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This is the IELTS listening test.
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You will hear a number of different recordings and you will have to answer questions on what you hear.
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There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions and you will have a chance to check your work.
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All the recordings will be played once only.
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The test is in four parts.
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At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.
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Now turn to part one.
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You will hear a woman phoning the owner of a house she is going to rent about companies that she could rent furniture from.
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First, you have some time to look at questions one to five.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions one to five.
SHELLEY:
Hi, this is Shelley Meyer.
SHELLEY:
I'm renting your house on Archwood Avenue.
SHELLEY:
I'm due to move in next week.
LANDLORD:
Oh yes, hello Ms. Meyer.
LANDLORD:
What can I do for you?
SHELLEY:
When I viewed the house, I told you I'll most probably need to rent some furniture, at least until I know whether my temporary work contract is going to be made permanent.
LANDLORD:
Yes, of course, I remember.
LANDLORD:
And I said I could give you some information about furniture rental companies in the city.
LANDLORD:
Well, the biggest company is called Peak Rentals.
LANDLORD:
I've recommended them to other people and have always heard positive reports about them.
SHELLEY:
Could you give me an idea of their costs?
LANDLORD:
I actually have one of their brochures here.
LANDLORD:
It says the monthly price per room starts at $105 and goes up to $239.
LANDLORD:
That depends on which rooms you need furniture for, of course.
SHELLEY:
It's just to get a general idea of how much it's going to cost.
SHELLEY:
And you said you had some positive feedback about this company?
LANDLORD:
People have mentioned that the furniture from Peak Rentals is more modern than any of the other companies.
LANDLORD:
And also, once you place an order, the furniture will be delivered to you in just one or two days.
SHELLEY:
That would be really helpful.
LANDLORD:
Oh, and the brochure says that there's a special offer at the moment.
LANDLORD:
If you rent living room furniture, I believe that's a set of chairs and a TV table, you'll also get a lamp at no extra cost.
SHELLEY:
Okay, but you know, that price range you gave is more than I was hoping to pay.
LANDLORD:
Then you could try Aaron and Oliver.
SHELLEY:
What and Oliver?
LANDLORD:
Double A-R-O-N.
SHELLEY:
Are they cheaper?
LANDLORD:
I'd say they're a mid-price company.
LANDLORD:
But if you chose them, you need to be aware that they charge an extra 12% every month in case of damage.
SHELLEY:
I'd have to do the math carefully then.
LANDLORD:
But one helpful thing is that they also do cleaning for customers.
SHELLEY:
For the furniture?
SHELLEY:
I probably won't need that.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions six to ten.
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Now listen and answer questions six to ten.
LANDLORD:
There's another company called Larch Furniture.
LANDLORD:
It's quite new and it has the lowest prices in town.
LANDLORD:
That's for both furniture and also electronic equipment.
SHELLEY:
Well, that would be good.
SHELLEY:
I'm not bringing much with me and I won't have much time to go shopping after I start my job.
LANDLORD:
There are two things you need to know about Larch Furniture.
LANDLORD:
First of all, you have to take out insurance on the furniture and you need to organize that yourself.
SHELLEY:
That wouldn't be too hard.
LANDLORD:
Also, you can't take out a contract for less than six months.
LANDLORD:
But I figure that might not be a problem for you.
LANDLORD:
You're renting the house for 12 months after all, aren't you?
SHELLEY:
Yes, okay, well...
LANDLORD:
Sorry to interrupt.
LANDLORD:
I just thought of another furniture rental company.
LANDLORD:
It's called Space Rentals and it's located very near to the house.
LANDLORD:
I don't have any information about their charges, so it's best to use their app to find out what it would cost you to use them.
LANDLORD:
One good thing about that company is that if you don't like the furniture once it's delivered, you can request exchanges, as long as you do that within a week of receiving it.
SHELLEY:
That sounds really great.
SHELLEY:
Okay, well, thanks very much.
SHELLEY:
That's so helpful.
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That is the end of Part 1.
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You now have one minute to check your answers to Part 1.