21 What do Connor and Mia agree was the hardest part of the lab experiment?
A setting up the microscope
B measuring the liquids
C recording the results
22 What advice did their tutor give them about the Methods section?
A Make it as brief as possible.
B Write it in the past tense.
C Include personal opinions.
23 Why does Mia think they should use a diagram?
A It saves word count.
B It clarifies the equipment setup.
C It looks more professional.
24 Which source will they use to reference the standard procedures?
A the textbook
B a recent journal article
C the university laboratory manual
Questions 25 to 30
Who will write each part of the Methods section?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A, B, or C, next to Questions 25 to 30.
Who will write the section?
A Connor
B Mia
C Both of them
Parts of the Methods section
25 List of materials
26 Preparation of samples
27 Temperature control procedures
28 Timing and duration steps
29 Disposal of chemicals
30 Error checking protocols
Keys
21 B
22 B
23 B
24 C
25 C
26 A
27 B
28 B
29 C
30 B
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two university students, Connor and Mia, discussing how to write the methods section of their lab report.
CONNOR: Hi Mia. Ready to start writing up the methods section for our chemistry report?
MIA: Yes, Connor. Before we divide the tasks, let’s look back at the practical session. What did you find most difficult? I thought setting up the microscope was really tricky because the lens was out of focus.
CONNOR: I found the setup straightforward, honestly. But I struggled with recording the results accurately while everything was happening.
MIA: Recording data was easy for me. I think we both know what the actual nightmare was. Getting those tiny amounts right when measuring the liquids took us forever.
CONNOR: You’re completely right. That required so much precision. Let’s talk about the writing style. Do you remember what our tutor said yesterday? I know some tutors want these reports extremely brief.
MIA: He didn’t mention length. But he was strict about grammar. He said we must write the whole section in the past tense, because we are describing an experiment we already did.
CONNOR: Right. We shouldn’t include any personal opinions on how it went.
MIA: Exactly. It must be strictly factual.
CONNOR: Okay. Now, do we need a visual aid in the methodology?
MIA: Yes, because describing how those glass tubes were connected is confusing. A diagram clarifies the equipment setup perfectly for the reader.
CONNOR: I see your point. Some students include drawings just to make their work look more professional, but functionality is definitely more important.
MIA: Agreed. Next, we need to cite a source for the standard procedures. Should we use the main textbook?
CONNOR: I checked the textbook, but the edition is old and the steps don’t quite match what we did. I thought about searching online for a recent journal article instead.
MIA: An article might be overly complicated for this basic experiment. Let’s stick to using the university laboratory manual. It has exactly what we need.
CONNOR: That makes sense. I’ll grab the manual later. Let’s split up the writing tasks now. First is the list of materials. Should I type that up?
MIA: Well, you used extra beakers and stirring rods that you didn’t write down. I think we need to do the materials together so we don’t accidentally miss anything.
CONNOR: Fair enough. We’ll combine our notes for that. What about the preparation of samples?
MIA: You crushed the minerals and weighed them on the digital scale. I didn’t see the measurements. So you should write that part.
CONNOR: Sure, I have all the exact weights written down. I’ll write that section tonight. Next is the temperature control procedures.
MIA: I can handle that. I adjusted the dials on the heating plate the whole time, so I remember the exact degrees.
CONNOR: Perfect. Then we have the timing and duration steps. We need to explain how long each phase took. I didn’t look at the clock once. Did you?
MIA: Yes, I was strictly in charge of the stopwatch. I will type up all the timing details.
CONNOR: Excellent. Almost done. We need a paragraph on the disposal of chemicals. I can just write about washing the flasks.
MIA: Actually, there are strict safety rules for chemical disposal. I think it’s safer if we review the guidelines and write this section together.
CONNOR: Good idea, let’s collaborate on the disposal part tomorrow. Finally, the error checking protocols. To be totally honest, I’m not really sure how to explain that part clearly.
MIA: Don’t worry. I actually started drafting some notes on our error checking yesterday. I’ll finish writing that section myself.
CONNOR: That is a huge relief. Thanks, Mia. Let’s get started!
