IELTS listening practice test 2

Section 1

Section 2

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and thanks very much for having me here to speak to you today on the topic of health and fitness. The focus of my talk today will be swimming and how it can not only keep you fit but also be a social occasion - even a bit of fun!

Now, as you probably all know, as we get older it is harder to stay in shape and keep fit. Options like jogging don't always suit older people because of the strain they can cause on your knees and other joints. In fact, there are many so-called 'healthy' fitness options that can actually do more damage than good because of this strain. With swimming, however, the water can help support your weight, but at the same time provides some resistance, which makes it an excellent form of exercise that does not strain joints and muscles, and has been found to be particularly useful for people suffering from arthritis.

A gentle swim or even walk in water has also been proven to reduce blood pressure, and studies have shown that 20 minutes in the pool three times a week can reduce blood pressure within a matter of just one month. Now some of you may be thinking that a swim in warmer weather is fine, but not so great in colder weather. Well in fact this is another of the advantages of swimming – although it may be a little cold when you first get in, exercising in the water reduces the risk of overheating common with many other forms of exercises. Overheating can actually cause problems as there is the risk of getting muscle pain.

Before we take a short break, I'll just share a statistic with you. Just a few years ago, a study by McAllan Research centre found that of 200 people aged 60 plus who had done some regular exercise in the previous 12 months, over 70% had stopped due to injury. Now most of these injuries were caused by falls which occurred during exercising, even something as gentle as lawn bowling or walking. Now when you consider that falling during swimming is not even possible, I think that's a great reason to consider it!

Now, when I refer to swimming, I would just like to point out that you don't even need to be able to swim to take advantage of getting some exercise in the local swimming pool. There are lots of options available, so I'll start by talking about water walking. By wearing a specially designed belt with a section at the back that will keep you afloat, you can exercise at your own pace. All you need to do is move your legs as though you are walking. Because the water is carrying most of the weight, there is a lot less pressure and stress on your knees and legs, but at the same time it is a very good way of getting some exercise. Also, because water walking is not a fast activity, you can do it with a friend or small group, and can even have a conversation as you walk around the pool.

For those of you who are quite confident with swimming, you can of course use the lanes to swim laps. However, I would make a strong recommendation here that you don't overdo it on your first couple of visits. We have found that people who build up their swimming lengths gradually, even if they only do five or 10 laps, end up going more often than people who rush and try and do 20 laps in the first visit and find it too hard.

So, moderation is the key here. Now, as most of us are already retired and work hours are no longer a problem, you will be able to go during the day where it is a lot less busy.

In addition to water walking and lane swimming, you can also join a fitness class. These are often referred to as aqua aerobics, and involve gentle movements which will be shown to you by your instructor. Most aqua aerobics classes will also involve the use of some weights, although I should say that these are generally very light!

Again, this is a great option for those of you who are not that confident in the water, because most aqua aerobics classes are held in shallow pools where the water is no more than 1.2 m deep. This means that you will be able to stand and don't have to worry about keeping afloat. Because aqua aerobics is done in groups, it can be a very sociable way to keep fit and do some exercise. The classes are often done with background music as well, so it makes it a little bit more interesting for people in the class.

Section 3

Section 4

Since the late 1990s, when internet connections became commonplace in many countries, there has been significant change in the way a number of companies permit their staff to operate, and the concept of working out of the office began on a large scale. Working from home, also referred to as 'remote working', became even more popular with large companies about a decade ago as suburban broadband improved. Video conferencing went from being difficult to practical. Statistics released in 2004 showed that, in many countries across Western Europe and North America, just over 17% of major corporations offered at least some staff the option of working from home.

Fast forward to today, and leaps in mobile technology have meant that 'remote working' has now expanded far beyond the working from home options of the early 2000s. Now employees are able to work almost anywhere, with little more than a cell phone and a data connection.

However, this change can only in part be attributed to ever-evolving technology. A large part of the driving force, which has more recently seen a huge rise in the number of corporations offering remote working options, has also been driven by a generation referred to as 'millennials' (defined by researchers Strauss and Howe as born between 1982 and 2004). This group of employees, and soon to be employees, are demanding a wider range of flexibility in their working hours and locations. The concept of travelling to an office 5 days a week, to work a 9 to 5 job just like their parents, is simply something many are not willing to do.

For the corporations themselves, this increasing move towards a more flexible working environment offers a number of incentives. Fewer staff members on-site means a reduction in the necessary physical size of offices and work environments. As more staff are working outside of the office, there are more and more companies who operate an 'available desk' policy, meaning that workers that usually work remotely but may need to visit their office do not have a designated workspace - they simply occupy the first free desk that is available on any given day. There are also less obvious ways that office areas can be reduced - fewer bathrooms are now needed, as well as fewer car parking spaces.

Although there is a continued increase in the number of positions which can now be filled by those who work remotely, there are some companies that are now beginning to clamp down on the practice, even to the point of cancelling previously established positions that were conducted out of the office. Given that working from home solved a number of issues, this seems to be an unusual step for corporations to take.

The official reason for the change is that a department working together in one place improves productivity, teamwork and morale. And there's something in this. Collaboration is easier when co-workers are based at the same location. Even chance meetings at the coffee station can spark fresh ideas.

However, there are clear indications that the requirement for staff to return to the physical office is not entirely based on a desire to increase productivity and creativity in the workplace. Are there more sinister reasons for the change?

For companies that once offered the option of working from home, the requirement for staff to now once again travel to an office might prove too much for some employees, who may instead choose to resign and find work elsewhere. Resignations do not require a payout, whereas redundancies often require a sum of money to be paid to the staff member whose position has been cut. For a company that may want to reduce the number of people on the payroll, reintroducing unfavourable work conditions that encourage staff to move on is a convenient and low-cost way of trimming staff numbers. Then of course there is the public perception factor too - a company that is making staff redundant can often - and generally accurately - be perceived as being in financial trouble, and that does not make for good business.

The cost factor that working from home appeared to offer to companies also did not work out quite the way it was expected. Fewer people working at an office base meant that companies required - at least in theory - smaller office spaces. But could the reduced building space mean the company was in trouble? Was there a potential collapse imminent? As with many decisions made when a company is in the public eye, this apparent downsizing made many shareholders and potential customers suspicious about the changes being implemented.

But of course, there are significant concerns for companies that have decided to withdraw the option of working from home. Many talented staff members may quit, and those that do return to the office may carry a degree of resentment.