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LANGUAGE LEADER Audioscripts
Progress Test 1- Track 1
1
Well, I live in a detached house in a suburb of a major city. What do I like about it? Mmm, well, I like the access to all the cultural events and shops, but I also like the fact that my local area is very green – you know, lots of parks and open spaces for the kids. The public transport connections are very good too, so I can be in the city centre in a very short time if I avoid the rush hour, so I guess you could say I have the best of both worlds! The only real problem, I think, is the mindless vandalism that goes on, you know damage to cars and bus stops, which we all have to pay for in the end. It’s bored young people with nothing to do. I suppose it’s the price you pay for living in a city.
2
I live in a farm cottage on the edge of a very small village, almost a hamlet really, in the countryside. It really is very rural – about 25 kilometres to the nearest town. It’s the peace and quiet I like really, and the fresh air. There aren’t many vehicles on the roads – so no traffic congestion … the air’s very clean, and there’s very little noise and light pollution. The whole pace of life is much slower – no one rushes anywhere. Oh yes, and the stunning views, I’m surrounded by magnificent scenery. One problem we’re having at the moment is abandoned cars. People are dumping old cars they don’t want any more in the village at night. We then have to wait for ages before they’re taken away.
3
I live in an apartment block in the city centre. It’s the cosmopolitan atmosphere I like. There’s always plenty to do, and such a wide range of shops. I can go out at any time of the day or night and get whatever I want, either food and drink or entertainment. I love the liveliness of the city and being surrounded by people all the time – you know, that constant buzz of activity. People talk about the crime rate in the city, but where I live there always seem to be loads of police so I feel very safe. The one thing that gets me down is the amount of litter people drop on the streets. It’s so unnecessary and just makes me feel depressed. I sometimes feel like saying to them ‘I have to live here with all your rubbish’. The council could do more to keep the streets clean as well, I suppose, but we all have to pay for it in higher taxes.
Progress Test 4- Track 2
Part 2
What are the websites you can rely on? Well, of course, government-sponsored sites, educational sites run by universities or medical schools, and websites of well-known professional organisations, they’re usually non-profit making and should be trustworthy, you can rely on them. By the way, government agencies in the UK usually have the suffix .gov in the address, and educational bodies have .ac , though in the United States .edu is more commonly used for academic sites. Professional organisations and charities sometimes have .org and commercial organisations often finish with .com.
A word about health and medical information you find on the net. Any statement or evidence should be supported by well-established research or medical institutions. Or,
if the material you find has been reviewed by an expert, that’s a good sign. We call that ‘peer reviews’. If the material has not been reviewed, then be careful. Check other sources, other websites, to see if they support the statement or evidence you have found. The material should be up to date – medical sites should really be updated weekly or monthly – well that’s the ideal.
I think one other point is worth mentioning. It’s important the website separates opinion from research results. Research results are based on evidence, and you need to know what the evidence is. It’s OK for opinions to be included in the website, as long as it’s clear they are opinions, and not scientific facts. Oh, yes, and by the way, a good website will provide links with other sources of information so you can check if these back up the findings or research results.
Well, I hope these tips will help you to evaluate information you get from Internet websites. You’re lucky to have this source of information. When I was studying medicine, the library was the main source of information for me. Nowadays, I use the Internet a lot in my research, but I’m very careful what websites I use. I’m sure you will be too.
Progress Test 7- Track 3 Director, Experts
1 E1: I recommend Savanna Charles. She’s an American sculptor living in London. D: What is she? I mean, what sort of thing does she do? E1: Difficult to describe really. She’s got such an original style. She makes huge figures out of glass, aluminium and other metals. They’re mostly exhibited in large halls or open spaces. They’re amazing. Absolutely breathtaking. D: Sounds interesting. What’s she best known for? E1: She did something called ‘Spiderwoman’. It was exhibited recently at the Rockefeller Centre in New York. It’s over 30 metres high.
2 E2: There are several artists I could mention. The best is probably Alberto Cassini. He’d be a very good choice. He’s from Argentina, still young, about 28, living in Florence at present. He’s an abstract painter, a bit similar to Kandinsky, but with his own style. D: OK, tell me a bit about his style. E2: Well, the shapes on the canvas have a lot of movement and drama, like Kandinsky. But Alberto likes darker colours, and he doesn’t use as many geometric shapes. His best known work is called ‘Chaos’. That’s the normal English spelling, C.H.A.O.S. D: Mmm, I’d like to look at a few photos of his work. E2: By all means, I’ve brought some along for you to see.
3 E3: For your first exhibition, why not be a bit different? How about showing the work of a photographer? D: OK, who do you have in mind? E3: Well, how about Ingrid Tauber, a young German photographer? D: Tell me about her. E3: She’s based in Hamburg. Married, husband also a photographer. Erm … D: What sort of photos does she take?
Anna, from Russia
When I worked abroad what I missed most was certain emotional aspects of our culture, not material ones. I certainly missed the Russian style of friendship. In my country, people will discuss all kinds of very personal problems, even intimate problems with you. And they expect friends to forget their own problems and do everything to help you out. But outside Russia, I noticed people are more individualistic, and even with good friends, the conversations are more superficial, they take less time, and people tend to be more focused on their own problems.
Also, I missed Russian jokes and loud laughter. Russians often organise parties at someone’s home, old friends come together and spend hours eating and drinking around a big table, discussing things, singing, dancing. One final thing. I missed our traditional Russian winter, going down snow covered hills on a toboggan with my young son, skiing and skating, playing snowballs and making snowmaidens with our fluffy snow.
4
Danielle, from Cameroon
What did I miss when I was abroad? Definitely the food. In Cameroon, everything we eat is fresh, no processing, artificial stuff or colouring. I remember we had to literally chase the chicken, kill it, and then cook it. It took almost the whole afternoon. And then I missed the spices. We took the tomatoes, basil and peanuts straight out of the field, it was wonderful! When we wanted a treat, all we had to do was go to the mango or guava or avocado tree and pick it. And if we wanted a snack, we would go to the cornfield to get some corn. I tell you, I had no problem keeping slim.
The weather, I missed that too. Cameroon is a tropical country, so we have some very good weather. Believe it or not, what I missed most was the sun of course, but also the tropical rain. I tell you, when it beats down on top of a tin roof, it produces a sound that’s like a lullaby, it makes you feel sleepy.
5
Alessandra from Italy
I feel comfortable living in foreign countries, especially in Europe. I like the variety of cultures you meet just travelling a few hundred kilometres. But I miss something that just isn’t there. It’s the sound of my typically Italian language where I grew up. It took me a long time to realise its effect on me. When I hear people speaking my Italian dialect, then I let myself dive into a very private comfort zone. It’s a blend of feelings consisting of love, trust, comfort, and being ‘home’. For me, I’ve lived and worked in various places around the world, but I’ve never experienced that anywhere else, except in my home country.
I’m studying in England now and I definitely miss not being able to express my ideas as soon as they come into my mind. I just can’t communicate easily and precisely what I think in English, and that frustrates me.
Of course, I miss knowing where to go to find what I need. Being Italian, it means I miss good food, the sun and friendly people. I miss so much, but I’m really enjoying being in England.
Final Test Track 5 Presenter, Guest
P: ... and welcome to today’s edition of ‘Daybreak’, where my guest is Professor Mary Robinson, the author of a new book on improving reading skills. G: Hello, Pam, and good morning everyone. P: Yes, hello, Mary, and thanks for joining us. Perhaps we could start with you telling us a bit about why you wrote the book? G: Yes, sure. Well, I’ve noticed that among the sort of students I meet at the university, there seems to be a decline in the amount of reading they do, both for their studies and for pleasure. This is a real shame because there is a clear link between the amount you read and your ability to express yourself. Also, it seems that reading is the best way of acquiring knowledge. For example, research into how people acquire knowledge has shown that people who watched more TV were more likely to get general knowledge questions wrong, and this is independent of intellectual ability. P: Really, how interesting. G: Yes, it seems the more reading you do, the better, whatever it is. Reading increases vocabulary, improves your general knowledge and keeps your memory and reasoning abilities working well. P: That’s got to be a good thing! So what tips can you give for improving reading? G: Obviously, it depends on the sort of reading you’re doing. However, I think students are often not selective enough about what they choose to read and then they focus too much on details. It’s very important to get an overall idea about what you’re reading and to make full use of any headings and subheadings to help guide your reading, and stop you wasting time reading unnecessary information. Also, I think it’s crucial to engage with what you read. People often think of reading as a one-way process, but in fact it should be a two-way process ... P: Can you explain what you mean there? G: Of course. To be an effective reader, you should always be thinking about what the writer may say next, and also questioning what you read. Think about if you agree or disagree with what you are reading, with the opinion of the writer, with their logic, conclusions and arguments ... that sort of thing. P: Right. Anything else? G: Well, one particular problem that I’ve noticed is foreign students who focus too much on unknown vocabulary. This can make reading very time consuming as they constantly stop to look up words in their dictionaries. P: Yes, I see. In fact, I think people often do that in their own language too. G: When they’re studying, indeed. However, often, you can work out the meaning of the word by reading on and looking at the context it’s used in, or at least make an educated guess. For people who want to improve their reading speed, a good tip is to use your finger, but not to follow the words on the line. No, the secret here is to move your finger down the page as you read, as this will train your eyes to move more quickly down the text and keep you moving forward. P: That’s a good tip. Well, thank you very much, Professor, and good luck with the book. G: Thank you, Pam.
