Transcription
Section one. You will hear a conversation between a travel agent and a customer. The customer wants to book a coach ticket.
First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to three.
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 3.
Good morning. I'd like to book a coach to London. I was hoping you had something available this Saturday afternoon.
Good morning, sir. Take a seat and I'll just check for you. Uh, yes. We still have several free seats for Saturday. Where will you be leaving from? There are three pickup points in town. Main Street, Saint Centenary Square, or the Central Bus Station?
From Centenary Square, please. That's easier for me to get to than the bus station. And what time would you like to leave? There are coaches on the hour every hour from 12 through till 6:00 p.m.
Well, I'm meeting someone at the station in London and I need to be there for 4:30. So, which one would you recommend?
H Well, there's one leaving at 1:00 that arrives at Victoria Station at 4:10, if that's any good. Traffic is usually quite light at the weekend and the drivers tend to make good time. So, I think you'd certainly be there for 4:30.
Okay, that sounds just right. I think I'll take that. I can always phone ahead if I'm going to be late. And when are you returning, sir?
Actually, I'm not sure when I'll be coming back, so I won't book a return ticket. Just one way.
I can always book you an open return if you'd like. You can use this at any time within the next month as long as you contact us first to reserve a seat.
Well, there's a chance I might be getting a lift back, you see. So, I'll just pay for one way. I don't want to buy a return if I don't need it.
Okay, no problem. Are you traveling alone?
Just the one ticket, please. I'm going down to visit my daughter at university. My son's meeting me at the station, so it's a proper family reunion.
Before you hear more of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions four to 10.
Listen carefully and answer questions 4 to 10.
Very nice. Okay. Well, I can book that for you if you like, sir. That'll be £23.50. Now, I just need to take down some details. Can I have your name, please?
Yes, it's Matthew Upton. That's U P T O N. And your address?
34 Alersley Road. Allley. That's a l e s l e y and your telephone number 017325897 and your email address. We'll use this to send confirmation of your travel details.
matt 257@yahoo.co.uk.
Okay, thanks. Before I forget, I'll be taking a little luggage. Is there a set luggage allowance?
We offer a very good luggage allowance. You can take two suitcases as long as they're no more than 20 kilos each. That's 40 kilos in total. And one small item of hand luggage on the coach. Most people find that more than adequate. Any additional items carry an extra charge of £10 for each bag.
I certainly won't be taking that much, so I should be okay. I was worried I might be taking too much. Would you like travel insurance included with your ticket? It's an additional £2.
No, I don't think so.
No problem. It's not compulsory. Okay. How will you be paying?
Actually, I've been having trouble with my debit card today and I've left my checkbook at home, so I'd better pay in cash. You'll give me a receipt, won't you?
Certainly. And we'll send confirmation to your email address as well. So, that's £23.50. is 50. Sir, if you just wait a minute, I'll print you off a receipt.
That is the end of section one. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
Now it turns to part two.
Part two. First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
Starting at the beginning, you can see the on-off switch just beneath the two lights. Having turned the machine on, these lights now become very important. When the light on the left has gone out, you can begin making coffee as it means the water is now hot enough. Next to that is the water level light. If this is illuminated, it means the machine does not have enough water. It is essential that you turn the machine off and add more water the moment this light comes on. Otherwise, you could damage the heating element. Once you have checked that both the heater light and the water level light are off, make sure the filter holder, that's the part with the handle just under the control panel, is in place. Once you have your cups ready, it is time to press the coffee delivery switch. That's the button just above the filter holder beside the boiler meter. Remember to take a quick look at the meter as it tells you the exact temperature of the water. On both the left and right hand side of the machine on the same level as the filter holder, you can see the steam pipes used for heating milk. These steam taps need to be cleaned regularly to avoid blocking. And finally, if you do spill any coffee, don't worry. Just make sure that the drainage pipe at the bottom of the machine is leading into a sink or a suitable waste container. As with the steam taps, the drainage pipe needs regular cleaning.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.
Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
First and most importantly, I'll tell you where you should go from tomorrow for your lectures and classes. The health sciences building is on the west side of the campus opposite the library beside the history department. As you are probably aware, there are six modules to the course which will take a year to complete. That's two modules each term. In the first module of this term, you will be looking at current laws with regard to health and safety in the workplace. Don't forget that as you progress through the course, you should be building your thesis. This will need to be completed by the end of the year. Coursework will also be credited to your final grade. But the most important part of the course is the thesis. Now the final thing I want to tell you and again you should know this is that there will be a number of guest speakers throughout your course. They will come from a number of different medical backgrounds but they will all be giving you their views on the relevance of health sciences in their occupations.
That is the end of part two. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
Now turn to section three. You will hear two students talking about reading.
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.
Listen carefully to the first part of the conversation and answer questions 21 to 24.
Hi Melena, how's your research for your assignment going?
Which assignment Josh? The one on sustainable transport. It's due in on Friday.
Oh, I've not nearly finished it. I've still got so many articles to get through. In fact, I need to read another two books on the reading list before I can even think about writing it up. It doesn't help that I'm a really slow reader.
Well, why don't you practice speed reading just like me?
Oh, let me into your secret. If anything, if I don't get a move on, my assignment is going to be late. What exactly is speed reading anyway?
Well, speed reading basically means reading faster and more efficiently. It can make such a difference. I've noticed the benefits already, and I've only been doing it a few weeks.
Sounds good. What benefits are we talking exactly?
Well, the majority of people read at an average rate of 250 words a minute. So, that means that an average page in a book or document would take you around 1 or 2 minutes to read.
So, up to 2 minutes a page. That sounds quite fast to me. I reckon I spend at least 5 minutes on each one. But just think about it. Imagine if you could double that rate to 500 words a minute. You could zip through all the articles and books in half the time. Another thing is that it can help you understand the basic structure of an idea or an argument much better.
Now you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
Now listen to the next part of the conversation and answer questions 25 to 30.
You make speed reading sound like some kind of sport.
Well, actually speed reading is a bit like playing sport. I like to think it's similar to running.
Running? Much too fast for me. I'm more of a jogger. You're not selling it to me very well.
Okay. Okay. But just think about what it takes to be a fast runner. You can learn the techniques, but to get really good at it and build up your speed, you really need to practice.
But athletes train for hours every day.
That's true. But your reading speed can improve if you practice a few basic techniques. The first thing to do is to actually find out how fast you're reading at the moment.
So, time my current reading speed. But I read so slowly, it will be really depressing to find out just how slow I am.
Believe me, timing yourself is a really good idea, and it's so easy to do. There are lots of online speed reading tests. You just enter the words reading speed test into Google and loads will come up. You could also do a reading comprehension test and see how well you understand what you're reading.
I don't know. But remember to read at your normal speed and time yourself on a few different pages. The average of your times should indicate your average reading speed.
What do I do next?
Well, the next thing to do, and this is really important, is to get rid of distractions. I used to think that music in the background while I was reading was a good thing, but it wasn't for me. I found I increased my speed by working without any noise whatsoever.
I usually read in the library, but there always seem to be people talking around me.
Well, try using earplugs to block out all the distractions. Another important thing is to set yourself targets. Basically, if you know what your goal is, you're more likely to achieve it.
My goal? Well, that's easy. I need to find out about the problems of accessible transport in Africa and then think about some solutions.
I know what I need to do, but I keep skipping back to a sentence I've just read. And at other times, I go back a few pages just to make sure that I've read something right.
I know what you mean. Actually, a lot of people do that when they read. They reread material when they don't actually need to. It's called regression, and it's important to get out of the habit of doing it. You can reduce the number of times your eyes skip back by running your finger or a pencil along each line you read. Your eyes will follow the tip of your finger and this helps you avoid skipping back. Why not give it a try?
Yes, I think I'll give it a go. But I suppose the first thing to do is find out what my reading speed is. What a thought.
That is the end of section three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
Now it turns to part four.
Part four. You will hear a talk on seasonal affective disorder.
First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
In the past few years, a new condition has been identified and given a name, SAD, short for seasonal affective disorder. This is now recognized as a distinct kind of clinical depression where people become depressed at the onset of winter accompanied by a craving for sweet things causing weight gain. Each spring and summer would then bring on almost maniacal highs and feelings of boundless energy and happiness. Experiments to combat this depression showed that increased exposure to bright light in humans could suppress their production of a darkness related hormone called melatonin. The light needed to induce this change was about 2,000 lux or about four times brighter than ordinary household lighting. It was then calculated that if bright light could suppress melatonin secretion, then it might have other effects on the brain, including the reversal of symptoms of depression. While melatonin's precise role in SAD has not been pinned down, the theory led to effective treatment. Not surprisingly, SAD affects more people where winter nights are longer and days shorter. In the UK, an estimated half a million adults develop a full-blown SAD in winter and twice this number suffer the milder condition called subsyndromal SAD. About 80% of sufferers improve when given light therapy and improvement usually comes within 2 to 4 days. Scientists are still unsure why winter depression happens, but more than a decade of research has turned up some surprising findings. Nearly 80% of SAD victims are women. Researchers are uncertain why this is so. SAD can affect people at any age, but typically it begins around the age of 20 and becomes less common between 40 and 50. SAD is comparatively rare in children and adolescents, but so far researchers have been unable to come up with a logical reason for this. As many as half of SAD sufferers have at least one family member with depressive illness, suggesting that the depression has a genetic component. Some patients experience shifts in their body clocks when they're depressed in winter. They are morning people at one time of the year and become evening people at another. What is the underlying difference between SAD sufferers and others? A clue can be found in carbohydrate craving, a common symptom. People often become obsessed with chocolate, for example. Carbohydrates alter brain chemistry by increasing the level of a soothing chemical called serotonin, a neurotransmitter that carries signals between brain cells. SAD sufferers crave carbohydrates because they may need serotonin to lift their mood. This craving can be intense, in fact, an addiction. It may be that the serotonin system of the brain has problems regulating itself during the winter. Some SAD sufferers respond well to the drug Prozac, thought to influence the brain serotonin using system. Other brain chemicals and hormones probably play a role in winter depression. Another neurotransmitter, dopamine, for example, may be inadequate in certain cases. Researchers hope to uncover clues to SAD's secret by probing similarities between SAD and hibernation. Though no valid link between the two has been established, some SAD patients say they feel like hibernating animals. SAD sufferers tend to put on fat in autumn and early winter, roughly the time when such hibernators as bears and squirrels do.
That is the end of part four. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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