Transcript

Section 1

You will hear a conversation between an assistant librarian and a woman who wants to use

the internet in the library. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.

[20 seconds]

You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only the

conversation relating to this will be played first.

WOMAN: Good morning, I’d like to register to use the internet in the library.

MAN: Do you have a library card?

WOMAN: Yes, I’ve been a member for 6 months but I’ve never used the internet services

before.

The woman already has a library card, so Yes has been written in the space. Now we shall

begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording

a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.

WOMAN: Good morning, I’d like to register to use the internet in the library.

MAN: Do you have a library card?

WOMAN: Yes, I’ve been a member for 6 months but I’ve never used the internet services

before.

MAN: No problem. Can I have your full name please?

WOMAN: Lynda Jayne Milton.

MAN: So, Milton is your surname?

WOMAN: Yes.
MAN: And Linda, L-i-n-d-a?

WOMAN: Well, no, actually it’s L-Y-N-D-A.

MAN: Lynda … Jane.

WOMAN: And, erm, Jane isn’t spelt J-a-n-e either. It’s J-A-Y-N-E.

MAN: Okay, got that …thank you. Now, where do you live, Lynda?

WOMAN: Unit 15, 35 Maximilian Way.

MAN: That’s in Whitfield, right? I have a cousin who lives in that area.

WOMAN: Yes, Whitfield.

MAN: And the postcode is double seven double five?

WOMAN: Not quite – you’ve got it round the wrong way. It’s double five double seven.

MAN: Whoops, okay, moving on now … Do you work or are you at home during the day?

WOMAN: Well, both, actually. I work as a nurse but I’m on permanent night shift.

MAN: Oh, I see. In that case, we won’t put down your home phone number because I’m sure

you don’t want to be disturbed when you’re trying to sleep.

WOMAN: Thanks, I appreciate that – you can always leave a message on my mobile if you

have to contact me. I have it turned off when I’m sleeping, but I regularly check my

voicemail for messages.

MAN: And that number is?

WOMAN: 0412 214 418

MAN: Good. Now I’ll need to see some form of photo ID – have you got something with

you?

WOMAN: Yes, just a minute, here’s my swipe card for the hospital.

MAN: Thank you. I just need to make a note of the number … AZ 1985331

WOMAN: Is that all you need?

moment …

WOMAN: Look – I’m afraid you haven’t copied it down correctly. I was born on the 25th

September, 1975.

MAN: What have I written? Oh yes, I see it now, I’ve got the 25th of the eighth month, but

that would make it August … Thanks for spotting the mistake.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7

to 10.

Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.

MAN: Well, that’s the application form done – now, I wonder if you’d mind taking part in a

survey we’re doing?

WOMAN: That’s fine. What do you want to know?

MAN: Basically, we’re trying to find out why people access the internet. I mean,

what would you be using it for? Social networking, I suppose.

WOMAN: I don’t really think so – I haven’t got the time for something like that. But I do

want to keep in touch with friends and family both here and abroad, so I’d mostly be making

use of my email account.

MAN: I see. A lot of students come in here to do research – is that something that you might

be doing?

WOMAN: I think the internet is a great tool for research but it’s not something that interests

me at the moment.

MAN: What about checking out a new job?

WOMAN: A lot of my friends use the internet for job hunting and they say it’s the best way
to look for a new position – I’m quite settled where I am, though. You can get access to the

other classifieds, can’t you? Trade and exchange, that kind of thing …

MAN: Yes, and I’m told it’s a very popular way of buying and selling these days.

WOMAN: Well, I’ll definitely be using it for that.

MAN: Thanks a lot. Now, do you have any questions?

WOMAN: Is there a charge for the service?

MAN: It used to be free but we’ve decided to set a one-off payment of fifteen dollars for the

initial registration.

WOMAN: Oh, that’s not bad at all. One more thing … is there a time limit for each session,

like half an hour or something?

MAN: Oh, it’s better than that – one 60-minute session per day – quite generous really. But

we’re very strict about it.

WOMAN: I’d rarely spend more than 45 minutes on the internet at any one time so that’ll be

more than enough. Thank you.

Section 2

Presenter: Good morning, everyone. On today’s show, we’ve got Chris Svensson with us, the
author of No more nine to five, the new best-selling book about work–life balance in the
current working world. Good morning, Chris. Thanks for coming. Chris: Thanks for having
me, Anna. Presenter: So, Chris, tell us about your book and how the concept of a work–life
balance has been changing? Chris: Well, in the more traditional workplaces, people’s
working lives and their private lives are, or were, clearly divided. People often work from
nine in the morning until five or six in the evening. People sometimes stay late in the office
and work in the evenings. This is called working overtime. Presenter: OK, and what else?
Chris: Well, in these environments it isn’t common for people to work at the weekend or
while they’re on holiday. They can clearly separate their working lives and their private lives.
And the evenings, weekends and holidays are free to focus on non-work areas of life, such as
hobbies, interests, sports, spending time with the family and friends, and so on. It’s important
and healthy not to spend all your time just working, right? Presenter: Right! So what has
changed? How are things different now? Chris: Well, for a start, most people can now access
their work emails from their mobile phones. So they are more likely to quickly reply to an
important mail in the evening or at the weekend. The same goes for laptops. It’s easier to
access your work in the evenings from home or even from your hotel when you’re on
holiday. Presenter: That doesn’t sound like much of a work–life balance. It sounds like all
work. Chris: Exactly, but this new mobility brings a lot of advantages with it. More people
are now able to work flexibly, so if they need to leave the office early one afternoon to be
with their family, they can catch up on work that evening from home or somewhere else.
Presenter: That sounds good. So, what you’re saying is that although traditional divisions
between work and life are fading, many employees now have more freedom to do their work
from different locations and at different times. Chris: Yes, that’s it.

Section 3
Presenter: So, today's expert teacher is Gabriella, a university English teacher from Leeds.
Gabriella, hi and thanks for joining us today.
Gabriella: Thanks for having me!
Presenter: So, I have to confess today's topic is something I am really bad at: listening. Most
people say speaking is the most stressful part of learning a new language but, for me, with my
B1 German, speaking isn't so bad. At least I'm in control of it. But listening … woah …
people speak so fast and it's like my brain just shuts down. Am I just really strange and bad at
listening? Tell me, honestly, I can take it.
Gabriella: No, you're not strange. In fact, it's really common. You know, in exams most
people do pretty well in speaking compared with listening. Of course, exams are a different
situation from real life because in an exam you can't ask for something to be repeated or
explained. You usually have just one or maybe two opportunities to listen to the dialogue and
then it's gone.
Presenter: Right, but in real life I feel stupid always saying, 'Sorry, can you repeat that,
please?', especially if I still don't understand even when they repeat it. And people out there
listening, I hope you don't do this – quite often the person just repeats what they said equally
as fast and I'm still lost!
Gabriella: They do, don't they? In real life, you've got two strategies. One is to pretend to
understand and get out of the conversation as fast as you can.
Presenter: Yep, sounds familiar!
Gabriella: But, obviously that's not going to help if it's a conversation with high stakes. It
might have important consequences. I mean, if you're just chatting with a stranger at the bus
stop, it doesn't matter. But imagine you're at a government office or a bank, trying to find out
what paperwork you need to get your ID or open a bank account. What can you do then?
Presenter: I hope you've got the answer, Gabriella, because I'm coming out in a cold sweat
just thinking about either of those situations!
Gabriella: The other strategy is to summarise what they said.
Presenter: But how can you do that if you didn't understand what they said?
Gabriella: Ah, well, you only start the summary, so you might say, in German in your
case, 'OK, so the first thing I have to do is …?' and make it a question. Or, for example, 'And
which office is that again?' Break it down into smaller questions and the other person will
naturally start answering them. That way you're controlling the conversation a bit more.
Presenter: I get you ...