Cambridge IELTS 20 Listening Test 1

Part 1 — A conversation about restaurant recommendations

WOMAN I’ve been meaning to ask you for some advice about restaurants. I need to book somewhere to celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday, and I liked the sound of that place you went to for your mum’s 50th. MAN The Junction. Yeah, I’d definitely recommend that for a special occasion. We had a great time there. Everyone really enjoyed it. WOMAN Where is it again? I can’t remember. MAN It on Grayson Street only about a two walk from the station. WOMAN Oh that's good I prefer not to have to drive anywhere but I don't want to have to walk too far either. MAN Yes, the location’s perfect, but that’s not necessarily why I’d recommend it. The food’s amazing. If you like fish, it’s probably the best restaurant in town for that. It’s always really fresh and there are lots of interesting dishes to choose from But all the food is good there. WOMAN Is it really expensive? MAN It’s certainly not cheap, but for a special occasion I think it’s fine It’s got a great atmosphere and before dinner you can go up on the roof and have a drink It’s really nice up there, but you need to book It’s very popular as the views are spectacular. WOMAN Sounds good. So that’s definitely a possibility then. Is there anywhere else you can think of? MAN If you want somewhere a bit less formal, then you could try Paloma. WOMAN Where’s that? I haven’t heard of it. MAN No, it’s quite new. It’s only been open a few months, but it’s got a great reputation already. It’s in a really beautiful old building on Bow Street. WOMAN Oh, I think I know where you mean. Right beside the cinema. MAN Yes, that’s it. I’ve only been there a couple of times, but I was really impressed. The chef used to work at Don Felipe’s, apparently. I was really sorry when that closed down. WOMAN So is all the food they serve Spanish, then? MAN Yeah. You can get lots of small dishes to share, which always works really well if you’re in a group. WOMAN Hmm. Worth thinking about. MAN Yeah. There’s a lively atmosphere and the waiters are really friendly. The only thing is that you need to pay a £50 deposit to book a table. WOMAN A lot of restaurants are doing that these days. I should have a look at the menu to check if there is a good choice of vegetarian dishes. A couple of my friends have stopped eating meat MAN Not sure I say the selection of those would be quite limited. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions five to ten. Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10. MAN I’ve just thought of another idea. Have you been to the Audley? WOMAN No, don’t think I’ve heard of it. How’s it spelt? MAN A-U-D-L-E-Y. You must have heard of it. There’s been a lot about it in the press. WOMAN I don’t tend to pay much attention to that kind of thing. So where is it exactly? MAN It’s in that hotel near Baxter Bridge, on the top floor. WOMAN Oh, the views would be incredible from up there. MAN Yeah, I’d love to go. I can’t think of the chef’s name, but she was a judge on that TV cookery show recently. And she’s written a couple of cookery books. WOMAN Oh, Angela Frayne. MAN That’s the one. Anyway, it had excellent reviews from all the newspapers. WOMAN That would be a memorable place for a celebration. MAN Definitely. Obviously it’s worth going there just for the view, but the food is supposed to be really special. WOMAN She only likes cooking with local products, doesn’t she? MAN Yes. Everything at the restaurant has to be sourced within a short distance and absolutely nothing flown in from abroad. WOMAN I imagine it’s really expensive, though. MAN Well, you could go for the set lunch. That’s quite reasonable for a top-class restaurant – £30 a head. In the evening, I think it’d be more like £50. WOMAN At least that, I should think. But I’m sure everyone would enjoy it. It’s not the kind of place you leave feeling hungry, though, is it? With tiny portions? MAN No, the reviews I’ve read didn’t mention that. I imagine they’d be average. WOMAN Well, that’s all. Thanks so much.

Part 2 — A talk at Edelman Pottery

Hello and welcome. My name's Heather McCallum and I'm one of the potters who work here at Edelman Pottery. Before we go into the workshop, I just want to say a bit about the craft of pottery. Then we'll have a look at the equipment and you can try making a pot of your own. Like many people, I'm sure you know that pottery as an art form is tens of thousands of years old. And we know this because it stands the test of time. Things like baskets and pictures don't survive on the earth in the same way that pots do. and even if ancient pots are found in small pieces they still provide a lot of information about the past. There no doubt that pottery has given archaeologists a fascinating insight into how ancient hills lived The shape of an artefact may have been lost but archaeologists can tell whether the pots were for, say, storage or cooking by examining the impressions on the clay, the scratches from tools, and the clay itself can reveal where the pots came from. When I ask people why they want to take a pottery class with me, they sometimes talk about these things. Like our ancestors, they hope that something they create will also last longer than they do, that their work, whether it is good or not, might say something about humanity many years after their death. Of course, you will all have your own reasons for coming here. As far as I'm concerned, what I love most is the concentration you need to make a good pot. That focus takes you away from the stresses of everyday life. If you're elderly, it's also good exercise for hands and wrists and helps with arthritis. And of course, it's a fun activity for children because it's so messy. Here at Edelman Pottery, we show you some of the basic pottery techniques so that you can use these to create whatever you wish. A gift for a friend, perhaps. Like nearly everyone who comes here, I'm sure this is the first time you will have tried the art so we'll keep things simple today. Now, before we move on, can I just say a word about what you're wearing? As we said in our email please remove any watches, necklaces etc and put them somewhere safe. If you have long hair do tie it back now. We provide aprons later but I trust your clothes are old but comfortable, not your favourite T-shirt or jeans. Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20. So now we're in the workshop. Have a look around. There's a lot going on. To make pottery that will last, you need a potter's wheel, a kiln, which is basically a very hot oven where you fire the pottery, and some tools. So, first, the kiln. If you look over in the far corner, you'll see one of ours. Since their invention, kilns have changed very little, though in the past 20 years a lot of progress has been made in temperature control. Basically, a kiln removes the water from clay at temperatures of around 1000 degrees Celsius. This allows anything you've made to set permanently in shape. It's a pretty ugly heavy object that's hard to keep in a house or flat, so most people don't have one. You may think, can't I use my oven? Well, that's possible, but domestic ovens don't really get hot enough and eventually the clay will crack and fall apart. Some people fire pottery in a fire pit outside but bear in mind… that can be dangerous. You also need to know about safety procedures for kilns as they release toxic compounds into the air. Every potter needs a potter's wheel. This machine is used to shape the clay into an object with circular walls or sides, such as a bowl. Its invention revolutionised the pottery industry, allowing multiple items to be produced in a day. Lastly, there are a number of different tools that potters use, depending on what they want to make. When you start, your hands can make all kinds of shapes and curves without relying on a sculpting tool. However, there are some basic tools that you will need to handle the clay on the wheel. Some look very strange and have even odder names that you may find hard to remember. Rather than go through them all now, I'll just name a few tools as we go along. We can provide these and I wouldn't recommend spending money on them yet. So, let's try making a pot of your own. If you sit down...

Part 3 — Two students discussing research into loneliness

TAMARA Shall we go through the notes we've made from our research into loneliness now, Dev? DEV OK, Tamara. It's been a real eye-opener. I had no idea that loneliness has been increasing steadily for the last 20 years. TAMARA I know. And it's the same all over the world. The downside of a modern lifestyle, I guess. DEV Did you come to any conclusions about what the reasons for the increase are? TAMARA Well, I'd assumed it was mainly an issue for the elderly, but in fact it's something which affects young people just as much. DEV So nothing really to do with longer lifespans. What about social media? In my case, far from making me feel isolated, it actually does the opposite. it? TAMARA It definitely does more good than harm. I'd say loneliness has a lot to do with the way cities are designed. People living in high flats with not much opportunity to speak to their neighbours DEV I think you right TAMARA Another possible reason is that people are having fewer children and don live in large extended family groups. DEV But in this country anyway, that all changed decades ago. And yet loneliness is a more recent problem. TAMARA I suppose so. A more plausible explanation is that people are having to move around for work and often end up living miles away from their family and friends. DEV That's true. TAMARA Looking at the studies on health risks and loneliness, there are claims that loneliness has as much impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. DEV Or similar to the risks caused by obesity. But I'm not sure there's enough evidence for some of these claims. TAMARA Well, what about that one in Finland, which showed that loneliness increased the risk of cancer by about 10%? And those findings have been supported by other studies too. DEV You're right about that one. I was actually thinking of the studies on dementia. Some found no association between loneliness and dementia, and others found the opposite. TAMARA Not exactly reliable, then. There's been a lot of research on cardiovascular disease and whether loneliness contributes to that. DEV Yes, I read that it was hard to reach a judgment, as the definition of loneliness varied quite a lot, and the responses from participants were too subjective. But there's no doubt that loneliness contributes to a weakened immune system. TAMARA Unquestionably. The data on that is sound. DEV What did you think about the evolutionary theory of loneliness? TAMARA Well I thought the idea that loneliness evolved because it motivated people to be with other people is quite convincing. Survival often depended on group cooperation. DEV But I don think there is enough evidence to claim that there must be a group of neurons in our brains which influence social behaviour by making us feel bad when we're alone. TAMARA There are a few studies which support the theory, but not conclusively enough. More evidence is needed. DEV And anyway, this theory's not really useful when it comes to solving the problem of loneliness today. TAMARA True. Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30. DEV Should we look at the relationship between loneliness and mental health now? TAMARA OK. So, loneliness and depression are clearly related and that's been recognised by various governments around the world. But unlike depression, loneliness has no recognised clinical form. DEV There's no available diagnosis or effective treatment and that's not likely to change. TAMARA I don't think so either I was thinking we should start our presentation with an example from our own experience I like to talk about how lonely I was when I started university being away from home for the first time and all that DEV Good idea. Everyone will be able to relate to that although a lot of students were probably too embarrassed to admit to it. TAMARA Yeah. We could discuss ways of dealing with loneliness as well, like just talking to strangers. DEV Loads of studies have shown that interactions with shop assistants and bar staff make people feel more optimistic and relaxed. TAMARA I don't know about that, but it must make people feel more connected with their community. DEV True, although you need to be a certain kind of person to be able to just strike up a conversation. TAMARA Good point. We should say something about solitude and how being alone and being lonely aren't the same thing. It's strange the way some people can't stand being by themselves while others love it. DEV Yeah, the research shows a certain amount of solitude is beneficial for wellbeing, which I appreciate, but being alone isn't something I actually like. I'd never choose to go on holiday alone, for example. TAMARA Me neither. DEV Well, let's not... you

Part 4 — A lecture on reclaiming urban rivers

It's quite hard to think of a city that doesn't have a big river running through it. If you think about the major cities in the world, Shanghai, New York, Mumbai, London, they're nearly all built on rivers. When these cities were established hundreds or even thousands of years ago, the rivers were a big part of people's lives. In 16th century London, the quickest way to get from one part of the city to another was by river. But people also used the river for fishing, as the water then was relatively clean, and they would also go on boat trips up and down the river just for pleasure, as a relaxing escape from the noise and bustle of the city streets But as industries developed and populations increased city rivers suffered The rising number of people meant there was a huge increase in the amount of sewage discharged into the rivers. Rivers had always been used for this purpose, but when the number of inhabitants was so small, that wasn't such a problem. However, as cities grew to over a million inhabitants, the impact on the rivers became more serious. In addition, other types of pollution increased, as factories were built beside the river and discharged their waste materials into the water. This got worse over time. As recently as 1957, scientists at London's Natural History Museum declared that the River Thames was dead in biological terms, as the water was too filthy to support any kind of life. But in recent years, as rivers lost their industrial function, cities have begun to recognise their true value and to take steps to clean them up. For example, the River Thames is now cleaner than it's been for 150 years. These days you can see seals swimming in the water, and recently people had to try to rescue a whale, which had got lost and swam up the river from the sea by mistake. Unfortunately, they didn't succeed, but the problem was disorientation rather than the quality of the water. Then, all around the world, riverside areas are now seen as prime sites for development. Warehouses that were once used for storing goods are now being converted into expensive restaurants and also into apartments with river views, which are in great demand and sell for astronomical prices. In Los Angeles, on the west coast of the USA, an architect has plans to revitalise the banks of the river and to make a park there which can provide facilities for sports as well as a natural environment for relaxing in It also hoped that the riverside can be used for other purposes It's been proposed that facilities could be provided for displaying projects related to various kinds of art that have been produced by local people, for example. In the city of Paris, During the summer months of July and August, all the traffic is banned from the roads by the sides of the river, and the banks are transformed into beaches, where people can relax in deck chairs under potted palm trees, sunbathe or buy a drink or a snack while enjoying the view. But to make the most of our rivers in our increasingly crowded cities, we need to allow them to regain their original purpose and be used as a means of transport, reclaiming our streets from cars and lorries. To do this, we'll have to shift more traffic back to the river, but this time cleanly and silently, making the most of modern technology. Already, more than two billion passengers use the ferry to travel in cities around the world, like Istanbul, San Francisco and New York, and these numbers are set to rise further. Admittedly, it's not a fast way of travelling, but neither is a car when it's stuck in traffic. Of course, passenger traffic on roads might decrease as more people start working from home, but another recent development, the huge rise in online shopping, has meant that another form of urban traffic just keeps on growing, and that's deliveries. Trucks and vans in the city pollute and double-park while dropping off parcels. Imagine using the immense capacity of shipping to take these trucks off the road. One freight barge can replace 44 large trucks, uses far less energy and causes less pollution When the barge docks at the riverside the parcels could be taken the last few kilometres to their final destination on cargo bikes, electric ones of course. This is already happening in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, and in future the final stage could even be carried out by drone, although at present this isn't allowed. Wouldn't it be great to unblock our city centres in this way? Looking further ahead...