Transcripts

1. The Individual and Human Relations

Listening Comprehension Track 7.

I am lucky to have had many wonderful friends in my lifetime. Some friends like Mandy have
been in my life for as long as I can remember …. because we met at preschool aged four. Now
Mandy is in London and we do not see each other very often but when we do, we can pick up
from wherever we left off without any issues. We know each other well, and we know each other’s
families …. we will always have an invisible string tying us to each other. She has been there
forever and she will continue to be there forever…
Other friends like Cat and James came into my life by chance when we were all at the same
university in Tokyo on exchange. I may never have met them otherwise but cannot imagine my life
without them now. They are such a big part of my life and when I am in Tokyo, I rely on them so
much. They are my support network away from home and they are part of the happiest memories
of my life. Would we have been friends if we had met briefly under different circumstances?
Maybe, but I think it was the situation we were in that made us so close and what has kept us so
close…
Other friends, like Britney and Sarah, came into my life through a blog and the fact that we were
in similar places in our lives. While I have only met Sarah once for a long weekend and Britney
only a handful of times (and all three of us have never been together in the same room before!)
these two girls will be in my life forever. Last night, we were talking on Skype and it was almost
midnight when I realized that more than three hours had passed. I count on these girls to be
there when I need to chat, to send messages back and forth and to plan our futures (like a trip to
Portugal later this year) and bounce ideas off! We may never have come into each other’s lives if it
weren’t for blogging and our love of Japanese culture …….but am I glad they are in it? Definitely!
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Clare, my best friend from high school, and I were inseparable from ages 13-16 … hour long
phone calls after spending all day with each other at school, sleepovers, letters back and forth,
shared secret crushes and many parties together! We took family holidays together and shared
the same hobbies … we have both grown up so much since we met, yet our friendship has stood
up to the changes and we are still very close. Clare is now in France for work and we only catch up
when we are both at home which is not as often as I would like. I admire people who have kept the
exact same friends from high-school that they had while they were in high-school because while
I had close friends at school I am no longer in touch with any of them. If I saw them out I would
stop and say hello but we have nothing in common anymore and it is just fake niceties that we
exchange. But this isn’t the case with Clare… We will finish each other’s sentences, laugh together
at stuff that nobody else would find funny and can sit around chatting for hours over a bottle of
wine or two and some nice food. I could go months without seeing or speaking to Clare and then
we would go out for dinner and things would just pick up from exactly where they left off…
I have lots of best friends now. In primary school and high school I thought the goal was to have
ONE best friend … the friend you shared everything with, did everything with and who was
always there. Some of my best friends from my childhood are still in my life (namely Mandy and
Clare!) and some are not there at all anymore. I now know that that isn’t what friendship is … I

1
 Transcripts

have a collection of friends, some of whom make up my best friends … all of whom I love dearly
and who are all in my life, leaving footsteps on my heart. I hope you will take time to think about
the friendships you hold dear to you and remember what friendship is about…

2. Family

Listening Comprehension Track 14.

The generation that was born in the 1980s and 1990s is known as Generation Y, although experts
do not agree on when this era started. The people who make up Generation Y are often the
children of baby boomers and are therefore called echo boomers. Most of them are in their late
teens or twenties and [are] totally different from other generations.
While baby boomers were influenced by the aftermath of World War II, television, rock and
roll, the Vietnam War and the hippie movement, Generation Y has grown up with the Internet,
globalization, mobile phones and Facebook.
The millennium generation, as it is often called, has grown up with new technology and can use
it in their jobs much better than the older generation can. BlackBerry smartphones, cell phones,
and iPods are normal to this generation. They like to communicate via text messaging, Facebook
and other online technology.
The new generation can be described as ambitious and self-confident. Some older people think
this even goes as far as being arrogant. They have high expectations and seek new challenges and
are not afraid to raise questions if something is unclear.
Generation Y youths have a different attitude towards work. It means something different to them
than it did to their parents or grandparents. They do not want to work as hard as their parents but
spend their life in a meaningful way. They do not live to work, they work to live.
Young people expect a different type of workplace than their parents had. They want jobs that are
flexible, not always having to work from nine to five. They prefer working from their homes and
taking a day or two off to spend with their family when the weather is fine. A study has found out
Generation Y wants to spend 30% to 70% of their time at home.

3. Daily Routine and Lifestyle

Listening Comprehension Track 21.

I always sleep seven hours. If I go to bed at two, I wake up at nine. If I go to bed at midnight, I wake
up at seven. I don’t wake up before – the house can fall apart, but I sleep for seven hours.
The first thing I do when I get up is that I have breakfast. I have two protein shakes made for me
by my doctor – they have a chocolate taste and no sugar, of course – and steamed apples. That’s all.
I don’t like anything else in the morning. I never drink anything hot; I don’t like hot drinks, very
strange. I drink Diet Coke from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. I can even drink it in
the middle of the night, and I can sleep. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink tea, I drink nothing else.

2
 Transcripts

I do most of my reading in the morning. I have a special sofa for that, near the window, where
I can see the Tower and the Thames. I only read, look at books, and sketch. And daydream –
daydreaming’s important too. I read the French, English, and some American papers, some
German papers, Women’s Wear – quite a lot. It may sound strange nowadays when people read
online, but I read on paper; I prefer that.
I don’t get dressed and take a bath until lunchtime because I am doing a dirty job, painting with
colours. So I wear my long nightshirt; it becomes kind of like a painter’s smock, then it goes
to the laundry. I have everything – sheets and nightshirt and robes – changed every day. I like
everything to be washable, myself included. I like antique lace, antique sheets, beautiful quilted
covers, but everything is white. Most people don’t use these kinds of sheets and things because it’s
very difficult and very expensive for the upkeep. But it’s such a pleasure to go to bed in the evening
in a beautiful bed with beautiful sheets and beautiful pillows.
I never have lunch, but when I do, I ask them to bring it to me in the house. I actually have two
houses. This house here, it’s only for sleeping and sketching, and I have another house two and a
half metres away for lunch and dinner and to see people, and where the cook is and all that. I don’t
want that here. Even if the place is huge, I want to be alone. If I want something, I call them, and
they’re next door, they come. The studio is next door, the office is next door. If I have guests and
butlers, I don’t want them in my house. Everything is next door.
I have two drivers and several cars. I have a driver who in the morning does the shopping for me
and brings the newspapers, and another one, George, who is also my secretary, who is free in the
morning and works in the afternoon and late in the evening.
I arrive at the studio very late in the afternoon. I’m very quick and organized. The way I sketch,
the way I work, I prefer to do all my work in the evening and in the morning and during the
weekend.
Dinner depends on the day. I don’t go out that much because I’m always late, and I’m so busy and
so pleased with what I’m doing that I’m not really ready for a social evening. Most of the time I
have dinner in my favourite French restaurant and come home after that.
My evenings? Well, it depends on how tired I am. Sometimes I read a little bit. Lately, I play with
my cat. The cat always stays home, and when I leave, the maid takes care of her. The cat is like
a very refined object; she doesn’t go into the street, and she doesn’t go to other places. She is a
spoiled princess.

4. School and Learning Languages

Listening Comprehension Track 32.

It is hard to know what babies want. They can’t talk, walk, or even point at what they’re thinking
about.
Yet newborns begin to develop language skills long before they begin speaking. And, compared to
adults, they develop these skills quickly. People have a hard time learning new languages as they
grow older, but infants have the ability to learn any language easily.

3
 Transcripts

For a long time, scientists have tried to explain how such young children can learn complicated
grammatical rules and sounds of a language. Now, researchers are getting a better idea of what’s
happening in the brains of the tiniest language learners.
This new information might eventually help kids with learning problems, as well as adults who
want to learn new languages. It might even help scientists who are trying to design computers that
can communicate like people do.
Most babies go “goo goo” and “mama,” by 6 months of age, and most children speak in full
sentences by age 3. For decades, scientists have wondered how the brains of young children
figure out how to communicate using language. With help from new technologies and research
strategies, scientists are now finding that babies begin life with the ability to learn any language.
They get into contact with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very
closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.
Studies show that up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up
all the languages in the world.
There are about 6,000 sounds that are spoken in languages around the globe, but not every
language uses every sound. For example, while the Swedish language has sixteen vowel sounds,
English uses eight vowel sounds, and Japanese uses just five.
Adults can hear only the sounds used in the languages they speak fluently. To a native Japanese
speaker, for instance, the letters R and L sound the same. So a Japanese speaker cannot tell “row”
from “low”, or “rake” from “lake.”
Starting at around 6 months old a baby’s brain focuses on the most common sounds it hears.
Then, children begin responding only to the sounds of the language they hear the most.

5. Work

Listening Comprehension Track 39.

Let me tell you about my personal experience of working at a canning factory in Alaska. It all
started in late May. As I faced the endless possibilities the warm days of summer offered, I was
met with the dreadful realization that in the next three months, I would have to find a way to
make a lot of money before college started.
Many college students who are faced with this problem take out another loan or spend their
summer working at some job. Having spoken with a friend before applying, I decided to spend my
summer working at a cannery in Alaska to make ends meet.
The friend who had told me about the job also told me about the dreadful prospects of cannery
life. The work was hard and was performed monotonously for sixteen hours with only eight hours
off to take a shower, eat dinner and breakfast, and sleep. The members of the managerial staff
were not really friendly either. But, my friend said, the pay was good and with a span of about a
month, my money problems would be over.
I found that everything my friend said was true. The work was terribly boring. My first day was
spent putting lids in a machine at two-minute intervals. I could not hear because of the deafening

4
 Transcripts

din of the machines and the ear plugs I had to wear by law. The managers – some of them – lived
up to the reputation she told me as well because they were rather unfriendly and rude with us.
Fishing and cannery work for a long time had been a man’s world, and the attitude is just slowly
changing. They still don’t like the idea of employing women, especially college girls, at the factory.
I also came to realize that there were bright sides to it. During my month there, I met a great
deal of people who were college aged like myself and the common experience helped to shape
a common bond and created possibly the best Fourth of July in my life. That year, we went as
a group in our eight hours off of work a day and trudged through the Alaskan marsh to light
fireworks off of a water pipeline. Fifty-two mosquito bites later, we trudged home again suitably
exhausted for a three-hour nap before work again.
For those considering this lifestyle, think about the positives and the negatives. I am happy I did. I
learned what I am capable of. I learned how to sleep while working and standing up. Battling sleep
deprivation, I lost five pounds because my body did not want to partake in anything that did not
involve sleep. I made friends that had the same interests as me and even attended my university.
This kind of job can also make you a significant amount of money for a few weeks of work. Just
make sure you know the risks and try to collect as much information about the job and your tasks
as possible before signing the contract.

6. Celebrations

Listening Comprehension Track 46.

For many people Christmas is a time to spend with family and loved ones. Studying abroad can
be a fun and rewarding experience, however, it can be tough if you are away from your family
during Christmas. If you are accustomed to spending the holidays with your family and will not
have the chance to return home this season, you may find yourself celebrating Christmas while
studying abroad.
Depending on which country you are studying in, you may find it harder to find Christmas
celebrations if Christianity isn’t a commonly practised religion. But even if you are in a country
where Christmas is not widely celebrated, there is usually a community of people that will
celebrate and welcome travellers.
Since you are studying abroad, chances are high that there are other foreign students who have
no family to celebrate with. So gather your friends, classmates and other Christmas-celebrators
together and enjoy the day. You can also invite your local friends to join even if they don’t celebrate
Christmas. It is a great way to share your culture with each other. Remember if your friends are
not Christians, Christmas celebration can just be about being together – it does not have to be
religious.
If you really miss the lights and trees, consider decorating your dorm room or apartment with
lights, stars, paper decorations, and ask your family to send you a small ornament that you can
hang up. Celebrating Christmas while studying abroad doesn’t mean it has to be without your
family either. On the actual day, call your family and use a video chat, like Skype. Seeing your
family can make you feel more included even if you are far away.

5
 Transcripts

What is Christmas without gifts? If you are by yourself, why not buy a present for yourself? Get
that new camera you’ve always wanted or treat yourself to a trip to another city or country nearby.
Many countries celebrate Christmas differently, and travelling will let you see how other people
enjoy the holidays.
Lastly, keep a positive frame of mind. Even if you are alone, you can spend this holiday doing
activities you enjoy like reading or watching a movie marathon. Go outside and enjoy nature.
You’ll see that celebrating Christmas while studying abroad is not as daunting as you originally
thought!

7. Hobbies and Pastimes

Listening Comprehension Track 53.

During my high school days, I had the pleasure of collecting and exchanging stamps for a hobby.
It was indeed a very rewarding past time for me because I always felt like I was acquiring unique
pieces of treasures whenever some new stuff came my way. But what excited me most was when the
new addition was acquired through “hard labour”, like I had to do some research or assignment
for a senior student in order to obtain a rare stamp that was completely strange and unfamiliar
in the group of collectors where I belong. Boy, it was really gratifying. I’ve managed to continue
the hobby with more passion and sense until now but I sometimes wonder what benefit I get from
being a self-proclaimed philatelist. OK, it is evident to me that I am absolutely enjoying the flair
and tricks of the trade.
I realized later, with the help of my readings, that a hobby when enthusiastically enjoyed becomes
not only pleasurable but also therapeutic.
First of all, hobbies reduce stress. They distract you from everyday worries: If you’re focused on
the pottery you’re making, you don’t worry about work. And knitting, or anything requiring
repetitive motion, elicits the relaxation response, a feeling of overall serenity that is marked by
lowered blood pressure.
Similarly, hobbies provide a calming sense of control and this strengthens immunity. You may
have little say at work, but when you’re woodworking, you’re in charge. You get the credit – and
satisfaction – of a job that is well done.
I’ve read that physical activity extends life, but less active recreations, such as cognitive relaxation,
are healthy as well. Those who engage in cognitive leisure activities, such as reading books or
newspapers, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing board games or cards, and
playing musical instruments, are likely to decrease risks of developing, for example, Alzheimer’s
disease.
Hobbies like painting and other forms of artistic expression are said to have some influence on
improving our well-being. If creative forces or energy inherently present in the human body
are repressed or held inside, they will probably manifest negatively or take other forms such as
depression, anxiety, anger, rage, cysts, tumours and other growths in the body.
The combined evidences clearly suggest that hobbies in whatever form have to be kept or cultivated
in order to enjoy good health and life as a whole.

6
 Transcripts

8. Culture and Entertainment

Listening Comprehension Track 60.

Interwiewer: Each year, the winners of the Golden Roll Film Festival take a victory lap that circles
the globe. In honour of the film fest we got some adventure film shooting tips from Bob Taylor,
the world-famous director. Taylor is also a festival judge, a four-time Emmy Award winner.
Welcome to the studio Mr Taylor. Could you please summarize what makes an adventure film
really great?
Bob Taylor: Well, I think first and foremost filmmakers should find the right setting. When we
talk about adventure we mean human-powered extreme activities, like deep in an ice cave in
Greenland, kayaking a stormy coastline or a wild river in a remote place.
An old college professor once told me that an adventure is something that sucks while it’s
happening but makes for a great story later. So, you have to have a great story, and a great story
comes from great characters. This is the key thing.
You shouldn’t forget that when things get rough, it’s time to go to work and start shooting. Once
I made the mistake of putting my camera away to protect it during bad weather. I missed all the
best action. This is also true for the human psychology side of things too; if someone is having a
bad day they may get mad at you for shooting them in that moment, but they might thank you
later, especially if doing so helps to create real drama in the story.
I think it’s also important to make the right preparations before starting shooting. Once I was on
a twenty-day shoot where we had to cross a mountain range in the Andes in southern Chile, and
we didn’t bring enough food. We got down to half an energy bar and a packet of peanut butter per
person per day. We thought we were going to die. At the start of our trip when we piled all our
food up, we thought it was too much, but if we got out a calculator and actually added up all the
calories we’d be burning each day we would have estimated correctly.
And finally, I think there is nothing more boring in an adventure film than if they have perfect
weather and there are no real challenges, personal or otherwise. Don’t even bother showing it to
anyone but your mom.
Interwiewer: Thank you very much, Mr Taylor, for sharing your thoughts with our listeners. We
wish you a pleasant stay at the festival.

9. The Media

Listening Comprehension Track 67.

Mandy: Good afternoon, listeners, and welcome to ‘Mandy’s World’, the phone-in chat show for
anyone who has a problem and needs some help ... and our first caller is John. Hello John ...
John: Hello. I’m ringing because I really don’t know what to do. I’m beginning secondary school
and I’m just getting used to it. There is a lot of homework and more teachers. To top it all off my
parents are nagging me on things like cleaning up my room and helping take care of my brother.

7
 Transcripts

I know these things are important, but my school work is important too. They say school work
comes first, but I rarely have any time to do it. How can I meet my parents’ expectations, but still
get the work done?
Mandy: Well, you’ve asked a great question. I totally agree with you, secondary school is a huge
adjustment. All of a sudden you’re dealing with a new place with so many new kids. Maybe the
people you were friends with aren’t at your school any more or if they are, maybe you’re not as
close as you once were.
John: Yes, that’s true.
Mandy: So there’s the pressure to find new friends and fit in. Then there are new teachers who
each have their own way of teaching and giving assignments. Secondary school isn’t easy at all
and any adult who says it is has a really poor memory. If I were you, I would try to sit down with
my parents and tell them how I felt. But you must be prepared to listen to their opinion too.
Believe it or not, your parents are going through changes too. I happen to be a parent myself so I
know what I’m talking about. They love you and they want you to do well, be responsible, and be
happy. They can see that you’re growing up and a part of that is linked with the realization that
you’re growing away from them toward adulthood and a life of your own. That can worry them a
little or a lot. So, sit down with them and share your worries with them.
John: Well, I’ll try. Thanks for your advice.
Mandy: Bye. And now we have another caller, Sue. Hello Sue.
Sue: Hello Mandy. I wonder if you can give me some good advice. Well, I thought I had it all,
a great school, a bundle of friends, and a nice room on my own. Then my dad started having
problems at his work, so we moved. It’s as if my life just melted away. The school is bad, I don’t
have friends, and we rent a flat where I have to share a room with my brother. I keep in touch with
my friends on Facebook, but nothing’s the same.
Mandy: Oh, Sue, I understand that moving to a new place and leaving all that you knew and
enjoyed is stressful. I’m sure that the fact that your dad had problems at work also caused stress
in your family and it may still be causing stress. You must be stressed, sad and a bit desperate too.
All of these feelings, that nothing’s the same with your friends, with the school, with your life...
are very normal. Not comfortable, necessarily, but very normal, considering what you’ve been
through. Believe me that with some effort and time you will soon be able to adjust to the new
situation and make new friends, get involved in activities that you enjoy, and your new home can
start to feel like a more comfortable place. You need to calm down and try to think more clearly.
Ask yourself: What do I want? You may think “I want to go back to my old life!” But that’s not an
option, is it? You are living where you are now, so maybe what you really want is to be comfortable
with your new situation. Maybe you could start by consciously choosing to change your attitude
that “my life just melted away”. It didn’t really. You still have a life, you just have a new life. How
about thinking of it as a challenge? Good luck.
Sue: You are right. Thank you. Bye.
Mandy: Goodbye. Dear listeners, that’s all for today ...

8
 Transcripts

10. Communication

Listening Comprehension Track 74.

A 15-year-old English student, Rachel Ross, advertised a small party for friends on Facebook. She
expected only her friends but more than fifty people arrived and caused chaos. Furniture and
some kitchen utensils were smashed, some windows were broken, and empty bottles were found
in various places. What’s more, partygoers poured red paint on a two-year-old’s bed and toys
in the children’s room. Two laptops, smartphones, an X-box and Wii, and jewellery were stolen.
Bubble bath was poured into the television and its remote control had been melted in the kitchen
microwave oven. Rachel’s father, Mr Ross’s collection of ornamental Samurai swords were ripped
down and left embedded in walls. Parts of his collection of antique weapons were also stolen
including a Second World War bayonet and a Napoleonic sword. In the garden the furniture
was smashed to pieces and pot plants were thrown into the swimming pool. The damage was
estimated at around £15,000.
Rachel had organized the gathering for a Friday evening while her parents were away from home
overnight at a wedding. They had made arrangements for their four children aged 15, 13, 12 and 2,
to stay at the homes of various friends. But Rachel sneaked back to the empty house where she had
made arrangements for the “small party”. The couple returned home the next day to find a scene
of destruction with Rachel ashamedly explaining that she had staged the party. She said she had
fallen asleep around midnight and there is some suggestion that her drink may have been spiked.
Neighbours called the police when they became concerned at the noise coming from the house.
When a police car went to the house following the 999 call from neighbours, the “guests” – seeing
the patrol car – turned down the music. So, officers reported a peaceful scene and took no action.
The next day when Rachel’s parents arrived home they called the police and reported the broken
house and damage caused inside.
As Rachel’s father said, “obviously, Rachel shouldn’t have sneaked back home, and she was wrong
to do so, but she never wanted this to happen. This was meaningless vandalism. We need help to
identify who did this. They behaved just like animals.”

11. Houses and Flats

Listening Comprehension Track 81.

Mr Grant: Well, hi Mr Green. How do you like the flat? Is everything OK? Has the plumber fixed
the tap?
Mr Green: Well, Mr Grant. Yes, the tap is OK now. But there’s something else I would like to talk
to you about.
Mr Grant: What?
Mr Green: Well, I want to talk to you about the neighbours.
Mr Grant: Oh, what’s the problem?

9
 Transcripts

Mr Green: Could you please talk to the couple living next door and ask them to keep the music
down, especially after ten at night?
Mr Grant: Ohhh. Have you tried talking to them? They are a lovely couple. The previous tenant
never complained about them. What’s more, they made good friends!
Mr Green: Well, yes, I’ve talked to them, but in vain. The music is blaring almost every night, and
it should be your job as the owner of the flat to take care of these things if I can’t manage, I think.
Mr Grant: OK, I’ll see what I can do. Anything else?
Mr Green: Well, yes. Could you also talk to the owners of the house just behind this block about
the smell?
Mr Grant: Well, the area is zoned for agricultural and livestock use, so unfortunately there’s
nothing much I can do about that.
Mr Green: Well, what about the … That, that noise.
Mr Grant: What noise? I don’t hear anything.
Mr Green: There, there it is again.
Mr Grant: What noise?
Mr Green: That noise.
Mr Grant: Oh, that noise. I guess they have opened the old runway again. I’ve read about it in the
papers.
Mr Green: The old runway? I don’t have time to read papers.
Mr Grant: Yes. You know, they are enlarging and modernising the main airport. Some of the
flights, mainly charters, have started to use the old runway temporarily.
Mr Green: You have to be kidding. Can’t anything be done about it?
Mr Grant: Well, unfortunately not much because of the peak season. The number of flights has
increased dramatically and they can’t do anything else. They say that discount airlines will use
the runway only until the end of the summer. Try to understand. The town makes a lot of money
on tourism.
Mr Green: Until the end of the summer? Hey, you never told me about these problems before I
signed the rental agreement.

12. Traffic

Listening Comprehension Track 88.

Traffic police spotted a middle-aged driver on the M4 motorway using dental floss to clean her
teeth in her rear view mirror. She was pulled over, lectured about careless driving and given a
fixed penalty notice of £60. Police say it is the latest example of people risking lives for a moment
of high-speed vanity.
A spokesman said: “We’ve caught women applying lipstick, make-up and checking their hair in
the mirror – and even men using an electric razor on their way to work. But this is the first time

10
 Transcripts

we’ve seen someone flossing their teeth at the wheel. It was a quite bizarre sight. It is particularly
dangerous because you need to use both hands which clearly should be used to drive the car.”
That day officers in an unmarked police car caught fifty-seven drivers committing offences on
a stretch of the M4. Only one was caught cleaning her teeth – and she accepted the fixed penalty
fine instead of fighting the case. Other offences that day included driving without a seat belt,
using a mobile phone, vehicle defects and a learner driver towing a load.
Inspector Lee Ford said: “It is very concerning that a number of drivers are driving irresponsibly
and carelessly on our motorways. The potential risks not only risk the safety of the driver involved
but also other road users.”

13. Travelling and Tourism

Listening Comprehension Track 97.

Well, our last holidays in Devon changed our lives. The novelty of a computer game-free break
helped us reconnect. We knew it was a gamble. Telling your kids you’re heading off to a forest
lodge for a week where there’ll be absolutely no video games or even much TV the whole time
you’re there is unlikely to make you popular. Especially when you mention the magic words “active
break”. Our kids’ exact words were “no way”. But as devoted parents we all know our children
need lots of fresh air and exercise, and sometimes – well, maybe most of the time – Mum and Dad
really do know best. However, there was never any question of us going completely back to nature
in a tent, and washing in the river or roughing it in any sense. Fortunately our alpine-style lodge
in south Devon was equipped with a kitchen, bed linen and duvets, towels, a TV (which we hardly
watched to be honest) and an outdoor hot tub. And the kids were delighted to discover they could
learn archery and go horse riding and cycling. We were also all thrilled with the outdoor pool and
water slide, tennis courts and pitch-and-putt golf course.
As we were staying on the edge of Dartmoor and were only half an hour from the coast, there were
plenty of opportunities for day trips, too.
When it rained, we played board games at the lodge. The kids also read their books, and they
really started to enjoy themselves.
The family has agreed that this is going to be a regular thing from now on – getting away from it
all, without any electronic gadgets. Just us.

14. Shopping, Clothes and Fashion

Listening Comprehension Track 104.

Berlin’s most famous trademark department store is KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) – or
department store of the West. It is Berlin’s shopping paradise, a favourite, easy-to-spot landmark
on Wittenberg Square. With 60,000 m2, the equivalent of nine football fields, 380,000 articles,
40,000 visitors a day, this is the legendary, largest department store on the continent.

11
 Transcripts

The KaDeWe has survived the turmoil of 20th century German history unscathed. Beginning
its commercial life in 1907, the store was a constant Berlin presence, its highs and lows reflecting
those of the city. The store’s 100th anniversary was a grand occasion celebrated in its 500 m2 foyer
with a gigantic cake. Amongst guests and celebrities was Berlin’s Mayor, Klaus Wowereit.

Whether browsing through the ceramic department, letting your mouth water at the sight of a
serving of champagne and oysters, buying praline truffles in the chocolaterie department on the
sixth floor Food Halls, or lingering in the fashion boulevards, shopping here is more than just
shop-till-you drop. It’s an unforgettable experience for all.

The department store first opened on Wittenberg Square in 1907 with a 24,000 m2 retail
surface. Designed by architect Emil Schaudt, it served the increasingly affluent middle class
neighbourhood of the new Tiergarten district. By 1926 it became the largest department store in
Europe with a 128 million RM turnover and 18,000 employees. In 1931 two floors were added to
the original five and more extensions came in the 1990s, particularly the top of the world rooftop
and Wintergarten where the self-service restaurant is today. The last spurt of renovation in 1996
produced its present retail space of over 60,000 m2 and two floors of gastronomic paradise with a
view, which is extremely popular with Berliners and visitors alike.

15. Services

Listening Comprehension Track 110.

Well, I went to the restaurant that opened last week close to my office. You know, The Southern
Breeze. It’s a really good place, believe me. They are specialized in Mediterranean food. The
owners are from Spain and the chefs are from Italy and Portugal. I’d never tasted Portuguese
cooking before, so it was a new experience for me. I took Jill because she was interested to see what
it was like. When we arrived, a waiter wearing some traditional clothes welcomed us immediately
and took us to our table. Since it’s a new place, I booked a table in advance. The service was a little
bit slow, maybe because people in the south take their time when in a restaurant, but otherwise
everything was very pleasant, so it didn’t seem to matter really. The staff were very friendly and
helpful. Our waiter even told us some interesting information about the food they serve. So, we
didn’t mind waiting between the courses at all. And the food! We were simply delighted with it!
You know, we like seafood very much and are always ready to try new flavours. It was a pleasure
to look at the nicely decorated dishes ... it was almost a shame to eat the food! And there was
authentic live music in the background that created a really pleasant atmosphere. The musicians
were wearing folk costumes and played on instruments I’d never seen before! I really dislike loud
music in a restaurant, but here it was so good and enjoyable. It was a wonderful evening. We
stayed until the restaurant closed ... until around midnight, I suppose. And the decor! Well, it was
authentic and wonderful! You had the feeling that you were sitting in a small family restaurant
by the coast. Inside the restaurant, there is a strong Andalusian theme running throughout. The
furniture and decorations in the restaurant are made from a dark hardwood which is typical of
that part of Europe. However, to keep the restaurant light and airy, the walls have been painted

12
 Transcripts

in light welcoming colours such as white and pale orange, completing the strong Mediterranean
feel of the restaurant. The overall effect of this decoration is a warm and welcoming restaurant
that is a great place to visit. Anyway, it was reasonably priced ... around twenty pounds each for
a three-course meal. I think that’s very reasonable ... and a very good value for money. Especially
when you consider the quality of the food ... and the atmosphere. This is a very good restaurant ...
you should try it sometime ...

16. Health and Illnesses

Listening Comprehension Track 117.

Interviewer: Heather Cahill is more than just an average fitness trainer. She has taken her passion
of personal fitness and nutrition and turned it into a home-based business. After years of working
to get herself fit and healthy through proper exercise and nutrition, she is now helping others
achieve the same dream with her online and in-person fitness training programs.
Besides being certified in personal fitness training, Cahill is also a certified Nutrition Specialist,
and has worked in the spa industry for about ten years.
Heather took a few minutes from her busy schedule to chat about her fitness and nutrition
passions, as well as her special fitness training methods.
Well, how and why did you decide to become a personal fitness trainer?
Heather: I had struggled for many years of my life with issues of self-esteem and an unhealthy
view of my body. After becoming a mom, however, I really felt the need to be the best role model
I could be for my daughter. To make those changes in my life, I began working with a trainer
and the transformation took place – both in mind and body. I simply want to share that amazing
feeling with everyone else out there who desires to be better, but needs the proper guidance and
support.
Interviewer: Let’s talk about popularity of online fitness training. Why did you get involved in
this type of training?
Heather: I am able to reach so many more people online, and help them reach their goals to lose
weight, perform better, and live healthy and happy lives. In a live session one-on-one, I am only
there for them one hour, maybe two to three times a week. But online training allows me to be
there for them anytime whether it’s to update their workouts or give them support and help with
their grocery shopping.
Interviewer: How does it work?
Heather: It’s actually quite simple. You register on my website and complete the necessary forms
on your current health and fitness level as well as any medical concerns and so on, and I begin
customizing an individual coaching program based upon your needs.
Interviewer: What can you offer individuals wanting to do this type of training?
Heather: Daily support, questions related to their health and fitness answered, and nutritional
coaching and the comfort of being able to work out anywhere, anytime, often with little to no
equipment.

13
 Transcripts

Interviewer: What should someone do if they are really interested in becoming fit?
Heather: Start immediately. One of the biggest obstacles is putting things off. In terms of nutrition,
begin with small changes made periodically instead of big ones. This is a lifelong way of living
and most people will go into a sort of “shock” if they begin with drastic changes, especially with
their food. As for fitness, look to someone who can help you accomplish your goal. I see a lot
of people who are unsure of what to do to become healthy and would benefit from someone to
educate them.
Interviewer: Is online fitness for everyone? Why or why not?
Heather: Well sure, if you have online access. Each of us has a goal, a dream, a certain amount of
desire to be better people – both inside and out. The beauty of having a personal trainer online is
that it’s much more convenient and cost-effective. You can do the workout anywhere, and a real
person is guiding you through it all.
Interviewer: How has your job changed your life?
Heather: I look at so many things differently. Knowing I can help to reshape other women’s self-
esteem is an awesome feeling. I’m no longer afraid to grow old since I know my bones are stronger
due to exercise. I love being stopped by someone who wants my advice for anything to help them
be fit and healthy.
Interviewer: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Heather: I wish I could help every person, and for everyone to have a happy, healthy and active
long life.

17. Food

Listening Comprehension Track 124.

When did you decide to undertake this career? Have you always wanted to be a chef?
It all started when I was 12 years old and had a cousin that was a pastry chef. My father was a cook
too, but it was seeing my cousin at work that aroused my interest. Working with desserts means
being precise, attentive, and always very careful with technique... My father actually wanted me
to become a lawyer ... and my mum agreed ... but I never wanted that.
Who were your teachers?
I think my real teachers were the ones that I knew as a child, but among the famous chefs I’ve
worked with there have been two outstanding maestros. The first is Thomas Grant. He taught me
the importance of freshness, the perfectionism in handling a knife, the importance of the freshest
produce. I’ll never forget the scent of pineapple in his kitchen, I’ve never smelled anything like it
anywhere else. The second real education I got was at Silence Wheel, one of the world’s 50 best
restaurants.
What’s the best thing about your job?
It’s a hard question. That is my hobby too ... though I very rarely cook at home because my wife
never lets me [laughing] ... Well, all right, I mean I often work long hours or late at night, not to

14
 Transcripts

mention weekends, which is much worse. When I’m at home, I like to spend my time with my
family, not in the kitchen.
You have just been appointed as head chef at Silver Fox. What will you bring to this restaurant?
I’ll bring myself and the things I’ve learned. I’m not necessarily hunting for stars or awards. I just
want to do my best. The dishes I’ve brought with me to Silver Fox can satisfy the best-trained
palates. My cuisine is contemporary but rustic. I really care about this “rustic” feeling, as it ties in
with the region and tradition, but it also includes my passion for freshness and lightness.
What is your favourite ingredient? Favourite spice?
I really do not have a favourite spice or ingredient; it’s based on what I’m inspired to cook or
maybe an ingredient that I want to work with. I have a commitment issue when it comes down to
my “favourite” this and my “favourite” that. I appreciate it all and not one ingredient overshadows
another. If it does, it’s only in a given moment of time because it changes all the time.
What do you think about the newfound trend for all things organic?
I accept it, but am not fanatic about it at all. When a product is fresh and good, it’s authentically
healthy. I enjoy using “locally sourced” ingredients, but it doesn’t need to be a strict law.
What advice do you have for would-be chefs?
Cook with love, passion and pride. Never stop learning as the wheel of knowledge is in constant
motion. Read as much as possible on the subject matter as the information is out there and
readily available. Try to dedicate at least three hours per day reading and watching anything on
food, trends, ingredients, cooking techniques, styles, ethnic, healthy foods, foods that cure, diet,
technology, the list goes on and on.

18. Sport

Listening Comprehension Track 131.

Maggie: Yes … I think it’s a great idea for us to take up a new sport together! My sister has just
joined a yoga class … what about that?
Jill: Yoga?
Maggie: Yes ... it could be really good. There are different classes. Some yoga styles are intense and
vigorous, and others are relaxing and meditative. What do you think?
Jill: Well, I don’t know. I know that yoga exercises reduce stress and increase your flexibility as
well as concentration. But aren’t these classes too boring?
Maggie: My sister loves these classes. She says that the instructor is really good and gives everybody
useful advice how to do the movements and what to concentrate on. Once you’ve learned a few
yoga moves and breathing techniques, it’s easy to integrate them into your regular fitness routine.
Jill: Well, I’m not sure …
Maggie: Even people who participate in different kinds of sports or physical activities say that
doing yoga on a daily basis is really useful because it gives a range of physical and mental benefits
that are unavailable anyplace else.

15
 Transcripts

Jill: Once I tried it but I didn’t like it at all. And I really don’t like being confined indoors. I prefer
to be outside, moving around. What about something like horse-riding? I mean there’s a farm and
riding club nearby … just think about it … nice horses, fresh air, riding in the forest …
Maggie: But you need expensive equipment, don’t you?
Jill: I don’t know. Maybe they can give you all the necessary equipment. We should ask …
Maggie: Anyway, I’m afraid of horses.
Jill: Oh, of course. I’d forgotten that. Well, another sport I was thinking about is jogging. You
know there are a lot of people who regularly jog on the river bank.
Maggie: But we tried it, don’t you remember? Last spring we started to jog in the evenings but after
a week or two we gave it up.
Jill: Yes, but maybe we could try it again.
Maggie: No, I’d rather try something more challenging. What about tennis? We could go to the
court that was opened last month.
Jill: Tennis?
Maggie: Yes, tennis is where fun and fitness meet. It provides a time-efficient, enjoyable way to get
in shape and we can get to know other players too. What’s more, tennis increases body strength,
flexibility, and is extremely good for weight loss. It can be played both inside and outside, and we
can decide how many times a week. What do you think?
Jill: Actually we have rackets because my parents used to play.
Maggie: That’s great! Let’s book a court right now.

19. Weather and the Environment

Listening Comprehension Track 138.

When a group of Danish animal rights activists learned that the northern white rhino, living in
the war-ravaged Congo, was close to extinction, they knew they had to act. If the world lost the
sub-species, it would be the largest land animal since the woolly mammoth to go extinct. The
demand for rhino horns in the Far East has turned poaching into a dangerous black market that
threatens the lives of not just these rare beasts, but also the rangers who protect them.
The northern white rhino’s last refuge was in an area controlled by the infamous Lord’s Resistance
Army, one of the most vicious rebel groups in the world. So, the volunteers decided to make a
dangerous journey deep into to the Congolese jungle. Their aim was to try to convince government
officials to help save this remarkable species and stop its poaching.
But what do we know about the rhino? It’s a creature from a bygone age, older than mankind itself.
The word rhinoceros comes from two Greek words: Rhino means nose, and ceros means horn.
There are five different species of rhinoceros: black, white, Javan, great Indian and Sumatran. All
rhinos eat only vegetation and no meat and they may live up to 45 years old in captivity. While
rhinos generally try to avoid humans, they can be fierce if they are cornered or feel threatened.
For example, black rhinoceroses have a sort of attack-first-and-ask-questions-later attitude. When
a rhino catches the scent of a human or anything else unfamiliar, it is likely to charge. Rhinos

16
 Transcripts

can’t see well, so they sometimes charge objects like trees and rocks, mistaking them as threats.
Biologists think that the black rhinos’ quick-to-charge attitude is because of their poor vision.
They quickly attack any perceived threat, and their perception is mainly through smell. Most of
the rhinos’ charges are bluffs, but these unpredictable animals can be dangerous. Though they
can’t see well, rhinos have really good senses of smell and hearing.
Rhinos don’t clash just with other animals or objects; sometimes they fight with each other.
Males often battle over territory and females. Even courting males and females sometimes fight
one another. They use the bigger of the two horns on their noses as weapons in a fight. Their
horns, made of a substance similar to that of human fingernails, sometimes break off, but they
regenerate, or grow back. Female rhinos are very attentive mothers and use their horns to protect
their babies from predators such as lions, crocodiles and hyenas. The females look after their
young for years and teach them how to survive independently. Young rhinos usually stay with
their mothers until a sibling is born. By then they’re generally over 2 years old, almost adult size,
and are ready to live on their own.
Humans are the only real threat to adult black rhinos. No other animal is a match for a full-grown
rhino and its heavily armoured body of very thick skin and lethal horns. But human poachers
threaten the species’ survival. People often illegally kill the protected, endangered rhinos for the
animals’ horns. These days rhino poachers come by helicopter armed with powerful tranquilizers
and a chainsaw. The cruelty of the attack is just breathtaking. For thousands of years its best
protection, the rhino’s horn is now its worst enemy. In several Asian cultures, people believe that
a rhino horn provides powerful medicine for a variety of ailments. Other people, who live mainly
in northern Africa, use rhino horns to make handles for special daggers. Since rhino horns fetch
high prices, many poachers are willing to break the law and kill these endangered animals. But if
the killing doesn’t stop soon, the last rhino in the wild could disappear in just a few years.

20. Science and Technology

Listening Comprehension Track 144.

Kevin: What would you say the most important invention of the 20th century was, Tom?
Tom: Hmm. I’d have to say the Internet.
Kevin: Why?
Tom: It allows people to access almost any information located anywhere in the world at any time.
It has a great effect on business, communication, economy, entertainment and even politics.
Kevin: Well, you are right. It’s quite hard to imagine life without the Internet nowadays. It may
not have changed the world as much as the plough, but it’s probably on par with the steam engine
or automobile.
Tom: Even research has become much easier with the Net. Think of the fact that how easy and fast
it is now to diffuse and recombine information and findings. The Internet could accelerate the
rate at which further world-changing inventions are created, too. And what do you think the most
important invention of the 20th century was?

17
 Transcripts

Kevin: I think it was the airplane. The invention of the modern airplane changed the way we travel
and also made travelling very comfortable because we can get from one place to another easily.
Airplanes also gave us the opportunity to explore different parts of the world. Even tackling
emergency situations like floods and fire became easier.
Diana: Well, I disagree with both of you. I think the computer was definitely the best thing to
come out of the last century. Computers have made lots of jobs much easier. I think most people
would agree with me.
Tom: The Internet makes a lot of people’s work much easier because if they have access to the Net,
they can work from home too.
Diana: Yes, but how would you use the Internet if you had no computers? Hmm? So computers are
more important than the Internet.
Tom: OK, you are right! But what do you think Kevin?
Kevin: Well, the Internet is such a powerful invention that we’ve probably only just begun to see
the effects it will have on the world. And, you can access the Net from your phone too.
Diana: Oh, come on. Mobile phones wouldn’t exist without computers either. There must be really
good programs so that phones could work properly.
Tom: OK, I agree.
Kevin: You win, Diana.

18