CAMBRIDGE IELTS 21 TEST 3 FULL

Overview

The video presents all four parts of an IELTS Listening test. The opening instructions explain that the test contains four recordings, each played once, with time to read the questions and review answers. Test-takers have 10 minutes at the end to transfer their answers.

Part 1: Planning a Ferry Trip to the Shetland Islands

Tammy asks her friend Paul for advice about travelling by ferry.

• The ferry is the only service to the islands and departs from Aberdeen. In summer, it runs every night; in winter, it may run only four or five days a week.
• The overnight journey is part of the appeal. Paul says tickets for four people and a car cost just under £250. He recommends booking early, especially during school holidays.
• The cancellation policy may offer a voucher rather than a refund. Paul says passengers need to cancel a month in advance to receive one.
• Paul recommends booking a cabin, particularly one with a window. He considers the more luxurious two-person cabins unnecessary.
• Passengers should bring snacks for children because the onboard selection is limited and not very healthy. The Wi-Fi is poor, so Paul suggests bringing books instead.
• Dogs can travel in onboard cages. Paul says the cages are large and recommends bringing a blanket.
• The family enjoyed seeing dolphins during the trip.
• Because they arrived in Aberdeen well before departure, Paul’s family visited Drum Castle, which is noted for its tower, gardens and ancient forest. It has a cafeteria but no restaurant, so they found an Italian restaurant in a nearby town.

Part 2: Advice on Starting a Street-Food Business

John, who runs the vegan street-food business Veg Out, shares lessons from his experience.

Why Street Food Appeals

Street food is becoming more popular, partly as an alternative to conventional fast food. Customers value distinctive food, seeing it prepared fresh and trying items they cannot easily find elsewhere.

Choosing Where to Sell

• Music festivals: Popular but potentially expensive to book and highly competitive.
• Food markets: Customers tend to be interested in the food and offer useful feedback.
• Local parks: Can provide a quieter location with plenty of passing customers.
• Parties and weddings: May bring in work, but events can be challenging. Weddings require especially reliable execution.

Getting Started and Planning the Menu

Starting a street-food business generally costs less than opening a restaurant or café, but basic equipment is still needed.

• Buying second-hand equipment, such as stoves and refrigerators, can help keep initial costs down. Renting equipment may cost more over time.
• Research similar businesses and consider food allergies.
• Plan how food will be served. Packaging and utensils should be practical, recyclable or reusable where possible, and make the food easy to eat and attractive.

Problems Illustrated by Other Businesses

• Thai Basil: The owners combined restaurant jobs with their street-food business and ended up with almost no work-life balance.
• Basque: High fish costs made some dishes difficult to sell profitably, so the owners added more vegetarian food.
• Lou’s Kitchen: Complicated made-to-order salads led to long queues and impatient customers. The lesson is to serve food quickly and efficiently.
• Chip Chop: A beach location seemed ideal, but it required a special licence. The process proved too complicated, and the owners gave up.

Part 3: Research on Sustainable Fashion

Two textile students discuss the meaning of sustainability, ethical fashion and different fabrics.

Key Distinctions and Concerns

• Sustainable fashion concerns environmental impact, while ethical fashion concerns how workers and animals are treated.
• Terms used by companies can be vague and may not provide enough detail about how products are made.
• Wool is often presented as sustainable because it is natural, durable and recyclable. The students question whether this assessment accounts for chemicals used in sheep farming or proves that sheep farming is better for the environment than cattle farming.
• They also discuss concerns about the treatment of sheep during shearing.

Fabrics Discussed

• Lyocell: Made from eucalyptus-tree pulp. The students note that more than 99% of the solvents used in production are reused.
• Cupro: Made from by-products of the cotton industry and used to create a silk-like fabric. The students raise concerns about pollution from manufacturing.
• Bamboo: The students say only organic bamboo is truly sustainable, since processing much of the other bamboo fabric can be chemical-intensive.
• An unnamed fabric referred to as “Eco” in the subtitles: Its production is said to cause 50% fewer emissions and use half the energy of conventional fabrics.
• Cork: Discussed as suitable for vegan shoes and bags. The students say cork oak is renewable, cork products are recyclable and biodegradable, and harvesting benefits the trees.
• Hemp: Described as a natural, sustainable fabric. Hemp clothing can protect the wearer from the sun and is antibacterial, though growing it can be difficult.

Part 4: Invasive Species

An ecology lecturer defines invasive species, explains how they spread and cause harm, and discusses ways to monitor them.

Definition and Effects

An invasive species is a plant or animal introduced by humans that becomes harmful to its new environment. Not every non-native species is invasive.

Invasive species can prey on native species, introduce diseases to which native species have no defences, reproduce rapidly and compete for food. These effects can damage ecosystems and threaten their survival.

How They Spread

Human activity is identified as the main cause. Spread may happen accidentally, such as when seeds are carried on clothing or shoes, or organisms escape from ship cargo.

People may also deliberately move plants or animals for pest control or as pets. These introductions can become harmful if the organisms spread or reproduce unexpectedly.

Examples

• Australia: Cane toads were introduced from Hawaii in 1935 to control beetles damaging sugar crops. The effort failed, and the toads multiplied and spread. The lecturer says they are poisonous throughout their life cycle.
• United Kingdom: The lecturer says there are more than 3,000 invasive species.
  • A plant identified in the subtitles as “Japanese grass” was introduced as an ornamental plant, spread into the countryside and remains difficult to eradicate.
  • Rhododendron can block enough light to prevent native wildflowers from growing beneath it.
  • Grey squirrels, introduced from North America, compete with native red squirrels for food and carry a virus that is deadly to them. Red squirrel populations have fallen sharply.

Managing Invasive Species

• Monitor newly arrived species to identify whether they are harming their new environment.
• Create a nationwide database so relevant authorities and agencies can share information and coordinate action.
• Encourage the public to photograph and report harmful species, including when and where they were observed.
• Tell people not to touch or destroy the species they find.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Test narrator/instructions voice: Introduces the IELTS Listening test and each section.
• Tammy and Paul: Discuss ferry travel to the Shetland Islands.
• John: Street-food business owner who offers business advice.
• Two unnamed textile students: Discuss their sustainable-fashion research.
• An unnamed ecology lecturer: Gives a lecture on invasive species.