IELTS Listening Practice Test 21: Part 1

Narrator: Part 1. You will hear a man phoning a campsite to book a pitch for his family.

Narrator: First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

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

Narrator: Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

Campsite warden (Fiona): Good morning, Hawthorn Valley Campsite, Fiona speaking. How can I help?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Oh, hi. I'd like to book a pitch for this summer, if you've still got space. A friend of mine stayed with you last year, and she said it was the best campsite she'd ever been to.

Campsite warden (Fiona): That's lovely to hear. Well, August is always busy, but let's see what we can do. How many people would it be for?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): There are five of us. My wife and me, and our three kids.

Campsite warden (Fiona): So two adults and three children. And can I take your name, please?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Sure. It's Martin Gosforth.

Campsite warden (Fiona): Could you spell your surname for me?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Yes, it's G-O-S-F-O-R-T-H.

Campsite warden (Fiona): Thank you. And when were you hoping to arrive?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Well, we'd planned to come on Saturday the ninth of August, but my wife's just found out she has to work that weekend. So it'll have to be the Monday after, which is the eleventh.

Campsite warden (Fiona): The eleventh of August. And how many nights would you like to stay?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): We were hoping to stay for a whole week, but our eldest has a swimming competition on the Sunday, so we need to be home by then. Let's say five nights.

Campsite warden (Fiona): Five nights, so you'd be leaving on the morning of the sixteenth. Now, we have three different areas on the site. There's the meadow, which is a large open field right beside the shower block. Then there are the riverside pitches, which are very popular, especially with people who like fishing.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Hmm. Our youngest is only four, and he's fascinated by water, so I'd be nervous about being right next to the river.

Campsite warden (Fiona): A lot of parents feel the same. The third option is the woodland area. The pitches there are a little smaller, but they're surrounded by trees, so they're nice and shady, and it's very peaceful.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): The meadow sounds a bit exposed, to be honest. If it's a hot summer, we'll want some shade. Let's go for the woodland.

Campsite warden (Fiona): Good choice. Every woodland pitch has its own electric hook-up. Will you be needing electricity?

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Yes, please. Not for lights, because we've got battery lanterns, and we can charge our phones in the car. But we're bringing a small fridge, and it would be great to keep the milk cold.

Narrator: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.

Narrator: Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): So, how much is all that going to cost?

Campsite warden (Fiona): Well, the meadow pitches are twenty-four pounds a night for a family, but the woodland ones are a bit more, at twenty-eight. Then electricity is an extra four pounds a night, so that's thirty-two pounds a night altogether.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): That's very reasonable. Is there anything else we should know about the site?

Campsite warden (Fiona): Just a few things. You can arrive any time after two in the afternoon, and on your last morning we ask you to leave the pitch by ten. We also have a rule about noise. Campers used to be allowed to make noise until eleven, but we had a lot of complaints from families with small children, so now we ask everyone to be quiet from ten thirty at night until seven in the morning.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): That's no problem. We'll probably be asleep long before then! Is there much for the children to do?

Campsite warden (Fiona): Plenty. There's a playground next to the shop, and on Thursday evenings our ranger takes families on a guided walk through the woods. It used to be an owl walk, and you can still hear the owls calling, but these days the walk is really about the bats. They come out just after sunset, and the children love watching them.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): My daughter would love that. Do we need to book it?

Campsite warden (Fiona): No, just meet the ranger outside reception at eight o'clock, and bring a torch.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Great. What about parking? Can we leave the car beside our tent?

Campsite warden (Fiona): I'm afraid not in the woodland area. You can drive up to your pitch to unload, but after that, cars have to go in one of the car parks. The one by the main gate is for day visitors, so campers use the one behind the old barn. It's only a couple of minutes' walk from the woodland pitches.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): OK. And finally, what's the best way to find you? We'll be coming from the north.

Campsite warden (Fiona): Your satnav will probably tell you to turn off the main road at the petrol station, but please don't. That lane is far too narrow, and people are always getting stuck. Stay on the main road for about another mile, and turn left just after the church. Then just follow the signs.

Caller (Martin Gosforth): Just after the church. Great. Thanks so much for your help.

Campsite warden (Fiona): You're welcome. I'll email you a confirmation this afternoon.

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