TAPESCRIPTS
Module 1 – Test 1 Robert: They get their name from Jack Skellington,
Ken: Hi, my name is Ken and you’re listening to BAT
radio. Today, as we all know, is the 31st of October and
we’re celebrating one of the oldest and most popular
celebrations in the world, Halloween. Our special guest
today is Robert Barnes. Hello Robert! Welcome to the
show.
Robert: Thank you for having me, Ken.
Ken: So, Robert why are you so interested in
Halloween?
Robert: Well, it’s a time for having fun and my children
just adore this holiday. They love putting on masks and
costumes, trick-or-treating and having parties!
Ken: Tell us a bit about its origins, Robert?
Robert: Sure, Halloween has its roots in Celtic tradition
and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
Ken: Wow that sure is a long time! And ... it is very
popular in the US today, isn’t it?
Robert: Oh definitely, people jump at the chance to
dress up for Halloween. Some people rush to the shops
and pick up a costume from the wide range on display.
But my family likes to be creative and practical. We
prefer to make our costumes on our own and it is so
much fun too!
Ken: I bet they look better, don’t they?
Robert: Oh yes! They sure do! ... So much more
realistic. In minutes their personality and appearance
changes as they become a much-loved hero or hated
villain.
Ken: What do the children do in your area, Robert?
Robert: Well, when they get all dressed up, they gather
in the neighbourhoods, knock on doors and ask for
delightful sweets and other goodies. You can often hear
them singing: ‘Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me
something good to eat!’ And those that don’t get a treat
play practical jokes on people.
Ken: And you know this reminds me of that very old
Celtic tradition which shows us the beginnings of ‘trick
or treating.’ It says that giving food and drink to evil
spirits satisfies their anger and stops them from playing
practical jokes on people. One more question, Robert,
our listeners want to know whether you decorate your
houses and gardens in the US, as well?
Robert: Oh yes! We use earthen colours, such as
brown, yellow and orange and Jack-O-Lanterns are so
very popular.
Ken: Why do you call them that?
1
also known as Jack the Pumpkin King. Some
people buy the pumpkins, but my family and I love
to grow them in our garden. The children have so
much fun, helping us plant them and water them.
They eagerly wait for them to grow and when it
comes to carving the pumpkin the children get so
excited. They carve the large, round eyes, the
small nose and crooked mouth and then they place
a candle in the middle. My wife hangs it outside the
door. Jenny, my youngest daughter says it looks
scary in the night and that our house is haunted!
Ken: This is the perfect time for children and adults
to express their creativity and play together.
Robert: You’re absolutely right! It also brings
neighbours together and above all it’s fun to watch
scary films, to dress up and to have parties all day
long!
Ken: Yes! Well, this sure is a fun topic, but we’re
all out of time. Thank you for tuning in today.
Module 2 – Test 2
0 How many pizzas will the man get?
A: Can I have one cheese and tomato pizza,
please?
B: Certainly, sir. But let me tell you about our
special offer. If you buy 2 pizzas you will
get another one free.
A: Really. So, three pizzas in all? No, I’m
eating alone tonight and I could never eat
all that. Thanks, anyway.
B: No problem, sir. I’ll have that pizza ready
for you in 10 minutes.
46 Which is Brian’s new home?
A: Hi Brian. Do you like your new home? It
must be so different to the block of flats
you lived in last year.
B: It’s just great living on a farm. And it’s only
a 10 minute walk to the beach. I can even
see a lighthouse from my bedroom
window.
A: It sounds beautiful.
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47 At what time will the train arrive?
A: Could you tell me what time the train will arrive,
please? It says 7:30 on the board but it’s a
quarter to eight now and it still hasn’t arrived.
B: It will be here at 8, sir. There is a thirty minute
delay.
48 In what direction is the lake?
A: Excuse me, sir. It’s our first time in North
England and I think we’re a little lost. Are we
going in the right direction for the lake?
B: I’m afraid not. You’re going west at the
moment. You need to turn around and go east.
The lake is around 30 minutes away.
49 Where will the girls go first?
A: Where will we go first, Jane? How about the
clothes shop? I want to buy a T-shirt.
B: Let’s go there later. I need to go to the music
shop before it closes at 5.
A: Where’s the music shop?
B: It’s next to the supermarket.
A: Oh, OK. Let’s go there first.
50 What present did Sarah get from her aunt?
A: That jumper looks nice on you, Sarah. Is it
new?
B: Yes, I bought it yesterday. I think it goes with
the flat shoes that my aunt gave me for my
birthday.
A: I agree. And those jeans look good with it, too.
You really look great!
Module 3 – Test 3
Speaker 1
I’ve had a problem with my laptop ever since the day I
bought it. Its battery life is short and I have no access to
my wireless Internet connection. This is frustrating as I
can’t connect online to research information for projects
I have for college. The shop I bought it from promised
to send it away for repairs. I got the laptop back
yesterday but the problem remains. This is just
unacceptable! I am going to ask for a complete refund
of the money I paid or a new lap top computer.
2
Speaker 2
Well, I have to admit that I am a techno-freak. I’m
up-to-date with the latest gadgets on the market. I
make sure that I know what is coming out and
when. I save up all my pocket money and head for
the shops to buy the latest model on sale. Oh, just
last week I bought the new iPad. It’s thinner, faster,
and has better gaming than my older one. And oh!
I just can’t wait for the new iPhone to come out.
The only problem is convincing my mum to buy it
for me.
Speaker 3
I’m not technologically minded. I just can’t get my
head around all these gadgets. My fingers are too
slow and I keep pressing the wrong buttons on the
mobile Jake, my grandchild, bought me for my
birthday. He wanted me to make a video call and I
thought he was talking about turning on the video
recorder and making a call at the very same time.
He laughed and wrote me a set of instructions
which I can’t follow! I am happy to use my house
phone to call the little guy up, which is a cordless
phone by the way!
Speaker 4
I’m concerned about the time my son spends on his
computer. He seems to be practically glued to the
screen. It has become his second nature. I am also a
bit worried about his health. I mean there’s nothing
wrong with him, but he looks awfully pale as he never
gets out. His teacher called me the other day as well
and said that his grades were slipping and that he
had trouble concentrating in class, seemed distracted
and lethargic. No wonder! He seems to be up all night
in front of that screen!
Speaker 5
Class, I’d like to go through the instructions for the
online project one last time. Remember, you need
to spend time searching the Internet for relevant
information. Don’t just use the first piece of
information you find, compare sources and please
do not copy chunks of information. It’s important
that you understand what you read, so
paraphrasing it or using your own words will benefit
you greatly. Please send the project to me by email
at jharper@org.com and remember the deadline is
next Friday, March 10th.
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Module 4 – Test 4
Jack: So, tell me Alice, what did you think of the
exhibition?
Alice: I enjoyed it! It was brilliant!
Jack: Really? I thought it was rather dull. I mean the
landscapes and the still life paintings were nice, but the
abstracts were unexciting for me.
Alice: Well, I’ll have to disagree. I found the abstract art
works fascinating. They made me feel emotions and I
enjoyed them a lot.
Jack: Sorry, but for me they’re so unrealistic. If you
have seen one abstract painting you’ve seen them all!
Anyone can splash colour on a canvas and call it
abstract!
Alice: No way! The artists are imaginative! They give
us a glimpse of their view of the world unlike life-like
images.
Jack: You may have a point, but it seems like we’ve
got different tastes in art.
Alice: Yes! But that doesn’t matter.
Module 5 – Test 5
Fortune Cookie Writer
Roger: Hi. My name’s Roger and you’re listening to
Odd Jobs Time and here in the studio today we have
Donald Lau, vice president of Wonton Food. Welcome
to the show Donald.
Donald: Thank you for inviting me.
Roger: So, Donald what’s so strange about practically
running the company?
Donald: Nothing actually, but when the vice president
is responsible for managing the company’s accounts
and writing fortune cookies, then that sounds rather
strange, don’t you think?
Roger: I sure do! How did you end up doing that?
Donald: Well, to be honest I never expected to become
a fortune cookie writer. I graduated from Columbia
University with a degree in Engineering and Business.
Roger: That’s got nothing whatsoever to do with
fortune cookie writing. It’s not in the least creative!
Donald: ... I know! But I got a job at a Chinatown
noodle factory, which also made fortune cookies. I was
chosen to write then because no one else could speak
English as well as I could!
Roger: Lucky you!!! And ... where did you get your
ideas for so many sayings from?
3
Donald: Well, at first the writing came easily. I
found my inspiration in Chinese literature, in
newspapers, even on the underground. I’d look up
at the signs and think: “Hey that would make a
great fortune!”
Roger: Are you still writing the fortunes today?
Donald: No, actually. I suffered from writer’s block a
few years ago and gave up the fortune cookies
altogether.
Roger: So who comes up with the fortunes now?
Donald: Nobody at the moment. We are recycling
old ones, but I’ve decided to bring in new blood.
We’ve advertised for a new fortune writer and the
job is still open.
Roger: Well, thank you Donald. And if any of you
listeners are interested in writing up fortunes call
right in ...
Module 6 – Test 6
Speaker 1
It was great to have the opportunity to do volunteer
work. This is something I’ve always wanted to do
and I was able to do the volunteering in my
favourite area, the theatre. It was a theatre group in
Palermo, Buenos Aires. I helped out in the
rehearsal room and I also showed people to their
seats. I made lots of friends, but best of all I got the
chance to appreciate all kinds of music, poetry and
superb acting. It was a wonderful experience!
Speaker 2
Although I was nervous about spending three
months so far from home, my trip to India was an
unforgettable experience. My work at Impulse
consisted of writing and editing documents and
creating training programmes for UNICEF. I was
happy to know that I could put my professional
skills to use as a volunteer. It was important for me
to feel as though I was making a true contribution
and not just doing something that anyone could do.
Speaker 3
I am volunteering at the moment and I have mixed
feelings about the whole thing. The country has a
rare natural beauty, the food is delicious and the
culture is so very different from my own. However,
the volunteer work I’m doing feels pointless. All I do
 TAPESCRIPTS

is manual work, digging up the fields and helping out at Speaker 5

home. I’m really sad to say that the Indian host family My time in Tanzania was everything I hoped it
treats me as a live-in paying guest. I even take my would be. We were teachers of English at the local
meals upstairs alone. I’m afraid I’m not enjoying this school. We taught primary students in the morning
experience much. and secondary students in the afternoon. At first I
was challenged by the language barrier, but after
Speaker 4 only a few days and with the help of my host family
I absolutely loved my trip to South Africa and I’m very I felt as if I belonged there.
glad I decided to go with Wildlife ATC. They made me
feel part of the team immediately. I had a close up
experience of animals in their natural habitat. The
landscape was breathtaking and I took some wonderful
pictures for my collection. One of my favourite moments
was seeing the lion cubs and wild dogs. It was a truly
life-changing trip. I was planning on working within a
zoo environment, but now I definitely think I’ll do
research in the wild, especially in South Africa.