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IELTS Listening Practice Test 13: Part 1

Joining a community choir. A student phones the secretary of a community choir to ask about joining, rehearsals and what happens on his first evening.

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Audio

You hear the recording once, as in the real test.

Questions 1–10

Complete the form below.

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Ashcombe Community Choir: New Member Enquiry

Personal details

Rehearsals

Membership

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

8. What will happen at Nathan's first rehearsal?

  1. He will sing on his own.
  2. He will sit beside an experienced member.
  3. He will be given recordings of the songs.

9. What does Pauline say about the concert in December?

  1. It will be broadcast on the radio.
  2. It will take place outdoors.
  3. The ticket money will go to a charity.

10. What does Pauline advise Nathan to do before his first rehearsal?

  1. look at the music on the choir's website
  2. send an email to the musical director
  3. arrive before the rehearsal begins
Show the answers and explanations
  1. TennantPauline first spells it with one N in the middle. Nathan corrects her: T-E-N-N-A-N-T, with a double N.
  2. geographyTrap: he started with economics but switched courses after his first year. He now studies geography.
  3. trumpetTrap: he had piano lessons as a child but gave up after a year. He has played the trumpet since he was ten.
  4. Thursday / ThursdaysTrap: rehearsals used to be on Tuesdays, but the room is now booked by a dance class, so they meet on Thursdays.
  5. libraryTrap: the poster mentioned a church, but St Mary's Church was too cold. They now use the library on King Street.
  6. 20 / twenty / £20 / 20 poundsSixty pounds is the full fee and thirty is the normal student rate, but this year students only pay twenty pounds.
  7. folderMusic is lent to everyone and pencils are provided. The only thing new members must bring is a black folder.
  8. BNew members sit next to someone who has been in the choir a long time. There are no auditions, so nobody sings alone (A), and the choir stopped sending recordings because hardly anyone listened to them (C).
  9. AThe local radio station will record the concert and play it on Christmas Day. Singing outdoors was considered but rejected because of the weather (B), and the ticket money only covers the cost of the hall (C).
  10. CShe suggests coming a quarter of an hour early to collect a form and his music. The new songs are not on the website yet (A), and the musical director is on holiday, so there is no point emailing him (B).
Show the transcript

Narrator: Part 1. You will hear a student phoning the secretary of a community choir to ask about joining.

Narrator: First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 7.

Narrator: You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.

Narrator: Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 7.

Choir secretary (Pauline): Good evening, Ashcombe Community Choir, Pauline speaking.

Caller (Nathan): Oh, hi. I hope it's not too late to call. I'd like to find out about joining the choir, if that's possible.

Choir secretary (Pauline): Of course. We're always pleased to hear from new singers. Can I ask how you heard about us first? I keep a note for the committee.

Caller (Nathan): Sure. A friend of mine mentioned you a few months ago, but I never did anything about it. Then last week I saw a poster in the student union, and I thought, OK, I really should call.

Choir secretary (Pauline): A poster. Good, so they're working. And you're a student?

Caller (Nathan): That's right. I'm at the university here. I came over from the States last year.

Choir secretary (Pauline): How lovely. Right, let me take a few details. What's your name?

Caller (Nathan): It's Nathan. Nathan Tennant.

Choir secretary (Pauline): Is that T-E-N-A-N-T?

Caller (Nathan): Nearly. There's a double N in the middle, so it's T-E-N-N-A-N-T.

Choir secretary (Pauline): Thank you. And what are you studying, Nathan?

Caller (Nathan): Well, I started out doing economics, but I really didn't enjoy it, so I switched courses at the end of my first year. So now I'm doing geography, and I love it.

Choir secretary (Pauline): Good for you. And have you sung in a choir before?

Caller (Nathan): Not really. I was in the choir at high school for a few months, but that's about it. I've played music for a long time, though. My parents made me have piano lessons when I was little, but I gave up after a year. Then I took up the trumpet when I was ten, and I've played it ever since. So I can read music pretty well.

Choir secretary (Pauline): Oh, that's very useful. A lot of our members learn everything by ear, so people who can read music are a real help. Now, you'll want to know when we meet.

Caller (Nathan): Yes, please.

Choir secretary (Pauline): We rehearse once a week. For years it was always on a Tuesday, but the room we use is now booked by a dance class on Tuesdays, so since September we've met on Thursdays instead.

Caller (Nathan): Thursday is fine for me. What time do you start?

Choir secretary (Pauline): At half past seven, and we finish at half past nine, with a short break in the middle for a cup of tea.

Caller (Nathan): And where do you meet? I think the poster said something about a church.

Choir secretary (Pauline): It probably did, because we used to rehearse in St Mary's Church. But it was so cold in the winter that people were singing in their coats. So now we use the library on King Street. They've got a big room upstairs, and they let us have it in the evenings.

Caller (Nathan): Oh, I know it. It's next to the bus station.

Choir secretary (Pauline): That's right. Now, I'm afraid there is a membership fee. It pays for the room and for our musical director.

Caller (Nathan): Sure. How much is it?

Choir secretary (Pauline): For most members it's sixty pounds a year. Students normally pay half of that, so thirty pounds. But we're very keen to attract younger people, so the committee has agreed that this year, students only pay twenty pounds.

Caller (Nathan): Twenty pounds for the whole year? That's great.

Choir secretary (Pauline): It's very good value. And you won't need to buy any music, because we lend it to everyone. The only thing we ask is that you bring a black folder to keep it in. It looks much smarter at concerts if everyone is holding the same thing.

Caller (Nathan): OK. And should I bring a pencil, for making notes on the music?

Choir secretary (Pauline): There's always a box of pencils on the piano, so you don't need to worry about that.

Narrator: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 8 to 10.

Narrator: Now listen and answer questions 8 to 10.

Caller (Nathan): Can I ask what happens on the first evening? Will I have to do an audition? I'm a bit nervous about singing on my own.

Choir secretary (Pauline): No, we don't have auditions at all. A lot of choirs ask new people to sing a few lines by themselves, but we've never done that. What we do is put each new member next to someone who's been with us for a long time, so you can just follow what they're doing.

Caller (Nathan): That sounds much less scary. Is there anything I could practise at home?

Choir secretary (Pauline): We used to send everyone recordings of the songs, but hardly anyone listened to them, so we stopped. You'll pick things up very quickly, though, especially as you can read music.

Caller (Nathan): Great. And are there any concerts coming up?

Choir secretary (Pauline): Yes, you've joined at a good time, because our big winter concert is in December. It'll be in the town hall, as usual. We did think about singing outdoors this year, in the market square, with all the Christmas lights, but you can't trust the weather in December, so we decided against it. What is new, though, is that the local radio station is going to record the concert, and they'll play it on Christmas Day.

Caller (Nathan): Wow. So I'd actually be on the radio. Does the money from the tickets go to charity?

Choir secretary (Pauline): People often think so, but in fact the ticket money only just covers the cost of hiring the hall. We do a separate charity event in the summer.

Caller (Nathan): I see. So, is there anything I should do before Thursday?

Choir secretary (Pauline): Well, you could look at the music on our website, but we're updating it, so the new songs aren't there yet. And our musical director, Simon, likes to say hello to new members, but he's on holiday until Thursday, so there's no point emailing him. I think the best thing would be to come along a quarter of an hour before we start. Then I can give you a form and your music, and show you where to sit.

Caller (Nathan): Perfect. I'll do that. Thanks so much, Pauline.

Choir secretary (Pauline): You're welcome, Nathan. See you on Thursday.

Narrator: That is the end of Part 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers to Part 1.

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