Basic Listening Transcripts
Lesson 1
Practice 1
Amanda: Amanda Dubai Palm Apartments, Amanda speaking. How can I help you?
Leo: Oh hi, Amanda. I'm ringing to enquire about a holiday apartment for the month after next.
Amanda: OK, no problem. Let me get your details first, then I'll tell you what we've got. Is that all right?
Leo: Fine, go ahead.
Amanda: OK. Can I have your name first, please?
Leo: Yes, it's Leo Blucher, that's L-E-O - that's my first name - and my surname is B-L-U-C-H-E-R.
Amanda: OK, I've got that. Where are you from, just out of interest, Leo?
Leo: I'm Austrian.
Amanda: Right, OK, and what's your address?
Leo: It's number 37 Blumengasse in Vienna.
Amanda: Right. Could you just spell Blumengasse for me, please, Leo? My German's not too good.
Leo: Sure, it's B-L-U-M-E-N-G-A-double S-E.
Amanda: Great, thanks, and what's the weather like in Vienna at the moment?
Leo: It's pretty grey and rainy, I'm afraid. Hope it's better in Dubai.
Amanda: Yes, it's lovely at the moment. Sunny and warm, but not too hot. Now, can you give me your phone number?
Leo: Yes, it's 4312 11057.
Amanda: Great. So, you're looking for a holiday apartment, Leo. How many people is it for, just yourself?
Leo: No, there'll be four of us, two adults and two children.
Amanda: Fine, and when would you like it from?
Leo: Ideally from the 1st of January.
Amanda: January the 1st. OK. I'll have a look and see what we've got. How long would you like to stay?
Leo: Well, it depends a little bit on the price, but I think that about nine days would be perfect.
Amanda: Fine. And, talking of prices, what would be your maximum, do you think?
Leo: Well, I've looked on the Internet, but I don't know if I'm being realistic if I say 200 euros per day. Things seem to range from 150 to well over 400.
Amanda: Well, it depends where, of course, but I think we could probably find something for you at that price.
Leo: Great. There are various other things, though. Our children are quite small, and we don't want to take them to restaurants all the time, so one thing we'd really appreciate is a fully equipped kitchen so we can do some cooking.
Amanda: Yes, I completely understand. Do you have any other special requirements?
Leo: Yes, we live in the city centre hundreds of miles from the sea, so we'd really like to be able to see it from our apartment.
Amanda: OK. I'll note that down. All our apartments come with air conditioning and central heating, by the way.
Leo: Oh dear. One thing I don't like is the noise of air conditioning in the background. Can you make sure it's as quiet as possible?
Amanda: Yes, I'll look into that. Anything else?
Leo: Yes, just one more thing. We'd like to hire a car while we're in Dubai, so we'll need to have a parking space, I think - we don't want to have to walk a long way from the car to the apartment.
Amanda: I think you're quite right. I'll look into all these things and make a list of possible apartments. Do you have an email address, so I can send them to you?
Practice 2
Clive: Hello?
Debbie: Hi, Clive, is that you?
Clive: Yes, hi, Debbie.
Debbie: Did you manage to see those candidates for our expedition?
Clive: Yes, I did, and there was an extra one who was quite a surprise. You know, he hadn't applied and he just turned up out of the blue, so we haven't got any details for him.
Debbie: Really? Tell me about him.
Clive: OK, and you can take some notes. Then we'll see what we think.
Debbie: Fine.
Clive: First, he's called Sanjay Dubashi.
Debbie: OK. Sanjay is spelled S-A-N-J-A-Y, right?
Clive: Correct. And Dubashi is D-U-B-A-S-H-I.
Debbie: D-U-B-A-S-H-I, fine, thanks, I'm just getting that down. And did you find out how old he is?
Clive: Sure, he's round about our age, you know - well, a couple of years older, he's 27, quite a big man, quite muscular, impressive, with a big moustache.
Debbie: And what does he do?
Clive: Well, actually, he just says he's an office worker, you know, just one of those people with quite a routine job in an office.
Debbie: Mm, doesn't sound like he finds his job very interesting. Has he got any experience, do you know, of going off to remote places on foot?
Clive: Yes, he's been all over the place. He was telling me all about a trip he made in a Land Rover across Central Africa from one side to the other, which sounded pretty exciting. And dangerous.
Debbie: Great! I think it would be really interesting to cross Central Africa. I'd love to do that. Anything physical? I mean, where he actually had to walk instead of driving - you know, being so muscular, as you say?
Clive: Mm, I was coming to that. Last year, he went to Russia with some friends in their summer holidays and they went up a mountain. Let's see, um, Mount Elbrus, it's called.
Debbie: Wow, now that's really quite something. By the way, Elbrus is spelled E-L-B-R-O-S, isn't it?
Clive: Not quite, it's U-S.
Debbie: Ah, OK ... What qualifications does he have which would interest us? Has he done any sort of specialist training, for example?
Clive: Well, he's done a course in first aid, which may be pretty useful. If any of us get injured, he should know what to do.
Debbie: Good. It might be useful to have someone who knows how to do first aid in case someone has an accident. Can he swim?
Clive: I didn't ask, now you mention it. I forgot. But he did tell me he can hold conversations in five languages. He's not fluent in all of them, but he can get by. He grew up in India, and I suppose that helps, you know, for learning languages, though now he lives over here.
Debbie: Right. What else? Has he been to university, for instance?
Clive: Yes, he graduated in media studies, though he says he's never worked in the media.
Debbie: OK, and when he's not off on expeditions to remote places, what does he like doing in his spare time?
Clive: He seems to do all sorts of things. One thing he told me which could be useful is that he likes fishing.
Debbie: Yes, we'd better tell him to bring his fishing rod - that is, if we choose him.
Clive: And he seems to spend a lot of time at the gym - he says he really likes to keep fit. And when you meet him, you'll believe it's true.
Debbie: Great, another fitness fanatic, like you. Well, sounds like I should meet him, doesn't it? When can you fix that up?
Practice 3 (Authentic)
R (Receptionist): Good evening, City Police Station. Can I help you?
W (Woman): Oh hello, I'd like to report a stolen briefcase, please.
R: Just a minute and I'll put you through.
(Repeat)
P (Police Officer): Lost property. Can I help you?
W: Oh, yes. I've had my briefcase stolen.
P: OK ... I'll take some details ... Tell me what it looks like, first of all.
W: Well ... it's a soft leather one, you know, not a heavy box-type like a man's.
P: Mmm... and how does it close?
W: It's got buckles at the front ... two of them. They're gold-plated ones.
P: Fine ... Was it locked?
W: No, I'm afraid not.
P: Never mind. Any distinguishing features?
W: Pardon?
P: Any marks or badges on it that make it stand out?
W: Only the brand name.
P: And where's that?
W: It's on the back ... at the bottom in the left-hand corner. It's Sagi. Oh, and there's a scratch ... it's quite bad but small ... directly above the brand name. I did it recently putting it on my bike.
P: Right, got that. So, what did you have inside the briefcase?
W: Well, all my papers from college. It's so frustrating but, thank goodness for computers, I haven't lost them completely!
P: Yes, you're lucky.
W: I had my wallet in my pocket so I didn't lose that, but there were also my pens which I got for my birthday and a novel I was planning to read on the train.
P: Right. Where exactly did you lose the briefcase?
W: Well ... I couldn't believe it. I was standing on the platform ... it was right next to me.
P: You were holding it?
W: I'd just put it down on the floor but I could almost feel it beside me. I was watching for my tram because sometimes it comes early and then next time I looked, my briefcase wasn't there.
P: And what time was this?
W: Ah ... it was ... it must have been about 5.20 ... no, a bit later. I'd say 5.30 because it was just getting crowded and the train normally comes at about twenty-five to six.
P: Right, if you'll just give me some personal details ...
W: Yes.
P: What name is it?
W: I'm Mary Prescott.
P: Can you spell that?
W: Yes, it's P-R-E-S-C-O-T-T.
P: And your address?
W: Flat 2, 41, Fountain Road, Canterbury.
P: Fountain Road.
W: Yes, number 41.
P: And have you got a contact telephone number?
W: Yes, it's 7-5 double 2-3-9.
P: 7-5-double 2-3-9. Fine. One last question - what would you say the value of your briefcase is?
W: Including the contents?
P: Yes, just a rough estimate is fine.
W: I'm not sure. Well, the briefcase itself is quite new; I bought it last month for £40. I suppose about £65. The contents are worth about 20 or 25 pounds at least.
P: That's fine. Well, if you could come down to the station tomorrow, you can sign this form and have a look at what we've got here.
W: OK, thanks. 'Bye.
P: Goodbye.
Practice 4 (Authentic)
PETER: Right... let's try and get it sorted out today so we don't have it hanging over us. OK?
JOAN: Good idea. I'll take notes.
PETER: First thing ... numbers... have we got anything definite?
JOAN: Well... I've been working it out and I think 40 to 43.
PETER: Shall we put 45 to be on the safe side?
JOAN: Yep, fine.
PETER: Dates ... well. That's straightforward.
JOAN: The last working day before Christmas ... which is...
PETER: ... which is December the 21st.
JOAN: ... which is going to be pretty difficult to book at Christmas so we'd better think of two or three places just to be on the safe side.
PETER: Well, last year's was hopeless.
JOAN: The Red Lion, wasn't it?
PETER: Yep. We ought to go for something more expensive, cos you...
JOAN: ... you get what you pay for.
PETER: That new Indian restaurant in Wetherfield is supposed to be excellent... the Rajdoot.
JOAN: How do you spell that?
PETER: R-A-J-D-O-O-T.
JOAN: But it's bound to be packed.
PETER: Well, let's put that down as the first choice and have some back-ups. What about the Park View Hotel as a second choice?
JOAN: Yes, that's always reliable. Park View Hotel...
PETER: And the London Arms in case.
JOAN: London Arms...
PETER: I'll call them now if you want.
JOAN: No. I'll do it, Joan. You're really busy. Have you got the numbers?
PETER: Not for the Rajdoot, but... right... Park View Hotel: 777192 and ... London Arms: 208657.
JOAN: Great. Before I ring, we'd better just make sure they're within the price range.
PETER: Up to £15 a head?
JOAN: I think you'll find some people won't be able to go that high.
PETER: Well, you can't get anything decent under £10.
JOAN: OK. We'll say £12?
PETER: OK.
JOAN: And we'd better make sure there's good vegetarian food.
PETER: And a non-smoking section! You know what the boss is like.
JOAN: Don't remind me. I'll let you know as soon as I get anything.
PETER: Good news. I found Rajdoot's number straight away and they can fit us in. Their Christmas menu sounds great.
JOAN: What is it?
PETER: French onion soup or fruit juice.
JOAN: Uh-huh.
PETER: Roast dinner or lentil curry ... sounds ordinary but my friend said it was really tasty.
JOAN: Umm... lentil curry ... that's unusual.
PETER: Then for dessert there's traditional plum pudding or apple pie, plus coffee.
JOAN: That sounds really good for £12. Did you book it?
PETER: Well, I said I'd check with the staff first. But they did say they'd hold the booking until next Wednesday anyway. Oh, and if we go ahead, they'd like a £50 deposit.
JOAN: 50 is normal... that's fine.
PETER: And they want a letter.
JOAN: Right... to confirm.
PETER: And they say with such large numbers we have to choose the menu in advance.
JOAN: That won't be a problem. I'll put up a notice with details of the restaurant and the menu. When did you say they wanted confirmation by?
PETER: It was ... let's see ... the 4th of November.
JOAN: Where do you think I should put up the notice? Where everyone's guaranteed to see it.
PETER: On the cafe noticeboard I should think.
JOAN: Hardly anyone looks at that.
PETER: Well, the Newsletter is probably your best bet.
JOAN: Good idea. I'll go and do that now.
Homework Practice 1
Man: Hello. Good Moves Accommodation Agency. Ben speaking. How can I help?
Woman: Good morning. I'm calling about an apartment on your website, and was wondering if I could have some more information.
M: Certainly. Can I take your details before we get started?
W: Sure.
M: Right, what's your name, please?
W: OK, my name is Clarice Willard. Clarice is C-L-A-R-I-C-E. And Willard, W-I-L-L-A-R-D.
M: And have you got a contact number?
W: Yes, I'll give you my mobile, which is 0192 8734566.
M: That's great, thanks. And can I ask how you found us?
W: Of course. A family member used you last year and recommended you. So, I had a look at your website and, well, that's why I'm calling now.
M: OK, so, which property are you interested in?
W: The apartment on Statham Street, the one on the 3rd floor.
M: Let me see. Ah, I'm afraid that flat's no longer available.
W: No?
M: No, it went this morning. It's in a really popular part of town. We do have a house on the same street, if you're interested. It's £950 a month.
W: Er, no, I think that's much too expensive. I think an apartment is all we can afford.
M: Oh, so it's not just for you?
W: No, me and a friend. We're both starting work in the town next month.
M: Oh right, so it's two of you. So, let's see. Do you have any preferences in terms of location?
W: Both our jobs are in the town centre, so it would be good to be within walking distance of that, or perhaps a short bus journey away. Neither of us have a car, so we'd be relying on public transport.
M: And what's your budget?
W: I'm sorry?
M: How much can you pay a month?
W: Let me see, er, £700 a month is probably our limit.
M: Each?
W: No, that would be for the both of us. We wouldn't be able to pay more than £350 each. Oh, and that would have to include bills. Not phone bills, obviously, but things like electricity, gas and water.
M: Hmm. OK, well, we do have a place in the Bampton district, which is about ten minutes by bus from town. It's a two-bedroom apartment, and it's less than your budget, at £600 a month. Bills would be extra, unfortunately, but that should still work out at less than £700. Although remember that electricity and gas prices are going up all the time, so l can't guarantee that.
W: Do you have an address?
M: I do. The apartment number is 3, and it's at 57 Thorney Leys Road
W: Hang on, let me just make a note of that. 57 ...
M: Thorney Leys Road. Thorney is T-H-O-R-N-E-Y and Leys is L-E-Y-S. And the district is called Bampton. Do you have an email address?
W: Yes.
M: In that case, I can send you the details, and then you can think about it. And if you're interested, I could arrange for a visit so you can see the place for yourself. How does that sound?
W: Oh, that would be really helpful. It's clarice_willard @.....(fade] .....[fade]
Homework Practice 2
Bridget: Hello, Eddie? It's Bridget.
Eddie: Oh hi, Bridget.
B: Listen, Eddie, are you still free to do an article for the college magazine?
E: Sure, is there anything in particular you'd like me to write about?
B: Well, the next issue is about people's lives, you know, people who have done something interesting or exciting. Anyway, I've got someone lined up, and I was wondering if you could interview them and then write the article.
E: All right, that's fine with me.
B: Great. Have you got a pen?
E: Yes.
B: OK, take this down. His name is Tom Coogan.
E: Tom ..?
B: Coogan. That's C-O-O-G-A-N. Got that?
E: Sure, and what does he do?
B: He's a travel writer.
E: I don't think I've heard of him. What else can you tell me about him? How old is he? What's he written? That sort of thing.
B: OK, he's 42 years old, er, and he's written ten or twelve books. Let me just check that. Uh huh, twelve books, including his latest. Oh, and he also presents a travel programme on TV.
E: All right.
B: Now, his latest book is about a journey he made across the Gobi desert on horseback. It took him six months, apparently. Anyway, I think he'd like to talk about that, so make sure you ask lots of questions.
E: Fine, I'd better look at a copy. What's it called?
B: It's called Has Anyone Seen My Horse? I've got a copy here which I can lend you.
E: OK, and why does he want to talk about that book in particular?
B: It's just won him an award.
E: Really? What kind?
B: Travel Book of the Year.
E: Oh, wow, that's pretty impressive.
B: Exactly, so like I say, ask lots of questions about it. Now, I've arranged for you to meet him on 21st October. That's two weeks on Friday, is that OK?
E: It should be. Have you got a time for that?
B: Not yet, he wants you to call him beforehand to arrange that. I'll give you his contact number. It's 0772 9214490.
E: 0772 9214490. And where am I supposed to meet him?
B: He's suggested his place, which is good as it's not far from the college. It's 138 Lonsdale Avenue, Summertown. Lonsdale is L-O-N-S-D-A-L-E.
E: Yeah, I think I know where Lonsdale Avenue is. You did say 138, didn't you?
B: Right. Oh, and I suggest that you take a look at his website as well. It's got loads of information, so you might want to ask him about some of his other trips. It's at www.tomcooganbooks.com.
E: All right. Thanks for that. I'll let you know how I get on.
B: Great. Thanks, Eddie. Good luck.
Homework Practice 3 (Authentic)
M: (Male student) How do you come to the university each day? Train or bus or do you have a car?
F: (Female student) Oh, I always walk - I haven't got a car and anyway I live quite close.
M: Do you know anything about parking rights on the campus? I was wondering whether students are allowed to park their cars on the campus or not?
F: Yes, I think it's possible for post graduate students but not for undergraduate students.
M: That doesn't seem very fair.
F: No, I suppose not, but there simply isn't enough room on the campus for everyone to park.
M: Do you need a parking permit?
F: Yeah, I believe you do.
M: Where do I get that from?
F: I think you can get a parking sticker from the administration office.
M: Where's that?
F: It's in the building called Block G. Right next to Block E.
M: Block G?
F: Yeah.
M: Oh right. And what happens to you if you don't buy a sticker? Do they clamp your wheels or give you a fine?
F: No, I think they tow your car away.
M: Oh really?
F: Yeah. And then they fine you as well because you have to pay to get the car back.
M: I'd better get the sticker then.
F: Yeah.
M: Where exactly is the administration office again? I'm new to this university and I'm still trying to find my way around.
F: Right. You go along Library Road, past the tennis courts on your left and the swimming pool on your right and the administration office is opposite the car park on the left. You can't miss it.
M: So it's up Library Road, past the swimming pool, opposite the car park. Right, I'll go straight over there. Bye and thanks for the help.
C: (Clerk) Good morning, can I help you?
M: Yes, I was told to come over here to get a parking sticker. Is this the right place?
C: Yes, it is. Are you a post graduate student?
M: Yes, I am.
C: OK, well, I'll just need to take some details. Your name?
M: Richard Lee - that's spelt L double E.
C: Richard Lee. And the address?
M: Flat 13, 30 Enmore Road
C: How do you spell Enmore?
M: E-N-M-O-R-E. And that's in the suburb of Newport: N-E-W-P-O-R-T.
C: Faculty?
M: I beg your pardon?
C: Which faculty are you in?
M: Architecture, the Faculty of Architecture.
C: Right ... and the registration number of your car?
M: Let me see um L X J five oh. No, sorry, I always get that wrong, it's LJX 058K.
C: LJX 508K.
M: No ... 058K
C: Ah. And what make is the car?
M: It's a Ford.
C: A Ford. Fine! Well, I'll just get you to sign here and when you've paid the cashier I'll be able to issue you with the sticker.
M: Right. Where do I pay?
C: Just across the corridor in the cashier's office. Oh, but it's 12:30 now and they close at 12:15 for lunch. But they open again at a quarter past two until 4:30
M: Oh.. they're not open till quarter past two?
C: No. When you get your sticker, you must attach it to the front windscreen of your car. I'm afraid it's not valid if you don't have it stuck on the window.
M: Right, I see. Thanks very much I'll just wait here then.
Homework Practice 4 (Authentic)
JANICE: Hello ... Flagstone.
JON: Oh hello; is that Flagstone Properties?
JANICE: Yes that's right. Flagstone here. How can I help you?
JON: Hello. I'm ringing just to make enquiries about renting a house. My name's Jon Anderson.
JANICE: Yes, Mr Anderson. What sort of thing were you looking for?
JON: Two-bedroomed house with garden.
JANICE: Well... yes, sir, that shouldn't be any problem ... just to let you know that our main areas, the main areas we deal with, are the city centre itself...
JON: City centre ... uh-huh.
JANICE: And the north suburbs.
JON: Oh well... we were most interested in the Northern areas actually.
JANICE: Right... yes... What sort of price were you thinking of?
JON: Well... could you give me some idea?
JANICE: Certainly. It really ranges from £250 per month.
JON: Only £250?
JANICE: Yes, to about £500 depending on a number of different factors.
JON: What does it depend on?
JANICE: Well, obviously the quality of the area. And then whether there's a garden.
JON: Well, as I said, we'd want a garden.
JANICE: And a garage pushes up the price.
JON: Right... well, we wouldn't necessarily need one. I think about £350 a month would be our limit.
JANICE: OK. Well... would you like to have a look at a couple of properties, sir?
JON: Yes, that'd be great.
JANICE: Looking at our files... I think we've got two which might suit you ...
JON: Hang on. I'll just get a pen. Right.
JANICE: OK. Well, there's one on West Park Road which is £325 a month.
JON: Are the bills included?
JANICE: Well, that one just includes the water bill.
JON: OK, right.
JANICE: And the second house is in Tithe Road. I'll just spell that for you ... OK?
JON: Yep.
JANICE: T-I-T-H-E Road.
JON: Got that. And how much is that one?
JANICE: That's £380.
JON: 380. Is that including water?
JANICE: No, I'm afraid not, but it does include the telephone rental.
JON: Oh well, that's not too bad then. So,...
JANICE: So, when would you be available to see them?
JON: Well, I'll be in town next week... say ... Thursday?
JANICE: No, I'm sorry we don't have any availability for Thursday. How about Wednesday afternoon?
JON: OK. That's fine. Would 5:00 be OK?
JANICE: Yes, fine. 5:00 it is. Just come to the Flagstone Offices.
JON: Oh, before I forget. What sort of things do I need to get done... to rent with you?
JANICE: Well, the most important thing is a letter from your bank ...
JON: No problem...
JANICE: And then a reference letter from your employer.
JON: Yes, that's OK.
JANICE: Great, and then we would need you to give 2 weeks' notice of moving in ...
JON: Right... 2 weeks' notice. And what about a deposit?
JANICE: That's one month's rent, whatever the amount is.
JON: OK. One month. Is that it?
JANICE: No, sorry, one more... you will have to pay for the contract.
JON: Oh yes. I'd forgotten about that. OK, fine. So I'll start arranging those, and I'll ...
JANICE: ... I'll see you next week.
JON: Yes. Thanks very much. Bye.
JANICE: Goodbye.
Lesson 2
Practice 1 & 2
Irina: Good morning. Can you tell me about the ticket options, please?
Man: Certainly, we've got various options, depending on whether you want to just visit parts of the exhibition or all of it. It's organised into various different sections, and because it's so large, you may not be interested in everything or have time for everything. You can buy tickets just for the sections you want to visit, and that makes it a lot cheaper.
I: Well, um, I've really come here to see things to do with electronics.
M: Right. Then I think you'll find the first part of the exhibition as you go in is quite relevant. It's all about electronics and how we can use them to protect the world around us - you know, the environment and what we can do to avoid damaging it further.
I: Protecting the environment. That sounds interesting. Anything I should specially look out for there?
M: There are lots of new devices. One which fascinated me when I went round was a new instrument for measuring how the temperature of the ocean changes at different levels, and this can be done from a ship on the surface right down to the bottom.
I: Great, I'll look out for that.
M: OK, and I see you've got your son with you, which is nice because the subject of the next section is all about different things for keeping an eye on your children and looking after their safety. It contains a range of things, from electronic instruments used in medicine to children's electronic games and even a number of new devices to prevent children from having an accident when they're at home.
I: That sounds useful.
M: Yes, there's even an invention for older children - you'll see a demonstration of it while you're there - which helps parents to make sure their kids are going to school. Really useful in families where both parents work. It sort of electronically tells parents about their kids' attendance and sends them a signal via the Internet.
I: Very convenient. But my son is a bit young to worry about that yet. Are there any other sections which feature electronics?
M: Sure. There's another section - it's the third you come to, I think - which should interest everyone. It contains lots of new electronic instruments or devices for looking after and working with money - you know, like that thing you must have heard of which counts what you're putting into your supermarket trolley and adds up the bill as you go around.
I: Right, money - that sounds interesting, too. Well, thanks for the information. I'd like tickets for myself and my son for those three sections, then, please.
Woman: Excuse me.
Irina: Yes?
W: Before you go through, I wonder if you could help us by answering a few questions for a survey. It won't take long.
I: No problem. We're not in any hurry.
W: Fine, thanks. Now, er, let's look at the questions.
I: OK.
W: Here they are. First one. Why are you visiting the exhibition?
I: Well, I want to keep up with the latest developments in electronics, you know - I was recommended by a friend to come here and see what new devices and inventions are coming out and learn a bit. I mean, I don't generally go shopping for new electronics. I'm not the sort of person who goes out and buys all the latest gadgets - the prices are too high when they're new. But it interests me, and I thought also there would be things which would interest my son and he'd enjoy it as well, so that's why we're here.
W: OK.. and here's a question to find out what sort of consumer you are. Have you bought any electronics recently?
I: Recently? Sure. I was thinking of buying a new calculator for the office, but I decided it wasn't really necessary because I can do all the calculations just as easily on a computer. Anyway, I got a new laptop recently because, you know, they have so many applications and they don't take up much space either. Better to have lots of things on the same device, I think. The other thing I bought was a present for my husband's birthday. I thought it would be nice to have a record of our holidays, so I bought him a camera and l'm hoping to get him more interested in photography. I'm not very keen on the sort of pictures you can take with a mobile phone, you see. I think it's better to go for higher quality.
W: Right.. And here's a question about this building. I know you haven't had a chance to look around a lot yet, but at first sight, what do you think of it?
I: Oh, it looks pretty good to me. It's got lots of natural light, so you don't have to put up with lots of electric lighting, which can be quite tiring on the eyes. It feels very large and spacious, which is great because although it's full of activity and quite noisy, it doesn't feel too crowded. Also, when you look up at the ceiling near the entrance with the design of stars and planets on it, that's something I really like. I'm not so keen on those revolving doors, though. I always feel I'm going to get stuck in one.
W: And did you have any difficulties getting to the exhibition?
I: Well, coming at this time of day the roads weren't too busy, so that was all right... and there were plenty of signposts, so the car park was easy to find. The only problem was it was full when I arrived - I guess | should have come earlier - so I had to find another one quite a long walk away, which was a pity. Then we had to stand outside for quite a long time queuing to get in - this exhibition is pretty popular. That was a bit of a problem, because my son gets impatient, but fortunately it wasn't raining, otherwise we might have gone home.
Practice 3 (Authentic)
MARTIN: Good morning. This is Burnham tourist office, Martin speaking.
SUE: Oh, hello. I saw a poster about free things to do in the area, and it said people should phone you for information. I'm coming to Burnham with my husband and two children for a few days on June the 27th, or possibly the 28th, and I'd like some ideas for things to do on the 29th.
MARTIN: Yes, of course. OK. Then let's start with a couple of events especially for children. The art gallery is holding an event called 'Family Welcome' that day, when there are activities and trails to use throughout the gallery.
SUE: That sounds interesting. What time does it start?
MARTIN: The gallery opens at 10, and the 'Family Welcome' event runs from 10:30 until 2 o'clock. The gallery stays open until 5. And several times during the day, they're going to show a short film that the gallery has produced. It demonstrates how ceramics are made, and there'll be equipment and materials for children to have a go themselves. Last time they ran the event, there was a film about painting, which went down very well with the children, and they're now working on one about sculpture.
SUE: I like the sound of that. And what other events happen in Burnham?
MARTIN: Well, do you all enjoy listening to music?
SUE: Oh, yes.
MARTIN: Well there are several free concerts taking place at different times - one or two in the morning, the majority at lunchtime, and a couple in the evening. And they range from pop music to Latin American.
SUE: The Latin American could be fun. What time is that?
MARTIN: It's being repeated several times, in different places. They're performing in the central library at 1 o'clock, then at 4 it's in the City Museum, and in the evening, at 7:30, there's a longer concert, in the theatre.
SUE: Right. I'll suggest that to the rest of the family.
MARTIN: Something else you might be interested in is the boat race along the river.
SUE: Oh, yes, do tell me about that.
MARTIN: The race starts at Offord Marina, to the north of Bumham, and goes as far as Summer Pool. The best place to watch it from is Charlesworth Bridge, though that does get rather crowded.
SUE: And who's taking part?
MARTIN: Well, local boat clubs, but the standard is very high. One of them came first in the West of England regional championship in May this year - it was the first time a team from Bumham has won. It means that next year they'll be representing the region in the national championship.
pause
SUE: Now I've heard something about Paxton Nature Reserve. It's a good place for spotting unusual birds, isn't it?
MARTIN: That's right - throughout the year. There is a lake there, as well as a river, and they provide a very attractive habitat. So it's a good idea to bring binoculars if you have them. And just at the moment you can see various flowers that are pretty unusual - the soil at Paxton isn't very common. They're looking good right now.
SUE: Right. My husband will be particularly interested in that.
MARTIN: And there's going to be a talk and slide show about mushrooms - and you'll be able to go out and pick some afterwards and study the different varieties.
SUE: Uhuh. And is it possible for children to swim in the river?
MARTIN: Yes. Part of it has been fenced off to make it safe for children to swim in. It's very shallow, and there's a lifeguard on duty whenever it's open. The lake is too deep, so swimming isn't allowed there.
SUE: OK, we must remember to bring their swimming things, in case we go to Paxton. How long does it take to get there by car from Burnham?
MARTIN: About 20 minutes, but parking is very limited, so it's usually much easier to go by bus - and it takes about the same time.
SUE: Right. Well, I'll discuss the options with the rest of the family. Thanks very much for all your help.
MARTIN: You're welcome.
SUE: Goodbye.
MARTIN: Bye.
Homework Practice 1 & 2
Researcher: Hello, Joe, good to see you again.
Joe: Hi, you too.
R: So how did you get on with the devices we asked you to test for us?
J: Oh, fine. Well, mostly.
R: OK, well, we'll come back to those in a minute. First of all, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your attitude to new electrical products. This will help us with future marketing. Is that OK?
J: Sure.
R: OK. First of all, how much do you spend on electronic items a month?
J: Hmm, let me see. I don't earn a lot, so I don't have much left after I've paid for things like rent, bills, food and so on. Anything else is a luxury. So, I'd guess about 5%, maybe 10% of my monthly salary.
R: All right, and what influences you in your choice of product? Say you wanted a new mobile phone, how would you decide which one to buy?
J: Well, first I look at reviews on the Internet, you know, what other customers think about them. Then I'll ask my friends what they think. In fact, their opinions are probably more important than anything.
R: How much does advertising help you choose a product?
J: I think that depends on how the product is advertised, and who is advertising it.
R: For example?
J: Well, if it's someone I respect, you know, like a famous sportsman or actor, that can certainly make a difference. I know it shouldn't really, but it does.
R: And where do you buy most of these products? The High Street? The Internet?
J: Most people seem to avoid shops, these days, don't they, for things like that? They think they can get things cheaper on the Internet.
R: Right.
J: But I find that if you say to a shop assistant that you can get a new, er, camera for example, for £100 on the Internet, they'll often match the price. So, that's where I go.
R: Any other advantages?
J: Well, you get personal service and you don't have to wait for the product to be delivered. Ordering online means you have to wait, sometimes for ages, to get the things you've just bought. I hate that. I guess I'm just very impatient.
R: OK, one final question. Do you ever see a product and think I've absolutely got to get one of those?
J: Oh, all the time, especially if I'm walking past a shop and I see a new electronic item in the window, especially if it's unusual, you know, something I've never seen before. It takes a lot of willpower ...
Researcher: Right, Joe, let's move on. Now, we gave you three items to test for us. Let's start with the mobile phone.
Joe: OK, well, it has its good points and its bad points. The purple and silver make it quite eye-catching, you know, modern, exciting.
R: Right. Anything else?
J: Well, it's very small, isn't it? I know people say small is good, but in this case I think you might have gone too far.
R: In what way?
J: It can be a bit difficult to use, especially if you've got big hands like mine. You press one key, and you end up pressing another at the same time. On the other hand, thanks to the oval design, it does fit comfortably in your hand. Mobiles are usually sort of rectangular, aren't they? I think this is much better.
R: OK.
J: What else? When I was sending text messages, I had real problems seeing what I was writing. It's not that the screen was too small, just that it was a bit dark. If you're outside, you can hardly see anything on it.
R: We added a few things that you don't get on other mobiles. What did you think about those?
J: Ah, right, well, that noise it makes if you move away from it? That's really annoying. It's basically a good idea, but I think that after a while it would drive me mad.
R: So, you probably wouldn't buy it?
J: Probably not. When I buy a mobile phone, I don't want one that's going to be difficult to operate. There's no point having a phone that looks good if you have to spend ages trying to make a call or send a text message. It's funny, but I find that more expensive mobile phones are more difficult to use than cheaper ones. It should be the other way round
R: So keep it simple, right?
J: Right. And I want a phone that doesn't have problems picking up a signal, or doesn't cut you off halfway through a call. And all those games and other things you get on a mobile? I really can't see the point in those.
R: Fair point. Next, the digital radio. What did you think?
J: The audio quality was crisp and clear, even if you turned it up really loud. Some sound systems can sound a bit distorted at higher volumes, but not on this one. So 10 out of 10 for that.
R: Great.
J: The thing is, I'm not sure if it's the area I live in, but the choice of radio stations seemed very limited. It didn't make any difference what I did with the aerial or where I put the radio, high up on a shelf, low down on the floor. And there seemed to be a delay when you turned up the volume.
R: What do you mean?
J: Well, when you press the volume control, for example, nothing seems to happen for a few seconds. And the same thing happens when you want to change radio stations.
R: OK, the third item was the laptop computer. What's your opinion on that?
J: Oh, I really liked it. It's so small, so compact, but easy to use at the same time. I don't think you could make it smaller if you tried. But at £900, I'm not sure you'd get many customers. That's a lot of money for a laptop. Bring that down to, say, £400 and things might be different.
R: Any other changes you'd make? Like adding more memory, for example?
J: I think that's fine as it is. Three hundred gigabytes of memory is probably more than enough for most people. Oh, and incidentally, the way the keyboard folds out so that it's like a full-size one? That's really clever. But the computer doesn't have anywhere you can play CD-ROMS. And I'd include a light in the keyboard so you can use it when it's dark
R: Well, thanks, Joe, for your comments. I think we ... [fade]
Homework Practice 3 (Authentic)
SALLY: Oh, Peter, there you are. You've been ages. What kept you so long?
PETER: I'm sorry I'm so late, Sally. Have you been waiting long?
SALLY: Oh, half an hour. But it doesn't matter. I've had a coffee and I've been reading this guidebook for tourists. Sit down. You look very hot and tired. What would you like to drink?
PETER: I'd love a really chilled mineral water or something. Will you have another coffee?
SALLY: Yes, I will. The waitress will be back in a moment. Why were you so late? Did something happen?
PETER: Yes. You know I went to the bank to cash some travellers cheques? Well, the exchange rate was looking healthy, but when I went to the teller, they told me the computer system was temporarily down, so they couldn't do any transactions. They said the problem would be fixed in a few minutes, so I waited. And then I started talking to another guy in the bank, and I forgot the time.
SALLY: Oh, really? Someone you met in the bank? Does he work there?
PETER: No. he was a tourist, from New York. His name's Henry, and he's been here for a week, but he's moving on to Germany tomorrow. He's an architect, and he's spending four weeks travelling around Europe.
SALLY: Just like us!
PETER: Yeah, just like us. He told me the names of some places where we should eat. Great food, and not too expensive, he said. Oh, and he also gave me this map of the bus system. He said he didn't need it any more.
SALLY: That's useful. Pity he's moving on tomorrow. Ah, here's the waitress. Let's order. Do you want anything to eat, or shall we just have a drink?
PETER: Well, I'm hungry, and we've got a lot of sightseeing to do, so let's just have a snack and a drink.
SALLY: Sounds good to me!
PETER: Well, let's decide what we'll see today. I guess the best place to start is the Cathedral, and then the Castle. What are the opening times for those two?
SALLY: Well, according to this guidebook, the Cathedral is only open from nine-thirty in the morning until midday. No, hang on. That's the Cathedral Museum. The Cathedral itself is open morning and afternoon. The Castle is just open from one to five, so we can't go there until after lunch. I really want to spend some time in the Art Gallery, because they've got this wonderful painting by Rembrandt that I've always wanted to see.
PETER: What else should we see?
SALLY: Well, the guidebook says the Botanical Gardens are worth spending some time in, and they're open all day, from eight to six, so we can go there any time. I'd like to go to the Markets near the river too, but... oh….. no, wait, that's only in the mornings, too.
PETER: As well as today and tomorrow, we can see some other places on Monday, you know. But I don't think the Markets will be open then: they only open on Thursdays, so we've missed them for this week. Maybe we should go to the Cathedral today because it's Sunday tomorrow, and even though it's open every day it might be more difficult to get in tomorrow because of the church services.
SALLY: That's true, but the Art Gallery isn't open on Sundays at all, so we'll have to go there today. The Castle's open every day except Mondays, so we're OK there, and the Gardens of course only close at night.
PETER: Are all these places free or do we have to pay to go in? What does the guidebook say?
SALLY: I think there's a charge for all of them except the Botanical Gardens. Oh, and the Markets, of course you don't pay to go in.
PETER: OK. well, it looks like our plan is this: we'll go to see the painting you like first, the Rembrandt, then have lunch and go on to the Castle after that, and then the Cathedral.
SALLY: OK. It says here that the roof of the Cathedral is really beautiful.
PETER: Is that right? What I really want to do at the Cathedral is climb the tower. The view is supposed to be spectacular.
SALLY: OK, well, that'll be more than enough for today. Then, tomorrow, let's go to the Botanical Gardens and have a picnic. I want to sit by the river and watch the swans. This city's famous for them.
Lesson 3
Practice 1
Hi there, everybody, and welcome to Animal World. Before you start your visit, l'd just like to tell you about a few special events happening here today. They're all free, and I'd really encourage you to go to as many of them as you can, as I think you'll learn a lot.
The first event is called The World of Ants, and it's happening this morning quite soon in the Insect House, which is just a short walk from here. The well-known entomologist Dr David Crocker, who many of you will have seen on television, is giving a lecture all about ants - the different types of ants, how they organise themselves, what they eat, their behaviour and so on. It's actually a fascinating subject. So, The World of Ants, a lecture by Dr Crocker, in the Insect House, and it starts at 11 o'clock and lasts for 60 minutes.
At midday, that's 12 o'clock, there's a film which is just as fascinating and it's called The Great Migration. This is all about birds and how they migrate across continents and oceans using the Sun, the stars and the Earth's magnetic field. As I said, it's a film - an absolutely spectacular film - which all the family will enjoy, some fabulous photography - and it's on in Theatre C, which you can see here just behind me - so bear that in mind for 12 o'clock.
The next event is a demonstration taking place in the Exhibition Room and given by Monica Chaddha. It's called Encouraging Garden Wildlife. Monica will be showing you ways of encouraging animals, birds and other wildlife to visit and live in your garden, how to place boxes for nests, what food to put out for them and all sorts of practical advice. That's at 2.30, so just after lunch.
The final free event for today is Birds of Prey. Tasha, their keeper, will be giving a display of some of our most magnificent birds and how they fly, and I thoroughly recommend this event. The display includes eagles, vultures and owls and will be starting at 3.45 on the lawn outside. It's an unforgettable experience, so remember, on the front lawn at 3.45 to see the birds flying.
pause
Now, I'll just give you a few directions before you leave, especially for those of you who are feeling a bit hungry. When you leave the main building, you come to an area where the path divides. If you take the right-hand path, you'll see the lake on your right, and exactly opposite the lake on your left is the gift shop. Apart from selling gifts, it sells snacks, sandwiches and light drinks. If you walk on past the lake, on your right you'll also see the penguins. Go past the penguins and you'll come to the restaurant, also on your right. Don't go too far, or you'll come to the aquarium. The aquarium is on your right at the crossroad, and just over the crossroad, also on your right, is the lion enclosure.
If you're thinking of having a picnic, the best place to go is the picnic area, and for this you need to turn left at the crossroad and walk along a few metres. At the end of the path, you'll find the picnic area on your left.
Now, if you have any questions, l'd be happy to answer them and, once again, I really hope you enjoy your visit. Thank you.
Practice 2 (Authentic)
TUTOR: ... So, I'll hand over now to Julie Brooks.
JULIE BROOKS: Thank you. Welcome to the Sports Centre. It's good to see that there are so many people wanting to find out about our sports facilities. First of all, membership. All students at the college are entitled to become members of the Sports Centre, for an annual fee of £9.50. To register with us and get your membership card, you need to come to reception, between 2 and 6 pm, Monday to Thursday. I'm afraid we can't register new members on Friday, so it's Monday to Thursday, 2 to 6, at reception. Now, there are three things that you must remember to bring with you when you come to register; they are: your Union card, a recent passport-sized photograph of yourself, and the fee. It doesn't matter whether you bring cash or a cheque. We can't issue your card unless you bring all three; so, don't forget: your Union card, passport photo and fee. Then once you have got your sports card, you will need to bring it with you whenever you come to book or use any Sports Centre facilities.
Booking over the phone is not allowed, so you have to come here in person, with your card, when you want to book. Our opening hours seem to get longer every year. We are now open from 9am to 10pm on weekdays and from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays. For those of you who are up and about early in the morning, we are introducing a 50 per cent 'morning discount' this year. This is because the facilities tended to be under-used in the mornings last year. It means that all the sessions will be half-price between 9am and 12 noon on weekdays.
Practice 3 (Authentic)
CAROL: Good morning and welcome again to Your City Today. With me today is Graham Campbell, a councillor from the city council. He will be telling us about the plan to improve the fast-growing suburb of Red Hill. Good morning Graham and welcome to the show.
GRAHAM: Good morning, Carol.
CAROL: Now, Graham, I understand that there has been a lot of community consultation for the new plan?
GRAHAM: Yes, we've tried to address some of the concerns that local groups told us about. People we've heard from are mainly worried about traffic in the area, and, in particular, the increasing speed of cars near schools. They feel that it is only a matter of time before there is an accident as a lot of the children walk to the school. So we're trying to do something about that. Another area of concern is the overhead power lines. These are very old and a lot of people we spoke to asked if something could be done about them. Well, I'm happy to report that the power company have agreed to move the power lines underground at a cost of $800,000. I think that will really improve the look of the area, as well as being safer.
CAROL: That's good to know, but will that mean an increase in rates for the local businesses in that area?
GRAHAM: Well, the power company have agreed to bear the cost of this themselves after a lot of discussion with the council. This is wonderful news as the council now has some extra funds for us to put into other things like tree planting and art work.
GRAHAM: Now, we've also put together a map which we've sent out to all the residents in the area. And on the map we've marked the proposed changes. Firstly, we'll plant mature pine trees to provide shelter and shade just to the right of the supermarket in Days Road. In order to address the traffic problems, the pavements on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Street will be widened. This will help to reduce the speed of vehicles entering Thomas Street. We think it's very important to separate the local residential streets from the main road. So the roadway at the entry to Thomas Street from Days Road will be painted red. This should mark it more clearly and act as a signal for traffic to slow down. One way of making sure that the pedestrians are safe is to increase signage at the intersections. A 'keep clear' sign will be erected at the junction of Evelyn Street and Hill Street, to enable traffic to exit at all times. Something we're planning to do to help control the flow of traffic in the area is to install traffic lights halfway down Hill Street where it crosses Days Road. Now, we haven't only thought about the cars and traffic, of course, there's also something for the children. We're going to get school children in the area to research a local story, the life of a local sports hero perhaps, and an artist will incorporate that story into paintings on the wall of a building on the other side of Hill Street from the supermarket. And finally, we've agreed to build a new children's playground which will be at the other end of Hill Street close to the intersection with Carberry Street.
CAROL: Wonderful, now, what's the next stage?
GRAHAM: Well, the final plan . ..
Homework Practice 1
Hello, everyone, and welcome to our college Natural History day. You've all got your programme for the day, but let me just give you a bit of information about your options for this morning's sessions, which begin at half past nine. Remember, you need to attend one of these sessions.
All right, your first choice is called 'Dogs might fly', which will take place in Room 27. Professor Keenan, who you may remember ran a workshop last year on how dinosaurs became extinct, will be giving a lecture on the evolution of animals. In particular, she'll be looking at how they may evolve in the future, and this will be followed by a group discussion where you'll get a chance to ask her questions and offer your own thoughts and opinions on this. So, if the evolution of animals is something you're interested in, head for Room 27.
We all know that animals communicate with each other, but what about flowers? Your second choice is a video presentation called ‘Flowers talk’. This considers the possibility that plants and flowers do actually communicate with each other. The video is presented by Patrick Bell, who has just written a book on how plants adapt to their natural environment, so it should be very interesting. That will take place in the lecture room, no sorry, correct that, here in the main hall. We've had to move it because the lecture room is being renovated.
The third choice is ideal for those of you who want to get a bit of fresh air. We've called it 'A world in your garden', which we thought was appropriate as it looks at the sort of things you can find just by stepping out of your front door. Anyway, for those of you interested in getting away from the classroom, Doctor Watkins will be taking you on a nature walk through the local park, and will be telling you about some of the fascinating animals and plants that live and grow nearby. And it's a lovely day for a walk!
The final option, well, you might want to avoid this one if you're frightened of things like snakes, as this is a hands-on workshop where you'll actually get a chance to handle these exotic creatures. It won't just be snakes, however. I believe Tom Howard, our resident reptile expert, has brought some other reptiles along for you to meet, including his pet tortoise, Reggie, who is over 100 years old, and a pet lizard he calls Arthur. So, if you want to meet Reggie and his other reptile friends, head on over to the Biology lab at 9.30. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun. For those of you who don't usually use the Biology lab, could I remind you that you need to put on one of the white coats by the door before you go in. OK, now, we've got some students here from Bardwell College who ... [fade]
Homework Practice 2
OK, now, we've got some students here from Bardwell College who have joined us for today's events. Hello to you all, and welcome.
Now, before our day begins, you'll need to get a guest badge, which you'll have to wear while you're on the college premises. You can get these from the administration office. To get there from the main hall, leave the hall by the door opposite reception, turn left, and just follow the corridor to the end. The administration office is on your right. Don't go any further, or you'll be in the sports hall. If you show your guest badge in the café, by the way, you'll get a 20% discount on drinks and sandwiches. To get there from the main hall, walk along the corridor between the main hall and reception and turn right. The café is through the first door on your left. Directly opposite the café, on the same corridor, is the student common room, where you can go to relax and perhaps meet some of our own students.
If you have any valuables that you don't want to carry around with you, I suggest you put these in a locker. These are next to the sports hall, opposite the administration office. You can get a key for a locker when you get your guest badge from the administration office. And if you want to use our library, leave the main hall by the door opposite the one you came in - that's the door by the bicycle parking area - and walk to the end of the corridor. The library is through the door straight ahead of you.
Homework Practice 3 (Authentic)
Thank you for calling the Tourist Line. There are many different ways of getting round the city and we'd like to suggest some you may not have thought of.
How about a city trip by boat? There are four main stopping points - from west to east: stop A Green Banks, stop B City Bridge, stop C Roman Landing and stop D Newtown.
You can find the main booking office at stop A.
The first boat leaves at 8 a.m. and the last one at 6.30 p.m. There are also many attractions you can visit along the river. At Stop A, if you have time, you can visit the fine 16th century palace here built for the king with its beautiful formal gardens. It's very near the booking office. Now you can enjoy every corner of this superb residence.
Stop B Why don't you visit Tower Restaurant with its wide range of refreshments? This is a place where you can sit and enjoy the wonderful views over the old commercial and banking centre of the city.
Stop C is the area where, in the first century AD, invading soldiers crossed the river; this was much shallower than it is now. That's why this area is called Roman Landing. There's an interactive Museum to visit here with a large shop which has a good range of local history books.
At the furthest point of the trip, stop D, the most exciting place to visit is the new Entertainment Complex with seven-screen cinema, bowling alley and video games arcade.
Besides the boat tours, there are city buses. Two companies offer special services:
The Top Bus Company runs all its tours with a live commentary in English. Tours leave from 8.30 a.m. every 20 minutes. There are departures from Central Station, Castle Hill and Long Walk. This is a hop-on hop-off service and tickets are valid for 24 hours. For further details call Top Bus on 0208 9447810.
The Number One Sightseeing Tour is available with a commentary in eight languages. Buses depart from Central Station every five to six minutes from about 9 a.m. with the last bus at around 7 p.m. There are also Number One services with an English-speaking …
Lesson 4
Practice 1
Good evening and welcome aboard the Pride of Poole. In this recorded announcement, we'll give you details of some of the facilities available on board this ship.
You're currently standing in the reception area in the centre of B Deck. If you're feeling hungry after a long day's travelling, go up the stairs to A Deck, where you'll find the restaurant. The restaurant caters for all appetites, with anything from a light snack to a full three-course meal. The restaurant will be open from the moment the ship leaves port to half an hour before arrival.
Next to the restaurant on A Deck in the lounge, there are reclining seats with music headphones if you want to relax. The headphones are free, but people using this area are encouraged to keep noise to a minimum so that other passengers can enjoy themselves and sleep or read if they wish.
For those of you who'd like some entertainment, just next door to us on this deck is a 40-seat cinema showing the latest full- length feature films. The cinema programme is available here at reception, but you'll have to buy the tickets themselves at the cinema entrance just before you go in.
Just next to the cinema is the staircase leading down to the cabins on C Deck. To access your cabin, just show your boarding pass to a steward, who will give you the key.
On this deck, that is B Deck, you'll also find an area where you can either play games in our special electronic games arcade or do your shopping.
Just beyond that on the same level, people who want a bit of fresh air or just want to see the sea can go out onto the viewing deck, which is in the open air. Make sure you wear a jacket or coat, as it can be quite cold and windy.
pause
Now for some further details. This voyage is an overnight trip. The ship leaves port at 7 p.m. and the journey takes just over 12 hours and 45 minutes, reaching our destination at about eight tomorrow morning. This is for the convenience of those wishing to catch the nine o'clock train, which leaves from the ferry terminal.
Passengers with children in their party are informed that there is a special section in the restaurant with kids' food and a play area. People with children are encouraged to turn up early to get a place, as the section is very popular.
Make this a trip to remember. Here at the information desk, you can obtain a souvenir ship's key ring for four euros fifty; you can upgrade from a tourist-class cabin to a first-class cabin; and you can get your train tickets here, which will save you time queuing in the station tomorrow morning. If you buy them on the ship, you can get them for 20 percent off.
For those using the lounge and wishing to check their email, there's a wireless connection, but you'll have to bring your own laptop. You can also watch the latest TV programmes there or in the coffee bar next to the restaurant.
Finally, a unique feature on this crossing only: anyone who buys a fashion item from our wonderful range of men's and women's clothes in the shopping area has the chance to win a free holiday. All you have to do is complete a sentence starting I like Sealand Ferries because ... and the best sentence wins the prize of a holiday in Switzerland with tickets to a three-day music festival included. Talk to any member of staff for more details.
Practice 2 (Authentic)
Welcome to Green Vale Agricultural Park. As you know, we have only been open a week so you are amongst our first visitors. We have lots of fascinating indoor and outdoor exhibits on our huge complex, spreading hundreds of hectares. Our remit is to give educational opportunities to the wider public as well as to offer research sites for a wide variety of agriculturists and other scientists.
Let's start by seeing what there is to do. As you can see here on our giant wall plan, we are now situated in the Reception block... here. As you walk out of the main door into the park there is a path you can follow. If you follow this route you will immediately come into the Rare Breeds section, where we keep a wide variety of animals which I shall be telling you a little more about later. Next to this ... moving east... is the large grazing area for the rare breeds. Then further east... in the largest section of our Park is the Forest Area. South of the grazing area and in fact just next to the Reception block is our Experimental Crop Area. In the middle of the Park ... this circular area is our lake .... These two small rectangular shapes here ….. are the Fish Farms where we rear fish for sale. To the east of those is the marsh area which attracts a great many migrant birds. In the south-eastern corner, beyond the marsh, is our Market Garden area, growing vegetables and flowers.
pause
All these areas can be visited by the general public for almost all the year ... although ... please take note of the large signs at the entrance to each area which tell... which tell you when certain areas are being used for particular controlled experiments and are therefore temporarily out of bounds to the public.
You can see for yourself what a huge area the park covers and a key question is always, how can we move around? Well you have a choice of means ... all environmentally friendly ... cars are banned in the park. We have bicycles which you can hire behind the Reception block... here ... the healthy ones of you can go on foot and finally there's our electric tram, powered from solar cells. You find more information about this at the front entrance.
A good place to start on your tour is the Rare Breeds section. We keep goats, sheep and hens and other kinds of poultry. We are also thinking of bringing in cows and horses but we do not, as yet, have facilities for these bigger animals. The animals are fed in public twice a day and a short lecture given on their feeding habits and nutritional needs. These are very popular with the public but of course we mustn't lose sight of the main purpose of having this section, not as such to preserve rare animals but to maintain the diversity of breeds to broaden the gene pool for agricultural development. Green Vale changes with the seasons with different events happening at different times of the year. May will be perhaps our most spectacular month with the arrival of the Canada geese and when our fruit trees will be in full blossom, but there are interesting events on all year round ... for example John Havers, our expert fly fisherman, is currently giving displays on the lake. Each of the sections has its own seasonal calendar ... please consult the summary board at the main entrance. And the final section, as we return to the Reception blocks, is the orchard.
Do take time to browse round our shop ... there is a wide selection of books on wildlife, some of them written by local authors, and the history of farming, including organic farming, something which the park will be diversifying into in the coming months.
Homework Practice 1
Hello, everyone, and welcome aboard the Sunshine Express on our journey from London to Naples. I'm Jane Sharpe, the train manager, and I hope you'll all enjoy the trip.
Before we depart, I'd like to tell you a bit about the train and its facilities. Now, we're here on the observation deck, which is where you'll probably spend most of your trip, as it offers the best views, and directly below us is a, well, we call it our leisure centre. There are some games machines, a television, a small library and so on. If you've brought a laptop or computer with you, you can also get onto the Internet here, as it has full wi-fi capability. There's also a small bar where you can get tea, coffee and light meals. For lunch and dinner, you'll use the restaurant car, which is at the front of the train. You'll have breakfast in your cabins, by the way, which will be brought to you by your steward.
The two cars behind the restaurant are where you'll find the second-class cabins. Each cabin has seats which are changed into beds at night. You'll also find a simple basin for washing, and a small fold-down table. First-class passengers, your cabins are at the back of the train. To get to them, you'll need to pass through the lounge. This can be used by everyone during the day, but is exclusive to first-class passengers after 6 p.m.
Right at the back of the train, basically as far as you can go, is my office. If anyone needs to see me, though, please use the phone in your cabin rather than coming to the office. Just press one and you'll get me. If I'm not there, tell your steward you need to see the manager, and he or she will look for me.
Homework Practice 2
Right, let me give you a bit more information about the trip. The first part of our journey is from London to Paris, going through the Channel Tunnel. It will take us just over an hour to get to the Tunnel, including a short stop before we get there to pick up some more passengers. From there, it'll be another three hours to Paris, so we're looking at four hours altogether, give or take a few minutes.
A quick bit of advice about passports. You won't need these until we get to the Italian border, so I suggest you keep them in the safe which you'll find in your cabin. Ask your steward - that's the person in charge of your carriage - for a key. That way, you won't need to carry them with you all the time.
Now, meals. As I said earlier, breakfast tomorrow morning will be in your cabins, and this will be served at about 7.30, 7.45, so you'll be able to enjoy it as we travel along the southern French coast. Lunch is at 1 o'clock in the restaurant car, and dinner is at 8 o'clock, although we'd like you all to be at your table about fifteen minutes earlier, at a quarter to, if you could.
When we get to the Italian border tomorrow morning, our train will change engines, and we'll also be getting a new crew. We'll be taking advantage of the stop to have a look around. I've arranged a visit to the local market, a museum and a castle. This will take about four hours, with a break for coffee in a local café, and we'll be back on the train in time for lunch.
A few quick rules. Some of you might have brought your own food or drink on board. That's fine, but could we ask that you consume it in your cabins and not in the restaurant or lounge? Could we also ask you to make sure your cabin windows are closed when you're not in your cabin? And whatever you do, don't get off the train until we reach the Italian border. Apart from the border and one or two other places, which I'll tell you about, any stops we make will only be for a few minutes. I'd hate to leave anyone behind.
All right, so, moving on from the Italian border, we'll be heading... [fade]
Homework Practice 3 (Authentic)
Welcome to all of you ... can everybody see and hear me? ... Good... I'm Sally, your guide for this tour of the Bicentennial Park ... I hope that you're all wearing your most comfortable shoes and that you can keep up the pace. So let's get under way on our tour around this wonderful park.
I'll start today with some general background information. There used to be a lot of factories in this area until the 1960s. Creating the park required the demolition of lots of derelict buildings on the site, so most of the exciting park space all around you was originally warehouses and storehouses.
The idea of building a public park here was first discussed when a property developer proposed a high-rise housing development, but the local community wasn't happy. If the land was to be cleaned up, they wanted to use the site for recreation. Residents wanted open space for outdoor activities, rather than housing or even an indoor sports complex.
Now to the Bicentennial Park itself. It has two areas, a nature reserve and a formal park with man-made features and gardens. The tall blue-and-white building in front of us is called The Tower and is the centre point for the formal gardens. It stands twelve metres high, so follow me up the stairs to where we can take advantage of the fantastic views.
Well, here we are at the top of The Tower, and we're going to look at the view from each direction. Out to the east, the large buildings about a kilometre away are on the Olympic site. There's an indoor arena for gymnastics, a stadium for track and field and a swimming pool for races and synchronised swimming and also diving. If you look carefully down there, you can see the train lines. The Olympic site has its own station to encourage the use of public transport. There is also a car park. but it only holds a limited number of cars.
The formal park has some specially-created water features. If you look out here to the south, you can see a circular ornamental pond.
And around to the west, you can relax and sit on a bench to smell the flowers in the rose garden, and finally up to the north, if you look in front of you now, there's a lake with a small island in the centre, you can hire rowing boats at the boat shed, which you can't see from here, but if you look through the trees, you can see the café, which has lovely views across the water. OK, let's climb down now. We will go now and have a look at the nature reserve section of the park, which has opened up natural wetland to the public.
The Mangroves have been made more accessible to visitors by the boardwalk built during the park's upgrade. You'd think that people would come here to look at the unusual plant life of the area, but in fact it's more often used for cycling and is very popular with the local clubs.
This is the far end of the park and over there you can see the Frog Pond, a natural feature here long before the park was designed. Just next to it we have our outdoor classroom. a favourite spot for school parties. The area is now most often used by primary schools for biology lessons.
And finally let's pass by the Waterbird Refuge. This area is in a sheltered part of the estuary, that's why the park's viewing shelter is a favourite spot for bird watchers who can use it to spy through binoculars. You can watch a variety of water birds, but most visitors expect to see black swans when they come to the shelter. You might spot one yourself right now!
Well, here we are back at our starting point, the Visitor Centre.
Lesson 5
Practice 1
Man: So we have to do a presentation on a successful person at our next seminar. Woman: Yes, do you have any ideas? Man: Well, I've been on the Internet and picked out a couple. Woman: OK - I've got some suggestions, too. Man: Right, well, you start. Woman: OK... um, his name's Mahmoud Kaboor and he's a film maker in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Man: Sounds good. Woman: Yes. He's the managing director of a very big film company. Man: So what made him successful? Woman: Apparently his uncle was a film student and because of that, he started making short films when he was only 16. Man: That's quite young ... and were they good? Woman: Yup. He won a scholarship to go to Canada and study film, and that's how his career developed. Man: Great. Um ... here's one of my suggestions. She was a ballet dancer - born in St Petersburg in Russia in 1881. Woman: Anna Pavlova. OK - why have you picked her? Man: Well, firstly, because her parents weren't wealthy - they were very poor, in fact - and yet she still went to the School of Imperial Ballet at ten years of age. Woman: That's so young! Was she very talented? Man: Yes, she was, but she didn't follow the rules of ballet. She was very individual and did things that were different from other ballerinas at the time. Woman: Ah - and that's what made her stand out ... Man: Yes. Woman: OK. I've got another woman - Marie Curie. Man: She's very famous. Wasn't she Polish? Woman: Yeah, born in 1867, but did you know that she was the first woman professor at the University of Paris and the first woman to win a Nobel prize? Man: Yes - amazing! Woman: There were many brilliant scientists around when she was working. Man: So why did she do better? Woman: Other scientists couldn't get ahead of her because she sensibly published her ideas straight away. Man: What a clever thing to do! Woman: Yeah - everyone does it automatically these days, but all those years ago, people often didn't think about it. Man: Great! Well, here's one more. Woman: OK - who is it? Man: This is an African-American guy who worked as a chef in the 1850s. His name was George Crum. Woman: Did he make a famous dish or something? Man: Not exactly - but without him, we wouldn't have the potato chip. Or crisps, as the British call them. Woman: Oh! Man: Yeah. Apparently, he had a customer who was annoyed because his French fries were too fat and soft. So he sliced a new potato as thinly as he could and fried it until it was hard and crunchy. Added lots of salt. Woman: .... and a new snack was created. Man: Well, I, I think we've got some interesting people here.
Woman: OK, so we have to choose one of these four people. Man: It's going to be difficult. Woman: Well, why don't we agree on some criteria that will help us? Man: Do you mean things like how old they were when they became successful? Woman: Yeah - except I'm not sure how old they all were! Um, what about choosing a woman ... Man: Is it fair to select someone because of their gender? And look at celebrities - there are lots of women. Woman: But it was different in the past. Man: Oh, I see. Yeah, OK, let's pick a woman. Woman: Great. Right, well, they're all pretty talented, aren't they? Some have even won awards. Man: Yeah, but maybe their fame won't last for ever. Woman: No ... so we should pick someone who's done something great on an international level. Man: Yeah, that changed the world ... OK, I think that's it. We've got our two criteria. So what do we need to do before we meet again? Woman: Well, how much information have we got? Man: Quite a lot of detail about their lives, but not enough about what they did. Woman: OK - so before we meet again, let's both find out as much as we can. It's always better to have too much information. Man: Yeah, you're right. What about pictures? Woman: Yeah - I don't even know what this person looks like! Man: OK - well, we might get some from the library - but I can look on the Internet as well. Woman: Once we've done that, we can get together and talk about the next stage. Man: Yeah - I don't think we can write the presentation for the seminar yet, do you? Woman: No - anyway, it'll be fun working together. Man: Yeah! It's been quite an education doing this. Woman: Yes - it's made me think about success and what it really means. Man: It isn't about money, is it? Woman: No - and you don't have to be experienced to achieve it. It can just be luck. Man: But perhaps in most cases you need to have some natural ability. Woman: Yeah - I agree. And I also think you do have to work hard and be determined. Man: Yeah - and really want to succeed. Woman: No matter where you are or what you've done before. Man: Mm. It's quite a curious thing.
Practice 2 (Authentic)
BRYSON: Well, Amina, thanks for letting me have your draft in such good time. AMINA: Oh, that's alright. I was just very anxious to hear what you think of it. You can see that I decided to change the topic - I had been interested in looking at Barings Factory. BRYSON: Oh, I think the hospital was a much better choice. In fact... well... I have to say that I thought it was good. AMINA: Oh? BRYSON: There's still lots of work to be done ... AMINA: Oh yes ... of course. BRYSON: But there's plenty of good ideas. It opens well and the first chapter is fine but the middle section really stood out for me ... most interesting. AMINA: That's amazing because I really didn't find it a bit easy to write ... BRYSON: How long did you work on the whole thing? AMINA: Well, I spent about two or three weeks reading and doing general research and then I dashed the writing off very quickly ... so about four weeks in all. BRYSON: Well, that's about par for the course. You've got a while yet to make the changes. AMINA: Oh right... no problem... BRYSON: Right. Let's have a look at my notes here. OK. Starting with section headings ... the broad divisions are good but you'll have to re-do the actual headings. I've made some suggestions in the margins ... AMINA: OK. Thanks. BRYSON: Now, this information on local housing ... I can see why you put it there but it really isn't relevant to the approach you've taken. AMINA: I think I see what you mean. BRYSON: Now. .. what did I say about the interviews? AMINA: I worked very hard on those. I really thought they were valuable. BRYSON: They are, Amina, but they're very complex and rather unclear at the moment. You're going to have to spend a bit of time making the data a lot clearer. AMINA: OK... as long as I don't have to remove them altogether... BRYSON: No, don't worry. AMINA: What about the chronology ... the list of dates? I wasn't sure whether I should rewrite those. BRYSON: My advice on that is to take them out. I feel it makes the whole piece appear too simplistic. AMINA: OK, if it'll help. BRYSON: Now, there are a couple of other books I'd like you to look at. Have you got a pen? Right. .. Approaches to Local History by John Mervis... AMINA: Right... BRYSON: And then I think you need to think about ways of representing interview data. Have a look at Sight and Sound by Kate Oakwell. AMINA: Sight and Sound. BRYSON: Then you know I'm going away on holiday next week... AMINA: Yes. BRYSON: So when you've made the changes I suggest you show the work to your Support Tutor. AMINA: Support Tutor... right. BRYSON: Then you do the proof reading ... AMINA: Proof reading... uh-huh. When by, do you think? BRYSON: I'd aim for 29 June and after that you should get it laser printed ... but be careful because the computer centre closes on 10 July. AMINA: And then I hand it in to ... ? BRYSON: Oh, the Faculty Office as usual. AMINA: OK, that's fine. I think I'm all set now! Thanks very much for all your help. BRYSON: A pleasure. See you when I get back. AMINA: Yep. Thanks, Dr Bryson. Bye. BRYSON: Bye.
Homework Practice 1
Amy: Hey, Matt, are you coming out tonight? Matt: I'd love to, Amy, thanks, but I've got too much work. I need to get this psychology assignment in by Thursday. Amy: Oh, what's it on? Matt: Happiness, or specifically, the things that make people happy. Amy: Wow, that's a big area. How are you approaching it? Matt: Well, I've been looking on the Internet to see what various experts have to say on the subject. Amy: Did you find anything interesting? Matt: Well, yes, I did. Amy: Like? Matt: Like, for example, there's a professor at Nottingham University, a guy called Richard Tunney, and he suggests that the more close friends we have, the happier we are. And if you see these friends regularly, go out with them and so on, well, that's even better. Amy: I'd have thought that was fairly obvious. Matt: I guess so. The next one is a bit more interesting, though. Martin Seligman, a professor of psychology at an American university, conducted a happiness experiment with his students. Amy: What did he do? Give everyone huge amounts of cash and then see how much they smiled? That would help, wouldn't it? Matt: Well, perhaps it would. For a short while, anyway. No, what he did was tell half his students to take part in fun activities, like playing video games or going to the cinema, and the other half to do good things. Amy: Good things? Matt: You know, like visiting elderly people at a care home, or some other kind of voluntary work. And it was those students who reported a more lasting feeling of happiness. Amy: That's interesting. Matt: Then there's George Vaillant, a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. He's spent the past 60 years studying people. Amy: So, I guess he probably knows a bit about them. Matt: He certainly does. According to him, the thing that really makes people happy is having something to aim for, you know, a goal in the future. Amy: Right, so I can say 'By the time I'm 30, I'm going to be a millionaire.' and that will make me happy. Matt: Ah, but Vaillant has a warning here. You need to be realistic. It's no good setting yourself impossible goals, because, well Amy: Because you'll only make yourself unhappy trying to achieve them. Matt: Exactly. Amy: So, does anyone mention anything that people normally assume brings happiness? Like a healthy bank account, or an expensive house, something more, er, material? Matt: Funnily enough, those things aren't mentioned much. Here's another interesting one, though. Melanie Hodgson, she's a professor at Westbrook University, claims that people are happier when they're getting ready to go on holiday. Amy: Oh, I love that. Sitting on a beach, relaxing, sightseeing.... Matt: No, not the actual holiday itself, which professor Hodgson says can sometimes be quite stressful ... Amy: That's true, they can. Matt:.. but the things you do leading up to it. Deciding what you're going to take with you, what you're going to see and do, packing your case, that kind of thing. Amy: I get it. Yes, I can see how that would work.
Homework Practice 2
Matt: I've also found one of those personality tests on the Internet. You know, answer these questions to find out how happy you are. Amy: Oh, those. They're a bit of a waste of time, aren't they? I did one on 'How healthy are you?' and the results were completely wrong. Matt: But they're quite good fun though, aren't they? Amy: Well, yes, especially if you do them with friends. I think it's important that you shouldn't take them seriously, though. Matt: That's true. Amy: Anyway, why should I do a test that tells me how happy or healthy or successful l am? I mean, I already know the answers, don't I? So, I'm not likely to get any surprises, like, oh, according to this test I'm happy - I didn't expect that! Matt: OK, I take your point. So what makes you happy? Amy: Oh, I don't know. Spending time with people I know and like, 1 guess. I need people around me. Matt: Me too. But I need time on my own, as well. Amy: That doesn't really bother me. I grew up in a big family, so I'm used to someone always being in the room. If I wanted to be alone, to get away from people, l had to go out for a walk or something. I still do that occasionally. In fact, that's one thing that makes me happy. A long walk in the countryside. And the advantage is that you're getting some exercise too, which is something I don't usually do. Matt: But you go running, don't you? Amy: Sometimes, but only because I feel I have to. Anyway, back to your assignment. You've got all the information you need Matt: Not quite. I need to do a bit more research first. Amy: OK, so you'll be off to the library, then? Matt: I would if I knew I could find something useful, but you know how disorganised it is there. It's impossible to find what you want, especially when it comes to psychology books. Amy: Oh, I know. Matt: No, give me a computer and the Internet any day. Amy: Well, good luck with that. If you get bored and want a break, you know where to find me. Matt: Thanks, but if I don't get this done, I'll be in trouble. Amy: Why don't you email Tony? He did a similar assignment last year, so he might have a few suggestions. Matt: That's a good idea. Have you got his email address? Amy: Sure, give me a moment while I look it up. Matt: Thanks.
Homework Practice 3 (Authentic)
WOMAN: I've been reading your personal statement, Paul. First, let's talk about your work experience in South America. What took you there? Was it to gain more fluency in Spanish? PAUL: Well, as I'm combining Spanish with Latin American studies, my main idea was to find out more about the way people lived there. My spoken Spanish was already pretty good in fact. WOMAN: So you weren't too worried about language barriers? PAUL: No. In fact, I ended up teaching English there, although that wasn't my original choice of work. WOMAN: I see. How did you find out about all this? PAUL: I found an agency that runs all kinds of voluntary projects in South America. WOMAN: What kind of work? PAUL: Well, there were several possibilities. WOMAN: You mean construction? Engineering work? PAUL: Yes, getting involved in building projects was an option. Then there was tourism - taking tourists for walks around the volcanoes - which I actually chose to do, and then there was work with local farmers. WOMAN: But you didn't continue with that project. Why not? PAUL: Because I never really knew whether I'd be needed or not. I'd thought it might be difficult physically, but I was certainly fit enough ... no, I wanted to do something that had more of a proper structure to it, I suppose. I get de-motivated otherwise. WOMAN: What do you think you learned from your experience? It must have been a great opportunity to examine community life. PAUL: Yes, but it was difficult at first to be accepted by the locals. It was a very remote village and some of them were reluctant to speak to me - although they were always interested in my clothes and how much l'd had to pay for them. WOMAN: Well, that's understandable. PAUL: Yes, but things soon improved. What struck me was that when people became more comfortable with me and less suspicious, we really connected with each other in a meaningful way. WOMAN: You made good friends? PAUL: Yes, with two of the families in particular. WOMAN: Good. What about management. Did you have a project manager? PAUL: Yes and he gave me lots of advice and guidance. WOMAN: And was he good at managing too? PAUL: That wasn't his strong point! I think he was often more interested in the academic side of things than filing reports. He was a bit of a dreamer. WOMAN: And did you have a contract? PAUL: I had to stay for a minimum of three months. My parents were surprised when I asked to stay longer - six months in the end. I was so happy there. WOMAN: And did anything on the administration side of things surprise you? What was the food and lodging like? PAUL: Simple ... but there was plenty to eat and I only paid seven dollars a day for that which was amazing really. And they gave me all the equipment I needed ... even a laptop. WOMAN: You didn't expect that then? PAUL: No. WOMAN: Well, I'll look forward to hearing more.
WOMAN: But now let's look at these modules. You'll need to start thinking about which ones you'll definitely want to study. The first one here is Gender Studies in Latin America. PAUL: Mmm … WOMAN: It looks at how gender analysis is reconfiguring civil society in Latin America. Women are increasingly occupying positions in government and in other elected leadership positions in Latin America. I think you'd find it interesting. PAUL: If it was to do with people in the villages rather than those in the public sphere, I would WOMAN: Okay. What about Second Language Acquisition? PAUL: Do you think I'd find that useful? WOMAN: Well, you've had some practical experience in the field, I think it would be PAUL: I hadn't thought about that. I'll put that down as a definite, then. WOMAN: Okay. What about Indigenous Women's Lives? That sounds appropriate. PAUL: I thought so too, but I looked at last year's exam questions and that changed my mind. WOMAN: Don't judge the value of the course on that. Maybe, talk to some other students first and we can talk about it again later. PAUL: Okay. WOMAN: Yes. And lastly, will you sign up for Portuguese lessons? PAUL: My Spanish is good, so would I find that module easy? WOMAN: Not necessarily. Some people find that Spanish interferes with learning Portuguese ... getting the accent right too. It's quite different in a lot of ways. PAUL: Well, I'd much sooner do something else, then. WOMAN: Alright. Now, what we need to do is ...
Lesson 6
Practice 1
Last week, we looked at some of the features of modern houses, and today we're going to turn the clock back and look at traditional house design. I've chosen to start with Samoa, which is part of a group of Polynesian islands in the South Pacific Sea, because the influence of culture and weather on house design is quite clear there.
Um, so let's have a look at, first of all, at the overall design of a traditional Samoan house. Now, these days, houses in Samoa have become more modern and are usually rectangular, but traditional designs were round or sometimes they were oval in shape. Here's a picture. This traditional style is still used - often for guest houses or meeting houses - and most Samoan villages have at least one of these buildings.
As you can see, there are no walls, so the air circulates freely around the house - Samoa is a place that experiences high temperatures ... but the open design of the house also reflects the openness of Samoan society. If the occupants want shelter, there are several blinds made of coconut leaves that can be lowered during rainy or windy weather - or indeed the blinds can also be pulled down if people want some privacy.
The foundations of the house - that's the part beneath the floor - are raised slightly. Um, in the past, the height was linked to the importance of the occupants, which we'll talk about another time. However, the floor of the house was usually covered with river stones. Today, we have a range of methods for balancing the temperature inside a building, but the stones on the floor of a Samoan home are ideal for cooling the building on hot days.
Now, let's have a close look at the roof. This, as you can see in the picture, is dome-shaped and traditionally thatched, or covered with leaves from the sugar cane - that's an established crop in Samoa. This was a job for the women, and it involved twisting the leaves and then fastening them with a thin strip of coconut leaf before fixing them to the roof in several layers.
Now, , and that's done so that the rain falls straight to the ground without moisture going through the leaves and causing leaks or dampness inside the house. Then, you'll notice how high the top of the roof is - this is a way of allowing heat to rise on sunny days and go through the thatching, thereby cooling the house.
So how does the house stay upright? Well, there are a number of evenly spaced posts inside. They, um, they encircle the interior of the building and go up to the roof and support the beams there. They're also buried - er, usually about a metre and a half - in the ground to keep them firm. These posts are produced using local timber from the surrounding forests They're cut by men from the family or village, and the number varies depending on the size and importance of the house.
Now, these posts were a very significant part of Samoan culture and did much more than hold up the roof. When there were meetings, people sat with their back to certain posts depending on their status in society. So there were posts for chiefs according to their status and posts for speakers and so on - and ordinary people sat around the side on mats.
The last area I want to look at today is the attachment of the beams and posts - what you call 'fixing' the construction. Traditionally, no nails or screws were used anywhere in such a building. Instead, coconut fibres were braided into rope to fix the beams and posts together. The old people of the village usually made and plaited the rope. This was a lengthy process - an ordinary house used about 40,000 feet of this rope - and as you can see in this picture, the rope was pulled very tightly and wound round the beams and posts in a complex pattern. And in fact, the process of tying it to the beams so that it was tight and strong enough to keep them together is one of the great architectural achievements of Polynesia.
Practice 2 (Authentic)
So, welcome to your introductory geography lecture. We'll begin with some basics. Firstly, what do we learn by studying geography?
Well, we learn a great deal about all the processes that have affected and that continue to affect the earth's surface. But we learn far more than that, because studying geography also informs us about the different kinds of relationships that develop between a particular environment and the people that live there.
Okay. We like to think of geography as having two main branches. There's the study of the nature of our planet - its physical features, what it actually looks like - and then there's the study of the ways in which we choose to live and of the impact of those on our planet. Our current use of carbon fuels is a good example of that.
But there are more specific study areas to consider too, and we'll be looking at each of these in turn throughout this semester. These include bio-physical geography, by which I mean the study of the natural environment and all its living things. Then there's topography - that looks at the shapes of the land and oceans. There's the study of political geography and social geography too, of course, which is the study of communities of people. We have economic geography - in which we examine all kinds of resources and their use - agriculture, for example. Next comes historical geography - the understanding of how people and their environments and the ways they interact have changed over a period of time - and urban geography, an aspect I'm particularly interested in, which takes as its focus the location of cities, the services that those cities provide, and migration of people to and from such cities. And lastly, we have cartography. That's the art and science of map- making. You'll be doing a lot of that!
So, to summarise before we continue, we now have our key answer... studying this subject is important because without geographical knowledge, we would know very little about our surroundings and we wouldn't be able to identify all the problems that relate to them. So, by definition, we wouldn't be in an informed position to work out how to solve any of them.
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Okay, now for some practicalities. What do geographers actually do? Well, we collect data to begin with! You'll be doing a lot of that on your first field trip! How do we do this? There are several means. We might, for example, conduct a census - count a population in a given area perhaps. We also need images of the earth's surface which we can produce by means of computer-generation technology or with the help of satellite relays. We've come a very long way from the early exploration of the world by sailing ships when geographers only had pens and paper at their disposal.
After we've gathered our information, we must analyse it! We need to look for patterns, most commonly those of causes and consequences. This kind of information helps us to predict and resolve problems that could affect the world we live in.
But we don't keep all this information confidential. We then need to publish our findings so that other people can access it and be informed by it. And one way in which this information can be published is in the form of maps. You'll all have used one at some stage of your life already. Let's consider the benefits of maps from a geographer's perspective.
Maps can be folded and put in a pocket and can provide a great store of reference when they're collected into an atlas. They can depict the physical features of the entire planet if necessary, or, just a small part of it in much greater detail. But there is a drawback. You can't exactly replicate something that is three-dimensional, like our planet, on a flat piece of paper, because paper has only two dimensions, and that means there'll always be a certain degree of distortion on a map. It can't be avoided.
We can also use aerial photographs... pictures taken by cameras at high altitude above the earth. These are great for showing all kinds of geographical features that are not easy to see from the ground. You can easily illustrate areas of diseased trees or how much traffic is on the roads at a given time or information about deep sea beds, for example.
Then there are Landsats. These are satellites that circle the earth and transmit visual information to computers at receiving stations. They circle the earth several times a day and can provide a mass of information - you'll all be familiar with the information they give us about the weather, for example.
So, what we're going to do now is look at a short presentation in which you'll see all these tools …
Homework Practice 1
Good morning, everyone. Today, as part of our 21st century architecture series, I'm going to tell you a bit about a remarkable structure which I'm sure you're all familiar with, the stadium that was built for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
OK, let's start with a few background details. The stadium was designed by Herzog and de Meuron, a firm of architects from Switzerland. They studied Chinese ceramics, er, plates, cups and bowls, to get inspiration. The stadium is actually two structures, which are completely separate from each other. In the middle theres the seating area, which was originally designed for 100,000 spectators, but this had to be reduced to 90,000. Around this area is the frame, which is made of 110,000 tons of steel in horizontal beams and vertical columns. The architects wanted the roof to open and close, but they changed it because it could have been dangerous if there was an earthquake. The big advantage of changing it was that it reduced the cost by several million dollars, although the building still came to an incredible $423 million.
So, what makes this stadium such an amazing building? Let's start with the general impression it creates. For this, the best place to look at it is from a distance. Why from a distance? Well, that's where you'll really get an impression of what it looks like and how big it is. You'll also notice how it really stands out in its surroundings. This is not just because of its size - and it is big - but also because it stands on a low hill which helps make it higher than any other buildings in the area. Then there's its unusual shape, which has helped to give it its nickname of the Bird's Nest. The unusual shape of the stadium also does something else. You see, if you stare at it for long enough, you also get the impression that this structure isn't standing still, that it's moving in different directions, almost like it's a living, breathing creature. This is especially true at night, when the stadium is lit up from inside with lights that continually change colour.
In the stadium, everything changes. There are visitor entrances all around the outside, and as you enter, you get the impression that you're walking into a forest, and not just any forest, but something magical from a children's story. As you cross towards the spectator area, coloured light comes through the clear roof panels, creating strange pools of light and shadow. Now you re no longer in a forest, but on a set that's been built for a fantasy film. It really is a remarkable experience, and it's only once you're inside the spectator area that you finally realise you're in a sports stadium.
Homework Practice 2 (Authentic)
Good afternoon everyone. Well, with some of you about to go out on field work it's timely that in this afternoon's session I'll be sharing some ideas about the reasons why groups of whales and dolphins sometimes swim ashore from the sea right onto the beach and, most often, die in what are known as 'mass strandings'.
Unfortunately, this type of event is a frequent occurrence in some of the locations that you'll be travelling to, where sometimes the tide goes out suddenly, confusing the animals. However, there are many other theories about the causes of mass strandings.
The first is that the behaviour is linked to parasites. It's often found that stranded animals were infested with large numbers of parasites. For instance, a type of worm is commonly found in the ears of dead whales. Since marine animals rely heavily on their hearing to navigate, this type of infestation has the potential to be very harmful.
Another theory is related to toxins, or poisons. These have also been found to contribute to the death of many marine animals. Many toxins, as I'm sure you're aware, originate from plants, or animals. The whale ingests these toxins in its normal feeding behaviour but whether these poisons directly or indirectly lead to stranding and death, seems to depend upon the toxin involved.
In 1988, for example, fourteen humpback whales examined after stranding along the beaches of Cape Cod were found to have been poisoned after eating tuna that contained saxitoxin, the same toxin that can be fatal in humans.
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Alternatively, it has also been suggested that some animals strand accidentally by following their prey ashore in the confusion of the chase. In 1995 David Thurston monitored pilot whales that beached after following squid ashore. However, this idea does not seem to hold true for the majority of mass strandings because examination of the animals' stomach contents reveal that most had not been feeding as they stranded.
There are also some new theories which link strandings to humans. A growing concern is that loud noises in the ocean cause strandings. Noises such as those caused by military exercises are of particular concern and have been pinpointed as the cause of some strandings of late.
One of these, a mass stranding of whales in 2000 in the Bahamas coincided closely with experiments using a new submarine detection system. There were several factors that made this stranding stand out as different from previous strandings. This led researchers to look for a new cause. For one, all the stranded animals were healthy. In addition, the animals were spread out along 38 kilometres of coast, whereas it's more common for the animals to be found in a group when mass strandings occur.
A final theory is related to group behaviour, and suggests that sea mammals cannot distinguish between sick and healthy leaders and will follow sick leaders, even to an inevitable death. This is a particularly interesting theory since the whales that are thought to be most social - the toothed whales - are the group that strand the most frequently.
The theory is also supported by evidence from a dolphin stranding in 1994. Examination of the dead animals revealed that apart from the leader, all the others had been healthy at the time of their death.
Without one consistent theory however it is very hard for us to do anything about this phenomenon except to assist animals where and when we can. Stranding networks have been established around the world to aid in rescuing animals and collecting samples from hose that could not be helped. I recommend John Connor's Marine Mammals Ashore as an excellent starting point if you're interested in finding out more about these networks, or establishing one yourself.