Straightforward Upper Intermediate Progress Test 1

Listening scripts

Track 7, Progress Test 1, Listening: Part 1

1 [Young woman’s voice]

I guess my hobby isn’t very unusual, but usually it’s boys that are keen on it. I got into it when I was
about 12. My mother bought me a game for my birthday and I really enjoyed it. The games I play are
called Sims and basically you have to create families and then look after them. I guess the only
problems are that you spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen and that sometimes you stay up
really late because you get carried away.

2 [young man’s voice]

I’m absolutely crazy about it. Some people think it’s really strange, but I don’t see why. My dad
enjoyed watching Star Trek on TV and when I was young he bought me a few toy figures from the
programme. Now I don’t just collect memorabilia but I also go to conventions where people dress up
as characters, it’s great fun.

3 [Male voice]
I may be wrong, but I think the whole idea of car boot sales started in the UK. Of course, now they’re
all over Europe and I travel to the really big ones hoping to find something collectable. You can find
lots of bargains and every now and then you’ll find something that is antique and make lots of money
by selling it later. What started off just as a hobby is now almost a way of life for me.

4 [young man’s voice]

I’m crazy about it. Most people think that all you do is go out into a field on the weekend and play
soldiers, but it’s not like that at all. It’s important to do lots of research, find out about what the
soldiers wore and what kinds of weapons they had. When you re-enact a particular battle it’s important
to get everything right.

5 [woman’s voice]
I’m probably their biggest supporter. My dad took me to my first match when I was six and I’ve been
going ever since. I must spend at least £3,000 a year on going to watch them play. Last year I went to
France twice and to Spain once. People often say ‘But you’re a woman.’ And I say ‘So what?’ why
can’t I enjoy watching men kick a ball around just because I’m a woman?

SF Up-Int Progress Test 1 Listening Scripts final ms 1

Track 8, Progress Test 1, Listening: Part 2

Radio host: On today’s show we’ll be talking to Sam Richards, a wildlife expert who studies how
animals behave. Mr Richards …
Sam: Call me Sam.
RH: OK, Sam. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do?
Sam: Sure. I spend all my time working with and studying animals. I try to find out why animals
behave in the way they do and also whether our descriptions of animals are actually fair.
RH: What do you mean ‘fair’?
Sam: Well, let’s take the crocodile, for example. For most people the crocodile is a cold-blooded,
vicious animal and this is often the case. However, they are also very curious animals and they’ll often
get into trouble because of this.
RH: They get into trouble?
Sam: Yes. A crocodile has a very good sense of smell and taste. In fact, that’s how it usually finds its
food – it sniffs it out. So, hunters have been catching crocodiles for years by setting traps with small
pieces of meat.
RH: Right, I see what you mean. The crocodile is so interested in the smell it doesn’t notice any
danger?
Sam: Exactly. Now, let’s look at another animal, the monkey. People often think of them as cute and
cuddly. But, in fact, monkeys can be aggressive and dangerous. Even tame monkeys can attack people.
So the idea that monkeys are always lovely and playful is really not very accurate.
RH: So, what you’re saying is that the adjectives we use to describe animals are not always accurate.
Sam: More than that, it’s making something that is complicated seem very simple. We say kitten –
cuddly, shark – cold-blooded and so on, but in actual fact you’re more likely to be scratched by a
kitten than attacked by a shark.
RH: Yes, but if you’re attacked by a shark the consequences are far worse.
Sam: True.

SF Up-Int Progress Test 1 Listening Scripts final ms 2