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IELTS Listening Practice Test 17: Part 1
Volunteering at a museum. A retired teacher phones a local museum to apply to become a volunteer and to find out about the roles available.
Take it like the real test. Do this Listening section on the computer-delivered test screen, with the timer, highlighting and instant marking. Free, no sign-up.
Start the free Listening sectionAudio
You hear the recording once, as in the real test.
Questions 1–10
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Millbrook Museum: Volunteer Application
Applicant
- Name: Gerald 1
- Former job: geography (example) teacher
- Regular day available: 2
- Start date: 3 September
Other information
- Most interested in the museum's 4
- Has an injured 5, so must avoid heavy lifting
- Was encouraged to apply by a 6
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Volunteer roles
| Role | Location | Main tasks | Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome desk | entrance hall | greeting visitors; selling 7 | half a day |
| Learning team | the old 8 | supporting school groups | one day |
| Collections team | basement | taking 9 of objects for the website | 10 mornings |
Show the answers and explanations
- AshworthThe surname is spelled letter by letter: A-S-H-W-O-R-T-H.
- Wednesday / WednesdaysMondays (his grandson) and Thursdays (his choir) are not possible. Wednesdays are completely free.
- 16 / 16th / sixteenthTrap: he gets back from Scotland on the tenth, but he wants a few days at home, so he will start on the first Wednesday after that, the sixteenth.
- coinsTrap: he enjoys the old maps, but his real love is coins (the museum's Roman coins).
- shoulderHis back and knees are fine. He hurt his shoulder playing tennis and still cannot lift anything heavy.
- neighbour / neighborTrap: he had seen a poster in the library but did not take it in. His neighbour (Mrs Patel) encouraged him to apply.
- guidebooks / guide booksTrap: Mr Ashworth asks about tickets, but entry is free, so there are no tickets to sell. Volunteers sell guidebooks.
- stablesTrap: people expect the meeting room upstairs, but it is too small. The activities are in the old stables behind the main building.
- photographs / photosCleaning is done by the conservator, not volunteers. Volunteers take photographs of every object for the website.
- 3 / threeTrap: Rachel first says two mornings, then corrects herself: a session on fragile objects has been added, so it is three.
Show the transcript
Narrator: Part 1. You will hear a retired teacher phoning a local museum about becoming a volunteer.
Narrator: First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.
Narrator: You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.
Narrator: Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Good morning, Millbrook Museum, Rachel speaking.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Oh, good morning. I'm ringing about volunteering at the museum. I understand you're looking for people at the moment.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): We certainly are. I'm the volunteer coordinator, so you've come to the right person. If you've got ten minutes, I can fill in an application form with you now.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Yes, that would be fine. I've got plenty of time these days. I retired from teaching last summer.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Lovely. Let's start with your name.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): It's Gerald Ashworth.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): And could you spell your surname for me?
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Certainly. It's A-S-H-W-O-R-T-H.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Thank you, Mr Ashworth. Now, you mentioned teaching. Which subject did you teach?
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Well, I started off teaching history, believe it or not, but after a couple of years I moved over to geography, and that's what I taught for nearly thirty years, at the high school here in Millbrook.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Geography. Now, we ask all our volunteers to come in on the same day each week, because it makes planning much easier. Which day would suit you best?
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Let me think. Mondays are no good, I'm afraid, because I look after my grandson. And Thursday is the day my choir rehearses. But Wednesdays are completely free, so Wednesday would be ideal.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): That's good news, actually, because it's one of our busiest days. And when would you be able to start?
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Well, my wife and I are going walking in Scotland at the beginning of September. We get back on the tenth, but I'd like a few days at home to recover. So how about the first Wednesday after that? That would be the sixteenth.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): The sixteenth of September. I'll put that down. Now, is there any part of the collection that you're particularly interested in?
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Oh, that's an easy one. You might expect a geography teacher to say the old maps, and I do enjoy looking at those, but my real love is coins. I've collected them since I was a boy, and I know you've got some wonderful Roman ones.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): We have. They're some of the best in the region. Right, next, is there anything about your health that we should know? Some of our jobs involve carrying boxes.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Well, I'm pretty fit, generally. My back's fine, I'm glad to say, and my knees have never given me any trouble. But I hurt my shoulder playing tennis in the spring, and I still can't lift anything heavy.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): I'm sorry to hear that. I'll make a note that you should avoid any heavy lifting. And finally, what made you decide to apply? We're trying to find out how people hear about us.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Well, I'd seen your poster in the library a few times, but I didn't really take it in. It was my neighbour who encouraged me to apply. She's been volunteering here for years, and she loves it.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Oh, that must be Mrs Patel. She's one of our stars.
Narrator: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.
Narrator: Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Now, let me tell you about the three roles we need people for at the moment, and you can tell me which one appeals to you most. The first is on the welcome desk, in the entrance hall.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): So would I be selling tickets?
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): No, entry to the museum is free, so there aren't any tickets to sell. The main job is greeting visitors and telling them what's on, but the volunteers also sell guidebooks. They're four pounds each, and they're very popular. The training for that role only takes half a day.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): I see. And the second?
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): That's in our learning team, which looks after school groups during their visits. With your background, you might enjoy that.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Possibly, although I've spent quite enough years with teenagers! Where does that happen? In the galleries?
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): Not usually. Most of the activities take place in the old stables, behind the main building. People expect them to be in the meeting room upstairs, but that's far too small for a whole class. The stables were converted a few years ago, and they're perfect. The training for the learning team is one full day.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): And what's the third role?
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): That's the collections team. They're based down in the basement, where most of the objects are stored.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): What would I be doing there? Cleaning things?
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): People often ask that, but no. Cleaning is done by our conservator, because it's very easy to damage something if you don't know what you're doing. What we need volunteers for at the moment is taking photographs of every object in the collection, so that we can put it all on our website.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Oh, now that does appeal to me. Although I should warn you, I'm no expert with a camera.
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): You don't need to be. We'll train you. Let me see, the training is on two mornings. Oh no, hang on, I'm wrong. Our conservator has just added a session on handling fragile objects, so it's three mornings now.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Three mornings is fine. And does that team work on Wednesdays?
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): It does. And there's no lifting involved, so it would suit your shoulder too.
Caller (Mr Ashworth): Then I think that's the one for me. Especially if I get to photograph the coins!
Volunteer coordinator (Rachel): I'm sure that can be arranged. I'll email you the form to sign, and we'll look forward to seeing you in September.
Narrator: That is the end of Part 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers to Part 1.