Jason: He doesn’t really address that, does he?

Alya: OK, so, what’s the biggest advantage of games in therapy?

Jason: Well, most games are played in virtual reality. So the patient is moving their arms and legs, exercising their body.

Alya: So I guess it’s quite cheap, then?

Jason: Yeah, but so are conventional exercises. I don’t think that’s an issue.

Alya: No, OK. But I read that the games are really motivating. People are much more prepared to spend hours on rehabilitation, when a game’s involved.

Jason: I think you’re right. That’s the most important benefit. In fact, I read some people actually get so caught up in the game they hurt themselves, and the therapists have to slow them down.

Alya: Then, did you read about the Singapore study?

Jason: Yeah, I started. They were investigating whether people actually made more friends by playing games, right?

Alya: That’s right. They got a group of teenagers and over-60s together for 30 minutes a day playing video games.

Jason: But the subjects weren’t all in the same place. They were playing online.

Alya: No, they were all together in a room. That’s how the experiment was conducted.

Jason: We should check, I’m sure it was online.

Alya: You’ll find I’m right. But anyway, the study found a real social benefit to game playing.

Jason: Mmm, interesting. So many people say that games are solitary.

Alya: Well, the Singapore study showed that players develop empathy for each other and bond over games.

Jason: A good point to make in the presentation. Then, I also had a look at the ‘anxiety study’.

Alya: I haven’t seen that one.

Jason: Well, they experimented with children waiting to see a doctor. Some were allowed to play games and some weren’t.

Alya: Was there a particular type of game?

Jason: Well, just simple ones on hand held devices. And they found that the children who played games experienced considerably less stress and anxiety. Games distract the mind – that’s the theory.

Alya: Better for the children, but also better for the parents. That’s what I like about this.

Jason: Yeah good point – it reduces the stress for everybody. There just needs to be some additional research to support the finding.

Alya: We should also mention the Rhode Island research.

Jason: Maybe. But the finding just reinforced what’s been shown in earlier studies – that people can be distracted from their bad habits, like eating junk food, or drinking fizzy drinks, by playing games.

Alya: But no-one had used MRI scans before. And the brain scans showed that games activate the same reward centres in the brain as the drinks or junk food. This study has supplied valid proof as to why games work this way.

Jason: Actually, that’s a good point. And many people would probably like to know about that.

Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.

Alya: So, then in the presentation, we need some more research findings.

Jason: Well, I read an interesting study about surgeons. It was in the USA. And it found that surgeons perform better when they play video games in their free time.

Alya: That makes sense. I mean, games are obviously going to improve hand to eye coordination.

Jason: Yeah, I guess it’s predictable. Still interesting, though.

Alya: Absolutely. Challenges the idea that games are just a waste of time. Then there was a study about vision and eyesight. Apparently, games may actually improve vision. Game players in the study could see differences in grey colours more effectively.

Jason: That’s odd, though, isn’t it, because there are also studies showing a link between electronic screens and eye damage.

Alya: Yeah, it’s certainly controversial.

Jason: I also read a study about sports. There’s a company that makes video games which are supposed to encourage physical exercise. The idea is, you play the sport first in the game, and then you’re more likely to do it for real. And the study, apparently, confirmed it.

Alya: Well, I doubt that’s really true.

Jason: I know. Seems highly unlikely to me. Maybe just a marketing tactic by the company.

Alya: The study about ageing was a good one. Scientists in Germany found that games have a positive influence on older people by keeping their brains active.

Jason: And that’s going to be more and more significant as the population ages. Good news for game manufacturers!

Alya: I also read that games can actually help your career. The problem-solving, decision-making and leadership that are developed in some games can actually make you more effective in the workplace.

Jason: And there’s been quite a lot of previous research to back that up, too. Interesting.

Alya: Then another…

You will hear an anthropology student given a talk about traditional Polynesian navigation.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Student: Hi everyone. Today I’m going to be talking about traditional Polynesian navigation and voyaging. Now, in case you don’t know, the islands of Polynesia are in the Pacific Ocean and include Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa.

All of these islands were originally uninhabited by humans. And for many years there was a debate about where the Polynesian people had migrated from. It was once suggested that they came from the Americas. However, that debate has been settled. Today, anthropologists recognise that the Polynesians began their journeys in Asia and from there migrated eastwards to the Pacific islands. It’s believed all the Polynesian islands had been settled by the 13th century. When European explorers arrived in the Pacific in the 17th and 18th centuries, they were impressed by the local canoes. European ships were much stronger, but the indigenous vessels were considerably faster when under sail.

What we now know is that Polynesians sailed across open ocean – out of sight of land – long before this occurred elsewhere. And to make these voyages possible, they built remarkable ocean-going canoes. The canoes had two hulls – so are sometimes called ‘catamarans’. They were equipped with large paddles, but these were not a form of propulsion. Instead the paddles were positioned at the back of the canoe to make steering the vessel possible.

All these ocean-going canoes had sails. Polynesian sails were triangular in shape and made from the ‘pandanus’ plant, which grows on nearly all Pacific islands. It was also necessary to make warm clothing, as even in tropical waters people could get cold on long voyages. Materials like wool and cotton were unknown to Polynesians. However, the paper mulberry tree grows on most Pacific islands and its bark was remarkably flexible and was used in the manufacture of clothing.

Next we come to the issue of navigation at sea. How did Polynesians find their way, once they were out of sight of land? We know that they did not have the magnetic compass, which told other navigators which direction was north. But the Polynesian navigators understood where numerous stars rose and set on the horizon. And using this, they could identify 32 different directions. However, this information about the stars was extremely complex and therefore remembering it all was a challenge. So the navigators had created long and complicated songs to help them recall all the information they needed.

Using the stars to navigate was effective – so long as the sky was clear. But when it was cloudy, the navigators couldn’t see the stars. How did they find direction then? Well, they still knew which way to sail the canoe by studying the waves, which usually came from predictable directions in the Pacific at different times of the year.

Sometimes they were sailing between islands they had visited before. But very often they were trying to find new islands. How did they know that land was nearby, just over the horizon? Well, there were various techniques. The navigators were experts at recognising those particular birds whose habitat was the open ocean, and those that lived close to islands. So this was one way they knew that land wasn’t far away. They were also skilled at noticing changes to the sea itself. The temperature of the water is constant in that part of the Pacific but its colour could vary in the proximity of land, and that was something else that they were able to detect.

Well, as technology developed, traditional voyaging all but died out. The Polynesian peoples travelled by steam ship and later aeroplane, like everyone else. However, in recent history, there has been renewed interest in traditional voyaging. It began in 1976 when a new canoe named Hokule’a was built as a replica of traditional Polynesian vessels. This canoe was sailed from Hawai’i to Tahiti, a distance of more than 4000 kilometres across open ocean. And all the navigation was done using the techniques I’ve outlined today – the crew did not use modern instruments on the voyage. Since then there has been a remarkable renaissance of traditional voyaging. Numerous canoes have been built in different Polynesian countries, which have sailed to almost every part of the Pacific. And the Hokule’a has now completed a 3-year circumnavigation of the world. As well as sailing, these voyages have sparked renewed interest among Polynesians in learning about their traditional cultures. The canoes themselves operate as floating classrooms teaching young people about, for example, the music their ancestors once enjoyed. Another aspect of this has been the teaching of Polynesian languages, some of which were in danger of dying out.

Now one thing I’d like to add is…