A Conversation Between Two Students Discussing the Disposal of Their Household Rubbish - IELTS Listening Sample Answer

The IELTS Listening section comprises two conversations and two monologues. Candidates need to answer 40 IELTS listening questions. This topic - A conversation between two students discussing the disposal of their household rubbish is IELTS Listening section Two. Candidates need to answer the IELTS listening question types:

• Complete the notes
• Short answer questions

Check:  Take IELTS Coaching Sign up for the Free Trial

Audio Transcript

You will hear two students, Amanda and Barry discussing the disposal of their household rubbish.

Amanda: We really had better sort this waste out – there’s quite a lot of it now.

Barry: Yes, it’s probably worthwhile taking this lot to the recycling centre now – there’s at least a full car-load

Amanda: Yes, but first we need to sort it all out – we won’t be able to do that once we arrive there.

Barry: OK, so what do we do?

Amanda: That’s easy – we put each type into labeled boxes.

Barry: You mean sort them out into different materials ?

Amanda: Yes, that’s right.

Barry: OK, it seems quite straightforward . What shall we start with? What about the glass?

Amanda: Good idea – first let’s put all these bottles in.

Barry: Yes, but we shouldn’t put that milk bottle in – that should go back to the milkman.

Amanda: Yes, you are right – this is a returnable bottle too – it goes back to the local shop.

Barry: This broken mirror can go with the glass, can’t it?

Amanda: Yes, of course, but be careful of your fingers .

Barry: OK, what’s next.

Amanda: Paper, I think. We should tie up all those piles of old newspapers and magazines.

Barry: What about these yellow telephone books?

Amanda: I think I remember reading that we shouldn’t put those in when I last went there – we had better not. We'II put them in the general rubbish.

Barry: And these paperback books?

Amanda: No, definitely not those – they should be put into the charity container. They can resell those for charity.

Barry: There are some old car batteries here – they look heavy. Let’s lift them out here.

Amanda: Be careful! Lift them carefully, don’t hurt your back, bend your knees, not your back. And be careful you don’t spill any acid – it will burn you!

Barry: It’s a pity Britain doesn’t have any system to collect these yet. They will just be dumped, together with all the general rubbish .

Amanda: That’s terrible! Doesn’t anyone do something with them?

Barry: Well, if we lived in Germany, Denmark or Sweden we could recycle them, but not in the UK – at least, not yet.

Amanda: There are bundles of old magazines and newspapers here too. I think we put these in the general rubbish.

Barry: No, there’s a special container for paper. It’s all recycled and they make other products like writing and kitchen paper with it.

Amanda: Actually, I think you’ll find they can't do that with magazines as it’s a different quality paper. They do go with the rest of the household refuse. Oh look, plastic bottles – lots of them!

Barry: Well, you know how much Cola they had at the party, that’s where most of it’s from.

Amanda: Well, all the soft drink bottles can be put together, what about the other plastics here?

Barry: Some things have a code – yes, look here, these two are the same. We just need to look for the code on the plastic. That will tell us where we have to put the bottles .

Amanda: Any bottle without a code – well, we’ll just have to check when we get there.

Barry: There won’t be too many – anyway, they do have a technician to offer advice when you get to the re-cycling centre.

Amanda: OK – we’ve nearly finished. What about this bag of old clothes?

Barry: That’s easy! The charities take those as they are and they sort them out. Then they can sell the clothes which are still in a good condition and they can make a lot of money out of them. The bad ones can be sold as rags – the paper industry takes those.

Amanda: It’s amazing what can be done with things we throwaway .

Barry: If we don’t try to recycle then the future of the planet, (fade)

Questions 11-17.

Complete Amanda’s notes in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

WHERE TO SEND OUR RUBBISH

Question 11.

Answer: local shop

Explanation: Amanda mentioned ‘ it goes back to the local shop’. Hence the answer is local shop.

Also, check:

Question 12.

Answer: broken mirror

Explanation: Barry asks Amanda ‘This broken mirror can go with the glass, can’t it?’ so the answer must be ‘broken mirror’.

Question 13.

Answer: general rubbish

Explanation: Amanda said ‘We'II put them in the general rubbish’. So the answer is general rubbish.

Question 14.

Answer: charity container

Explanation: Amanda stated ‘they should be put into the charity container’. Hence the answer is a charity container.

Question 15.

Answer: old car batteries

Explanation: Barry mentions the phrase “old car batteries”, and he also says that they will be put together with all the general rubbish. Thus the answer is old car batteries.

Question 16.

Answer: paper

Explanation: it is stated in the conversation that ‘there’s a special container for paper’. Hence the answer is paper.

Question 17.

Answer: magazines

Explanation: As mentioned by Amanda ‘I think you’ll find they can't do that with magazines as it’s a different quality paper’. Therefore the answer is ‘magazine’.

Questions 18-20

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

18 How will Amanda and Barry know where to put the different plastic bottles?_________________
19 What does the technician do?_____________________
20 Who uses the clothes which are in bad condition?___________________

Question 18.

Answer: a/the code

Explanation: As stated by Barry ‘Some things have a code’ hence the answer must be ‘a code’.

Question 19.

Answer: offer advice

Explanation: Barry mentions the keyword “technician” and says that this person will offer advice. Therefore, the answer is offer advice.

Question 20.

Answer: paper industry

Explanation: Barry mentioned ‘The bad ones can be sold as rags – the paper industry takes those’. Therefore, the answer is the paper industry.