Unit 1 – Audioscripts
1.1/1.2 TEST
1. Listen to three teenagers talking about bullying and
fitting in.
Speaker 1
In my old school I got bullied a lot and it would be for really
stupid reasons. They would just find things to pick on you.
As soon as the bullying starts, you need to put a stop to it.
You need to go directly to someone as soon as it happens
because, if not, the bullies will know that and they can just
think that they can keep taking advantage of you.
Speaker 2
Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed some bullying before. In high
school the way it is nowadays it is kind of hard not to, which
is a really unfortunate thing. I think that, if everyone really
just saw the good in people, then there wouldn’t be as
much bullying. And so, that’s what I try to do, I try to see
the good in everybody as much as I can and I try to
welcome others or at least console them.
Speaker 3
I saw this one group and it looked really fun and I wanted to
be part of it, but I don’t know if they were trying maliciously
not to have me, like, be part of their group. I don’t think
that that was their intent, but I do think that they were
oblivious to me and they just, kind of, “Oh, hi!” and then
just walked away, you know, and it kind of hurt. But then I
realized that I didn’t really need to be part of that group
because, I thought, there are other people out there that
really want to be my friend. Those people didn’t want to be
my friend. But there are people who do want to be my
friend and those are the people I should pursue friendships
with.
https://kidshealth.org (adapted; accessed in January 2021)
2. Listen to the text about Billie Eilish.
Billie Eilish became the youngest Grammy award winner in
history at 18 years old. But her journey was not easy. On
the way to her big wins, Billie struggled with clinical
depression and suicidal thoughts.
Billie believes that her rise to success led her to feel alone
in the world as her friends could no longer relate to her
lifestyle. At 16 years old, it can be challenging to survive
high school, let alone survive being one of the biggest rising
stars on the pop scene. She entered into treatment for her
depression and claims that today she is doing much better
and now has the tools and skillset to help her work through
hurdles that sometimes still arise. She now uses her
celebrity platform to tell her story about mental illness in
hopes of helping others who are too afraid to speak up.
3. Listen to the report about the importance of celebrities
speaking up about mental health issues.
Over the past few years, more and more celebrities are
speaking out about their battle with mental illness,
substance abuse, and eating disorders, but it did not always
use to be like this. A little over ten years ago, many
celebrities were too ashamed to speak out about their real-
life struggles because there was such an enormous stigma
surrounding these topics. Celebrities were nervous; they
Editable and photocopiable © Texto | MySelfie 10
could be blacklisted from the industry and denied jobs if
others knew about their mental health disorders.
However, times have drastically changed, and although
there is still stigma surrounding mental health, more and
more people are using their platform to tell their story in
hopes of breaking down the barriers and helping others
who are fighting similar battles. Social media, a blog, or any
creative outlet to share your story with others can be a way
to work through your emotions, but it can also help an
endless amount of people. If you or someone you know is
battling a mental health disorder, it is essential to seek
professional help. Living in fear and silence is never okay.
Seeking support can allow you to regain control of your
happiness and maybe even give you the power to share
your journey with others.
https://www.akuamindbody.com (adapted; accessed in January 2021)
1.3/1.4 TEST
1. Listen to a reporter talking about Skye McKey, an
American teen who strives to help others.
Wingfield High School sophomore Skye McKey is no
stranger to volunteerism. The Capital Area Sunset Rotary
Club has recently recognised her community-service efforts
by awarding her the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. The
organisation selects nominees who demonstrate leadership
skills and offer their own time to give back to the
community, so as to exemplify the Rotary Club’s motto,
“Service before self.”
McKey’s acts of service include volunteering with the
annual Mississippi Book Festival, packing lunches for people
in need within her community, and collecting trash and
otherwise cleaning up local areas.
With the Rotary Club, she also builds food packages for
people in need from areas like Africa, Haiti and more.
Beyond volunteerism, McKey models with Elite Modelling
Squad and will be on her school’s cheerleading team
beginning next school year. Her favourite school subject is
English, and she has an interest in attending Spelman
College in Atlanta – with one of her main goals being to
eventually be able to travel to and volunteer in different
countries around the world.
2. Now listen about Shakerra Bolton.
Shakerra Bolton, a 17-year-old junior at Lanier High School,
has joined her school’s choir, the National Honour Society
and the Ladybug Club all in the past year.
Bolton has been a singer since age 5 and is also the youth
choir director at her church, Greater Harvest Missionary
Baptist Church in Jackson.
Since joining the National Honour Society in 2019, Bolton
has been performing community service throughout
Jackson and also helps Jackson Public Schools students in
younger year groups.
The Ladybug Club is a mentoring organisation that teaches
Jackson young people to improve their social skills. With
the programme, Bolton assists young adults in her
community with voter registration and helps to distribute
food to local children in need.
After graduating, Bolton plans to attend either Mississippi
State University or the University of Southern Mississippi
and major in business administration and the performing
arts.
164
 https://www.jacksonfreepress.com
(adapted; accessed in January 2021)

165 Editable and photocopiable © Texto | MySelfie 10

3. Listen to a reporter talking about three of the world’s https://time.com (adapted; accessed in January 2021)
top entrepreneurs born in the 2000s.
Shubham Banerjee created Brago when he was just twelve
years old. This company creates Braille printers to help the
visually impaired access expensive technology. His
invention uses LEGO and robotics to design a product and
sell it at less than half the price of others on the market.
Banerjee is the youngest entrepreneur to receive Venture
Capital funding.

Mikaila Ulmer was four years old when she entered a

children’s business competition. Fascinated by bees, she
decided to sweeten her great grandmother’s flaxseed
lemonade recipe with honey. She began selling her Me &
The Bees Lemonade at youth entrepreneurial events and
was an instant success. At the age of 11, she negotiated an
$11 million distribution deal with Whole Foods. She
donates a percentage of her profits to Texas Beekeepers
Associations, hence her slogan “Buy a Bottle… Save a Bee”.

At age 14, Jenk Oz is the youngest CEO in Britain. When he

was 8 years old, he decided to create iCookKid, a website
that covers everything from art, tech and science for
children. Not only is Jenk an entrepreneur with $63,000 in
revenue, but he also acts in West End theatre productions
and records his own music.
https://real-leaders.com (adapted; accessed in January 2021)

EXAM-STYLE TEST
1. You will hear a text about three teenagers who stood
out at a young age and tried to make a difference.
For Jordan Reeves, having a limb difference has helped her
envision a more accessible world. The 14-year-old designer
and activist was born with a left arm that stopped growing
beneath her elbow, a physical difference that helped ignite
her passion for design. “A lot of kids with disabilities have a
different point of view on the world, because the world
isn’t made for us really,” she says. “We have this great
design mindset because we grow up problem-solving. It’s a
pretty cool thing.”

Bellen Woodard is only 10 years old, but she’s on a mission

for inclusion. She has created her own line of crayons in
tones that reflect the wide spectrum of skin colors she sees in
the world, claiming the title of world’s first crayon activist.
“My different shades of peaches and browns can hopefully
match everyone including me and my friends and my
classmates. Just everyone,” she says. Her crayons have
proved a great age-appropriate tool to spread a message of
inclusion and she was surprised by how quickly her message
spread.

Ian McKenna was in third grade when he learned that

nearly a quarter of the kids at his Austin school weren’t
getting enough to eat at home. He wanted to help, but local
volunteer organisations turned him away, saying he was
too young. So he decided to find his own solution. As he
was good at gardening, McKenna persuaded his school to
set aside space for a garden, then he asked the community
for donations of seeds and equipment.
Other students donated their time. Within months,
McKenna’s garden was producing lettuces, spinach,
tomatoes, cucumbers and squash for students and their
families.
Editable and photocopiable © Texto | MySelfie 10 166
2. You will hear a motivational speech about coping with
being different.
People are not all the same. We don't all look the same, act
the same, have the same abilities, or have the same religion
or values. Some people can walk, see, talk, and hear easily,
while others need help with these things or have different
ways of doing them. In order to deal with being different,
you should learn to cope with it healthily.
One way of doing it is to be confident and have positive
relationships with others. We need social connection, and
to feel like we fit in somewhere, in order to have a positive
sense of wellbeing. People are drawn to positive and
confident individuals. You will need confidence to face your
fears and meet new people. Another way to cope with
being different is to be assertive with bullies. Unfortunately,
being different, including having a disability or being
overweight, can sometimes increase social rejection or
bullying. If certain people put you down or call you names,
you can deal with this appropriately by being assertive with
them. Assertiveness means being open about how you
think and feel, while being respectful toward the other
person.
An example of assertiveness is using, “I statements.” An
example would be if you said, “I feel angry when you say that
I am weird.” Here, you focus on your own feelings instead of
167 Editable and photocopiable © Texto | MySelfie 10
on the other person’s behaviour. Their behaviour is
secondary to how you feel. You could follow up this
statement with further explanation by saying, “I am different,
but we all are. I would appreciate it if you didn’t call me
weird. I respect you, and I expect to be treated fairly in
return.”
Another way to be assertive is to set a boundary. For
example, you could say, “I would like for you to stop calling
me weird. If you decide to continue, I will need to get
distance from you. I won’t tolerate being called names.” If
you are bullied consistently either verbally or physically, get
help from teachers, counsellors, or the principal of your
school.
Finally, it can help to learn about “different” people. Look
up Led Zeppelin, Martin Luther King, and the hippie
movement, there is a lot to learn from them. They are, in
the opinion of some, the original unique and cool people.
They stood out in a crowd, dared to be different, and some
of them even risked their lives in order to fight for what
they believed in. Develop a role model or personal hero
that you can look up to. Think about how this person might
act and behave if she was in your situation.
https://www.wikihow.com (adapted; accessed in January 2021)