This is a listening exercise based on a current IELTS topic. The topic of modern office layout was reported in writing task 2 this year, 2017. This lesson will give you listening practice and also useful ideas for the topic.
Modern Office Layout: Listening Exercise
Instructions
Listen once to the recording and write down your answers at the same time. In the real test, you will only be able to listen once. So, use this practice lesson to try focusing and getting the answers in the first listening.
Questions 1-5
Choose no more than one word from the recording to complete each sentence below. Listen only once and write down your answers.
- Many offices favour the ………….. interior design.
- There is less ……………. in the modern office design.
- The ability to focus on work becomes a problem if there is too much ……………..
- Being ………… of other people’s beliefs is important.
- If you are ………………., it’s better for everyone if you stay at home.
Recording:
Answers
Click below to reveal the answers and the transcript:
Transcript
Office etiquette is all about common courtesy to other people in the work place. It is becoming more common for offices to have a modern open-plan design with members of staff all working in one large room without dividers. This type of office design unfortunately does result in a lack of privacy which means staff need to be more mindful and considerate than ever before of each other.
Here are a couple of rules for common office etiquette. Keep your desk tidy. There’s nothing worse than working along side someone who has spread their chaos. Focus on keeping your desk clear and avoid too much mess. Also keep the noise level to a minimum as noise can be distracting to others who need to concentrate on their work. Another rule is to be friendly but, at the same time, respect people’s boundaries and wish for solitude. Working in close proximity to other staff means that you need to be tolerant of other people’s beliefs and also work methods. Lastly, keep your illness to yourself and stay at home. Don’t come to work, if you’re sick. Spreading illness will not help you, your colleagues or the company you work for.
- open-plan / modern
- This answer means that you can have the word “open-plan” as your answer or the word “modern” as your answer. You can’t have both words. Also you can’t have the answer “open”
- You can’t write “open plan” as your answer as that is too words. There should be a hyphen between the words.
- privacy
- noise
- In the transcript you will see that the information about “ability to focus on work” is paraphrased as “distracting to others who need to concentrate on their work”. This is about noise levels.
- The topic of mess is before this and is not about focusing on work. But it is easy to get confused due to the words “too much…”.
- If you got this question wrong, read through the transcript and see how you made the mistake by focusing too much on words and less on meaning.
- tolerant
- You can’t have the answer “respectful” because that word is not given in the recording. Your answer must come from the recording – you can’t use synonyms as answers.
- You can’t have the word “friendly” as the answer. “Being friendly of other people’s beliefs” has not meaning in English and is grammatically incorrect. Your answer must make sense and be grammatically correct.
- sick
- You can’t have the word “ill” or “unwell” because that word was not used in the recording.
- The word “illness” was in the recording but it grammatically incorrect to use in this sentence and is an incorrect answer.
I hope you found this lesson useful.
Liz
If you would like more listening exercises, see my main listening page: IELTS Listening Lessons & Tips
Main IELTS Pages
Develop your IELTS skills with tips, lessons, free videos and more.
- IELTS Listening
- IELTS Reading
- IELTS Writing Task 1
- IELTS Writing Task 2
- IELTS Speaking
- Vocabulary for IELTS
You are great. your lesssons are very explicit.
Thank you.
Modern
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
Thanks very much
Thank you Liz 🙂
I have found this lesson very helpful considering the practice as well as the vocabulary content.
You are great teacher! Even though I have never met you I have a feeling you are a wonderful person 🙂
Thanks once again for frequent lessons and keeping us updated with new posts! I definitely need to come here more often!
Thanks so much for your comment. I’ll make more lessons each week 🙂
Thank you Liz for this lecture. I have to also commend you for your advanced writing lessons. I bought them today, and I am ready see IELTS writing inna different light. You have just shown me what I had been doing wrong all this while.
I still have problem with Map or location in Listening module. Please, what is the best way to approach this tour guild description?
Did you review the map listening exercises on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening/ ?
Aziza Rsouli
Dear Liz,
Thank you so much for your ielts lesson it is really useful but still i have problem
Thank you very much
Dear Liz,
Many thanks for the lesson this week. I realy learnt from you and is helping my preparations
for the test. please be there for me.
Joe.
Really very effective lesson
yes mine 4th one was incorrect .but it is very helpful and useful
I got last 3 right.
1.Modern
2.Privacy
3.Noise
4.Tolerance
4.Sick
1 modern
2 privacy
3 noise
4 tolerant
5 sick
HI miss Elizabeth(hope you don’t mind I am calling you like this)
Here are my answers:
1-modern
2-privacy
3-noise
4-tolerant
5-ill
Dear Liz,
Thank You for keeping very much intresting topics for IELTS.It is helping me a lot for my preparation.I hope I can get 8.0
Keep sharing topics like this
Your website is so helpful for me
Please keep writing and speaking topics also like this and after every comment can you give their score how much they have scored for letting to know how to improve
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Respectful
5. Ill
1) MODERN
2) PRIVACY
3) MESS
4) TOLERANT
5) SICK
Answer:-
Modren
privacy
Mess
Notice
Sick
1. Moderne
2. Privat
3. Mouse
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
Open
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
1. common
2. privacy
3. mess
4. respectful
5. sick
1. Able
2.privacy
3. Noise
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
1.modern
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Tolerant
5.sick
Modern
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Illness
1. modern
2. privacy
3.mess
4. tolerant
5.ill
Modern
Privacy
Noise
Respect
Sick
1.) Modern
2.) Privacy
3.) Noise
4.) Tolerant
5.) Sick
1. WORPLACE
2. PRIVACY
3. MATH
4. FRIENDLY
5. SICK
Thank you
1-modern/open
2- privacy
3-noise
4-tolerant
5-sick
Open
Privacy
Mess
Tolerant
Sick
1. open
2. privacy
3. noise
4. friendly
5. ill
1. open
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
1-open
2-privacy
3-Mess
4-tolerant
5-Ill
1/open
2/privacy
3/noise
4/tolerant
5/sick
1 modern
2 privacy
3 mess
4 tolerant
5 sick
1. Modern
2. Dividers
3. Noise
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
Answer :
1. modern
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Respect
5. Ilnes
1. MODERN
2. PRIVACY
3. NOISE
4. TOLERANT
5. ILL
Thank you so much for your lessons Ma. You are a blessing. May God continue to bless you and protect you.
Why sick is wrong?
I am very confused. Did you check the answers? The word “sick” is the correct answer as show in the answer key.
1- Open plan
2- Privacy
3- Noise
4- Tolerate
5- ill/Sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. ill
1.Open
2.privacy
3.Noise
4.Tolerant
5.sick
1. open 2.privacy.3mess 4.tolerant 5.sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3.Mess
4.Tolerant
5. Ill
modern open
privacy.
mess.
friendly
sick
modern
privacy
noise
respectful
unwell
1. Open
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3. chaos
4. tolerant
5. sick
Public
Private
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
1 OPEN
2 PRIVACY
3 NOISE
4 INTOLERANT
5 SICK
1 plan .
2 privacy
3 mess
4 tolerant
5 sick
Open
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
open
mess
noise
tolerant
ill
Answers:
1) open
2 )privacy
3) noise
4) tollerano
5) sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
1. modern
2. Privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
Answers÷
1.open
2.privacy
3.mess
4.tolerant
5.ill
1 One
2 Divider
3Mess
4Tolerance
5 Sick
open
privacy
noise
tolerant
sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. seek
5. sick
modern
privacy
noise
tolerant
sick
Modern
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
sick
1. open
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. ill
Modern
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
Noise = mess. Sorry for choosing the wrong word.
1 =modern
2 = privacy
3 = noise
4 = tolerant
5 = sick
1open
2=privacy
3=noise
4=tolerant
5=sick
modern
privacy
noise
friendly
sick
1.modern
2.privacy
3.noisy
4.tolerant
5.sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. solitary
1. modern
2. privacy
3.noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
Modern privacy mess respectful ill
1. modern
2. privacy
3. mess
4. tolerant
5. illness
1:Modern ,2:Privacy, 3:noise. 4:tolerant ,5:sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
Hi Liz, I’m working girl I have not enough time to attend the classes in the class room. I’m from Punjab I really want to do ielts but my English is very week I really feel help less please suggest me what I have to do and How To do..
Thank you
Your faith fully
Arti.
There are over 300 pages of free lessons and tips on my website. Start learning 🙂
1.open
2.privacy
3.noise
4.tolerant
5.sick
1. open
2. privacy
3. chaos
4. respectful
5. illness
modern
privacy
mess
tolerant
sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3.furniture
4.tolerant
5.ill
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. respectful
5. sick
1. modern
2. privacy
3. mess
4. tolerant
5. illness
Listening-Modern Office Layout
1. MODERN
2. PRIVACY
3. NOISE
4. TOLERANT
5. SICK
open
privacy
noise
tolerant
sick
1- modern(open-plan)
2-privecy
3-mess
4-tolerant
5-sick
1= OPEN, 2= PRIVACY 3= MESS 4= FRIENDLY,5= SICK
1) modern
2)privacy
3) mess
4) sick
sorry .
4)tolerent
5)sick
1. modern
2.privacy
3.mess
4.tolerant
5.sick
Modern
Privacy
Mess
Tolerated
Ill/ illness
1) modern
2) privacy
3)mess
4) tolerant
5) sick
1.modern
2.privacy
3.noise
4.friendly
5.sick
1 modern
2 privacy
3 mess
4 tolerant
5 ill
open
privacy
chaos
tolerant
sick
modern
privacy
mess
tolerent
ill
1.modern
2.privacy
3.mess
4.tolerant
5.ill
Modern
Privacy
Mess
Tolerant
Suck
Modern
privacy
noise
tolerant
ill
1common
2Privacy
3tolerant
4sick
1. Open
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
1.MODERN
2. PRIVACY
3. NOISE
4. RESPECT
5. SICK
answers:
1. open-plan
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
Modern
Privacy
Nosie
Tolerant
Sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Respectful
5. Ill
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Friendly
5. Sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Tolerant
5.sick
–
answers
privacy
noise
tolerant
illness
1- modern
2-privacy
3.mess
4.tolerant
5.sick
Modern
Privacy
Mess
Friendly
Ill
Modern
2.privacy
3. Noise
4.tolerant
5.ill
Hi Liz,
Thank you!
1. open-plan
2. dividers
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
1.Modern.
2.Privacy.
3.Mass
4.Friendly.
5.Sick.
Open
Privacy
Chaos
Careful
Ill
Answers:
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Tolerance
5. Ill
1 modern
2 privacy
3 mess
4 friendly
5 ill
modern
privacy
chaos
tolerent
sick
1.OPEN
2.PRIVACY
3.MESS
4.FRIENDLY
5.ILLNESS
Open-plan
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
1.modern
2.privacy
3.chaos
4.friendly
5.sick
1. OPEN
2. PRIVACY
3. MESS
4. TOLERANT
5. ILL
1 Open plan
2 Privacy
3 Noise
4 Respectful
5 Sick
1=open
2=space
3=mess
4=tolerant
5=ill
Hiiii…..open, privacy, noise, tolerant, sick
1. open 2. privacy 3. noise 4. ill
The answer to the questions 1. Open plan, 2. Privacy 3. Mess 4. Tolerate 5 sick
1.MODERN
2.PRIVACY
3.MATH
4.RESPECT
5 SICK
1 modern
2 privacy
3 mess
4 tolerant
5 sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Noise
4. Friendly
5. Ill
my answers are
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. friendly
5. sick
1: large
2:
3:noise
4:respect
5: sick
1, modern
2, privacy
3, noise
4, respect
5, sick
I NEED MORE LISTENING PRACTICES LIKE THIS ONE….
You can find more on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening/
1. modern
2. privacy
3. noise
4. tolerant
5. sick
modern
stuff needs
noisy
illness
1: common
2:unfortunately
3:math
4:tollarent
5:sick
1) modern
2) privacy
3) noise
4) tolerant
5) sick
1.modern
2.privacy
3.noise
4.tolerant
5. ill
1. MODERN
2. PRIVACY
3. MESS
4. TOLERANT
5. ILL
Open
Privacy
Noise
Tolerant
Sick
1: openplan
2:deviders
3:mess
4:tolerant
5:ill
1.tidy
2.mess
3.noice
4.friendly
5.sick
1-open plan,2-noises,3-mess,4-tolerant,5-sick
1. Modern
2. Privacy
3. Mess
4. Tolerant
5. Sick
Thank you so much dearest Liz.
I got the reason of one wrong answer.
That is the key to success. If you know the mistake, you will learn and develop 🙂
answers-
open
privacy
mess
tolerant
sick
1.Open
2.privacy
3.noise
4.tolerant
5.sick
Dear Liz,
Thank you very much for your IELTS lesson. It helps me much, and finally I got 6,5 score without having a preparation course.
Keep sharing Liz 🙂
You are such a great teacher 🙂
Yay!! Band score 8.5 is amazing!! Well done to you. I hope you celebrated 🙂 Thanks for letting me know 🙂