BOOSTER 1 - LISTENING SCRIPTS

Practice Test 1-7

Practice Test 1
Part 1
You will hear a student asking about trips from her college.
First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.
NoW listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
Woman: Hello.
Man: Hi - can I help you?
Woman: Yes, I was looking for the social organiser. I’m sorry, I don’t knoW his name.
Man: He’s not here at the moment, but I can probably help you. He’s called Paul Urquhart,
that’s U-R-O-U-H-A-R-T. My name’s Will.
Woman: Oh, OK. I was wondering about trips this term.
Man: We’ve got three - one in June and two in July. Woman: Great - where are they to?
Man: The first one’s to Bath - we call this the ‘Fashion and Shopping’ weekend because we visit
the Costume Museum. The second one is to the National Gallery in London to see their Renoir
exhibition and then free time on the Sunday. I’m sure that’s going to be very popular with
everyone.
Woman: Mm. And the other trip?
Man: That’s to London, too. This is only a day trip. It’s called ‘Shopping and Theatre’. You do
your shopping in the morning and in the afternoon see a play. Not sure which one yet,
though, but there’s always something good on at that time of year in the West End.
Woman: HoW much are the trips?
Man: I haven’t worked out a final price yet for the weekend trips, but last year they were
£150.1 guess we’ll be charging about £160 this year - that’s actually very good value. The
day trip will obviously be much cheaper - £30.
Woman: Is it a very early start?
Man: All trips leave here at seven in the morning. Some people think they can turn up at 7.15,
but I’m afraid we don’t wait around. We aim to get back at about five-thirty in the evening.
Woman: OK. And when do I need to decide whether I’m going or not?
Man: I’ll put a notice up about a week before the trip leaves, and you’ll need to sign your name
to say you’re interested. It’ll be in reception rather than the common room, where the other
notices are.
Woman: OK, thanks. I’ll think it over.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.
NoW listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
Woman: Can you tell me a bit more about the trip to Bath? I’ve never been there.
Man: Sure. There’s loads to see and do - you’ll definitely need to bring good walking shoes with
 you - oh, and a camera, of course. No need for a map, as we’ll give you one.
Woman: Uh-huh. Now, I knoW we’re going to a museum and have some free time to go
shopping, but what else can we do?
Man: OK, well, on the Sunday, you could take a bus tour of the city in the morning, and if the
weather’s nice, I’d buy some sandwiches and eat in the park rather than queuing up to get a
seat for lunch in one of the cafes. They’re always crowded.
Woman: What about in the evening?
Man: Well, there are the usual things to do - nightclubs and so on. But there’s a film festival in
one of the museum gardens while we are in Bath, and that should be great - you can sit
under the stars and be entertained.
Woman: Sounds wonderful.
Man: It should be - as long as it doesn’t rain, of course. Anyway, another idea for a sunny day is
to get a boat and go on the river for a couple of hours. You can hire bicycles, too, but I think
that would be too tiring if it’s hot.
Woman: What about the hotel? I forgot to ask about that.
Man: Sure - it’s called the Regent and it’s modern. There’s a restaurant, and I think they’re
building a gym, but it won’t be ready when we go. However, what they do have is a small
indoor swimming pool, so remember to take a swimsuit with you!
Woman: It all sounds great - I’ll definitely go. Thanks a lot, Will.
Part 2
You will hear a manager from an engineering company talking to a group of neW trainees.
First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.
NoW listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
Ah, good morning, everyone. My name’s Jeremy Armstrong, and I’m in charge of your training
programme here at Coppersmith Engineering, manufacturers of what we like to think are the
world’s best diesel engines! I’ll start by giving you a very brief background to the company.
Right. Now, the founder, John Coppersmith, was born locally in 1910. In 1932, he started
making bicycles in a shed at the bottom of his garden. This proved so successful that two years
later, he rented a small factory unit and set up Coppersmith Engineering - so we date back to
1934. And since then, we’ve produced over ten million engines.
As you probably know, the engines we manufacture are not for cars, but for vehicles used in
industry and agriculture. In the last feW years, we’ve also made engines that are used to power
boats, including police launches and lifeboats.
Another fairly neW development is that ten years ago, we set up a joint venture with a Japanese
manufacturer and as a result, we’re seeing a big rise in turnover, while keeping production
costs steady.
Of course, this success gives US great confidence in the future, and so we’re currently in the
middle of a five-year plan to improve the buildings we have here. We’ve just completed a neW
test facility, and as you were coming in, you probably noticed the site where we’re constructing
an office block. At present, our desk-based staff are in several buildings, and they’re all due to
move into the neW one in six months’ time.
Oh, and, er, just one more point I’d like to mention: our goal has always been to achieve top
quality in everything we do, so when we received an award last month from the city council,
naming US ‘best employer’, we were very proud indeed.
Before you hear the rest of what the manager has to say, you have some time to look at
questions 6 to 10.
NoW listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
OK, noW I’ll give you an idea of what to expect in the next feW days. You’ll each be spending
today and tomorroW with one of our staff, following him or her around, sitting in on meetings,
and generally learning about that particular activity.
Now, this is hoW I’ve allocated you. Er, Carol, you said in your intervieW that you’re interested
in finance, so I’ve put you with the person who deals with payments to staff. This is the busiest
week in the monthly cycle, as all the overtime has to be calculated before pay day.
Now, Frank, I believe you’ve already had some training in sales, and you want to look at the
process from the other side, so the purchasing section is where you’ll start off. You’ll be able to
find out hoW we buy goods and services from our suppliers.
Next on the list is Philip. You said you hope to work in advertising, so I had arranged for you to
work alongside our marketing manager. But I’m afraid she’s on sick leave at the moment, so
instead you’ll be with someone who deals with sales to other countries. As you speak two or
three languages, you should find you can use them.
Stephanie, you didn’t mention any preference, so I’ve put you with the warehouse manager. We
purchase goods almost every day and have frequent deliveries, so you’ll see hoW we handle all
the goods that come in - not to mention the finished products waiting to be despatched to
customers. And lastly, Minh: I understand you’ve been working in an employment agency and
would like to look at the application process from an employer’s point of view. We’re about to
advertise for neW training staff to join my section, so you’ll be with the person who’s
responsible for recruiting them. You might have some good ideas for hoW they should go about
it.
OK, noW if you’d like to come this way ...
Practice Test 2
Part 1
Narrator: You will hear the director of a child-care centre talking to the parent of a neW
child.
Director: Good morning, my name is Bob Ferguson and I’m the director of Ascot Child-care
centre.
Mother: Good morning, I’m Sallyanne Cullen. I made an appointment to enrol my daughter.
Director: That’s right, I’ve got the application form right here. Now, first I need some
personal details. So the family name is Cullen, is that right?.
Mother: That’s right.
Director: Now, what about your daughter, what does she like to be called?
Mother: Oh, her name is Alexandra, but we all just call her Alex, A-L-E-X.
Director: Great. As you know, we organise the children into different age groups. There's
the babies' group, the toddlers, aged 2 to 3, and the pre-schoolers - they’re aged 4 to 5.
HoW old is your daughter?.
Mother: Well, she’d go into the toddler group - she's just turned three.
Director: And we always like to make a note of our children’s birthdays so we can
celebrate it all together if they are at the centre on that day. When was she born?.
Mother: Oh, erm, the 8 of November.
Director: Fine. And we also find it’s a great help to knoW about siblings - sometimes, a
problem at the centre can be related to problems with a sibling. Does she have any brothers
or sisters?.
Mother: Yes, a brother, Fraser. He’s two years older.
Director: So that would make him five, is that right?.
Mother: Yes, that’s right.
Director: Fine. Now, we also need a contact address. Where do you live?.
Mother: It’s 108 Park Road, that's P-A-R-K, Maidstone.
Director: Good. Now, last of alt, we need a telephone number we can call if there are any
problems.
Mother: Oh, well, I'll be at work and so will my husband, so the best number to call is
34678890.
Director: Right, and is that a close relative?.
Mother: Yes, it’s my mother-in-law’s number.
Director: We prefer to make a note of hoW the person is related to the child, so I'll write
down ’grandmother’.
Mother: Yes, that does make more sense!.
Director: Now, that’s all about personal detail. We also like to trying to get a picture of
your child’s personal development. Can you tell me there's any specific problems she’s
having. For example: Does she get on well with others children, is sleeping problem?.
Mother: No, she gets on well with others, I think. But she does have trouble sleeping. We
gave up her daytime nap a long time ago.
Director:That’s good to know, I’ll make a note of that. She can just have some quiet time
while the other’s resting if she likes.
Mother: That’s would be fine. She enjoying drawing quietly.
Director: Right. NoW what’s about daughter skills? We occasionally take the children
swimming, fully supervised of course, and we only go in a paddling pool as we don’t expect
them to swim by themselves yet. Does your daughter need a lot help getting changed?.
Mother: No, not at all. In fact she’s been able to get dressed in the morning for over a year
now, so no problems there!.
Director: That must be a big help for you! Now, what about the child care arrangements?
Are there any specific days you require?.
Mother: Well, I work Monday to Wednesday, but my mother-in-laW has agreed to look after
her on Wednesdays.
Director: So does that mean that you’ll just need Monday and Tuesday for now?.
Mother: That’s right.
Director: And what about the pick-up time? We offer extended hours for parents who work
a great distance away.
Mother: Hmm- I work until 3 o’clock, but it takes me about half an hour to drive home, so
ideally I’d like to pick her up at four if that’s OK.
Director: That will be fine. NoW is there any other information you’d like to…

Part 2
Narrator: You will hear a woman talking on the radio about things for children to do during
the school holidays.

The school holidays are fast approaching and I'm sure all of you parents out there are
worried about hoW to occupy your children.

Well, I have a feW tips that may help keep your children entertained without spending
large amounts of money. One of our biggest problems is that today’s children often do not
have the type of hobby that was familiar in the past, such as making their own toys. Instead
they rely on sophisticated video games to keep them amused. But children also like to feel
needed, so why not give them jobs to do around the house? You may be surprised hoW
much they will enjoy simple tasks such as washing your car. Another idea is to use this time
to develop their cooking skills. Food is something we all enjoy, so why not get them to
prepare some simple dishes in the kitchen? Learning to cook is a useful life skill for
children to learn and it can also keep them happy for several hours.
Children also love doing arts and crafts, so why not give them the task of making presents
for upcoming birthdays or celebrations? Not only will they enjoy making them but you'll
also save some money and the family or friends who receive the gifts are sure to be
delighted. A great idea to get children out of the house is to find out about hoW they can
help in your local community. Perhaps there is a home for the elderly nearby. They are sure
to welcome a visit from young people - even a feW minutes a week can brighten their day.
Of course younger children cannot do these things for very long, but older ones may find
that there are ongoing projects around your neighbourhood that they can help with.

These are just a feW ideas, but I'm sure you can think of many more. If not, there are plenty
of places to look for other suggestions. Nowadays the first place people seem to look is the
Internet, which can be a good source of information. However, it does have its limits
because ideas suitable for children living in the city may not translate well for children in
rural areas. So don’t overlook your library. These are often filled with great ideas targeted
at children in your specific area. There are a feW key points to remember, however. One of
the most important things is to keep your children active, otherwise they will be sure to get
bored. Also remember that, although children can be very independent even from nine or
ten years old, you should still be there to take care of them up to the age of twelve. So don’t
be tempted to let older children babysit their younger siblings. This should only be done by
an adult.
Practice Test 3
Part 1
(M = Maggie; D = Director)
M: Hi. My name's Maggie. I think I spoke to you yesterday about coming in to see you about
the drama classes.
D: Oh yes. Hi. HoW can I help you?
M: We're neW to the area and I'd like my children, Terry, Andrea and Jasmine, to join the
drama classes. They Jove acting, singing and dancing and they're very energetic
and I also thought it would be a good way for them to make friends.
D: Oh yes, we offer dancing and singing as well as acting classes and the club's a good place
for everyone to meet neW people. We have different social and family groups and everyone
here's very friendly.
M: Great.Can I just ask you some questions about the drama classes?
D: Yes sure. What would you like to know?
M: Mmm, what classes are there and when are they held?
D: Well ... during the week, we have classes for different age groups.... By the way, what ages
are your children?
M: Terry's 8. Andrea's 12 and Jasmine's 16.
D: Well, for the youngest age group, those aged7-11, the timesare5.30pm -6.30 pm on
Tuesday evening and for those aged 12-15 between .4 and 6 pm on Wednesday evening ...
and for those 16 and above it's 6-8 pm on Friday evening.
M: Is there anything at the weekends?
D: Yes. We also have workshops on Saturdays from 10 am-1 pm, but they're usually for
older members, 18 and above. We also have social outings to theatres, at discount
rates. So it's possible for whole families to come. We even get free theatre tickets at times,
which we announce on our website.
M: Oh that's good to know.And what about school holidays?
D: Well, during the holidays, we run summer camps for young people up to the age of 16.
These usually run from 10 am-1 pm and 2 pm -5 pm Monday to Friday. They
are combined with the youth club activities and run during August.
M: And what about performances?
D: For each level, we aim to have at least one shoW a year in the
summer. There is no pressure for anyone to perform, but we do encourage everyone to get
involved one way or another, either acting or behind the scenes. Usually everyone is really
enthusiastic to take part.
M: Is it possible to have a look around?
D: Yes, sure. The building's used by other groups. ... We have no changing facilities, just a
large room with lockers where peoplecan put their things, if necessary. But we advise
people to come dressed for the workshops ... in loose clothing and trainers.
Part 2
Welcome. My name's Darren Timpson, and I'm the Director of the Penwood Museum and
I'm here to announce the winners of our annual competition, which as usual runs in
conjunction with our sJmmer exhibition. Each year the competition has a specific theme.
And the theme we chose for this year's competition is 'the
use of technology to improve links between the local community and the museum'.
Entrants could choose from a selection of the museum's artefacts to create exhibits on this
topic. We've had loads of entries from secondary schools, which is important as more local
teenagers are getting involved. I just want to give you some background information about
this year's competition. The competition was open to groups of young people from
institutions like schools and youth clubs, who were aged between 15 and 19 on the final
entry date for the competition, which was 13 May. While preparing their competition entry,
the competitors were allowed to use the educational facilities at the museum and to look
for help from local sponsors, but were not allowed to buy any equipment. We then had
seven shortlisted exhibits, which visitors to the museum of all ages were allowed
to vote on for the first three places. The prize-winning exhibits are having a big impact on
Penwood Museum attendances. which have risen by up to 45 per cent since the summer
shoW opened. The first prize in this year's competition has been won by a group of seven
young people, who chose various exhibits from the museum's collection of equipment from
the 1950s to the 1970s. They arranged them with modem versions and then recorded their
own reactions and comments to the exhibits. They then did the same with the comments
made by visitors aged 65 and over. And so can we have a round of applause for the winners
from TigersCommunity Centre, who called their entry Technology - noW and then? And the
second prize winners are Tabard High ...
Practice Test 4
Part 1
(M = Marcus; C = customer)
M: Good morning, Fair booking office. Marcus speaking. Can I help you?
C: Is that the booking office for the Fair on Futuristic Home Design?
M: Yes sir, that's correct. HoW can I help you?
C: Well, mmm ... I'm attending the Fair and I'd just like to check a feW things if that's OK?
M: Yes, sure.
C: OK. I understand the Fair opens the week after next on the Tuesday, and ... the previeW is
on Monday.
M: Yes, that's right. There is a previeW on Monday, but the Fair's not open to the general
public on that day. But for the rest of the week it is.
C: OK, I see. That’s fine, I’ve got two complimentary day passes; can you tell me if I can use
them on any day?
M: Well, I'm not sure if there are any restrictions, ... let's see ... yes, here we are.
C: Yes?
M: You can use them on any day including the previeW day, except Saturday. But you need
to sign up for the workshops and seminars you want to attend in advance.
C: Oh, I see. I haven’t decided which workshops or seminars to attend yet.
M: Mmm ... well ... Saturday you can't attend any with the passes you have, and Thursday
they're already completely booked. I think the other days'll book up fairly quickly now, as
there's a lot of interest from the general public and retailers.
C: You mean I won't be able to attend any workshops on Saturday even with my free pass?
M: I'm afraid not. It's better to register for the other days now.
C: OK. I suppose, mmm ... I'll attend all the seminars on Tuesday and Friday. Do you need
my name?
M: No, I just need to take your reference number from the day passes. Your name will come
up with the number; it'll be the same number on each one. I'll register one for Tuesday and
one for Friday, and then when you use one it'll automatically cancel.
C: OK, the number is S-F-6-7-99.
M: ... 99. Thank you, I've got that.
C: What about services like places to eat and so on?
M: Oh, there are 15 restaurants in all.
C: That’s a lot.
M: There'll be lots of people ... there are three sandwich bars and the others are different
types of dining areas around the Fair. Some restaurants from the area around
the Fair venue will be there doing special promotions at the Fair itself, so you won't go
hungry.
Part 2
Good morning and welcome to the Moorland Countryside and Woodland Programme. I'd
like to give you some information about the programme and the short courses we run for
people on woodland awareness. We're actually a programme run by volunteers, and we
were set up 15cyears ago to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders
of our woodlands and, hence, nature itself. And for the past five years we've been taking
groups of youngsters in their teens on educational trips on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,
mmm ... from schools mainly from around the area, ... but some've come from much further
afield. At first. some youngsters're not very impressed by the setting. because we
discourage them from using any electronic devices, especially smartphones, so they can
engage more with the surroundings ... this throws them quite a bit. But almost without
exception, by the end of the three days they're here the young people don'twant to leave
and want to come back again. In fact, two of the workers here came with student groups
five years ago, and when they left school they came straight to work for us.
The programme is completely selfsufficient, due in part to the sales from the plant nursery
and also to donations, but the bulk of our income's noW from running the educational and
awareness courses.

This is a basic map of our centre. We're here at the entrance. and you can see the cabins
running along the east side of the path as you go north. The first cabin Beech Lodge. is for
students. It's quite large and can accommodate 10 students in bunk beds. Then the next
four cabins are for families. and the cabin after that. Chestnut Lodge, is for teachers, which
can hold up to four adults. On the west side of the path, directly opposite the family cabins,
are the educational facilities. They're quite up-to-date with all the latest wizardry. And next
to that's the cafeteria, which is shared with visitors to the centre. Just beside the cafeteria is
a family area with climbing frames for children. We don't alloW open-air cooking here,
because of the trees. The plant nursery's that area you can see that runs all the way along
the north part of the map. If you go over here, between the family area and the nursery, the
path leads to the woodland itself. We're on a hill here and quite high up, ... and as there's
some spectacular scenery around here, we have breathtaking views of the countryside. You
can see the river stretching for miles through rolling countryside. Fortunately, the whole
woodland is protected by law, so nobody can chop down any trees. The landscape here's
not changed for hundreds of years. Some of the trees 've been growing here rather a long
time, and the aim of the scheme and the volunteers is to keep it that way. We advise people
to stick to the paths, because it's very easy to get lost. As you walk through the woodland,
you'll see workers removing dead wood and trees. I'd ask everyone not to remove anything
like seeds or flowers from the woodland so we can try and conserve it for future
generations.
Part 3
T: OK, if you want, we've got some time left for some feedback on your joint
presentation today.
J: Yeah, we can do it now while it's fresh in our minds, if it's OK with Francesca.
F: It's OK with me.
T: So, Francesca, how do you think it went?
F: Well, mmm ... I was really happy with it actually, but I'm glad it's over. I think the
main advantage of doing the presentation was that we both learnt quite a lot about
training and skills development for the workplace and how they improve people's
opportunities in life, especially their job prospects.
J: And we learnt a lot from actually delivering the presentation as well, which is really
useful for the future.
F: Yeah, that was important too. Mmm ... as I said, I was pleased with it, but if I had to
do it all over again, I'd change a few things.
T: Like what, for instance?
F: Well, mmm the first thing I'd do is work on the pace of the talk and make the
delivery slower. And I'd keep a clock in front of me so that I was aware of the speed
and ... and the next thing is mmm ... the length of the talk ... I'd make the presentation
time 15 minutes for each of us, because I think ten minutes each was much too
short. If we'd given ourselves more time, it would have flowed better.
J: Yes, I agree. I thought the timing was a bit tight. I'd say maybe even 30 minutes each.
T: Mmm ... 30 minutes might've been a bit long for both you and the audience.
J: Maybe you're right; 15 minutes each would probably have been better.
F: And the next thing is the order of the data. I thought the sequence was bad - it
could've been a lot better.
T: Yes. If I had to give some particular advice, I'd say you needed to give yourselves a
run through once or twice using the equipment, just to see what it's like. Doing it
without preparation like that's not that easy.
F: No definitely not. And another thing for me is that we forgot to give out the
handouts with the copies of our slides on them for people to take notes. I should've
given them out before we started. And one final thing I'd do is ... I'd check that
everyone could see the screen properly ... mmm ... I'd make sure the arrangement of
the chairs in the room made it easy for everyone to see.
T: And Jack? What about you? How did you feel about it all?
J: Well, er ... I agree with Francesca. Yeah ... in everything she said. It's very difficult to
make the delivery smooth. If ... when I do it again, I'll definitely spend more time
practising to make it run more smoothly.
T: But would you add anything to what Francesca said?
J: Mmm ... perhaps I'd try to pack less information into the time given. Er ... I thought at
first it would be the opposite. Er ... I was afraid that we'd end up looking foolish. And
also I think I'd spend less time on the information gathering phase because, unless
time is devoted to practising, it'll not be possible to give a good performance.
T: Yeah,I think I'd agree. Anything else?
J: Yeah.I get very nervous when I speak in front of people. If I did it again, I'd make
sure I practiced speaking out loud and projecting my voice. I think the key for me is
learning to steady my nerves.
F: But you were very calm!
J: Not inside I wasn't!
T: Well, it didn't show.
F: I think you need the nerves to keep you going, but maybe try to take your mind off it
beforehand by exercising or something.
T: Is that everything?
J: Yeah.
T: OK. Well, you'll be pleased to know the feedback from the class questionnaires was
that the presentation was enjoyable, so well done. I have to say that I agree with
them.
J: Oh, thanks.
T: I'll make a copy for both of you of the questionnaires, if you want. And if and when
you do give a talk again, you can keep them to refer to.

Practice Test 5
Part 1
Man Good morning, Atlas Hotel, can I help you?
Woman Oh yes - a friend has told me about your hotel, and I’d like to book some rooms,
please
M OK. When would you like to stay here?
W Well, we ve booked flights on the 23rd of August
M OK I’ll just find that date
[PauseJ
M Good morning, Atlas Hotel, can I help you?
W Oh yes - a friend has told me about your hotel, and I’d like to book some rooms, please
M OK When would you like to stay here?
W Well, we’ve booked flights on the 23rd of August.
M OK I’ll just find that date That seems to be fine - we have a feW rooms available then
W Oh, that’s good. I was a bit worried - we’ve left things rather late
M Well, you’re lucky - we had two cancellations last week
W Oh!
M Now, hoW long do you want to stay for?
W Well, last year we only stayed a week, and It wasn’t long enough so this time we thought
two weeks, if It's possible.
M Mmm, that looks fine yes, you do need plenty of time here to really relax It’ll be getting
towards the end of the tourist season as well, so It won’t be quite so hot then
W Oh good Um we’ve got two children, and I was wondering if you have any rooms that are
next to each other?
M Mmm Let’s see I’m afraid that isn’t possible, but we do have what we call a family room,
which IS a lot bigger than a double room and can take two adults and two children
W Oh, that sounds perfect.
M OK - I’ll book you in for that. So, can I have your name and address, please?
W Yes, It’s Mr and Mrs Shriver
M Can you spell that for me?
W Yes, It’s S-H-R-l-V-E-R.
M Thank you And you said two children, didn’t you?
W Yes, they're two boys of ten and 12
M Fine - and can I have your home address?
W Yes, we live at flat 29, Tower Heights
M OK - IS that England?
Recording scripts .1
M No, It’s Scotland, actually. We’re from Dunbar. The postcode’s EH41 2GK
M OK. Great - that’s a country I'd really like to visit!
W You'd have to bring a lot of warm clothes!
M I knoW And can I have a contact telephone number?
W Sure - our home number IS 0-1-3-1 double 9-4-6-Õ-7-2-3
M .. 7-2-3. Thank you. I hope you don’t mind, but we always ask our guests what the
purpose of their trip IS. I’m guessing yours IS a holiday?
W Yes - we’re really looking forward to It!
{Pause}
M As you’ve been here before, I wonder if you’d mind answering a feW short questions for
our tourist board?
W No, not at all.
M They collect information from tourists, so that they can try to improve the tourism
industry here.
W That’s a good idea
M OK-urn so what type of holiday activity do you like best?
W Well, I like a lot of things I like shopping and sightseeing but I think as a family, we all
enjoy swimming the most
M OK and do you go to the beaches to do that?
W Well, sometimes we do We also like to sit around the pool at the hotel.
M When you go to the beaches, what do you think of them?
W Well, they’re a bit crowded
M I know
W But then you expect that in the holidays The main thing IS that they’re very clean That's
why we come back.
M I’m glad to hear that And you said you like shopping ?
W Yes - It’s fun.
M HoW are the shop staff? Are they-
W Well, I don't want to criticise, but sometimes well, they’re a bit too helpful
M trying to sell you souvenirs
W Yes - I prefer to choose things myself
M Uh-huh . What about eating and the service in the restaurants?
W Oh, the food IS delicious - always. And the waiters - well, they're polite and so fast
Nothing takes very long.
M That's good news. Sometimes people complain, but
W Well, I haven’t been to every restaurant - there are rude waiters everywhere, I suppose
M Well, we like to avoid It if we can. Do you have suggestions for things which might
improve your holiday experience here?
W Um - not really. Let me think Oh, yes - I did notice last time I was there that there are
local buses, but you don’t seem to have any bikes
M No, we don’t - most people have cars.
W Mmm - it’s just nice to hire one and get some exercise go at a slower pace so that you can
really see the landscape.
M OK - I’ll note that down Well, thank you very much
Part 2
Good morning, everyone I’m a keeper here at Orana Wildlife Park, and that means that my
job IS to look after some of the animals that we have here. First, let me tell you a bit about
us Um, the word ‘Orana’ means ‘welcome’ in the local Maori language, and we are very
pleased to see you all here.
As you probably know, we’re run by a chanty and we specialise in endangered species of
animals, birds and reptiles. The park grounds cover 80 hectares of land, and we have 400
animals altogether, from 70 different species So that you can see the animals in their
natural environment, we’ve built streams and banks to separate you from the animals and
make sure your trip around the park IS safe.
Our animals come mainly from here - NeW Zealand - and from Australia, Africa and South
America. There are a lot of animals to see and quite a number of things you can do here, so
let me tell you about a feW of the exciting encounters before you decide where to go
One of our most popular animals IS a type of giraffe called a Rothschild It's easy to spot - It
has three horns, rather than the usual two Giraffes are amazing animals close up, and you
have an opportunity to hand-feed them here at the park at 12 noon or three in the
afternoon This IS one of the most popular activities and will be one that you’ll never forget
In fact, we believe hands-on education IS very important So, you can touch or pat a variety
of friendly animals, such as cows and goats, at the farmyard This experience goes on all day
and IS designed to help children take an interest in animals and their environment I can
assure you It’s not at all dangerous Another exciting activity for visitors IS watching some
of our big cats reach speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour during their exercise run. The
cheetah IS the fastest land mammal, and this ’event’ takes place at 3 40 every day. You can
watch them go down their paddock in under 30 seconds.
{Pause}
So here’s a plan of the park As you can see, we’re here at the main entrance, and there’s an
information centre to your right. NoW - It’s quite easy to get around the park. We have
daily guided walkabout tours, which let you get up close to the animals Or if you prefer to
be at a distance, you can take the safari bus and drive around with a wildlife expert.
If you decide to take the walkabout tour, It leaves at 10.45 - that's in just under an hour -
from the meerkats enclosure next to us. From there, the walk passes the adventure
playground, and the otters in the first enclosure, and then arrives at the NeW Zealand birds
area in the next enclosure just in time to see them being fed Then you go on to the reptile
house and the tigers and the rest of the animals!
Alternatively, you can wait until the afternoon walk. There are plenty of other things to see
in the morning One of these IS the African Village Just turn to your right from the mam
entrance, walk past the first bus stop and It’s just before the African wild dogs enclosure
It’s a wonderful, colourful experience.
You can also go to the shop and buy your souvenirs there We have beautiful soft toys -
giraffe and zebra - for children and a whole range of T-shirts, hats and skin-care products
with an African theme After that, why not have lunch in the picnic area on the far eastern
side of the park? I’d recommend this because, while you’re eating, you might catch sight of
the ostriches on one side of you or buffalo on the other
For the afternoon walkabout tour, you’ll need to find your own way to the African lion
habitat, which IS on the west side of the park, just past the Conservation Centre To join the
tour, you actually go past the lion habitat. You’ll see two bus stops keep walking, and the
meeting place IS about half a kilometre after the second one If you’ve gone past the zebra,
you’ve gone too far!
For those of you who would prefer to travel on the safari bus, this runs from 10 30 to 4 p m
There are stations throughout the park, but the first one IS at Jomo’s Café, which IS directly
opposite where we’re standing - go straight ahead and It’s just in front of the giraffes There
are various feeding times for the animals, and the bus stops in time for all of these So, let
me just give you some safety guidelines
Part 3
Tutor Right - noW It’s time for Sylvie and Daniel to give us the results of their survey into
the study-skills course that some of you did last term.
Sylvie Thanks, Mr Driver Um - shall I start, Daniel?
Daniel Sure, go ahead.
S OK Well, as you know, some students in our year did the study-skills course run by the
English department last term.
D Um, It was interesting because It was completely voluntary It wasn’t a compulsory
component of the exam course or anything that we need in that way but Mr Driver thought
It would be a good idea that It would help with our other work.
S Yeah, so after the course finished, Daniel and I decided to revieW it ask students what
they thought about It as part of our education assignment.
D Yeah.
S So this is how we did It our study method. At first, we thought about interviewing
students face to face. But we have so much other work and we kneW It’d be quicker to use
email and just send out a questionnaire.
D Though we also had to write that I
S Yes, and this method does rely on students filling It in and sending It back . but the
response rate was pretty good.
D Yeah - 70 percent, I think.
S OK - so, first of all, 33 students signed up for the course
D And we did 12 sessions over the term, and they took place every Monday morning.
S A good start to the week, I thought.
D Yeah - and the rest of the week, we could put things into practice.
S Mmm. So what did we expect*?
D For me I expected It to be useful for all my subjects things like philosophy-
S Yeah - that’s what Mr Driver had said
D -and I was right I feel more able to deal with difficult texts noW - you know, like the ones
we have in economics.
S You feel you can do It Yeah. I think other people found that It actually made them want to
read more frequently and read books outside the course list
D If you've got time! Um - as for our teacher on the course - Jenny - everyone felt she was
really good We learned a lot from her. Not because she set a lot of homework or anything
like that
S the thing people said was that she gave us fascinating articles and ideas to work with
some of them well, we were quite happy to carry on looking at them at home
D Yeah - that's so important. It’s really easy to get bored in class, but that didn’t happen
(Pause)
D OK - so, we’ve done a couple of charts let’s have a look at the findings I’ll put up the first
chart
S This is your overall view of the usefulness of the course.
D and as you can see, only a small percentage of students didn’t feel It was usefulS
S Which is good
D Yeah - everyone else had a positive vieW of the course, and more than half of US - that’s
about 60 percent - thought It was very useful.
S Which . well, as this IS the first time the course has been run, I guess this IS a strong
recommendation for It to take place again next year.
D The next chart shows hoW useful you felt each part of the course was.
S So just to remind you there was the speed-reading component - that came out top.
D No surprise there, really
S Mmm. On the other hand, giving talks was well, we all like talking, but it’s not something
we have to do that often
D Yeah - so that was the least useful. Then the note-taking component you found to be
quite useful - and you had a lot of comments about that.
S OK, so let’s have a look at some of your comments You said a lot about the activities, but
the main comment seemed to be that the techniques we learned on the note-taking course
helped US focus more in lectures
D Several people said that they daydream much less.
S Yeah have a longer attention span
D So that’s the first benefit. The second IS that students said they really appreciated the
instruction on when to use a diagram to take notes.
S Mmm, like many people, I’d never thought of this technique, but noW I find It really
helpful.
D and It’s much more fun!
S Yeah. And then the last comment we wanted to mention was about the type of paper that
we used in the note¬taking sessions
D It seems obvious noW that a wide margin down the side of the paper provides another
area where you can add points that you’ve missed
S And that makes It a lot easier to read the notes afterwards
D OK, so noW we’ll look at the results
Part 4
Good morning, everyone Well, last week, we looked at some of the architectural features of
modern house design and today we’re going to move on to look at airport design and hoW
this has changed over the years
So, if we start by going back to .. urn. the 1960s and 70s, when there were a lot fewer
airports than there are today well, check-in desks, customs and waiting areas were all very
basic They were rather like a bus station - er, designed to alloW air traffic in and out of the
terminal, but not very welcoming for passengers Even though passengers spent a lot of
time there, the important features were related to the flights, rather than the people who
took them or indeed the places where the airports were built.
But that all changed in the next feW decades, and if you look at any big airport now, It’s
more like a mini city. It combines a transport centre with a mall full of shops and facilities
designed to make passengers feel more comfortable. So, airports have been transformed
And as with any city building, their design noW takes into account features outside the
airport terminal as well.
So why did this change happen? Well, there are two main reasons. The first was the huge
increase in passenger numbers in the number of people travelling by plane. And this was a
direct result of mass tourism, with things like, urn, cheap holiday packages and low-cost
airlines with the construction of high-rise hotels and hotel complexes And then people
started travelling more regularly from one country to another for things like meetings, and
so the growth in international business also pushed numbers up. In fact, passenger growth
has been so significant over the past 30 years that It’s estimated that some 21st-century
airports will need to handle up to 50 million passengers a year by 2020 The second reason
for the change IS - and this IS a key aspect of airport design - people have realised that the
airport IS the first place you see when you visit another country. This means It forms your
first impression of that country and that impression has to be good. Airports are noW
called ‘gateways to the cities they serve, and that raises visitor expectations Now, what are
the changes that have taken place in airport design? Well, the interior design - the inside of
most airports - IS noW completely different. First, the dark, enclosed airports of the past
have been replaced by large, open areas that look out onto the surroundings Look at this
picture of Beijing airport - there’s a huge amount of space and light, and this IS typical of
many airports today.
Second well, in the past, you had to go outside the airport to get trains to terminals, but
noW these are integrated into the design Also, airport walkways are wide and can cope
with the large volume of people people who want to feel calm and relaxed - who want to
get around the airport easily. In this way, the stress of modern travel has been minimised
Outside, the buildings have changed, too Airports were once ugly buildings with large
towers and concrete boxes around them NoW they’re designed to fit into their
surroundings. Look at this picture of the Arctic Circle airpoi I in Norway. The airport Itself
IS surrounded by mountains So, as you can see, the roof of the airport has been designed so
that It’s shaped like a range of mountains There are peaks at the top and then steep sides
that touch the ground
In the same way, these airports in Thailand and India have beautiful shaded gardens all
around them that reflect the landscape of the country. They also provide a connection with
local tradition and art another feature that IS important inside airports, too.
And there's one final but very important issue. It’s been said that airports are a 'neW
building type' They’re often light, steel structures with what looks to the passenger like a
lot of glass. But this IS special glass that can maximise daylight and comfort and cut down
on energy use Bangkok's main airport IS flooded with controlled daylight in a tropical
climate and this IS achieved through the use of neW materials and modern technology,
which have also allowed engineers to come up with methods of reducing costs So let's take
a closer look at some of these

Practice Test 6
Section 1
A: Good morning - Dave Smith speaking.
B: Hi - could I speak to the organiser of the Preston Park Run?
A: Yes that's me.
B: Great - um - I was talking to some friends of mine about the run and they suggested I contact
you to get some more details.
A: Sure - what would you like to know?
B: Well - they said it take place every Saturday, is that right?
A: Yes it does.
B: OK - great!
A: Do you know where the park is?
B: Oh yes - I've been there before. But it's quite big and I'm not sure where to go.
A: Well there's a circular track that goes right around the park. The run starts at the cafes. goes
past the tennis courts then twice around the lake and finishes back where it started.
B: OK and what time is the run?
A: Well the actual run begins at 9 am but the runners start arriving at about 8.45.
B: OK - so I need to get up early Saturday morning then. And how long is the run?
A: Well it used to be three kilometres but most people wanted to do a bit more than that so we
lengthened it to five kilometres - we now go round the lake twice and that adds an extra two
kilometres.
B: Right - not sure I've ever run that far so I'd better start doing a bit of training.
A: That's a good idea. But it's not a race, it' really just for fun and the best thing would be to take
it easy the first few times you do it and then see if you can gradually improve your time.
B: Is the run timed then? How do I know how well I've done?
A: When you cross the finish line you'll be given a bar code and you take this to one of the run
volunteers, who will can it. Then you can get your time online when you go home.
B: Oh - I see. You collect all the results.
A: Exactly.
B: I see - that's great. So how do I register?
A: Well there are several ways. I could take your details over the phone but it's much easier if
you do it using the
B: OK - good. Um, I think that's probably all I need to know for now. Oh yes - does it cost
anything to register or do you collect money each week?
A: Well it doesn't cost anything to register but we do charge for the run. In fact we have just
increased the charge to £1.50. It used to be a pound but because we were making a bit of a loss
we have had to increase it by 50p.
B: OK thanks. I think I have enough information on taking part in the run.
[pause]
B: Um - you mentioned volunteers. I have a friend who is interested in helping out. Can you give
me some details so I can pass them on to her?
A: Sure - well you need to ask your friend to contact Pete
Maughan. He manages all the volunteers.
B: OK - I didn't quite catch his surname - was it Morn - M-O-R-N?
A: No - just a bit more complicated - it's M-A-U-G-H-A-N
B: Right - thanks. And could you give me his phone number?
A: Yes - just a moment. It's here somewhere - let me just find it. Ah I've two numbers for him. I
think the one that begins 0-1-2-7-3 is an old one so use this one: it's 0-1-4-double 4-7-3-2-9-
double zero.
B: OK - got that. Can you tell me anything about the volunteering? Like what kind of activities it
involves?
A: Sure - well we need volunteers for basic stuff like setting up the course. We have to do that
before all the runners arrive.
B: OK - so that's a really early start!
A: Yes that's right. But if your friend would prefer to arrive a bit later she can also help with
guiding the runners so they don't go the wrong way.
B: I see. I believe you do a report on some of the races.
A: Yes that's right. In fact we do a weekly report on each race and we always try to illustrate it.
B: OK - well my friend really likes taking photographs. She's just bought a new camera.
A: Actually that would be great. I don't know whether Pete has anyone to take photographs this
week.
B: Oh, I'll let her know.
A: OK good. Could you ask your friend to phone Pete and let him know?
B: Yes I will.
A: OK thanks. Goodbye.
B: Goodbye.

Section 2
Thank you for calling the phoneline for the Pacton-on-Sea bus tour. This is a recorded message
lasting approximately four minutes and it provides general information on the town bus tour.
Pacton-on-Sea is a beautiful west coast town and has attracted tourists for many years. One of
the best ways of getting to know the town is to take the bus tour, which provides a wonderful
viewing experience from one of our open-top buses. The tour is a round-trip of the town and
there are a total of 4 stops where passengers can get on and off the bus. A lot of people start at
the first stop which is at the train station as this is where many tourists arrive in the town. The
next stop after the station is the aquarium which is famous for its dolphin show and which has
recently expanded to include sharks. This is well worth a visit and is very reasonably priced.
Leaving the aquarium, the bus tour goes along the coast road and after a few kilometres comes
to the Old Fishing Village where you can get off to stroll along the waterfront. There are some
original buildings here but most of the area has been modernised and is now used as a harbour
for all kinds of sea craft including yachts and some amazing power boats. The tour then heads
off to the last stop and this is where most of the shops are. So for those of you keen to do a bit of
shopping this is the place for you. Our advice is to go to this part of the town in the morning
when it is relatively quiet. It does get very busy in the afternoons, especially at the height of the
season. This area of the town includes an ancient water fountain where many people like to
have their photograph taken - so do look out for this.
[pause]
Now some details of the costs and timings. A family ticket, which includes two adults and up to
three children, costs £30. An adult ticket costs £15, children under the age of fifteen are £5 and
student tickets are £10 as long as you have a
student card. All tickets are valid for 24 hours, which means that you can get on and off the bus
as many times as you like within a 24-hour period. So you could, for example, start the tour in
the afternoon and complete it the following morning. The first bus of the day leaves the station
at 10 am and the last one of the day leaves at 6 pm. Buses leave every thirty minutes and each
tour takes a total of fifty minutes. There are many attractions at each of the stops, so wherever
you get off the bus there will be plenty to do. The bus tour tickets do not include entrance to
any of these attractions apart from the museum which is located near the aquarium. Some
buses have local guides, who will point out places of interest and will provide information on
the town. However, we cannot guarantee that every bus will have a guide and so we also have
an audio commentary that has been specially recorded for the bus tour by the tourist office.
Headphones are available on the bus and these are easy to operate. There is no extra charge for
these - just plug in, select the required language and adjust the volume.
Due to the winter months being rather cold and wet in Pactonon-Sea, the bus tours only
operate from March to September. The weather is usually warm and sunny during these
months so remember to bring some sun protection, especially on hot days. And of course, it
does occasionally rain here in the summer so if the weather looks bad, remember to bring some
rainwear. The bus tours are available no matter what the weather.
At the height of the summer the tours can get very busy so you are advised to book. You can
book tickets online, over the phone and also at the station and at any of the other tour stops.
When booking over the phone you can collect your tickets at any of the stops at the start of
your tour. When you do it online you can print your e-ticket which you must remember to
bring with you.
Thank you for calling the Pacton-on-Sea phoneline and we look forward to seeing you soon on
one of our tour buses.
Section 3
Randhir: Hello - I'm Randhir Ghotra from the technologies department.
Dave: Ah yes. Good. I'm Dave Hadley. Thanks for corning to see me.
Randhir: That's OK. I believe you want us to do some work for you?
Dave: Yes that's right. Um, I'm responsible for student admissions to the college and I use a
computer system to help process student enrolments and to do the timetabling. But it really
doesn't suit the way we work these days. lt's over ten years old and although it was fine when it
was first introduced, it is just not good enough now.
Randhir: OK - what problems are you experiencing?
Dave: Well, 20 years ago, the college was quite small and we didn't have the numbers of
students or tutors that we have now.
Randhir: So the system can't handle the increasing volumes ... Dave: Well, there's a lot more
data now and it sometimes seems the system has crashed but, in fact, it just takes ages to go
from one screen to the next.
Randhir: Right. Is that the only problem?
Dave: Well that's the main one, but there are others. In the past, doing the timetabling was
quite simple but now we have a lot more courses and what's made it complicated is that many
of them have options.
Randhir: Right - but the system should allow you to include those.
Dave: Well no it doesn't. It was supposed to - and a few years ago we did ask someone from the
technologies department to fix it, but they never seemed to have the time. Randhir: Hmm ... are
there any other issues with the system? Dave: Well - I've been given extra responsibilities and
so I have even less time to do the timetabling. If there was anything you could do, Randhir, to
make the process more efficient, that would be really helpful.
Randhir: Well it sounds like you could do with an assistant but that's obviously not possible, so
what about having an online system that students can use to do their scheduling?
Dave: How would that work?
Randhir: Well - it may mean less choice for students but we could create a fixed schedule of all
the courses and options and they could then view what was available ...
Dave: ... and work it out for themselves - that sounds great. Randhir: OK, so ... um ... we'll need
to decide whether or not to improve the existing system or to build a completely new system.
Dave: Well I’d much prefer to have a new system. Quite frankly, I’ve had enough of the old one.
Randhir: OK — that’ll probably take longer although it may save you money in the long run.
When were you hoping to have this in place?
Dave: Well it’s January now and the new intake of students will he in September. We need to
start processing admissions — in the next few weeks really.
Randhir: Well it will take more than a few weeks, I’m afraid. As an initial estimate I think we'll
be looking at April or May to improve the existing system but for a new system it would take at
least nine months. That would be October at the earliest.
[pause]
Dave: What are the next steps if we are to have a new system?
Randhir: Well, the first question is — do you have support from your senior management?
Dave: Yes. I’ve already discussed it with them and they’re also keen to get this work done.
Randhir: OK, because I was going to say, that’s the first thing you need to do and without that
we can’t go ahead.
Dave: Yes. I’ve done that.
Randhir: That’s good.
Dave: Actually, they mentioned that there’s probably a form I need to complete to formally
start the project.
Randhir: Yes — that’s the next thing you need to do. I'll send you an email with a link so you
can fill it in online. It's called a ‘project request form’.
Dave: OK. great. And then what happens?
Randhir: Well, I have a list of things but I think the third thing you should do is see Samir. He’s
our analyst who will look at the system and identify what needs to he done.
Dave: OK — can you send me his contact details and I'll set up a meeting with him.
Section 4
Hi everyone — today I'm going to be talking about the origins of ceramics. So, first of all, let’s
start off with — what is a ceramic? Well, generally speaking, ceramics are what you get when
you apply heat to certain inorganic, non-metallic solids and then allow them to cool. And
examples of ceramics are everyday things like earthenware pots, crockery, glassware and even
concrete.
So how did it all begin? Well it all started around 29.000 years ago when humans discovered
that if you dig up sonic soft clay from the ground, mould it into a shape and then heat it up to a
very high temperature, when it cools the clay has been transformed into something hard and
rigid. And so — what did those first humans do with their discovery? Well — they created
figurines which were small statues and which depicted animals or gods or any shape that the
clay could be moulded into. And all this activity was centred around southern Europe where
there is also evidence of ceramics that were created much later.
The early humans also found a practical use for their discovery, such as storing things like grain
— although there were drawbacks. The pots were porous so that, although they could carry
water in them, it wasn’t possible to store it over a long period. And also, they were quite brittle
and shattered very easily if they were dropped.
But despite these problems, it was many thousands of years before there were any
improvements. In China at around 200 BC, they discovered that by adding minerals to the clay
they could improve both the appearance and the strength of the ceramics. But it took nearly a
thousand years before they perfected the process to produce high-quality ceramics known as
porcelain. And once they had perfected the process, they kept it a secret — for another
thousand years! Compared to the first ceramics, porcelain was lighter, finer, liarder and whiter
and became an important commodity in China’s trading with the rest of the world for hundreds
of years. In fact, it became so valuable that it was known as white gold and spies were sent to
China to discover what they did to the clay to produce such high—quality merchandise.
It wasn’t until the eighteenth century that the secret began to unravel. A German alchemist
called Johann Friedrich Bottger was asked by the king to make gold out of lead. Unfortunately,
Bottger failed to achieve this and soon gave up, but in order to please the king he attempted to
make high-quality porcelain. And after many years of experimentation, he discovered that by
adding quartz and a material called china stone lo very high-quality clay he managed to get the
same results that Elle Chinese had been achieving for the last 1.000 years.
We’ll now look at another ceramic which is made from mixing sand with minerals and heating
to over 600 degrees Celsius. When this mixture cook the result is of course glass. The main
difference between ceramics made from clay and glass is that clay is made up of crystalline
plates which become locked together in the cooling process whereas glass cools too quickly for
crystals to form. Apart from that, the process of heating up naturally occurring materials to
transform them is the same.
The origins of glass date hack to 3500 BC but it wasn’t until the Roman Empire. 2.000 years
ago, that the art of glass-blowing and the practical uses of glass became more widespread. One
of the more innovative uses was to use it in windows as, up until then, they had just been holes
in walls. It must have been very draughty in those days!
The Romans were also responsible for inventing concrete. And although the origins are
uncertain, experts think that this is largely due to the high level of volcanic activity in the area.
The Romans observed that, when volcanic ash mixes with water and then cools, it gets
extremely hard and almost impossible to break up. The chemical reaction that follows is very
complex and continues for many years, and the concrete just keeps getting harder. Evidence of
this is the numerous Roman remains that are still standing, many of which are almost
completely intact.
One of the most important facts about concrete for the Romans was that it can be created
underwater. As the Roman Empire grew, the Romans needed to take control of the seas and for
this they needed to build harbours capable of holding a fleet of ships. Pouring concrete mixture
into the sea immediately started the hardening process and rather than just dissolving in the
mass of water, the substance was tough and long-lasting. This strange characteristic of concrete
made a significant contribution to the success of the Roman Empire.

Practice Test 7
Section 1
A: Good morning. Dave speaking.
B: Oh hi. I'm phoning about a short story competition. Um, I saw an advert in a magazine and I
was just calling to get some details.
A: Yes - certainly. I'm the competition organiser so I should be able to help. What kind of details
are you looking for?
B: Well - erm - does it cost anything to enter?
A: Yes - there's an entry fee of five pounds.
B: OK - that should be fine.
[pause]
B: It's a short story competition - so how many words is that? A: Well - we want to give people a
reasonable amount of freedom but the guidelines are around 3.000 words.
B: Oh - that sounds quite a lot.
A: Well - it's not as much as it used to be. We did have a limit of 5,000 words but some people
thought that was too many so this year we've reduced it.
B: Right - and does the story need to be about anything in particular?
A: No - you can write about any topic you like. But the main point of the competition is that it
has to have a surprise ending.
B: Oh - I see. That sounds interesting. I don't think I've ever written a story like that before.
A: Yes - it's something we've introduced for this year's competition.
B: Right. Um - I'm eighteen. Is there any age limit?
A: Yes - you need to be sixteen or over, so if you're eighteen that's fine.
B: Great. So you have the competition once a year. Is that right?
A: Yes - we start advertising in January and the competition takes up a lot of the year. We give
people a few months to write their story and then it takes quite a long time to judge all the
entries and to announce the winners.
B: I see. So when is the closing date for the competition? It's already April - I hope I'm not too
late.
A: No you've still got plenty of time. You need to submit your entry by the 1st of August. After
then it will be too late, although you can always enter next year's competition!
B: OK good. So how do I enter?
A: Well we have a website and the best way to enter is to complete the entry form online. We
also have more details of the competition on the site. Shall I give you the web address?
B: Yes please.
A: OK - it's www dot C_O_M_P_4_S_S dot com. And that's the number four not the word four.
B: OK - thanks. I've got that. So - I can complete the entry form online but how do I send the
story? Do I print it out and send it to you?
A: Well you may want to print the story out so you can review it but don't post it to us. When
you've finished your story you will need to email it to us. The email address is on the website I
gave you.
B: OK - that's fine. [pause} Um can you tell me a bit about how the competition is judged and
what the prizes are?
A: Yes of course. Well, once we have all the entries I send them to all the judges. Our
competition is quite popular so we are lucky to be able to use famous authors who are very
interested in the competition.
B: That's fantastic. It's great to know that someone famous will be reading my story!
A: Yes that's right. It takes them quite a while LO read through the entries but eventually they
decide on the top five stories.
B: I see - and what happens then?
A: Well, they will be published online so everyone can read them. They will not be in any order
at this point. They will just be the five stories that the judges think are the best.
B: And do all the top five stories get prizes?
A: No - it's just the top story and the runner-up.
B: So how is the top story decided?
A: Well once the top five stories are available, it will be the public who will vote for their
favourite story.
B: Right - I see. So I need to get all my friends to vote for me then!
A: Er, yes - that's a good idea.
B: And what is the prize?
A: Well, the runner-up gets a prize of £300, but the winner gets a trip to Spain to attend a
workshop for writers.
B: Wow - that's brilliant! I'd better get writing straight away.
A: Yes - good luck!
B: Thanks.

Section 2
OK - so hi everybody and welcome to the Sea Life Centre. Before you start on your tour I'd just
like to give you some information about things to look out for as you go. Well first of all, I guess
some of you may have been here before and may be surprised to see the name has changed. We
are not called World of Water any more - since the beginning of this summer we've been re-
named, and we've also made a few other changes. However, the main attractions like the
aquarium, the crocodiles, the penguins and so on are still here. But we have a new restaurant
and picnic area and the latest thing that we have - and it was only finished last week - is the
splash ride. This is an exciting new area of the centre and is pretty scary and of course you do
get a bit wet so make sure you're not wearing your best clothes!
As l said, the main attractions are still here and the most popular thing that everyone wants to
see is feeding time, especially for the crocodiles and the seals. We used to have the main
feeding time in the afternoon at around 3 pm but we Found that some of the animals got a bit
hungry waiting until then and so we now have it at noon. They seem much happier with the
new time - although it's a bit difficult to know what they're thinking!
Now - I'd like to mention something new that we've introduced this year that we're very
excited about. It's called a VIP ticket. The VIP ticket costs an extra £2 per person and you will be
amazed at what it allows you to do. With this you'll be allowed to feed the sharks. Now I know
that for some people this might be quite a frightening thing to do, but it is perfectly safe. For
those of you who are a bit unsure, we do have a video you can watch to see what happens. It's a
great experience and your friends will be very impressed!
Speaking of friends, I'd just like to remind you that the Sea Life Centre will be more than happy
to organise a birthday party for you and your family and friends. If you need more details you
can speak to me afterwards and there are also forms at the entrance that you can fill in.
I'd also like to bring your attention to the good work that the Sea Life Centre is doing in support
of animal conservation. I am sure you're all aware of the worrying situation with a large
number of species Facing extinction. Here at the Sea Life Centre we're taking action by asking
as many people as possible to sign a petition. Once we have over 5,000 signatures we are
planning to send it to the government in the hope that more people will begin to take it
seriously.
Right - well there's obviously a lot going on at the Centre, and a lot of things to discover. At all
the attractions there is helpful information so please read as much as you can and, if you want
to see what you've remembered, please do the quiz after your visit. There are no prizes of
course, but I'm sure you'll be surprised by how much you've learnt.
[pause]
So before I leave you all to start your tour, I've just got a few tips. There are a large number of
attractions and you may not have time to see them all. Of course, there are the old favourites
like the Aquarium and the Crocodile Cave but if you don't have time to see everything make
sure you visit Turtle Town, which is beyond the Aquarium and the Seal Centre. This is very
special and has a large number of endangered species, and as it's at the far corner of the Sea
Life Centre it often gets overlooked. I also have to apologise for the Penguin Park. This has
needed some urgent work to be done and so will not be open for the next week. We are very
sorry about this but I'm sure you'll find the Seal Centre which is directly opposite it will keep
you entertained just as much - if not more!
We're also very busy today as you may have noticed on your way in. Everyone starts here at the
Aquarium but as it's so big, there's no waiting to get in. But today we're expecting a lot of
people to want to see the Crocodile Cave as a couple of eggs have hatched out. So expect delays
there and, if you like, move on to the Seal Centre first and then go back when things are quieter,
towards the end of the day.
So I'll leave you now but if you have any questions I won't be far away and have a great time at
the Sea Life Centre!
Section 3
Martina: Oh hi George, how's it going?
George: Hi Martina, it's going well. How about you? How's university life?
Martina: Well it's great - apart from the studying of course.
George: Yeah - me too! What are you studying? I seem to remember that you were going to do Art.
That was your best subject, wasn't it?
Martina: No - not really -I just liked the teacher. He was French and had an amazing accent. My
Favourite subject was History but I couldn't see what career that would give me.
George: Ah, right. So what did you choose?
Martina: Well I found it really difficult to decide. I was really good at Science but I must admit I
never really enjoyed studying it. So, in the end I decided to opt for English which was my second
favourite subject and I thought it would be more useful to me than studying anything else. So -
that's what I'm doing. Um - how are you finding university?
George: Well - it's a bit of a challenge I suppose.
Martina: Are you finding it difficult?
George: Well, some of it. I'm doing Mechanical Engineering which is really interesting but it covers
quite a lot of areas like materials science, machine design, physics and of course mechanics - and
they're all fine. But it's maths that I'm struggling with. It's a lot harder than it was at school.
Martina: I can believe it. It all sounds very difficult to me. But then I never was very good at
mechanical things. I suppose it must involve some practical work?
George: Well - not at the moment. Currently, it's nearly all theory. so it's a bit heavy-going.
Martina: I guess you need to start with that so that you can get a grasp of the concepts and learn a
few facts before you start putting it into practice. It must be a lot different to the course that I'm
taking.
George: Yes - but in a few weeks we'll be having a lot more practical experience. In fact, I've got a
great assignment this term working on jet engines which means I'll be going on a few field trips to a
nearby airport.
Martina: Oh - that's great. It sounds like you're going to be very busy.
George: Yes I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with the work. We have a lot of lectures - and that's
fine. The lecturers are very knowledgeable and I learn a lot from them. But we also have a lot of
seminars and I find with so many people expressing their views it can get quite frustrating. It
would be better if we didn't have so many of those.
Martina: Yes - it's the same for me. [pause} Um - how are the students at your place?
George: Well I haven't really met anyone yet. They all seem a bit quiet.
Martina: Perhaps they're working hard - they don't appear to be very studious here, but they are
very friendly. I must say I've been doing a lot of sitting around and chatting over the last week or
so.
George: Well, that's good. The only person I've spoken to really is my tutor. He's very approachable
and seems to understand how difficult it can be starting university.
Martina: It's good to have someone you can talk to. And he may help you meet other students.
George: Actually that doesn't bother me. I'm bound to get to know some people sooner or later. It's
more a question of finding out what I need to do. where to go and so on. I hope he can help me with
that.
Martina: Oh I would have thought so. Well we certainly have a lot of work ahead of us. It seems like
a long time, doesn't it - studying for three years.
George: Yes it does - but I'm sure it'll go quickly. You know I'm really dreading the first assessment.
Martina: Yes - for the course I'm doing we have to hand our first one in at the end of next month.
George: Really - so have you got the topic yet?
Martina: No - but we'll get it soon. I'm not sure how much we have to write yet - not too much, I
hope!
George: I know what you mean. And it's hard to study especially where I am now.
Martina: Oh - where are you living?
George: I'm living in a hall of residence. I thought that would be a good idea as there'd be a lot of
people around but I'm finding it a bit noisy. I can see that I'm going to have problems when I really
need to get down to some work.
Martina: So I guess you need to be somewhere on your own then?
George: Yes - well I do like to have some people around me, so I'd prefer to live with a family
somewhere in a house not too far from the university.
Martina: Well good luck with that.
George: Yes thanks - and good luck to you as well. I have to dash now. I've another lecture in ten
minutes. Bye for now.
Martina: Bye.
Section 4
Hello everyone. You've all been given an assignment for your Sociology course which will
involve giving a presentation to the rest of the group. And so, today, I'm going to be giving you a
few tips on how to prepare your presentations. This should help you with your current
assignment - but a lot of the principles I'll be putting across will be general principles which
will, of course, help you with all your future presentations.
So first of all, the most important thing to consider is your audience and in this instance, your
audience are the other students in your group. There are three points to bear in mind. Firstly,
you need to ask yourself what they need to know; secondly, it's useful to consider whether
they'll be supportive or not; and thirdly - will it be a small group, say three or four, a moderate
gathering of twenty or so people (as for your current assignment) or will there be hundreds of
people? [pause] Having said all that, what I'm about to tell you will apply equally to any
audience.
So - how do you structure your presentation? Right at the beginning, you should tell them
something that forces them to pay attention. This could be something surprising or even
shocking but it needs to be relevant! After that, you need a list of items or topics showing them
what you'll be covering - rather like an agenda - and then the main part of the presentation will
follow. This main part will be the detailed information you'll be presenting and could include
facts, statistics, personal experiences, etc. After this you should summarise what you've
presented and close with what I call 'next steps'. For this assignment, you could simply point
the group to other Sociology reference material. In other cases, you may want to suggest some
actions that people can take.
Now - what about the design of the slides for your laptop? Well the important thing here is to
be consistent. You need to have the same type of font and use the same colour and size for the
same elements. For example, all headers need to look the same, all bullet points need to be
presented in the same way. And don't just stick to words. Bring the presentation to life by
adding graphics. These could be in several forms such as pictures, flow-charts, diagrams,
histograms and so on.
And so - let's move on now to presenting. You have your presentation prepared and you're
ready to start. Well - it's important to give a good impression from the start. So take three deep
breaths, look at the audience, no matter how frightening they may be, and be enthusiastic and
energetic. As you go through the presentation remember to provide some variety in the way
you speak. So, for example. you can talk fairly rapidly for information that may be familiar, but
then slow down for more unfamiliar sections. And change your tone as you speak - don't keep it
at the same level all the way through. As I mentioned, look at your audience. Er, a good tip is to
pick people out and look at them for around five seconds. Not looking at the audience gives the
impression that you're either not interested in them or terrified of them. Looking too long at
one particular person may make them feel rather uncomfortable. There may be points in your
presentation that you want your audience to really absorb and in order to make important
points stand out you may consider adding silence right after these. It will give people time to
reflect on what you've just said. Also - you may be presenting complicated ideas or technical
details but try to keep everything as simple as possible. Use simple words and as few as
possible. And be clear. If you say something like 'this appears to be', it implies uncertainty. So
using weak verbs such as 'appears, 'seems', 'could be', etc. needs to be avoided.
I'll just finish off with a few thoughts on questions and interruptions from the audience. You
may choose to invite questions from the audience as you go or ask them to wait until the end.
Either way, questions should be encouraged as it provides you with some feedback on how
interested the audience is and how well they're understanding you. When a question is asked
you need to provide an answer that is as accurate as possible. So initially, my tip is to repeat it.
This will ensure you have heard it correctly and will give you a few seconds to gather your
thoughts.
Interruptions, on the other hand, can be unwelcome and you may get them for a variety of
reasons. It's likely, however, that there's something in your presentation that's unclear or
confusing. So my advice is to reduce problems by reading through your presentation
beforehand and predicting potential points which could cause interruptions. You may then
want to change that part of your presentation or, at least, you will be prepared if someone does
interrupt you.
Now, do you have any questions ...