Listening Practice 1: Listen to a conversation between friends

and answer the questions!

Audio source: https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/listening/4L11-

friends-from-9-to-5-transcript.php

1. What does Dan often slip into his conversations, according to the speaker?

A. Office gossip

B. Sports updates

C. Jokes about Liz in HR

D. News about company policies

2. How does Melissa typically express her disapproval of someone's actions?

A. Directly confronts them

B. Ignores the behavior

C. Offers alternative suggestions

D. Reports it to HR

3. What role does Melissa play in the office?

A. Mentor

B. Gossip

C. Secretary

D. Administrator

4. What does Clara keep in her desk drawer, according to the speaker?
 A. Chocolate peanuts

B. Office supplies

C. Dried banana slices

D. Stationery

5. What aspect of Christopher's behavior surprises the speaker?

A. His dedication to work

B. His tendency to procrastinate

C. His writing abilities

D. His interest in theater

6. How does Christopher manage to work on his play while at the office?

A. During lunch breaks

B. Between phone calls

C. After work hours

D. During team meetings

7. What kind of job does the speaker and Christopher have?

A. Customer service

B. Sales

C. IT support

D. Management

8. What is the speaker's opinion of Christopher's play?

 A. It's a waste of time

B. It's progressing slowly

C. It's finished

D. It's boring

9. Based on the speaker's tone, what is the likely attitude towards

Christopher's play?

A. Disdainful

B. Curious

C. Supportive

D. Skeptical

10. The speaker pays attention to what Dan says about sports.
A. True B. False

11. Dan argued with a girl who had told him something in confidence.

A. True B. False

12. Melissa tells you she disapproves of what you have done, but does

so in a polite manner.

A. True B. False

13. Melissa will spend a lot on gifts, even though she's godmother to

many of the speaker's colleagues.

 A. True B. False

14. The speaker never seems sure what Clara will have in her drawer

from one week to the next.

A. True B. False

15. Clara is a little overweight due to her office eating habits.

A. True B. False

16. Christopher's job involves having to call a lot of people into his

office.

A. True B. False

17. The speaker thinks Christopher's writing may offer some

psychological benefit.

A. True B. False

For number 18 - 25, complete each sentence by choosing only

the correct letter of the phrases below.

A) to have things hidden away everywhere

B) to make your special day very special

C) to ignore all the angry people

 D) to put on weight

E) to pass on news and information

F) to think about your decisions

G) to think that others love sports

H) to complete a great creative work

18. Dan could be inclined G) to think that others love sports

19. Dan tries E) to pass on news and information

20. Melissa helps you F) to think about your decisions

21. Melissa does her best B) to make your special day very special

22. Clara seems A) to have things hidden away everywhere

23. Clara seems unable D) to put on weight

24. Christopher is trying H) to complete a great creative work

25. Christopher seems able C) to ignore all the angry people

Listening Practice 2: Listen to a group seminar presentation and

discussion in a Social Science class!

26. What is the topic of the seminar presentation? (write the answer in
your ans. sheet) Concerns regarding aging populations/human
longevity issues
27. What is the group’s conclusion? (write the answer in your ans.
sheet) Not really conclusive but at the last comment is that focus
should be on quality of life rather than length of life.

28. The pursuit of immortality has been a consistent theme throughout

various civilizations, as evidenced by stories of quests for everlasting
life. (True/False/Not Given)

29. Scientists in the present age are primarily focused on extending

human lifespan through biological means. (True/False/Not Given)

30. Historically, human longevity was largely hindered by chronic and

degenerative diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.
(True/False/Not Given)

31. The increase in human lifespan has resulted in a decrease in the

occurrence of infectious diseases. (True/False/Not Given)

32. The ageing population is posing economic challenges related to

pension and healthcare costs. (True/False/Not Given)

33. Axel believes that an ageing population is beneficial for society

due to the decrease in birth rates. (True/False/Not Given)

34.Tomas argues that the challenges posed by the ageing population

are insurmountable and will lead to irreversible damage to the
environment. (True/False/Not Given)

35. Manny suggests that society's consumption habits and reliance on

harmful practices are primarily responsible for environmental
degradation. (True/False/Not Given)

36. Axel doubts the effectiveness of recycling programs in addressing

global trash problems. (True/False/Not Given)
 For no 37 - 50, please fill in the information on the following
table:

Make notes of the main points each presenter makes in the first column,
and the details in the third column! In the second column, note whether
the speaker is presenting arguments in favor of the aging population
(pro), or against the aging population (con). In the last row, write your
own name, and state whether you are pro or con. Finally, give reasons
for your position.

Presenter + Main Details

Points
Focus on Pro
or Con?

Manny Prolonging life.

-
Introduction: Living longer – new killers: chronic and (37) degenerative
diseases

e.g. cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease.

Gina Increased pension costs, increased health costs.

Chronic and degenerative diseases more (39)

expensive to treat over longer life spans.
(38) impact on
the economy Social security pay-outs to senior citizens for many more
Con years Not enough money paid IN by working people
compared to that paid OUT to senior citizens.
 Axel Increasing life expectancy leading to greater
overpopulation. More trash, more pollution, more (41)
Ecological resources depleted.
problems
(40) con More environmental (42) degradation.

Consumers buying more products and throwing

away packaging. More oil drilling.

Natural habitats lost for more housing and (43) farmland.

Tomas Increase in (45) volunteering from senior citizens.

(44) Pro Decreasing birth rates in developed countries so less need

advantages: for education and youth health care spending.
cost savings
Cost savings will go a long way.

Manny Society’s consumption habits and (46) dependency on

harmful practices are to blame.
Longevity not to Pro
blame for Should spend time and effort developing (47) solutions
problems to damaging impacts of waste, e.g. sustainable
resources and improving waste (48) disposal systems.

Awareness campaigns about overconsumption

Budgets directed to developing renewable energies

aimed at breaking reliance on fossil fuels.

Your name (49) (50) student’s own ans.

student’s
own ans.

Reading Sections

A: Read each question carefully to make sure you understand what

information it’s asking for.
 Cold Enough for Ya?
Every New Year’s Day, members of the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club gather at the shore
of Lake Michigan, strip down to their bathing suits, and plunge into the icy water! Look at
the table for details on this zany event. Then answer the questions.

1. In which two years did the Polar Bears have the coldest air temperatures for their plunge?
The two years in which the polar bears had the coldest air temperatures for their plunge are
in 1993 and 1999.
2. In what year did the greatest number of people take part in this event, and in what year did
the
fewest take the plunge?
The greatest number of people took part in this event was in 2003 and fewest was in 1993.
3. In general, how has the popularity of this event changed over the years since 1993? Tell how
you know.
In general, the popularity of this event increased from only 23 participants in 1993 to 600
participants in 2004. / In general, the event has become more popular each year. The number of
participants increases each year.
4. What do you notice about the changes in the number of participants and the air temperatures
from 1998 to 1999? Do you think these two factors are related?
The changes in the number of participants from 1998 to 1999 was affected by the
temperatures, where the higher the temperature was the more participants joined, the lower the
temperature the fewer the number of participants were.

(alt.) The number of participants decreased (from 290 to 175). This change is probably related
to the temperature, which dropped from 34ºF to 10ºF.
1. Which animals sleep for an average of 14 hours per day? Hamster, squirrel
2. How many of the animals shown on the graph sleep for more than 15 hours
per day? 5
3. What was the longest life ever recorded for a camel? 50 years
4. How old did the oldest elephant live to be? About 77 years old
5. On average, how many hours a day does a house cat sleep? 13 hours
6. What was the longest life ever recorded for a house cat? About 28 years
7. Which animal sleeps for an average of 16 hours a day? Lemur
8. Which animal sleeps longest of all? Koala
9. Which kind of mammal lived longest of all? Human
10. How old did the oldest kangaroo live to be? About 24 years old
Line Graph: A Gassy Subject (p. 11)
1. About $0.29
2. The prices are almost the same; they have changed very little in 10 years.
3. 1995–2005
4. The price has increased by almost $2.25 per gallon—nearly 10 times higher
than the price in 1955.

24 Bar Graphs: It’s a Wonderful Life! (p. 39)

1. Hamster, squirrel 2. 5
3. 50 years
4. About 77 years old
5. 13 hours
6. About 28 years
7. Lemur
8. Koala
9. Human
10. About 24 years old

READING

Learning to Walk

These days the feet of a typical city dweller rarely encounter terrain any more uneven than
a crack in the pavement. While that may not seem like a problem, it turns out that by
flattening our urban environment we have put ourselves at risk of a surprising number of
chronic illnesses and disabilities. Fortunately, the commercial market has come to the
rescue with a choice of products. Research into the idea that flat floors could be detrimental
to our health was pioneered back in the late 1960s in Long Beach, California. Podiatrist
Charles Brantingham and physiologist Bruce Beekman were concerned with the growing
epidemic of high blood pressure, varicose veins and deep-vein thrombosis and reckoned
they might be linked to the uniformity of the surfaces that we tend to stand and walk on.
The trouble, they believed, was that walking continuously on flat floors, sidewalks and
streets concentrates forces on just a few areas of the foot. As a result, these surfaces are
likely to be far more conducive to chronic stress syndromes than natural surfaces, where
the foot meets the ground in a wide variety of orientations. They understood that the
anatomy of the foot parallels that of the human hand - each having 26 bones, 33 joints and
more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments - and that modern lifestyles waste all this
potential flexibility.

Brantingham and Beekman became convinced that the damage could be rectified by
making people wobble. To test their ideas, they got 65 factory workers to try standing on
a variable terrain floor - spongy mats with varying degrees of resistance across the surface.
This modest irregularity allowed the soles of the volunteers' feet to deviate slightly from
the horizontal each time they shifted position. As the researchers hoped, this simple
intervention made a huge difference, within a few weeks. Even if people were wobbling
slightly, it activated a host of muscles in their legs, which in turn helped pump blood back
to their hearts. The muscle action prevented the pooling of blood in their feet and legs,
reducing the stress on the heart and circulation. Yet decades later, the flooring of the world's
largest workplaces remains relentlessly smooth. Earlier this year, however, the idea was
revived when other researchers in the US announced findings from a similar experiment
with people over 60. John Fisher and colleagues at the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene
designed a mat intended to replicate the effect of walking on cobblestones*.

In tests funded by the National Institute of Aging, they got some 50 adults to walk on the
toots in their bare feet for less than an hour, three times a week. After 16 weeks, these
people showed marked improvements in mobility, and even a significant reduction in blood
pressure. People in a control group who walked on ordinary floors also improved but not
as dramatically. The mats are now available for purchase and production is being scaled
up. Even so, demand could exceed supply if this foot stimulating activity really is a 'useful
non pharmacological approach for preventing or controlling hypertension of older adults,
as the researchers believe. They are not alone in recognising the benefits of cobblestones.
Reflexologists have long advocated walking on textured surfaces to stimulate so-called
'acupoints' on the soles of the feet. They believe that pressure applied to particular spots on
the foot connects directly to particular organs of the body and somehow enhances their
function. In China, spas, apartment blocks and even factories promote their cobblestone
paths as healthful amenities. Fisher admits he got the concept from regular visits to the
country. Here, city dwellers take daily walks along cobbled paths for five or ten minutes,
perhaps several times a day, to improve their health. The idea is now taking off in Europe
too.
People in Germany, Austria and Switzerland can now visit 'barefoot parks' and walk along
'paths of the senses - with mud, logs, stone and moss underfoot. And it is not difficult to
construct your own path with simple everyday objects such as stones or bamboo poles. But
if none of these solutions appeal, there is another option. A new shoe on the market claims
to transform flat, hard, artificial surfaces into something like uneven ground. 'These shoes
have an unbelievable effect,' says Benno Nigg, an exercise scientist at Calgary University
in Canada.

Known as the Masai Barefoot Technology, the shoes have rounded soles that cause you to
rock slightly when you stand still, exercising the small muscles around the ankle that are
responsible for stability. Forces in the joint are reduced, putting less strain on the system,
Nigg claims.

Some of these options may not appeal to all consumers and there is a far simpler alternative.

If the urban environment is detrimental to our health, then it is obvious where we should
turn. A weekend or even a few hours spent in the countryside could help alleviate a
sufferer's aches and pains, and would require only the spending of time.

However, for many modern citizens, the countryside is not as accessible as it once was and
is in fact a dwindling resource. Our concrete cities are growing at a terrifying rate - perhaps
at the same rate as our health problems.

TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

1. Brantingham and Beekman were the first researchers to investigate the relationship
between health problems and flat floors. (TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN)
2. The subjects in Fisher’s control group experienced a decline in their physical
condition. (TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN)
3. The manufacturers are increasing the number of cobblestone mats they are making.
(TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN)
4. Fisher based his ideas on what he saw during an overseas trip.
(TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN)
5. The Masai Barefoot Technology shoes are made to fit people of all ages.
(TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN)

6. The writer suggests that Brantingham and Beekman’s findings were …

A. Ignored by big companies.
 B. Doubted by other researchers.
C. Applicable to a narrow range of people.
D. Surprising to them.

7. What claim is made by the designers of cobblestone mats?

A. They need to be used continuously in order to have a lasting effect.
B. They would be as beneficial to younger people as to older people.
C. They could be an effective alternative to medical intervention.
D. Their effects may vary depending on individual users.

8. Which of the following points does the writer make in the final paragraph?
A. People should question new theories that scientists put forward.
B. High prices do not necessarily equate to a quality product.
C. People are setting up home in the country for health reasons.
D. The natural environment is fast disappearing.

ONE WORD ONLY

In their research, Brantingham and Beekman looked at the complex physical (9)
ANATOMY of the foot and noted that the surfaces of modern environments restrict its
movement. They invented a mat which they tried out on factory workers. Whenever the
workers walked on it, the different levels of (10) RESISTANCE in the mat would
encourage greater muscle action. In turn, this lessened the effect of (11) STRESS on the
cardiovascular system.

Similar research was undertaken by John Fisher and colleagues in Oregon. As a result of
their findings, they decided to market cobblestone mats to the elderly as a means of dealing
with (12) HYPERTENSION. Reflexologists claim that by manipulating specific parts of
the feet, the performance of certain (13) ORGANS will also improve. Finally, Benno Nigg
at Calgary University believes that specially shaped (14) SOLES on shoes should give
health benefits.
1. Who is the chart about?
A. Employed people with children.
B. Employed people without children.
C. Unemployed people with children.
D. None of the above.

2. Which activity do these people spend the least time doing?

A. Caring for family members.
B. Eating and drinking.
C. Household activities.
D. None of the above.

3. Which activity do these people spend the most time doing?

A. Eating and drinking.
B. Leisure and sports.
C. Working.
D. None of the above.

4. Which statement is true?

A. People spend less time working than eating, drinking, and sleeping combined.
B. People spend more time working than eating, drinking, and sleeping combined.
C. People spend as much time working as eating, drinking, and sleeping combined.
 D. None of the above.

Writing Sections

Exercise 1:
Exercise 2:

Exercise 3: Generating Electricity from the Sea

The two diagrams illustrate a method of creating electricity from the force of waves using
a specifically designed man-made construction.

The structure, consisting of a wave chamber and a tall column containing a turbine, is
erected on a steeply sloping coastal cliff or sea wall where it is subject to the movement of
the ocean waves.

The first diagram shows how the incoming wave fills a large chamber and forces the air
inside this space up the column and through the turbine. The pressure of the air rotates the
turbine which generates a current of electricity. The process does not end there for the
structure is able to continue producing power as the sea recedes as can be seen in the second
diagram.

As the water now flows away from the structure, it draws air back down the column and
downwards through the turbine in the same direction as the previous upward flow of air.
The turbine continues to turn thus generating even more electricity. (Word count: 165)
(Source: https://www.ieltsjacky.com/ielts-process-diagram.html)

Exercise 4: Producing Electricity through Hydroelectric Power Station

The diagram depicts a hydroelectric power station, and shows how electricity is generated
by the flow of water through a dam and other component parts. Ultimately, water flows
from one reservoir to another, producing electricity that is sent to the national grid.

Firstly, water enters a reservoir from a river. The water is held back from its natural course
by a dam, underneath which there is an intake pipe that is open during the day and closed
at night. During the daytime, water flows down, via gravity, to the power station, which is
housed below the dam. In the power station, the flowing water spins a generator, which
produces an electrical current that is then distributed via power lines to the national grid.
Once the water has generated this electricity, it flows into a lower reservoir, but at night it
is pumped back up through the system to the upper reservoir, ready to begin the process
again the following day. (Word count: 160)