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IELTS Listening Practice Test 18: Part 1

A birthday party at a wildlife park. A father phones a wildlife park to book a birthday party for his daughter and asks what the party includes.

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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.

Oakfield Wildlife Park: Party Booking Form

Booking details

Food

Payment

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

8. Which animals will the children feed during the party?

  1. penguins
  2. goats
  3. giraffes

9. What will each child receive in their party bag?

  1. a ticket for a return visit
  2. a soft toy
  3. a photograph of the group

10. Where should the party guests meet on the day?

  1. at the main entrance
  2. inside the education centre
  3. in the car park
Show the answers and explanations
  1. KowalskiThe surname is spelled letter by letter: K-O-W-A-L-S-K-I.
  2. 20 / 20th / twentiethTrap: the family wanted the thirteenth, but it is fully booked, so the party is on the following Saturday, the twentieth.
  3. 16 / sixteenTrap: the class is fifteen children (including his daughter), but her cousin is coming too, so there will be sixteen.
  4. ExplorerThe Safari Package is for children under six; an eight-year-old needs the Explorer Package.
  5. pizza / pizzasThe choice is sandwiches or pizza, and he chooses pizza.
  6. tomatoes / tomatoTrap: nobody is allergic to nuts. One boy, Sam, is allergic to tomatoes.
  7. 40 / fortyTrap: the website says thirty pounds, but that is for up to twelve children. For sixteen children the deposit is forty pounds.
  8. CExplorer parties usually feed the penguins, but the pool is closed for repairs (A). Feeding the goats is only in the Safari Package (B). They will feed the giraffes.
  9. ASoft toys were stopped last year (B), and the group photo is sold separately (C). Each bag has a free ticket for another visit.
  10. BThe queue at the main entrance is long (A). Some families wait in the car park (C), but the keeper wants everyone inside the education centre so the children can be counted.
Show the transcript

Narrator: Part 1. You will hear a man phoning a wildlife park to book a birthday party for his daughter.

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.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Good afternoon, Oakfield Wildlife Park, Leanne speaking. How can I help?

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Hi there. I'd like to book one of your birthday parties for my daughter. She's turning eight next month, and she's completely crazy about animals.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Oh, lovely. Eight's a great age for our parties. I'll fill in a booking form as we go. Can I start with your surname, please?

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Sure. It's Kowalski. K-O-W-A-L-S-K-I.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Thank you, Mr Kowalski. And when would you like to have the party? We only hold them on Saturdays.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Well, her actual birthday is on the fifteenth of June, which is a Monday, so we were hoping for the Saturday before, the thirteenth.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Let me have a look. Oh, I'm sorry, the thirteenth is already fully booked. Could you do the following Saturday instead?

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Hmm. I guess that works. A week late is better than not at all, right?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Exactly. So that's Saturday the twentieth of June. And how many children will be coming?

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Let me think. She's invited her whole class, which is fifteen kids, including her. Oh, and her cousin's coming too, so that makes sixteen.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): That's fine. We can take up to twenty. Now, we have two party packages. The Safari Package is designed for children under six, so I think the one for you is the Explorer Package.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): What's the difference between them?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): The Safari Package is a bit shorter, with more stories and crafts. The Explorer Package lasts three hours and includes a tour with one of our keepers. It's eleven pounds fifty per child.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): The Explorer one sounds perfect for her.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Great. Then there's lunch. The children can have either sandwiches or pizza, and there's fruit for everyone afterwards.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Oh, pizza, definitely. If I gave them sandwiches, I'd never hear the end of it.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Pizza it is. And does any of the children have a food allergy we should know about?

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Er, nobody's allergic to nuts, which I know is the usual one. But there's one boy, Sam, who's allergic to tomatoes. Is that going to be a problem with pizza?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Not at all. Our chef can make him one without any tomato sauce. I'll make a note of it.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Great. And can we bring our own birthday cake?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Of course, most families do. We'll keep it in the fridge until lunch and provide plates and napkins. The only thing we ask is that you don't bring any candles, because of the smoke alarms in the party room.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): No candles. Got it.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Now, to confirm the booking, we need a deposit, which I can take over the phone today. It's forty pounds.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Oh, really? I'm sure the website said thirty.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): That's for parties of up to twelve children. Because you've got more than that, I'm afraid it's forty. The rest is paid on the day.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): OK, no problem. I'll give you my card details in a minute.

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 (Mr Kowalski): So, can you tell me a bit more about the keeper tour? What will the kids actually do?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): Of course. They'll visit about six different animals, and the keeper will talk about each one. The highlight is usually feeding one of them. Explorer parties normally feed the penguins, but I'm afraid the penguin pool is closed for repairs until the end of July. So your group will go up onto the viewing platform and feed the giraffes instead.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Wow, giraffes! She'll love that. Will they get to see the goats as well? She's always talking about the baby goats.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): The goats are in the children's farm, and you're welcome to visit that after the party. But feeding them is part of the Safari Package, for the younger children, so it isn't included in yours.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): That's fine. And do the kids get party bags to take home?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): They do. Each bag has a few sweets, a badge, and a free ticket, so they can come back with an adult another day. Until last year we put a small soft toy in each bag as well, but a lot of parents told us their children had far too many already, so we stopped. And some people ask about photos. Our photographer does take a picture of the whole group, but that's sold separately, if you'd like one.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): OK, I'll think about the photo. And where should everybody meet on the day? At the main entrance?

Bookings assistant (Leanne): I'd avoid that, if I were you. On Saturdays the queue at the main entrance can be twenty minutes long. Party groups come in through the education centre instead. It has its own door, right next to the car park. Some families wait in the car park until everyone's arrived, but it's much easier for the keeper to count the children if you're all inside the education centre, so please go straight in.

Caller (Mr Kowalski): Perfect. That's really helpful. Thanks so much, Leanne.

Bookings assistant (Leanne): You're welcome. I'll email you a confirmation this afternoon. I hope she has a wonderful birthday.

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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