IELTS Handbook 17 - Test 4 - Khóa học sinh viên Drive

Listening Section 1

Questions

1 – 10

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD for each answer.

Easy Life Cleaning Services Basic cleaning package offered – Cleaning all surfaces – Cleaning the 1

throughout the apartment – Cleaning shower, sinks, toilet etc. Additional services agreed Every week – Cleaning the 2

– Ironing 3clothes-

only Every month – Cleaning all the 4

from the inside – Washing down the 5

Other possibilities – They can organise a plumber or an 6

if necessary. – A special cleaning service is available for customers who are allergic to 7

Information on the cleaners – Before being hired, all cleaners have a background check carried out by the 8

– References are required. – All cleaners are given 9

for two weeks. – Customers send a 10

after each visit. – Usually, each customer has one regular cleaner.

Listening Section 2

Questions

11 – 14

Questions 11-14

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

11
Many hotel managers are unaware that their staff often leave because of
A
a lack of training.
B
long hours
C
low pay

12
What is the impact of high staff turnover on managers?
A
an increased workload
B
low morale
C
an inability to meet targets

13
What mistake should managers always avoid?
A
failing to treat staff equally
B
reorganising shifts without warning
C
neglecting to have enough staff during busy periods

14
What unexpected benefit did Dunwich Hotel notice after improving staff retention rates?
A
a fall in customer complaints
B
an increase in loyalty club membership
C
a rise in spending per customer

Questions

15 – 20

Questions 15-20

Which way of reducing staff turnover was used in each of the following hotels? Select the correct way of reducing staff turnover next to Questions 15-20.

The Sun Club

Chọn đáp án

The Portland

Chọn đáp án

Bluewater Hotels

Chọn đáp án

Pentlow Hotels

Chọn đáp án

Green Planet

Chọn đáp án

The Amesbury

Chọn đáp án

Listening Section 3

Questions

21 – 22

Questions 21-22

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Which TWO points do Thomas and Jeanne make about Thomas’s sporting activities at school?

21
22
A
He should have felt more positive about them.

B
The training was too challenging for him.

C
He could have worked harder at them.

D
His parents were disappointed in him.

E
His fellow students admired him.

Questions

23 – 24

Questions 23 and 24

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Which TWO feelings did Thomas experience when he was in Kenya?

23
24
A
disbelief

B
relief

C
stress

D
gratitude

E
homesickness

Questions

25 – 30

Questions 25-30

What comment do the students make about the development of each of the following items of sporting equipment?

Choose the correct comments about the development of the equipment, A-H, next to Questions 25-30.

the table tennis bat

Chọn đáp án

the cricket helmet

Chọn đáp án

the cycle helmet

Chọn đáp án

the golf club

Chọn đáp án

the hockey stick

Chọn đáp án

the football

Chọn đáp án

Listening Section 4

Questions

31 – 40

Questions 31-40

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

Maple syrup What is maple syrup? + made from the sap of the maple tree + colour described as 31

+ added to food or used in cooking + very 32

compared to refined sugar The maple tree + has many species + needs moist soil but does not need + needs sunny days and cool nights fertiliser as well + maple leaf has been on the Canadian flag since 1964 + best growing conditions and 33

are in Canada and North America Early maple sugar producers + made holes in the tree trunks + used tree bark to make containers for collection + used hot 34

to heat the sap + sweetened food and drink with sugar Today’s maple syrup The trees + Tree trunks may not have the correct 35

until they have been growing for 40 years. + The changing temperature and movement of water within the tree produces the sap. The production + A tap is drilled into the trunk and a 36

carries the sap into a bucket. + Large pans of sap called evaporators are heated by means of a 37

+ A lot of 38

is produced during the evaporation process. + ‘Sugar sand’ is removed because it makes the syrup look 39

and affects the taste. + The syrup is ready for use. + A huge quantity of sap is needed to make a 40

of maple syrup.

Listening Section 1

Questions

1 – 10

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD for each answer.

Easy Life Cleaning Services Basic cleaning package offered – Cleaning all surfaces – Cleaning the 1

throughout the apartment – Cleaning shower, sinks, toilet etc. Additional services agreed Every week – Cleaning the 2

– Ironing 3clothes-

only Every month – Cleaning all the 4

from the inside – Washing down the 5

Other possibilities – They can organise a plumber or an 6

if necessary. – A special cleaning service is available for customers who are allergic to 7

Information on the cleaners – Before being hired, all cleaners have a background check carried out by the 8

– References are required. – All cleaners are given 9

for two weeks. – Customers send a 10

after each visit. – Usually, each customer has one regular cleaner.

Giải thích đáp án

Transcript

Lưu ý

Những từ bôi vàng: Các keywords xuất hiện trong câu hỏi

Những từ bôi cam: Ngôn ngữ chỉ dẫn

Những từ bôi xanh: Đáp án

JACINTA: Hello, Easy Life Cleaning Services, Jacinta speaking.

CLIENT: Oh hello. I’m looking for a cleaning service for my apartment – do you do domestic cleaning?

JACINTA: Sure.

CLIENT: Well, it’s just a one-bedroom flat. Do you have a basic cleaning package?

JACINTA: Yes. For a one-bedroom flat we’re probably looking at about two hours for a clean. So we’d do a thorough clean of all surfaces in each room, and polish them where necessary. Does your apartment have carpets?

CLIENT: No, I don’t have any, but the floor would need cleaning [sàn nhà sẽ cần được làm sạch].

JACINTA: Of course – we’d do that in every room [chúng tôi sẽ làm thế trong tất cả các phòng] (Question 1). And we’d do a thorough clean of the kitchen and bathroom.

CLIENT: OK.

JACINTA: Then we have some additional services which you can request if you want – so for example, we can clean your oven for you every week.

CLIENT: Actually, I hardly ever use that, but can you do the fridge [Tôi hầu như không bao giờ sử dụng nó (lò nướng), nhưng bạn có thể làm sạch tủ lạnh không] (Question 2)?

JACINTA: Sure. Would you like that done every week?

CLIENT: Yes, definitely. And would ironing clothes be an additional service you can do?

JACINTA: Yes, of course.

CLIENT: It wouldn’t be much, just [=only] my shirts for work that week [Không nhiều quần áo đâu, chỉ là những chiếc áo sơ mi của tôi để đi làm trong tuần đó] (Question 3).

JACINTA: That’s fine. And we could also clean your microwave if you want.

CLIENT: No, I wipe that out pretty regularly so there’s no need for that.

JACINTA: We also offer additional services that you might want a bit less often, say every month. So for example, if the inside of your windows need cleaning, we could do that [nếu phía bên trong của cửa sổ phòng bạn cần được làm sạch, chúng tôi có thể làm việc đó] (Question 4).

CLIENT: Yes, that’d be good. I’m on the fifteenth floor, so the outside gets done regularly by specialists, but the inside does get a bit grubby.

JACINTA: And we could arrange for your curtains to get cleaned if necessary.

CLIENT: No, they’re OK. But would you be able to do something about the balcony [bạn có thể làm gì đó với (dọn) ban công không] (Question 5)? It’s quite small and I don’t use it much, but it could do with a wash every month or so.

JACINTA: Yes, we can get the pressure washer onto that.

———————————-

JACINTA: Now if you’re interested, we do offer some other possibilities to do with general maintenance. For example, if you have a problem with water and you need a plumber in a hurry, we can put you in touch with a reliable one who can come out straightaway. And the same thing if you need an electrician [Và chúng tôi có thể làm điều tương tự nếu bạn cần một thợ điện] (Question 6).

CLIENT: Right. That’s good to know. I’ve only just moved here so I don’t have any of those sorts of contacts.

JACINTA: And I don’t know if this is of interest to you, but we also offer a special vacuum cleaning system which can improve the indoor air quality of your home by capturing up to 99% of all the dust in the air. So if you’re troubled by allergies, this can make a big difference [chúng tôi cũng cung cấp một hệ thống hút bụi đặc biệt có thể cải thiện chất lượng không khí trong nhà bằng cách hút tới 99% tất cả các loại bụi trong không khí. Vì vậy, nếu bạn gặp rắc rối với dị ứng, việc này có thể tạo ra sự khác biệt lớn] (Question 7).

CLIENT: Right. In fact, I don’t have that sort of problem, but I’ll bear it in mind. Now can you tell me a bit about your cleaning staff?

JACINTA: Of course. So all our cleaners are very carefully selected. When they apply to us, they have to undergo a security check with the police to make sure they don’t have any sort of criminal background [Khi họ nộp đơn cho chúng tôi, họ phải trải qua một cuộc kiểm tra an ninh với cảnh sát để đảm bảo rằng họ không có bất kỳ lý lịch phạm tội nào] (Question 8), and, of course, they have to provide references as well. Then if we think they might be suitable for the job, we give them training for it. That lasts for two weeks [chúng tôi cung cấp cho họ những buổi đào tạo cho công việc. Việc này kéo dài trong hai tuần] (Question 9) so it’s very thorough, and at the end of it, they have a test. If they pass that, we take them on, but we monitor them very carefully – we ask all our clients [=customers] to complete a review of their performance after every visit [chúng tôi yêu cầu tất cả khách hàng của chúng tôi hoàn thành đánh giá về hiệu suất của họ sau mỗi lần dọn] (Question 10) and to email it to us. So we can pick up any problems straightaway and deal with them.

CLIENT: OK, well that all sounds good. And will I always have the same cleaner?

JACINTA: Yes, we do our best to organise it that way, and we usually manage it.

CLIENT: Good. That’s fine. Right, so I’d like to go ahead and …

Listening Section 2

Questions

11 – 14

Questions 11-14

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

11
Many hotel managers are unaware that their staff often leave because of
Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này
A
a lack of training.
B
long hours
C
low pay

12
What is the impact of high staff turnover on managers?
Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này
A
an increased workload
B
low morale
C
an inability to meet targets

13
What mistake should managers always avoid?
Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này
A
failing to treat staff equally
B
reorganising shifts without warning
C
neglecting to have enough staff during busy periods

14
What unexpected benefit did Dunwich Hotel notice after improving staff retention rates?
Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này
A
a fall in customer complaints
B
an increase in loyalty club membership
C
a rise in spending per customer

Giải thích đáp án

Transcript

Lưu ý

Những từ bôi vàng: Các keywords xuất hiện trong đề bài

Những từ bôi cam: Đáp án gây nhiễu

Những từ bôi xanh: Đáp án

As many of you here today have worked in the hotel industry for some time, I’m sure you have experienced the problem of high staff turnover in your hotels. Every hotel relies on having loyal and experienced members of staff who make sure that everything runs smoothly. If staff are constantly changing, it can make life difficult for everyone. But why do staff leave frequently in many hotels? Of course, many hotel jobs, such as cleaning, are low-skilled and are not well-paid. A lot of managers think it’s this and the long hours that are the main causes of high staff turnover [nhiều công việc ở khách sạn, chẳng hạn như dọn dẹp, đòi hỏi kỹ năng thấp và không được trả lương cao. Nhiều nhà quản lý cho rằng chính điều này và thời gian làm việc kéo dài là nguyên nhân chính dẫn đến việc thay đổi nhân viên cao → Ở đoạn sau khẳng định lại → Loại đáp án B & C] – but what they don’t realise [=unaware] is that it’s the lack of training in many hotel jobs which is a huge factor [những gì họ không nhận ra là việc thiếu đào tạo trong nhiều công việc ở khách sạn là một yếu tố rất lớn → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 11).

So, what kind of problems does a high turnover of staff cause? Well, having to recruit new staff all the time can be very time-consuming, and managers may have to cover some duties while waiting for new staff to arrive [người quản lý có thể phải làm thêm một số việc trong khi chờ đợi nhân viên mới đến → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 12). This means they don’t have time to think about less immediate problems such as how to improve their service. When staff leave, it can also severely affect the colleagues they leave behind. It has a negative effect on remaining staff [Điều có ảnh hưởng tiêu cực đến nhân viên còn lại → Đề bài chỉ hỏi ảnh hưởng lên quản lý → Loại đáp án B], who may start to feel that they too should be thinking about leaving.

So, what can be done to change [=avoid] this situation? Firstly, managers should stop making basic errors which leave their staff feeling upset and resentful. When organising shifts, for example, make sure you never give certain staff preferential treatment [Ví dụ: khi sắp xếp ca làm việc, hãy đảm bảo rằng bạn không bao giờ dành cho nhân viên nào sự đối xử ưu đãi nhất định → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 13). All staff should be given some choice about when they work, and everyone should have to work some evening and weekend shifts. If you treat staff fairly, they’ll be more likely to step in and help when extra staff are needed.

Keeping staff happy has other tangible benefits for the business. Take the Dunwich Hotel as an example. It had been experiencing a problem with staff complaints and in order to deal with this, invested in staff training and improved staff conditions. Not only did the level of complaints fall, but they also noticed a significant increase in the amount each customer spent during their stay [Không chỉ có mức độ phàn nàn giảm mà họ còn nhận thấy số tiền mỗi khách hàng chi tiêu trong thời gian ở lại tăng lên đáng kể → Chọn đáp án C] (Question 14). They have now introduced a customer loyalty scheme which is going really well.

Questions

15 – 20

Questions 15-20

Which way of reducing staff turnover was used in each of the following hotels? Select the correct way of reducing staff turnover next to Questions 15-20.

The Sun Club

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

improving relationships and teamwork

The Portland

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

providing career opportunities

Bluewater Hotels

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

offering incentives and financial benefits

Pentlow Hotels

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

providing career opportunities

Green Planet

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

offering incentives and financial benefits

The Amesbury

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

improving relationships and teamwork

Giải thích đáp án

Transcript

Lưu ý

Những từ bôi vàng: Tên khách sạn

Những từ bôi xanh: Đáp án

Now I’d like to look at some ways you can reduce staff turnover in your hotels, and I’ll do this by giving some examples of hotels where I’ve done some training recently.

The Sun Club received feedback which showed that staff thought managers didn’t value their opinions. They weren’t made to feel they were partners who were contributing to the success of the business as a whole. This situation has changed. Junior staff at all levels are regularly invited to meetings where their ideas are welcomed [Nhân viên mới ở tất cả các cấp thường xuyên được mời tham dự các cuộc họp, nơi các ý tưởng của họ được hoan nghênh → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 15).

A year ago, The Portland recognised the need to invest in staff retention. Their first step was to introduce a scheme for recognising talent amongst their employees. The hope is that organising training for individuals with management potential will encourage them to stay with the business [tổ chức đào tạo cho các cá nhân có tiềm năng quản lý sẽ khuyến khích họ ở lại với doanh nghiệp → Chọn đáp án C] (Question 16).

At Bluewater, managers decided to recognise 50 high achievers from across the company’s huge hotel chain. As a reward, they’re sent on an all-expenses-paid trip abroad every year [họ được đi một chuyến đi sang nước ngoài được chi trả toàn bộ chi phí mỗi năm → Chọn đáp án B] (Question 17). Fun is an important element in the trips, but there’s also the opportunity to learn something useful. This year’s trip included a visit to a brewery, where staff learned about the new beer that would be served in the hotel.

Pentlow Hotels identified that retention of junior reception staff was an issue. In order to encourage them to see that working in a hotel could be worthwhile and rewarding, with good prospects, they introduced a management programme. These staff were given additional responsibilities and the chance to work in various roles in the hotel [Những nhân viên này được giao thêm trách nhiệm và có cơ hội làm việc với nhiều vai trò khác nhau trong khách sạn → Chọn đáp án C] (Question 18).

Green Planet wanted to be seen as a caring employer. To make life easier for staff, many of whom had childcare responsibilities, the hotel began issuing vouchers to help cover the cost of childcare [khách sạn bắt đầu phát phiếu giảm giá để giúp chi trả chi phí chăm sóc trẻ em → Chọn đáp án B] (Question 19).

Louise Marsh at The Amesbury has one of the best staff retention rates in the business. Since she joined the company, she has made a huge effort to achieve this by creating a co-operative and supportive environment. For her, the staff are part of a large family where everyone is valued [cô ấy đã rất nỗ lực để đạt được điều này bằng cách tạo ra một môi trường mang tính hợp tác và hỗ trợ. Đối với cô, các nhân viên là một phần của một gia đình lớn, nơi mọi người đều được coi trọng → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 20).

OK, now I’d like to …

Listening Section 3

Questions

21 – 22

Questions 21-22

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Which TWO points do Thomas and Jeanne make about Thomas’s sporting activities at school?

21
22
A
He should have felt more positive about them.

B
The training was too challenging for him.
Bạn chọn thiếu đáp án này

C
He could have worked harder at them.

D
His parents were disappointed in him.
Bạn chọn thiếu đáp án này

E
His fellow students admired him.

Giải thích đáp án

Transcript

Lưu ý

Những từ bôi vàng: Các keywords xuất hiện trong đề bài

Những từ bôi cam: Đáp án gây nhiễu

Những từ bôi xanh: Đáp án

JEANNE: Hi Thomas, how are you enjoying the course so far?

THOMAS: Yeah, I think it’s good.

JEANNE: Remind me – why did you decide to study sports science? Didn’t you want to be a professional athlete when you were at school?

THOMAS: Yeah – that was my goal, and all my classmates assumed I would achieve it; they thought I was brilliant [tất cả các bạn cùng lớp của tôi đều cho rằng tôi sẽ đạt được điều đó; họ nghĩ rằng tôi thật xuất sắc → Chọn đáp án E] (Question 21&22).

JEANNE: That must have been a nice feeling.

THOMAS: Mm, I thought I could win anything [Tôi từng nghĩ rằng tôi có thể giành được bất cứ điều gì → Loại đáp án A]. There was no one who could run faster than me.

JEANNE: Exactly – so what happened? Did your mum and dad want you to be more ‘academic’ [Có phải bố mẹ của bạn muốn bạn trở nên ‘học thuật’ hơn không]?

THOMAS: Not at all [Không hề đâu → Loại đáp án D]. Perhaps they should have pushed me harder, though.

JEANNE: What do you mean?

THOMAS: I think I should have practised more [Tôi nghĩ rằng tôi đã nên luyện tập nhiều hơn → Chọn đáp án C] (Question 21&22).

Questions

23 – 24

Questions 23 and 24

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Which TWO feelings did Thomas experience when he was in Kenya?

23
24
Bạn chọn thiếu đáp án này

A
disbelief

B
relief

C
stress
Bạn chọn thiếu đáp án này

D
gratitude

E
homesickness

Giải thích đáp án

JEANNE: What makes you say that?

THOMAS: Well, I went out to Kenya for a couple of weeks to train …

JEANNE: Really! I didn’t know that.

THOMAS: I was chosen to go there out of loads of kids and run with some of the top teenage athletes in the world. And … I was so calm about it. I just kept thinking how fortunate I was [Tôi chỉ tiếp tục nghĩ rằng tôi đã may mắn như thế nào → Chọn đáp án D] (Question 23&24). What a great chance this was! Everyone back home was so proud of me. But once we started competing, I very quickly realised I wasn’t good enough.

JEANNE: That must have been a huge shock.

THOMAS: I thought ‘this can’t be happening’ [Tôi đã nghĩ “điều này không thể nào đang xảy ra” → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 23&24)! I was used to winning.

JEANNE: I’m sorry to hear that.

THOMAS: It’s OK. I’m over it now and I think it’s much better to do a university course and this one has such a variety of sports-related areas. It’s going to be good.

JEANNE: Oh, I agree – I chose it because of that.

Questions

25 – 30

Questions 25-30

What comment do the students make about the development of each of the following items of sporting equipment?

Choose the correct comments about the development of the equipment, A-H, next to Questions 25-30.

the table tennis bat

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

The material was being mass produced for another purpose.

the cricket helmet

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

It was unpopular among spectators.

the cycle helmet

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

It could cause excessive sweating.

the golf club

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

It often had to be replaced.

the hockey stick

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

People often needed to make their own.

the football

Bạn chưa trả lời câu hỏi này

It caused injuries.

Giải thích đáp án

Transcript

Lưu ý

Những từ bôi vàng: Dụng cụ chơi thể thao

Những từ bôi xanh: Đáp án

THOMAS: So Jeanne – have you thought of any ideas for the discussion session next week on technology and sport?

JEANNE: We have to cover more than one sport, don’t we?

THOMAS: Yeah.

JEANNE: You know – we always think technology is about the future, but we could gather some ideas about past developments in sport.

THOMAS: Look at early types of equipment perhaps? Uh, I remember reading something about table tennis bats once – how they ended up being covered with pimpled rubber.

JEANNE: Cos they were just wooden at first, I’d imagine.

THOMAS: Yeah. In about the 1920s, a factory was making rolls of the rubber in bulk [=mass produced] for something like horse harnesses [một nhà máy đang sản xuất các cuộn cao su với số lượng lớn cho một thứ gì đó như dây nịt ngựa → Chọn đáp án B] (Question 25).

JEANNE: Really!

THOMAS: Yeah – and someone realised that it’d make a perfect covering for the wooden bats.

JEANNE: So what about cricket – that’s had a few innovative changes. Maybe the pads they wear on their legs?

THOMAS: I don’t think they’ve changed much but, I’m just looking on the internet … and it says that when the first cricket helmet came in, in 1978, the Australian batsman who first wore it was booed and jeered by people watching [=spectators] because it was so ugly [Người đánh vợt Úc đầu tiên đội nó đã bị những người xem la ó và chế giễu vì nó quá xấu xí → Chọn đáp án F] (Question 26)!

JEANNE: Wow, players have to protect themselves from getting hurt! I mean everyone wears one now.

THOMAS: Mm, unlike the cycle helmet.

JEANNE: Well, unless you’re a professional, but you’re right, many ordinary bikers don’t wear a helmet.

THOMAS: Hey, look at these pictures of original helmet designs. This one looks like an upside-down bowl!

JEANNE: Yet, the woman’s laughing – she’s so proud to be wearing it!

THOMAS: It says serious cyclists ended up with wet hair from all the hard exercise [những người đua xe đạp một cách nghiêm túc đã bị ướt tóc sau khi tập luyện chăm chỉ → Chọn đáp án A] (Question 27).

JEANNE: I guess that’s why they have large air vents in them now so that the skin can breathe more easily.

THOMAS: OK, so we’ve done helmets. What about golf balls or better still golf clubs – they’ve changed a lot.

JEANNE: Yeah – I remember my great grandfather telling me that because a club was made entirely of wood, it would easily break and players had to get another [nó rất dễ gãy và người chơi phải kiếm cái gậy khác → Chọn đáp án D] (Question 28).

THOMAS: There’s no wood at all in them now, is there?

JEANNE: No – they’re much more powerful.

THOMAS: The same must be true of hockey sticks.

JEANNE: I don’t think so because players still use wooden sticks today. What it does say here, though, is that when the game started you had to produce a stick yourself [bạn đã từng phải tự sản xuất gậy chơi khúc côn cầu → Chọn đáp án C] (Question 29).

THOMAS: I guess they just weren’t being manufactured. So, one more perhaps. What about football?

JEANNE: Well, I know the first balls were made of animal skin.

THOMAS: Yeah, they covered them with pieces of leather that were stitched together, but … the balls let in water when it rained.

JEANNE: Oh, that would have made them much heavier.

THOMAS: That’s right. You can imagine the damage to players’ necks when the ball was headed [Bạn có thể tưởng tượng tổn thương gây ra ở cổ cho các cầu thủ khi đánh bóng bằng đầu → Chọn đáp án G] (Question 30).

JEANNE: How painful that must have been!

THOMAS: Yeah, well, I think we can put together some useful ideas …

Listening Section 4

Questions

31 – 40

Questions 31-40

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

Maple syrup What is maple syrup? + made from the sap of the maple tree + colour described as 31

+ added to food or used in cooking + very 32

compared to refined sugarThe maple tree + has many species + needs moist soil but does not need + needs sunny days and cool nights fertiliser as well + maple leaf has been on the Canadian flag since 1964 + best growing conditions and 33

are in Canada and North AmericaEarly maple sugar producers + made holes in the tree trunks + used tree bark to make containers for collection + used hot 34

to heat the sap + sweetened food and drink with sugarToday’s maple syrup The trees + Tree trunks may not have the correct 35

until they have been growing for 40 years. + The changing temperature and movement of water within the tree produces the sap.The production + A tap is drilled into the trunk and a 36

carries the sap into a bucket. + Large pans of sap called evaporators are heated by means of a 37

+ A lot of 38

is produced during the evaporation process. + ‘Sugar sand’ is removed because it makes the syrup look 39

and affects the taste. + The syrup is ready for use. + A huge quantity of sap is needed to make a 40

of maple syrup.

Giải thích đáp án

Transcript

Lưu ý

Những từ bôi vàng: Các keywords xuất hiện trong câu hỏi

Những từ bôi cam: Ngôn ngữ chỉ dẫn – Các đầu mục lớn

Những từ bôi xanh:Đáp án

Hello everyone. Today we’re going to look at another natural food product and that’s maple syrup. What is this exactly? Well, maple syrup looks rather like clear honey, but it’s not made by bees; it’s produced from the plant fluid – or sap – inside the maple tree and that makes maple syrup a very natural product. Maple syrup is a thick, golden, sweet-tasting liquid [Xi-rô phong là một chất lỏng đặc, màu vàng, có vị ngọt] (Question 31) that can be bought in bottles or jars and poured onto food such as waffles and ice cream or used in the baking of cakes and pastries. It contains no preservatives or added ingredients, and it provides a healthy alternative to refined sugar [nó là một sự thay thế tốt cho sức khỏe hơn cho đường tinh luyện] (Question 32).

Let’s just talk a bit about the maple tree itself, which is where maple syrup comes from. So, there are many species of maple tree, and they’ll grow without fertiliser in areas where there’s plenty of moisture in the soil. However, they’ll only do this if another important criterion is fulfilled, which is that they must have full or partial sun exposure during the day and very cool nights – and I’ll talk more about that in a minute. There are only certain parts of the world that provide all these conditions: one is Canada, and by that, I mean all parts of Canada, and the other is the north-eastern states of North America. In these areas, the climate suits the trees perfectly [Ở những khu vực này, khí hậu hoàn toàn phù hợp với giống cây này] (Question 33). In fact, Canada produces over two-thirds of the world’s maple syrup, which is why the five-pointed maple leaf is a Canadian symbol and has featured on the flag since 1964.

So how did maple syrup production begin? Well, long before Europeans settled in these parts of the world, the indigenous communities had started producing maple sugar. They bored holes in the trunks of maple trees and used containers made of tree bark to collect the liquid sap as it poured out. As they were unable to keep the liquid for any length of time – they didn’t have storage facilities in those days – they boiled the liquid [=heat the sap] by placing pieces of rock that had become scorching hot from the sun into the sap [họ đã đun sôi nhựa cây bằng cách đặt những viên đá đã trở nên rất nóng bằng ánh sáng mặt trời vào nhựa cây] (Question 34). They did this until it turned into sugar, and they were then able to use this to sweeten their food and drinks. Since that time, improvements have been made to the process, but it has changed very little overall.

———————————–

So let’s look at the production of maple syrup today. Clearly, the maple forests are a valuable resource in many Canadian and North American communities. The trees have to be well looked after and they cannot be used to make syrup until the trunks reach a diameter of around 25 centimetres [chúng không thể được sử dụng để làm xi-rô cho đến khi thân cây đạt kích thước đường kính khoảng 25cm] (Question 35). This can take anything up to 40 years. As I’ve already mentioned, maple trees need the right conditions to grow and also to produce sap. Why is this? Well, what happens is that during a cold night, the tree absorbs water from the soil, and that rises through the tree’s vascular system. But then in the warmer daytime, the change in temperature causes the water to be pushed back down to the bottom of the tree. This continual movement – up and down – leads to the formation of the sap needed for maple syrup production.

When the tree is ready, it can be tapped and this involves drilling a small hole into the trunk and inserting a tube into it that ends in a bucket [Khi cây đã đủ lớn, nó có thể được khai thác bằng cách khoan một lỗ nhỏ vào thân cây và đưa một cái ống vào trong và dẫn tới một cái xô] (Question 36). The trees can often take several taps, though the workers take care not to cause any damage to the healthy growth of the tree itself. The sap that comes out of the trees consists of 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar and other nutrients. It has to be boiled so that much of that water evaporates, and this process has to take place immediately, using what are called evaporators. These are basically extremely large pans – the sap is poured into these, a fire is built and the pans are then heated [nhựa cây được đổ vào đó, lửa được đốt lên và những chiếc chảo sau đó được đốt nóng] (Question 37) until the sap boils. As it does this, the water evaporates, and the syrup begins to form. The evaporation process creates large quantities of [=a lot of] steam [Quá trình bay hơi tạo ra một lượng lớn hơi nước] (Question 38), and the sap becomes thicker and denser, and, at just the right moment, when the sap is thick enough to be called maple syrup, the worker removes it from the heat. After this process, something called ‘sugar sand’ has to be filtered out [=removed] as this builds up during the boiling and gives the syrup a cloudy appearance and a slightly gritty taste [một thứ gọi là ‘đường cát’ phải được lọc ra vì chất này tích tụ trong quá trình đun sôi và làm cho xi-rô có màu đục và vị hơi sạn] (Question 39). Once this has been done, the syrup is ready to be packaged so that it can be used for a whole variety of products. It takes 40 litres [=a huge quantity] of sap to produce one litre of maple syrup [Cần 40 lít nhựa cây để tạo ra một lít xi-rô phong] (Question 40) so you can get an idea of how much is needed!

So that’s the basic process. In places like Quebec where …

IELTS Handbook 17 – Test 4