Unit 1 Academic listening

Volunteer work

A B

1 Work in groups. Look at the photos and discuss the questions.

1 What are the volunteers doing?
2 How might they be feeling as they do this volunteer work?
3 What might be more important for this kind of work: skills or attitude?
4 Have you done, or would you like to do, any kind of volunteer work?

2  2 Listen to a talk by Andrew Cordner, who works for the National Volunteer
Association. Decide which TWO topics are not mentioned in the talk.
1 the interview process for a volunteer role
2 working as a volunteer in other countries
3 examples of organizations recruiting volunteers
4 history of the National Volunteer Association
5 experience and skills required to do volunteer work
6 hours that a person might spend volunteering
7 ways in which students might benefit from volunteering

SKILLS FOCUS: Identifying emphasizing language

While you are listening to lectures or talks, it can be useful to listen for language used
for emphasis. This is because speakers often use this kind of language to introduce or
focus on key points and main ideas. Here are some examples.
● What … is … e.g., What many people don’t realize is …
It is … that … e.g., It is at this stage that …
● Using and stressing the auxiliary do or did, e.g., I do think that …
● Using adverbs like definitely, absolutely, certainly, strongly, actually.
● Using phrases like It’s a fact that …, In (actual) fact, Indeed, I should also
mention/point out that …, Far more important is …

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3  2 Listen to the talk again and match the beginnings of the sentences (1–9) with the
endings (a–i). Then compare your answers with a partner.
1 First of all, I should mention that D
2 Indeed, providing details of previous volunteer work could ensure that G
3 What many people don’t realize is that A
4 And it’s for this reason that H
5 What any coordinator needs is C
6 I should point out that this job is slightly different in that I
7 I strongly recommend that B
8 That’s a valid question. What I’d say is that F
9 It’s at this stage that E
a there are thousands of organizations looking for volunteers.
b you apply for this job within the next few weeks.
c someone who is reliable and punctual.
d all applications are welcome, whatever your experience may be.
e you’re provided with a full job description.
f the interview process is very thorough.
g your application stands out from the rest.
h the charity needs someone with excellent software skills.
i you’re required to do a full week’s work.
4 Work in pairs. Decide if the statements are true or false, according to the information
you heard.
1 Students who contact the National Volunteer Association must have previous paid
work experience. FALSE
2 Applicants for the volunteer role at the museum are required to have a knowledge of
history and archeology. FALSE
3 The charity for underprivileged children needs someone to improve a website they
already have. TRUE
4 The typical number of hours that students spend volunteering is between three and six.
TRUE
5 For the River Renewal project, volunteers are provided with free accommodation.
TRUE
6 Volunteers have to accept a volunteer role with an organization if they have been
given an interview. FALSE
5 Complete the questions using the correct form of a verb from the box.
find help stand stick take turn
1 What would persuade you to HELP out a high school student with their math
homework?
2 If you volunteered as a tour guide, what would you use to FIND your way around
your city?
3 Imagine a food festival is TAKING place in your city. What would your ideal
volunteer role be?
4 If a friend TURNED up at your house and asked to stay with you for a few
weeks, what would your reaction be?
5 How good are you at STICKING to a plan? For example, if you arrange to meet a
friend at noon, how likely are you to be on time?
6 Imagine you have an interview with a volunteer organization next week. How would
you make sure you STAND out from the other applicants … in a good way!
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6 Work in pairs. Take turns asking and answering the questions in Exercise 5.

7 Reflecting on your skill set Work in groups. Look at the ads for volunteer roles and
discuss the questions.
1 What do you think each volunteer role might involve?
2 In what ways might the work be challenging and rewarding?
3 Which roles would you be most and least interested in doing, and why?

Community Transportation Driver Website Administrator and Developer

Drivers for Community A person with IT skills to revitalize
Transportation Service—driving the and maintain our high school’s website
elderly to and from medical and blog.
appointments
Kids Holiday Program Leaders
It’s fun and games all day long on our
Visitor Guide holiday programs!! Do you enjoy
Our visitor guides share the special working with kids? Come and join our
stories of our historic house with adventure!!
visitors.

Helpers for Arts and Craft Assistant

Local Children in Need
Organized person required to sort
through children's clothing and sort
them into gift bags for families in
need.
Calling all Builders!
Fit and active people needed to
volunteer their time & skills for vital
house repairs and maintenance to help
keep homes warm and dry.
We need a fun loving person to assist
our art facilitator, working with the
disabled on creative art projects.
Gardener
We need volunteers to help out at
the community gardens. Garden
experience not needed, will train.

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Unit 3 Academic listening
Ultrasound

1 Work in pairs. In both photos, medical professionals are using ultrasound to assess
their patients. Discuss these questions.
1 What information might ultrasound provide about:
● the patients in the photos?
● patients in general?
2 What are the advantages of using ultrasound imaging over other technologies?

2 Read the statements about the use of ultrasound. With your partner, decide which
word in italics is correct and why.
1 Ultrasound is beyond / within the range of human hearing. In other words, it isn’t
visible / audible to the human ear.
2 An ultrasound machine sends out sound / noise waves and receives their reflections.
3 These reflections could also be referred to as “echoes” / “vibrations.”
4 Doctors may need to change the greatness / intensity of the waves, depending on the
reason for an ultrasound examination.
5 In the human body, blood vessels are connected to the surrounding flesh / tissue.
6 Because ultrasound provides an immediate image of the organs, a patient can receive
cures / treatment much more quickly.

3  4 Listen to an interview with two bioengineering researchers, Kya Shoar and

Harriet Lea-Banks. Decide which one of these topics they mostly discuss. Then work
with a partner and give your reasons for the answer you chose.
1 the benefits of using ultrasound compared to other kinds of technology
2 the various ways that ultrasound can be used by the medical profession
3 the safety measures and risks that are associated with ultrasound
4 the innovations and improvements in ultrasound technology since the 1950s

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 SKILLS FOCUS: Using visuals and diagrams to take notes
During lectures, some students prefer to take notes in a traditional, linear way. In
other words, they record information by filling the page with detailed notes, starting
at the top, and progressing down the page. While this approach might work for some
students, other students might find that they:
● feel stressed trying to write everything down and keep up with the lecturer.
● find it difficult to find key information when they come to review their notes.
● can’t add additional information once their page has been filled with notes.
Taking notes by using visuals and diagrams can avoid those problems and allow you to
take fewer, but more meaningful notes. You could:
● divide your page into two vertical columns—with the main ideas on the left, and
secondary ideas and examples on the right.
● use vertical flow charts to record processes, causes, and effects.
● use a mind map (see Exercise 4)—either hand-drawn or using an app.
● use boxes (or circles) and headings to show main ideas—with lines connecting
them to other boxes (with examples or secondary ideas).

4  4 Listen and complete the notes in the mind map. Use one word in each space.

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5 Understanding inferences Work in pairs. Look at the comment Harriet made
during the interview. Discuss why Harriet may have made this comment to Kya.
“I appreciate that these high intensity amplitudes are useful for breaking apart kidney
stones, but I do wonder what happens to the surrounding tissue and whether that is
damaged in any way.”

6 Work in groups. Discuss these statements, saying whether you agree or disagree, and
giving your reasons.
1 The treatment of children should take priority over the treatment of the elderly.
I disagree because there should be no priorities, especially in health.
2 One day, people may prefer to be diagnosed by AI (artificial intelligence) rather than a
human medical professional.
I agree because they could have more confidence in artificial intelligence.
3 It costs money to develop new medicines so we cannot expect them to be cheap.
I agree because scientists had a hard time developing those drugs.
4 People should receive the same standard of care in hospitals, regardless of their
socioeconomic status.
I agree because there should be no preferences.
5 Doctors and nurses should not be allowed to go on strike.
I agree because the lives of many people are in their hands.
6 Using prosthetic limbs in certain sports gives people an unfair advantage.
I agree because everyone should have the same opportunities.

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Unit 5 Academic listening

The United Nations

1 Work in groups. Guess the answers to these questions about the United Nations (UN).
1 How many member states belong to the UN?
2 In which decade was the UN set up?
3 In which two cities is the UN mainly based?
4 Which section of the UN is responsible for legal matters?

2 Work in pairs. Complete the collocations in bold in the sentences using these words.
Use a dictionary if necessary.
disease disputes faced humanitarian aid issues lay prevent
reached resolved

The United Nations has:

faced
1 sometimes ____________ criticism for not acting more quickly in a crisis.
2 helped to eradicate ____________ in a number of countries by funding medical
disease
services.
issues
3 addressed a range of global____________.
4 tried to ____________
prevent conflict across the world since it was established.
5 ____________ grievances between countries.
resolve
6 stated it hopes to ____________
lay the foundations for peace in a number of regions.
7 announced that its members have finally ____________
reached an agreement.
8 provided ____________
humanitarian aid to many refugees.
9 helped to resolve ____________
disputes of various sorts between countries.

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3 7 Listen to a lecture on the historical development of the United Nations. Check
() the subtopics that the speaker provides information on.
a the failures and successes of international organizations that came before the UN
b the ways in which the UN has not been successful
c the purpose and aims of the UN
d which member states of the UN have more influence
e how war and conflict have motivated countries to form international organizations
f reasons why countries are not permitted to join the UN

SKILLS FOCUS: Listening for and using paraphrasing

When we paraphrase something, it means we express the same idea by using
different language.
In many English-language listening tests, the questions paraphrase what you will hear
in the recording. So it can be useful to read the questions before you hear the
recording, and predict how phrases might be paraphrased.
In lectures, it can be easier to take notes if you use paraphrasing, e.g.,
the organization has resolved grievances between the two countries > solved problems
members have reached an agreement > have agreed

4 Work in pairs. Look at the underlined phrases in the notes below. Discuss what other
phrases or words could be used to say the same thing.
1 It was set up in 1920. B
2 Its International Court of Justice was set up to deal with disagreements regarding laws. C

3 Key aims: help improve medical services and access to schooling around the world. c
4 The original four countries were later joined by the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and the
German Reich. c
5 Its original intention was to promote global security. C
6 A key goal: improve the lives of people living in poverty. B
7 It came to an end in 1913. A
8 A key aim: wipe out disease. B
9 A key aim: encourage economies in different countries to grow and remain stable. C
10 It couldn’t stop a war from starting. B
11 A key aim: make sure people have food to eat. C
12 Representatives from different countries signed an agreement in 1815 to help stop A
war.

5  7 Now listen again and match the notes in Exercise 4 with these three
organizations. Then compare your answers with your partner.
A The Concert of Europe
B The League of Nations
C The United Nations

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6 Expressing and justifying opinions Work in groups. Read this excerpt from the
lecture. Then discuss whether you agree or disagree with the underlined statement.
The UN has faced much criticism in its 70 plus of operation. Yet, the history of the UN
demonstrates how international society increasingly desires to move away from conflict
and toward peaceful cooperation and global development. There is great hope among
development practitioners in academia that this will become even more the case over the
coming decades.

7 Work in groups. You are going to discuss which project deserves funding from the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Read the description of the two
projects and then discuss these questions. Tell the rest of the class what you decided.
1 In what different ways could funding help these two projects?
2 What challenges might each project face?
3 Which project do you think deserves more funding?

Save the Snow Leopard

There are fewer than 4,000 snow leopards left in the wild. (In the mountains of Central
Asia—including areas of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, India, and China.)

Numbers have fallen due to:

● poaching
● illegal trade
● climate change
● deforestation
● lack of animals for them to hunt

The Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Plan needs funding from the UNDP to
help save the snow leopard.

Symphony of Hope

Levels of street violence and gang membership are rising in Panama.

These problems are occurring because:

● 25 percent of the population is young.
● up to 19 years of age, 21% of women and 15.6% of young men are unemployed.
● many young people also drop out of high school.

The National Institute of Culture in Panama needs funding from the UNDP to encourage
young people to turn away from violence and develop a passion for music instead.

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