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IELTS Practice Listening: Matching Features ID: #57281 Medium Requirements
Instructions ›

The following are essential requirements for which jobs?

Tick the correct options.

Essential requirements

You will hear a talk by a representative from an international hotel group explaining career opportunities and requirements. Now listen carefully and answer the questions. Good morning. It's a great pleasure to be here in London and to see so many people interested in working in hotels. We in the international finest group of hotels are very proud of our business and we are always on the lookout for quality recruits in every department. Now I'm going to outline some of the areas of work where we are currently recruiting and the essential skills or qualifications for them. Then I'll run through our recruitment procedure. Okay? At the moment we are looking for a number of people for administrative posts in different parts of the world and also some roles which involve a lot of travelling. One of our main business streams is hosting special events for other businesses. If you have good communication and organisational skills, with a good level of fluency in at least one European and one non-European language, I'd suggest you think about becoming part of the team which sets up these events for all our centres. This would mean being based full-time in our London office. The work ranges from setting up small meetings a few days ahead to organising international conferences 2 years in advance, so there's plenty of variety. Some of the conferences we run have as many as 1000 delegates, so it's quite challenging. Then there are some posts available for professionals in the catering field. Chefs we can find. It seems this is a popular career choice in many parts of the world, as in the UK these days, in spite of the exacting standards. But people to manage catering departments need more than a love of producing quality food. We're after really energetic and totally efficient young managers. who already have the relevant business qualifications. No training on the job here. And they must share the team's determination to make everything run smoothly at any time of the day or night. Or if you are the type of person who enjoys a challenge, what about becoming one of our relief housekeepers? You'll be a good people person, well-organised and supremely flexible. As well as covering UK holidays, maternity and paternity leave, there will be times when you have to fill a key post when someone's sick, which could be anywhere in our European, Middle Eastern or Far Eastern hotels, so you must be prepared to hop on a plane at 5 minutes' notice. The International Finest, brand name, attracts visitors from all over the world, and on all kinds of business and leisure trips. Our swimming pools and gyms need to be run by people with the highest standards of customer service. You don't have to be a great athlete, but smart appearance and a pleasant manner are necessary. A diploma in sports science would be the minimum requirement here. Lastly, I'd just like to mention that the main London office has another vacancy. Most bookings come online, especially from the Far East, for people coming to Europe. If you have fluency and some keyboard skills in, for example, Spanish or any Far Eastern languages, either having taken a degree or preferably from having lived and worked overseas, you might be just the person we're looking for to deal with e-mail bookings and queries in the office here. A flexible attitude to working hours is also important, as you may have to come in outside normal office hours.
A. foreign languages
B. willingness to travel abroad
C. professional qualification
A B C
1 conference organiser
2 catering manager
3 housekeeper
4 fitness centre staff
5 reservations assistant
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

Question Focus: Synonym match - speaking multiple languages = fluency in European and non-European languages

Why this is correct: The answer is foreign languages. The speaker clearly says you need fluency in at least one European and one non-European language to work on setting up conferences, which is the conference organiser role. This is a direct requirement, not just a helpful skill.

Passage Reference: If you have good communication and organisational skills, with a good level of fluency in at least one European and one non-European language, I'd suggest you think about becoming part of the team which sets up these events for all our centres.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose willingness to travel abroad because international conferences are mentioned. This is a Distractor trap - the speaker talks about international events, but the job is actually based full-time in London.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'fluency in at least one European and one non-European language' = Statement: 'foreign languages'

Tips: Listen carefully for words like must or need - these signal essential requirements.

Key Vocabulary:

  • fluency = speaking well
  • set up = organise

Question Focus: Explicit requirement - business qualifications required

Passage Reference: But people to manage catering departments need more than a love of producing quality food. We're after really energetic and totally efficient young managers. who already have the relevant business qualifications. No training on the job here.

Why this is correct: The answer is professional qualification. The speaker says catering managers must already have the relevant business qualifications, and clearly adds no training on the job. That makes this an essential requirement.

Common Mistake: Some students choose foreign languages because this is an international hotel group. This is a Context shift trap - languages are mentioned for other roles, not for catering managers.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'relevant business qualifications' = Statement: 'professional qualification'

Tips: When you hear no training, it means the qualification is required before the job.

Key Vocabulary:

  • relevant = suitable
  • qualifications = formal certificates

Question Focus: Direct statement - must travel at short notice

Passage Reference: what about becoming one of our relief housekeepers? You'll be a good people person, well-organised and supremely flexible. As well as covering UK holidays, maternity and paternity leave, there will be times when you have to fill a key post when someone's sick, which could be anywhere in our European, Middle Eastern or Far Eastern hotels, so you must be prepared to hop on a plane at 5 minutes' notice.

Why this is correct: The answer is willingness to travel abroad. The speaker explains that relief housekeepers may be sent to hotels in different regions and must hop on a plane at very short notice. This clearly shows travel is essential.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose professional qualification because the role sounds senior. This is a Paraphrase trap - organisation and flexibility are mentioned, not formal qualifications.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'hop on a plane' = Statement: 'willingness to travel abroad'

Tips: Listen for strong phrases like must be prepared - they usually point to the correct answer.

Key Vocabulary:

  • relief = temporary replacement
  • notice = warning time

Question Focus: Minimum qualification requirement

Passage Reference: Our swimming pools and gyms need to be run by people with the highest standards of customer service. You don't have to be a great athlete, but smart appearance and a pleasant manner are necessary. A diploma in sports science would be the minimum requirement here.

Why this is correct: The answer is professional qualification. The speaker clearly states that a diploma in sports science is the minimum requirement for fitness centre staff. This makes it essential, not optional.

Common Mistake: Some students choose foreign languages because guests come from all over the world. This is a Partial truth trap - international guests are mentioned, but languages are not required for this role.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'a diploma in sports science' = Statement: 'professional qualification'

Tips: When you hear minimum requirement, write that answer immediately.

Key Vocabulary:

  • diploma = certificate
  • minimum = least required

Question Focus: Language skills linked to bookings from overseas

Passage Reference: Most bookings come online, especially from the Far East, for people coming to Europe. If you have fluency and some keyboard skills in, for example, Spanish or any Far Eastern languages, either having taken a degree or preferably from having lived and worked overseas, you might be just the person we're looking for to deal with e-mail bookings and queries in the office here.

Why this is correct: The answer is foreign languages. The speaker says the reservations assistant must have fluency in languages like Spanish or Far Eastern languages to deal with email bookings and queries. That makes language ability essential.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose willingness to travel abroad because overseas customers are mentioned. This is a Distractor trap - the job is clearly office-based in London.

Paraphrasing: Transcript: 'fluency in Spanish or Far Eastern languages' = Statement: 'foreign languages'

Tips: Do not assume overseas customers mean overseas travel - listen for the job location.

Key Vocabulary:

  • queries = questions
  • bookings = reservations

General Tips:

  • In Matching Features, focus on essential requirements, not nice extras.
  • Listen for strong language like must, minimum requirement, or no training.
  • The same option can be used more than once - do not cross it off too early.
  • Jobs are explained one by one - use the job title to stay focused while listening.
  • Ignore information that sounds interesting but does not answer the requirement.

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