British Council TODO

LearnEnglish Professionals
THE RE-DEFINITION OF OLD AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to this interview with 65-year-old Simon Bullough. He retired last year after 15 years employment
with a car manufacturer.
Optional activity:
While you listen, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
Statement
True or False?
1. Simon stopped full-time employment last year.
2. Simon still works occasionally.
3. Simon is on a scheme called phased retirement.
4. The work Simon does is not very flexible.
5. The company uses outside temporary workers too.
6. Simon is able to use his old work contacts to get things done.
7. Simon doesnt need any training.
8. Simon doesnt pay tax on his earnings.
Interviewer: Simon, how does it feel to be retired?

Simon: Well, you know, not so bad ...
Interviewer: How have you been spending your time?
Simon: Like everyone Ive been spending more time with my family, Ive also travelled a bit, you know offseason when every wheres less crowded and hotels cost less ...
Interviewer: Great ...
Simon: You know I havent stopped work completely ...
Interviewer: Yes, could you tell us more about this?
Simon: Im on a scheme thats called phased retirement. I had a 6 months break from work, after that I could
apply for project work with the company I used to work for.
Interviewer: How does the scheme work?
Simon: Well, its a trial at the moment. Instead of hiring temporary staff the company advertises posts on its
website that retired employees like myself can access ..
Interviewer: What sort of works advertised?
Simon: Well, all sorts of things really. Admin work theres lots of that, then theres more specialised work, the
sort of thing I can do. Some of the projects can be long term say for 5 or 6 months, others can just be a couple
of days or weeks. Again the number of hours included in a project can vary. I can decide, more or less, when to
work, you know I manage my own time its great, its very flexible and I do it all from home ...
Interviewer: I can see its good for you. What does your company get out of this?
Simon: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done a temp
brought in from outside doesnt have this knowledge so it takes them longer to get a job done. The company
gets flexibility too. Once the jobs over thats it, Im not on their books any more. No trainings required either, not
yet anyway, so there are savings there too ..
Interviewer: Do you have to commit yourself to a certain number of hours a week?
www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm
The British Council, 2006
The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
THE RE-DEFINITION OF OLD AUDIOSCRIPT
Simon: Not at all. I can do as much or as little as I like ...

Interviewer: How about keeping your skills up to date?
Simon: Ive got access to a lot of online courses, you know, e-learning if Im not sure of something I have a
look there ...
Interviewer: Do you pay tax?
Simon: Sure. The tax situations a bit complicated at the moment with this being a trial but I pay tax on what I
earn, yes, unfortunately ....
Interviewer: And those holidays ...?
Simon: Well you know, I work in the summer when most people are on holiday then its time for my holiday .
Holidays, sure we go to Europe three or four times a year ...
Listening activity answer:

Statement
1. Simon stopped full-time employment last year.
2. Simon still works occasionally.
3. Simon is on a scheme called phased retirement.
4. The work Simon does is not very flexible.
5. The company uses outside temporary workers too.
6. Simon is able to use his old work contacts to get things done.
7. Simon doesnt need any training.
8. Simon doesnt pay tax on his earnings.
True or False?
True
True
True
False
False
True
False
False
LearnEnglishProfessionals
THEAIRBUSAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentopartofatalkabouttheAirbusA380.
Optionalexercise (Theanswersareatthebottomofthepage).
Listenandputthesepointsintheordertheyarementioned.
Subject
a)thecountrieswhichcollaborateinthemanufacturing
b)therangewithoutrefuelling
c)thesize
d)wheretheplaneisputtogether
e)wherethewingsaremade
Order
Everythingaboutthisaeroplaneisenormousthenumbersaretrulymindboggling.Itsoveralllengthis73metres.Thats
aboutaslongastheGreatSphinxinEgypt.Thegianttwodeckfuselagewilltypicallyhave550seats,buthasthepotential
tocarryupto800passengers.Thetail,at21metersfromtheground,isashighasasevenstoreybuilding.The845m2wing
areaisbigenoughtopark70cars.
TheA380canflyastaggering15,000kmwithoutrefuellingandinordertodothat,itneedstocarry310,000litresoffuel,
makingtheplanestakeoffweight560tonnes.Incredibly,though,theA380willactuallybemorefuelefficientthanother,
similarsizedjumbojets.Airbusclaimthattheplanewillburnabout3litresoffuelperpassengerper100km,makingitas
economicaltorunasafamilycar.
ThebuildingoftheA380isaremarkableexampleoftransnationalcooperation.ThefinalassemblylineisinToulousein
France,butthisisonlytheendofanimpressivelycomplicatedprocess.
TheconstructionofeachaircraftistheresultofcollaborationbetweenFrance,Germany,BritainandSpain.Thewings,for
example,arebuiltinEnglandandWales.ThemainsectionsofthefuselageareconstructedinHamburg,Germany.Partsfor
thenoseandthetailareinfactmadeinSpain,andonlyassembledinGermany.EverythingisthenshippedtoFrancetobe
puttogether.
TheA380jigsawgetsevenmorecomplicated,however.AlthoughaEuropeanventure,fewpeoplerealisehowmuchofthe
planeisactuallymadeordesignedoutsidetheEU.Thewings,forexample,werecreatedbydesignersinWichitainthe
UnitedStates.Somewingpanels,thewheels,andmostofthecockpitelectronicsarealsomadeinAmerica.Infact,interms
ofactualcost,almosthalftheaircraftismadeintheUSA.
Answers1c,2b,3d,4a,5e
TheBritishCouncil,2007
TheUnitedKingdomsinternationalorganisationforeducationalopportunitiesandculturalrelations. WeareregisteredinEnglandasacharity.
ALCOHOL ABUSE AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to this extract from a radio interview. The host (Ann) is talking to a local MP (Damian) about the
problem of binge drinking in the UK.
Optional activity:
While you listen, decide which of the following summaries best describes Damians viewpoint.
1. Binge drinking in the UK is a problem because it gives the rest of Europe a very negative impression of
the British.
2. Bing drinking in the UK is a social problem that has existed for a long time and hasnt got any worse
despite an increase in media coverage.
3. Binge drinking in the UK is a problem because it costs the Health Service a lot of money
A: Thanks for coming along to the studio today Damian. We are going to talk about alcohol and more to the
point alcohol abuse what weve come to know as binge drinking.
D: Yes. Thanks for inviting me Ann.
A: We keep hearing about cases of binge drinking in the newspapers, on television, in magazines and on
radio chat show like this one today. But what exactly is binge drinking? What does the term mean? Is there a
difference between binge drinking and just plain old getting drunk?
D: Well, the British Medical Association states that "there is no consensus on the definition of binge drinking. In
the past we used the term 'binge drinking' to an extended period of time a couple of days for example when
a person would continue to drink alcohol to such an extent that he or she would abandon their usual
activities such as work or, in the case of younger drinkers classes. In medical terms we usually agree that
binge drinking refers to the thresholds that we have for holding our drink.
A: But isnt binge drinking all about drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time? And dont we usually think
of young people when we hear the term used? People who shouldnt really be drinking alcohol in the first place?
D: Well you are right about the first point. In common usage probably because of all the recent media
coverage binge drinking has come to mean a heavy bout of drinking in just one evening or a similar time
span. Another factor is the intention.
A: The intention?
D: Yes the fact that binge drinkers actually set out to get drunk. Thats their goal what they are trying to do.
Binge drinkers arent usually solitary drinkers. They drink in groups sometimes very large groups especially
in the case of teenagers. And binge drinkers are getting younger and younger if you believe what you read in
the press.
A: So lets get this clear. Large groups of kids get together with the sole intention of getting drunk?
D: In a nutshell yes.
A: And is binge drinking a particularly British problem? Surely young people drink in other countries too?
D: Yes. You are right. Lots of countries have problems with youngsters drinking. But it does seem as though the
UK is taking a particular interest in the problem lets say that here in Britain we see binge drinking as a
huge social problem. In other countries its perceived as less of a problem.
A: And should we be worried? Is it a problem?
D: Well, that depends. I certainly think so yes! In 2003 the cost of binge drinking was estimated as twenty
billion pounds the figure will have risen considerably since then Im sure. In 2005 the government released
figures from the Health Service that suggested that a million accident and emergency admissions each year are
a direct result of alcohol consumption. And the emergency services report that Friday and Saturday nights they
can hardly cope with the demand for attention.
A: So why are the British so notorious when it comes to binge drinking? Are we worse than other European
countries?
D: The culture of drinking in the UK is very different from other countries like France, Spain or Italy. In most
mainland European countries children grow up seeing alcohol consumed slowly a drop of wine with a meal
the odd beer on a sunny afternoon. In the UK we go out to the pubs and up until recently the pubs all closed at
eleven on the dot. So what happens? Well you drink as fast as you can so that by the time eleven comes
around you arent left feeling like another drink!
A: Do you think we are used to seeing people drunk in Britain? Or do we still get shocked?
D: It depends really. But being drunk isnt socially unacceptable in most European countries whereas in the
UK well, in some social circles quite the reverse is true.
A: Im afraid thats all we have time for ..
Answer key: 3.
ALLERGIES AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoaradiointerviewer(R)talkingtoDrMichaelPeterson(Dr)abouttheriseinthenumberof
peoplesufferingfromallergies.
DecidewhetherthesestatementsareTRUEorFALSEaccordingtothelistening.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Expertsagreethatthereisanincreaseinallkindsofallergies
Breastfeedingcancauseanallergy
Toomuchcleanlinesscanhaveanegativeeffectonourchildren
Someallergieshavebeenproventobegenetic
Thereisanincreaseinintolerancetocertainfoods
Eatinglessprocessedfoodcouldhelpusavoiddevelopinganallergy
R:DrPeterson.Youvejustpublishedanarticleaboutallergiesandthefactthattheyreontherise.
Dr:Yes,thatsright.
R:So.Firstofall,whatkindofallergiesarewetalkingabout?Hayfever?Asthma?
Dr:Allallergiesreally.Anallergyisaphysicalreactiontoasubstance.Thatreactioncanbesneezing,anitching,soreeyes,
feelingsick,arashofsomekindlikeeczemaorbreathingdifficultieslikeasthma.
R:Andareallergiesontherise?
Dr:Ohyes.Absolutely.Theresnodoubtaboutthat.WhenIwasatschooltherewasonlyoneboyintheclasswhohadan
inhaler.Nowthirtyyearslater morethanhalfthekidsinmydaughtersclasshavethem.
R:So,whythegreatincrease?Isitourfault?
Dr:Sometimes,yes.Eitherdirectlyorindirectly.Ourlifestyleshavechangedalot,startingfrombirth.Itsawellknownfact
thatbottlefedbabiesaremorelikelytodevelopallergiesthanbreastfedbabiesyetfewermothersbreastfeedbecause
theysimplydonthavethetimeorbecauseofpracticalities likewantingtosharethefeedingwithapartner.
Thenwhenourchildrenaretoddlerswesmothereverythingindisinfectantanddestroyalltracesofgerms.
R:Butsurelythatsagoodthing?
Dr:No,itsnot.Germsaregood.Toomuchcleanlinessisbad.Thinkbacktowhenwewerechildren.Weusedtomakemud
pies,splashaboutindirtypuddles,putallsortsofthingsintoourmouths
R:Soareyousayingwearentallowingourchildrensimmunesystemstodevelop?
Dr:Yes,thatsexactlywhatImsaying.Ourobsessionswithcleanlinesshavegonetoofar.Weneedtoexposeourchildren
togermssothattheirdefencemechanismshaveachancetodevelopandgetstronger.Iftheyarentexposedtheresa
dangerthattheylldevelopallergiesandfoodintoleranceslateron.
R:Whataboutgenes?Arentsomeallergiesgenetic?
Dr:Yesandno.(laughter)
Dr:Thejuryisstilloutonthatone.Allergyproblemsdoruninthefamilybutwedontunderstandwhy.Scientistshave
identifiedcasesinfamilieswheretheresbeensomekindofgeneticmutationwhichaffectstheimmunesysteminsomeway.
Thismightresultinmembersofafamilybeingmorepronetoallergiesbutnotnecessarilythesameallergies.SoDad
mightbeallergictomilkproductswhileonechildgetshayfeverandanotherdevelopsanallergytosomesortofskincream.
R:Andthisdoesntexplainwhytherehasbeensuchanincreaseinallergiesoverthepasttenyearsorso.
Dr:No.Itdoesnt.
ALLERGIES AUDIOSCRIPT
R:Sowhathaschanged?
Dr:Lifestyles inanutshell:Mobilephoneuse,alltechnologyreally.Stresslevelsareconsiderablyhigherthantheyusedto
be.Wereexposedtomorechemicalsandtoxicsubstances:dieselfumes,pesticides.Onetypeofallergythathasrisen
considerablyisfoodintolerance.Insomeplacesanallergytosoyaisverycommon.Thisisprobablybecausesoyais
presentinsomanyfoodproductsthesedaysandourbodieshaventhadtimetoadjusttothischange.Wedonteatinthe
samewayasweusedto.Seasonalfoodisathingofthepast.Noweverythingisavailableallyearround.
R:So.Tosumup?Whyareallergiesontherise?
Dr:Well,ifweresummingupIllkeepitbrief.Toomuchbottlefeeding,anobsessionwithcleanliness,toofewgermsand
toomanyconveniencefoods,toolittlefreshfruitandvegandanabuseofoutofseasonfoodallyearround,toomany
vaccinationsandaltogetherfartoomuchstress.
R:Dr.Peterson.Thankyouverymuchforcomingtothestudiotoday.IfviewerswouldliketoreadDr.Petersonsreportthey
canwriteinto
Answers:1T,2F,3T,4F,5T,6T
SUCCESSFUL AMATEURS AUDIOSCRIPT
Interview with an internet entrepreneur, Theo Barker, on being a successful amateur.

Optional activity:
While you listen, decide which of the following sentences are true or false.
Sentence
1. Theo began his businesses because he knew it would be a great success
2. Five years ago Theo was studying
3. When asked if he makes a lot of money, Theo implies that he is satisfied with
what he earns.
4. Theo thinks that the organiser of the music festival has the wrong attitude
5. According to Theo a good product is the most important thing.
6. Theo comes from an impoverished background.
True or false?
Q= radio interviewer
A. = Theo Barker
Q. Theo, you have set up a number of successful internet-based businesses over the last five years. You
began working from your university dorm.
A: Yeah...I was just messing about really, at first.
Q. It was for fun?
A. Sure, yeah, exactly. I didnt know five years ago that Id be here today. The thought never crossed my
mind.
Q. Would you still describe yourself as an amateur?
A. Not in the negative sense, obviously, but in the sense that I love what I do, then, yeah.
Q. But you do make money?
A. I cant complain!
Q. Why do you think its the net that has created so many successful amateurs?
A. Well, first of all, Im not sure I agree with you that it has created all the successful amateurs...I mean, there
are lots of other examples of people who love what they do and make money out of it. Im thinking of someone
like Michael Eavis, for example the guy who runs the Glastonbury festival. I dont know how much money he
makes from what he does, but thats not the important thing - most of the year hes a farmer, but each year he
runs this enormous music festival on the site of his farm. Actually, he doesnt even do it every year, sometimes
he just thinks No, cant be bothered this year. (Laughs) You know, I think thats genius. Love that attitude.
Hes only one example, but there are lots of others people who run record labels, or have restuarants, or
make cheese! (laughs).
Q. Do you think its important to love what you do?
A. Yeah, absolutely. There has to be passion for the product.
Q. So its the product thats important?
A. Again yeah get the product right and everything else is simple. The marketing will look after itself. This is
why the net has produced so many successful amateurs the marketing is done by word of mouth so to
speak, people just tell each other about a site thats cool, especially through networking sites like MySpace and
Facebook.
Q. Marketing isnt important?
A. Well, of course it is, Im sure there are marketing amateurs out there too people who love what they do!
But I firmly believe that you cant market a poor product. Thats essential.
Q. Your father was a successful businessman too, and you studied at Cambridge. Does having such a
background help?
A. Im from a wealthy family, yeah, Ive never denied it. That helps, obviously. Its given me time, time above
all is the most important thing, time to experiment and make mistakes and not have to worry too much. But
thats not a key thing in the rise of the amateur.
Q. Are you sure?
A. Yeah, I am. Love not money...thats my motto! (Laughs)
Q. Thanks.
Answer key: 1. F; 2. T; 3. T; 4. F; 5. T; 6. F.
ANALYSING DOCUMENTS AUDIOSCRIPT
A Dutch doctor is being interviewed about his experience of learning and using English.
Interviewer :
When did you begin learning English?
Doctor:
I studied medicine in the Netherlands for eight and a half years and I started learning English in
middle school with German and French. In my work I travel all over the world - well, now Im in China only for a
few weeks but I have travelled with the Red Cross to most countries in the world.
Interviewer :
What is the Dutch approach to teaching English in medical school?
Doctor:
When I was at university all of our teaching was in Dutch but all the textbooks were in English.
At that time, there was a movement going on in Holland to make all the teaching in English. I followed this
movement very strongly because in my profession its important to communicate in English. Most of the
research done in the world is in English too so I need to be able to understand it to evolve.
Interviewer :
What was your initial reaction to dealing with medical journals in English?
Doctor:
It was difficult to read all the time in English and I certainly had a lot to do. I still do today. I think
it was difficult also because I didnt know the terms in Dutch either. I was learning the profession. Although,
because of the volume of reading I had to do, I soon improved my reading skills. I had to find information quickly
but be sure not to miss anything important. This helps me now when I have to do research on the Internet and
separate relevant from irrelevant documents.
Interviewer :
What do you do when confronted with a document that you find difficult to understand?
Doctor:
I've been a doctor for twenty-five years and a surgeon for ten years so I very rarely have
problems with medical documents. However, when I have to read political documents about the country Im in,
which is often the case as I travel to many war zones, I try to understand the gist. So, to do this I look quickly
over the articles and take a few notes as I read.
Interviewer :
get by?
Do you sometimes wish you could read English better for your work or is your level sufficient to
Doctor:
Im never really happy with my level but its enough for my work. I think I have to accept
it. I have application forms to read and fill out in English and these are a little more complicated as they dont
use medical terms.
Interviewer : How do you actively improve your English? If you dont is there a reason? Is your current level
sufficient for your professional needs?
Doctor:
At the moment Im working a lot with Chinese and French people so I am reading a lot in
French but soon I am going to Scotland and there I will read more in English. I find the more I read in a foreign
language the easier it becomes because you start recognising more words. Basically I can manage in English
but I never stop reading so Im always learning.
BAGPIPESAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentothisinterviewwithtwopipersatafestival.
Optionalexercise
Youaregoingtohearsomeplayerstalkingaboutthebagpipes.Whichofthesubjectsbelowdoyouthinkthey
willmention?Thenlistenandseeifyouwereright. (Answersbelow)
a.
b.
c.
d.
thehistoryoftheinstrument
howtheylearnedtoplay
someplayingtips
famousperformers
e.
f.
g.
h.
playinginpublic
howtheykeeptheinstrumentclean
theirowncompositions
unusualfactsaboutthebagpipes
Interviewer WerehereattheInterceltiqueFestivalinBrittany,FranceandImtalkingtotwoasyetlittleknownpipersIria
Salgado(IS),fromGalicia,andfromIreland,RonanDoherty(RD).Sohowdidyougetstarted?
RDTheresbeenmusicinmyfamilyforaslongasIcanremember.IlearntthetinwhistlewhenIwassixandthenaftera
yearmyfatherboughtmemyfirstsetofpipes.Butitwasanunclewhogavemelessons.
ISIwasfivewhenIstarted.Ilearntbyearfrommyfather,imitatinghimlikeitsalwaysbeendone.WhenIwastenhe
startedputtingmeinforcompetitions.
InterviewerWhohavebeenyourmusicalinfluences?
IS Well,Milladoiro,whostarteditall,andCarlosNuezwhoreallyputGalicianmusiconthemap.Butmygreatest
inspirationhasgottobeplayerslikeSusanaSeivaneandCristinaPatoforshowingthatwomencanbeouttherejustas
muchasthemen.
InterviewerRonan?
RDerm,alltheobviousnamesreally,PaddyKeenanfromtheBothyBand,LiamOFlynn,DavySpillane,whoImetrecently,
thoughIdidntgettoplaywithhim.
InterviewerWhatsortofplacesdoyouplay?
RDWellinDublinyourespoiltforchoicethesedays,andIhavefamilyoutinWestport,CountyMayo.Imalwaystherein
theholidayssoIoftengoalongandsitinonsessionsatMolloys.
InterviewerIria,Iknowyouvestartedwritingyouownstuffhowwouldyoucategoriseyourmusic?
ISItsalwaysbasedonthetraditionalrepertoire,butItrytoincorporateotherCelticinfluencesaswell,andthepeopleIplay
witharenolongerjustfrommycornerofEurope.WehaveIrish,CubanandBrazilianguysthatcomeintothegroup,andso
thatgetsreflectedinthemusicIwrite.
InterviewerRonan,whathasbeenyourbestgigsofar?
RDPerformingattheInternationalBagpipeFestivalinStrakonicelastyear,thecrackwasamazing1 andthechancetoget
togetherwithguysfromothertraditionsCzechs,Bretonpipers,Bulgarianssomeincrediblesoundsreally.
InterviewerIria,whatadvicewouldyougivetootherwomenwantingtotakeupthepipes?
ISNowisdefinitelythetime theresawholenewgenerationcomingthrough.Eventhoughwomenpipersarestilla
minority,theresmuchmoreacceptancethantherewas.NearlyhalfthebagpipestudentsinGalicianowaregirls.
Interviewer Wherecanwehearyouplayingnext?Haveyougotmanygigslinedup?
RDImdoingaseriesofdateswiththebandinthewestofIreland,andthengoingovertoHollandandGermanynext
March.
ISIvegotafewconcertsinGalicianextmonthandthenIllbeinZamorainSpainforaweek.
InterviewerGreat.Thanksverymuch.Andtoplayusoutyouregoingtodoatraditionalmuineirafollowedbyareel.
1thecrackwasamazingisanIrish/Scottishexpressionmeaningwehadaverygoodtime
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Answers: b,d,e,g
SPOTLIGHTONBRAZILAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoaninterviewonSustainableCitiesaboutCuritibainBrazil.
Putthesepointsintheordertheyarementioned.
Subject
Cyclepaths
Freeeducationalcentres
Transportsystem
Pedestrianareas
Publicparticipation
Treeplanting
Housebuilding
Order
Presenter:ThisweekseditionofSustainableCitiesgoestoBrazil.HeresourcorrespondentSergioNascimentototellus
aboutaplacethatfoundadifferentwaytomeetsomeofthechallengesofmodernlifewaybackinthe1970s.
Correspondent:Hello.Ivecometosomewherethathascollectednumerousawardsforitsinnovativeapproachtourban
livingCuritiba.
Presenter:Manygovernmentsareonlynowputtingpeoplebackattheheartofcitycentreplanning.Curitibaconvinced
peopletostoprelyingontheircarsseveraldecadesago.Howdidtheydoit,Sergio?
Correspondent: Well,itstartedwithaninspiredandfarsightedMayor,whowithafewcolleaguescreatedwhatmustbe
oneofthefastestpedestrianisationschemesinhistory.Overthecourseofaweekendtheyblockedoffsomeofthecity
centrestreetsandstartedplantingflowerswiththehelpoflocalchildren.Thisovercametheoppositionoftheshopkeepers
whothoughttheirbusinesseswouldsuffertheysoonsawthecentrecouldbringinfarmorecustomersthantheydhad
before.Popularsupportforamorepeoplefriendlycitygrewfromthere.
Presenter:ThecityitselfhasgrownconsiderablysincethosedaysIbelieve.
Correspondent:Itsupportsapopulationofmorethantwoandahalfmillionpeopletoday,anditsharestheproblemsof
manydevelopingurbanareasinSouthAmericaimmigrationfromthecountryside,thepressureforhousingandsoon.Yetit
hasfoundsomeveryoriginalsolutions.Forexample,insteadofputtingpeopleintoanonymoushousingprojects,ithelped
themtobuildtheirownhomes.
Presenter:Really!
Correspondent:Byrecognisingthatmanypeoplealreadyhadtheskillsneededforconstructionwork,itgavethemsupport
intheformofmaterialsandadvicefromarchitectsandthenletthemgetonwiththejob.Thatway,peoplehaveareal
investmentinwheretheylive,andreallywanttolookaftertheplaceonceitsbuilt.
Presenter:Isittruethatthecityhasoneofthemostextensiveandefficienttransportsystemsanywhereintheworld?
Correspondent:Thatsright.Theresawholenetworkofdifferenttypesofbusesthatrunintoandaroundthecityintheir
owndedicatedbuslanes.Itscoordinatedbythecitycouncil,butprivatelyfinanced.Theymanagedtogettransport
companiestoprovidesuchacomprehensiveservicebypayingthemforthenumberofkilometrestheycover,notthe
numberofpassengerstheycarry.Therearebuseseveryminuteintherushhoursothesystemcancarrysomethinglike2
millionpeoplethatsmorethaninNewYork.
Presenter:Andtheyconnecteverywheretoeverywhereelse
Correspondent:neighbourhoodstoworkplacestohospitalstotouristattractions.Nearly70%ofalljourneysarebybus.
Thewholesystempaysforitself,anditsbeendevelopedlargelyontheexistingstreetswithoutknockingdownbuildings,so
thecharacteroftheneighbourhoodsismaintained.
SPOTLIGHTONBRAZILAUDIOSCRIPT
Presenter:Havetheyforgottenaboutcyclists?
Correspondent:No,theresanetworkofabout150kmofcyclepathsaroundthecity.Andparalleltothetransportsystems
theyvedevelopedanetworkofFarisdeSaberorLighthousesofKnowledge.
Presenter: Whatarethey?
Correspondent:Theyrefreeeducationalcentresplacedaroundthecity,whichhavelibraries,Internetaccess,andother
culturalresources.Peoplecangethelpwithjobtraining,socialwelfareandaccesstoeducationalprograms.Anotherthing
theyrekeenonarethetreeplantinginitiativesandthedevelopmentofgreenspaces.Theyevenusesheeptokeepthe
grassdown!Itismuchcheaperandithelpsregeneratethesoil.
Presenter:Andthesecrettoallthisisplanning?
Correspondent:Itsnotonlyplanning,itsinvolvinglocalpeopleindecisionmakingfromthestart.Publicparticipationhas
ensuredthatthesystemhascontinued,eventhoughthemanwhostarteditallisnolongerMayor.
Presenter:Fascinating.Nowtellusabouttherecyclingprogrammes,Sergio
Answers
Cyclepaths
Freeeducationalcentres
Transportsystem
Pedestrianareas
Publicparticipation
Treeplanting
Housebuilding
4
5
3
1
7
6
2
BUSINESS AND ETHICS AUDIOSCRIPT
Extract from a lecture about ethical business principles

Lecturer:
Today Im going to talk about business and ethics. First Ill look at what is meant by business
ethics. Then Ill examine the kind of ethical considerations companies need to address, how they can go about
doing business in a more ethical way, and look at some examples of ethical business practices.
So what are business ethics and why are they seen as important in todays business climate? Business ethics
relate to how a company conducts its business in order to make a profit. Although the primary goal of the
company may be to make money, it also recognises that it has a responsibility towards the society in which it
operates. The term Corporate Social Responsibility is often used, and nowadays many companies have strong
corporate social responsibility programmes designed to help create a prosperous, inclusive society.
Now Ill look at some basic ethical considerations that a company needs to address. The first area is how the
company treats its employees. All employees should be treated fairly, and with respect. A company that cares
for its workers welfare will tend to have a happier workforce and a lower turnover of staff. It is also important
that workers are recruited on a basis of equal opportunity.
The second area is how a company conducts its day-to-day business. In a manufacturing business, this
includes how suppliers of raw materials are chosen and treated. A good example of this is the Fair Trade
movement. This initiative ensures that small-scale farmers are paid directly and at a fair price for their crops. A
company should also look at its policy on paying suppliers, and ensure that payments are made on time.
Another ethical consideration is the impact the business has on the environment. Manufacturing companies
should strive to ensure that production is clean and careful, and look for ways to minimise energy consumption
and waste products.
Finally, a company can also decide to give something back to the community it operates in. This can be in the
form of corporate giving programmes, where donations are given to community projects, or by initiating
schemes to improve the local community and encouraging employees to work on these schemes.
THE BUSINESS ANGEL AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a Business Angel being interviewed on a radio programme.

While listening, and before looking at the audioscript, try the following multiple choice activity.
Choose the best answer, a, b or c according to the interview. The answer to this activity is after the
audioscript.
1. What is a business angel?
a) Someone who works for a charity.
b) Someone who sets up a new business.
c) Someone who invests in new and small businesses.
2. How does an investment from a business angel differ from a bank loan?
a) A business angel doesnt charge interest.
b) A business angel will never take a risk.
c) A business angel only lends small amounts of money.
3. What kind of return does Mark usually expect to get on an investment?
a) Five per cent.
b) About fifty or sixty per cent.
c) About ten times the amount invested.
4. How do business angels find businesses to invest in?
a) By contacting business owners.
b) By looking on the internet.
c) By attending presentations by business owners.
5. What factors help Mark decide who to invest in?
a) Bank statements and other financial records.
b) The type of product and the personal characteristics of the owners.
c) The availability of a similar product on the market.
6. For every ten investments, how many usually make a lot of money for Mark?
a) Two.
b) Three or four.
c) Ten.
7. Does Mark like to have any involvement in companies hes invested in?
a) Yes, he likes to have direct involvement.
b) Yes, but only by giving advice.
c) No, he prefers to wait and see what happened to his money.
Presenter:
Welcome to this weeks programme. I have with me in the studio Mark Fletcher, a business
angel. Mark, can you explain what a business angel is.
Mark:
Yes, well it sounds like someone who is altruistic, but in fact a business angel expects to make a
good return on their money. We usually invest in start-ups and small business looking to expand. When the
company does well we expect our capital back with a substantial return.
Sometimes we group together to make a syndicated deal.
Presenter:
How do these investments differ from bank loans?
Mark:
In my case I like to lend between ten and a hundred thousand pounds to a business. I dont
charge interest, so Im taking a risk with my money. But within five years I expect to get a good return on this
investment about fifty or 60 percent.
Presenter:
How do you get your money back?
Mark:
The company either raises money by floating on the stock market, or is sold. I will have an
agreement with the owners as to how much of the money raised goes to me.
Presenter:
How do you find a company to invest in?
Mark:
I belong to a network of business angels, and business owners contact us to find an investor.
Typically, they give a presentation to a group of prospective investors, and if anyone likes what they see, they
put money into the business.
Presenter:
How do you decide who to invest in?
Mark:
I go very much by gut feeling. Of course I need to see business plans, but if I think the company
is producing something that theres a market for, and if I think the owners have the drive and ambition to do well,
then Ill put my money in.
Presenter:
Are all the businesses you invest in successful?
Mark:
(laughs) No, of course not. If I invest in ten companies, I expect three or four to go bust, two or
three to do OK and a couple to be really good. Those are the ones I make my money on. Earlier this year I got
back ten times the amount Id invested in one company. This makes up for the investments where I make a
complete loss.
Presenter:
company?
And once youve invested your money, is that it or do you have any further involvement in the
Mark:
Im very much a hands-on investor. Before I became a business angel I ran several successful
businesses which I then sold on, so Ive got plenty of experience and I like to help companies develop and
expand. Sometimes Ill expect to become a director of the company. Other times I concentrate on giving
financial advice. The great advantage is that I can see what is happening to my money.
Presenter:
Thanks very much, Mark. Now if anyone is interested in contacting a business angel, you can
find out more on our website. (fade out)
Answer to the listening activity

1. What is a business angel?
c. Someone who invests in new and small businesses.
2. How does an investment from a business angel differ from a bank loan?
a. A business angel doesnt charge interest.
3. What kind of return does Mark usually expect to get on an investment?
b. About fifty or sixty per cent.
4. How do business angels find businesses to invest in?
c. By attending presentations by business owners.
5. What factors help Mark decide who to invest in?
b. The type of product and the personal characteristics of the owners.
6. For every ten investments, how many usually make a lot of money for Mark?
a. Two.
7. Does Mark like to have any involvement in companies hes invested in?
a. Yes, he likes to have direct involvement.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to Sue talking to her line manager Bob about the way she and her team works.
Optional listening activity:
After listening, read these reports on Bob as a line manager. Which report best describes Bob?
Report A
Bob takes great interest in his team. He encourages them to attend training courses, in short he encourages his
team members to be lifelong learners. He shares company strategy with employees and asks for their
comments on this strategy. He has a wide vision across the organisation, again he shares this knowledge with
his team members. Bob regularly holds full team meetings.
Report B
Bob is liked and respected by his team. He encourages lifelong learning amongst team members. He needs to
do more to encourage team learning. Bob is great at one to one interviews, he is rather afraid of full team
meetings and avoids these at all costs. Bob shares some information but he should try to share all company
information with his team.
Bob: Hi Sue, how are things?

Sue: Fine, yeah ..
B: OK, now, about the change in your work routine, youre going to work Saturdays from next month ...
S: Yes, but why should I have to work on Saturdays .. no-ones told me why this is necessary ..
B: Im sorry, this should have been explained to you. We get a lot of people calling now on Saturdays for
information about our products its important that we answer these questions. Is that OK? Any more
questions?
S: No, OK ...
B: Great, well hows your course coming along? Youre learning how to make websites ...
S: The course is great, its not that difficult, Im helping my son make a website at home, its fun ...
B: Great, youll be able to work on our site soon then ...
S: Sure, whats happening in the other departments, is someone there working on Saturdays too?
B: Im afraid I cant tell you that at the moment, because theyre different departments I cant say really ...
S: Hmmm... Are there any other courses I can take after the website designer course finishes?
B: There are one or two that could be useful lets talk again about this once youve finished the web course ...
S: OK .. You know Bob, Id like to ask you something, its good that you take the time to talk to me about my
work and things but dont you think its be a good idea to talk things through together, you know have a meeting
with everyone in our department, see what everybody thinks all together ... if we talk things through together I
think we could come up with some great ideas on how to improve things here ...
B: I agree Sue, it would be good for everyone to meet together, especially now that weve got so many changes
coming along. You know the problem is that we havent got a room big enough for us all to meet together ..
Answer key:
The most suitable report for Bob is: Report B
CHAOS THEORY AUDIOSCRIPT
The economist Asha Badlani describes how chaos theory influences her work
Interviewer = I
Asha Badlani = A
I:
Asha, chaos theory seems to be a branch of physics or mathematics. Youre an economist, so how
does it influence your line of work?
A:
Well, in a number of ways. Im responsible for financial development programmes in many parts of the
world, so forecasting long range trends and making predictions on the basis of present evidence is what I do.
Chaos theory was developed by scientists trying to explain the movement of the planets and changes in
environmental conditions. Both of these things are also about making long term predictions on the basis of
present evidence.
I:
Are many economists involved in this field?
A:
An increasing number. In the 1990s a lot of economists began to look at chaos theory as a way of
providing models for forecasting.
I:
What kind of models are we talking about here?
A:
Well, thats a good question, because of course the basic idea of chaos theory is that there arent any
models as such there arent guaranteed forms, but rather patterns of change and development.
I:
Doesnt that mean that forecasting is impossible?
A:
No, but it certainly makes it more of a challenge. Mandelbrot, who did the experiment with stock
exchange prices, for example, noted that although the outcomes were variable, there were in fact certain
constants. What we have to do is make sure we know what these are and take into account all the possible
variables.
I:
But do economics and finance work in the same way as weather conditions or the movement of plants?
A:
Well, no, of course not but there are certain underlying similarities. In the past, people thought of
these things as linear systems, now we know theyre not.
I:
What do you mean by linear system?
A:
Well, for example, in a classic linear system, if I do a, then I know that b will happen and c will occur as
a result of this, and so on. But according to chaos theory, a number of variables can change what will happen
between a and b, and then between b and c.
I:
Sounds complicated!
A:
Yes, well, it is complicated, theres no escaping that! However, a lot of what chaos theory teaches us is
simply about accepting uncertainty. We have to accept uncertainty. We cant guarantee that things will turn
out as we planned them when working with complex, non-linear systems - nor sometimes with simple systems!
CINEMAANDPOLITICSAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentopartofalectureaboutcinemaandpolitics.
Optionalexercise
ListenanddecideifthesestatementsareTrueorFalse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Thelecturerdefinespoliticalfilmsasfilmsmadeaboutpoliticians.
HotelRwandamadepeopleawareofwhatwashappeninginRwanda.
Veryfewpoliticalfilmsweremadeinthe1970s.
Inthe1940sand1950sAmericanfilmstudioscompletelyavoidedshowingsocialproblems.
ThelecturermentionstwofilmsbyRichardAttenborough.
ThefilmMalcolmXcameoutinthe2000s.
(Answersbelow)
Youmayhaveheardrecentlyaboutwhatisbeingcalledthereturnofpoliticalcinema,followingrecentreleases
suchasMunichandTheConstantGardener.SotodayImgoingtolookatwhatpoliticalcinemais,andalittle
overviewofthehistoryofpoliticalfilmmakinginHollywood.
Firstofall,whatdoImeanbypoliticalcinema,orpoliticalfilms?Tome,thetermsrefertofilmsthatmake
peopleawareofpoliticalorsocialsituations.Togivearecentexample,thefilmHotelRwandacausedmany
peopletakenoticeofthepoliticalsituationinRwandaforperhapsthefirsttime.Thedramaticimageryoffilm
canoftenbefarmorepowerfulthannewsreports.
Formany,theheydayofpoliticalfilmmakingwasthe1970s.Watergate,theVietnamWar,andmainstream
actorswithsocialconsciencessuchasJaneFonda,RobertRedfordandWarrenBeatty,madeforanumberof
politicalfilms.ThinkofAllthePresidentsMen,whichdetailedthescaleofcorruptioninWatergate,or
ApocalypseNow,whichgraphicallyportrayedthehorroroftheVietnamWar.
Politicalfilmmakingdidntstartintheseventies,though.Backinthe1940sand50sHollywoodproducedfilms
detailingsocialproblemssuchasunemploymentandalcoholism.In1967GuessWhosComingtoDinner,a
comedyaboutawhitecouplewhosedaughterbringshomeablackfianc,coveredwhatwasthenprettymuch
ataboosubject,thatofinterracialrelationships.
AsIsaid,theseventiessawasuddenincreaseinpoliticalfilms,whichcarriedontosomeextentintothe
eighties,withthereleaseoffilmssuchasGandhi,whichwoneightOscars,andCryFreedom,another
Attenboroughfilm,thistimeaboutSteveBiko,aSouthAfricanactivistwhodiedinpolicecustody.
Theninetiesisnotgenerallyseenasagooddecadeforpoliticalcinema. SchindlersList,Spielbergspowerful
filmabouttheholocaust,standsout,asdoesMalcolmX,abiographyoftheblackAmericanactivist.Which
bringsustothepresentdecade,andthesocalledrevival(fadeout)
Answers: 1F,2T,3F,4F,5T,6F
CITYPOPULATIONAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentothisexcerptfromaradioprogrammeaboutlivinginabigcity.
Optionalactivity: Whileyoulisten,decidewhetherthefollowingsentencesaretrueorfalse.
Sentence
Trueorfalse?
1. SueShawisanexpertonhowtoprotecttheenvironment.
2. MasakoItolivesinTokyo.
3. TodaytheTokyoBayAreahasapopulationof18million.
4. NewroadshavesolvedTokyostransportproblems.
5. Therearehighchargesforcarstousethecitysexpressways.
6. Travelbycarisfasterthantravelbyrail.
7. Tokyostransportinfrastructureisausefulmodelfordevelopingcountries.
8. Citiesindevelopingcountriesshouldnotrelyoncarstosolvetheirtransport
problems.
Presenter:HelloandwelcometoVisionsoftheFuture.Thisweekwerediscussingthegrowthofcitiesinthetwentyfirst
century.InthestudiowehavetheenvironmentalistSueShawandMasakoItoanurbanplannerbasedinTokyo.Forthefirst
timeinhumanhistorymorepeoplenowliveincitiesthaninthaninthecountryside.TodayTokyoistheworldslargest
conurbation.ThecombinedcitiesoftheTokyoBayAreanowhaveapopulationof28million.Masako,howhasTokyo
solvedtheproblemoftransport?
Masako:Well,manyTokyoresidentswouldsaythatthecitystransportproblemshavenotbeensolved...,Tokyoisdifferent
frommostcitiesindevelopingcountriesbecauseithasmany,manysuburbanrailwaylines.Theselinesbringcommutersto
theYamamoteline,thecircularlinearoundthecitycentre,andtothecitys12subwaylines.
Presenter:Railtravelseemstobetheanswer...
Masako:Yes,itisreally.Inadditionthereareexpensivetollsonthecitysurbanexpressways,traintravelisoneandahalf
timesfasterthantravelbycarandcitycentreparkingisveryexpensive.
Presenter:SoTokyoitesdontusecarsthatmuch...
Masako:Wellyouknow,beforeyoucanbuyacarinTokyoyoumustprovethatyouhaveaplacetoparkit,parkingspaces
cancostasmuchasapartmentstorent...NewroadsarebuiltinTokyobutpriorityisgiventonewtrainlines..
Presenter:SothetrainiskinginTokyo,Sue,anythingtoadd?
Sue:Tokyoisagoodmodelforourfuturemegacitiestoaspireto,but,andthisisabigbut,Japanisawealthycountryand
mostoftherailsystemwaspresentbeforeTokyodevelopedorwasbuiltasthecitygrew.Mostofournewmegacitieswill
beinAsiaandAfricawheretheresourcestodevelopatransportinfrastructuresimilartoTokyosjustarentpresent.
Presenter:Whatcanthesecitiesdo?
Sue:Theymustdoalltheycantostopthecarfrombecomingthemainmeansoftransport.Carsbringpollutionandthe
constructionofnewroadscandestroythefabricofacityastheydividecommunitiesandleadtothebuildingofnewtypesof
housingusuallyhighapartmentblocks..
Presenter:So?...
Sue:Integratedtransportsystemsthattakeintoconsiderationlocalfactorsaretheanswer.TakeCalcuttaforexample.
Therehandpulledrickshawsarebeingincludedintheplansforthetransportsystem,alongsidebusesandtrams.Bangkok
andManilahavebuiltoverheadrailsystems.Thesearecheaperandquickertobuildthanexpensiveundergroundsubway
lines.
Presenter:Soforthefuturemegacitiesthemessageisforgetaboutcars..
Sue:Mostdefinitely..
Masako:Idagreewiththattoo
Answerkey:
1.T2.T3.F4.F5.T6.F7.F8.T.
The UnitedKingdomsinternationalorganisationforeducationalopportunitiesandculturalrelations. WeareregisteredinEnglandasacharity.
CLIMATECHANGEAUDIOSCRIPT
Aradiotalkaboutclimatechange.
Optionalexercise
Readthesenotesthatastudenthastakenwhilelisteningtotheradioprogramme.Identifyandcorrectthreeerrors.
(Answersbelow)
1. GreenhouseEffect:ThesunheatstheEarthwhichsendsenergyintoSpace.Radiationstaysinthe
atmosphere.ItwarmstheatmosphereandtheEarth.
2. MethaneandcommercialoilandgasfromlandfillscausedamagetotheEarthssurface.
3. Burningfossilfuelshasmadetheproblembigger.
4. Theformationofnewoceanscouldslowdownglobalwarming.
5. Globalwarmingwillcauseworldwideproblemssimultaneously.
Interviewer
means?
DoctorGrant,couldyouexplaininafewwordswhatTheGreenhouseEffectactually
DoctorGrant
Well,insimpleterms...thesunheatstheEarthssurfaceandtheEarthradiatesenergybackoutinto
Space.Someoftheradiationgetstrappedintheatmospherebygreenhousegases.Thistrappedradiationwarmsthe
atmosphereandsomeofitgoesbackdowntotheEarth,makingithotterthannormal.Thisisthegreenhouseeffect.
Interviewer
So,iscarbondioxidetheproblem?
DoctorGrant
Yes...andothergasestoo.Methane...beingreleasedfrompaddyfileds....commercialoilandgasfrom
landfills...vegetationlefttorotwithoutoxygen... Thesedaystherearemoregreenhousegasesthaneverbecauseof
humanactivitiesandespeciallytheburningoffossilfuels.
Interviewer
Whatkindofproblemsdoscientistsforesee?
DoctorGrant
Well,icecapsmeltingandsealevelsrisingmeanthateventuallycitieslikeLondon,NewYork,Sydney
andTokyowillbesubmerged.Thisisdifficulttoimagineofcourse.
Interviewer
Itseemsincredible...nowonderscientistsareworried.
DoctorGrant
Well,somescientistsareoptimistic.Theybelievethatpositivefeedbacksfromicecloudsandtheirwater
vapourcouldhaveanimpactonglobalwarming.Otherscientistsaremoresceptical.Theysuspectthatwehavebeenwrong
inourinitialanalysesofthesituationandmightneedtogobacktothedrawingboard!
Interviewer
SoareyousayingthatsomescientistsdontbelieveintheGreenhouseEffect?
DoctorGrant
No,Iwouldntgothatfar.Infact,withouttheGreenhouseEffecttheplanetwouldbefrozenandnolife
formswouldexist.
Interviewer
Isthereanythingthatcouldprotectusfromglobalwarming?
DoctorGrant
Imgladyouaskedmethat.Yes!Volcanoes!Whenavolcanoeruptsitthrowsdebrisupintothe
stratosphere.ThisprotectstheEarthfromsolarenergybyscatteringthesunlight.
Interviewer
Ofcoursethebestthingthatwecandoistoaddresstheproblemseriouslyonaworldlevel.Thatswhere
theKyotoTreatyentersthepicture.Ifallofthegovernmentsintheworldwouldcommitthemselvestomakingarealeffortto
worktogetheronthisissue,wemightbeabletoslowdowntheprocessandworkoutasolution.
DoctorGrant
So...howworrieddoweneedtobe?
Interviewer
Thatdepends.Firstofallglobalwarmingisntgoingtoaffectallareasoftheplanettothesamedegree.
Thingslikethecollapseofglacierstakehundredsofyearssowearetalkingaboutaslowprocesshere.
DoctorGrant
Slowenoughforustodosomethingtopreventacatastrophe?
Interviewer
Well...letshopeso!
Answers
1.Correct2.Incorrect:Methaneandcommercialoilandgasfromlandfillscausedamagetotheatmosphere. 3.Correct
4.Incorrect:Theformationoficecloudscouldslowdownglobalwarming. 5.Incorrect:Globalwarmingisntgoingtoaffectallareasofthe
planettothesamedegree.
CREATIVITYATWORKAUDIOSCRIPT
Aradiointerviewaboutcreativityinbusiness.
Optionalexercise Listenanddecidewhetherthesesentencesaretrueorfalse.(Answersatend)
1. Readingagoodbookcananimateyourcreativity.
2. ArtandBusinessareworkingaloneontheproject.
3. Whenbusinessmenwereaskedtonameabookwhichhadinfluencedthem,lessthanhalfchoseanon
fictionbook.
4. Creativeprocessesoccurintherightsideofthebrain.
5. Whenweanalysetherelationshipbetweencharactersinabook,wearetrainingourselvesto
understandemotionalmatters.
6. Marks&Spencerorganisesseparatereadinggroupsformanagersandemployees.
Presenter:Art&Businessisanorganisationthatdevelopscreativepartnershipsbetweenbusinessandthearts.Peter
Jonesisgoingtotalkaboutthecompanysideasandtellusaboutsomeoftheirsuccessstories.Peter,maybeyoucould
beginbytellingourlistenerswhyArt&Businesswascreated?
PeterJones:Well,inthetwentyfirstcenturyproductivityisnolongeramatterofmachines.Thesuccessofacompany
dependsonitspeopleandonthecreativityofitspeople.Itmakessensethatthewaytoincreaseproductivityistostimulate
creativity.
Presenter:Andwhatbetterwaytostimulatecreativitythanthroughreadingbooks.
PeterJones:Exactly.Everyreaderknowsthatagoodbookcanstimulatetheimaginationandtheintellect,getyouthinking
alonglinesyoumightnothavethoughtofbefore,openupnewworlds.
Presenter:So,haveyouhadanyhelpinsettinguptheproject?
PeterJones:Yes.TheLondonLibrariesAgencyandanorganisationcalledTheReadingPartnershipworkwithusonthis
project. Wearetryingtousethepowerofthewrittenwordtomotivatestaffintheworkplace.
Inarecentsurveysevenhundredbusinessleaderswereaskedwhichbookhadinspiredthemandhadapositiveinfluence
ontheircareer.Theywereabletochooseanykindofbook,anykindatall.Onlyabout40%choseabusinessbook.Most
peoplechoseaworkof fictionanovel,aplayorevenpoetry.
Presenter:Howcanreadinghelpsomebodytobecomeamorecreativeworker?
PeterJones:Successfulmanagersneedtobewellroundedpeople.Theyneedactiveimaginations.Whentheyinterpret
fictionalscenarios,theyareusingtheircreativity.Readerscombineimaginativeskillswithcriticalandanalyticalskills.
Presenter:Arewetalkingabouttherightandleftsidesofthebrain?
PeterJones:Yes.Ourlogicalleftsideofthebraininterpretsthelanguageofabook.Thecreativerightsidelooksatthe
formsofexpression.Theleftsideanalysestheplotwhiletherightsideismoreinterestedintherelationshipsbetween
characterstheemotionalaspects.
Presenter:HowdoesthistransfertotheworldofBusiness?
PeterJones.Creativeideasmakebusinessesmorecompetitive.Sharedreadingexperiencesimprovecommunicationand
moraleatwork.
Presenter.Canyougivelistenerssomeexamplesofhowthisschemehasbeenbroughtsuccessfullyintothe
workplace?
PeterJones.EmployeesatWHSmithhavestuckpoemsandquotationsabovetheirdesksforinspiration.
Presenter:Well,WHSmithdealsinbooks.Whataboutotherexamples?
PeterJones:ThetelecommunicationscompanyOrangesetupaprojectcalledTalkBooksatWork.Theydiscoveredthat
encouragingemployeestoreadhelpedthemtodeveloptheirlinguisticandinterpersonalskills.
MarksandSpencerhassetupreadinggroupsatwork.Thegroupscutacrosstheusualhierarchiesandworking
relationshipshaveimprovedgreatly.
Answers:1T2F3F4T5T6F
CRIME AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentothisinterviewwithacouplewhohavebeenthevictimsofrepeatedcrimeandapoliceofficer.
ArethefollowingstatementsTrueorFalseaccordingtotheinterview?
1. TheSaundershavebeenburgledeighttimes.
2. Theyboughtthehouseforitsviews.
3. Theythoughttheymighthaveproblemswhentheyboughtthehouse.
4. Theythinktheyknowwhotheburglarsare.
5. Theburglarshaven'tstolenanythingvaluablefromtheSaunders.
6. Theydonotlockthedoor.
7. TheCrimePreventionOfficerdoesn'tthinkthereisanythingtheycandotostoptheburglars.
8. TheSaundersdonothaveaburglaralarm.
9. TheCrimePreventionOfficerthinksit'salwaysthesameburglarswhobreakintotheSaunders'house.
10. Burglarsliketostealthingswhichhavebeenboughtrecently.
Interviewer:Goodafternoon.TodayonCrimeCheckwearegoingtotalkabout"repeatvictims",peoplewho
arevictimsofcrimemorethanonce.FirstofallwebringyouthesadstoryofRuthandHaroldSaundersfrom
Hull,whohavehadtheirhouseburglednofewerthaneighttimesinthelast3years.Worthanentryinthe
GuinnessBookofRecordsyoumightthink,butforRuthandHarold,it'snojoke.Ruth,whydoyouthinkyou've
beenburgledsomanytimes?
Ruth:IwishIknew.It'sanightmare.Weboughtthishousebecauseitlooksoutontotheplayingfieldsandwe
thoughtitwastheperfecthouseforourretirement.
Interviewer:Whenwereyoufirstburgled?
Ruth:Oh,threeyearsago,justaweekafterwehadmovedin.Itwasasiftheburglarswerewaitingforus.
Interviewer:Doyoufeelsorrythatyoumovedtherenow?
Ruth:Ohdefinitely.Ifwehadknownweweregoingtohavethissortoftrouble,wewouldn'tbelivingherewe
wouldchosensomewheresafer.Butnowwecan'tevensellthehousebecauseeveryoneknowstheburglars
likeit!Noonewillbuyit.Wecan'tescapefromthisneighbourhood.We'rejustwaitingforthenextbreakin.
Interviewer:Doyouknowwhotheburglarsare?
Ruth:Wethinkso,butwecanneverproveanything.Yousee,peoplecanwatchthehousefromtheplaying
fields,andthereareanumberofyouthswhoweseewatchingthehouse.Theyhangaroundtheresmokingin
theafternoons.I'mfrightenedtogototheshopsincasetheybreakinwhileI'maway.
Interviewer:Haveyoutriedcallingthepolice?
Ruth:Yeah,severaltimes,buttheseyouthsalwaysgetawaybyrunningintothewoodsontheothersideofthe
playingfields,andthepolicedon'tbothertogoafterthem.
Interviewer:Andwhathaveyouhadstolen?
Ruth:Ohallsortsofthingsondifferentoccasions.Theynevertakemuch,buttheyalwaysseemtocomeback.
They'vetakenthetelevisiontwice.Ifwe'dknowntheyweregoingtocomeback,wewouldn'thaveboughtanew
televisionafterthefirstburglary,butaweekafterweboughtit,theburglarsbrokeinagain.
Interviewer:Whatelsehavetheytaken?
CRIME AUDIOSCRIPT
Ruth:Oh,apartfromthetelevisionandthevideo,nothingveryvaluable,butthenwedon'thaveanythingelse
whichisveryvaluable.It'sannoyingreally,andtheydoalotofdamagewhentheybreakin.Isometimesthink
weshouldleaveadooropen.Ifweleftthedooropen,atleasttheycouldcomeinwithoutdoinganydamage!
Interviewer:Sowhatareyougoingtodoaboutthissituation?
Ruth:Whatcanwedoaboutit?We'dbehappierifwe'dstayedinouroldhouse.Ifwestilllivedthere,I'msure
wewouldn'thavebeenburgledonce.Wewerethereforfortyyearswithoutasingleproblem.
Interviewer:MarylynBrookes,youareChiefCrimePreventionOfficerforSouthYorkshirepolice.Istherereally
nothingtheycando?
CPO:No,therearethingstheycandothoughImustsayfirstthatIdofeelsorryforthem.
Interviewer:Well,whatcantheydo?
CPO:IfIwerethem,I'dhavehadaburglaralarmputinstraightaway.Infact,I'msurprisedtheinsurance
companyhasn'tinsistedonthatalready.
Ruth:Well,theyhavesaidthatbutwecan'taffordoneofthose!Weonlyhaveourpension,andburglaralarms
costthousandsofpounds.
CPO:Well,haveyouthoughtofputtingaburglaralarmboxonthewall?Thatputssomethievesoff.Also,you
shouldtalktotheneighboursandaskthemtokeepaneyeonyourhomewhenyou'reout.
Interviewer:ButwhydotheburglarskeepcomingbacktotheSaunders'house?Imeaneighttimesisalot,isn't
it?
CPO:Well,thereareseveralthingshere.Obviouslyitiseasytowatchthehousefromtheplayingfields,and
alsoburglarstendtotalkamongstthemselves.Theytelleachotherwhichhousesareeasytobreakinto,and
whatthingsthehousesstillhaveinthem.Alsotheywaitafewmonthsuntiltheythinktheownershavereplaced
thethingsthatwerestolen.Afterall,burglarsprefertostealsomethingthat'sbrandnew.Andanotherthingyou
havetoconsideris...
Answers:1T,2T,3F,4T,5F,6F,7F,8T,9F,10T
CULTURALHERITAGEAUDIOSCRIPT
Aconversationaboutaculturalheritagesite.
Optionalexercise ListentotheconversationanddecideifthesestatementsareT(true)orF(false).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
ThearchaeologicalexcavationwasinWesternEurope.
Lynnwasworkingthereformorethanamonth.
Auniversitypaidforhertogothere.
Shefeltpositiveabouttheworkexperience.
Shefoundasmallstatue.
Theexcavationwillfundamentallychangethearea. (Answersbelow)
David:HiLynnhowsitgoing?
Lynn:Notsobad.
David: Howwasyoursummer?DidntyougoonsomefieldtripinEasternEuropeorsomething?
Lynn:Thatsright.Sixweeksonmyhandsandkneesdiggingfortreasure
David: Didyoufindany?
Lynn:Notmuch.Lotsofpotteryfragments,somebones,afewtools.
David: Ihopeyougotpaidforit.
Lynn: Youmustbejoking!Itwasrunbythelocaluniversityresearchgroup.Theydonthaveanymoney.Youmakeyour
waythereandpayforyourownaccommodationandmeals.
David: So,youwerecheaplabourfortheprofessors,then?
Lynn:Dontbesocynical!No,theywerereallyhelpful.Ilearntalot
David: Ohyeahlikewhat?
Lynn:Well,firsttherewasthemappingofthesite.TheyuseddigitalphotographyandGIS,whichIhadntdonebefore.
Thentherestheexcavationitself,scrapingawayforhours,whichcangetabittedious.Anditallhastoberecordedthe
locationanddescriptionofeveryartefactisputintoadatabase.
David:Dontyouhavetobecarefulwhenyoureexcavating?Idbeafraidofbreakingsomethingpriceless.
Lynn:Oh,sure.Youhavetomovetheearthawayveryslowlywithatrowel,sometimesevenatoothbrush!Buteverything
youfindhasastorytotell.Pollensamplestellyouaboutforestclearanceandcropcultivation,animalteethandbones
showedtheykeptlivestock.Lookingatstoneaxescantellyouwhatsortofanimalstheyhunted.Thebestpartofthedigwas
themidden.
David: Whatsthat?
Lynn:Itswheretheydumpeddomesticwaste.Itcontainsallsortsoftreasures.Thehighlightformewasfindingasmallclay
figure.Imagineholdingsomethinginyourhandthatwasmadebyahumanbeingsixthousandyearsago!
David: Sohaveyouexpandedthesumofhumanknowledge?
Lynn:Ithinkso.ThesiteisgivingthemalotofnewinformationaboutthatpartoftheBlackSeacoastinNeolithictimes.
Anditllbeabigtouristattractionwhentheyopenituptothepublicinacoupleofyears.Theyvegotplanstogetsome
internationalfundingandmakeitintoanarchaeologicalpark,buttheyllstillpreservethelandscapeandthecharacterofthe
place.
David: Willyougetyournameinthebrochure?
Lynn:Youneverknow!
Answers
1F,2T,3F,4T,5T,6F
CURRENCYEXCHANGEAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoadialoguebetweenRachel,theownerofasmallbusiness,andherbusinessaccountmanager
Optionalexercise
ListentothedialogueandcompleteRachelsnotes.
Foreignexchangeservices
1. Wiretransferisfastestand__________waytotransfermoney.
2. Shoulduseinternationalwiresinforeigncurrencylower__________andlessrisk.
3. Knowfullcostof__________beforewireissent.
4. Sterlingwiretransfersuse__________rateapplicablewhenwireisreceived.
5. Anotheradvantageofusingforeigncurrencycouldnegotiatebetterpricefor__________.
6. Manyforeigncurrencychequescanbeclearednext__________.
7. Needtosendchequewith__________slipandforeigncash__________agreement.
8. Sendtoforeigncheque__________centre.
Accountmanager:
Ah,Rachel,goodtoseeyouagain.WhatcanIdotohelpyou?
Rachel:
Well,asyouknow,Irunasmallcompanymanufacturingchildrensclothes.
Accountmanager:
Yes,anditsdoingratherwell,ifIremembercorrectly.
Rachel:
Yes,Iverecentlyincreasedproduction,andImveryhappywithmysalesfigures.Infact,Ivehad
someinterestfromoverseasretailerswantingtosellmyclothes.Idalsoliketobeabletobuymaterialsfromabroad.What
IdliketoknowisifIcanmakeandacceptpaymentsinforeigncurrencies.
Accountmanager:
Weofferfullforeignexchangeservices,sothereshouldntbeaproblem.Wehaveanextensive
foreigncorrespondentbanknetworksofundscaneasilybetransferredworldwide.
Rachel:
Sothisbankispartofanetworkofforeignbanks?
Accountmanager:
Thatsright.Theadvantageisthatpaymentscanbemadeandreceivedquicklyandefficiently
andatthelowestcosttoyouandyoursuppliersandpurchasers.Youcandothisbywiretransferitsthe fastestand
safestwaytotransmitmoneyaroundtheworld.Usingourservices,youcansendinternationalwiresinforeigncurrency.
Youpaylowerfeesthanforinternationalsterlingwires,andyoureduceriskbecauseyoulockintheexchangerateand
knowthefullcostofthetransactionbeforethewireissent.
Rachel:
Howexactlydoesthisreducerisk?
Accountmanager:
Currencyexchangeratesfluctuate,soifyousendawireinsterling,youwontknowtheexact
exchangerateapplicablewhenthewireisreceivedandthefundsconvertedintotheforeigncurrency.Youcouldfind
yourselfunderoroverpayingyoursupplier.Usingthesupplierscurrencymayalsomeanyoucannegotiatemorefavourable
pricingofmaterials.
Rachel:
orunderchargingthem.
Isee,andthesameappliesformycustomers.IfIusetheircurrency,Iwontbeindangerofover
Accountmanager:
Exactly.
Rachel:
Whathappensifaforeigncustomerwantstopaybycheque?
Accountmanager:
Weofferforeigncurrencychequeconversionsforawiderangeofcountries.Wecanevenoffer
nextdaycreditformanycountries,soyoudonthavetowaitweeksforthechequetoclear.Allyouhavetodoiscompletea
foreigncashletteragreementandsendit,alongwiththechequeandadepositslip,toourforeignchequeprocessingcentre.
Rachel:
SoIshouldnthaveanyproblemsdealingwithforeigncurrencies.Now,Ivegotanotherquestion
Answers:1safest,2fees,3transaction,4exchange,5materials,6day,7deposit,letter,8processing
DISCRIMINATION AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to Mr Griffin, a Human Resources expert, talking about discrimination in the workplace.
Comprehension activity
While you are listening, decide whether the following statements are true or false according to what Mr Griffin
says. The answers are below the audio script.
Statement
1. Although diversity is being dealt with, it is still an important concern for employers.
2. A growing number of people are suing employers because they feel discriminated
against because of their age.
3. Insurance to cover discrimination claims is an enormous cost for companies.
4. Security firms sometimes discriminate against people because of their age.
5. Employers cannot discriminate against job applicants who have been convicted of any
crime.
Radio interviewer
dealing with diversity?
True or False?
Tell me, Mr. Griffin are diversity risks really still an issue? Arent companies these days
Alan Griffin
Oh yes they are very much an issue. ... We have come a long way since those days when
employers were allowed to discriminate against job candidates just because of their race or their sex. The
trouble is ... the boundaries of diversity and discrimination ...... are widening. Companies have a lot more to
consider than a persons skin colour or a persons gender.
Radio interviewer
here?
So ... can you give listeners an example of what kind of things you are referring to
Alan Griffin
Okay ... lets see .... well, one growing area of discrimination is ageism. In 1998, companies in
the United States had to pay out more than fifty-five million dollars to employers who had filed age related
discrimination complaints against their companies. Thats a lot of money.
Radio interviewer
Phew ... so how should companies protect themselves from this kind of thing?
Alan Griffin
Well, first of all they should think carefully about their recruitment policies and then they should
take out insurance to cover themselves.
Radio interviewer
Isnt that expensive? ... for the companies, I mean.
Alan Griffin
No, not as expensive as you might think. These days most small and medium sized
organisations take out EPLI ... thats Employment Practices Liability Insurance. The cost of the insurance has
fallen over the years and if a company isnt covered and loses a discrimination case ... well,lets just say this is
the cheaper option!
Radio interviewer
Youve mentioned ageism as a growing concern ... but what other kinds of diversity
should managers be aware of?
Alan Griffin
Well ... youd probably be surprised to hear about some ... discrimination against single people,
against married parents, against people who are too tall, too short, too heavy ...
Radio interviewer
Really...
Alan Griffin
Oh yes. Security firms are a good example here. They typically state that their employees need
to be over or under a certain height or weight, They claim its necessary for the job .... but there have been
cases where people have claimed discrimination.
Radio interviewer
And won?
DISCRIMINATION AUDIOSCRIPT
Alan Griffin
Sometimes yes. ........ Then there are people with a criminal background. Employers used to
feel justified in turning away job applicants just because theyd been in trouble with the law.
Radio interviewer
Isnt that still the case?
Alan Griffin
No .... not exactly. The law states that employers can only reject a job applicant with a criminal
record ... if the crime bears a direct relation to the job in question. So .... somebody who has served a sentence
for ... lets say stealing cars ... would be alright in a job as a kitchen porter.
Radio interviewer
And Mr. Griffin, tell me .... how many people actually go through with their threats to sue
a company for discrimination?
Alan Griffin
Well I havent got the latest figures for the UK but in the United States the Equal Opportunities
Commission receive around eighty five thousand complaints every year ... and that figure is rising. Race and
sex account for most of the complaints that are filed but age discrimination is on the increase too.
Radio interviewer
So ... any words of advice for risk managers?
Alan Griffin
Well ... first of all make sure that you have adequate insurance. Then address the issues of
diversity from within the organisation. Get the employees involved. Celebrate the differences and try to build up
a reputation as a fair employer. And remember .... it is worth investing time and effort in addressing these issues
because statistics have shown that ..... youre much more likely to be sued by an employee than a third party.
Answers:
Statement
1. Although diversity is being dealt with, it is still an
important concern for employers.
2. A growing number of people are suing employers
because they feel discriminated against because of their
age.
3. Insurance to cover discrimination claims is an enormous
cost for companies.
4. Security firms sometimes discriminate against people
because of their age.
5. Employers cannot discriminate against job applicants
solely because they have a criminal record.
True or False?
True
True
False
False. He mentions discrimination over their
physical size.
True. The crime must bear a direct relation with
the job.
eBayAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoDavidgivinghispresentationabouteBayina businessschoolseminar.
Optionalexercise. (Theanswersareattheendofthescript).
ListenandcorrectthemistakesinthisstudentsnotesonDavidspresentation.
1. eBaywasfoundedfiveyearsago
2. eBayemploys12,600peoplearoundtheworld
3. In2005theturnoverwas$5.55million
4. FromthebeginningtopeBaymanagementhadsuccessfulcomputerbackgrounds
5. eBayhasgotshopsallovertheworld
6. eBayissuccessfulinJapanandHongKong
Lecturer:Welcomeeverybodytotodaysseminar.IfIremembercorrectly,David,youllbeleadingtheseminar
David:Yes,thatsright...
Presenter:Fineandhowaboutquestionsshallwekeepthesetotheendorwouldyoulikepeopletointerruptduringyour
presentation?
David:Thanks,ehm,ifanyonehasaquestionjustaskstraightaway..
Lecturer:Fine,letsgothen..
David:Right,ehm.....eBayisanenormouslysuccessfulcompany,itsahouseholdwordinseveralcountries,in2005 ithad
aturnoverof$4.55billionanditemployed11,600peopleitsachievedallofthisinjust11years.Whatsthesecretof
eBayssuccess?IthinkthekeyissuehereisthateBaycouldntexistwithouttheInternetyouknowtherearentmany
examplesofcompanieslikethis takeAmazon,forexampleifyoudontfeellikeswitchingyourcomputeronyoucan
alwaysgoroundtothenearestbookshop.ButifyouwanttosellyouroldmagazinestosomebodyinGermanyeBaysthe
onlywaytodoit.WithouttheNetsabilitytobringbuyersandsellerstogetherfromdifferentlocationstherewouldbeno
eBay.Sothisisbigpointnumberone.Now,letsmoveontopointtwo,thefoundersofeBayMegWhitman,theCEO,like
alloftheseniorstaffalreadyhadasuccessfulbusinessbackgroundshebroughtinanexperiencedmanagementteam.
Theyhadagreatideabutithadtobeagreatprofitableideaaroundthistheimportanceofprofitabilitytheybuilttheir
businessmodel.Letsmoveontopointthree,soundbusinessmanagementdidyouhearofeBayduringthedotcomboom
yearsnotalottheywerebusybuildingtheircustomerbaseandmakingmoney,theydidntfeatureinstoriesheadlining
theexcessesofthedotcomboomyears...ActuallyIlladdanotherpoint,pointfour,eBaydoesntproduce,sellorship
anythingitself,itprovidestheonlinemarketplaceforotherpeopletodothisthisgivesitenormousfinancialpower....
Student:David,canIaskaquestion?
David:Sure...
Student:WhatdifferencedoesthatmakethepointabouteBaynotmakinganythingitself..
David:Well,thismeansthattheycanusetheircapitalveryeffectivelyyouknowtheircapitalisnttiedupinbuildings,
factories,warehousesthatsortofthing,againtheircapitalisnttiedupinthingsthatarewaitingtobesold,theyhaventgot
shopsallovertheworldwithsalesassistantsinthemallthiscostsseewhatImean...
Student:Sure,Igetitnow..
David:Great,now....Theonlyproblemtheyveruninto,actuallythatsnottruetheyvehadacoupleofmajorproblems
anywaythefirstproblem theyarrivedinacoupleofkeymarketstoolatethishappenedinJapanandHongKongwhere
Yahoosonlinemarketplacehadaheadstart.Theotherproblemwellitsthesortofthingweveallheardaboutbuyers
receivingstolengoodsoraproductdifferentfromtheonetheythoughttheydboughtornoproductatall,sellersputtingin
falsebidstoincreasethepricejustbeforeanauctionfinishes.eBayadmitsthishappensbutsaysthatthissortofthing
accountsforaverysmallpercentageofallsales.OK,nowIdliketohavealookatjusthowthecompanyhasexpanded
overthelast11years...
Answers
111yearsago211,600people3$4.55billion4Businessbackgrounds5Itdoesnothaveshops6Itisnotsuccessful
there.
STARTINGANEBUSINESSAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoasmalleBusinessownertalkingabouthowhesetuphisbusiness.
Optionalexercise Listenandmatchthebeginningsandendsofthesentences. (Answersbelow)
Anthonystartedmakingwoodentoys
Hecouldntmakethetoysquicklyenough
Hissonsuggested
Anthonydecidedtomake
Anthonyssistersuggested
asahobby.
customisedtoys.
thathesoldthetoysonline.
thenametree2toy.com.
tosellthemintheshops.
Idbeenmakingwoodentoysformyfamilyandfriendsforquitesometime.Itwasjustahobbyatfirst,butthen
itstartedtotakeovermylife.Somanypeoplewereaskingmetomakespecificthings,likeadollshousefora
birthdaypresent,thatIbegantowonderifIcouldmakealivingoutofit.Iapproachedsomeshopsand
departmentstores,buttheywerentinterestedinstockingmytoysunlessIcouldguaranteearegularsupply,
andIjustcouldntproducethemquicklyenough.
IthinkitwasmysonwhofirstsuggestedIsetupaninternetshop.Ihadntacluehowtogoaboutit,soI
startedbylookingatexistingsitessellinghandmadetoys.Thereweresomegreatsitesbypeopledoinga
similarthingtome.IwonderediftherewassomethingnotbeingprovidedthatIcoulddo,anichemarketIcould
develop.IthoughtaboutwhatpeopleusuallyaskedmetomakeandIrealisedthatalotofpeoplewanteda
customisedtoy.Theyaskedfortheirchildsnamepaintedonit,orwanteditpaintedparticularcolours.Ihadnt
seenanyoneofferingthiskindofservice.
Thenextstepwastothinkofanameformybusiness.BythenIhadreadquiteabitofadviceaboutsettingup
internetcompanies,andIknewIwouldhavetoregisteradomainname.Igotallmyfamilyinvolved,tryingto
thinkupanamethatwouldbeeasytoremember.EverytimewethoughtofagoodoneIsearchedforitonthe
internetandsureenough,someonehadalreadygotit.Iwasgettingquitefrustratedwhenmysistersuggested
tree2toy.com.Icheckedandtomyamazementithadntbeenregistered.Itriedseveralsearchesonthe
internetafterallIdidntwanttodiscoverthatanothercompanyhadthesamenametheycouldtakelegal
actionagainstme.ThenIregisteredthedomainnameandIwasreadytostartdesigningmywebsite.
Answers:
Anthonystartedmakingwoodentoys
Hecouldntmakethetoysquicklyenough
Hissonsuggested
Anthonydecidedtomake
Anthonyssistersuggested
asahobby.
tosellthemintheshops.
thathesoldthetoysonline.
customisedtoys.
thenametree2toy.com.
BOOMERANG GENERATION AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio interview about the 'boomerang generation'.

Optional listening activity
After listening, decide if the statements are true or false.
1. The boomerang generation is an expression used to describe a popular new game.
2. The interviewee Helen Campbell teaches at a university.
3. All university students receive money from the UK government to study.
4. The amount of student debt is decreasing in the UK.
5. A typical first-time buyer takes five years to save for a deposit.
6. Most young people living with their parents dont pay any rent.
Presenter Good afternoon and welcome to Modern Times. On todays show well be talking about the
boomerang generation. Thats the new term thats being used to describe the phenomenon of young people,
such as university graduates, who move back home to live with their parents. According to recent research,
there are now approximately 6.8 million over 18 year olds living with their parents in the UK. To talk about the
reasons for this trend, I have with me in the studio today Helen Campbell, lecturer in Economics at Thames
University. Hello Helen.
Lecturer Good afternoon David.
Presenter So, Helen, what is causing this trend of the so called boomerang generation?
Lecturer Thats a good question. You see, there are a number of social and economic factors at play here.
Firstly, as we all know, student loans have largely replaced the old university grant system in the UK. And,
asas a result, student debt has risen steadily each year. According to the most recent figures, the level of debt
rose again last year by 18.7%.
Presenter 18.7%. But what does that mean in real terms?
Lecturer Well, if welets take the average graduate today; shes now likely to start her working life owing
about 12,000 to the bank.
Presenter I see. Thats certainly a lot of money for a young person.
Lecturer Yes, and thats why so many young people are now moving back in with their families when they finish
university or choosing to stay in the parental home while they study. Um, the other important factor that is
behind this trend is the high cost of housing nowadays. Its... its an extremely hard time for first-time
buyers. You know, the average person now has to save for five years to get a deposit on a home.
Presenter How much of a deposit will they need?
Lecturer According to a recent bank survey, about 24,000 and it seems the average first-time
buyer is likely to be 33 years old these days.
Presenter Does this mean that young people are going to be more financially dependent on their parents for
longer?
Lecturer It certainly looks that way. It makes sense for people to save money on rent and live with their parents
for a few years at least. The survey has found that less than half the 6.8 million who are now living with their
parents are paying rent and many of them receive weekly allowances from their parents.
Presenter Thank you Helen. Well, it seems that in the past, the trend has always been for each generation to
be better off than the previous one. But it looks like this trend may not continue into the next generation. Our
lines are now open to callers who want to discuss the boomerang generation with us. Call (fade)
Answer key: 1 F, 2 T, 3 F, 4 F, 5 T, 6 T
EECONOMYAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoanextractfromalectureaboutthecharacteristicsofsuccessfulecommercebusinesses.
Optionalexercise
Accordingtothelecturerwhichproductsaresuitable(S)orunsuitable(U)foronlineselling.
books
CDs
clothes
DVDs
freshfood
jewellery
laptops
perfume
pornography
software
supermarketgroceries
(Answersbelow)
Idliketolookatavitalaspectofecommerce,andthatisthenatureoftheproductorservice.Thereare
certainproductsandservicesthatareverysuitableforsellingonline,andothersthatsimplydontwork.
Suitableproductsgenerallyhaveahighvaluetoweightratio.ItemssuchasCDsandDVDsareobvious
examples.Books,althoughheavierandsomoreexpensivetopost,stillhaveahighenoughvaluetoweight
ratio,asthesuccessofAmazon,whichstartedoffsellingonlybooks,shows.Laptopcomputersareanother
goodproductforsellingonline.
Digitalproducts,suchassoftware,filmsandmusic,canbesoldinapurelyvirtualenvironment.Thegoodsare
paidforbyonlinetransactions,andthendownloadedontothebuyerscomputer.Therearenopostageor
deliverycosts,sopricescanbekeptlow.
Manysuccessfulvirtualcompaniesprovidedigitalservices,suchasfinancialtransactions,inthecaseofPaypal,
ormeansofcommunication,asSkypedoes.Thekeytosuccesshereisprovidinganeasytouse,reliable
service.Dothisandyoucaneasilybecomethemarketleader,asSkypehasproved.
Productswhicharepotentiallyembarrassingtobuyalsodowellinthevirtualenvironment.Someofthemost
profitableecommercecompaniesarethosesellingpornography,andothersexrelatedproductsorservices.
Forasimilarreason,onlinegamblingishighlypopular.
Productswhichareusuallyconsideredunsuitableforsellingonlineincludethosethathaveatasteorsmell
component.Food,especiallyfreshfood,fallsintothiscategory,alongwithperfume.Clothesandotheritems
thatneedtobetriedonsuchasjewelleryaregenerallynotsuitedtovirtualretailing,and,ofcourse,itemswitha
lowvaluetoweightratio.
Thereareexceptions,though.Onlinegroceryshoppinghasreallytakenoff,withmostmajorsupermarkets
offeringtheservice.Theinconvenienceofnotbeingabletoseethefoodyouarebuyingisoutweighedbythe
timesavedandconvenienceofhavingthegoodsdelivered.Typicalusersofonlinesupermarketsincludethe
elderly,peoplewhoworklonghoursandthosewithouttheirowntransport.
Answers
books
CDs
clothes
S
S
U
DVDs
freshfood
jewellery
S
U
U
laptops
perfume
pornography
S
U
S
software
supermarketgroceries
S
S
EMOTIONALINTELLIGENCEAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoanextractfromalecturebyaProfessorataBusinessSchool.
Optionalexercise ListenanddecidewhetherthesestatementsareTrueorFalse:(Answersbelow)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
ItsbettertosayImunhappythanthissituationisgettingonmynerves.
Thoughtsandfeelingsarenotthesamethingandweexpressthemdifferently.
Ifwefeelangrybecauseofsomebodysbehaviourweshouldsayyouaremakingmeangry.
Weshouldalwaysthinkabouthowotherpeoplemightfeel.
Ourownfeelingsshouldbemoreimportantthanthefeelingsofothers.
Itisimportanttothinkinapositiveway.
Weshouldnotconcernourselveswithmakingotherpeoplefeelbetter.
Ifpeopledonttakeyouseriously,trytalkingtothemandtrytomakethemunderstandyourfeelings.
Nowletstakealookatsomewaysinwhichwecanincreasethelevelsofourownemotionalintelligencesothat
employerswillbefightingoverus! [laughter]
Thefirststepistolabelourownfeelingsratherthanlabellingsituationsorotherpeople. Weshouldsaythings
likeIfeelangryinsteadofthisisaridiculoussituation.
Secondly,itisveryimportanttoknowthedifferencebetweenathoughtandafeeling.Intermsoflanguagewe
expressthoughtsbysayingIfeellikeorIfeelas ifbutforfeelingswesayIfeelandthenafeelingword,an
adjectivehappy,angry,frustrated.
Nextandthisisacrucialpointweshouldtakemoreresponsibilityforourfeelings.Insteadofsayingyouare
makingmejealousweoughttosayIfeeljealous.
Afterthisweneedtolearnhowtouseourfeelingstohelpusmakedecisions.AskyourselvesHowwillIfeelifI
dothis?orHowwillIfeelifIdont?
Anotherimportantissuehereisrespect.Wehavetorespectthefeelingsofothers.Weshouldaskourselves
questionslikeHowwillthispersonfeelifIdothis?
Andofcourseitisntenoughtojustrespectthefeelingsofothers.Wehavetoshowothersthatwecare.Wedo
thisthroughempathyandunderstanding.Andweshouldacceptpeoplesfeelings.Theyareasjustasvalidas
ourown.
Thenwecometoenergy.Weneedtoturnangerintoenergyanduseittotakeactionproductiveactionthatit.
Finally,aftergettingusedtounderstandingandanalysingouremotions,weshouldpractisegettingapositive
valuefromthem.AskyourselvesHowdoIfeelandwhatcouldhelpmefeelbetter?anddontforgetthose
aroundyouhowdoyoufeel?andwhatwouldhelpyoufeelbetter?
TosumupIamgoingtoleaveyouwithtwopiecesofadvice.
Dontcriticize,advise,controlorlectureothers.Justlistenwithempathyandinanonjudgementalway.
Andwhataboutpeoplewhoinvalidateyou?Easyavoidthem.Andwhenitisntpossibletoavoidthem
altogether,trytospendlesstimewiththemanddontletthemgettoyou.
FollowthisadviceandIamsurethatyouwillsoonincreaseyourEQlevel.Youwillfeelhappierandmore
positiveandhopefullythiswillruboffonthosearoundyou.
Answers
1T,2T,3F,4T,5F,6T,7F,8F
ENGINE DESIGN AUDIOSCRIPT
A scientific team is investigating whether technology is more important than skill in motor racing.
Listen to a racing driver give his opinion on what it takes to be a winning driver.
As a professional sportsman, Im always interested in the latest developments in my field. So technology is very
important to me and Im very interested in it. Id be fascinated to know how the results of this research teams
work could have practical applications especially if it helps me win races!
I dont believe that its only the best technology that wins races. Its just not true. You can take somebody like
Michael Schumacher, and if he has a bad day he still loses, even though hes driving the same car.
Of course, you also have to be in top condition, very, very fit. I train in the gym as much as an Olympic athlete
probably does! So, thats another way in which even having the best car wont necessarily help you win. If
youre not in shape, you wont be able to take four or five hours of the intense physical work it takes to drive a
Grand Prix.
So much depends on things like temperature, time of day, the weather, your own psychological condition, the
support you get from your team, even the fans on the stands.
The psychological aspect is crucial, very, very important. To be a top racing driver you have to have incredibly
good concentration, and be able to remain calm in a crisis. I get a boost from my team, and also when I see
fans with flags on the stands.
ENGINEERINGPROJECTSAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentothisexcerptofatalkgivenbyanelectricalengineervisitingasixthformcollege.
Optionalactivity:
Whileyoulisten,decidewhetherthefollowingsentencesaretrueorfalse.
Sentence
1. Recentlygreatadvanceshavebeenmadeinmotortechnology.
2. Engineersareconstantlylookingfornewwaystouseexistingmodels.
3. EngineershavemorefreedomforexperimentationthaninFaradaystimes.
4. Thenewestmotorslosemoreheatthanthetraditionalmotors.
5. Thenewestmotorsaremorecompactthantheyusedtobe.
6. AnewmotordevelopedbyOmronmayreplacemotorscurrentlyusedin
hydraulicsystems.
Trueorfalse?
Thesedaysengineersratherthansettingouttocreatenewinventionsworkonrefiningdesignsthatalready
exist.Theserefinementscanberelatedtosize,shape,increasedpowerormoreefficiency.Andusuallyweare
talkingaboutacombinationoftheserefinements.
Letstakethemotorasanexample.YouareprobablyallfamiliarwiththenameMichaelFaradaywhoinvented
theelectricmotorinthe1820s.Well,thefirstmotorwasafairlysimpledeviceandwehavebeenimproving
onitsdesignandlookingfornewapplicationsforiteversinceitsbirth.
Thesedaysthereareendlessprojectsgoingonaroundtheglobewhereengineersaretryingtomodifyexisting
motorsinordertobeabletousetheminnewcontexts andintraditionalcontextsbutwithbettermore
efficientresults.
InFaradaystimeengineersandscientistshadamoreorlessfreereinwhenitcametoexperimentingand
research.Iftheyhadenoughmoneytocarryouttheirplansthentherewasnothingtostopthem.Thesedays
engineershavetotakeintoconsiderationallkindsofenvironmentalissues.Wearedrivenbydifferentquests
toconserveenergyisoneofthemostimportant.Industrydemandsqualityandefficiencybutwemustnever
forgettheenvironmentalissuesthatliebehindeverysingleengineeringadvance.
Sobacktomotors.Whatshappeningatthemomentisveryexciting.Anewkindofmotorhasbeen
developedwhichusesinternalpermanentmagnetsembeddedwithintherotor.Thesemagnetsimprovethe
motorsfluxdensityandtorquedensity.Whatdoesthismean?Well,forastartthemotorsuselessenergy
considerablelessthantraditionalmotors.Thisisbecausethereislessheatloss.Asideeffectofthisisthatthe
machinesusingthenewmotorshaveincreasedprecision.Sizeandspeedaretwofurtheraspects..Thenew
motorsarealotsmallerandspeedcontrolismoreefficient.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenweusethe
motorsingearboxesorcranesforexample.
Omronhasjustdevelopedamotorwithaninternalmagnetthatisbeingappliedtohighpowerapplications.
Thingslikehugeindustrialplantsandbuildingprojects.Thereisalreadytalkofusingthenewmotorstoreplace
theonescurrentlyusedinhydraulicsystems.
YaskawaElectricisoneoftheworldslargestmanufacturersofmotors.Theyhavedevelopedamotorwitha
powerratingof55KWandaratedspeedof1500rpm.Thisismuchgreaterpowerthanwehaveseenuptillnow.
So,motorsareincreasinginpoweranddecreasinginsize.Intheworldofengineeringthisisanotable
achievement.
Answerkey:
Sentence
1. Recentlygreatadvanceshavebeenmadeinmotortechnology.
2. Engineersareconstantlylookingfornewwaystouseexistingmodels.
3. EngineershavemorefreedomforexperimentationthaninFaradaystimes.
Trueorfalse?
True
True
False
ENGINEERINGPROJECTSAUDIOSCRIPT
4. Thenewestmotorslosemoreheatthanthetraditionalmotors.
5. Thenewestmotorsaremorecompactthantheyusedtobe.
6. AnewmotordevelopedbyOmronmayreplacemotorscurrentlyusedin
hydraulicsystems.
False
True
True
ENGLISH: THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to the controversial Linguistics expert Professor McKenzie giving a lecture on the future of the
English language.
Decide whether these statements are true or false according to Professor McKenzie. The answers are below
the audio script.
Statement
True or False?
1.
2.
3.
4.
If you do not know English you can be at a disadvantage.

English will soon be spoken by everybody in the world.
By 2010 half the population of the world will speak English.
Competitors of the Eurovision Song Contest will never be unanimous in choosing to
sing in English.
5. Native English and Majority English will become the two predominant types of
English.
Professor McKenzie:
For many years now we have been referring to English as a global language .... as the language of
communication and technology. Everybody seems to be learning English and it isnt uncommon to see English
being used as a means of communication between .... lets see ... a German scientist .... and an Italian
politician. These days ... if you dont know English, you are in danger of being excluded from whats going on ...
in education, at work ... and especially in the world of technological advances.
Very soon English will be the second language of all the people in the world. This is happening while I am
speaking to you. We cant be certain of how long the process will take but there is no doubt that it will happen ...
and my bet is that it will happen sooner rather than later.
First of all English will be an obligatory subject on every school curriculum throughout the world. By the year
2010 around two billion people ... thats about a third of the Worlds population ..... will speak English as their
second language. This isnt my prediction by the way. This is what the experts say.
We can see evidence of these changes all the time. Lets take the Eurovision Song Contest as an example.
Whatever we might think of the contest itself .... one thing that has changed recently is that now countries can
opt to sing in English. In the last festival fourteen of the twenty five competing countries asked for the rules to be
changed to allow them to sing in English. They argued that singing in their own language would put them at a
disadvantage. I suspect that in a few years time all twenty-five countries will be singing in English.
And what exactly does all of this mean for native speakers of English? Well, we are already in a minority. If the
calculations are correct, then in ten years time, majority speakers ... that is non native English speakers ... will
outnumber native English speakers by four to one. The two most important Englishes wont be British English
and American English. Theyll be Native English and Majority English. So native English speakers will be
handicapped. We will be the only people in the world who speak just one language. Because ... lets face it ...
there wont be much of a reason for native English speakers to learn a second language. We ... and not the
Majority English speakers ... will be the disadvantaged.
As more and more people speak English it makes sense that they will become more competent. They will start
to control more of the English resources being produced and to have a say in what should or shouldnt be
included in dictionaries and language books. This might seem far fetched but it is already starting to happen.
Lets use Sweden as an example. Their music exports .... predominantly English ... account for more than thirty
per cent of its export income. This exported English is bound to have an effect on English in general. And this is
just one small example.
ENGLISH: THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE AUDIOSCRIPT
So ... all of you native English speakers out there ... get ready to throw away your phrase books ... whether
youre planning to visit Eastern Europe or the Himalayas ... one thing you wont have to worry about is the
language!
Answers:
Statement
True or False?
1.
2.
3.
4.
True
True
False
False
If you do not know English you can be at a disadvantage.

English will soon be spoken by everybody in the world.
By 2010 half the population of the world will speak English.
Competitors of the Eurovision Song Contest will never be unanimous in choosing to
sing in English.
5. Native English and Majority English will become the two predominant types of
English.
True
FACILITATION SKILLS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio show discussion on the role of online moderators in distance learning.
Radio show presenter = P
Mark = M
P:
from the number of emails we get {fade-in} we know that a lot of our listeners are studying on-line.
So theyll be interested to hear what our next guest has to say. Mark McRae, is a lecturer at Manchester
University whose specialist area is online moderation. Mark, what makes moderators different from teachers in
a classroom?
M:
Hi June. Erm .. I think the first point is that, online or not, the most important thing is well-designed
learning goals and objectives the use of technology is secondary to getting the learning goals right.
But, having said that, there obviously are differences between online and face to face learning. Just as an
example, people often like classroom teachers who make them laugh, but trying to be funny in computer
conferencing is a dangerous business and often not very successful.
P:
Why is that?
M:
Mainly because, when youre just reading text you cant hear the persons tone of voice or see their
face its much easier to misunderstand.
P:
This whole thing about communicating only through text on a computer screen. Dont you find that
impossible?
M:
Its not impossible its just different. Online communication can either be synchronous, when all the
people in the class are online at the same time, or asynchronous, where they arent and people can post in
their own time, and the moderators role is different for each of those situations. Like teachers, moderators will
praise people or point out to people where they may be going wrong, although they may do it privately, away
from the main forum. What they wont do, and will discourage others from doing is lecturing. Very long posts,
even if theyre interesting and well-argued, dont usually get a good response. Its very difficult to do that online.
P:
What if people argue? Does that happen?
M:
It does. As I said, its much easier to have misunderstandings when communication is all text-based
and people will, occasionally, flame each other ..
P:
Flame?
M:
Sorry. Flaming is what happens when one person attacks another person online. It doesnt happen
very often and
P:
and how do you deal with it?
M:
Well, its up to the moderator to set the rules for how people interact, the netiquette we call it, and if
someone breaks those rules the moderator will talk to him or her privately and remind them of how we should
deal with each other. Its the same with lurkers who aren't participating actively - the moderator may decide to
talk to them privately and check theyre OK.
P:
As you would in a classroom.
M:
Exactly. In fact, the aim of moderators is to make the technology transparent so people dont notice
its there. Its very different from the traditional classroom but theres no reason why it shouldnt be just as
effective even more so for some people.
FAIRTRADE AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentotheseinterviewswithpeopleoutsideasupermarket,beingaskedaboutwhattheyhavebought.
Optionalexercise: Decideifthesesentencesaretrueorfalse.
Ininterview1...
1.Thepersonthinksfairtradeisabrand.
2.Thepersonwouldnotconsiderbuyingfairtrade.
3.Thepersontakespriceintoconsideration.
Ininterview2...
4.Thepersonhasboughtjunkfood.
5.Thepersonthinksorganicandfairtradearethesamething.
Ininterview3
6.Thepersonthinksfairtradeisonlyforfoodproducts.
7.Thepersontriedtobuyfairtradeclothes,butfoundnoneavailable.
8.Thepersonworriesaboutthequalityoftheclothingbought.
Ininterview4
9.Thepersonhasgotbadteeth.
10.Thepersondoesntcarehowthechocolateisproduced.
Interview1
Q:Hi!Goodmorning!
A:Morning!
Q:Imdoingsomemarketresearchaboutfairtrade.Idliketoaskyouafewquestionsaboutyourshopping,if
thatsok...
A:Sure...
Q:OK...so,first,canIaskwhatyouvegotinyourbag?
A:Justdoingtheweeksshoppingsomefruitandveg,afewtinsofbeans,loafofbreadandapintofmilk.Tea
bagsandsomecoffee.
Q:Isthecoffeefairtrade?
A:What?
Q:Fairtrade?
A:No,itsNescafe.Whatsfairtrade?
Q:ItsarangeofgoodsthatareproducedmakingsurethatpeopleinAfricaorSouthAmericaarepaidfairlyfor
theirworkandproduce.
A:Soundsalright.Neverseenitthough.
Q:Itsmoreexpensivethanordinarycoffee.
A:Ohwell,then.Thisstuffsalreadyexpensive. NotsureIcouldaffordthat...
Interview2
Q:CanIaskwhatyouvegotinyourbag?
A:Fruitandnuts,snacks.
Q:Allgoodhealthystuffthen?
A:Yep,driedapricots,raisins,cashewnuts,andsomepistachios.Allorganic,allfairtrade.
Q: Doyoualwaysbuyfairtrade?
A:Wheneverpossible,yeah.
Interview3
A:Anewtopandapairofjeans.Ivebeenclothesshopping.
Q:Aretheyfairtrade?
FAIRTRADE AUDIOSCRIPT
A:What?
Q:Fairtrade?
A:Ithoughtthatwasjustforcoffeeandstuff...
Q:No,therearealsofairtradeclothes.
A:Idontknowaboutthat.Letshavealook.Ok...well,thejeansweremadeinBulgaria,andthetopinChina.
Q:Doyouknowifthepeoplewhomadethemwerepaidfairlyfortheirwork?
A:No,IguessIdont.Theywereverycheap...Imnotsosurenow.Wherecanyoubuyfairtradeclothes?
Q:Alotofshopscarryfairtradelines.Youhavetocheckthelabelscarefully!
A:Nexttime,Iwilldo...
Interview4
A:Theweeksshopping....
Q:Youvegotlotsofchocolateinthere!
A:Yeah...well,gotasweettooth,haventI?
Q:Isitfairtradechocolate?
A:Yes,ofcourseitis.Ialwaysbuyfairtradestuff,wheneverIcan.
ANSWERS: 1T,2F,3T,4F,5F,6T,7F,8F,9F,10F
FASHION INDUSTRY AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an interview with a male top model who is talking about his career. To see how much you can
understand, try the following listening activity.
While you listen to the male model talking, put the events below into the order in which they happened.
Event
Order
He meets his wife.
He does catwalk modelling.
He sets up a model agency.
He models for catalogues.
He stops doing show seasons.
He appears in fashion magazines.
Trisha
Well. Glyn youre been called the first male supermodel. Would you agree with that?
Glyn
Not really Trisha, to be honest, I think having a famous designer as a wife helps up my profile, and
there are one or two other male models who are household names.
Trisha
Was that how you got into the fashion world? I mean through your wifes contacts.
Glyn
Yes and no. I was working as a catwalk model when I met Regina here in Milan - she was showing
her latest collection - and I had already done bits and bobs of catalogue stuff, but it wasnt until we
got it together that I started appearing in fashion magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Trisha
So it has helped then?
Glyn
Definitely. There are so many guys out there, which makes it pretty competitive. Before Regina, I
really had to work at it I was constantly sending out portfolios to agencies and doing auditions.
Trisha
And now?
Glyn
Its a lot different. I can pick and choose more or less.
Trisha
So, if you dont like the look of a new collection then you pass.
Glyn
No, its not like that. I think a professional can model anything whatever the colour, pattern or cut.
Its the type of work that decides it for me.
Trisha
What do you mean?
Glyn
I dont do show seasons anymore. Ive been sticking almost exclusively to print work.
Trisha
And I hear you are planning a career change?
Glyn
Yes, yes its true. Regina and I are setting up our own agency so if you fancy a job as a scout,
Trisha, just let me know.
Trisha
Its a competitive business
Glyn
Yes, we know. But were going to be a bit different in terms of what type of model were looking for.
Trisha
In what way?
Glyn
Were trying to get away from the stereotypical physical characteristics you know the men have to
be between six foot and six two, jacket size 40-42, the women over five-ten and very slim or even
skinny that type of stuff.
Trisha
Sounds great, but can shorter models really make it in (fade out)
FASHION INDUSTRY AUDIOSCRIPT
Answer:
Event
He models for catalogues.
He does catwalk modelling.
He meets his wife.
He appears in fashion magazines.
He stops doing show seasons.
He sets up a model agency.
USFEDERALRESERVE AUDIOSCRIPT
TheUSFederalReservehowitworks
ListentothisradioprogrammewherethepresenterisinterviewinganeconomistabouttheUSFederalReserve.
Optionallisteningexercise:
Decidewhetherthesestatementsaretrueorfalse. (Theanswersareatthebottomofthepage.)
1.AlanGreenspanwasthepreviousGovernoroftheFederalReserve.
2.Greenspantalkedalotinthemedia.
3.BenBernanke'seconomicideasareverydifferentfromthoseheldbyGreenspan.
4.Thenumberofnewhousesbeingbuilthasgrownoverthelastfewmonths.
5.PeopledonotexpectMrBernanketoraisetheinterestrate.
Radiopresenter:ThebignewswerewaitingfortodayiscomingfromWashington. EconomistsintheU.S.are
waitingtohearfromBenBernanke,thenewGovernoroftheFederalReserve,forhisassessmentofthe
situationoftheU.S.economy.HereinthestudiowithmeisSallyReecefromBevanandCox,theBritish
merchantbank.Sally,doyouthinkMrBernankewillhaveadifferentapproachtothatofAlanGreenspan?
Economist:Well,noIdont.ThejobofeveryGovernoroftheFederalReserveistoensuremaximumgrowth
withlowinflation. MrBernankewillcertainlyaimtocontinuethesuccessfulpoliciesofMrGreenspan.
Radiopresenter:Sonochangeswhatsoever?
Economist:Well,obviously,weretalkingabouttwodifferenthumanbeingsheresosomethingswillbedifferent.
DuringhistermsofofficeGreenspanacquiredanenormousmediapresence,notbecausehesaidalotbut
becausehesaidsolittle.GreenspanscommentsontheU.S.economywereoftendifficulttointerpretbutthey
certainlywereenormouslyinfluential.Nowwevegotanewmaninthejobthemarketswillneedsometimeto
getusedtohiswayofdoingthings.ButasIsaid,dontexpectanyradicalshiftsinpolicy.
Radiopresenter:HowistheU.S.economydoingatthemoment?
Economist:Quitewell,allthekeyeconomicindicatorsshowtheeconomyisgrowingwellandtherearenosigns
ofinflation.Twokeyindicators,theretailpriceindexandthenumberofhousestarts,havevariedlittleoverthe
lasttwomonths
Radiopresenter:Somoreofthesame?
EconomistYes,Ithinkso.ThemarketsareexpectingMrBernanketokeeptheshortterminterestrateatthe
currentlevelwiththePrimeRateat7.5%.OfcoursetheresextrainterestasthisisthefirsttimeMrBernanke
willgivetheFedsreport.
Radiopresenter:Hesnotverywellknown...
Economist:ComparedtoAlanGreenspanno,butrememberwhenGreenspanstartedinthejobhewasntvery
wellknowneither...
Answers:
1T,2F,3F,4F,5T
FILM FESTIVALS AUDIOSCRIPT
Valentina: Well, its having a tremendously positive effect on short films!

Radio journalist: In what way?
Valentina: It means that now more films are being made and its incredible how good the quality of a lot of
them is. People are beginning to be interested in short films again. There are several festivals of short film
across the world, some directors are now insisting that short films are shown with their films on major cinema
releases, and more tv channels are showing short films. Short films are currently the most exciting form of film
production!
Radio journalist: Valentina, thank you, and good luck with the next festival!
Answer key:
Topic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Specialised film festivals

Short films
Black and white films
Special effects
Famous actors
Steven Speilberg
Good scripts
Huge budgets
Computer animation
Cartoons
Digital video
Set designers
Mentioned?
yes
yes
yes
yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
FILM FESTIVALS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio interviewer speaking to a film festival organiser.

Optional activity:
While you listen, tick the topics that are mentioned.
Topic
Mentioned?
1. Specialised film festivals
2. Short films
3. Black and white films
4. Special effects
5. Famous actors
6. Steven Speilberg
7. Good scripts
8. Huge budgets
9. Computer animation
10. Cartoons
11. Digital video
12. Set designers
Radio journalist: It seems that almost every city now has its own film festival. This is a good thing it means
more people are watching films, and creates more opportunities for new and young directors, actors and filmmakers. But how can you make your festival different to all the others? One of the answers, it seems, is to
specialise
Valentina: There are hundreds of film festivals all over the world now. In Italy, where I live and work, there are
at least 20. We decided to make ours different shorter!
Radio journalist: This is Valentina Ricciardi. She is the curator of a festival of short films in Italy. Valentina, why
short films?
Valentina: Well, there are lots of reasons. Firstly, I think that short films are a very undervalued form.
Radio journalist: How do you mean?
Valentina: Well, a short film isnt just a normal film but shorter
Radio journalist: How is it different?
Valentina: Well, so many big films now have so many special effects and famous actors, that they often dont
have a story! Were not interested in special effects or leading A-list actors. None of that matters in a short
film. A short film is a real test of having a great script. Of being able to tell a good story in a few images.
Radio journalist: It goes back to what film is really about
Valentina: Exactly! Added to that, its so expensive to make a film now. First time directors cant hope to make
a full-length feature film. Short films are great places for new directors to practice their skills. You dont need a
huge budget to make a short film just a huge imagination!
Radio journalist: So money is also a factor?
Valentina: Of course. The big film festivals in Cannes and Venice cost a fortune to put on. Many short films are
now made using high quality digital video. This means they can be stored on DVD, so we dont have to
transport large, heavy reels of film.
Radio journalist: How is all this affecting the short film industry?
FINANCIALMANAGEMENTAUDIOSCRIPT
AradiointerviewwithRichardManors,achieffinancialofficer,
Optionalexercise ListenanddecideifthefollowingstatementsareTrueorFalse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Richardusedtomeasurebusinessperformancemainlybyusingprofitindicators.
Helearntaboutcashflowreturnoninvestmentonthebusinesscourse.
Richardsaysthatthecoursetaughthimthatitisimportanttoreduceproductioncosts.
NorthLondonConcretesbonussystemdependsonimprovingcashflow.
Richardsfirsttargetwastoreducepayables.
Richarddiscoveredthattheaveragecollectionperiodwas35days.
Thesalesdepartmenthadtotrytoselltocustomerswhopaidontime.
OnlythefinancedepartmentwereabletomeetRichardsfirsttarget.
Presenter:
Nowtocontinueourlookatexecutiveeducation,anditsroleinfinancialmanagement,wehave
withustodayRichardManors,ChieffinancialofficerofNorthLondonConcrete.Richard,youwentona
financialmanagementcourseacoupleofyearsago.Whateffecthasthathadonyourapproachto
managementofthecompany?
Richard:
ItcompletelychangedthewayIlookedatmeasuringbusinessperformance.BeforeIwenton
thecourseI,likemanypeopleinfinance,sawprofitindicatorsasthemostimportantmeasuresofperformance.
Thecourseopenedmyeyestoadifferentwayoflookingatacompanysfinancialhealth,bylookingatcash
flowreturnoninvestment.
Presenter:
Howdoesthatworkinpractice?
Richard:
Youhavetolookathowthecompanyscashisdeployed.Ifyoudontknowthecostofaproduct,
yourenotreallyincontrolofyourcompany.Andyouneedtoknowwhatshappeningtocashflowinthe
company.Whenyouveanalysedallthisyoucantakeactiontoimproveperformance.AtNorthLondon
Concretewelaunchedawholenewintegratedmanagementsystemaimedatimprovingcashflow.Wedecided
totiethecompanysbonussystem,whichallourfulltimeemployeesareentitledto,tofreeingupcashflow.
Whenweanalysedcompanycashflow,wediscoveredthatalotofourcashwastiedupinoutstanding
receivables,sothefirsttargetIsetwastoreducereceivablescollection.Wedecidedthattheaveragecollection
periodwaswaytoolong,andsetagoalofreducingitto35days.Toachievethisboththefinanceandsales
departmentshadtoworktowardsthegoal,financeworkingoncollectionsandthesalesdepartmenttargeting
customerswhopaidontime.Whentheyreachedthegoal,bothteamsgottheirbonuses.Nowwehaveless
companycashtiedupinreceivablesandpayables,andthecompanyscashflowsituationismuchhealthier.
Presenter:
company.
Soyouwouldsaythatattendingthatcoursehashadaverypositiveeffectonbothyouandyour
Richard:
Yes,IfeelthatImreallyinthedriversseatnow.Iknowhowthecompanyisdoingandcansee
howtoimproveperformance(fadeout).
Answers:1T,2T,3F,4T,5F,6F,7T,8F
FINDINGINFORMATION AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentothisextractfromaphoneinradioshowaboutfindinginformationontheInternet.
Optionalexercise: DecidewhetherthesestatementsareTRUEorFALSEaccordingtotherecording
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Allsearchenginesfollowthesamerules
Googleisconsideredonethebestsearchtools
YahoohasmorecategoriesthanGoogle
Therearesurprisinglyfewonlinedictionaries
Nowadaysmostlibrariesareonline
Googlehasmorethanabillionpictures
Kidsclickwasdesignedbyschoolteachers
IntutewassetupbyAmericanuniversities
I:Withustodayontheclick.on.linephoneinisJasonHadlington,anexpertinlookingforinformationontheinternet.Welcome
totheshowJason.
J:Thanks.Itsgoodtobehere.
I:Inthemodernworld,wheretimeisimportantandinformationiseverything,theinternetcanbeafantastictool.Butitcangive
uslotofheadachesifwedontknowwheretolook.So,Jason,whatsthesecrettoeffectivesearchingonthenet?
J:Well,thereareanumberofthingstobearinmind.Therearelotsofdifferentwaysoflookingforinfo.Unfortunatelyeach
searchengineorsearchtool hasbeendevelopedbydifferentgroupsofpeopleandsoeachonehasitsownwayof
looking,itsownrules.Thefirststepisfamiliarisingyourselfwiththoserules,orasmanyasyoucanatanyrate.
I:Wehaveourfirstcallerontheline.Brian?BrianPringle.DoyouhaveaquestionforJason?
Brian:Yes.HelloJason.WhicharethebestsearchtoolsifIwanttodoasearchwithkeywords?
J:Googleisthemostpopular,butYahooandMSNarenotfarbehind.
B:Andforafactualanswertoaspecificquestion?
J:Ask.com isgoodforthat.Butyouhavetophraseyourquestionwell.Thatsthetrick.Brainboostandfactbitesseemtowork
quitewelltoo.
I:ThankyouBrian.WehaveanothercalleronthelineKatie,KatieMoore.WhatsyourquestionKatie?
K:Hello.Yes,IdliketoaskJasonaboutgeneraltopicssportortravellingwhereisthebestplacetofindinformation?
J:Wellsomeofthesearchengineshavecategories.Yahooprovidesfourteenmaincategories,Googlehasgotsixteen.Soyou
cangodirectlytothecategorythatyouneedandtakeitfromthere.
K:AndifIdontknowhowtospellthekeyword?
J:(laughing)Easy!Therearelotsofgoodonlinedictionariessuchasdictionary.comorthefreedictionary.com.Ifyouarenot
verygoodatspellingitsprobablyagoodideatosaveadictionaryasoneofyourfavourites.
I:ThankyouKatie.Jason,whatifsomebodyprefersamoretraditionalwayoffindinginformation likeusingalibraryfor
instance
J:Noproblem.Thesedaysmostlibrariesareonline.The worldwidewebvirtuallibraryprovideseasyaccesstothesesites
thesevirtuallibrariesastheyareknown.
I:Virtuallibrarieseh?Ilikeit.WehaveanothercalleronthelineMartinfromBrighton.HelloMartin,whatsyourquestion?
M:Hello.IdliketoaskJasonaboutpictures.Images.Whicharethebestsitesforfindingimages?
FINDINGINFORMATION AUDIOSCRIPT
J:GoodquestionMartin.Onceagain,Googleisagoodresourcewithoverabillionimages.Yahoohasmoreoverabillionand
ahalf!
M:Andvideos?
J:Whohasntheardofyoutube?Butyoullfindsimilarsitesifyoudoa Googlesearchandnewsitesareopeningeveryweek,
everyday!
I:Thankyoumartin.Jasonwhataboutparentswhoareconcernedabouttheirkidsaccessingsensitivewebsites?Haveyou
gotanyadviceforthem?
J:Yes.Thisisarealworryforsomeparents.Kidsclickisasearchtoolforkids.Itwasdesignedbylibrarians.
I:Kidsclick?
J:Yes,kidsclickandyahooligans.Yahooligansisdesignedespeciallyforkidsagedbetweensevenandtwelve.
I:Ok,andIthinkwevegottimeforonelastquestion.Barbara,fromLeeds.
B:Hello.Idliketoaskaboutcurrentaffairs.Whichsitesarethemostreliable?
J:Well,myfavouriteistheBBCbbc.co.uk.Buteverymediaorganisationhasapresenceontheinternet.Itsjustamaterof
findingyourfavouriteandthenmaybebookmarkingitsothatyoucangetto itquickly.
B:OhandImauniversitystudent.CouldyourecommendanysearchenginesthatImightfindusefulformystudies?
J:Yes.MostoftheBritishuniversitieshavesetuptheirownsiteatwww.intute.ac.uk
I:Intute?
J:Yes,intute.Itsagreatsite.Withresourcesforeducationandresearchandmorethanonehundredthousandrecords.
Thesitealsohasavirtuallearningcentrejustwritevtsbeforetheintutesowww.vts.intute.ac.uk.Itsreallyvery
interesting
I:ThankyouJason.Imafraidthatsallwehavetimefornow.Nextweekon
ANSWERS: 1F,2T,3T,4F,5T,6T,7F,8F
FOOTBALLMANAGEMENTAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoaninterviewwithPaul,whoistrainingtobeafootballmanager.
Optionalexercise Listentotheinterviewandchoosethecorrectanswer.
(Answersbelow)
1. WhatdoesPaulsayabouthisfootballcareer?
a. Heplayedforalotofdifferentclubs.
b. HeplayedforManchesterUnited.
c. Hestoppedplayingwhenhewas16.
2.WhatdoesPaulthinkaboutalotoffootballmanagers?
a. Theyusuallyencourageplayerstobecomecoaches.
b. Theyrenotverygoodatmanagement.
c. Theyrenotverygoodatfootball.
3.Whendoeshehavetoattendthecourse?
a. Onceaweekforayear.
b. Mainlyinthesummer.
c. Fulltimeforayear.
Interviewer:
Paul,canyoutellmehowyougotinterestedinbeingafootballmanager?
Paul:
Yes,wellIstartedoutasaprofessionalfootballer.Iplayedforquiteafewclubsinthelower
leagues,andIevenhadatrialatManchesterUnited,althoughnothingcameofit.Inmylastclub,themanager
encouragedmetodosomecoaching,whichIreallyenjoyed.AndthatswhenIthoughtmaybeIcouldmakeit
asamanager.
Interviewer:
Sowhathappenednext?
Paul:
Istartedworkingformycoachinglicence,andthenIheardaboutacertificateinfootball
management,andappliedforaplaceonthecourse.
Interviewer: Ivealwaysthoughtthatmostmanagersjustlearnonthejob.Wereyounottemptedtojustgive
itagoanyway?
Paul:
Notreally.Iveseensomanymanagerscomeandgoandalotofthem,tobehonest,werent
reallythatgoodattheirjob.AndImyourtypicalfootballerIleftschoolat16soIhaventhadthatmuchofan
education.IdidntfeelconfidentthatIcoulddealwiththingslikefinanceandnegotiatingwithpeople.
Interviewer:
Andisthatthekindofthingyoulearnonthiscourse?
Paul:
Yes,itreallycoverseverythingyouneedtoknow:leadershipskills,talkingtothemedia,
handlingpressure,publicspeaking.Ivegotalotmoreconfidenceandamreallylookingforwardtomyfirst
managerialjob.
Interviewer:
Howdoesthecourseworkinpractice? Ibelieveyoureworkingaswellasstudying.
Paul:
Thatsright.AfterIgotmycoachinglicenceIgotajobasacoachwithaseconddivisionteam.
Itsnoproblemcombiningworkwithstudying,though.Infactyouneedtobeplayingorworkinginfootballtoget
onthecourse.Itfitsinwellbecausemostofthecoursetakesplaceduringtwosummerschools,oneatthe
beginningandoneattheendofthecourse.Thereareafewworkshopsduringtheyear,whichwefitaroundour
schedules.SoreallyImlearningonthejobIcanputintopracticewhatIvelearnt.
Interviewer:
Andfinally,wouldyourecommendthisrouteintofootballmanagement?
Paul:
Yes,mostdefinitely.Ithinkallmanagers,evenexistingones,shoulddothecourse.
Answers:1a,2b,3b
THE FUTURE OF EUROPE AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an interviewer asking two university students, Pete and Jacqui, what they think about the
European Union.
Optional activity:
While you listen, decide if the following sentences are true or false.
Sentence
True or false?
1. The EU has paid for a lot of urban regeneration in Liverpool.

2. Pete thinks that the EU has helped Liverpool.
3. Pete studied the European Constitution at University.
4. Pete thinks the Constitution will change life in Europe.
5. Pete thinks that the EU hasnt helped Liverpool.
6. Jacqui isnt interested in the Constitution at all.
7. Jacqui wants Europe to be successful.
8. Jacqui thinks that the Constitution could be useful for Europe.
Presenter: Welcome to Liverpool in the northwest of England and this weeks Youth in Europe discussion
coming from John Moors University in the heart of the city. Liverpool grew wealthy thanks to imperial commerce,
with the end of the British Empire in the post war years the city entered a long period of economic decline.
Recently the city has started to grow again economically. Last year Liverpool was chosen to be the European
Capital of Culture in 2008. Im Liz Hope and Ill be finding out what young people in Liverpool think of the
European Union and the European Constitution. Pete, do you think the EU has helped Liverpool?
Pete: I think so. A lot of the developments in the city have been paid for from EU urban regeneration funds.
Albert Dock, the original port area, has been re-developed, theres the National Maritime Museum, the Tate Art
Gallery and the Beatles Museum, thats my favourite, anyway theyre all there and a lot of Liverpudlians and
visitors from outside the city go there, its great ..... before there was just nothing there
Presenter: Ok, so you think the EU has been good to Liverpool ..
Pete: Yeah, Id say so .
Presenter: What about the European Constitution?
Pete: Well, to be honest I dont know much about it, I know last year they voted against it in France and Belgium
was it Belgium ...?
Presenter: the Netherlands ...
Pete: Yes, thats it, the Netherlands. Well, what does it change anyway, the Constitution? I mean were in the
EU now arent we, I cant see it making much difference to things ...
Presenter: OK, thanks Pete. Jacqui what does the EU mean to you?
Jacqui: Well not a lot really .. Like Pete says I like going to the Albert Dock and the Year of Culture should be
good for the city and fun too, I hope ..
Presenter: And the Constitution?
THE FUTURE OF EUROPE AUDIOSCRIPT
Jacqui: To be honest it means nothing to me at all. I know absolutely nothing about it. How are you supposed to
find out about it? How can it affect my life here? I just want to get a job when I finish my course next year.
Presenter: So youre not interested in what Europes going to be like in the future?
Jacqui: A bit, I suppose. If its successful I guess that might make it easier to get a job what do we need a
constitution for? I mean the whole EU is working now without one isnt it?
Answer:
Sentence
True or false?
1. The EU has paid for a lot of urban regeneration in Liverpool.
True
2. Pete thinks that the EU has helped Liverpool.
True
3. Pete studied the European Constitution at University.
False
4. Pete thinks the Constitution will change life in Europe.
False
5. Pete thinks that the EU hasnt helped Liverpool.
False
6. Jacqui isnt interested in the Constitution at all.
True
7. Jacqui wants Europe to be successful.
True
8. Jacqui thinks that the Constitution could be useful for Europe. False
FUTUREFUELSOURCESAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoanenergyexpert,SueBooth,talkingabouthowtouserenewableenergysourcesinthehome.
Optionalactivity:
Sentence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Trueorfalse?
Suesayshouseholderscandolittletoreducetheirenergybills.
Suesaysthatalotofenergyislostthroughthefloorsofhomes.
AccordingtoSuethekeytosavingmoneyisbetterinsulationinhomes.
Householderscanproducepowertoo.
HousesintheUKcanproduceelectricityusingphotovoltaiccells.
Photovoltaiccellscanproducehotwater.
Itcosts3,000toinstallsolarpanelsforanaverageUKhome.
TheUKgovernmenthelphouseholderstobuysolarpanels.
Interviewer:Goodmorning,todayinthestudiowehaveSueBoothfromEcoPower,shesheretotellusabout
renewableenergysourcesandhowwecanusetheminourhomes.
Sue:Goodmorning...
Interviewer:Sue,energyisahottopicatthemoment,withpetrolpricesatrecordhighs,gasshortagesand
priceincreaseseverywhere,whatcantheaveragehouseholderdotosavemoney?
Sue:Well,weretalkingabouttheUKhereIthinktherearetwoissues.
Interviewer:Whatarethese?
Sue:Well,firstweneedtouseenergyinthehomemoreefficiently,thenwecanlookatacoupleofwaysof
usingrenewableenergysourcesinthehome
Interviewer:OK,howcanImakemyhomemoreenergyefficient?
Sue:Letsstartwithinsulationmakesurethattheroofandthewallsofyourhouseareinsulated,andyoull
savemoneyonyourheatingbills.Nextlookatyourwindows,dotheseclosewell?Doyouhavedraughts?
Considerinstallingdoubleglazingthisisexpensiveinitiallybutagainyoullsaveinthelongterm..
Interviewer:Ok,soinsulateseemstobethekeyword
Sue:Definitely,yes,nowasregardsactuallyproducingenergyinthehome,solarpowerisasolution
Interviewer:Energyfromthesun?Inthiscountry?
Sue:Typicalreaction..youknowitispossibletoproduceenergyfromthesuneveninthiscountry.Thereare
twopossibilities,thesunsenergycanbeusedtoproduceelectricityusingphotovoltaiccells
Interviewer:Sorrywhatwasthat..?
Sue:Photovoltaiccellstheseconvertenergyfromthesunintoelectricity
Interviewer:Isee
Sue:Orsolarpanelscanbeusedtoproducehotwater
Interviewer:WhichdoyourecommendfortheaverageBritishhousehold?
Sue:Well,ofthetwoIdrecommendsolarpanelstoheatwaterforcentralheatingandshowers.
FUTUREFUELSOURCESAUDIOSCRIPT
Interviewer:Howmuchdoesthiscost?
Sue:Wellitshardtosayprecisely,thisdependsonthesizeofthehouse,butforanaveragehouseintheUK
installationcostswouldbefourtofivethousandpounds
Interviewer:Ratheralotofmoney
Sue:Initiallyyes,butwithinthreeyearsthesystemwillhavepaidforitselfandtherearegovernmentgrants
availabletohelpwiththeinstallationcosts
Interviewer:Sosolarpowerstheanswer
Sue:Itcandefinitelyhelptoreducethosegasandelectricitybills
Answerkey:
1.F2.F3.T4.T5.T6.F7.F8.T.
FUTUREOFENGLISH AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentothecontroversialLinguisticsexpertProfessorMcKenzietalkingaboutthefutureoftheEnglish
language.
Optionalexercise
DecidewhetherthesestatementsareTRUEorFALSEaccordingtoProfessorMcKenzie.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
IfyoudonotknowEnglishyoucanbeatadisadvantage.
EnglishwillsoonbespokenbyeverybodyintheWorld.
By2010halftheWorldspopulationwillspeakEnglish.
CompetitorsattheEurovisionSongContestwillneverbeunanimousinchoosingtosinginEnglish.
NativeEnglishandMajorityEnglishwillbecomethetwopredominanttypesofEnglish.
(Answersbelow)
FormanyyearsnowwehavebeenreferringtoEnglishasagloballanguage,asthelanguageofcommunication
andtechnology.EverybodyseemstobelearningEnglishanditisntuncommontoseeEnglishbeingusedasa
meansofcommunicationbetween,letssee,aGermanscientistandanItalianpolitician.Thesedays,ifyou
dontknowEnglish,youareindangerofbeingexcludedfromwhatsgoingonineducation,atworkand
especiallyintheworldoftechnologicaladvances.
VerysoonEnglishwillbethesecondlanguageofallthepeopleintheworld.ThisishappeningwhileIam
speakingtoyou.Wecantbecertainofhowlongtheprocesswilltakebutthereisnodoubtthatitwillhappen
andmybetisthatitwillhappensoonerratherthanlater.
FirstofallEnglishwillbeanobligatorysubjectoneveryschoolcurriculumthroughouttheworld.Bytheyear
2010aroundtwobillionpeoplethatsaboutathirdoftheWorldspopulationwillspeakEnglishastheirsecond
language.Thisisntmypredictionbytheway.Thisiswhattheexpertssay.
Wecanseeevidenceofthesechangesallthetime.LetstaketheEurovisionSongContestasanexample.
Whateverwemightthinkofthecontestitself,onethingthathaschangedrecentlyisthatnowcountriescanopt
tosinginEnglish.Inthelastfestivalfourteenofthetwentyfivecompetingcountriesaskedfortherulestobe
changedtoallowthemtosinginEnglish.Theyarguedthatsingingintheirownlanguagewouldputthemata
disadvantage.IsuspectthatinafewyearstimealltwentyfivecountrieswillbesinginginEnglish.
AndwhatexactlydoesallofthismeanfornativespeakersofEnglish?Well,wearealreadyinaminority.Ifthe
calculationsarecorrect,thenintenyearstime,majorityspeakersthatisnonnativeEnglishspeakerswill
outnumbernativeEnglishspeakersbyfourtoone.ThetwomostimportantEnglisheswontbeBritishEnglish
andAmericanEnglish.TheyllbeNativeEnglishandMajorityEnglish.SonativeEnglishspeakerswillbe
handicapped.Wewillbetheonlypeopleintheworldwhospeakjustonelanguage.Because,letsfaceit,there
wontbemuchofareasonfornativeEnglishspeakerstolearnasecondlanguage.We,andnotthemajority
Englishspeakers,willbethedisadvantaged.
AsmoreandmorepeoplespeakEnglish,itmakessensethattheywillbecomemorecompetent.Theywillstart
tocontrolmoreoftheEnglishresourcesbeingproducedandtohaveasayinwhatshouldorshouldntbe
includedindictionariesandlanguagebooks.Thismightseemfarfetchedbutitisalreadystartingtohappen.
LetsuseSwedenasanexample.TheirmusicexportspredominantlyEnglishaccountfor morethanthirtyper
centoftheirexportincome.ThisexportedEnglishisboundtohaveaneffectonEnglishingeneral.Andthisis
justonesmallexample.
SoallofyounativeEnglishspeakersoutthere,getreadytothrowawayyourphrasebooks.Whetheryoure
planningtovisitEasternEuropeortheHimalayas,onethingyouwonthavetoworryaboutisthelanguage!
Answers:
1.True,2.True,3.False,4.False,5.True
GAS INDUSTRY AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a business news report about the gas industry.

Optional activity:
While you listen, complete these sentences with words taken from the report.
1. Gas will soon become as important to the world as _____ is today.
2. There has been a global _____ in demand for natural gas.
3. The cleanest fossil fuel to burn is _____.
4. In the past it was only possible to transport gas short distances using _____.
5. Gas can now be frozen into _____ form and shipped in refrigerated tankers.
6. LNG is the abbreviation for liquefied _____ _____.
7. There are _____ and _____ risks associated with the development of LNG.
8. Despite high _____ costs, energy firms are investing heavily in LNG projects.
9. _____ could soon have a high level of control over the LNG market.
10. Experts say that gas could be the dominant fuel for the next _____ years.
Next on tonights business investment news well be looking at the gas industry. Many analysts, energy
companies and their investors believe that gas will soon become as vital to the worlds economy as petroleum is
today.
And weve certainly seen the demand for gas surge in recent years. One of the main reasons for this is the
search for more environmentally-friendly fuels. Gas burns much more cleanly than oil or coal. In fact, it's the
cleanest burning fossil fuel, which makes it a very popular choice for new power stations all over the world.
However, until quite recently it was difficult, if not impossible, for the global gas industry to develop. The reason
for this? Well, the problem is that gas, by its very nature, isnt as easy to transport as oil and coal.
Obviously, its gaseous at room temperature, so a system of pipelines is needed to get it to the customer. This
meant in the past, it could only be sold to customers who lived near a natural gas supply. It was too expensive
to transport it very long distances via pipelines.
Fortunately, there is now a process which makes it easier to transport gas over longer distances. Its called
liquefied natural gas. Put simply, gas can now be frozen into liquid form and transported to distant countries in
refrigerated tankers. When the LNG is delivered it is heated and converted back into gas form. Then it is
supplied to customers using local pipelines.
Having said that, there are two main risks associated with LNG: financial and political. Firstly, the cost of
producing and shipping LNG today is still higher than transporting oil, although rapid innovations are reducing
the costs. For instance, bigger tankers can now be used. Whats more, the energy industry is expected to invest
a massive $100 billion in LNG over the next ten years despite the high capital costs.
Secondly, Russia and the former Soviet Union hold the worlds largest natural gas reserves. Some analysts are
therefore concerned that Russia will have a high level of control over the global LNG market within the next
decade.
So, as we can see there are political and financial risks associated with the LNG business. Yet, the potential
profits are enormous for energy firms with the capital to develop LNG projects. And many experts believe that
gas will be the dominant fuel for at least another 50 years.
Answer key:
1. petroleum 2. surge 3. gas 4. pipelines 5. liquid 6. natural gas 7. financial/political 8.
capital 9. Russia 10. 50
GENETICCOUNSELLINGAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoanonlinebroadcastwhichtakesplacesometimeintheyear2014
Optionalexercise Whichpersonmentionsthefollowingtopics,theInterviewer(I)ortheGeneticCounsellor
(GC)?Theyarenotintheorderyouhearthem. (Answersbelow)
a.anewwayofkeepingpersonalmedicalinformation
b.childreninheritingdiseasesfromtheirparents
c.newgenetictests
d.peoplegoingtocounsellinginpairs
e.patientbeingabletochoose
f.patientsbeingabletoseequicklywhichdiseasetheymightsufferfrominthefuture
InterviewerGoodafternoonandwelcometoHealthForum.TodaywehavewithusKateHulme,whoisageneticcounsellor
withtheDerbyshireHealthZone.Tellusfirstofallabitaboutyourbackground.
GeneticcounsellorYes,wellIvebeenintheprofessionforabouttenyearsnowanditschangedalittlesinceIstarted.
Traditionally,geneticcounsellingwasallaboutofferingadviceandsupportforpeoplewhomightbeatriskfromdeveloping
cancer,orforexpectant motherstomakeinformeddecisionsaboutthevarioustestsavailablefortheirunbornchild,for
thingslikeDownsSyndromeorCysticFibrosis
Interviewerconditionsbasedonasinglegenedefect...
Geneticcounsellor...thatsright,andanotherimportantaspectwasthediscussionwehadwiththepatientaboutprobabilities
andmanagingrisk,andaboutwhoelsemightbeaffectedbywhateverdecisiontheytake.Thatsstillpartofthejob...
InterviewerButthingshavemovedonsincethosedays,haventthey?Awholenewrangeofgenetictestshaverecently
becomeavailable
GeneticcounsellorWell,indeed.ThejobIdothesedayshaschangedsignificantlysincetheNationalMutationSearch
Programmewascompleted.Thishasopenedupawholenewsetofmedicalandpersonalquestionsforpatientsandtheir
families.
Interviewer Whatstheprocessyougothroughwithapatientwhocomestoyou?
GeneticcounsellorWell,anincreasingnumberofclientshavebeentotheirdoctorandtakenthenewcombinedGenProfile,
theonewiththehundredorsotests,perhapsbecausetheyreatanagewheretheyrethinkingofbuyingahouse,startinga
family,thatsortofthing,sotheyreworriedaboutgettinglifeinsuranceorpassingsomethingontotheirchildren
InterviewerYougetalotofcouplesIbelieve
GeneticcounsellorThatsright.Anyway,wetakethemthroughtheconsequencesofeachresultbycrossreferencingtheir
familyhistoryfilewiththeircurrenthealthindex.Thenwecangivethemprobabilityratingssothattheclientcansee
potentialproblemareasataglance.Inmostcaseswecanofferconcreteadviceaboutareasoffutureriskbehaviour
associatedwithdiet,lifestyleandsoon.Thingstheymightliketoconsider
Interviewerbutultimatelyitsuptothemwhethertheytakeyouradvice?
GeneticcounsellorYes,absolutely.Obviously,anindividualshealthstatusisnownolongeramatterforthatpersonalone...
InterviewerYoumeanthenewNHSswipecardthatthegovernmentbroughtinlastmonth?
Geneticcounselloryes,andwerestillexplainingtheimplicationsofthat,addressingpeoplesconcernsabout
confidentialityandsoon.Butmoreoftenwhattheywantissomesupportandreassuranceaboutthespecificgene
interventiontheymighthavetoembarkonand
InterviewerSotalkingthingsthroughisstillakeypartofyourwork?
GeneticcounsellorOh,forsure
Answers:aI,bGC,cI,dI,eI,fGC
GLOBALWORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentopartofatalkaboutglobalworkforcedevelopment.
Optionalexercise
Whatisthemainthemeofthistalk?
a. Howcompaniescanhelptheiremployeesbecomeglobalready.
b. Whatstudentscandotobecomeglobalready.
c. Howuniversitiescanhelpstudentstobecomeglobalready.
(Answerbelow)
Oneofthebiggestchallengesfacingemployersandeducatorstodayistherapidadvanceofglobalisation.The
marketplaceisnolongernationalorregional,butextendstoallcornersoftheworld,andthisrequiresaglobal
readyworkforce.Universitieshavealargeparttoplayinpreparingstudentsforthetwentyfirstcenturylabour
marketbypromotinginternationaleducationalexperiences.
Themostobviouswayuniversitiescanhelpdevelopaglobalworkforceisbyencouragingstudentstostudy
abroadaspartoftheircourse.Studentswhohaveexperiencedanotherculturefirsthandaremorelikelytobe
globalreadywhentheygraduate.Thereare,ofcourse,wellestablishedinternationalundergraduatestudent
exchangeschemes,suchasErasmus,whichoperateswithinEurope,andtheexchangepartnershipsthatexist
betweenuniversitiesaroundtheworld.TheFulbrightprogramintheUSenablesgraduatestudentstostudy
andconductresearchabroad. Weneedtoexpandandaddtosuchschemes,toenablemanymorestudentsto
studyabroad.
Globalworkforcedevelopmentdoesntalwayshavetoinvolvetravelabroad,however.Ifstudentslearnanother
language,andstudyothercultures,theywillbemoreglobalreadywhentheygraduate.Itisimportanttopoint
outthatstudentsalsoneedtohaveadeepunderstandingoftheirownculturebeforetheycanbegintoobserve,
analyseandevaluateothercultures.Inmulticulturalsocieties,peoplecanstudyeachothersculturesto
developinterculturalcompetenciessuchascriticalandreflectivethinking,andintellectualflexibility.Thiscanbe
doneboththroughthecurriculum,andthroughactivitiesoncampusoutsideoftheclassroomsuchasart
exhibitionsandlecturesfrominternationalexperts.
Manyuniversitiesarealreadyembracingthischallengeandprovidingopportunitiesforstudentstobecome
globalcitizens.Studentsthemselves,however,maynotrealisethatwhentheygraduatetheywillbecompeting
inagloballabourmarket,anduniversitiesneedtoraiseawarenessoftheseissuesamongstundergraduates.
Answer: c
HYBRID CARS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio show host talking to a guest about a hybrid car she test-drove.
Presenter:
Welcome to the programme, Linda.
Linda:
Thanks.
Presenter:
Now youve been test-driving a hybrid car, the Honda Civic Hybrid.
Linda:
Thats right. I spent three days last week trying it out.
Presenter:
Now I know that you were very interested in test-driving a hybrid. Why is that?
Linda:
Ive been thinking of buying one for some time now. Ideally I would prefer to use public
transport all the time, but my job means I have to have a car. I do a lot of driving around town, and Id like to
feel I was doing something to reduce air pollution.
Presenter:
Yes, hybrid cars produce fewer emissions than conventional cars, as well as using less fuel.
Now at the moment only two major car manufacturers produce hybrid cars, Toyota and Honda. You chose the
Honda Civic hybrid. Why is that?
Linda:
similar.
I used to drive a conventional Honda Civic, so I was interested in seeing if the hybrid car is
Presenter:
And is it?
Linda:
Yes. From the outside it looks almost the same. And inside its very similar, until you look at
the instrument panel. Then you notice a gauge showing fuel consumption, and a display that shows when the
electric motor is being used to boost the engine power, and when the battery is being recharged.
Presenter:
When you drove the car, how did it compare to the conventional Honda Civic?
Linda:
It felt very similar. Sometimes it felt like it had a little less power, but thats not really a problem
when driving round town. The main difference was that its quieter, and when you stop at traffic lights the petrol
engine shuts down, so its completely silent.
Presenter:
Does that cause a problem when you start moving again?
Linda:
Not at all. As soon as you start putting it into gear the engine instantly starts up again. You
dont notice anything. And imagine how nice it would be if all car engines stopped running at traffic lights
there would be so much less pollution in town.
Presenter:
So all in all, driving the hybrid car was a positive experience.
Linda:
Yes, and I will certainly consider buying one.
Presenter:
Were there any downsides?
Linda:
Well, the boot is smaller than a conventional Civic, and it is more expensive. But then you save
money on fuel costs.
Presenter:
So you would recommend a hybrid.
Linda:
its ideal.
Based on this experience, yes. For someone like me, who doesnt need a really powerful car,
Presenter:
Thanks very much.
IMPROVING YOUR CONCENTRATION AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to different people talk about how noise effects their concentration.
See how much you understand by trying the activity below and checking the answers below the audio script.
Comprehension activity:
In each case, match a summary of what was said to the speaker. The speakers are in the order in which you
hear them.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Speaker
Martina
Rachel
Romesh
Mark
John
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Summary statement
I have a clear policy on when I can have distractions.
I was surprised to find I couldnt work like I had expected to.
Its often difficult for me to find the ideal working conditions.
My expertise makes it easier for me to listen to music while I work.
Whether I listen to music or not depends on the amount of attention the task
requires.
Martina:
It depends what Im doing. I can listen to music of any kind when Im doing a translation, I like it, it helps me
even, but if Im doing some complex maths then I have to have silence. It depends on the level of concentration
thats needed, I guess.
Rachel:
No, it has to be complete silence for me. Its a real problem actually because I live in a shared house with lots
of other students in the middle of a noisy city. Its very difficult to get real peace and quiet. When I can I go
back to my parents who live out in the country. Its good when I have lots of exams to study for because its so
peaceful out there no disturbances at all!
Romesh:
A bit of background buzz in the office is essential for me. I like working in a lively atmosphere, people around,
chat, the radio on perhaps. It generates an energy which I find helps me concentrate. I once came in to work
on a Sunday when I had a big project to finish off the deadline was the next day and I thought it would be
quiet on a Sunday, no one else around. Well, it was quiet and there was no one here, and you know what? It
drove me mad! I couldnt stand it!
Mark:
I cant stand noise or distractions of any kind when Im trying to concentrate, though I realise its essential in a
busy working environment. However, I have my quiet hour between 3 and 4 every afternoon. People know
not to disturb me except in an emergency. No phone calls, mobile switched off, door shut. Its a good strategy.
I get most of my work done in that time. Im not distracted by troubleshooting problems.
John:
We always have music on while we work. People are often surprised to hear it, but my job is actually quite
routine and boring. Of course, it takes skill and knowledge but the experience I have means that most of the
time theres absolutely no problem. I think we put music on to combat the boredom rather than aid
concentration. And we put on something very fast, like the Ride of the Valkyries when theres a backlog of
work to do and we have to get through the patients very quickly.
Comprehension Answer:
1-e; 2-c; 3-b; 4-a; 5-d.
IMPROVING YOUR MEMORY AUDIOSCRIPT
A lecturer describes a technique to improve your recall.

Im going to describe a memory technique called the journey method. It combines the link system and peg
methods in a way that makes a very powerful tool for remembering long lists or quite complex information.
The key to the journey method is to think of a route that you know very well. It could be your route to work, or to
a relatives house. Then you need to think of the important places, the landmarks along this route. Examples of
landmarks are doors, traffic lights, buildings you pass on the journey, etc. At this stage its a good idea to write
the landmarks down on a piece of paper in the order they occur on the route. This makes sure that you have
the route and landmarks very clear in your head. Now you are ready to remember your first list.
Well start with a simple example. You are using your route to the supermarket as the journey, and you have to
remember a shopping list. The first three items on your list are coffee, milk and tomatoes. The first three
landmarks on your journey are the front door, your garden and your car. You visualise hurriedly drinking a cup
of coffee as you open the front door. You go outside and see it has been raining milk, and there is a big puddle
of milk in your garden. Then you get to your car, and the roof is covered with tomatoes. You continue this way,
making each image as memorable as possible.
Once you have mastered this method, you will find that it is a very flexible memory tool. You can have several
different journeys, which can be used in either direction. You can also add events and landmarks to a route to
accommodate longer lists of information, and for short lists you can just use part of a route.
INDIANPOPMUSIC AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoaninterviewwithMaheshGupta,tablaplayerandDJabouthismusic.
Optionalexercise: Decideifthesestatementsaretrueorfalse. (Answersbelow).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Maheshthinksthatthetwostylesofmusicheplaysarecompletelydifferent.
Rhythmissomethingfundamentaltoallmusic.
Maheshthinksthatlivemusicdoesntworkinclubs.
HethinksthatitistooearlytotryDjingataclassicalmusicconcert.
IndianaudiencesarefarmorelivelythanWesternones.
Maheshisalwayslookingfornewexperiences.
Interviewer(I):Mahesh,youtrainedasaclassicalIndianmusician,butnowyouspendmostofyourtime
playingrecordsinnightclubstheyretwoverydifferentthings!
Mahesh(M):Well,yes,theyarethetwoworldsareverydifferent,butthereissomethingthatconnects
them
I:andwhatsthat?
M:Rhythm.Aninterestinrhythm.RhythmisfundamentaltoeverythingthatIdo.Whetheritstherhythmic
sectionofaclassicalIndianraga,orsomeAsianUndergroundelectronicbeatsinaclub
I:Andyoumixthetwothingsdontyou?
M:YesIveplayedlivetablatoelectronicaccompanimentinclubsinEurope.
I:Howhasthatgonedown?
M:ReallywellIthinkpeoplearegettingboredofordinaryclubsandfacelessDJs.Somelivemusicisagreat
addition.
I:AndhaveyoutrieddjingforaclassicalIndianaudienceontheotherhand?
M:No!Imnotquitesuretheworldsreadyforthatyetstill,itsaninterestingidea!
I:HowareaudiencesforyourmusicdifferentinIndiaandinEurope?
M:Well,theclassicalaudiencesarefarmoresedateinEuropethaninIndia.
I:Howdoyoumean?
M:Well,intheWestpeoplethinktheyhavetorespectthemusic,andtoshowtheirrespecttheyallsitthere
veryquietly,asiftheyareatamuseumorsomething.
I:AndinIndia?
M:Peopleparticipatemuchmoretheyllclapwhentheyappreciatesomethingandshoutwhentheydont!
I:FinallyMahesh,whatdoesthefutureholdforyou?
M:Anewrecordintheautumn,thennextyearImlookingforwardtoanewcollaborationwithsomeLatin
AmericanmusiciansImalwayslookingfornewfrontiers!
Answers:1F,2T,3F,4T,5T,6T
INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS PEOPLE AUDIOSCRIPT
David Summers, author of the recently published Keys to Success is being interviewed about his
book on influential business people.
David Summers = DS
Interviewer:
So what is it that makes a businessman or business woman influential?
DS:
Well, first we ought to think about what we mean by influential. Lots of business people enjoy
success but relatively few become influential, really have an influence, on the people around them, on society,
on the world Interviewer.
Ok, so who would you say were influential? What names come to mind?
DS.
Well, sometimes it isnt the names that come to mind, sometimes its the product. Obviously
weve got the big names - Bill Gates, Henry Ford, people like that. Sometimes the names are not familiar at all like Sam Walton.
Interviewer:
Sam who?
DS:
Exactly! (both laugh) Sam Walton was the man who perfected the idea of the discount store.
The Wal-Mart stores are his. Its the biggest chain of retailers in the world and in the States Wal-Mart employs
more than 1.3 million people.
Interviewer:
Wow! Hes a rich man!
DS:
He was. He died in 1992, but yes, his heirs are worth more than $100 billion - thats more than
Bill Gates. If he was alive today hed probably be the richest man in the world.
Interviewer:
So, he invented the discount store.
DS:
Ah no - and thats another point he didnt invent the discount store, he just perfected it.
Sometimes a great idea is already out there, and it takes a great mind to see the potential and to turn the idea
around. Other successful business people take an idea thats already a success and just change the context.
Interviewer:
Im not sure that I follow you -
DS:
cars.
Well, earlier we mentioned Henry Ford. He invented the assembly line. He used it to produce
Interviewer:
Yes?
DS:
Well, Ray Kroc -
Interviewer:
Ah, the McDonalds guy!
DS:
Yes, well, what he did was to take Fords idea of the assembly line - and bring it into the
kitchen. The initial idea was there - he just adapted it.
Interviewer:
So, lets go back to my original question: what sets these people apart from ordinary business
people? What make them so influential?
DS:
Well, I suppose there are a number of factors. First of all there is an element of luck.
Interviewer:
Being in the right place at the right time?
DS:
Yes, but obviously thats not enough in itself. You have to be able to see a gap in the market.
Sometimes a certain amount of business training or experience is necessary for that.
INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS PEOPLE AUDIOSCRIPT
Interviewer:
Ok, so were talking about an idea, having an idea that would fill a gap.
DS:
Yes. For an idea to be successful, you have to do a lot of forward planning, a lot of thinking.
Sometimes these great business people have an idea for years and years, decades even, before its actually
put into action.
Interviewer:
Ok, what else? What other things are necessary?
DS.
Well, great business people have to be prepared to take big risks.
Interviewer:
What do you mean?
DS:
Well, for every great idea that works, there are probably hundreds - or thousands - that dont.
You have to be prepared to deal with failures as well as successes.
Interviewer:
And I suppose that implies having a certain amount of money at your disposal.
DS:
Yes, business people will need to invest both time and money.
Interviewer:
So does that mean that all influential business people are also rich?
DS:
No, that doesnt necessarily follow. If youve got a really good business plan and a firm idea of
how to make it work, then you stand a chance of convincing others to invest in you. So, I suppose we could say
that having a convincing nature is also a requirement.
Interviewer:
The gift of the gab?
DS: (laughing)
Indeed! The gift of the gab! (both laugh and fade out)
INVESTINGINYOUTHAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentothisexcerptfromaradiotalkshowabouttheimportanceofgirlsattendingschoolsinUganda.
Optionalactivity: Whileyoulisten,decidewhetherthefollowingsentencesaretrueorfalse.
Sentence
Trueorfalse?
1. LillianMasugaisanexpertondevelopmentproblems.
2. LillianworksfortheUgandangovernment.
3. Lillianworkstohelpboysstayoninschool.
4. Ifagirlleavesschoolearlyshewillmarryearly.
5. Girlswhocompleteschoolgetbetterjobs.
6. ManychildreninUgandahavelostboththeirparentsbecauseofHIV.
7. HIVinfectionratesarestillincreasinginUganda.
8. Lillianisoptimisticaboutthefuture.
OurPlanetradioshowfromKampala,Uganda
Presenter:WelcometothisweekseditionofOurPlanet.ThisweektheprogrammecomesfromKampalainUganda.With
meinthestudioisLillianMasugadevelopmentexpert.WelcomeLillian..
Lillian:Thankyousomuch
Presenter:Lillian,yourecloselyinvolvedwithyoungpeopleinUgandacanyoutellussomethingaboutyourwork?
Lillian:Ofcourse.Iworkforannongovernmentalagency anNGOouraimistohelpasmanygirlsaspossibleto
completetheirsecondaryeducationinUganda.
Presenter:Whyisitsoimportantforgirlstostayinschool?
Lillian:Forsomanyreasons...Whenagirlcompletessecondaryschoolshehasbetterchanceofgettingajob.Shell
probablymarrylaterandhavefewerchildrenthannormal.Abetterjobandfewerchildrenmeansthatherfamilywillbe
lookedafterbetter.
Presenter:Isee...
Lillian:Youknow,ifagirlmarriesbeforecompletingsecondaryschoolstatisticsshowthatshellhaveapoorlypaidjob,and
willhavemorechildren.Thosechildrenwillhavefeweropportunitiesbecausetheirfamilybackgroundwillbepoorerthisis
whyImreallypassionateaboutgirlsstayingontocompletetheirsecondaryeducations....
Presenter:Andyourotherareasofwork?
Lillian:SchoolsagoodplacetoinformyoungpeopleaboutHIVabouthowthevirusistransmittedandhowtheycan
protectthemselves.WerehavingsomesuccessnowinUganda,infectionratesaregoingdown,butitsbeenhardwork....
Presenter:Whatsbeenthehardestthing?
Lillian:Wellyouknowtheviruscausesterriblehumansuffering.Somanychildrenhavelostboththeirparents.Whenthis
happensoftenthegrandparentslookafterthechildren,theycantsendthechildrentoschool,sochildrenstoptheir
schooling.Laterthesechildrencantfindgoodjobs,theyliveinpoverty.
Presenter:Awarenessandpreventionisthekey...
Lillian:Thatsright,wetakethemessagetotheschools,youngpeopleneedtoknowhowtoprotectthemselvesfromthe
virus.
Presenter:Lillian,areyouoptimisticforthefuture?
Lillian:WehavemadeprogressinUganda,theresstillalottodo,butyes,Iamoptimistic
Answerkey: 1.T2.F3.F4.T5.T6.T7.F8.T.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AUDIOSCRIPT
A radio interview with a human resources manager

Interviewer:
Hello. Today on Business Focus I am talking about Knowledge Management with Ms.
Twomey, who is the Human Resource Manager for a large, multi-national company. Ms. Twomey, has
Knowledge Management changed the way your company works?
Ms. Twomey:
Oh yes, since adopting Knowledge Management strategies, we have had to make many
changes to the way we work, from changing the technology we use and the way we use it, to changing peoples
ideas about the best way to work.
Interviewer:
And what has been the biggest challenge?
Ms. T:
Without a doubt it is has been trying to get our staff to accept and adopt knowledge
management practices. This was a tough challenge because our company had a culture which was not
particularly open to the idea of knowledge management. So, I would say definitely the people side required the
biggest change.
Interviewer:
You mention a company culture. Can you explain what you mean by that?
Ms. T:
Yes, certainly. Imagine you start work for a particular company. In the beginning you are not
sure what you can and cant do. For example, can I go for a coffee break at 11? Or, who should I speak to if I
have a problem with the computer? Over time, you see what your fellow colleagues do you take their lead
and you adapt your way of working to how the other employees in that company work. You learn what is
acceptable behaviour for that company. One of the best definitions of company culture is its the way things are
done round here.
Interviewer:
Management?
Why did your company culture create such a challenge when adopting Knowledge
Ms. T:
Well, knowledge management is often about knowledge sharing the company wants to be
able to make the useful knowledge that one person has, available for other people to use. However, people can
be very protective of what they know, there is prestige in being a recognised expert and having people ask you
for your help. Obviously, if you share your knowledge so that it is freely available to everyone, you are giving up
some of that prestige and you may also feel that you are giving up some power. You may think that your
knowledge is the reason why you have a job in the first place. So for a company it is obviously not enough just
to say well, now we think you should share your knowledge. And in our company, experts did have status
and there was also considerable prestige gained by thinking up new, original ideas rather than re-using the
good ideas which worked for other people in other offices. So in these 2 areas of trying to implement Knowledge
Management strategies, that of sharing knowledge and that of re-using knowledge, our company culture, the
way we did things round here, had to change.
Interviewer:
How were you able to overcome these problems?
Ms T:
Well, first we had to make sure that our people understood the competitive advantage the
company stood to gain if we changed our way of working. We organised staff meetings in each of our offices to
introduce the aims of the KM strategies we were going to adopt. We also set up a group of Knowledge
Management Champions throughout our network of offices. The duty of the Champions was to help get people
on board and enthusiastic about KM and to be a point of reference on KM for the local offices. The Champions
were fundamental to spreading the KM message and also provided an important link between HQ and local
offices.
As well as the personnel aspect of KM, we also had to bring in new technology to help us. We set up special
pages on our intranet which provided information on what was happening in our offices and we asked
employees to advertise their fields of experience and interest so that it became much easier to find the
knowledge we needed we put these on a special database which everyone had access to. We also invested
in new technology which made having online conferences easier to organise.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AUDIOSCRIPT
Interviewer:
It sounds like it was a lot of work
Ms. Twomey:
Indeed it was and in the beginning there were some problems and hiccups but we are really
seeing the benefits of implementing Knowledge Management now, as there is greater communication between
the offices and people are realising that if we all work together, we can achieve much better results.
Interviewer:
Well, thank you Ms Twomey, for agreeing to talk to us about Knowledge Management. That
is all for today from Business Focus. Next week we shall be talking to the managing director of a chemical
company who (fades away)
LEADERSHIPAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoadiscussiononwhatisagoodleadertakingplaceduringsomestafftraining.
Optionalactivity:
Sentence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Trueorfalse?
Theworkersareattendingamarketingtrainingsession.
Ian,SueandWendyfulfilsomekindofmanagerialroleintheircompany.
Alisonisfacilitatingthetrainingsession.
Practicewhatyoupreachmeansyoushoulddowhatyoutellotherpeopleto
do.
Ifsomethinghasntworkedoutithasbeensuccessful.
Wendylikesfindingoutaboutcompanymattersfromcoffeemachinegossip.
Wendythinksmanagersshouldnttellcolleaguesbadnews.
Ian,SueandWendyagreewitheachothersideas.
Alison:Goodafternooneveryone.Nowyoureallgroupleaderswithsomeresponsibilitiesforpeopleworkingin
yourteams.IntodaystrainingsessionIwantustothinkaboutwhatmakesagoodleaderintheworkplace.Is
thatOK?
Ian:Alison,arewetalkingaboutmanagershere,orallcolleagues?
Alison:Idliketotalkaboutcolleaguesingeneral,anyoneintheworkplace,Idontwanttolimitthediscussion
solelytomanagers,isthatOK?
All:Fine,yeah,sure
Alison:Ian,wouldyouliketokickoff?Whatqualitiesshouldagoodleaderhave?
Ian:Well,youknowIthinkthemostimportantthingistopractisewhatyoupreach,youknow,youcantgo
roundtellingpeopletodosomethinginonewayandtheyyoudoitinacompletelydifferentway.Youvegotto
beagoodrolemodelforpeople...
Alison:OK,thanks,Sue,anyotherideas?
Sue:Well,IagreewithIanthere.IjustwanttosaythatIdontlikemanagerswhoblameotherpeoplefortheir
ownmistakes.Iknowwerenotjusttalkingaboutmanagers,Ithinkitsimportantforeverybodytotake
responsibilityforwhattheydo.Noonesperfect,everyonemakesmistakes.Ithinkyoushouldtrustpeopleand
justadmititifsomethinghasntworkedout,managerstoo,Imean,theyrehumanarentthey....someofthem
areanyway...(laughter)
Alison:OK,soweretalkingabouttrustingcolleaguesandbeingresponsibleforyourwork,OK,fine..Wendy,
anythoughts?
Wendy:Letssee,formeIthinkifyouwantpeopletobeonyourside,youknowifyouwanttoinfluencepeople
youhavetocommunicateandcommunicatewell.Youvegottoletpeopleknowwhatshappeningandwhats
goingtohappen,evenifsomeofthesethingsarentverynice.Theresnothingworsethanfindingoutabout
somethingfromcoffeemachinegossip,managersshouldtellitstraight...
Alison:OK,thanksWendy,thatsveryuseful.So,tobeagoodleaderyouvegottobeagoodrolemodel,you
shouldacceptresponsibilityforyourownmistakesandyoushouldcommunicatewellandtellitstraight,evenif
thenewsisbad.Nowcanyouthinkabout.....(fadeout)....
Answerkey:1.F2.T3.T4.T5.F6.F7.F8.T.
LEARNERCONTRACTS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoateacherandstudentdiscussingwritingalearnercontract.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Thestudentisusedtohavingalearnercontract.
Thestudentfoundtheworkhedidlastyearveryinteresting.
ThestudentestimateshislevelatIntermediate.
Theteacheragreeswiththestudentsestimationofhislevel.
Thestudentisstudyingbusiness.
Thetwoobjectivesthatwillbeputonthisstudentscontractareaboutusingthetelephoneandwriting
emails.
7. ThestudentwillbeworkingwithanAmericancompanynextsemester.
8. ThestudentcanonlyspendanhouronhisEnglishthisweekbecauseofanotherassignment.
9. Theteachersaysshewillkeepthelearnercontractwithher.
Teacher: OK.Sohaveyougotapieceofpaperandapen?Youllneedtotakelotsofnotesbeforetypingup
yourfinallearnercontract.
Student:Yes.
Teacher:Right,Iwanttoexplainafewthingstoyoufirstbeforeyoudecidewhatyourobjectivesareforthe
course.Thenwellcheckthecontracttomakesurethedeadlinesyouvesetforachievingyourobjectivesare
realistic.Dontforgettobringitineachweekaswelluseitatthebeginningofeachlessontohelpusdecide
whattoconcentrateon,andthenattheendsoyoucanchoosewhathomeworkyouwanttodo.
Student:Itsoundslikelotsofworktome.
Teacher:Yes,wellitisinthebeginningbecauseyouprobablyarentusedtobeingsoresponsibleforyourown
learning.Butyoullseeafterafewoflessonsthatyoullbemuchmoremotivatedbecauseyoullseethatwhat
wedoinclassisrelevanttoyourownneeds.Haventyoueverthoughtthatyourteacherwasteachingyou
somethingonlybecauseitsinthetextbook?
Student:Yes,thatstrue.Iwasonlyinterestedinhalfthethingswelearntlastyear.
Teacher:Wellmaybeyoullbemoreinterestedthisyearwhenyouunderstandwhyyouaredoingsomething
andhowitsrelevanttowhatyouwanttolearn.
Student:Maybe!SowhatexactlydoIwriteonmylearnercontract?
Teacher:Wellitdependsfirstonyourlevel.Itsnogoodabeginnerstudentsayinghewantstobebilingualat
theendofathreeweekcourse!WhatwouldyousayyourlevelofEnglishis?Elementary,Intermediate,
Advanced?
Student:Idontknow!Imnotateacher!
Teacher:Iknowthatbutjustthinkalittleabouthowmuchyouknowalready.Doyouthinkyoucouldbe
bilingualbytheendofthesemester?
Student:No!
Teacher:OKthen.Sothinkagainaboutyourlevel.
Student: Immaybeanintermediate.
LEARNERCONTRACTS AUDIOSCRIPT
Teacher:Yes,Ithinkyoureright.Yourealsoabusinessstudentsoyoucouldconcentrateyourobjectives
aroundgainingconfidencetalkingonthetelephonewithanonnativespeaker,orlearningformulausedin
professionalemailsforexample.
Student:OK.Icanusethoseasmyfirsttwoobjectives!
Teacher:Yesbutaretheyreallywhatyouwantandneedtoworkon?
Student:Yes,myinternshipnextsemesteriswithaSpanish/Frenchcompanybuttheyallspeakin
English.
Teacher:Rightwellthatsagoodstartthen.Howquicklydoyouthinkyoucanlearnhowtowriteemails?
Student:Well,Icoulddothatfornextweek.
Teacher:Really!HowmuchtimecanyoustudyEnglishthisweek?
Student:Well,onlyanhourbecauseIvegotanessaytowriteformymanagementclass.
Teacher:InthatcaseIthinkyoushouldbemuchmorerealisticwithyourtargetdeadlines.Haveathinkabout
howmuchstudytimeyouhaveeachweekfirst.
Answers: 1F,2F,3T,4T,5T,6T,7F,8T,9F
LEARNING ENGLISH AUDIOSCRIPT
Two students are discussing their English lessons and they prefer to learn the language.
Read the extract below before listening and try to guess what words could go in the gaps. Next, listen to the
conversation 2 or 3 times and after listening try to complete the gaps. Listen again to check. Finally, check with
the audio script on the other page.
Sam : I'm not _________________ in the present perfect! I need to ____________ more words. It doesn't really
matter if my tenses aren't quite right as long as people understand me.
Jo: She did give us some new words though.
Sam: I know but she didn't _____________ any of them on the board. She was too busy talking.
Jo: I wrote them in my book if you want to copy them. I know that if I don't write new ___________________
down I'll never remember them.
Sam: Thanks. I'll give your book back to you tomorrow. If I don't see a word written down I can never
_______________ it either and I need to write it down myself to help my _________________.
Jo: What about the phonemic chart? Did you find that useful?
Sam: Yes, although I found it really _________________ to hear the difference in the sounds she made.
Jo: Yes, I'll need to practise them too. If we use the chart every lesson though I think it might help you to
remember new words. If you can 'see' the _______________ you need to make it might be
________________.
Sam: Yeah, I think you're right. Maybe you should be my _____________________ !
LEARNING ENGLISH AUDIOSCRIPT
Jo
So what did you think of the class this morning?
Sam
It was ok, but I dont think I learnt very much.
Jo
Why not? I thought she was a good teacher.
Sam
I dont know. Maybe she just talked too much. I got bored of listening to her.
Jo
Yeah, but what she said was interesting. Especially when she explained the present perfect. It sounded
so easy.
Sam Im not interested in the present perfect! I need to learn more words. It doesnt really matter if my tenses
arent quite right as long as people understand me.
Jo
She did give us some new words though.
Sam
I know but she didnt write any of them on the board. She was too busy talking.
Jo
I wrote them in my book if you want to copy them. I know that if I dont write new words down Ill never
remember them.
Sam Thanks. Ill give your book back to you tomorrow. If I dont see a word written down I can never
remember it either and I need to write it down myself to help my memory.
Jo
What about the phonemic chart? Did you find that useful?
Sam
Yes, although I found it really difficult to hear the difference in the sounds she made.
Jo
Yes, Ill need to practise them too. If we use the chart every lesson though I think it might help you to
remember new words. If you can see the sound you need to make it might be easier.
Sam
Yeah, I think youre right. Maybe you should be my teacher!
Jo
Oh I dont think I could do that! In any case I prefer working on my own. I know she said we had to work
in groups for the next lesson and prepare a presentation, but I learn much more when I can work on my own, at
my own pace.
Sam I dont mind working with others. I really like working in a group. That way I can listen to what other
people want to say.
Jo
You mean they do the work for you!
Sam
No! Well, maybe a little! You know how I like to sit, listen and draw in class!
Jo
Maybe you should draw pictures of new words rather than drawing squares and circles all the time.
Sam
Thats a great idea! So will you be in my group for the next lesson?...
LEARNING VOCABULARY AUDIOSCRIPT
Olivier, a French university student, talks about learning English and the difficulties he has. Listen and
try the comprehension activity below.
COMPREHENSION ACTIVITY
Which of the following difficulties does the language student mention? Circle the ones he mentions. The
answers are at the bottom of the sheet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Its difficult remembering long words.

I often repeat words.
I dont know enough words.
I find it difficult to write letters.
I quickly forget new words.
Its harder to learn general English words than business vocabulary.
It's difficult talking about a subject that I dont know.
I can only talk about music in English.
I dont learn business vocabulary with the young people I meet.
I concentrate so hard on understanding the gist of the conversation that I dont hear individual words.
AUDIO SCRIPT
I started learning English about erm ten years ago and I think Ive learned quite a lot. I can talk about quite a
few subjects and I can understand quite well when people talk to me in English. At university I mostly learn
business words. I think its important because I wont learn these words anywhere else. Its not by meeting other
young people that I will learn business words. Although its true that I do learn them too by reading on my own.
I I would really like to become fluent and err I dont like having to look for my words. Maybe one day I could think
in English! Why not! Im interested in grammar but its not my priority. Its not the most important thing, I think the
most important thing for me is er to be understood well and to have good vocabulary. Many words for explaining
many things. If you can say what you want to say its er its er the important point.
My biggest problem is I dont know enough words. I often repeat the same words. I find it difficult if Im talking to
someone about a subject that I dont know. I just dont have the words I need to explain what I want to say. Its
very frustrating and err I very quickly dont know erm what to say. If were talking about music or something like
that then its no problem. My teacher tells me I need to expand my vocabulary range.
When I am writing letters I have lots of vocabulary. I find I have learnt the correct expressions for application
letters or CVs so I find them easy now. To improve my vocabulary I try to read a lot too. Sometimes I read
English magazines about music because I love listening to English music and American music. I also read
British newspapers but because erm I take the time to read I find it easier than speaking.
Another problem I have is remembering words. Sometimes I hear a word I dont understand and ask the person,
the person who said it, to tell it to me again. The problem is about five minutes later I have already forgotten the
word. But I Well I dont know what to do about this problem. Maybe I dont listen well enough. Im maybe
concentrating on understanding the main point of the conversation that I forget the, you know, individual words. I
think you need to hear words lots of different times to really remember new ones.
In the future I would like to speak more fluently and to know lots of vocabulary on many different subjects. I have
started making my own dictionary and so now when I hear a new word I write it down and try to use it very soon
after. I hope this is going to help me improve my English vocabulary. Im certainly motivated to learn more
words
Answers: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10
SPOTLIGHT ON THE LEBANON AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to four Lebanese people talking about their country.

Optional activity:
While you listen, decide which person or people said what. The order of the speakers is:
Nasrine (N); Georges (G); Hala (H) and Walid (W). You may need to listen more than once.
Which person or people
1. ...prefers to talk about non-controversial aspects of life in Lebanon?
2. ...doesnt feel that different backgrounds or beliefs cause difficulties?
3. ...compares two different higher education systems?
4. ...is uncertain about the future?
5. ...has had changing circumstances since finishing studying?
6. ...emphasises how similar the Lebanese are to other people?
7. ...is sad about emigration patterns?
N/G/H/W?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Nasrine:
I dont like to talk about politics, its the only thing people talk about here! That and football! There are lots of
other things here. I have Christian and Muslim friends, friends who support all the different political parties,
and...its not a problem, not a problem at all. We rarely talk about politics, and if we do, we just, sort of, I dont
know...joke about it. Really we like doing things most people do skiing in the winter, going to the beach in the
summer, going dancing or out to eat somewhere, or to the movies, at the weekends and all these are things
you can do in Lebanon.
Georges:
I got my degree from the university here a couple of years ago, and I was lucky, I walked straight into a job. I
work in construction engineering it was big business here...obviously, after the civil war there was a lot of work
to do! And lots of investment came in, but over the last couple of years, things have slowed up a bit.
Im not sure if Ill stay here or not. Ive got a good job, but the prospects arent clear at the moment. It would
probably be better to go somewhere else for a bit the Gulf states perhaps, or Canada. I have an uncle there,
in Canada, and, you know, he really likes it, makes more money than here.
Hala:
I work for a film festival in Beirut, I dont get much money for it, but I love doing it. I still live with my parents
most people do here, until they get married. Im 28 now and still not married! My mother kind of worries about
me all the time, I guess, but its not a problem.
I think its important to stay here. The films we show at our festival, theyre all by young Lebanese directors, and
theres so much talent and creativity here! Its amazing. I think its a real shame that so many people want to
leave. If all the brains and talent goes away, nothing will ever change.
Walid:
I studied in the US, in New York. I was there for about six years, on and off. Now Im back here in Lebanon, still
studying! Im doing a Masters in Business Administration now. The education is just as good here, and Im with
my family. Sure, life was easier over there in many ways, none of the tension that there still is here, but I love it
here, its my home country, the foods great, the weathers good no cold winters! and the people are very
friendly here. It feels good to be here, you know what I mean? Im not really sure what Im going to do, if I
should go back to the States or stay here. My father says thats why Im still studying so I wont have to make
up my mind and get a job!
Answer key:
1. N; 2. N; 3. W; 4. G & W; 5. W; 6. N; 7. H.
LIFELONGLEARNING AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoaradioadvertisementforuniversitycourses.
Optionalexercise
Listentotheradioadvertandanswerthequestion.
Thepurposeoftheradioadvertis
a. topromoteaspecialregistrationperiodataspecificuniversity.
b. toencouragepeopletocontinuetheireducationatavarietyofuniversities.
c. togiveinformationaboutfundingofcourses.
(Answerbelow)
Voice1:
Needacareerchange,wanttofutureproofyourselfinyourcurrentprofessionorjustinterestedinself
development?ItssignupweekatOakgroveUniversityuntilthetwentyfifthofthismonth.Hereiswhatsomeof
the800studentswhostartedstudyingwithuslastyearhavetosay.
Voice2
Imacomputertechnician,andIneededMicrosoftaccreditationasIwasgoingbacktoworkafterseveralyears
awayfromworklookingafteranelderlyrelative.IdidmyundergraduatedegreeandMasterswithOakgrove,so
Iknewtheircoursesweretopnotch.Itsamodularcourse,whichisgreatasIwasntsurehowmuchtimeId
haveavailableforstudy.
Voice3
BeingayoungmothermeantIhadlittlechoicebuttoleaveschoolearly.Oakgrovesfoundationcoursesgave
methechancetogetonadegreecoursewithoutgoingthroughthetraditionalqualificationssystem.Now,Im
inmyfirstyearofafulltimelawdegree.IfIdhadtostudyforAlevelsatcollege,itwouldhavetakenmemuch
longerandcostmemoremoney.
Voice4
Iworkfulltimeinaverydemandingjobasanelectronicsengineer,soIthoughtIwouldnevergetmydoctorate.
WetakestudentsoninternshipsfromsandwichcoursesatOakgrove,soIalreadyknewalotabouttheplace.
WhatIdidntrealisewashowflexibletheirpostgraduatecoursesare.IdecidehowmuchtimeIcandedicate,
andtherearenofixeddeadlinesforassignmentsorcompletionofthewholeprogramme.
Voice1
Weofferover400differentcourseswhichcanbestudiedatourattractivepurposebuiltcampusorindistance
learningformatfromthecomfortofyourownhome.Wecanhelpwithfundingtoo,sothereisnothingtostand
inyourway.Checkoutourwebsiteorphoneforfurtherinformationtoday!
Answer: a
LIFESTYLE PLANNING AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to part of a radio phone-in programme. Financial expert Timothy Grady is talking about lifestyle
planning.
While you listen decide whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE. The answers are below
the audio script.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Timothy Grady is the editor of Business Trends.

Helen Jones does not feel happy with the contract she has written.
Helen has not found a permanent job since she graduated.
Helen wishes she had studied languages at university.
Timothy advises Helen to get help from many sources.
Timothy advises Helen to study full time.
Timothy is in favour of Distance Learning.
Timothy believes it is more important to invest money in your future than time.
RH = radio host
TG = Timothy Grady
HJ = Helen Jones
RH: Ah, I think we have another caller on the line. Could we have your name please?
HJ: Yes, its Helen, Helen Jones.
RH: And where are you calling from Helen?
HJ: From Wales, South Wales.
RH: And do you have a question for todays guest, Helen?
HJ: Yes, several in fact!
RH: Thats great. Thats what were here for. Ill hand you straight over to Timothy Grady.
TG: Hello Helen, how can I help you?
HJ: Hello Timothy. Well, last week I read your article in Business Trends about lifestyle planning and about
writing a contract.
TG: Ah, yes. And have you written one?
HJ: Yes. It took me a while and its quite long but I found the exercise itself quite useful. You know, thinking
about what I really want. Its the first time Ive really sat down and thought about it seriously.
TG: Well, as I said in the article Helen, you cant really plan for the future if you dont know what you want.
Sometimes identifying what we really want is more difficult than we think.
RH: So, Helen, what would you like to ask Timothy?
HJ: Ehm, yes. Well, Ive done the contract and feel happy to have given some thought to the future but now I
dont really know where to go from here. What the next step should be.
TG: (laughing) I had an idea you were going to say that! In next months edition of Business Trends Ive got a
follow up article about just exactly that. But we can have a preview if you like. Er, Helen, would I be very
indiscreet if I were to ask your age?
LIFESTYLE PLANNING AUDIOSCRIPT
HJ: (laughing) No, thats all right. Im twenty-six. I finished university a few years ago and Ive been doing
temporary jobs since then. Id really like to work for a big newspaper but I did a degree in French and German
and dont know the first thing about journalism.
TG: Okay, well my advice to you is to speak to as many experts as possible. Go back to visit the Careers Officer
at your university and find out which routes you could take to move into journalism. Next, arrange to visit one of
the big newspapers. That will be easier than you think. After all, you should make absolutely sure that this is
what you really want. The best way to do that is to speak to people who are actually doing that kind of work. Go
prepared with a list of specific questions that you want to ask them. There are lots of career advice web sites
these days as well. Check those out too. The more information you get, the better.
HG:
And what about the other plans Ive made, plans about my home, buying a car, my family, holidays.
TG:
Well, my advice is the same. Speak to the experts. Your first step should be to find out what kind of
earnings you will need in order to make these dreams come true. Youll need to look at house prices, investigate
mortgages and get financial advice. You can get that kind of advice from your bank manager. When youve
worked out how much you need to earn youll have to find out which newspaper jobs pay that kind of money.
Job Centres and Careers Offices can give you that kind of information. You might need to think about retraining
as well.
RH:
Are you suggesting that Helen gives up her job?
TG:
No, Im not. There are lots of ways to retrain on a part time basis. These days more and more
qualifications obtained through distance learning are being recognised. Thats often a practical option because it
allows a certain amount of flexibility.
HJ:
So, I need to start tracking down the experts?
TG:
I dont think I could have put it better myself. It will take time. But time well spent. Investing time in
planning for the future is just as important as investing money.
RH:
Helen, have you got any more questions for Timothy?
HJ:
Er, not really, I did have but I think I can predict what his answers might be get advice from the ex-
TG/HJ:
experts! (all laugh)
HJ:
Thank you Timothy. Ill look forward to reading your article next month.
TG:
Thanks for calling, Helen. And good luck!
RH:
Yes, all the best, Helen. Now, I think we have time for one more call.
(fade out)
Listening activity answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
False
False
True
False
True
False
True
False
LIVERPOOL: CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2008 AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an excerpt from a local radio programme. The presenter is interviewing passers-by in the city
centre about the nomination of Liverpool as European Capital of Culture 2008.
Decide whether these statements are true or false.
Statement
True or
False?
1. The first speaker is going to open a hotel to take advantage of the increase in tourism in
2008.
2. The cost of buying a house has increased since Liverpool was named Capital of Culture.
3. The second speaker is looking forward to the opportunity to party.
4. Hollywood film companies are going to move to the city.
5. There is already a lot of construction work in the streets.
6. The last speaker thinks that people are much more positive since Liverpool was chosen as
Capital of Culture.
7. Listeners will shortly be able to hear one of the people in charge of the cultural programme
for 2008.
Radio presenter
Now, in case any of you had forgotten, Liverpool was named Capital of Culture 2008
about eighteen months ago, and we thought it would be a good idea to get the latest thoughts on the subject
from you the inhabitants of this fair city so I was out and about in the centre earlier today and this is what
people had to say
Passerby 1
Capital of Culturemoving up in the world at last arent we... Great for the local
economy, what with all the extra visitors... Liverpool, tourist centre of the North- Well why not? Ill think Ill open
up a hotel meself (laughs). Mind you, Ive got a friend whos having real trouble now that property prices are
going mad. She moved up from the Midlands cos she thought shed get somewhere cheaper here, and now
Radio presenter
And you, sir, what do you think about Liverpool being Capital of Culture?
Passerby 2
I think its brilliant. I mean weve already got quite a few festivals over the summer,
down by the docks and thatso now we can have a whole year of it and really go for it! Ill be dancing in the
streets anyway
Radio presenter
And can I ask you, what line of work youre in?
Passerby 2
Im in the film business, actually, and weve got 6m from the government to build up
the industry, so I think this will really put the city on the map worldwide. It could turn us into a sort of mini
Hollywood
Radio presenter
Do you know whats happening in Liverpool in 2008?
Passerby 3
Oh yes, I work on the council and weve been involved in this for the last three years.
The fact that we beat somewhere like Newcastle who looked like they had a much better bid...
Radio presenter
Itll mean quite a few changes to the centre, of course
Passerby 3
Im sure were going to get a few complaints from people about the building work. The
plan is to bring back the trams and change all the buses over. But itll be good when its finished. I think the
atmosphere here has changed already. Theres a real buzz about the place. Its the old Mersey spirit you
seenever say die!
Radio presenter
So listeners, what do you think? We want to hear your views after the news at twelve
oclock, and if you want to ask questions about the events being planned for 2008 well be having one of the
organisers with us in the studio. You can also send us an email right now at this address..
LIVERPOOL: CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2008 AUDIOSCRIPT
Answers:
Statement
1. The first speaker is going to open a hotel to take advantage of the increase in tourism in
2008.
2. The cost of buying a house has increased since Liverpool was named Capital of Culture.
3. The second speaker is looking forward to the opportunity to party.
4. Hollywood film companies are going to move to the city.
5. There is already a lot of construction work in the streets.
6. The last speaker thinks that people are much more positive since Liverpool was chosen as
Capital of Culture.
7. Listeners will shortly be able to hear one of the people in charge of the cultural programme
for 2008.
True or
False?
False
True
True
False
False
True
True
LOGISTICS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentopeopletalkingabouttheirjobsinalogisticscompany.
Optionalexercise
Listentothespeakersandmatchtheirnameswiththeirjobroles.
AndrewWhitehead(AW),AngelaBeale(AB),GrahamEggers(GE),RobSteward(RS),TerryRiley(TR)
a.checksavailabilityofproductsinthewarehouse
b.isaretailer.
c.isresponsiblefordelivery.
d.packagesandmovesproducts.
e.plansandoverseesthewholeprocess
AndrewWhitehead:Weproducecomputeraccessories,printersaboveall.Myjobistoplanalltheprocessesleadingtothe
assemblyoftheprinters,andthentheireventualdeliverytowholesalers.ImbasedintheUK,butmanyofourpartsare
producedinChina.TheprintersareassembledintheUK,andthensoldworldwide. Iworkcloselywithourinventorystaff
peoplelikeAngela.
AngelaBeale:IminchargeofthewarehousehereintheUK,butnottheassemblyplant.ItsmyjobtoworkwithAndrew,
whoisheadoflogistics,andmakesurethatweknowexactlywhatpartswehaveatanytime,andwhatorderswehave
comingup.Wedonthavemuchspacehere,wecantaffordit,soitsimportantthatweonlyhaveinstockwhatisabsolutely
essential.Whenabigorderiscomingup,Ihavetoorderthepartsweneed.
AndrewWhitehead:Obviously,Angelaisakeycolleague.ButwealsodependonourwarehousestaffpeoplelikeRob.
RobSteward:Basically,Iunloaddeliveries,andmakesuretheyrestoredintherightplacesinthewarehouse.ThenwhenI
getacallforthem,Ihavetoboxthemup(ifnecessaryalotofthemcomereadyboxed),putthemonapalletandship
themoutagain!Theygoofftowhicheverassemblyplantwereusingatthemoment.Theresalotoflifting,itsquitea
physicaljob.
AndrewWhitehead:Imkeepingtrackofthisallthetime.Ourcompanyhaditsownlogisticssoftwaredesignedtohelpme
followexactlywhatwevegot,andwhosdoingwhatatanygivenpointintheprocess.AfterRobandhiscolleagueshave
locatedandboxedtherightparts,thentheygoofftosomeonelikeTerry.
TerryRiley:Myjobsprettystraightforwardreally.Ihavethisbigtruck,Idriveittothewarehousewhereitgetsloadedup,
Imnotresponsibleforthat,fortunately!Badback!Cantliftthings...ThenItakethemwheretheyvegottogo.Thereare
someshortdrives,aroundBritainiftheyreusingalocalassemblyplant.Butmostofmytripsarearoundcontinental
Europe.Imoftenontheroadforaweekorso.InevercomebackwithanemptylorryIhavetocollectemptypackaging
forrecycling,andproductsthatarebeingreturnedtothemanufacturersforwhateverreason.
AndrewWhitehead:Yes,wereconcernedaboutcuttingourCO2emissions,sowetrytouselocalassemblyplantsifits
economicallyviable.ThenwealsomakeuseofreverselogisticsasTerrysaid,bringingthingsback!Theresnopointin
havingemptytrucksdrivingaround.PeoplelikeTerryarealsoresponsiblefordeliveringourfinishedproductsto
wholesalers,andsometimesevenretailers.
GrahamEggers:Yes,inthepastIhadtodealwithawholesaler,ormakemassiveorders.Thiswasntgoodforthekindof
smallshopIhave.Ididntwanttohavelotsofmycapitaltiedupinstock,nordoIhavespacetostorelotsofstuff.Thats
whyworkingwithAndrewisgood theirlogisticsaresogoodthattheycanmakefinancialsenseoutofdeliveringevenonly
twoorthreeitemsatatimetome.IgetwhatIwant,whenIneedit.
AndrewWhitehead:AndIguessthatwhatyouwant,whenyouneeditwouldbethebestwayofsummingupmyjob!
Answers:a.AB,b.GE,c.TR,d.RS,e.AW
MANAGINGDIVERSITY AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoapartofaradiointerviewwithAlanGriffin,abusinessmanagementexpert,talkingaboutthe
pricethatsomecompanieshavetopaywhentheyfailtoaddressdiversityrelatedrisks.
Optionalexercise
ReadthroughthestatementsbelowanddecidewhethertheyareTRUEorFALSEaccordingtothelistening.
1. Althoughdiversityisbeingdealtwith,itisstillanimportantconcernforemployers.
2. Agrowingnumberofpeoplearesuingemployersbecausetheyfeeldiscriminatedagainstbecauseof
theirage.
3. Insurancetocoverdiscriminationclaimsisanenormouscostforcompanies.
4. Securityfirmssometimesdiscriminateagainstpeoplebecauseoftheirage.
5. Employerscannotdiscriminateagainstjobapplicantswhohavebeenconvictedofanycrime.
(Answersbelow)
Interviewer:Tellme,Mr.Griffin,arediversityrisksreallystillanissue?Arentcompaniesthesedaysdealingwith
diversity?
AG:Ohyes,theyareverymuchanissue.Wehavecomealongwaysincethosedayswhenemployerswere
allowedtodiscriminateagainstjobcandidatesjustbecauseoftheirraceortheirsex.Thetroubleis,the
boundariesofdiversityanddiscriminationarewidening.Companieshavealotmoretoconsiderthana
personsskincolourorapersonsgender.
Interviewer:Socanyougivelistenersanexampleofwhatkindofthingsyouarereferringtohere?
AG:Okay.letssee,well,onegrowingareaofdiscriminationisageism.In1998,companiesintheUnited
Stateshadtopayoutmorethanfiftyfivemilliondollarstoemployerswhohadfiledagerelateddiscrimination
complaintsagainsttheircompanies.Thatsalotofmoney.
Interviewer:Phew!!Sohowshouldcompaniesprotectthemselvesfromthiskindofthing?
AG:Well,firstofalltheyshouldthinkcarefullyabouttheirrecruitmentpoliciesandthentheyshouldtakeout
insurancetocoverthemselves.
Interviewer:Isntthatexpensive?forthecompanies,Imean.
AG:No,notasexpensiveasyoumightthink.Thesedaysmostsmallandmediumsizedorganisationstakeout
EPLIthatsEmploymentLiabilityPracticesInsurance.Thecostoftheinsurancehasfallenovertheyearsand
ifacompanyisntcoveredandlosesadiscriminationcase,well,letsjustsaythisisthecheaperoption!
Interviewer:Youvementionedageismasagrowingconcernbutwhatotherkindsofdiversityshouldmanagers
beawareof?
AG:Well,youdprobablybesurprisedtohearaboutsomediscriminationagainstsinglepeople,against
marriedparents,againstpeoplewhoaretootall,tooshort,tooheavy!
Interviewer:Really?
AG:Ohyes.Securityfirmsareagoodexamplehere.Theytypicallystatethattheiremployeesneedtobeover
orunderacertainheightorweight.Theyclaimitsnecessaryforthejobbuttherehavebeencaseswhere
peoplehaveclaimeddiscrimination.
Interviewer:Andwon?
AG:Sometimesyes.Thentherearepeoplewithacriminalbackground.Employersusedtofeeljustifiedin
turningawayjobapplicantsjustbecausetheydbeenintroublewiththelaw.
MANAGINGDIVERSITY AUDIOSCRIPT
Interviewer:Isntthatstillthecase?
AG:No,notexactly.Thelawstatesthatemployerscanonlyrejectajobapplicantwithacriminalrecordifthe
crimebearsadirectrelationtothejobinquestion.Sosomebodywhohasservedasentencefor,letssay
stealingcars,wouldbeallrightinajobasakitchenporter.
Interviewer:AndMr.Griffin,tellme,howmanypeopleactuallygothroughwiththeirthreatstosueacompany
fordiscrimination?
AG:Well,IhaventgotthelatestfiguresfortheUKbutintheUnitedStatestheEqualOpportunitiesCommission
receivearoundeightyfivethousandcomplaintseveryyearandthatfigureisrising.Raceandsexaccountfor
mostofthecomplaintsthatarefiledbutagediscriminationisontheincreasetoo.
Interviewer:So,anywordsofadviceforriskmanagers?
AG:Well,firstofallmakesurethatyouhaveadequateinsurance.Thenaddresstheissuesofdiversityfrom
withintheorganisation.Gettheemployeesinvolved.Celebratethedifferencesandtrytobuildupareputation
asafairemployer.Andrememberitisworthinvestingtimeandeffortinaddressingtheseissuesbecause
statisticshaveshownthatyouremuchmorelikelytobesuedbyanemployeethanathirdparty.
Answers:
1.True,2.True,3.False,4.False,5.True
MARKETINGAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoauniversitylecturerintroducehiscourseonMarketing.
Optionalactivity:
Whileyouarelistening,trytodecidewhetherthesesentencesaretrueorfalse.
Sentence
Trueorfalse?
1. Therewillbethreemarketinglecturesaweekuntiltheendofterm.
2. Todayslecturelooksatpricing.
3. Marketingisaboutadvertising.
4. Acustomerfocusedorganisationmaynothaveamarketingdepartment.
5. Inacustomerfocusedorganisationonlymarketingstaffthinkaboutcustomers.
6. Employeesneedtoworkasateamtodelivercustomersatisfaction.
7. Everyoneneedstoknowhowsatisfiedcustomersare.
GoodmorningeverybodyandwelcometothisthefirstlectureonMarketing.Illbegivingtwolecturesaweekon
thisimportantbusinesstopicatthistimeonTuesdaysandFridaysuntiltermends.Right,wellthismorningId
liketointroduceyoutosomeimportantconceptsinmarketing.Asyouknowtherearelotsofdifferentelements
thatgotogethertomakeupMarketing,welllookatthekeyelementsduringthiscourseoflectures.Idliketo
startwithageneralintroductiontoday.
Ingeneraltermsmarketingisallaboutmakinglinksorcontactsbetweenproducersandconsumers.Tomake
theselinksitsveryimportanttofindoutandthendeliverexactlywhatconsumerswant.Whatisaconsumer?A
consumerisapersonororganisationthatbuysaproduct,itsassimpleasthat.Onceagainmarketingisall
aboutfindingoutandthendeliveringwhatconsumerswantinaprofitableway.Inaprofitablewaythisis
obviousyoumaythink,acompanywontlastlongifitdeliverswhatcustomerswantandlosesmoneyatthe
sametime,wellinfactitsnotquiteaseasytoachieveasyoumaythink.Wellbelookingattheissueofpricing
laterinthisseriesoflectures.
Acompanyshouldaimtosatisfytheircustomersneeds,goodmarketinghelpsthecompanytoachievethis.Id
liketoaddanextraelementnowacompanyshouldaimtosatisfytheircustomersneedsbetterthantheir
competitorsdo.Again,welllookatthetopicofcompetition,howtomeasureitandreacttoitlaterinthisseries
oflectures.
TodayIwanttointroduceyoutotheconceptofacustomerfocusedorganisation.Acustomerfocused
organisationisanorganisationthattakestheconcernsofitscustomersseriously.Theremaybeamarketing
departmentinacustomerfocusedorganisation,ifweretalkingaboutasmallcompanytheremaynotbeone.
Onethingthatallcustomerfocusedorganisationshaveincommonisthatmarketing,satisfyingtheneedsofthe
organisationscustomers,istheconcernofeveryemployee.Everybodywhoworksforthissortofcompany
knowsverywellwhotheircustomersareandeachemployeeworksasateamtodeliverahigherdegreeof
customersatisfactionthantheircompetitors.
Howdowemeasurecustomersatisfaction?Ihearyouasking,well...
MARKETINGAUDIOSCRIPT
Answertoactivity:
Sentence
Trueorfalse?
1. Therewillbethreemarketinglecturesaweekuntiltheendofterm.
False
2. Todayslecturelooksatpricing.
False
3. Marketingisaboutadvertising.
False
4. Acustomerfocusedorganisationmaynothaveamarketingdepartment.
True
5. Inacustomerfocusedorganisationonlymarketingstaffthinkaboutcustomers. False
6. Employeesneedtoworkasateamtodelivercustomersatisfaction.
True
7. Everyoneneedstoknowhowsatisfiedcustomersare.
True
MARKETRESEARCH AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoamarketresearchconsultantbeinginterviewedaboutherjob.
Puttheprocessthattheconsultantgoesthroughwithanewclientintothecorrectorder.
a. I have to go back to the original proposal and analyse the results to see what corresponds with their
objectivesandtoseeifIcanfindanythingtheymaynothavethoughtof.
b. Ithendesignaquestionnaire.
c. Ithenspeaktothedataprocessingdepartmentaboutwhattheendtablesshouldlooklike.
d. OncethefinaltablesarereadyIhavetocheckthemandorganiseapresentation.
e. Oncetheinterviewershavebeenbriefed,Isendtheclientascheduleandthentheygetbacktomewith
deadlines.
f. Togetherwedecideonthemethodologyandtheobjectivesoftheresearch.
Interviewer: HowlonghaveyoubeenaMarketResearchConsultant?
Consultant: Well,Istartedstraightafterfinishinguniversityin1997.
Interviewer: Didyoustudymarketresearch?
Consultant: Yeah,anditreallyhelpedmetogetintotheindustrybutIhavetosaythatitsmoreimportantto
getexperienceindifferenttypesofmarketresearchtofindoutexactlywhatyoureinterestedin.
Interviewer: Sowhatareyouinterestedin?
Consultant: Well,atthemomentIspecialiseinquantitativeadvertisingresearchwhichmeansthatIdotwo
typesofprojects.Trackers,whichareongoingprojectsthatlookattrendsorcustomersatisfactionoveralong
periodoftime.Ithenhavetoanalysetheshiftsintrends.Theonlyproblemwithtrackersisthatitisveryadmin
intensiveandsotakesupalotofyourtime,butermyoudobuildupagoodrelationshipwiththeclient.Ialsodo
acoupleofadhocjobswhicharemuchshorterprojects.
Interviewer: Whatexactlydoyoumeanbyadhocjobs?
Consultant: Itsbasicallywhencompaniesneedquickanswerstotheirquestionsabouttheirconsumers
habits.Theyjustaskforonequestionnairetobesentoutforexamplesothetimeyouspendonanadhoc
projecttendstobefairlyshort.
Interviewer: Whichdoyouprefer,trackersoradhoc?
Consultant: IlikedoingbothandinfactIneedtodobothatthesametimetokeepmesane.Ineedthevariety.
Interviewer: Soonadailybasishowmuchcontactdoyouhavewithyourclients?
Consultant: Alot,althoughitdoesdependonhowliveaprojectis?
Interviewer: Whatdoyoumeanbylive?
Consultant: Someclientswantalotofdataandsocouldbeonthephoneeveryotherdaywantingupdates
andnewquestionnaires.
Interviewer: Ok,sohowexactlydoyougetthedatatheyneed?
MARKETRESEARCH AUDIOSCRIPT
Consultant: WellIminchargeofdesigningthequestionnaires,whethertheybeforthefielddepartment,which
organisespeopletospeaktopeopleinthestreet,orthephones,orwenowdoalotofonlinequestionnaires.
Anyway,Ithenliasewiththeoperationsdepartmentwhobookandbriefinterviewersaboutwhattheyhaveto
do.
Interviewer: Canyoujustexplainwhatprocessyougothroughwithanewclient?
Consultant: Right,wellermtogetherwedecideonthemethodologyandtheobjectivesoftheresearch.Ithen
designaquestionnaire.Oncetheinterviewershavebeenbriefed,Isendtheclientascheduleandthentheyget
backtomewithdeadlines.Ithenspeaktothedataprocessingdepartmentaboutwhattheendtablesshould
looklike.OftentheclientwillcontactmeforaTopline,whichisasampleoftheresultsaftersaythreedaysof
research.OncethefinaltablesarereadyIhavetocheckthemandorganiseapresentation.Ihavetogobackto
theoriginalproposalandanalysetheresultstoseewhatcorrespondswiththeirobjectivesandermtoseeifI
canfindanythingtheymaynothavethoughtof.
Interviewer: Finally,whatdoyoulikeanddislikeaboutyourjob?
Consultant: AsIsaid,varietyisimportantandasforwhatIdontlike,ithastobethetablechecking!
Answers:1f,2b,3e,4c,5d,6a
MENTORING AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an excerpt from a radio programme called Womens Moment, with guest writer Ellen Granger
who is talking about mentoring.
Radio host = RH
Ellen Granger = EG
RH: Welcome to the programme, Ellen.
EG: Thanks. Its great to be here.
RH: Ellen, were going to talk about your new book today: Mentoring for Women. Its been out a few weeks and
selling well.
EG: Yes.
RH: Why have you written a book about mentoring especially for women?
EG: Because most of the books that are on the market are very male orientated. In a working environment,
women have particular issues. Issues that men dont have. Men have their issues too, of course, but most of
what has been written already deals with those.
RH: Can we talk in general terms for a moment. Some listeners wont be familiar with the term mentoring. Could
you just tell us what the role of a mentor is exactly?
EG: A mentor is somebody who is there to help you succeed. Somebody who you can learn from because he or
she has had similar work experience. In the case of a female mentee, evidence has shown that a female mentor
produces the best results.
RH: And how can women set about finding a mentor?
EG: Well, thats the same for men and women. It depends very much on the working context. Some businesses
organise mentoring schemes in the workplace. Ask your immediate boss about the possibilities. Or, if there isnt
already a mentoring scheme in place there are plenty of ways to sort it out yourself. First have a chat with your
boss and explain that you are interested in having a mentor. Then look for somebody inside the company who
has experience in the field that you are working in. Most people feel flattered at being asked to mentor.
RH: And if there is nobody inside the business?
EG: Then look outside. Here are more and more big and medium sized businesses setting up mentoring
schemes with other companies. Libraries and employment offices usually have information about schemes.
There is quite a lot of information on the web too. And, last but not least, instead of actively looking for a mentor,
try selling yourself as a mentee. Write up a paragraph about your needs and expectations and send it out to the
personnel officers of companies
RH: And what about becoming a mentor?
EG: Yes, the second part of my book is dedicated to becoming a mentor. Lots of people think that you need
special qualifications to become a mentor but thats not true. Some people make better mentors than others, of
course. There are lots of training courses for mentoring these days. In local colleges or by distance learning.
Anybody who has been working for some time has something very valuable to offer: experience.
RH: Thank you, Ellen. Now I think we have a telephone call from a listener ......(fade out)
MICROCREDITSAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentofourpeopletalkingabouttheusetheymadeoftheirmicrocredits.
Optionalexercise
Matchthenameswiththeprofiles. (Answersbelow)
Sandra
Estelle
fromEcuador
fromGhana
fromthePhilippines
Miriam
has3children
has5children
livesinacity
livesinavillage
Sandra:
IliveinavillageinthePhilippineswithmyfivechildren.Iusedtoworkalldaysellingvegetablesinthemarket,
butweneverhadenoughmoney.Mychildrenwerehungryallthetime.Someotherwomeninthevillagehad
gotloans,butIthoughtIwastoopoorandwouldntbeabletopayitback.Theypersuadedmetotakeouta
loan,andIwasabletobuybettervegetablestosellinthemarket.EverydayIsoldmoreandmorevegetables,
andmademoreandmoreprofit.Ipaidtheloanbackontime,andnowIvetakenoutanotherone.Ivebought
seedstogrowvegetables,sothatIcanmakemoremoney.Mylifehaschangedcompletely.Mychildrenare
neverhungryandIcanaffordtosendthemtoschool.
Estelle:
IliveinGhanaandImakestrawhatsandbaskets.BeforeIgotmyloanIcouldntmakemanyhatsandbaskets
becauseIcouldntaffordtobuymuchstraw.NowImakealotmore,andIbuybasketsfromotherwomeninmy
villagetosell. Ivesetupastallandsellmygoodstotourists.Implanningtostartsellingdifferenttraditional
crafts.EveryweekIpaybacksomeoftheloan,andnowIvenearlypaiditallback.TheextramoneythatIm
makingmeansmythreechildrencangotoschool.
Miriam:
IliveinEcuadorontheoutskirtsofalargecity.ForyearsIsoldbottledwaterbytheroadside,butInevermade
muchmoney.MyhousewasfallingdownandIcouldntfeedmythreechildrenproperly.WithmyfirstloanI
boughtsomebottlesofsoftdrink.Youcanmakemuchmoreprofitthanfromsellingjustwater.Atfirstallthe
extramoneywentonfeedingmyfamily.Istartedbuyingmorevegetablesandsometimesevenmeat.Iused
mysecondloantostartsellingsnacksaswell,andmadeenoughmoneytogetthehouserepaired.NowIve
takenoutanotherloanandImgoingtoopenasmallshop.EveryweekIsavesomemoneysothatifanyonein
myfamilygetsillIcanaffordmedicine.
Answers:
Sandra
fromthePhilippines
livesinavillage
has5children
Estelle
fromGhana
livesinavillage
has3children
Miriam
fromEcuador
livesinacity
has3children
MOTIVATION AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an extract of an interview with a professor of Business Studies about the subject of
Motivation. To see how much you understand, you can try the following optional listening activity.
Listening activity:
Listen to the interview and read these notes that a student has made. Decide if what the student has written is
right or wrong, according to the recording.
Notes
Right or
wrong?
The most important thing for a manager is motivation.

Managers find motivation easy because they are trained.
Money is the most important factor for workers.
Workers at Western Electric increased productivity after management started to include them
in decision making.
The company Kochums changed from being a failing company to a successful one after
changing their motivation practice.
Radio interviewer
Professor Bevan, how important is motivation for a manager?
Professor Bevan
Oh motivation is extremely important. Id say its the most important aspect of a
managers job. A managers job is to get the job done ... whatever that job might be. So a manager has to
motivate the workers .... as a team and also on an individual basis. Without motivation the job just wont get
done.
Radio interviewer
So how do managers go about doing this? It doesnt sound very easy.
Professor Bevan
No, it is a complicated issue. But managers have special tools. They are trained to use
them to boost motivation and increase production to a maximum.
Radio interviewer
Tools?
Professor Bevan
Yes, tools like .... praise .... approval and .... recognition. And then there is trust
........... and expectation. They are all important for workers.
Radio interviewer
And money? What about money?
Professor Bevan
Yes, money is a factor but you might be surprised to learn that it comes out last on the
list of these tools that we are talking about.
Radio interviewer
So, what comes before money? What sort of things are more important for workers?
Professor Bevan
Well ... all of the things that I have already mentioned, and then .......... job enrichment
and good communication between the workers and the bosses.
Radio interviewer
And have you got any examples of real life situations to back up your claims?
Professor Bevan
One good example is the firm Western Electric. When managers started taking an
interest in their workers there was a huge increase in production. They started to talk to the workers and
MOTIVATION AUDIOSCRIPT
encouraged them to get involved in decision making. Workers began to feel that their contributions were
important. And it paid off.
Radio interviewer
Productivity increased?
Professor Bevan
Yes, hugely. The Swedish company Kochums is another example. The company was
on the verge of collapse when managers decided to try a change in motivation practice.
Radio interviewer
What did they do?
Professor Bevan
Well, basically it was a change in attitude towards their workers. Managers decided to
stop giving orders and to try persuading them instead.
Radio interviewer
And it worked?
Professor Bevan
million dollar profit.
Absolutely. In just ten years they managed to turn a 15 million dollar loss into a 100
Radio interviewer
more money?
So, lets get this straight .... are you saying that workers are not interested in earning
Professor Bevan
Im saying theyre not just interested in money. It is important of course. We need to
enjoy a certain standard of living. But, as I mentioned before, there are other things that are just as important;
.... praise, approval, recognition, trust and expectation, job enrichment and good communication.
Listening Activity answer:

Notes
Right or
wrong?
The most important thing for a manager is motivation.
Right
Managers find motivation easy because they are trained.
Wrong
Money is the most important factor for workers.
Wrong
Workers at Western Electric increased productivity after management started to include them
in decision making.
Right
The company Kochums changed from being a failing company to a successful one after
changing their motivation practice.
Right
WORLD MUSIC AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a lecture on music from the African continent.

While listening, decide if these sentences are true or false.
Sentence
True or false?
1. There are only three types of music in Africa.
2. Highlife is influenced by European and North American music.
3. Soukous has only ever been popular in Africa.
4. Juju is popular nowadays.
(You will find the answers at the bottom of the page).
Good evening and thank you for coming. This evening Im going to give a short introduction
to music from the African continent. I would first like to point out that there is no such thing as
African music. By this I mean that there is a great diversity of styles of music originating from
Africa, but no one style that can be called African music. Id like to illustrate this by
introducing you to several types of music from different African countries.
This first extract is an example of Highlife. Highlife first appeared in Sierra Leone and Ghana
during the 1920s, but soon spread throughout West Africa. Its actually a fusion of traditional
West African rhythms and melodies with European and North American sounds. Highlife was
extremely popular during the 1950s and 60s, but went into decline in the 1970s. The
instruments used in Highlife include drums, guitars, harmonicas and accordions.
Now Id like to play a short extract of Soukous. Soukous originated in Zaire and Congo, and
is traditionally played on the likembe, or thumb piano, guitar and bottle. It can be traced back
to the beginning of the 20th century, and in the 1970s it became popular in France and the
UK. One of its most successful international performers, Papa Wemba, is now based in
Paris.
The next example Id like you to hear is Juju, which comes from Nigeria. Juju is based on a
traditional form of Nigerian music, but instead of being played only on drums, guitars,
keyboards and pedal steel guitars are also used. Juju started out in the 1950s, and is still
popular today, thanks to internationally renowned performers such as King Sunny Ad.
Activity answer:
Sentence
1. There are only three types of music in Africa.
2. Highlife is influenced by European and North American music.
3. Soukous has only ever been popular in Africa.
4. Juju is popular nowadays.
True or false?
False
True
False
True
MUSICBUSINESSAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentotwopeoplediscussingchangesinthemusicindustry.
Optionalexercise
Decidewhichoftheseisthebestsummaryofwhatyouhear. (Answerbelow)
ATheseareinterestingtimesforthemusicindustry.SalesofCDsaredownandhugenumbersofsongsare
sharedillegallyontheinternet.Thereishoweveroptimismforthefuture.Ringtonesareamodelofhowthings
canbesuccessfullysolddigitallyandtherearenewmodelsofsellingmusic.
BTheseareinterestingtimesforthemusicindustry.ThefallinCDsalesandthefallindemandformusic
meansthatthemusicbusinesshasseriousproblems.Themarketformobilephoneringtonesisaverybigone
butitisunlikelythatmusiccanbesoldthesameway.PeoplewillstillbuyCDsbutthemarketwillcontinueto
getsmaller.
CTheseareinterestingtimesforthemusicindustry.FallingCDsalesaredrivingcompaniesoutofbusiness.
Musiccompanieshavetofindnewbusinessmodelstomeetchangesinthemarket.Youngpeoplespendmore
moneyonringtonesthanmusicandthemusicbusinesscantcatchupwhilefilesharingbecomesincreasingly
popular.
P=Presenter
P: TheressaidtobeanoldChinesecurseMayyouliveininterestingtimes.Well,thesearecertainly
interestingtimesforthemusicindustry.CDsalesaredownbyalmost20%thisyear,themajorchainofstores
TowerRecordswentbankruptearlierthisyearandthereareconstantgloomypredictionsthattheriseandrise
offilesharingpeopleillegallysharingmusicovertheinternetwillforcemanycompaniesinvolvedinthe
productionandsaleofmusicoutofbusiness.
ImjoinedinthestudiobyPeterONeill,whowritesapopularblogaboutthebusinessofmakingandselling
music(pause)Peter,isthistheendforthemusicbusiness?
Peter: No,inaword.Ithinkweneedtosaythatthedeathofthemusicindustryhasbeengreatlyexaggerated.
Ithinktherehasneverbeenasmuchdemandasthereisnowforconsumingmusicandpeoplearegetting
musicinmanydifferentways.Thechallengeforthebigcompaniesinthemusicbusinessistotryand
understandthechangesthataretakingplaceandcomeupwithanewbusinessmodel.Iftheycandothat,I
thinkthereareveryexcitingtimesahead.
P: Well,Idontwanttocontradictyoubutletslookatsomeofthestatisticsaroundfilesharing.Anestimated
12billionsongswereswappedorillegallydownloadedlastyearwithanestimatedlossof325millionforBritish
recordcompanies.AEuropeansurveysaid34%of15to24yearoldshadnoideaofmusicassomethingyou
paidfor.That,tome,lookslikeverybadnewsforthemusiccompanies.
Peter: AhbutIthinkthatsbecausetherecordcompanieshavebeenveryslowinfindingwaystosellmusic
inthewaysthatyoungpeoplewillbuyit.Thosesame15to24yearoldswhohaveneverimaginedbuying
musicarethepeoplewhopay2.50foraringtonefortheirmobilephone.Ringtoneswentfromnothingtoa
multibillionpoundbusinessinaveryshortspaceoftimebecausepeoplecouldbuytheminstantlyitsavery
easyprocess.Andmusicsalesarecatchingup.Itsbecomingveryquickandeasytobuyasongyouwant
onyourcomputeroronyourmobileorwhatever.Andlevelsoffilesharingareremainingsteady,notgoingup.
P: But..
Peter: Onemorepoint.LastyeartheArcticMonkeysreleasedthefastestsellingdebutalbumever.Ifrecord
shopsaredeadhowdidtheymanagetodothat?Well,theymadesomeoftheirsongsavailableforfreeon
theinternet.Peoplesharedthosesongsandpassedthemontofriendsanditallhelpedcreateaverypositive
buzzabouttheArcticMonkeysandwhentheyreleasedtheirrecordpeoplewantedtobuyit. Thatsthesortof
modelthemusicbusinesshastolookat.
Answer:A
NEGOTIATING SKILLS AUDIOSCRIPT
Two business people, Alison and Donald, are negotiating the terms of delivery of some new components.
Alison:
Ok, well, youve seen the price we offered in the documents, and the terms of delivery.
Theyre our companys standard procedures and wed like to keep to them as far as possible. We only change
when there are exceptional circumstances.
Donald: I see. However, I do think these are exceptional circumstances. The payment rate you usually offer is
made against a certain time period. Now youre asking for delivery within a much shorter time than usual. This
makes it more difficult for us. I have to take on extra staff to meet this, or pay them overtime. If you can raise
your offer, Ill guarantee delivery within the time.
A:
Hmm, I see your point. However, we did actually choose you as a supplier because you guaranteed
that you could deliver in a short period of time. That was your main strength! The payment terms we offered
were clear from the start, and I dont actually think its the case to change them here. I dont think these
circumstances are exceptional. This project has been carefully and tightly budgeted. If we go over budget well
put the whole project at risk. Im afraid theres no way we can change those financial parameters at this point.
D:
Ok, I take your point. I think if we can both be a little more flexible here though, we can make sure
everyone ends up happy! I realise the budget for the project has already been drawn up, but there is some
possibility for leeway on the delivery period. If you can give me an extra ten days on the delivery date, Ill make
sure we stick to the agreed price, and there will be no danger of any dip in quality standards.
A:
Well, quality standards are a separate issue, and I dont really think we should be touching on them
here. Thats not part of the scope of this meeting.
D:
But if youre shortening the delivery period and not increasing the pay offer, something has to give
somewhere! Do you see what I mean?
A:
Yeah, like I said, I take your point Donald, but these things have been agreed beforehand. Its not easy
for us to change any of the terms at this point in the negotiations. However, I think we can offer you another 3-5
days extension on the delivery date, but I will need to consult with a colleague before I can confirm on that!
D:
OK, lets go with that then, but make sure you confirm that for me as soon as you can!
A:
Ill let you know by the end of today! Promise!
NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING AUDIOSCRIPT
A trainer talks about a conference in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that she attended.
While listening, decide whether these statements are true or false. The answers are below the audio
script.
Statement
True or
False?
1. The reason that she attended the conference is because she wanted to cure a phobia she has
about flying.
2. The trainer feels that the conference she attended has made a large difference to her life.
3. She says that some people at the conference benefited from NLP by being cured of their
phobias.
4. She has been able to apply what she learned to her professional life.
5. She became bored and distracted on the course when listening to stories for 2 hours.
6. She feels the effectiveness of NLP depends on the person receiving the counselling.
7. She is now more convinced of the benefits of NLP after having attended the conference.
Interviewer:
What do you understand by NLP?
Trainer:
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a methodology based on the belief that all behaviour can be
modelled, learned and changed. Its also about dealing with phobias. For example, if someone has a phobia
about flying they probably have catastrophic images of planes crashing in their heads when someone talks
about flying. Using NLP you can control these catastrophic images and change them into something more
pleasant.
Interviewer:
work?
Why did you go on the course? Was it a personal choice or something imposed on you by your
Trainer:
I was interested in the theory behind NLP and how it could be used within my job as a trainer. I
had already attended a course where some elements of NLP had been introduced, this sparked my interest and
one of the delegates from that course told me about McKenna, Bandler & Breen. Luckily my work was willing to
pay for me to attend.
Interviewer:
How did it benefit you personally?
Trainer:
Personally I found it fascinating although I wouldnt say that it changed my life. However, other
people on the course were there to become more confident, get over personal phobias, that sort of thing.
Interviewer:
And professionally?
Trainer:
Professionally Ive been able to put some of the theory into practice when designing my own
training courses. Sometimes its as simple as the language you use like using positives and negatives to your
advantage.
Interviewer:
What did you most enjoy doing at the conference?
Trainer:
The most memorable and enjoyable parts of the conference were stories told to us by Richard
Bandler. Everyday we listened to Richard talk for about 2 hours and whereas normally Id become fidgety and
distracted, Richard held our attention effortlessly. He was using NLP techniques to teach us about NLP. He told
fascinating stories and theyre easy to recall.
NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING AUDIOSCRIPT
Interviewer:
conference?
Did you believe in NLP before the conference? Do you believe in it having been to the
Trainer:
Parts of NLP are just common sense like with replacing scary images with friendly ones to
become less upset by spiders, say. The use of positive visualisation with sports also seems to be quite
effective. But as always it depends on the person on the receiving end as to how effective NLP can be; if
someone believes enough, sometimes anything is possible. Before I attended the course I was a little sceptical
and after the course I am probably still a little sceptical about the more excessive claims, but there were some
things that just seem to make sense.
Interviewer:
learnt?
What message would you give to people who know nothing about NLP from what you have
Trainer:
NLP has some interesting ideas to offer and if youre interested in how the mind works, I would
recommend the course wholeheartedly but be prepared to keep an open mind.
Answers to activity:
Statement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
True or
False?
The reason that she attended the conference is because she wanted to cure a phobia she has False
about flying.
The trainer feels that the conference she attended has made a large difference to her life.
False
She says that some people at the conference benefited from NLP by being cured of their True
phobias.
She has been able to apply what she learned to her professional life.
True
She became bored and distracted on the course when listening to stories for 2 hours.
False
She feels the effectiveness of NLP depends on the person receiving the counselling.
True
She is now more convinced of the benefits of NLP after having attended the conference.
True
NEW COMMUNICATIONS AUDIOSCRIPT
Interview with a podcaster

Scott:
I know you got into podcasting pretty much at the beginning. How did you first hear of it?
Dave: I was an avid reader of blogs, and I was aware that some bloggers were starting to attach audio files.
That excited me. I had never written my own blog Im not really much of a writer but I knew that doing
something with audio would be my kind of thing. I read a newspaper article early in 2004, February, I think,
which mentioned podcasting. So I started to look into it, but I didnt feel that I had the technical capabilities. I
was also busy with work, Im a graphic designer, so I sort of forgot about the idea for a while.
Scott:
But you came back to it and started your own podcast early in 2005.
Dave: Thats right. In January, to be exact. By then all the tools were available, and I had enough free time
to devote to my own podcast. Of course I didnt know if anyone would listen to it, but just being able to
broadcast something was enough for me.
Scott:
Did you get any reaction from the public?
Dave: Yes, I was surprised and gratified to find that not only were people listening, but they were interested
enough to email me with their thoughts on what Id said.
Scott:
What do you find to talk about?
Dave: Current affairs, music, travel, you know, the things Im interested in. I find it quite easy to just ramble
on about things in general, like something Ive read about, and as I began to hear from people I could imagine
that I was talking to a real person, I could visualise my audience, if you like. I must admit that Id always had
ambitions to have my own radio show. Id dabbled a little in community broadcasting, but of course never had
my own programme. With podcasting I found that I could have just that, my own show three times a week.
Scott:
Nowadays your podcasts arent just all talk, are they?
Dave: No, I include quite a bit of music in them. People in bands send me examples of their music, and if I
like it, Ill play it in my podcast. I also actively look for new music to play. Lots of people nowadays publish their
music on the web, and theyre very happy to have it publicised more in podcasts.
Scott:
future?
At the moment this is just a hobby, but do you see yourself making money from podcasting in the
Dave: No, not really. I know that some podcasters are talking about charging a subscription to their
podcasts, but I like the idea that its for free. If you start charging people for something they can start making
demands on you, and I like to be able to do and say whatever I want.
NEW URBANISM AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an interview with an architect who explains about the trend of New Urbanism
Interviewer Contemporary architecture is getting more and more spectacular. Developments in computer
technology mean that it is now possible to build things which would have been impossible twenty years ago.
However, while the great signature buildings like Gehry's Bilbao Guggenheim and Foster's "gherkin" make
headlines, there is another important trend in contemporary architecture. It's called "new urbanism". Kevin
Whitehead is a young architect from Manchester, and also a "new urbanist". Kevin, is "new urbanism" just a way
of reacting against important and expensive signature buildings?
Architect New Urbanism isn't a reaction against flashy signature buildings, but it is a completely different way
of approaching and thinking about architecture.
Interviewer How do you mean, exactly?
Architect Well, I'm a practising architect, but I have no interest in building something that's big and expensive.
In fact, I'm not really that interested in making new buildings at all really...
Interviewer So what are you interested in then?
Architect I believe that architecture should be about people first, and about people's relationship with the
space around them with their environment. Us New Urbanists aren't so interested in these great aesthetic
triumphs, big names making big signature buildings and trying to transform a city with one flashy museum or
office block. New Urbanism is more about trying to build communities.
Interviewer Could you give us an example? Perhaps the project that is currently taking place in Ancoats in
Manchester...
Architect Ancoats is an example of an area that was really depressed, a lot of old empty buildings and a
terrible 1970s housing estate. The "New Islington" project is going to redevelop the whole area.
Interviewer How are you planning to do that exactly?
Architect We are restoring old buildings to attract new people to come to the area, but we make sure we are
keeping the old community there. It's not just about one building there
will be a mixture of housing, shops, businesses and public spaces. New Urbanism creates the opportunity for
communities to take root and develop.
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to an interview with carnival-goer Winston Perry who talks about the famous Notting Hill Carnival
in London.
Before you listen, try to match some of the words below with the correct explanation on the right. This
will help you to understand the conversation. The answers are below the audio script.
Word
1. Jerk chicken
2. Steelpan
3. Sound system
4. Calypso
5. Soca
6. Eastenders
7. 1958
Explanation
a) A popular television programme
b) style of dance music which started in Trinidad about a hundred years
ago
c) chicken marinated in herbs and spices and then barbecued
d) the year of serious riots in the Notting Hill area after repeated racist
attacks on West Indian residents by white youths. The first carnivals
were a response to this, to try and unite the community around a
celebration of West Indian culture.
e) percussion instrument made out of an empty oil drum that produces
between three and thirty different notes. They were invented in
Trinidad and are usually played together in a band.
f) mixture of calypso with Indian music started in the 1960s
g) set of large loud-speakers and turntables at which various DJs
compete to play the latest and best music. Originated in Jamaica, and
found in the street during carnival.
Interviewer
As you can probably hear behind me the carnival is in full swing, the sun is shining again and
the jerk chicken is as tasty as ever. Im just going to get off the main route here, (I think the procession should
be coming by soon) as Ive arranged a meeting with long-time resident and one time steelpan player Winston
Perry in the Black and White caf here on Elgin Crescent...Winston, how are you?
Winston
themselves.
Im feeling very happy at the moment. Good to see so many people out and about enjoying
Interviewer
Theres been quite a bit of criticism of this event in the last few years. Tell me, whats your
reaction to those people, local people who have had enough of the carnival, who say its grown too big.
Winston
Well, I cant deny there are a few more people here than when I started playing back in the
sixties, but I think the media like to get hold of any little thing and blow it up out of all proportion. Its only for
three days in the year. If you dont like it, you can always go away for the weekend.
Interviewer
I know some residents dont like the crowds and having people knock on their door to ask for
water and so on.
Winston
They were always asking to use our toilet so I stopped answering the door! These days
theyve got those chemical ones in the streets. Anyway, Im never at home now for carnival. I got my usual place
reserved down here in the caf.
Interviewer
There are still sometimes complaints about the sound systems
Winston
We had a bit of a battle when they first appeared but its a question of mutual respect. When
the mobile sounds come past, the soca, the calypso, most of them turn it down a bit. There arent so many as
there used to be. And they all get packed up and finished by seven oclock so you can still watch your
Eastenders
Interviewer
Hasnt it all got a bit toointernational?

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL AUDIOSCRIPT
Winston
True. You get a lot of people from out of the area these days, other countries, Germany,
Brazileven politicians!
Interviewer
So what do you say to those people who want to put an end to the festivities or move it all
somewhere else?
Winston
They been talking about Hyde Park. I dont think it would be the same, though. It wouldnt be
Notting Hill carnival, it would lose the local characterand the reason it all started in the first place... cause of
1958 and all that.
Interviewer
So will carnival still be here in another thirty or forty years?
Winston
Oh I think so, even if I wont! Now whos going to buy me another rum..?
Answers:
Word
1. Jerk
chicken
2. Steelpan
Explanation
chicken marinated in herbs and spices and then barbecued
percussion instrument made out of an empty oil drum that produces between
three and thirty different notes. They were invented in Trinidad and are
usually played together in a band.
3. Sound
set of large loud-speakers and turntables at which various DJs compete to
system
play the latest and best music. Originated in Jamaica, and found in the street
during carnival.
4. Calypso
style of dance music which started in Trinidad about a hundred years ago
5. Soca
mixture of calypso with Indian music which started in the 1960s
6. Eastenders A popular television programme.
7. 1958
the year of serious riots in the Notting Hill area after repeated racist attacks
on West Indian residents by white youths. The first carnivals were a response
to this, to try and unite the community around a celebration of West Indian
culture.
NOTFORPROFITORGANISATIONSAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentopartofaninterviewforajobwithanonprofitmakingorganisation.
Putthesepointsintheordertheyarementioned.
A adaptableandindependent
B doessportandmountainclimbing
C interrailinginEurope
D SpanishGCSE
E workedonbuildingsites
F workingwiththeelderly/exoffenders
Interviewer: Well,thanksverymuchforcomingalongtoday.Idliketostartoffbyfindingoutalittlebitaboutyourselfand
yourreasonsforapplyingforouroverseasvolunteerscheme.Tellmefirstofall,howdidyouhearaboutus?
Volunteer:er,wellitwasthroughafriend,actually,whogotinvolvedwithyourorganisationacoupleofyearsago.Ivebeen
wantingtodosomethinglikethisforawhile,andIsupposeshegavemethecouragetoactuallytaketheplunge.
Interviewer: Wordofmouthisoneofthecommonerwayspeoplefindoutaboutus.Wedontspendhugeamountson
advertisingcampaignsandthelike.Sowhycommunityworkinparticular?
Volunteer: WellIvehadabitofexperienceinmyhometowngettinginvolvedinvariousprojectsduringschoolholidays,
andwhileIwasatuniversityaswell
Interviewer:Ohyes?
Volunteer:Onewasworkingwiththeelderlyincarehomes,listeningtotheirlifestoriesthatwaspartofanoralhistory
projectfundedbythelocalauthority.AndthenanothertimeIworkedonaschemeforexprisonerstoimprovetheirreading
andwriting.OhandIveworkedonbuildingsitesoffandonsinceIleftschool.
Interviewer:Butyouveneverlivedorworkedabroadbefore?
Volunteer:Onlytravellingwithfriends.InterrrailinginEurope,justwhatalotofyoungpeopledointheirgapyear.
Interviewer:SoCostaRicawouldbearealchange?
Volunteer:Absolutely!
Interviewer:AndwhyCentralAmerica?
Volunteer: WellIhavetoadmitthereareselfishreasons.IwanttoimprovemySpanish.IgotaGSCEatschoolbutnever
reallyhadthechancetouseit.Butitsmorethanthat,IfeelIwanttoputtheexperienceIvehadtobetteruse
Interviewer:Howdoyoufeelaboutlivingsofarfromhomecomforts?Youknowyoullbespendingthreemonthsoftheyear
inquiteanisolatedcommunityinthemountains.Conditionswillbeprettybasic.
Volunteer:Tobefrank,Imalittlenervous,butIthinkImquiteadaptableandindependent.
Interviewer:Andyoureingoodshape,Ipresume?Thebuildingprojectcanbequitephysicallydemanding.Plusyoullbeat
altitudeaswellwhichtakesabitofgettingusedto.
Volunteer:Oh,Imanoutdoorsortofperson.Istilldoquitealotofsportandmountainclimbing,soIthinkIllbeableto
copewiththatsideofthings
Interviewer:OKletsmoveontoaccommodationarrangements.Asyouknowmostofvolunteersstaywithlocalfamilies.
Answers
1F,2E,3C,4D,5A,6B
LOVELOCK&NUCLEARENERGYAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentodifferentpeoplecommentingonJamesLovelock'scurrentviewsonnuclearenergy.
Listenanddecidewhomakesthesepoints:Michael,Teresa,Kevin,Raymond,Kerry.
Whichpersonthinks...
1. thatalotofscientistsdontagreewithLovelock?
2. thatLovelockhasmadeaturnaround?
3. thatLovelocknowagreeswiththegovernment?
4. thatLovelocksideasarenotreallythatimportant?
5. thatnuclearpowerisnotsafe?
6. thatpeopleareimpatient?
Michael:greencampaigner
ImverydisappointedwithLovelockschangeofideas.Hewassomebodywhohadalotofinterestingideas
abouttheenvironment,andImsadthathehasturnedhisbackonwhathesaidbefore.There'snowaynuclear
powerissafeit'sjustasharmfultotheenvironmentastraditionalfossilfuels,andaswellasthat,there'sthe
enormousriskofstoringnuclearwaste.
Teresa:MemberofParliament
Abravestatementfromaveryinterestingman.Ourpartyhasalwayshadastrongrecordondefendingthe
environment,andlookingatenvironmentalproblemsinaconstructiveway.Imgladtoseethatadistinguished
scientistagreeswithus.Wewanttobuildmorenuclearpowerstations,anddefendtheenvironmentandnow
wecan!
Kevin:biologist
TheproblemwithJamesLovelockisthatheisntreallyascientist.Hehaslotsofexperienceindifferentfields,
andIrespecthim,hescertainlyanintelligentman.Butalotofhistheorieshaveneverreallyhadthatmuch
supportintheseriousscientificcommunitytheyvebeenpickedupbylotsofotherpeople,Greencampaigners
andsuch.Iwouldntlistentohimtoomuch.
Raymond:CEOofInternationalNuclearFuels
Who?No,IdontthinkIveeverheardoftheman.Whoishe?Anenvironmentalist?Ohwell,itsalwaysgood
tohavesupport,fromanywhere.Andnuclearpowerisvery,verysafe.Andno,itdoesntpolluteatall.
Kerry:memberofSurfersfortheEnvironment
Peoplealwayswantquicksolutions.Asfarastheenvironmentgoes,therearentany.Itcouldtakehundreds
ofyearstosortoutthemessthisplanetisin.Nuclearpowerlookslikeaquickandeasysolution,butitisnt.
Therearelevelsofradioactivitywellaboveaverage,andwellabovesafe,inalltheseaaroundnuclearpower
stations.Therearehigherratesofcancerandleukemia.Nuclearpowerisjustawayofputtingoffthedamage
untilalaterdate.
Answers 1Kevin,2Michael,3Teresa,4Kevin,5Michael,Kerry,6Kerry
ORGANIC FARMING AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to two work colleagues discuss the pros and cons of choosing organic food.
Decide which speaker, Sam or Brian, has the following opinions.
Opinion
Sam or Brian
He thinks organic food is healthier
He wonders whether it tastes better
He doesnt believe pesticides are dangerous
He is worried about the remains of pesticides

on food
He talks about how much organic food there is

in the shops
He thinks organic food costs too much
Brian: Whats that youre eating, Sam, not a piece of steak, is it? I thought you were vegetarian!
Sam: It is steak. But its organic. I was never vegetarian. I just like eating natural food
Brian: How can meat be organic?
Sam: It means the animal isnt full of strange hormones, or ate cereal thats been genetically modified or
sprayed with pesticides. That sort of thing
Brian: And I suppose its had a good time walking around the fields, not shut inside all its life.
Sam: Thats right.
Brian: But can you taste the difference?
Sam: I think so. And anyway, Im not filling myself with all sorts of chemicals that might give me cancer.
Brian: Yes, but theres no proof that pesticides give you cancer. The government would ban them. Look what
happened with DDT
Sam: So why do the scientists who monitor these things prefer to eat organic food too?
Brian: But if the public found out that some company was poisoning them, itd be a national scandal!
Sam: Yeah, but thats just the point. Pesticides are only tested on animals. Its not like new drugs, where
companies have to spend millions on trials with human volunteers. Small quantities of chemicals do get into
your food.
ORGANIC FARMING AUDIOSCRIPT
Brian: Some food. Look, if the newspapers found a company was deliberately selling an unsafe product, their
share price would crash and theyd be out of business in no time.
Sam: They may go out of business soon if they dont start selling organic food themselves. Have you seen
whats in the supermarkets these days? They say sales of organic food have risen by 25%.
Brian: Its still more expensive. Youve got to compare the price, which is at least double, with the risk youre
running, which is absolutely minimal if you ask me. And how many people farm organically in this country,
anyway? Its not even 1%
Sam: Well, its more like 20% in other parts of Europe. And the more people buy it, the more the price will come
down. Its better for the environment, anyway. We cant keep playing around with our food without
consequences, you know. Look at all the animal diseases weve had recently.
Brian: True, there are always stories in the papers of salmonella in eggs, sheep suffering from foot and mouth
disease, cows with BSE
Sam: Well, this is prime organic beef from the Scottish Highlands, and very good it is too. So if you dont mind,
Id like to finish my lunch!
Listening activity answer key:

Opinion
Sam or Brian
He thinks organic food is healthier
Sam
He wonders whether it tastes better
Brian
He doesnt believe pesticides are dangerous
Brian
He is worried about the remains of pesticides

on food
Sam
He talks about how much organic food there is

in the shops
Sam
He thinks organic food costs too much
Brian
OUTSOURCINGAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoabusinessstudieslecturertalkingabouthistoryofoutsourcingintheUnitedStates.
Listenandputthesepointsintheordertheyarementioned.
Subject
a)aircraftmanufacturers
b)electronicgoodscompanies
c)foreigncarmakers
d)sportsshoemanufacturers
e)UScarmakers
Order
Intodaysprogramme,wellbetakingalookatthehistoryofoutsourcingintheUSA.Themanufacturingsector,
inparticular,hasbeenoutsourcingprocessessuccessfullyforseveraldecades.Inthepast,ofcourse,
companiesusedtheexpressionsubcontractingbutthishasbecomeknownasoutsourcingsincethe1980s.
ThenewBoeing787isaninterestingexampleofhowaircraftmanufacturersareoutsourcingproductionaround
theworld.Onlyabout10%oftheproductionofthe787isdoneintheUS.TherestiscarriedoutbyBoeings40
partnersintheprojectasfarapartasJapanandItaly,FranceandAustralia.
However,theaircraftcompanyisanewcomertooutsourcingonalargescale.Americancarmakershavebeen
outsourcingproductionformuchlonger.Inthelate1970s,UScarcompanieswerefacingadesperatefinancial
situationandconsequentlyneededtofindwaysofcuttingcostsandincreasingprofits.Inthemid1980s,in
responsetothecrisis,GeneralMotorstooktheunusualdecisionofclosing10factoriesintheUSandmoved
themtoMexico.Today,allthebigthreeUScarcompanies,Ford,Chrysler,andGeneralMotors,havemoved
substantialpartsoftheirproductionabroad.
Sincethe90s,foreigncarmakerssuchasToyota,Nissan,Hondaandotherinternationalmanufacturersarenow
doinggoodbusinessbymakingandsellingvehiclesintheStates.Sotodayan"American"carcould"foreign"
andaforeigncarcouldbeAmerican,suchistheironyoftheglobalizationofproduction.
Toturnnowtootherindustries,NikewasalsooneofthefirstUScompaniestosendproductiontoother
countries.Inthe1980s,thecompanyinitiallysentthemanufacturingofitssportsshoestoitssubcontractorsin
JapanandChina.Thisprocesshasbecomeknownasoffshoreoutsourcing.Itsarguedthatthisapproach
allowsNiketofocusmoreonwhatitdoesbest:brandbuilding,marketinganddesign,anditleavesthe
manufacturingtooffshorethirdparties.
OneconsequenceofoutsourcingNikedidnotanticipatewasthebadpublicityitreceivedinthe1990s,following
reportsofpoorworkingconditionsinitsoutsourcedIndonesianfactories.Thecompanysresponsehasbeento
monitoritssubcontractorscloselyindifferentcountriestoavoidanyfuturescandals.
DellComputersandApplearejusttwomanufacturersofconsumerelectronicgoodsthatgetsuppliersin
countriessuchasTaiwanandChinatomaketheirproducts.TodaymostUSmanufacturersoutsourcesomeor
alloftheirproducts.Infact,companiesthatareinthemanufacturinganddistributionsectorsallovertheworld
aremovingtowardstheNikemodel.Outsourcingmayhaveitscriticsanditsdisadvantagesbutthereisno
doubtthatitisheretostay.
Answers1a,2e,3c,4d,5b
PENSIONS CRISIS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio reporter interviewing people about the pensions crisis.

Put the opinions about pensions in the order you hear them by numbering them in the third column.
A
B
C
D
E
F
You dont need to worry about pensions until youre older

The state pension is worth very little today
People should be able to work until theyre seventy
I havent paid enough to qualify for a basic state pension
Companies are losing valuable workers by retiring them early
Private pension schemes may not be worth paying into
Radio presenter: Welcome back everybody, and after that short commercial break we return to this mornings
Hot Topic which is Your Pension. What are you doing about it? Have you even got one? We sent our reporter
Diane into Shrewsbury town centre today to speak to a few early-morning shoppers and get them to have their
say.
Diane: Excuse me, Madam, can I ask you what you think about the government wanting us all to work till were
seventy?
Shopper 1: I dont mind really. I mean, if we all retire at sixty, what are we going to do with ourselves for the
next twenty years? There are only so many cruises and city breaks you can go on.
Diane: You dont see it as exploitation?
Shopper 1: No, I think companies are coming to realise they made a mistake trying to get rid of so many people
by offering them early retirement. These days, most people are fit and healthy in their sixties, and theyve still
got a lot to contribute, with all the experience theyve gained. Its not all about knowing how to work the latest
technology. Dealing with people counts as well, a cool head, sound judgment, that sort of thing.
Diane: Excuse me, Sir, can I ask you if youre happy with the provision youve made for your pension?
Shopper 2: Youre not trying to sell me anything, are you?
Diane: No, sorry Sir, I work for the local radio. Were trying to find out if people are as worried about pensions
as the government is at the moment
Shopper 2: Oh, I see. Well, as a matter of fact, I am a bit concerned. I pay my National Insurance every month,
but thats not going to go far. Whats the state pension worth these days? Next to nothing. I suppose I should
look into a private pension, but I dont know where to start really. The number of different schemes and then
you wonder if what you get out of it twenty years down the road is worth what you pay in
Shopper 3: Pension? Thatd be nice. I dont think Ill even qualify for the minimum by the time I get to that age.
Ive been in and out of work for years. Temporary contracts, a lot of part time work. I dont think theres a
scheme for people like me.
Radio presenter: Well, weve had a few emails and text messages while you were listening to that report. Ive
got one here that reads, Im too young to bother about stuff like that, live life for the moment, you might be dead
tomorrow. Pension schemes are for old people, like when you get into your thirties. Keep those messages
coming in. Meanwhile, heres some music
PENSIONS CRISIS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listening activity answer key:

A
B
C
D
E
F
You dont need to worry about pensions until youre older

The state pension is worth very little today
People should be able to work until theyre seventy
I havent paid enough to qualify for a basic state pension
Companies are losing valuable workers by retiring them early
Private pension schemes may not be worth paying into
6
3
1
5
2
4
PRICING STRATEGIES AUDIOSCRIPT
Interview about low-cost airlines pricing strategies

P = Presenter
J = James Phillips
P:
Now, if like me youre already thinking about next years holidays but you dont want to spend too much
money, youve probably already visited the websites of some of the new budget airlines that have sprung up in
the last few years. Its a relatively recently phenomenon but an extremely successful one. Im sure youve all
heard of people getting flights to fabulous destinations for as little as 10. It almost seems too good to be true.
Im joined in the studio by James Phillips of consumer group What? and I hope hes going to answer the big
question just how do they make it so cheap? James.
J:
Well, the first thing to say is that not all budget airline flights cost less than 10. The airlines operate a
very dynamic pricing strategy so prices change depending on demand for the product. So, if you want to fly at a
peak time, like, say Fridays, when lots of people travel or just before a public holiday, then demand for tickets
will be high and so prices will be higher. Of course the extremely cheap flights feature prominently in the
advertising but very few people on any flight will have paid the incredibly low prices you hear about. If you book
a long time in advance or at the very last minute, youre more likely to get a good price.
P:
But even so, even if you dont get one of the really cheap tickets, these airlines are still quite a lot
cheaper than other, more established airlines.
J:
They are. You know, people always focus on the dynamic pricing strategy, charging different prices
depending on demand, but basically, in everything else, this is just economy pricing, just like your economy
cornflakes in a supermarket with no fancy packaging. Its the same principle these are no frills airlines. They
dont serve free food on any of their flights in fact they sell food, so they make money that way. They have a
very quick turnaround time, that is, they dont spend much time on the ground because when an aeroplanes on
the ground it isnt making any money. Theyre ticketless almost all of their business is done on the internet,
and that reduces expenses. And most controversially, they fly to and from smaller airports because theyre
cheaper to operate from, so when they say theyll fly you to Rome, for example, you could end up at a small
airport 50 kilometres from Rome and have to pay a train fare to get to the city centre that may cost more than
you paid for your flight!
P:
So, there are some pitfalls to look out for but I for one am going to go straight to the internet and find
myself a bargain. Now where do I {fade out} want to go to this year.
PROPERTYMARKETS AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentothisdialoguebetweenDavidandhissister,Jackie.
Optionalexercise
ReadthefollowingstatementsanddecidewhethertheyareTRUEorFALSEaccordingtothelistening.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DavidandSimonhaveboughtaflatasaninvestmentfortheirfuture.
DavidandSimonwerepayingmoreforarentedflatthanforamortgage.
Davidssisterthinksitmighthavebeenbettertowaitbeforebuyingaflat.
AccordingtoareportthatDavidread,propertypriceswillsoonstoprising.
Householdratesrisewhenborrowingishigh.
(Answersbelow)
JackieSo,David,youandSimonhavefinallyboughtaflattogether.Whatasurprise!
David Yes.Itseemedlikethebestidea.Wearentgettinganyyoungerandneitherofushavegotapensionto
speakof.
Jackie Well,propertyisasaferbetthananyformalpension.Propertypricesarealwaysontheup.Isuppose
youcantreallygowrong.
David Yeah,thatswhatwethought.Thentherestherentissue.PricesinsouthLondonarecrazy.Wevebeen
payingaroundathousandpoundsamonthrentforyears.Themortgagerepaymentsarejustalittlemore.So
wethought,whynotinvestinourownfutureinsteadofthefutureofourlandlady?(laughter)
Sowetooktheplunge.Itsonlyasmallflatbutitsgreattobehomeownersatlast.Wereonthefirstrungofthe
propertyladdernow.Itfeelsgreatabitscarythough.
Jackie WellImgladyourethinkingaboutyourfuture.Idontknowwhetheritsagoodtimetobuy,though.
Surelypropertypricesjustcantcarryongoingupandup?Thebubblewillhavetoburstatsomepoint.Wouldnt
ithavebeenbettertowaitabit?
David Jackie,stopworrying.YoureworsethanMum.Wehavelookedintothiscarefully.Simonknowsmore
thanmebecauseheworksinbanking.Theresnoevidencethatpriceswillfall.TherewasareportinThe
Economisttheotherdayanditsaidthathousepricesareatanalltimerecordhighjustabouteverywherethe
UKandtherestofEurope,theStates,NewZealandandtheresnosignthatthetrendisgoingtochange.
JackieYes,but
David(interrupts)wedoknowwhatweredoingyouknow.Rateincreasesarewhatwereallyneedtoworry
about.
JackieRates?
David Yeah,apparentlywhenhouseholddebtincreasesandmorepeopleborrowmoneytobuyahome,there
isatendencyforratestoincrease.Butwevetakencareofthat.Ourmortgageinsuranceprotectsusbecause
itslockedintoalongtermlowratessowewontbeaffectedbyariseinrates.
JackieSoundslikeyouvethoughtofeverything(laughing)
David Yeah,well,youknowwhatSimonislike.Hesgotagoodheadforfiguresandheisntonetotakerisks.
Jackie AndhowisSimon?Ithoughthedbewithyoutoday.
David Ohhesfinereallyexcitedinfact.Hecouldntmakeittoday.Hesbusyorganisingourflatwarming
party.Hesgotalltherecipebooksout.WewerethinkingofaweekSaturday.
Answers:
1.True,2.False,3.True,4.False,5.True
PUBLICRELATIONS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoapublicrelationsexecutivetalkingaboutherstudiesandjob.
Putthefollowingeventsintotheorderthattheyactuallyhappenedaccordingtothespeaker.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
IbuiltupalistofcontactsinthemediaandPRindustries.
IgotpromotedtoAccountExecutive.
Imetlotsofexperiencedprofessionals
Ididabusinesscourse.
IgotajobasAccountCoordinator.
Ijoinedtwoassociations.
Istartedaninternship.
WhenIwasatuniversityIdidabusinesscoursethatcoveredadvertising,marketing,salesandpublicrelations.
ImreallygladIdidthisparticularcourseas,althoughitwasvast,itgavemeanoverviewofbusinessingeneral
andthedifferentcareersincommunications.
While I was studying I realised that I was most interested in Public Relations and so I joined a couple of
associations so I could start networking before leaving university. Through one of the organisations I joined I
wasabletomeetlotsofexperiencedprofessionalswhogavemeadviceongettingintotheindustry.Iwasalso
offeredaninternshipinmyfinalyear.ThismeantIcouldbuildupmyportfolioevenbeforeIdfinishedstudying.
Ithinkthatitsextremelyimportant,especiallytodaywhentherearesomanypeoplewantingtoworkinPR,to
doaninternshiptoa.getafootinthedoorandb.havemoreonyourc.v.thansimplyyourstudies.Youhaveto
show willing and prove that youre an enthusiastic, ambitious person who wants to succeed. It was hard
studying and working at the same time but at least it prepared me for the deadlines and long hours youre
expectedtoputinwithaPRjob.
MyinternshipalsomeantthatIbuiltupalistofcontactsinthemediaandPRindustryitself.Bothareas were
veryimportantinhelpingmegetmyfirstjobasanAccountCoordinatorwithacorporatepublicrelationsagency.
Ihadtowriteandproofreadflyers,keeptrackofmediadatabasesandotheradmintypestuff.Itwasntthemost
excitingofjobsbutatleastitgavemeabetterinsightintoPRandhelpedmedecidewhatIwantedtodoafter.I
didnthavemuchjournalismexperienceeitherbeforeworkingforthiscompanysoIlearntthatasIwentalong.
Afteraboutninemonths,whenIfeltreadytotacklesomethingabitmeatier,Iappliedforajob,stillwithinthe
same company, withmore responsibility.I became an Account Executive andvery quicklyfelt at homeinmy
new job. That was about two years ago. Ive much more contact with our clients and I play a large role in
developingpublicrelationsstrategies.IstilldoalotofwritingwithpressreleasesbutImalsomoreinvolvedin
organisingspecialeventslikepressconferences.
IlovewhatIdobecauseIgettomeetloadsofdifferent,interestingpeopleeveryday.Youhavetobequite
outgoingandabletocommunicateeasilywhichIguessismoreofatalentthanaskill.IfIhadtostartagainId
choosetodoajournalismoptionatuniversityasemployerslikeyoutohaveajournalismbackground.
Otherwise,gettinganinternshipwasthebestthingIveeverdoneandIddoitagain,noproblem.
Answers:1d,2f,3c,4g,5a,6e,7b
SPOTLIGHTONSCOTLAND AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentothisradiointerviewwithJamesMcMullanwhohasjustpublishedabookabouttheLochNess
Monster.
Optionalactivity:
Decidewhetherthesestatementsaretrueorfalseaccordingtothelistening.
1.JamesMcMullansbookInSearchofNessiehasbeenawardedaprize.
2.ThebookcontainsinstructionsforcookingScottishdishes.
3.ThebookwaswrittenforScottishreaders.
4.JamesclaimstohaveseentheLochNessMonsterhimself.
5.PaulineCummingsdoesnotbelievethattheLochNessMonsterexists.
Interviewer: Helloandwelcomebacklisteners.Inourwhatsnew?sectiontodaywehaveaspecialguest
JamesMcMullanwhoisgoingtotalktousalittlebitabouthisnewprizewinningbookInSearchofNessie.
BeforewemeetJames,Idliketoremindlistenersthattheycanphoneinandaskourguestaquestionby
ringing1445456280.
Interviewer: James.DoyoumindifIcallyouJames?
McMullan: Notatall.
Interviewer: Firstofallitsapleasuretohaveyouherewithustoday,talkingaboutyourbook.Whydontwe
startoffwithyoutellingusalittlebitaboutit?
McMullan: Alright.Well,thebookiscalledInSearchofNessieandasthenamesuggestsitsaboutmy
ownattemptstospottheelusivemonster.ButitsnotjustanotherLochNessMonsterbook,itsmuchmorethan
that.ItsabookthatsfullofScottishtraditionsandstories,interviews,poetry,evenrecipesandjokes.
Interviewer: So,whoisthebookfor?
McMullan: Thatseasy.ItsforpeoplewholiketolearnaboutoldcustomsandHistory,peoplewholike
readingtravelbooksorstories,peoplewhoareinterestedintheoldtalesthatourgrandfathersusedtotell,
aboutScotlandandallthingsScottish
Interviewer: So,isitprimarilyforScottishpeople?
McMullan: No,no,notatallthebookisaboutScotlandbuttheresalotinthebookthatisuniversal.Atthe
endoftheday,everyonelikesagoodstory.
Interviewer: InthebookyouinterviewseveralpeoplewhoclaimtohaveseenNessie.
McMullan: Yes,thisiswhatformedthebasisofthebookfromthestartitwaswonderful,travellingaround
collectingthesetestimoniesfrommen,women,childreneachonewithastorytotell
Interviewer: AstoryabouttheLochNessMonster.
McMullan: ExactlyaboutNessie.
Interviewer: Hello?Yes?AhwehaveourfirstcalloftheafternoonaPaulineCummingsfromManchester.
Hello?Pauline?Haveyougotaquestionforourguest?
PaulineCummings:Hello.Yes.IdliketoaskJamesifhesseenthemonsterwithhisowneyes.
SPOTLIGHTONSCOTLAND AUDIOSCRIPT
Interviewer: James?
McMullan: (laughing)Aahnowthatwouldbetelling.Youllhavetoreadthebook!
Interviewer: ButcanyoutelllistenerswhetheryoubelieveintheLochNessmonster?
McMullan: YesyesIDObelieveinthemonster.Iamabsolutelyconvincedofitsexistence.
Interviewer: Pauline?Areyoustillthere?Whatdoyouthink?
PaulineCummings:WellImabitscepticalmyself.Idontbelieveinmonsters.IthinkthatNessieisoneof
Scotlandsbesttouristattractions.apartofthefolkloremaybebutcertainlynothingmore.
Interviewer: Thanksforyourcall,Pauline.LetsseewhatJameshastosayaboutthat?IsNessieatourist
attraction?
McMullan: Yes,ofcourse.Butthatdoesntmeanhesnotreal.Infact,listenersdonthavetotakemywordfor
it.TheycanvisittheNessiewebpageatwww.nessie.co.uk andseedocumentedevidence,photographsand
evenfilmcoverage.
Interviewer: Ortheycouldreadyourbook.
McMullan: Wellyes!
Answers:
1T,2T,3F,4F,5T
SELF-ASSESSMENT AUDIOSCRIPT
Paolo is talking to his teacher about some techniques to help him assess his progress in learning
English.
Teacher:
working out?
Paulo, youve been trying out some self-assessment techniques. How have things been
Paulo:
Good, I think. Its been useful.
Teacher:
The first thing you decided to do was the learner diary.
Paulo:
Yes. At the end of each day I write everything down in my diary. I write what we do in class.
Then I write about my feelings: If I enjoy activities or find them boring. This part was difficult for me.
Teacher:
Why?
Paulo:
I felt unable to write anything negative. Everything was good at first.
Teacher:
But nobody needs to read your diary, Paulo. You can write anything.
Paulo:
Well, a few days ago I had an awful class. It was hot, I was tired, the grammar was difficult. I
wrote exactly what I thought in my diary.
Teacher:
And did you reflect on this?
Paulo:
Yes.
Teacher:
And?
Paulo:
The same thing happened a few times. I realised that it usually happened in the reading
classes. One of my problems was time. I felt rushed.
Teacher:
So what are your conclusions?
Paulo:
I spoke to the teacher about it. He thought I needed to practise my reading skills to try to read
faster. I dont read much at all. So I think he had a point.
Teacher:
Have you done anything about this?
Paulo:
I've started reading the newspaper every morning. I time myself and see how quickly I can get
the information. It works.
Teacher:
Have you noticed a difference in class?
Paulo:
Ive got a reading class today. Ill tell you later!
Teacher and Paulo: (laugh)

Teacher:
And the progress cards. Have you been using them?
Paulo:
Yes, theyre great.
Teacher:
Good. Why?
Paulo:
They dont take up too much time. And,
Teacher:
Yes?
SELF-ASSESSMENT AUDIOSCRIPT
Paulo:
They work. I prepared one yesterday before my Speaking class. The teacher helped me. I
wrote three things in the first column; Listen and understand a news programme, listen and understand a list of
ten numbers and write a dictation with less than five mistakes.
Teacher:
How did it go?
Paulo (laughing):
Well, I ticked all three things in my column before the class. I was convinced I could do
it. Im good at listening. After the class, I had to tick number one and number three and put a cross by number
two.
Teacher:
The numbers?
Paulo:
Yes, I got four wrong! But the cards worked.
Teacher:
Yes?
Paulo:
Well, I was surprised about the numbers. I'd expected to have three ticks. I wasnt happy about
the cross. I asked the teacher how I could improve things and he had an idea.
Teacher:
Yes?
Paulo:
To listen to the business news on the radio. They talk about numbers a lot. I listen and write
down the numbers. Its useful.
Teacher:
So the cards helped you to identify a weak point.
Paulo:
Exactly. A weak point that wont exist soon!
Teacher:
You sound determined!
Paulo:
I am!
Teacher:
What about the recordings? Have you taped yourself speaking?
Paulo:
Now that was embarrassing - (fade out)
SOCIALMOBILITY AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoaradioreportaboutIndia.
Optionalexercise
ListentotheradioreportaboutIndiaandanswerthequestions.(Answersbelow).
th
1Indiaisthe12 richestcountryintheworld.
2IndiaseconomyisgrowingthreetimesfasterthentheUnitedStates.
3AquarterofIndiaspopulationareverywealthy.
4OverhalfthepeopleinMumbailiveinpoorhousingconditions.
5MostofIndiaspopulationliveinruralareas.
6250,000peoplemarchedtoDelhiinaprotestaboutpoverty.
7Manypoorfarmershavesoldorlosttheirland.
8ThedifferencesbetweenrichandpooraredecreasinginIndia.
IntodaysspecialreportwerelookingatIndia,thesecondmostpopulouscountryintheworldandtheworlds
12th wealthiestin2005,accordingtotheWorldBank.Thecountryseconomyisgrowingveryfast.IntheUSand
mostoftheEUaverageGDPgrowthwasaround3%lastyear,comparedto9%growthinIndia.Theeconomy
isheadingfor10%growththisyear,butnoteveryoneinIndiaisbenefitingfromthisboom.
WhileIndiahasthemostbillionairesinAsia,manyofthecountryspoorareactuallygettingpoorer.Thereare
over1billionpeopleinIndiaand25%liveinabjectpoverty.ArecentUNreportpointedoutthattwothirdsof
Indiahasnoaccesstosanitation.
AcaseinpointisMumbai,Indiasbiggestcitywithapopulationof19million,wherealmost60%ofthecitys
populationliveinslums.Andatleastonethirdofthecityspopulationiswithoutaccesstocleandrinkingwater.
TheIndiangovernmentwantstomakethecountryslumfreebytheyear2020butitisahugetaskandthere
arentenoughresourcestorelocatesomanyslumdwellerswithmorepeoplearrivinginIndiascitiesfromthe
countrysideeverydayinsearchofabetterlifeforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.
Morethan70%ofIndiaspopulationlivesinthecountrysideandmoreandmorepeoplearemigratingtothe
citiestofindworkbecausesubsistencefarmingdoesntprovideenoughtomakealiving.Thereisalackof
investmentinhealthcareandeducationforruralcommunitiesandfewemploymentopportunities,whichis
havingdisastrousconsequencesformanymillionsofpeople.
InOctober2007,25,000landlessworkers,indigenoustribespeopleanduntouchablesfromthebottomof
Indiansocietymarched320kmtoDelhitoprotestaboutthegrowingpovertyinwhichtheylive.Whilesomeparts
ofIndiansocietyareenjoyingtheeconomicboom,otherpartsaresufferingfrominflation,higherfoodpricesand
thelossoftheirlands.
Governmentprojectstopromotespecialeconomiczoneshavedisplacedhundredsofthousandsfromtheirland.
Manyofthesepeoplewerenotcompensatedorcheatedontheprice.
Whileincomesaregoingup,andtensofthousandsofnewjobsarebeingcreated,thegovernmentofIndia
cannotseemtogenerationessentialinvestmentinpublicservicessuchashealth,education,sanitation,public
safetyandhousing.ManyobserversnowaskwillIndiabeabletosustainitsrapidgrowthdespitethewidening
gapbetweenrichandpoor.
Answers:1t,2t,3f,4t, 5t,6f,7t,8f
SOLARENERGYAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentothisexcerptfromaradiobroadcastonsolarcookingtechnology.
Optionalactivity:
Sentence
1. Themodernformofsolarcookingwasinvented70yearsago
2. Thereismorethanonereasonwhysolarpowerisagoodwaytocook
3. Usingsolarpowerisgoodfortheenvironment
4. Thereareseveraldifferenttypesofsolarcooker
5. Itisnoteasytouseasolarcooker
6. Solarcookingisbecomingpopularindifferentpartsoftheworld
Trueorfalse?
Presenter:Andnowhereisanotherinourseriesofreports,Africainthe21stcentury.Thisweekour
correspondentfoundherselfinKenyawithasmall,butsignificantstory.Tellusallaboutit,Kate
Correspondent:Yes,Ivebeeninvestigatingsolarcooking.
Presenter:Cookingusingtheheatofthesun?
Correspondent:Thatsright
Presenter:Well,ImustadmittomyshamethatIveneverheardofit
Correspondent:Itsanideathatsbeenaroundinitsmodernformatleastsincethe1970s.
Presenter:Butwhysolarcooking?
Correspondent:Itsclean,freeandinmanypartsoftheworldanabundantformofenergy.Itsbecomepopular
incountriesneartheequatorbecauseitcomesasaverysimplealternativetothetraditionalmethodofcooking
usingtreesforfirewood
Presenter:Whichisnotgoodfortheenvironment
Correspondent:Yes,itsamajorcauseofdeforestation,itputsmorecarbondioxideintotheatmosphereandit
putsmorepressureonalreadypoorfamilies.InKenyaitsusuallythewomenandchildrenwhohavetofind
woodtocooktheironemealoftheday,andhavetowalkgreaterandgreaterdistancestogetit.
Presenter:Sowhatdoesasolarovenlooklike?
Correspondent: Well,therearebasicallythreetypesyoueitherhaveabox,afoldoutpaneloraparabolic
dishandeachiscoveredinashinymaterialormirrorsthatreflectthesunsraysontoablackpotinwhichthe
foodiscooked.
Presenter:Soundssimple
Correspondent:Theyareandthatsthepoint.Anyonecouldmakeonefromeverydaymaterials.Forthe
reflectoryoucouldusealuminiumfoil,forexample.Obviouslytheyvegonethroughmanyprototypes,butthe
ideaisthatthisisasimple,reproducibletechnologyforpeopleindevelopingcountriestocooktheireveryday
meals.
Presenter:Andisitsaferthananopenfire?
Correspondent:Yes,becauseyoureusingareflectornotaflame,althoughthecookingtemperaturesyouget
aresimilar.
TheUnitedKingdomsinternationalorganisationforeducationalopportunitiesand culturalrelations. WeareregisteredinEnglandasacharity.
SOLARENERGYAUDIOSCRIPT
Presenter:Andthetest,presumably,isnotjustcanlocalpeopleinKenyauseitandteachothershowtouseit,
butaretheystillbeingusedayearlater?
Correspondent:Exactly,andthatswhatwevefound.Thisisntasolutionimposedfromoutsidethatis
discardedassoonastheaidagencyturnsitsback.Theyarespreadingalloverthedevelopingworld,notonly
inAfricawhereIveseentheminaction,butinAsia,theCaribbean,SouthAmerica
Presenter:SoevenIcoulduseonewhenInexttakethefamilycamping?
Correspondent: Whynot!
Answerkey:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
F
T
T
T
F
T
TheUnitedKingdomsinternationalorganisationforeducationalopportunitiesand culturalrelations. WeareregisteredinEnglandasacharity.
STUDY SKILLS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a lecturer giving advice on how to improve study skills.

This afternoons lecture is part of the study skills series, and Im going to be talking about different ways of
finding and using information. Ill look at three different methods, and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each one of them.
Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, there is the internet. Of course, the internet has revolutionized the way we
find information. It has changed the way we work and study completely. Now, as we know, it is possible to find
information about absolutely anything at all, extremely quickly, and without leaving your home.
That, of course, is its main advantage the speed and ease with which it is possible to find information.
However, I have to say that I think these are the only advantages of using the net to find information. The
disadvantages are many: firstly, there is the sheer quantity of information that the net throws at you. At first, of
course, this may seem like a good thing. But then you soon realise that most of the information you have found
is useless, or worse actually misleading. The process of dividing what is good from what is rubbish is not
always easy and can be very time-consuming. Actually finding exactly what you need is not easy using the
internet.
That said, of course, the net is still a great place to start doing research. Once you need to deepen your
knowledge, however, you will inevitably need to use a library. This is our second source of information. At first,
a library may seem to have its disadvantages you cant stay at home to do your work! It may, at first, seem
difficult for you to find your way around where exactly are the books that I need for my subject? Learning to
use a catalogue is a skill in itself! Then there is the enormous cost of running a library.
However, I still believe that a good library is the best and most important source of information. The difficulties
of using a catalogue can easily be overcome, especially with modern indexing methods. Not being able to study
at home may seem hard at first, but there again a good library will have an atmosphere of serious academic
concentration that will help you study!
The material you find in a library will be all good quality and specifically-tailored to your needs.
Finally, there is, however, perhaps something that is still better than a library. This is first-hand research.
Obviously, the possibility of doing first-hand research depends on your subject or field of study, but interviews
with experts enable you to ask exactly the questions you want and be sure of the quality of the information you
gather.
STUDYDIARIES AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoPetertalkingtohisteacherKenabouthisstudydiary.
ListenanddecideifthefollowingstatementsareTrueorFalse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
Peter:
Ken:
KenthinksPetershouldspendmoretimeworkingonhisdiary.
IthelpsPetertorememberwhathesdoneinclass.
Itseasierthanlookingforanswerswhentheclassisover.
Ittakesalotoftimetofillin.
Peterfindsittoopersonal.
PeterwouldlikeKentomarkhiswork.
PeterlikeswritinginEnglish.
So,Peter,doyouwanttohavealookatyourdiarytogether?Asthisisthefirstyearwevebeenusing
themIdreallyliketogetsomefeedbackfromyouonermhowusefulyouthinkithasbeen.
Noproblem.Illjustgetit.
Right, well youve certainly been making good use of it havent you! I mean look how much youve
writtensinceSeptember.Letsstartwiththepartwhereyouwriteaboutthelessonsandwhatyouvegot
outofthem.Doyouthinkthatitshelpedyoutowriteitdown?
Definitely.
Well,inwhatway?
Ermmm.Inlotsofways.FirstofallIhaveabadmemorysowritingdownwhatwedoinclasshelpsme
toremember.
OKthatsagoodpoint.
Writingdown whatIfinddifficultisalsoveryuseful.Ilikeitwhenyoulookatmydiaryeachweekand
youhelpmewithmyproblems.Itseasierthanaskinglotsofquestionsinclassorlookingfortheanswer
afterclass.ThisyearwithmystudydiaryIwriteeverythingdownattheendofeachclassandthenIcan
findtheanswerseitheronmyownorwithyourhelp.Itsmuchbetter.
Thatsgreat!Isthereanythingelsethatyoufindgoodaboutyourdiary?
IalsolikemakingcommentsonwhatIlikedanddidntlikedoinginclass.Ithinkmaybeithelpsyouto
knowusbetterandtomaketheclassesmoreinteresting.Ialsotrytomakeconstructivecomments.
No, I agree. Your comments definitely help me to understand how you learn best and what works in
class.
Theonlyproblemwiththediariesisthattheytakealotoftimetowrite.Atthebeginningitwasdifficultto
remembertowritethem,butitsbetternowwehavetimeattheendoftheclass.
Yeah, absolutely.Would you like to do anything different in your diary? Do you thinktheres anything
missing?
Well,ermmm,younevermarkmyEnglish.Ithinkitwouldbegoodifyoucorrectedit.
Yes,butIdecidednottosothatyoucouldwritefreelyandexpressyourselfwithoutbeingmarkedallthe
time.
Yes,butifwespendallthattimewritinginEnglishitsbettertofindoutourmistakes.
OK,Illasktherest oftheclassand see whateveryonethinks.Itsagoodcommentandiftheothers
agreethenIdontmindpointingoutsomeofthemostimportantmistakesyoumake.Illseewhatthey
say.Anyway,thanksforyourhelpandImverygladthatyouenjoyusingyourdiary.
Answers: 1F,2T,3T,4T,5F,6T,7F
STUDYINGABROADAUDIOSCRIPT
Listento3studentstalkingaboutstudyingintheUK.
ListenanddecideifthefollowingstatementsareTrueorFalse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
LinalreadyhadChinesefriendsinBristol.
LinhasbeentootherpartsofEurope.
Linfounditdifficultwhenshehadtospeakinclass.
Tomaschosehisuniversitybecauseofthecoursesitoffered.
Tomasenjoyedthesociallife.
Tomashadtoworkaswellasstudy.
Syedistryingtogetajobnow.
Syedlikedthewayofteachingonthecourse.
Syeddidntlikethestudentaccommodation.
Lin:
ImfromChinaandIvebeenstudyinginBristolfor4years.IvejustfinishedmyMAdegree.WhenIfirst
arrivedintheUKIfounditverydifficultasIdidntknowanybodyhere,butIsoonmetotherChinesepeople
studyingattheuniversity,andasmyEnglishimprovedImadefriendswithmorepeopleonmycourse.
StudyingintheUKhasbeenaverypositiveexperienceforme.Ivemetalotofinterestingpeopleandtravelled
aroundEuropeintheholidays.Formethemostdifficultaspectwashavingtheconfidencetotakepartin
tutorials,andwhenIwastoldIwouldhavetogiveapresentationtotherestoftheclass,Iwasverynervous.
Mytutorhelpedmealot,however,andsaidthatforsomeoneusingtheirsecondlanguageIdidverywell.
Tomas:
IcametoLeicesterontheErasmusschemeayearago.IhadachoiceofuniversitiesandIchosethisone
becauseitsinamulticulturalarea.IntheCzechRepublicIhadnevercomeacrossforeigners,soIwas
interestedinlivinginaplacewithpeoplefrommanydifferentcultures.
Thesociallifehereisgreat,andIwillreallymissthegoodfriendsIvemadewhenIgobackhomenextweek.
TherearentmanyotherCzechpeopleheresoIvehadtomakefriendswithpeoplefromothercountries.
ThatsbeenverygoodformyEnglishsomeErasmusstudentsstaymostlywithpeoplefromthesamecountry
andtheydontgetthesameexperience.Theworstthinghasbeenthateverythingissoexpensive.Ihadtoget
aparttimejobandborrowfrommyparentstoaffordtolivehere.
Syed
IwonascholarshiptodoanMScinTelecommunicationsatManchesterUniversity.Thecoursewasexcellent
andenabledmetogetagoodjobwhenIfinished.NowImthinkingofdoingaPhDbeforeIreturntoIndia.
Ienjoyedthewaythecoursewastaught.Wewereencouragedtothinkforourselvesratherthanreadpilesof
textbooks.ItsadifferentapproachtothewayIdstudiedbefore,andonethatIwouldrecommend.Iwouldalso
recommendlivinginstudentaccommodationitsthecheapestoptionandalthoughtheroomsaresmallthey
haveeverythingyouneed,andyougettoknowotherpeopleveryeasily.Forme,theonlyproblemwasthatthe
sociallifecentresaroundalcohol,andIdontdrink.
Answers: 1F,2T,3T,4F,5T,6T,7F,8T,9F
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUDIOSCRIPT
You are going to hear four people involved in a teleconference brainstorming session for new business
applications for Galileo, the new European global positioning system. Galileo is a series of 30 satellites
orbiting the earth which will come into operation in the year 2010. It will greatly increase the power of
telecommunications in Europe and the rest of the world.
Write the 4 participants names next to what they talk about: Alan, Beth, Chris and Diane.
Name
Subject
Has an idea for helping people in trouble in the mountains
Suggests how a coach can study players movements during a game
Explains how technology is combining to create new possibilities
Suggests an application to locate players when you cant see them
Alan: So folks, lets see what we have so far. At our last session I outlined the main areas for Galileo
applications - traffic systems, agriculture and the environment, safety devices, leisure
and so on. Youve all got a summary on the handout.
Beth: And if I remember correctly you were saying that whats new in all of this is the convergence of three
different bits of technology for the first time.
Alan: Thats right. We now have a microchip that can transmit to and from the satellites, which we can combine
with mapping databases and deliver through 3G interfaces
Chris: The key to all this as I see it is movement, whether its people or products or transport its all about
movement
Diane: If you stick a chip on a human being you get a personal tracker, good for childminding, monitoring the
elderly, soldiers in battle, that sort of thing
Chris: Put one on a product and you get a more efficient way of controlling your supply chain, mapping goods
from factory to outlet
Beth: And with transport it can give you better road congestion systems, accident response, disaster relief
Alan: This, ladies and gentlemen is what we already know. Lets get down to your individual briefs. Diane,
youve started looking at sport, what have you come up with?
Diane: Well, leading on from what Chris was saying about movement I was thinking along the lines of training
aids. Microchips can monitor players positions throughout a game, individual or team sports. Feed that into a
database, crunch the numbers and you have an analysis of how deep or wide a footballer is playing over a
period of time, for instance.
Beth: And where does the 3G come in?
Diane: This information can be fed to the coach during the game over a handset or whatever. Its the sort of
thing they do at the moment from the touchline, but this way you get instant feedback on all the players, so the
system is monitoring all 11 men simultaneously
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUDIOSCRIPT
Alan: I like it. Give me more details and keep working on it. How about you, Beth? You were looking at leisure,
werent you?
Beth: Yeah, Ive been investigating the executive market, and I came up with SatNav paintballing. Keeping
track of your team mates via a handset when you havent got a visual.
Alan: Avoids those friendly- fire incidents, I suppose. Sure its not being done already?
Beth: I dont think so. Then theres an add-on for hang-gliding which can give you data on wind speeds,
optimum angles for take-off and landing on unfamiliar terrain Could be used by balloonists too.
Alan: Sounds interesting. And Chris, what about safety applications?
Chris: I was looking at skiers. Always getting caught in avalanches, getting lost. A little tracking device to help
the mountain rescue dig them out, maybe? That way you know where everyone is on the piste.
A: Good. Diane, what else have you got for us?
Answer key:
Name
Subject
Alan
Explains how technology is combining to create new possibilities
Beth
Suggests an application to locate players when you cant see them
Chris
Has an idea for helping people in trouble in the mountains
Diane
Suggests how a coach can study players movements during a game
THE DJ AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio show host asking a DJ, Mahesh Gupta, about his work.
While you listen, and before looking at the audioscript below, try to answer the following true/false
questions. The answers are below the audioscript.
Sentence
1. Mahesh thinks that the two styles of music he plays are completely different.
True or false?
2. Rhythm is something fundamental to all music.

3. Mahesh thinks that live music doesnt work in clubs.
4. He thinks that it is too early to try dj-ing at a classical music concert.
5. Indian audiences are far more lively than Western ones.
6. Mahesh is always looking for new experiences.
Q = radio show host

M = DJ
Q: Mahesh, you trained as a classical Indian musician, but now you spend most of your time playing records in
nightclubstheyre two very different things!
M: Well, yes, they arethe two worlds are very different, but there is something that connects them
Q: and whats that?
M: Rhythm. An interest in rhythm. Rhythm is fundamental to everything that I do. Whether its the rhythmic
section of a classical Indian raga, or some Asian Underground electronic beats in a club
Q: And you mix the two things, dont you?
M: YesIve played live tabla to electronic accompaniment in clubs in Europe.
Q: How has that gone down?
M: Really wellI think people are getting bored of ordinary clubs and faceless DJs. Some live music is a great
addition.
Q: And have you tried dj-ing for a classical Indian audience on the other hand?
M: No! Im not quite sure the worlds ready for that yetstill, its an interesting idea!
Q: How are audiences for your music different in India and in Europe?
M: Well, the classical audiences are far more sedate in Europe than in India.
Q: How do you mean?
M: Well, in the West people think they have to respect the music, and to show their respect they all sit there
very quietly, as if they are at a museum or something.
Q: And in India?
M: People participate much more theyll clap when they appreciate somethingand shout when they dont!
THE DJ AUDIOSCRIPT
Q: Finally Mahesh, what does the future hold for you?

M: A new record in the autumn, then next year Im looking forward to a new collaboration with some Latin
American musiciansIm always looking for new frontiers!
Answers:
Sentence
1. Mahesh thinks that the two styles of music he plays are completely different.
True or false?
False
2. Rhythm is something fundamental to all music.
True
3. Mahesh thinks that live music doesnt work in clubs.
False
4. He thinks that it is too early to try dj-ing at a classical music concert.
True
5. Indian audiences are far more lively than Western ones.
True
6. Mahesh is always looking for new experiences.
True
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT AUDIOSCRIPT
An expert is explaining what the Greenhouse effect is and the problems it can cause.
Before listening, match the following words to their definitions. The answers are below the audio script.
Word
1. Radiation
2. Carbon dioxide
3. Landfill
Definition
a) A large hole in the ground where waste is buried.
b) The slow increase of the Earths temperature
c) The broken pieces left when something large has
been destroyed.
d) A gas without colour or smell, produced when you
breathe out.
e) Fuels produced from decayed animal or plant
material.
f) A form of energy produced during a nuclear
reaction.
4. Fossil fuels
5. Debris
6. Global warming
Interviewer
means?
Doctor Grant, could you explain in a few words what The Greenhouse Effect actually
Doctor Grant Well, in simple terms ... the sun heats the Earths surface and the Earth radiates energy back
out into Space. Some of the radiation gets trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases. This trapped
radiation warms the atmosphere and some of it goes back down to the Earth, making it hotter than normal. This
is the greenhouse effect.
Interviewer
So, is carbon dioxide the problem?
Doctor Grant Yes ... and other gases too. Methane ... being released from paddy fields.... commercial oil and
gas from landfills ... vegetation left to rot without oxygen ... These days there are more greenhouse gases than
ever because of human activities and especially the burning of fossil fuels.
Interviewer
What kind of problems do scientists foresee?
Doctor Grant Well, ice caps melting and sea levels rising mean that eventually cities like London, New York,
Sydney and Tokyo will be submerged. This is difficult to imagine of course.
Interviewer
It seems incredible ... no wonder scientists are worried.
Doctor Grant Well, some scientists are optimistic. They believe that positive feedbacks from ice clouds and
their water vapour could have an impact on global warming. Other scientists are more sceptical. They suspect
that we have been wrong in our initial analyses of the situation and might need to go back to the drawing board!
Interviewer
So are you saying that some scientists dont believe in the Greenhouse Effect?
Doctor Grant No, I wouldnt go that far. In fact, without the Greenhouse Effect the planet would be frozen and
no life forms would exist.
Interviewer
Is there anything that could protect us from global warming?
Doctor Grant Im glad you asked me that. Yes! Volcanoes! When a volcano erupts it throws debris up into the
stratosphere. This protects the Earth from solar energy by scattering the sunlight. Of course the best thing that
we can do is to address the problem seriously on a world level. Thats where the Kyoto Treaty enters the
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT AUDIOSCRIPT
picture. If all of the governments in the world would commit themselves to making a real effort to work together
on this issue, we might be able to slow down the process and work out a solution.
Interviewer
So ...how worried do we need to be?
Doctor Grant That depends. First of all global warming isnt going to affect all areas of the planet to the same
degree. Things like the collapse of glaciers take hundreds of years so we are talking about a slow process here.
Interviewer
Slow enough for us to do something to prevent a catastrophe?
Doctor Grant
Well ... lets hope so!
Answers:
Word
1. Radiation
Definition
A form of energy produced during a nuclear reaction.
2. Carbon dioxide
A gas without colour or smell, produced when you

breathe out.
A large hole in the ground where waste is buried.
Fuels produced from decayed animal or plant
material.
The broken pieces left when something large has
been destroyed.
The slow increase of the Earths temperature
3. Landfill
4. Fossil fuels
5. Debris
6. Global warming
THE INTERN AUDIOSCRIPT
Malcolm, an undergraduate studying Marketing, is giving a presentation about an internship he served

in an advertising company to the other students on his course.
A fellow student took some notes while he was talking, but was distracted and made some mistakes. The
mistakes are underlined in the notes below. Listen 2 or 3 times and correct the mistakes. The answers are
below the audio script.
Notes
Correct info
1. The company was founded in 1996.

2. They have a turnover of 800,000 Euros a year.
3. Malcolm helped in the marketing department in Paris.
4. Malcolm had to secure the advertising deals.
5. He spoke French on the phone every day.
6. He observed the marketing team brainstorm ideas for advertising new
products.
7. He ate lunch in the office canteen.
8. The main disadvantage was that he didnt meet people from other
departments.
Today Im going to talk to you about my internship with the advertising company Flash. The handout you have
includes erm some vocabulary related to international sales. If you have any questions about advertising or
sales you can ask them at the end. In my presentation Ill explain what work I did and what I learnt from my
internship.
First of all, Id like to introduce the company. It was founded in 1985 by two brothers in Paris and they now have
four offices worldwide. They have a turnover of 800 000 000 euros per year and employ over 200 people in
France, London, and Chicago. These two slides show you some examples of the adverts they have designed
for their clients.
So, to explain what work was I was doing. I helped out in the international sales department in Paris. I had to
contact potential clients by phone and e-mail and erm present our company to them to find out if they might be
interested in our services. Then a more experienced member of the sales team followed up the initial contact I
had made erm to erm try and eventually secure an advertising deal.
There were some positive and negative sides to my internship but on the whole I really enjoyed my work. I used
my English every day as many of the phone calls I made were in English and erm I also had to send and
receive e-mails in English. I sometimes observed the design team as they brainstormed ideas for advertising a
new product but as this isnt my main area of interest I mostly stayed with the sales team. However, as I was the
intern I also had some tasks to do that no one else wanted like sorting out a cabinet of old files and erm
checking up-to-date e-mail addresses and websites for companies we had worked for in the past.
THE INTERN AUDIOSCRIPT
The working conditions were very good and I was in an open-plan office with seven other people from sales who
were all very friendly and welcoming. We had an hour and a half break for lunch and most people ate at the
restaurant next door to the head office. It was a great opportunity to meet with other people from different
departments and to find out how the company worked.
So to conclude my presentation, Id say the main disadvantage of my internship was that I didnt get to follow up
any of the sales. Hmm, some of my colleagues let me sit in with them on meetings with some already
established clients, and although I did go to some presentations given by my boss to potential clients, I wanted
to be more involved. I still have a lot to learn and I intend to work at the same company next summer to gain
even more experience. I hope that next time the job I do will quickly progress into something a little more
challenging.
Answers:
Corrected Notes
1. The company was founded in 1985.
2. They have a turnover of 800,000, 000 Euros a year.
3. Malcolm helped in the international sales department in Paris.
4. A more experienced member of the sales team had to secure the advertising deals.
5. He spoke English on the phone every day.
6. He observed the design team brainstorm ideas for advertising new products.
7. He ate lunch in the restaurant next door.
8. The main disadvantage was that he didnt get to follow up any of the sales.
TOURISTACCOMMODATIONAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoatravelagentexplainingaccommodationpossibilitiestoamanandwoman.
Optionalexercise ListentotheconversationanddecideifthestatementsareTrueorFalse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Travelagent:
Thewomanwouldpreferapackagetour.
Theyareonlyinterestedinselfcateringaccommodation.
Thetravelagentthinksthataselfcateringcottagewouldnotbesuitable.
Thewomandoesntwanttosleepinadormitory.
Thetravelagentthinksthathiringacaravanisabadidea.(Answersbelow)
Goodafternoon.HowcanIhelpyou?
Man:
WereinterestedinaholidayinWales.Wedliketotravelaroundandseealotofthecountryside.Wed
alsoliketodoquiteabitofwalking.
Woman:
Wedontwantapackagetour.
Travelagent:
advance.
Thatsfine. Icangiveyouinformationonthetypesofplacesyoucanstay,andhelpyoubookroomsin
Woman:
Thatwouldbeperfect.
Travelagent:
Areyouwantingselfcateringaccommodationoraccommodationwithmealsprovided?
Man:
Amixtureofthetwo,Ithink.Themainthingisthatwewanttogetawayfromtownsandcities.
Travelagent:
Well,youllfindthatWalescanofferavarietyofservicedaccommodationawayfromthecrowds.There
arecountryhotels,whichareusuallyquietandinextensivegrounds.
Man:
Iimaginetheywouldbeexpensive.
Travelagent:
Yes,theycanbe.Acheaperoptioninarurallocationwouldbefarmaccommodation.Thisissimilartoa
guesthouseorB&B,butonaworkingfarm.Youwouldgetbreakfast,andpossiblyaneveningmealprovided.
Woman:
Whatoptionsarethereifwewanttogoselfcatering?
Travelagent:
Therearelotsofcountrycottages,restoredfarmhouses,evencastles,availableonaselfcateringbasis.
Youwouldprobablyfind,though,thatyouhavetobookforaweekatatime.Sotheyreprobablynotsuitableifyouwantto
touraroundWales.
Man:
No.Whatabouthostels?
Woman:
ImnotsureIdwanttosleepinadormitory.
Travelagent:
Manyhostelsnowadayshaveprivateroomsaswellasdormitories.Oryoucouldtrycamping.Thereare
plentyofcampsitesinWales.
Man:
Maybewecouldhireacaravan.
Travelagent:
countryside.
Yes,mostcampsitesallowbothtentsandtouringcaravans.Thatcouldbeanidealwaytoseethe
Man:
Wedlovetospendafewdaysinthemountains.Arethereplacestostaythere?
Travelagent:
Yes,therearebunkhouses,whicharelikehostelsbutsimpler.Andinthereallyremoteareasthereare
campingbarns.Theseareverybasic,andjustprovideaplacetosleep.Youneedtotakeeverythingwithyousleeping
bag,food,evenatorch.
Woman:
Howdowefindoutwherealltheseplacesare?
Travelagent:
Illgetyousomebrochures.AndyoucangetalotofinformationfromtheWelshTouristBoardswebsite.
Man:
Thanksverymuch.Wellhavetogoawayandthinkaboutexactlywewanttodo.
Answers:1F,2F,3T,4T,5F
TOURISTINFORMATION AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoatouristaskingforinformationinatouristinformationoffice.
Putthethingsheasksaboutintheorderheasks.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
amap
activitiesinthearea
bookingforacoachtour
publictransport
thehistoricpartofthetown
walkingdistancetothehistoricpart
Tourist:
Excuseme.DoyouspeakEnglish?
Woman:
Yes,ofcourse.CanIhelpyou?
Tourist:
Yes,wevejustarrivedonholidayhere.Haveyougotamapofthetown?
Woman:
Yes.Hereyouare.Thetouristofficeisjusthere.Illmarkitwithacross.Ifyouwalkdownthis
streethere,yougettothebeach.Itsabout5minutes.
Tourist:
Thankyou.Whereistheoldpartofthetown?
Woman:
Overhere.Youcanseelotsofnarrowwindingstreets,andtheresthechurch.
Tourist:
Howlongwouldittaketowalkthere?
Woman:
About10or15minutes.Theeasiestwayfromhereistoturnleftandgostraightalongtheroad
untilyoureachthebusstation,andthenturnright.
Tourist:
Isthereatrainstationaswellasabusstation?
Woman:
Yes.Thetrainstationishereontheedgeofthetown.Illjustgetyousometimetables.(pause
andrustling)Hereyouhaveatraintimetable,andoneforthebuses.
Tourist:
Thanksverymuch.Doyouhaveanyinformationaboutthingstodointhearea?
Woman:
Yes,ofcourse.Overtherewevegotleafletsaboutlocalattractions.Andthisfreeguideheretells
youwhatsonthismonth.Ithasinformationaboutconcerts,festivals,childrenseventsetc.
Tourist:
Thatlooksveryuseful,thankyou.
Woman:
Therearealsoseveralguidedtoursyoucantakefromhere.Theresawalkingtouroftheold
town.Ittakesacoupleofhoursandisveryinteresting.Andthentherearecoachtours.Theresonewhich
takesyouroundthecastlesinthisarea.Idontknowifyouknowthatthisregionisfamousforitscastles.
Tourist:
No,Ididnt.Wouldweneedtobookinadvance?
Woman:
Yes,forthecoachtouryouneedtobookatleastadayinadvance,andyoucandothatfromhere.
ForthewalkingtouryoujustturnupoutsidethisofficeattenoclockinthemorningonTuesdayorThursday.
Tourist:
Woman:
Right,well,thankyouverymuch.Youvebeenmosthelpful.
Notatall.Ihopeyouenjoyyourstayhereandifyouneedtoknowanythingelse,feelfreetoask.
Answers:1,5,6,4,2,3
ATRAVELAGENTAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentoatravelagent,Carl,explainingwhathedoes.
MatchthebeginningsandendingsofthesentencestomakeasummaryofwhatCarlsays.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
He'sbeenatravelagent
Onethinghelikesabouthisjob
Hismaintaskisto
Healsohastomakesure
Heloves
Hesometimesgets
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
customershavealltheinformationtheyneed.
difficultcustomers.
forabouttenyears.
isthathegetscheapflightsandholidays.
organisingtailormadeholidays.
sellholidays.
Goodafternoon.MynamesCarl,Imatravelagent,andIworkforoneofthemajorchainsinthehighstreet.
Ivebeenwiththemforabout10yearsandwhileIvebeenworkingIvestudiedforanumberofqualifications.
PeopleoftenaskmewhyIdecidedtobeatravelagent.AsayoungadultIlovedtravellingandworkedfora
whileasarepinSpain.WhenIcamebacktotheUKIdecidedtostaywithinthetravelindustry,andmy
experienceofworkinginresortsabroadhelpedmetogetajobasatravelagent.Ihavetoadmitthatoneofthe
mainreasonsIwantedtobeatravelagentwasthatwegetcheapflightsandholidays.Itsagreatperk!
BasicallyImasalesperson.Iadvisepeopleontheholidayoptionsavailabletothem,youknow,different
destinations,typesofholiday,waystogetthere,andsoon.Whenacustomerhasdecidedwhattheywant,I
bookitforthemandmakeanyotherarrangementstheymightneed,suchascarhireortours.Myresponsibility
doesntendthere,though.Ihavetomakesurethatclientsknowifanyvisasarenecessary,oriftheywillneed
vaccinations,andhowtogetthem.Iftheyareflying,Ineedtotellthemwhattimetheyhavetocheckin,and
makesuretheyknowwhattimetheywillbearriving.Ialsogiveinformationonlikelyweatherconditionsand
anythingelseIthinkwillbeusefulforthem.
Imfindingthatmoreandmorecustomerswantatailormadeholiday,notjustapackagefromabrochure.Itsa
lotmoreinterestingformeifIcanorganisethewholethingmakeoutanitinerary,bookflights,ferries,trains,
accommodationandeverything.Iloveprovidingapersonalisedservice,especiallyifitstoplacesthatIknow.I
canreallyhelpcustomersgetagreatholidaythatwillbeidealforthem.
SometimesIgetdifficultcustomers.OnemancameinwantingaflighttoVenicethenextday.Icheckedout
timesandfaresonthecomputer,andfoundaveryreasonableflightatasuitabletime,sowebookeditthere
andthen.Aweeklaterhecameinandhewasabsolutelyfurious.HewantedtoknowwhyIhadflownhimto
Venice,inItaly,whenhehadhadanimportantmeetinginVienna,whichisinAustria.Ididntknowwhattosay,
butsincethenIvealwaysbeencarefultocheckthatpeoplereallyknowwheretheywanttogo.
Answers
1c,2d,3f,4a,5e,6b
HOWTOTREATYOURSTAFFAUDIOSCRIPT
Anextractfromatalkgivenbyamanagementtrainingleader.
Optionalexercise
Matchtheseidiomaticexpressionsfromthetalkwiththeirdefinitions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Toburyonesheadinthesand
Agoldenrule
Togetsomeonesbackup
Tobreathedownsomeonesneck
a.
b.
c.
d.
Animportantpoint
Toignoreaproblem
Tocloselyobservewhatsomeoneisdoing
Toirritateorannoysomeone
Soreallywhatwearetalkingaboutmostofthetimeissimplyacaseofcommonsense.Thereisnothing
revolutionaryorevennewhere.Thetroubleisthatmostmanagerstendtoforgetaboutdevelopingtheirown
managerialskillsassoonastheybecomeamanager.Thereisacertainsenseofironyinthis,dontyouthink?
Letsmoveonandtalkaboutafewmoreoftheseissues.OnethingthatIhavecomeacrossagainandagainis
thesituationinwhichmanagerspretendthatchangeisnothappening.Butwhenchangeishappening,thisis
theworstthingtheycando.Itslikeburyingonesheadinthesand.Yourstaffwillknowthatsomethingisup
andwonderwhyyouarebeingsecretiveorworsedishonest.Socommunicate.Tellyourstaffexactlywhat
ishappeningandgivethemopportunitiestoaskquestions.Everybodywillcomeoutwinningbecausehonestyis
alwaysthebestpolicy.
Sharinginformationisagoldenruleofmanagement.Sometimestheresatendencytokeepthingstoonesself
butthisisntusuallythebest. Imagineasituationwhereyouarethinkingaboutapproachinganewclient,for
example.Ifweonlycommunicatethisinformationtoourimmediatemanagementteam,thenwemightwellbe
neglectingtotellsomebodywhoispotentiallytheidealpersontocomeupwithanideatomakecontactwiththis
newclientforwhateverreason.Thereareotherscenariostooworkcangetduplicatedandevenworse
peoplecangetoffended.Wedontwanttogetanybodysbackup!
Staffneedtofeelthattheyaretrustedtoworkindependentlyandmanagetheirownworkloads.Itsaprovenfact
thatworkersinthisenvironmentarehappierandaremoreproductive.Asmanagersweshouldlearntomicro
managetomakesurethatstaffknowexactlywhattheyresupposedtobedoingandthenjustletthemgeton
withit.Weshouldneverbreathedowntheirnecks.Thatisntgoingtohelpanybody.
Anotherveryimportantthingtorememberisthatyouremployeesmaynotunderstandyourjargonor
managementspeak.Andwhyshouldthey?Youmighthavespentweeksdiscussingissuesandmaking
decisionsweekswhenyouareusingacronymswithothermembersofthemanagementteam.Whenyou
finallycomearoundtocommunicatingtheseideaswiththerestofthedepartmentthetermsarefamiliartoyou
butrememberthatthetermsarenewforeverybodyelsesoexplainwhattheterminologymeansorbetter
stillavoidusingit.Becausepeoplewhousejargonallthetimecomeoverasbeingpatronising.
Aswegettotheendofthistalk,Idliketomentionsomethingthatformeisprobablythemostimportant
pieceofadviceofall.Dontforgetyoursenseofhumour.Beingabletoshareajokeatworkispriceless.We
havetobeabletolaughatourselvestooandnottakeourselvestooseriously.Ofcourse,thereisatimeand
placeforhumourbutagoodmanagerwillinstinctivelyknowwhenthetimeisright.
Answers1b,2a,3d,4c
TURKEYJOININGTHEEUAUDIOSCRIPT
Listento2studentstalkingabouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof TurkeyjoiningtheEU.
Listenanddecidewhohasthefollowingideas,FatmaorHakan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Everywhereintheworldisbecomingthesame.
Itwillbeeasiertotravel.
ItsimportanttobecomepartoftheEU.
TheEurowillbringeconomicstability
TheEurowillcauseinflation.
TurkeyisverydifferentfromWesternEurope.
Turkeyshouldjoinby2008.
Fatma:IthinkitsveryimportantforustobecomepartoftheEU.IthinkTurkeyshouldjoinby2008atthelatest.
Hakan:Idontagreewithyouatall.Ireallyjustdontunderstandthepointorseeanybenefitsthatitwouldbringus.
Fatma:Well,greatereconomicstabilityforastart.Thatsthemostobviousandmostimportantthing.Ifwestartedtouse
theeurowewouldgetthatstability.
Hakan:ImnotsurelookatwhathappenedinotherEuropeancountrieswhentheeurocameintheyallhadterrible
inflation!!IdontwantthattohappeninTurkeytoo
Fatma:Inflationwasntjustcausedbytheeuro,therewereotherreasons.Anyway,atleasthavingtheeurowouldmake
travellingeasierwewouldnthavetochangemoneyandpaycommissionratestobanks!
Hakan:Butweriskbecomingthesameaseveryoneelse.Samemoney,sameTVchannels,samefilms,same
musicMcDonaldseverywhere
Fatma:ThatsAmericanandnothingtodowithEurope!
Hakan:Sure,butitsallpartofthesameprocess
Fatma:Ohnonsense!Comeoffit!IfTurkeywantstobecomeamodernnationwithastrongvoiceininternationalaffairs,it
mustbecomepartoftheEuropeanUnion!
Hakan:Imnotsosureaboutthatwehaveothertraditions,wearemoreBalkanandMediterranean,wehaveadifferent
history.
Fatma:Europeisamulticulturalcontinent.EverycountryinEuropehasadifferenthistory.
Hakan:Well,thatmaybe,butperhapsitsnotuptoustodecide.PerhapsEuropedoesntwantus!
Fatma:Hmmmwell,yourequitehappytobepartofEuropewhenFenerbahcearedoingwellintheChampionsLeague
Answers: 1H,2F,3F,4F,5H,6H,7F
UNDERSTANDINGCOMPETITORS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listentotwopeople,AllanandBrown,fromacompanywhomanufacturesportsshoesdiscussinga
flowchartandtalkingabouttheircompetitors.
Optionalexercise:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Whichperson,AllanorBrown,saysthingswhichmeanthefollowing? (Answersbelow).
Wearentsellingasmanyshoesnowasbefore.
Theinternationalpoliticalsituationisntstable.
Wecantdoanythingabouttheinternationalpoliticalsituation.
Peoplethinkthatarecessionisgoingtohappen.
Wehavesomeveryimportantcompetitors.
Weshouldntspyonourcompetitors!
Allan:So,thefirstthing,then,asyouknow,isthatweveseenourmarketshareslowlydecliningoverthelastfewyears.The
figuresarentdisastrous,soIdontthinktheresanyneedtopanic,butwedoneedtothinkcarefullyaboutwhythisis
happening,anddowhatwecantoreversethetrendassoonaspossible.
Brown:HmmmlookingatthesefiguresIseewhatyoumean.Sothefirstthingtodoislookattheoverallcontext
Allan:HaveyoudrawnupaPESTanalysis?
Brown:Yeshereitisasyoucansee,wefeelthepoliticalsituationtobefairlystableatthemomentinthiscountry,though
theinternationalclimateis,obviouslysomethingdifferent
Allan:andtheresnotmuchwecandoaboutthat!
Brown:No,andtheproblemisherewhereitstartstoeffecttheeconomy.Therearenorealsignsthatthisishappeningyet,
butpeoplemayperceivethataneconomicdownturniscoming
Allan:Whichleadstothesocialfactors
Brown:Yes,familiesarespendingless.However,mostofourcustomers,andourtargetmarket,areyoungsinglepeople,not
families.
Allan:So,nextweshoulddoaSWOT.
Brown:Sure,ourstrengthsarestillthelevelofrecognitionofourbrand,whichisincreasing.Weweremovingfromaniche
marketintoamassone,butnowthatprocessseemstohavestopped
Allan:Aweakness?
Brown:Perhapswearentproperlypreparedforsuchamove
Allan:WeareupagainstsomemajorcompetitorsNike,Adidas
Brown: Yes,thatsobviously,thebiggestthreathere.
Allan:Canwecompetewiththesenames?
Brown:Doyouthinktheyareworriedaboutus?
Allan:andhowcanwefindout?
Brown:Well,thereareseveralwayswecouldusesomeindustrialespionage
Allan:Youmeanspyingonthem!?Ihopeyourejoking.!!!
Brown:Mmmm,yessssWell,Isuggestthebestthingtodoistocommissionsomemarketresearch.Wecanneverreally
knowwhatourcompetitorsaredoing,butifweunderstandthemarketbetter,atleastwecanmakeinformeddecisionsabout
them.
Answers:1A,2B,3A,4B,5A,6A
WALESAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoatalkgivenabouttheWelshlanguage.
Optionalactivity:
HowmuchdoyouknowaboutWelsh?Beforeyoulisten,trytoanswerthequestionsbelow,thenlistenand
checkyouranswers.
Sentence
1. FromwhichrootdidtheWelshwordforWalesoriginate?
(a)Germanic(b)Spanishor(c)French.
2. HowmanypeoplespeakWelsh?
(a)1millionpeople(b)halfamillionpeople(c)lessthanaquarterofamillion
peopleinsideWales.
3. HowmanylettersarethereintheWelshalphabet?
(a)26(b)24or(c)28
4. Comparedto15yearsagoisthenumberofWelshspeakers
(a)growing(b)decliningor(c)thesameasitwas?
A,BorC?
ThelanguageofWalesisWelshorifwearegoingtobecorrectaboutthisCymraeg.ThewordCymraeg
isactuallyaGermanicwordthatmeansforeigner.WelshorCymraegisspokenbyhalfamillionpeople
insideWalesandafewhundredthousandpeopleoutsideWalesinEnglandandoverseas.
WelshisanIndoEuropeanlanguage.ItbelongstoabranchofCeltic.The Welshpeoplearedescendentsofthe
Galations.IfwetravelbackthroughHistorywecanfindlinkswithIrishandScotsGaelicandalsotoBreton.
ThesedayseverybodyinWalesspeaksEnglishandinthemajorcitiesandurbancentresofthesouthitisnot
thatusualtohearWelshspoken.ButtherearepartsofWalesespeciallyinthenorthandwestwherethe
Welshlanguageismorewidelyspoken,wherepeopleuseWelshastheirfirstlanguageandwhere,insome
cases,Englishishardlyeverspoken.
Welshisnotasdifficulttolearnasyoumightthink.Ithasregularspellingandisphonetic.Itiseasierthan
Englishmucheasier.SpellingisstraightforwardinWelshandpronunciationtoobecauseeveryletteris
pronounced.
TheWelshalphabethas28letters.MostarethesameasthelettersoftheEnglishalphabetbutthereareafew
extralettersandthereareothersthatwedontusesuchasJorZ.Sometimesthoughyouwillcomeacross
theseotheralienlettersinWelshasborrowingsfromtheEnglish.InfactoneofthemostcommonWelsh
surnamesisJoneswithaJ.ThisisactuallyaborrowednamefromtheEnglishwhereitwastraditionallya
Christiannameandnotasurname.AnotherexampleofaborrowedwordiszwZ W fromtheEnglishzoo.
ButalthoughformanyyearsWelshwasdyingoutasalanguagethesedaysitsseeingquiteaspectacular
revival.In1931morethan36%ofthepopulationspokeWelsh.Overthefollowingyearthisfiguregradually
droppeddowntoaround18%in1991.ButduringthefollowingdecadetheWelshlanguagewasgivena
tremendousboost.MoneywasinvestedinWelshlearningprojectsandWelshlanguageschoolsandthefigures
startedtoriseagain.Thiswasbecauseofinitiativessetupatgovernmentlevel,eitherfromtheWelsh
DevelopmentAgencyorfromtheWelshAssemblyitselfwhenitwaselectedafterareferendumin1999.
TwooftheAssemblysresponsibilitiesareEducationandTheWelshLanguagepromotingtheWelsh
language.In2001thenumberofWelshspeakershadgoneuptoaround20%.Thatpercentageisprobably
evengreaternow.Westillhavealongwaytogobeforewereachtheprewarpercentagesbutweare
certainlymovingintherightdirection.
Answerkey:
1.a2.b3.c4.a.
WEB TELEPHONY AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a telecommunications expert talk about the most recent developments in this sector.
Listen to the recording and decide whether the statements are true or false.
Statement
Paul Carr is an expert in the IT sector.
Until Skype arrived VOIP technology was difficult to use.
Skype claim 85 million customers globally.
Skype spend a lot of money on advertising.
Skype have no competitors.
It is not possible to use Skype in the UK.
Fibre optics will change Internet use.
True or false?
Presenter: Now over to Liz Crew of our business news team ...
Liz: Good morning. In 2005 eBay surprised the world of e-commerce by buying the VOIP company Skype for
more than 4 billion U.S. dollars. eBay will offer its online buyers and sellers a facility to talk directly with each
other before the deal is done. This large purchase put the spotlight on the hidden world of internet telephony.
Here with us in the studio is Paul Carr, an expert on the telecoms sector with Lynch and Smith, the investment
analysts. Paul, whats happening in the telecoms sector?
Paul: Well VOIP has been around for some time, though until Skype arrived on the scene it was rather techie
and not that user friendly. Skype now claim 75 million customers globally ...
Liz: How was it that I missed out on Skype? I hadnt heard of the company until very recently ..
Paul: Well, following the example of The Body Shop Skype have never advertised, all their promotion was
achieved by word-of-mouth recommendations, I guess none of your friends are into technology
Liz: Youre right, theyre not. Obviously, apart from my case Skype have been very, very successful.
Paul: Definitely, their service is very user friendly to download and install and the pricing system they use is also
very straightforward and easy to understand.
Liz: Do they have any competition?
Paul: They do. In the UK, for example, the retailers Tesco and Dixons have launched their own VOIP services,
British Telecom has its own service too, of course ...
Liz: Can I make VOIP calls anywhere?
Paul: Well, calls are made from a PC either to another PC connected to the Internet or to a regular landline
number. One or two countries such as Saudi Arabia actually block Skype and other VOIP traffic, this happens in
some countries where there area still monopolistic national telecoms companies. In the U.S. some bandwith
suppliers block VOIP traffic, this doesnt stop calls but can reduce the quality of the call ..
Liz: In the U.S.? Why do they do this?
Paul: Well the bandwith suppliers say that VOIP traffic uses up too much of their bandwith ...
Liz: Thanks for this. Now we must move on, before we do, any other developments in the telecoms area?
Paul: Watch out for the impact of super bandwidth supplied by fibre optic cables. These cables will supply ondemand high definition TV - no-one knows yet what sort of impact this will have on traditional delivery methods
.. Once again the Internet is turning business models upside down ....
WEB TELEPHONY AUDIOSCRIPT
Answer to listening activity:
Statement
Paul Carr is an expert in the IT sector.
Until Skype arrived VOIP technology was difficult to use.
Skype claim 85 million customers globally.
Skype spend a lot of money on advertising.
Skype have no competitors.
It is not possible to use Skype in the UK.
Fibre optics will change Internet use.
True or false?
False
True
False
False
False
False
True
EFFECTIVEWEBSITESAUDIOSCRIPT
ListentoadialoguebetweenReeta,anexpertonsearchengineoptimisation,andherclient.
Optionalexercise Listenandmatchthewordsanddefinitions.
1content
2keyword
3searchengineoptimisation(SEO)
4spider
5titletag
a Aprogramthatsearchestheinternetforwebpagesandsendsthemtoasearch
engine.
b Awayofensuringsearchenginescanfindawebsite.
c Awordsomeonetypesintoasearchengine.
d Thecodethatcreatesthewordsinthetopbarofthebrowser.
e Thewrittentextinawebsite.
Reeta:
Ivelookedatyourwebsiteandtheoveralldesignandlayoutisverygood.Therearejustafewaspectsthat
needtobeimprovedsothatitsoptimisedforsearchengines.
Anthony:
Idontwanttosoundstupid,butwhatexactlyissearchengineoptimisation?
Reeta:
Dontworry.Pleasefeelfreetoaskasmanyquestionsasyouwant.IprefermyclientstounderstandwhatIm
doing.Searchengineoptimisationisbasicallymakingsurethatsearchenginescanfindyourwebsite,andthenthatyour
potentialcustomerscanalsofindit.
Anthony:
Isee.Sothisdoesntjusthappenautomatically?
Reeta:
No,ifasiteisntoptimiseditcouldjustgetlostoutthere,asitwere.
Anthony:
So,whatdoweneedtodo?
Reeta:
Weneedtomakesurethatyourwebsite,andyourhomepageinparticular,includestherelevantkeywords.
Anthony:
Justaminute.Whatarekeywords?
Reeta:
Thosearethewordsapersontypesintoasearchengine.Yourcompanysellswoodentoys,soanobvious
keywordphraseiswoodentoys.
Anthony:
OK,howdoweincludethem?
Reeta:
Wemakesurethatthecontent,thetextyourcustomerisgoingtoread,includesthesewordsseveraltimes.
Thetrickistomakeitstillsoundnatural,sothatcustomersarentputoff.
Anthony:
Andthiswillmeanthatwhenacustomersearchesforwoodentoystheyremorelikelytofindmysite.
Reeta:
Thatsright.Wealsoneedtothinkaboutwhatothersearchesyourpotentialcustomerscouldbemaking.For
example,childsbirthdaypresent,andincludethesekeywords.Illrewriteallthecontenttooptimiseitforkeywords.
Anthony:
Great.Whatelseareyougoingtodo?
Reeta:
Ineedtochangeyourtitletags.
Anthony:
Whatsatitletag?
Reeta:
Itsthecodethatcreatesthewordsthatappearinthetopbarofthebrowser.Atthemomentyourssaythings
likePage2andPage3.Weneedtochangethesesotheyincludeyourcompanynameandsomeofthekeywords.
Anthony:
Anythingelse?
Reeta:
Yes,thesearchenginesprefersitesthathavenewcontentaddedtothem,soIsuggestthatweregularly
updatetheinformationonyoursite.Forexample,youcouldhighlightadifferenttoyeverymonth,orrunspecialcampaigns
atdifferenttimesoftheyear,suchasChristmas.Thiswillkeepthesearchenginespidersvisitingyoursite.
Anthony:
Spiders?
Reeta:
Yes.Aspiderisaprogramwhichsearchestheinternetforwebpages.Thenitsendsthepagetoasearch
engine.Sosearchenginesusespiderstofindnewandchangedpages.Itsimportantthatspiderscanfindyoursite.
Anthony:
Well,Ididntknowtherewerespidersontheinternet.Now,anotherthing
Answers:1e,2c,3b,4a,5d
WIND POWER FARMS AUDIOSCRIPT
Listen to a radio programme in which politicians are talking about wind power farms as a possible energy
source.
P = Presenter (male)
A (male politician)
B (female politician) = guests
P:
The next question comes from a listener in Sheffield, a Mrs Thompson, and she asks Do the guests
think wind farms are the answer to our energy needs for the future? Now, if you havent been following the
story this is obviously a reference to the governments plans to build a huge wind farm in a national park. Alan,
as a member of the government, surely you support this plan.
A:
Well, firstly, youve got your facts slightly wrong there the proposed wind farm is not in a national park!
P:
Well, its certainly very close
A:
But I think the main point here is that we have to do something. We dont want to have to say to our
children in twenty, thirty years time, Well the oil has run out and we havent really made any plans. Wind
power offers a very real source of alternative, renewable energy and I think that the effect these wind farms will
have on the landscape is a price well worth paying.
P:
Barbara?
B:
A very passionate speech Alan but youre only telling half the story. Of course no-one would say that
we shouldnt look for alternative sources of renewable energy. The problem my party has with this wind farm is
that were not convinced that its a worthwhile project. Its expensive to build, its a blot on the landscape in one
of the most beautiful parts of the country and, most importantly, theres no proof it will provide as much power as
the government promise it will. Our argument A:
It will provide enough energy to power 1500 homes for a year.
B:
- if the wind blows! Thats precisely the problem. Its unreliable and -
A:
You see, this is where we cant win! This wind farm is planned for the windiest area in the country and
you say itll ruin the countryside. Actually, you might be interested to hear that some of the wind farms built in
Scotland have actually become tourist attractions!
B:
I think youll find that those are offshore wind farms in the sea around the Scottish coast. Were in
favour of those theyre much more reliable in terms of how windy it is, theyre much less intrusive they dont
destroy the countryside, but they cost three times more to build than onshore wind farms. We think the
government wants to talk about alternative, sustainable energy sources, but they dont really want to spend
money on it.
A:
Nonsense. If youd read our plans youd see -
P:
Well, Ill interrupt you there, Alan, with another question. An email from a listener says, This wind farm
will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 178,000 tonnes a year. A single jumbo jet flying to Miami and back
each day releases the equivalent of 520,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Should we be looking for
alternative forms of energy or a more fundamental change in reducing the amount of energy we use? Alan?
WRITINGREPORTS AUDIOSCRIPT
ListentotheconversationbetweenanIELTSexaminer(IE)andanEnglishteacher(T)aboutIELTS
writingexams.
Choosethebestwordorphraseineachsentence
1.Theteacherthinksreportsareeasier/moredifficulttowritethannarratives.
2.Somestudentsdontincludeheadings/alltheinformation.
3.Itis/isnteasytoseewhichstudentsdidnotwriteaplan.
4.Youshouldnotuse/shouldusecolloquialexpressionsinaformalreport.
5.Checklistsarewrittenbyindividualstudents/theclass.
T:HiTony?Youlookbusy.Areyoumarking?
IE:Yes.IvegotabouttwentyIELTSexamstomark.IvedonehalfofthembutIstillhavealottogo.
T:Howsitgoing?
IE:Notsobad.Iammarkingallofthewritingsectionsfirst.Reports.
T:Anygood?
IE:Wellthatsconfidentialinformationbutletsjustsaythereareallsorts.
T:Reportsareeasytowritethough.Iwouldhavethoughtthatwaswhatstudentsfoundeasiest.Theyarentlikenarrative
textswhenyouhavetohaveavividimagination.
IE:Yes.Youreright.Butyoudbesurprisedatthesillymistakesthatstudentsmakesometimes.
T:Forexample?
IE:Well,lotsofpeopledontreadthequestioncarefullysotheyendupwritingareportaboutthewrongthing.
Or
theyreadthequestiontooquickly,thinktheyunderstandwhattheyhavetodobutmissoutawholechunkofinformation.
T:Yes.Iknowwhatyoumean.Mystudentsdothatinclass.Theydontseemtorealisehowimportantitisjustreadingthe
questionandthinkingaboutitabitwhatitmeanswhothereportisforwhatstyletheyshouldusetheyarealwaysin
toomuchofahurrytostartwriting
IE:Yes.Iamsurethathalfthecandidatesdontevenwriteaplan.Itiseasytospottheoneswhodotheirreportsare
mucheasiertofollow,theyincludealltheinformationandtheyarenoticeablybetterwritten
T:Really?
IE:Yes.Absolutely.
T:Illtellmystudentsthat.CanI?
IE:(laughing)ofcourse.Itshouldbeobviousanyway.Iamsureyouvetoldthembefore.
T:Gotanyothertips?
IE:Well,Ithinkitsagoodideatogetyourstudentsusedtousingsomesortofachecklistaftertheyhavefinishedwriting
theirreportoratleastaftertheyvewrittenthefirstdraft.
T:Achecklist?
IE:Yes.Alistofthingstocheck.Obviousthingsbutthingsthatoftengetforgotten.
T:Forexample?
IE:Well,tocheckthattheregisteristherightoneofcourse.So,ifareportissupposedtobe formalthenitshouldbeformal.
Nocontractions,nocolloquialexpressions.Andthenspellingsandheadings.
T:Spellings?
IE:Yes,everyonemakesspellingmistakesandusuallythesameonesagainandagain.Ifyoucanidentifyyourown
particularmistakesthenyoucanaddthemtoyourchecklist.
T:Yes,thatstrue.Thatsusefuladvice.
IE:AndthentheobviousthingslikehaveIincludedalltheinformation?HaveIgotaconciseintroductionandaconclusion
thatsumsupallmyideas?Checklistsareindividual.Eachstudentknowshisorherownweakpointsandshouldwritealist
accordingly.
T:Thatsgreat.Iliketheideaofachecklist.IthinkIlltalkaboutthatinclasstoday.Fancyacoffee?
IE:Nothanks,Ihaventgottime.IstillhavetenreportstocorrectandIamsupposedtofinishthembythemorning.
T:OhwellIwontdisturbyouanymorethanksfortheadvice
IE:Noproblem!
Answers:1.easier2.alltheinformation3.is4.shouldnotuse5.individualstudents
TEACHERTRAININGAUDIOSCRIPT
Listentothistalkbyateachertraineraboutpairworkactivities.
Optionalactivity:
Sentence
1. Pairingthestudentsrandomlyisagoodidea.
2. Theteachershoulddecidewhogoesfirstinpairwork.
3. Teacherscansometimesspendtoomuchtimeorganisinganactivity.
4. Studentsshouldneverbeallowedspeaktheirownlanguageinclass.
5. AskingstudentstomonitoreachothertoensuretheyarespeakingEnglishisa
goodidea.
Trueorfalse?
TT=TeacherTrainer
TT:Right,Ivecometotheendofmytalkbutwestillhavesometimeleftforquestions.Doesanyonehave
anythingtheydliketoaskmeaboutpairwork?
(pause)
TT:Yes?Sandra?
Sandra: Well,Iliketheideaofdoingpairwork,butsometimesitsdifficultknowinghowtoorganiseit,whoto
putwithwhom.
TT:Yes.Thisisverytrue.Buttherearelotsofwaystodealwiththis.Thebestwayistochoosepairsat
random.So,letsimagineyouhave14studentsinyourclass.Firstyougetthemalltostandup.Thenyouwalk
around,pointingandgivingstudentsanumber.Saythingslikeyourenumberone,Anna,yourenumbertwo.
Wheneachstudenthasanumbertheysitdown.Youdothisuntilyouhavegivenoutthenumbersoneto
seven.Thenstartagain.So,youendupwithtwonumberones,twonumbertwosandthenyoujustsayfind
yourpartnerthatllbethepersonwiththesamenumber.
Janet:Andwhataboutwhogoesfirst?WhenIdopairworkactivities,nobodyeverwantstostarttobefirst.
TT:Yes.Thisistypicaltoo.Butagain,therearetricks/techniquesthatyoucanuse.Forexample,Theperson
withthelongesthairgoesfirstorThepersonwithmostlettersintheirnameitdoesntmatterwhatcategory
youuse.WhatsimportantisthatYOUtellthemwhoshouldgofirst.Anddoitstraightaway.Wesometimes
wastealotoftimesettingupanactivityandthendonthaveenoughtimetoactuallydoit!
(pause)
TT:Anymorequestions?Joe?
Joe:Yes.IwaswonderingwhatwecoulddoaboutthestudentswhojustwontspeakinEnglish.Because
sometimesmystudentsjuststartspeakingintheirfirstlanguage.
TT:(laughing)WellJoeyouarecertainlynotaloneinthis.Itsonlynaturalforstudentstospeakintheirfirst
language.Butagaintherearesometricksthatwecanuse.
Joe:Forexample?
TT: Well,onethingthatIusuallyfindworks,istotellyourstudentsthatyouaregoingtogivethemamarkfor
theirspeakingandthatifyoudonthearthemspeakingEnglishthenyoullhavetogivethemazero!Another
trickistochooseacoupleofstudentstobetheEnglishmonitorsandtotellyouwhensomebodyisntspeaking
inEnglish.
Sandra:AndIhaveheardofsometeacherswhogivetheirclassfiveminutesofL1timeatthebeginningofthe
class
TT:Sotheycangetitoutoftheirsystem!
Sandra:Exactly.
TT:Yes.Youcantryanyofthesetricksjustfindtheonethatworksforyouorforyourstudents,Ishould
say.
TT:Now,iftherearenomorequestions,Ireallythinkitstimetofinish.
(Applauding)
Answerkey:
1.False.2.True.3.True.4.False.5.True

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LearnEnglish Professionals

THE RE-DEFINITION OF OLD AUDIOSCRIPT

Interviewer: Simon, how does it feel to be retired?

Simon: Not at all. I can do as much or as little as I like ...

Listening activity answer:

Interview with an internet entrepreneur, Theo Barker, on being a successful amateur.

When did you begin learning English?

What is the Dutch approach to teaching English in medical school?

Extract from a lecture about ethical business principles

Listen to a Business Angel being interviewed on a radio programme.

How do these investments differ from bank loans?

How do you get your money back?

How do you find a company to invest in?

How do you decide who to invest in?

Are all the businesses you invest in successful?

Answer to the listening activity

Bob: Hi Sue, how are things?

Are many economists involved in this field?

What kind of models are we talking about here?

Doesnt that mean that forecasting is impossible?

What do you mean by linear system?

Isnt that expensive? ... for the companies, I mean.

Isnt that still the case?

So ... any words of advice for risk managers?

Listen to a radio interview about the 'boomerang generation'.

If you do not know English you can be at a disadvantage.

If you do not know English you can be at a disadvantage.

What if people argue? Does that happen?

and how do you deal with it?

As you would in a classroom.

So it has helped then?

Its a lot different. I can pick and choose more or less.

What do you mean?

And I hear you are planning a career change?

Its a competitive business

Valentina: Well, its having a tremendously positive effect on short films!

Specialised film festivals

Listen to a radio interviewer speaking to a film festival organiser.

1. The EU has paid for a lot of urban regeneration in Liverpool.

1. The EU has paid for a lot of urban regeneration in Liverpool.

2. Pete thinks that the EU has helped Liverpool.

3. Pete studied the European Constitution at University.

4. Pete thinks the Constitution will change life in Europe.

5. Pete thinks that the EU hasnt helped Liverpool.

6. Jacqui isnt interested in the Constitution at all.

7. Jacqui wants Europe to be successful.

Listen to a business news report about the gas industry.

Welcome to the programme, Linda.

Thats right. I spent three days last week trying it out.

Does that cause a problem when you start moving again?

So all in all, driving the hybrid car was a positive experience.

Yes, and I will certainly consider buying one.

Were there any downsides?

So you would recommend a hybrid.

Thanks very much.

A lecturer describes a technique to improve your recall.

So what is it that makes a businessman or business woman influential?

Wow! Hes a rich man!

So, he invented the discount store.

Im not sure that I follow you -

Well, Ray Kroc -

Ah, the McDonalds guy!

Being in the right place at the right time?

Ok, what else? What other things are necessary?