Transcription
Now turn to section one. Section one.
First you have some time to look at questions one to five. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
Hello. Is this a Dynamo motorcycle company?
Yes, it is. How can I help you?
Well, I have an instruction manual here for your new electric motorcycle, but I'm not satisfied with the purchase at all.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but don't worry. I'm sure we can sort this out. Before we do anything, can you tell me the model number?
Ah, at the top of the instruction manual here, it gives the model number RTY34.
Uh, TY34. Okay. Now, what's the nature of your complaint?
It's many things, actually. The biggest problem is that you say in your manual that the battery will take the motorcycle 30 km.
That's right.
Well, it's lucky to take me eight. The battery is usually flat by then, often leaving me stuck at the side of the road.
Are you sure you're charging it correctly?
I'm fairly sure. I follow all the instructions and plug it in for a long time. And are you sure you charge it for the required 3 hours?
I charge it until the charging light goes off, and that's 2 hours. So, that should be enough. And there's a serious design fault with this motorcycle. When you're riding it, there's no meter to show you how much power is left. So, you actually don't know when the machine is going to stop working.
There's a voltage gauge.
Yes, but that tells you nothing. The needle fluctuates about from 55 to 45. So, whatever it says is meaningless.
According to the manual, you're meant to charge the battery if the needle falls under 50 volts.
But even when you charge it, it can go below 45. As I said, the needle just waves all over the place. The result is that I'm always worried that the bike will leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Well, I'm sorry about that.
Sure, but what are you going to do about it? Unfortunately, we don't have a refund policy, but if you take the bike to one of our shops, our mechanics will look at it. Perhaps there's a problem that we can fix. The gauge, for example.
The other problem is the battery. I actually weighed it and it's almost 6 kg. Yet, you say in your manual that it weighs only three. I can barely pick the thing up, so it's not 3 kg at all.
Maybe you purchased the wrong model by mistake.
I doubt that very much. Basically, I think I've been defrauded and I'd like to know what you're going to do about it.
All right, I'll put you through to our complaints department.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
Hello.
Complaints department here. Apparently you have a complaint.
Yes, I do. Let me tell you all about
It's It's all right. Our representative has already informed me about your problem. It's probably just a misunderstanding. I'm sure we can work something out. Right now, I need to take down some details. All right.
Can I have your name, please?
Jesse Parkinson. That's J E S I E and Parkinson. P A R K I N S O N. Parkinson.
All right. What shall we list this complaint under? Parts, service, or performance?
Well, the meter isn't accurate at all. So, that's parts, isn't it?
Yes, perhaps. But you do feel more generally that the motorcycle doesn't meet the operational standards as advertised. So it's probably better to tick performance here.
Can we tick both parts and performance?
No, we can only tick one. So let's not call it parts. We'll go with performance. Now we may post some further forms and questionnaires to you. So would you mind giving me your address?
Certainly. It's 45 Melrose Road. Melrose. M E L and Rose.
Okay. Now, your phone number.
Just use my mobile phone. That's 0928 982453.
4453. Okay. And if we have any follow-up questions, what time is best for ringing you? Morning, afternoon, nighttime.
Well, I work as a secretary from 9:00 to 5:00, but I do get a lunch break, which gives me some free time. This break used to be 12:30 to 1:30, but then it changed to an hour later. So, it's best to ring me at 2:00 p.m. since the break now starts at 1:30.
All right. Uh, that's all for now. We just need to do our own investigation and we'll probably ring you back tomorrow. I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this.
That is the end of part one. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section two. Section two.
You will hear a talk at an open day at an alternative health club. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
Good morning and welcome to the open day of our new alternative health club here at Chelsea Bridge. I have to say it is very pleasant to have so many people turn up. My name is Harry Wilkinson and I work as one of the nine permanent staff members employed here at the club. The main aim of the open day is to give you a quick tour of the building. But before we do that, I'd like to introduce you to a few people employed at the club. Not all of us are here at the same time. In case you need to contact any of us, our contact details are here on the notice board below the photographs. First of all, this is Sha Bond who is the technical manager and his job is to supervise equipment like computers and all the electrical equipment. And this is Margaret Lloyd. Her main function is to oversee training and she is therefore in charge of all the full and part-time therapists. The next important person I need to introduce you to is James Todd. He is our liaison officer. What he does is manage bookings for the club rooms and equipment as they are open to different organizations from the local college to corporate clients like banks and so on. Last but not least is our physiootherapist Edward Marx who works part-time Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Edward plays an important part in the life of the club. His main role is to prevent injuries.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to Now listen carefully and answer questions 16 to 20.
Now for the various amenities. You see that the club has quite a large capacity and is arranged over three floors. There is a lift by the reception and the stairs. On the ground floor, there are two large halls which are used for yoga, tai chichi, pilates, and dance and fitness classes for different age groups with a shop and cafeteria. Over here on the first floor, we have a full range of fitness machines which are available in the large central hall around which there are various offices. The changing rooms are also on this floor. On the second floor, there is a series of small therapy rooms with waiting areas for clients. These may be booked by individual therapists. There are also three classrooms which are used for teacher training and group therapy classes. We have a very extensive therapy training program accredited to the University of Manage with training in counseling for which we have three programs at the moment. As regards the various types of yoga, acupuncture, and the Alexander technique, there are currently nine different training classes going on. Information about the training can be obtained from the brochure, which you can pick up at reception and from the club website. There will be a chance to talk to trainers for those interested in counseling this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. for yoga, etc. There will also be an informal gathering of trainers on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. So, if you are interested in becoming involved, this is your chance.
That is the end of section two. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now it turns to part three. Part three.
First you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.
So what was it like in your school then Lynn?
Well South African schools are very different from schools in Australia. For a start children don't start their schooling until they are seven. Quite a bit later than schools in Australia.
What about New Zealand Gail?
We're more like Australia. I can't believe children don't go to school until they are seven. When do the parents get any free time?
Well, there's still the availability of kindergartens or play schools. It's just that formal education doesn't start until later. I don't think it's such a good idea for children to have to be too academic at such a young age. They should be able to just enjoy themselves.
Well, yeah, but the first school children go to isn't really very academic. It's just an opportunity for children to learn a few basic social skills by playing and learning with other children.
Yes, I'd agree with that.
I guess being so close, Australian and New Zealand schools must be similar then.
Well, I suppose they do share a lot of similarities, but there are also some differences. For example, children in New Zealand go through intermediate school, but in Australia there's only high school. That's right, isn't it Pat?
Yeah, I think so. What about South Africa? Do you have an intermediate or high school?
Oh, high school. And now the difference between Australian and New Zealand education is that although both countries have state schools and private schools, our private schools are very often run by religious groups, whereas New Zealand schools are secular.
That's not true. There are quite a few religious schools in New Zealand.
Oh, okay. Maybe we are similar.
Only a few South African schools have any religious connection, so I guess we're different. Most people go to state schools. Pat, is it true that some people from your country don't have to go to school at all?
Well, that's partly true. Because of the geography of Australia, there are a lot of children who do not have access to schools, at least on a regular basis. Instead, they have a form of correspondence education where the lessons are actually on the radio and the students send their work in by post. That way, they get a lot of what they would if they were in the classroom, apart from the interaction.
In New Zealand, not all students have to go to school either. Some parents have opted for homeschooling.
Oh, is that like correspondence teaching? We don't really have that.
Well, we do have correspondence schools, but homeschooling is different. With homeschooling, the parents teach the children and set them homework. They have to present a syllabus to their local education authority before they can do that. But it is becoming a more popular choice for some parents. I suppose it also suits parents own commitments. I mean they don't have to worry about collecting their children from school and they can always teach over the weekend or in the evening if they want to.
Is the school day normally quite long then?
Not in New Zealand but I think it can be in Australia.
Yeah, that's right. I think Australia is unusual in that there are extracurricular activities which you have to go to.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30. Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
These are normally sport activities, but there are a few other options.
We have activities after school for any student that is interested, but they aren't compulsory. What about in New Zealand, Gale?
I had to do some sport every week. I didn't really like it, but it was part of the school day, so I guess that's not so bad. Anyway, I spent 2 years at boarding school, so things were a little different.
Boarding school? What was that like?
Well, the thing I remember most about it was the strict dress code. There were restrictions on everything. You had to wear a school uniform almost all of the time, and it had to be cleaned and ironed. The length of your skirt had to be no less than 1 in above your knees when kneeling down. Sometimes we used to go out on school trips or just at weekends with a few friends. But whenever we were outside the school, we had to wear a hat. There was one teacher who always used to give me extra homework because my socks weren't pulled up. And that was in the school late in the evening. I suppose it wasn't that bad, but at the time it felt like a prison. I kept getting into trouble for something. Most of the time I forgot something. Normally my school badge. We had to wear that all the time in the school and out because it had our house colors on it.
Wow, that doesn't sound like much fun.
No, but it was a good education, I suppose.
That is the end of part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section four. Section four,
You are going to hear a lecturer giving a talk on a type of fundraising for business called crowdfunding. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 32. Now listen and answer questions 31 to 32.
Good morning everyone. Today we're continuing our look at funding opportunities for small startup businesses. The emergence of social media has given companies the ability to connect with fans and potential customers directly. On the back of the growth in social media, a model of raising finance has emerged known as crowdfunding. This revolutionary way of raising finance began with micro lending in the '90s. More recently, an equity-based model has emerged that allows people to invest directly in a new company. We're going to examine this in more detail later, but let's turn first to a third model, which I'll term a fan-based model. With this model of crowdfunding, individuals are encouraged to give an amount of money to support the launch of a project or initiative without the promise of any financial return. Instead, there's a reward for donating. This contrasts with the microlending model which would require a return on investment and the equitybased scheme which may offer shares.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 33 to 40. Now listen and answer questions 33 to 40.
Crowdfunding portals or websites allow the business concerned to present the initiative along with the financial target required. There's a fixed time limit for fundraising and if the target amount is reached, all donations are paid to the company or individual. Whether it's an author planning to write a new book, an independent film company looking to make a new film, or a technology company with an idea for an app, the person or company needing funding would turn to its fan base for support. This is managed through one of the many crowdfunding online portals that have emerged. Of course, a fan or supporter of a particular initiative is likely to give money anyway, but donationbased crowdfunding will often make donating even more attractive by offering a rewards-based incentive scheme. Let's take a film company for example that needs funding for a new film. For a small set donation, the donor might be offered a free ticket to the premiere or a DVD of the film. A larger set donation might be rewarded by the chance to attend a launch event when the film goes live. Those people who make bigger donations could even be offered the chance to meet the cast of the film, whilst the highest level donation could see the person's name mentioned in the film credits. For companies that already have a significant fan base, crowdfunding offers a fantastic opportunity to raise money quickly from a large number of people, each of whom donates just a small amount of money. Compare this to the time and effort that would be needed to sell your idea to investors or your bank manager, particularly in an age when raising finance can be difficult. The company may also have links with partner companies or organizations that run fundraising events. In this case, you can significantly increase participation by working with these organizations to promote your crowdfunding project. Another significant advantage is that you can reach out to your fan base for feedback on the project while it's being developed, thus making the final product more appealing. Crowdfunding enables you to raise awareness of the product at an early stage, thus increasing the potential for sales. With so many people behind you, it can also act as a great incentive to get the best possible product out on time and on budget. However, there are disadvantages to bear in mind. The model can be described as all or nothing. If you don't reach the monetary target required in the agreed time, all promises of donations are cancelled and no money is paid, leaving you back at square one. Should this happen, or still worse, you receive the funding but are unable to come up with the product, not only will your fans end up disappointed, but the portal will record the fact that you failed to reach your target or that the initiative failed. Fulfilling all the pledges that you've made to people can also be very timeconuming. For example, remembering to send out copies of books or free cinema tickets can sometimes be forgotten in the excitement and frenzy of launching your product. People sometimes forget to factor in the cost of rewards when calculating profit margins, but these can be significant. And finally, if you have a small fan base, for example, you're a new company or have a small social media footprint, raising awareness of your initiative will be challenging. These drawbacks aside, donationbased crowdfunding is a wonderful opportunity for individuals or small startups to raise funds for that exciting new project, whilst reaching out and connecting to the people who are most likely to support and promote your work for you.
That is the end of section four. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Give me [Music] Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. N. [Music]