Recording Script Workbook B1+

Unit 1 Your World ExN: What was Polly doing when she had an
accident?
TRACK 1.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 1, Page 6, B ExN: Number 4
ExN: You will hear eight short conversations. M: Have you thought about what job you’d like
After each conversation, you will be asked a to do?
question about what you heard. The answer
choices are shown as pictures (a, b or c). F: Actually, I’m thinking about becoming
Circle the letter of the correct answer. You a surgeon.
will hear each conversation only once.
M: Really? But that takes so many years of
studying. How about being a nurse or an
ExN: Number optician?
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M: Goodness Granny, what happened to you? F: I don’t think I will be an optician, it’s not for
F: You’ll never believe it – I’m so embarrassed! me. My aunt is a nurse, though, and she loves
I went to the doctor’s because I had terrible it. Maybe I’ll do that.
flu, but while I was there I tripped over the ExN: Which job is the girl not considering?
crutches of a boy who’d broken his leg, and I
broke my arm! ExN: Number 5
M: That’s terrible! But at least there were M: My sister is a very successful
doctors there to help you! businesswoman. She has her own clothes
ExN: Why did the woman go to the doctor’s? shop.
F:
Wow! So she loves clothes?
M:
ExN: Number
2 Yes, she’s always buying new dresses for
F: herself. She loves jewellery too, and is thinking
I need to get a new laptop.
M: about selling it in her shop.
F:
What’s the matter with the one you’ve
F: So do you like fashion too?
M:
got? It’s just stopped working. I also want
ExN: What does the man like best?
to get
M: a printer, although I must admit I don’t
really need one! ExN: Number 6

Well, I want to get a new computer with F: Do you exercise regularly?

ExN: a bigger screen. It would be so great to M: Yes, I do. I think it is important to be fit
play computer games on a giant screen! and healthy.

ExN: Number 3 F: Me too. So what do you like to do?

M: Hi Polly! How was your weekend? M: Well, I love going to the gym. I feel a bit
plump and want to get stronger. My favourite
F: Not bad. I went to my yoga class with my
thing to do is to go running, especially
flatmate on Saturday. It was great, but I fell off
whenever
feeling blueI’m
– running makes me happy again!
my bicycle while I was riding home and I hurt
I’m not really interested in things like yoga
my knee.
classes, though my colleague says they
M: Did you go to the doctor? help him feel calm after a day at work.
F: No, I just walked home – it was a very long ExN: Which type of exercise does the man do
way! when he feels sad?
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 ExN: Number
7 now, people have wondered who the woman in
F: You’re always looking for explanations for the
things you don’t understand. Do you want to
be a police officer?
M: Not at all – people can be aggressive to the
police. I like mysteries though. What about
you?
F: I’m thinking about doing something much less
serious. I think I want to become a magician!
Then, there’ll be even more things for you to
solve.
ExN: What kind of work is the girl thinking about
doing?
ExN: Number 8
M: What time do you want to revise theatre
studies, Linda? Have you got lots of
homework?
F: I do – it’s so depressing! I’m doing my French
work at the moment – it’s taking ages. I can
meet you at say, 1? Ooh, hold on, I’m visiting
my grandparents later! I’m excited – they have
a poetry book for me to read to help with my
poetry assignment!
ExN: Which subject is she working on at the
moment?
Unit 2 World Mysteries
TRACK 2.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 2, Page 12, B
ExN: You will hear an interview with a man called
Bert Atkinson, who’s talking about his
new show Mysteries of the Art World. For
questions one to six choose the best answer
(a, b or c).
Pres: In the studio with us today is Bert Atkinson,
who is talking about his new show Mysteries
of the Art World. Welcome to the
programme, Bert. Can you tell us a bit about
your new series please?
Bert: Well, it’s a series all about art mysteries which
have never been solved. We decided to
make the first show about a subject I am very
interested in – the Mona Lisa! We had so many
questions to look at. I mean, who exactly is
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Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? For centuries
the painting is, and why she has such a strange
smile.
Pres: Oh that is such a fantastic painting. So, can you
tell us your thoughts?
Bert: Well, you’ll have to watch the show! In truth
however, I don’t really know the real answers
to these questions – for now, nobody does! She
is the oldest art mystery in the Western world.
Pres: And what else can we look forward to seeing
in the series?
Bert: Well, we cover more recent and more exciting
discoveries in the art world, too, such as
Vincent van Gogh’s hidden portrait.
Pres: Ah, yes! The portrait behind his painting A
Patch of Green Grass. I thought grass was a
strange subject for a painting!
Bert: Exactly. I mean, why paint something
so uninteresting as grass?
Indeed. Oh, it all sounds fascinating – and
Pres:
very mysterious. Mysteries of the Art World
also looks at the possible, recent discovery of
Leonardo da Vinci’s lost painting, The Battle of
Anghiari, hidden behind a painting by Vasari in
the Palazzo Vecchio, in Florence, Italy. Can
you tell us something about that?
Bert: Certainly. First of all, this is an amazing
discovery and the art world is very excited
indeed! We know that da Vinci made lots of
drawings for a huge painting, called The Battle
of Anghiari. These drawings still exist, and
we think da Vinci may well have completed
it for the Palazzo Vecchio. In March 2012, an
art historian working there found a message
hidden in a painting by Giorgio Vasari. The
message read: ‘Seek and you will find’.
Pres: I see. So, did people take the message
seriously?
Bert: They certainly did! A team of scientists and
art historians investigated right away. They
thought another message could exist. So far,
they have found black, red and brown colours
similar to the ones which da Vinci used in his
painting.
Pres: I see. So, the scientists think that Vasari painted world of good too. He’s 70, but seems much
on top of da Vinci’s painting? younger and has the fitness level of a 40-
year- old. He goes cycling and enjoys
Bert: No, not exactly. There is a space between the
meditating for a couple of hours a day. He
two paintings, like an air gap. The investigators
also watches what he eats. His diet includes
believe there’s another wall, hidden behind
fresh fruit and vegetables, which he eats raw
the wall Vasari painted on. They say that
when possible, with some protein as well. He
Vasari must have wanted to preserve da
drinks plenty of water every day and avoids
Vinci’s original work. On the other hand, there
anything with lots
are experts who believe that da Vinci’s
of additives or sugar. That means he rarely eats
painting was destroyed long before Vasari did
any of the freshly made bread or cakes I love to
his painting. An Italian arts conservation group
make! I guess he’s doing something right, as he
is worried that the investigations could
damage energy for running around after my children!

I’m trying to set a good example for my

Pres: And what’s your own opinion about that?
daughters by taking up exercise again. I used
Bert: Well, if there is a hidden da Vinci, then to do aerobics, until I hurt my knee and had to
this is exciting news for the art world. But have an operation. I went to the gym to talk
if to a gym instructor about what I could do, and
Vasari’s painting is damaged in the process of she recommended something less energetic,
like yoga, which is very popular now. I have also
signed up for spinning classes to burn calories.
Unit 3 Fit as a Fiddle It’s an exercise class where everyone trains on
stationary bikes. Apparently it’s hard work, but
TRACK 3.1 I won’t get injured. I can’t wait to start both
SBN: Listening, Unit 3, Page 20, B classes! Once my knee is better, I’ll hopefully
ExN: You will hear a woman called June Wyatt be able to start aerobics again and go to the
talking about how she and her family keep gym with my father.
fit and healthy. For questions one to six,
complete the sentences with a word or It would be fun to exercise with my daughters
short phrase. as well. I really want them to enjoy exercise
throughout their lives. I think it’s a real shame
F: I saw a report earlier today on television which
when women believe the only way to look
suggested that people who live longer are
good is to use lots of expensive make-up. If
the kind of people who like being with others.
you take exercise, it increases the blood flow
It explained that people with wide social
to the skin and you’ll appear healthier. I’m
networks, who enjoy other people’s company,
trying to teach my children that eating a
are more likely to live longer than people
who balanced diet with less sugar but more water,
prefer their own company. vitamins and minerals makes you feel and
look better too. So far, it seems to be
The experts were saying that they believe
working!
this is probably because when people have
a lot of friends, they have a strong social
support network that can help in times of
illness or other difficulties. They are also
more likely to help others in their time of
need, and apparently this has been shown
to make people feel useful and give them a
reason for
I spoke to my father about it, and he
completely agreed – although he also said
keeping fit keeps you healthy and does you the

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 Unit 4 Technological Marvels
TRACK 4.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 4, Page 26, B
ExN: You will hear people talking in six different
situations. For questions one to six, choose
the best answer (a, b or c).
ExN: 1: You hear a lady talking about phones.
F: Before the nineties, not many people had
their own smartphone. We used public phones
instead. They were in most public places – in
cafés and restaurants, and on street corners.
The first time I ever saw a mobile phone was at
the cinema, in a Hollywood movie. It was about
some young, ambitious lawyers in New York
and they all had huge, black boxes which they
held to the side of their heads as they walked
down the street. At the time, they seemed really
cool! Nowadays, even though some people
might get excited about the latest smartphone,
they’ve just become normal. You hardly notice
them because everybody seems to have one.
ExN: 2: You hear a girl talking about tablets.
F: I’ve been into computers and technology since
I was really young, and now my little brother
is fascinated too. We taught him how to use a
tablet when he was about two years old. I used
to sit him on my knee and we would play online
games for little kids. I love that tablets are so
easy to use – the touch-screen is brilliant, but
I personally feel the greatest benefit is that
they’re portable and really light to carry
around
ExN: 3: You hear a mother talking about her
children.
F: My kids spend hours each day using
technology, which means they are spending
much less time having direct social contact
with other people. I’m worried that it will
really affect them – by spending more time
on technology-related tasks and less time
relating
to other people, I think they might start to lose
important social skills, such as reading people’s
feelings from the expression on their faces
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ExN: 4: You hear a boy talking about mp3
players.
M: My friends and I use mp3 players all the time
– the earphones have really improved over the
last few years so you can use them wherever
you like – you know, studying, on the bus or
chilling at the beach. They seem to be popular
with all ages – my dad likes to listen to his on
the train on his way to work, and I like to take
mine with me when I go out for a run – it’s a
gadget which is just so lightweight and really
makes a difference to my day.
ExN: 5: You hear a man talking about computers
for work.
M: The first time I used a computer was in the
1980s when I started working. The
computers in the office were slow and quite
complicated. You had to type in lots of
commands because there was no such thing
as a mouse in those days! It’s fascinating to
think how computers have changed since
then. Nowadays, it seems impossible to
study or get a job without good user
knowledge of computers – though I doubt I’ll
ever really understand how it all works!
ExN: 6: You hear a doctor talk about the effect of
technology on our brains.
M: Some doctors and nurses feel concerned
that technology is having an effect on the
way we use our brains. If I’m honest, nobody
knows for sure yet. The human brain is very
complicated and the age of technology is
really just beginning, so we can’t be certain
of anything. But what IS true is that
nowadays we get most of our information
from a computer screen rather than by
reading books – we could, in fact, be in the
process of training our minds to behave
more like computers.
Unit 5 High-
Flyers
SBN: Listening, Unit 5, Page 34, B
ExN: You will hear five short extracts in which
people are talking about successful people.
For questions one to five, choose from the
list A to H what each speaker says about
success. Use the letters only once. There are
three extra letters which you do not need to
use.
ExN: Speaker 1
M: You always hear the success stories of the
rich and famous, but if you read about their
lives, you’ll see that along the way they have
experienced failure, too. There are examples of
best-selling novelists who couldn’t find anyone
to publish their first novel, musicians whose
talent was not recognised until after they left
school, actors whose first films were flops.
The important thing is that they never let this
hold them back; they had so much belief in
themselves that they kept on trying …
ExN: Speaker 2
F: It used to take years for people to become
successful in their chosen career, but that’s
changed quite a bit these days. It’s possible
to become an overnight success now, with
the help of the media. For example, people
who
lived very ordinary lives suddenly become best-
selling musicians when they enter television
talent contests. I think it must be an enormous
shock to someone who is not used to all this
ExN: Speaker 3
M: Artists can also become successful by putting
their creations on the Internet. They often
film themselves improvising, and they get
themselves a name and an audience in that
way. Suddenly, talented people have the
chance to show the world what they can
do. They no longer have to deal with record
companies or art galleries to get their work
noticed.
ExN: Speaker 4
F: I definitely don’t think that success and fame
always go together, not at all.
Unfortunately, with our celebrity culture,
we tend to pay
a lot of attention to the stars of the screen
and stage, but there are many other types
of successful and influential people, such
as
business leaders, charity workers, doctors and
so on. Very often these people aren’t famous
at all, but they have accomplished just as much
or more and often their work is a lot more
ExN: Speaker 5
M: I think we need to think of success not just
in terms of wealth and fame, but also in
terms of personal development. You want
to do something challenging with whatever
talents you have, and you achieve it. If you
have an accident and you learn to walk
again,success
huge that is a– it requires effort, motivation,
determination, and the ability to overcome
setbacks. That is the true meaning of success
in my opinion.
Unit 6 Living History
TRACK 6.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 6, Page 40, B
ExN: You will hear a radio presenter interviewing
three people. For questions one to five,
listen and choose the best answer (a, b, c or
d).
Pres: Good afternoon and welcome to the
programme. We hope you’re all having an
enjoyable afternoon! In today’s programme,
we have a very exciting topic to talk about.
Today we’re talking about polymaths. A
polymath is someone who is very
knowledgeable about many different
subjects. Most ancient scientists were
polymaths and knew a lot about the arts as
well. We’ve invited three students to the
studio to talk about some famous polymaths.
Julie, what can you tell us?
Julie:
Well, some of the greatest polymaths were
ancient Greeks, including Pythagoras and
Archimedes. But ultimately, the most famous
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 is the great philosopher Aristotle. He was also
an expert on just about everything – from
ethics and logic to biology, astronomy,
physics, zoology, literary criticism and even
public speaking. Aristotle’s ideas have
influenced almost every scientist and
philosopher who came after him.
Pres: Really? Well, that is very interesting indeed.
And now let’s move on to Hal. Hal, which
polymath have you chosen to talk about?
Hal: I’d like to talk about Ibn Sı̄ nā – also known
as Avicenna. He was born in Persia and
was probably the greatest polymath in
history. Avicenna read all of Aristotle’s
works when he was a young boy. He also
studied all the sciences, as well as many
arts subjects. He could have been anything
he wanted to be
– from an astronomer to a poet – but at 16
he decided to take up medicine. He treated
poor, sick people for free, which allowed
him to discover new treatments and his most
famous writings are his books on medicine,
which influenced medical science until the 17th
century.
Pres:
And Amy. I believe you’ve chosen
Isaac Newton …
Amy:
Yes, that’s right. So, Isaac Newton. This man
was born in England, in 1642. His family had a
farm and he was expected to become a
farmer, but he spent his childhood writing
poetry and inventing things. Fortunately, his
uncle realised he was a genius and sent him to
college and then to Cambridge University. In
1665, a terrible epidemic swept through
England and the university closed – so Newton
went back home. One day, he saw an apple fall
from a tree and wondered why things fell
down and not up. He spent hours and hours
thinking about this question. Eventually, he
worked out that Earth’s gravity pulled objects
towards its centre, and that this kept the moon
in orbit – and that the Earth and all of the other
planets were kept in their orbits by the sun’s
gravity. Newton also discovered the six colours
of the rainbow, invented calculus and created
the first modern telescope – pretty impressive!
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Unit 7 Wild World
TRACK 7.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 7, Page 48, B
ExN: You will hear a girl called Joanna Harvey
talking about the recent flooding in her
area. For questions one to ten, complete
the sentences with a word or short phrase.
We’ve finally moved back into our house after
nearly six months – I can only describe it as
being a nightmare. We’ve been living in a hotel
for all this time! You‘d think living in a hotel is
fun, but it’s been really weird.
It all began with the rain. We didn’t expect it
to be too bad when it first started. But the
rain was non-stop. And then it got worse
when the stormy winds came along too.
Every day we woke up to a thunderstorm,
wondering when it would stop. After a week
of it pouring and flash floods appearing, it
was decided that
the people living in our street needed to take
action to keep everyone safe.
The police and Environmental Agency helped
by delivering sandbags to everybody –
sandbags are basically thick bags with sand
in, which soak up any water that touches
them.
ga Wetoallstop
rdens builtthe
walls with
water in the
thesandbags in
roads reaching
our houses.
After days of keeping the water away, the
river
flooded. The water in the road was constantly
rising and it started coming into our house.
Suddenly, water was everywhere! Feeling
scared and nervous, we didn’t know what to
do. Luckily, the police came knocking.
We were advised to leave our house, and
that the local council had places at hotels for
us to stay if needed. The then
police
an hour to pack a bag and wetold us we
needed
to leave, as it was too dangerous to stay in
the house. Packing quietly, we were miserably
thinking about all of the memories floating
away with the
water.
Luckily, there were no casualties in our
area.
We were well looked after at the hotel and
everyone was so kind to each other, making
 sure everyone had everything they needed. F: Did they spend all their money?

The rain continued for another week, and then M: No, they didn’t. Actually they donated a very
it just suddenly stopped. The council and the large sum to a hospital.
police worked hard to remove all of the water ExN: What did the boy’s grandparents build?
as soon as they could.

Then they started to fix the damage to our ExN: Number 3

houses, to make sure we could go back
F: Wow, this museum is really interesting! Look
quickly. It took ages, but we realised that as
at all these clothes worn by the prince when
long as we had each other, it didn’t matter
he was a boy.
where we lived. Now we are back in the
house and so we are redecorating all of the M: I love these tiny boots he wore when he was 8
walls – it’s so much fun because mum is years old.
letting me choose the colours! F: And this is the uniform he wore when he joined
the army at 18.
Unit 8 Media M: Look at this beautiful jacket he wore for
Matters school. He must have been about 11 then. I
wish we wore clothes like that!
SBN: Listening, Unit 8, Page 54, B
ExN: How old was the prince when he wore the
ExN: You will hear six short conversations. After boots?
you hear each conversation you will be asked
a question about what you have heard. The
answers are shown as pictures. Circle a, b or ExN: Number 4
c.
M: I love exploring strange places with friends
ExN: Number 1 sometimes.
F: Alan was acting very strangely last night. F: What kind of places do you visit?
M: Was he? What happened? M: Well, we go to this cave in the hills where we
F: Well, he’s usually so happy and wants to think people used to live. It’s fascinating! And
talk there’s also an abandoned house nearby. The
the whole
silence, time, at
staring buthis
last nightmost
tablet he just sat tim
of the in e. furniture is still in it.

M: Well, at least he wasn’t walking round F: The cave sounds weird, but I’d love to visit
the
and round the room, like he sometimes
house. Have you been to that abandoned jail in
does.
F: the countryside? They say it’s haunted.
True, but something was obviously M:
No, I’m afraid of ghosts.
ExN: bothering him. ExN:
Which place is the girl interested in visiting?

ExN: Number 2 ExN: Number

5
M: The business my grandparents owned made M: My sister Tina is a great athlete! Last week she
them very rich over the years. won a gold medal in a skiing competition.

F: What did they do with their money? F: Wow, that’s fantastic! Has she always taken
part in skiing competitions?
M: Well, they built a beautiful house, they bought
new furniture and they decorated it together. M: Well, she started taking part in competitions
They sent their daughter, my mum, to the best when she was very young. She won her first
school in the area and generally they had a award when she was only six years old,
which
was for horse riding.
very good life.
F: That’s amazing! What else has she
won?

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 M: Her team won a silver cup in sailing when she under-fives. During the last school holidays, I
was at university. looked after three kids while their parents were
F: at work. It was tiring but very rewarding, and
Wow, she sounds like a very special aunt.
spending so much time with this age group
ExN: Which sport was Aunt Tina successful in first?
means I have learnt a lot. I know how to treat
them and I think that the experience will be
ExN: Number 6 very useful for my future studies.
M: I try to follow a healthy diet so I eat plenty of
fruit and vegetables. I like to make sure I get all ExN: Speaker 3
my vitamins and minerals!
I wasn’t sure if I should put down on my
F: I agree. I eat a lot of vegetables, too. I also application form that I work part-time as a
think calcium is important so I have milk and supervisor in a fast food restaurant. My parents
yoghurt every day. said I should, because it shows that I am keen
M: Do you eat much red meat? to get into the real world instead of just playing
on the computer all the time. I don’t want to
F: No, not a lot. I usually have fish or chicken
work in a restaurant forever as it’s exhausting
because they don’t contain as much fat.
and not very well-paid, but I’m applying for a
ExN: Which does the woman eat less of? Management Degree so I guess it is all relevant
experience, really.

Unit 9 Making a ExN: Speaker 4

Living
SBN: Listening, Unit 9, Page 62, B
ExN: You’ll hear five short extracts in which
people are talking about work experience.
For questions one to five, choose from the
list (A to H) what each speaker says about it.
Use the letters only once. There are three
extra letters which you do not need to use.
ExN: Speaker 1
When I left school at fourteen, I started
work
straight away
didn’t need a in
lotan
of office. In thosetodays,
qualifications get ayou
job,
not like today. I started out just doing practical
things, you know, delivering the post, making
tea, really boring stuff. Slowly though, I got to
learn more about how the business worked and
they gave me more and more responsibilities.
I kept learning through what today they call
hands-on experience. Eventually I ended up a
manager and I’ll be retiring next year!
ExN: Speaker 2
When I leave school I want to be a nursery
school teacher. I just adore little children. I
do a lot of babysitting for my neighbours and
my
8
Even as a young girl, I always wanted to be a
clothes designer. I remember my mother had
a lovely old sewing machine which she rarely
used, and she let me play on it. When I was
about eleven, I would make all sorts of clothes
for my dolls. I used to copy the fashions in the
magazines. I suppose you could say I taught
myself to sew. I was good at art but didn’t
dare apply for a fashion course, because my
parents didn’t think I was good enough. Now
that I’ve won first prize in a competition for
new designers, I’m actually working with my
favourite designer! It’s the chance I’ve always
dreamed of.
ExN: Speaker 5
Every weekend, and in the holidays too, I visit
my local riding school – I’m crazy about horses.
This Summer I am going to do work experience
there too! It will be different to when I go just
for fun – I’ll be doing various jobs, including the
dirty ones like cleaning the stables! One of the
perks though is that when I have done a day’s
work, I will get a free riding lesson! I feel so
lucky to be able to spend even more time with
the horses – not many people can do
that.
Unit 10 See the World
TRACK 10.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 10, Page 68, B
ExN: You’ll hear people talking in five different
situations. For questions one to five, choose
the best answer, (a, b or c).
ExN: 1: You hear a man talking to a travel agent.
F: So, where do you think you’d like to go?
M: Well, I’d really like to go somewhere warm and
sunny. The weather here is so awful in winter!
F: At this time of year, you’ll have to go south.
We’ve got some excellent offers on cruises at
the moment.
M: Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to spend
hours on a ship.
F: OK, well we’ve got some great beach resorts in
Europe.
M: Oh, beaches. No, there’s nothing to do on
a beach. It’s boring.
F: Ah okay, well sightseeing could be a
possibility. This coach tour of ancient sites in
Italy is popular. Destinations include Rome and
Pompeii. Shall I show you the itinerary?
M: Hmmm yes please!
F: As you can see, the tour offers
opportunities
for… <FADE>
ExN: 2 : You hear a lady talking about a tourist
centre.
F: This stone walkway on the coast of Northern
Ireland is one of the country’s most important
tourist centres: the Giant’s Causeway. Many
visitors come each year to get off the beaten
track and see Northern Ireland’s first World
Heritage Site. It’s a special site of science
and legends. For some people, these 40,000
pieces of basalt are a natural formation. For
other people, the Giant’s Causeway is the
home of a giant named Finn McCool…
ExN: 3: You hear a young man talking to his
friend
about an adventure.
Nathan: I’ve finally found somewhere I can use the
Internet.
Ed: Great! Everything going OK?
Nathan: Yes, the last few days have been
absolutely
fantastic. I decided to go off on my own
and visit some of the active volcanoes I’d
read about before going on to the glaciers,
so I booked a place on a tour with a local
sightseeing company. With great excitement
we all met with our big rucksacks and started
hiking along this beautiful landscape. We hiked
for about an hour; it was so quiet and peaceful,
and then suddenly…
Ed: Oh wow! What happened?
Nathan: Well…
Ed: What?
Nathan: … well suddenly, we reached our first
destination, the hot spring, and there were
just
hundreds of people everywhere! They were all
swimming, laughing and joking; it was so lively
compared to our peaceful hike up!
ExN: 4: You hear a man talking about a journey.
Our journey was just a nightmare from start
to finish. We had decided to catch the train
because it’s, well, it’s just less stressful than
driving. So we were just waiting with our bags,
when we heard the announcement, ‘Due to
heavy snow, the train’s departure has been
delayed.’ When the time finally came to set
off, my sister started searching and searching
her bag. I asked what she was doing and she
looked at me really strangely and said she
couldn’t find her ticket to board the train…
We’d been sat waiting for so long she’d
forgotten what she’d done with it! We
couldn’t leave!
ExN: 5: You hear a young woman talking about a
trip.
We must check in two hours before our flight,
which is at 9am. That means we should set
off at five, to avoid the traffic. Then we’ll have
enough time at the airport to get the local
currency too. I can’t wait to get away from
work for a while, because the daily journey is
just exhausting. I have to leave at 6.30 every
9
 morning. I can’t wait to arrive! We’ll have
to
put up our tents straightaway, and then I think
the best way to get around the area will be on
bikes so we will need to rent some… <FADE>
Unit 11 Crime Time
TRACK 11.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 11, Page 76, B
ExN: You will hear a radio presenter interviewing
someone about a well-known person. For
questions one to six, choose the best
answer
(A, B or C).
INT:
Hello listeners, and today we’re talking to
Maggie Halls, a journalist from Bristol, about
one of Bristol’s most famous sons, well known
to art critics and the public alike; the graffiti
artist known as Banksy. Hi Maggie. You
haven’t met the artist himself, have you?
MAGGIE: Hello. No, I haven’t. Very few people
from the press have met him. His identity is
a
mystery. Of course this makes sense for street
artists, who could be arrested if caught. Graffiti
is illegal, don’t forget.
INT: But Banksy is a household name and
he’s famous, or infamous, if you like ...
MAGGIE: Yes, but the police, of course, and many
people on town councils disapprove of his
activities. They are against vandalism of any
kind, and certainly wish his creations weren’t
so popular with young people. People should
remember that when one person starts doing
graffiti, it encourages a whole lot more and
that’s why Bristol was one of biggest graffiti
capitals of Europe for some time. Many
residents think that having to spend public
money on removing or painting over graffiti is
a waste.
INT: Well, maybe they shouldn’t waste public money
that way. Not all councils have his
graffiti removed, right?
MAGGIE: Well, it would be difficult to do so
because
there’s so much of it! Not only is Banksy’s
graffiti found in the UK, but it’s also in cities in
the United States.
10
INT: So how can you tell which graffiti has been
done by Banksy?
MAGGIE: Although he started with just a spray can,
he soon developed a very characteristic style
using stencils. These are shapes cut out of
cardboard. The stencil is held against a wall,
and paint is sprayed over it. When the stencil
is removed, the design remains on the wall.
Using this technique, he can create quite
complex designs, with great speed. That’s
really important for someone who doesn’t want
to get arrested! Often his stencils are in black
and white, many featuring rats or people who
appear to be creating or even examining the
graffiti! They can often make passers-by smile.
INT: Yes, isn’t he famous for his sense of
humour?
MAGGIE: Yes, it’s one reason for the popularity of
his work. Although he is supposed to have
said that he’d rather see his work at a bus
stop than in a museum, he is becoming more
mainstream. In the summer of 2009, he staged
a hugely successful exhibition in the Bristol
City Museum and Art Gallery. Not only was
it
kept secret until it was opened to the public,
but the town council was not even told!
Never before had public money been used to
hang up Banksy’s works, rather than painting
over it!
INT:
MAGGIE: No, it was free, and there were no postcards
or T-shirts for sale. But a funny thing happened
before the exhibition opened. A shop opposite
the museum, which sells things for charity, had
been given a lot of Banksy souvenir stickers
from a secret donor. These were very
popular with exhibition visitors and they made
a
huge difference to the shop’s sales. Also, of
course, the exhibition boosted the city’s
tourist industry, filling the hotels and
restaurants. Banksy art on the streets is still
illegal, and annoying to many residents, but
at least the boost to tourism from this
exhibition made the council happy!
INT:
Perhaps he’ll decide it’s better to exhibit his
work legally in future, who knows? Thanks,
Maggie!
Unit 12 You Are What You Wear
TRACK 12.1
SBN: Listening, Unit 12, Page 82, B
ExN: You will hear a boy answering a survey about
his shopping habits. For questions one to
five, choose the best answer (a, b or c).
I: Hi, could I ask you some questions about
shopping? It’s called ‘Are you a
M: shopaholic?’ Well, I’m not a shopaholic!
I: Okay. But please will you answer my
M: questions? Okay, sure.
I: OK. First, what is your favourite kind of shop?
M: Hmm my favourite kind of shop… Well, I can’t
deny that I love fashion and so I love going
clothes shopping… Vintage clothing is a great
way of avoiding the mainstream look. On the
other hand, I hate food shopping! I often have
to go to the shops to buy food and it’s just so
boring. Thinking about it though, I think my
favourite kind of shop is definitely a sports
shop!
I: And where do you like going shopping?
like just wandering around looking at stuff. The
shop assistants keep asking you if they can help
you, and that annoys me a bit.
I: I see your point. So tell me about the last
time
you went shopping. Did you spend more
than your budget?
M:
Budget? I don’t usually have a budget. I spend
whatever I want to.
I:
Okay. And have you ever bought more
than you needed?
M:
Well, yes… There are times when you just
suddenly see great discounts being advertised!
And sometimes I can’t help looking at the
trainers before leaving a sports shop...
I:
OK! Well, thanks very much for answering
my questions. Let’s see... according to this,
you could be called a shopaholic!
M:
Oh, come on, that’s ridiculous! That’s not me!
I:
Look, here’s another questionnaire. ‘Are
you addicted to the Internet?’ Do you want
to do it?
M:
No, thanks. I’m going out – I need some new
running shorts…

M: Well, small shops are nice because you often

get to know the people working there, which
is the case with the little shop in my village. I
usually like to go to the Metro Mall though,
you know, the big shopping centre? They’ve
got a range of shops there, and it’s easy to
get to by bus from where I live.
I: Right. And who do you usually go with? Do
you go shopping by yourself or with other
people?
M:
Oh, I wouldn’t like to go shopping by
myself! I usually go with my friends,
although some of the shops don’t really like
it if there’s a

I: OK. So my next question is, do you always

know what you want to buy or do you like
just looking around?

M: I usually go with a specific idea. Like, if I want

a new T-shirt for the gym, I know which one I
want before I go into the shop because I’ve
seen it in a magazine or shop window. I
don’t
11