Transcription
Now turn to section one. Wants to find out about a paragliding course. Listen to the conversation between the woman and the man and answer the questions.
First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 7.
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 7.
Hello, Paragliders Paradise. How can I help you?
Oh, hi. I'm interested in doing a course in paragliding.
Which course are you interested in?
Well, I'm not sure what's available.
Well, we've got the introductory course, which lasts for 2 days.
Okay. Or there's the 4-day beginners course, which is what most people do first. I'd tend to recommend that one. And there's also the elementary pilot course which takes 5 to 6 days depending on conditions.
We might try the beginner's course. What sort of prices are we looking at?
The introductory is $190. The beginner's course, which is probably what you'd be looking at, is $320. No, sorry, $330. It's just gone up. And the pilot course is $430.
Right. And you also have to become a member of our club so that you're insured. That'll cost you $12 a day.
Everyone has to take out insurance. You see, does that cover me if I break a leg?
No, I'm afraid not. It's only third party and covers you against damage to other people or their belongings, but not theft or injury. You would need to take out your own personal accident insurance.
I see. And what's the best way to get to your place? by public transport or could we come by bike? We're pretty keen cyclists.
It's difficult by public transport though there is a bus from Newcastle. Most people get here by car though cuz we're a little off the beaten track. But you could ride here.
Okay. I'll send you a map. Just let me take down a few details. What's your name?
Maria Gentle. And your address, Maria?
Well, I'm a student staying with a family in Newcastle. So it's care of care of Mr. and Mrs. McDonald like the hamburgers.
Yes, exactly. McDonald. The post office box address is probably best. It's P Box 676 Newcastle.
Is there a fax number there? Because I could fax you the information.
Yes, actually there is. It's 0249. That's for Newcastle. and then 75431.
Okay. Now, if you decide to do one of our courses, you'll need to book in advance. And to pay when you book, how would you be paying?
Uh, by credit card, if that's okay. Do you take Visa?
Yes, fine. We take all major cards, including Visa.
Okay, then. Thanks very much.
The girl is telling her friend about the course. Look at questions 8 to 10. Now listen to their conversation and answer questions 8 to 10.
Hi Pauline.
Hi Maria. What's that you're reading?
Just some information from a paragliding school.
It looks really good fun. Do you fancy a go paragliding?
Sure. Do you have to buy lots of equipment and stuff?
Not really. The school provides the equipment, but we'd have to take a few things along, such as Well, it says here clothes. Uh, wear stout boots, so no sneakers or sandals, I suppose, and clothes suitable for an active day in the hills. Preferably a long sleeve t-shirt. That's probably in case you land in the stinging nettles. It also says we should bring a pack lunch. We do not recommend soft drinks or flasks of coffee. Water is really the best thing to drink. Uh, we need to bring suntan lotion and something to protect your head from the sun.
Okay, that sounds reasonable. And where would we stay?
Well, look, they seem to operate a campsite, too, because it says here that it's only $10 a day to pitch a tent. That would be fine, wouldn't it? And that way would save quite a bit because even a cheap hotel would cost money. Uh, or perhaps we could stay in a bed and breakfast nearby. It gives a couple of names here we could ring. I think I might prefer that. Hotels and youth host would all be miles away from the farm. And I don't fancy a caravan.
No, I agree. But let's take a 10 and pray for good weather.
Okay, let's do it. What about next weekend?
No, I can't. I'm going on a geography field trip. And then it's the weekend before the exams and I really do need to study.
Okay, then let's make it the one after the exams.
Fine. We'll need a break by then. Can you ring and let me know if you can find out some?
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 presenter on a radio show. The presenter is talking to the manager of a local library. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16.
And welcome back to the program. Today I'm talking with Mary Little John from Mia Green Library. As you'll all know, we've suddenly been without our local library for the past 3 months. But the good news is that it's about to open again.
Great news, Mary.
It certainly is, Jonathan. Despite the fact that money's in short supply, I think visitors will be pleasantly surprised at how different and hopefully better everything is. Fortunately, we didn't need to replace the roof as we'd originally feared. It just needed repairing. So, we were left with more money than we expected. We've been able to replace all that old wooden shelving with a more modern style. The computers have been moved to a new designated IT room. And on the subject of technology, visitors can now order and return books and CDs on their own with our new automated system. So, no more queuing to be served. Sadly, money ran out before we had the chance to decorate the meeting room, but we're hoping to complete that next year. Oh, and the children's section now has some colorful new tables and chairs as well.
That all sounds fantastic. So, are you having a big reopening party?
Well, the doors open on the 28th of August, and we'll be serving tea, coffee, and sandwiches at 12:30. Then we get down to business in September. The Local History Society will be meeting on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 as usual, and we'll be starting our Wednesday lunchtime book club at 1:00. Both of those events are in the meeting room. The computer club won't be running in September as we still need to complete work in the IT suite, but this will certainly be returning in October. And we're especially looking forward to welcoming a local writer, Sally Waywright, to a new event on the 22nd of September. This will be the first of a series of events we're calling Ask the Author. Visitors will be able to hear authors read from their latest works, ask questions, and even buy a copy of their book to take home.
First, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 17 to 20.
I might pop along to that one myself. Now, I understand you also have a request.
Yes, that's right. We're looking for anyone who has a few spare hours each week who would like to offer their services to the library. Our computer classes have become so popular over the past year that we're thinking about starting a second session and we'll need someone to run it. The current teacher will work with you so you won't be left to sort things out on your own. we can promise the person a warm welcome and a class of very motivated people, many of whom are at quite a high level. We're also trying to do our bit to break down the generation gap, and we've been inviting some of our older citizens in to talk to school groups about the past. The children range in age from 7 to 11. They're always accompanied by their teacher, by the way, but we haven't opened it up to teenagers yet. So, if you'd like to help out, please get in touch.
And I also understand you've got good news for those who've been making use of the mobile library.
Yes, because the library has been closed, we've been running a mobile library service and going out to people in the community. Well, feedback has been so positive about this, particularly amongst our elderly users, that we've decided to keep it going. Users can reserve books if the bus doesn't have anything that they feel like borrowing. There's a computer on board with access to the library database, so the librarian will be able to reserve one for you. Unfortunately, we don't stock newspapers or magazines on the bus as these tend to be for reference purposes only and can't be taken away. We're also pleased to be working with the local council who've agreed to send someone from the community office on the bus. They'll be able to help you with any local issues you may have.
Well, many thanks, Mary. I'm sure our listeners will be delighted to hear the service is fully up and running again.
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. And welcome to this morning's lecture on transport. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
Good morning and welcome to this morning's lecture on transport. What I'll be doing today is comparing forms of transport in different countries to see how forms of transport are affected by factors such as geographical landscape and economic development. My focus will be on countries in South America, Europe, and Asia. The first country I'd like to look at is Colombia, which is in South America. This is a country where geography plays an important role. Due to the huge amount of mountains and forests in this country, traveling by air is crucial. I don't know if many of you realize this fact, but Colombia was the first country to establish a commercial airline. And in so doing, they made aviation history. Today, there are more than 400 airports in Colombia for domestic flights, which highlights the point I made earlier that air travel is a vital means of transport in this country. Colombia also has a road network of about 48,000 km linking Colombia to Venezuela and Ecuador. Transport by road is important for trade as well as tourism. Apart from this, there is also a railway system, but it is in need of modernization. The other means of transport is by steamers with the Magdalina being the main waterway.
Now, let's turn to Colombia's neighbor, Venezuela. Once again, we see that internal flights are an important means of transport as like Colombia, Venezuela has remote areas where flying is the easiest means of traveling from A to B. Trains are not popular and most of the railway lines are in the highlands as this is where the iron ore mines are. Trains are an efficient means of transporting the iron ore from the mines to the factories. Thus, we can see how transport and the economy are interrelated. Ships are also used extensively in this country and there are many ports. The main seap ports being Puetto Cabelloo and Guanting now to Europe. Belgium is a country that boasts one of the most compact railway systems worldwide. Inland waterways or canals are also an important means of transport transporting both freight and people. Belgium also has the third largest seapport in the world namely Antwapen. Air travel is also important although this is not linked to geographical terrain as is the case in the South American countries we've already looked at. Next, I'd like to look at the United Kingdom. Like Belgium, the UK has inland waterways around 4,000 km. Yet only about 17% of these are used for commercial transport. The main inland port is Manchester and the chief seapport is London with Southampton taking second place. Air travel is extensive in this country and there are around 150 airports, the most famous being Heathrow. However, about 90% of passengers in the UK travel by road.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.
Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.
Finally, I'd like to look at two Asian countries. China is a country which reveals how geographical size affects transport development. Roads and railways are widely used and this has led to a huge amount of bridges being built such as the Yangzey Bridge which is probably the most widely known. The Yangty Bridge is 1.6 km long and is built on two levels. The upper tier is for cars and pedestrians while the lower is for trains. Railways are especially important and over 80% of freight and passengers are transported by rail. With such a high proportion of people using trains, it is not surprising that governments in countries like China are prepared to invest in the railway system. Obviously, a fast and effective train service will encourage businesses and the general public to continue using it. The last country I'm going to mention is Japan, which has one of the most advanced transport systems in the world. The railway system is highly developed and the Teddo railway connecting Tokyo and Asaka has trains that can travel up to 250 km/h. Ships are also a vital means of transport in both international and domestic areas. To summarize, we can see that transport varies throughout the world. Yet the importance of transport networks, be they air, sea, rail or road, cannot be underestimated.
That is the end of part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
Now turn to section four. You will hear a man talking about tourism and the environment.
Now you have some time to look at questions 31 to 36.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 36.
Good morning everyone. Let's make a start now. Over the last few weeks, we've looked at some key areas in the travel and tourism module. We've already charted the origins and development of tourism, and we've also looked at the negative effects of tourism on both local communities and the environment. So in this lecture we're going to focus on ways in which tourists can actually benefit local people and natural areas if they travel responsibly. And this kind of travel is known as ecoourism. Now there's no one definition of ecoourism. In fact it can be interpreted in a number of different ways. This means it represents different things to different people. And sometimes people misunderstand ecourism altogether. They think of it as just spending time in nature or natural areas. However, the truth is far more complex. In essence, it aims to minimize the negative impacts of tourism that we looked at earlier on in the course. problems such as litter and water pollution, crime and so on and at the same time to encourage travelers to have a positive impact on the places they visit. Now there are many other words to describe a similar idea to ecoourism. In fact, the terms alternative tourism, sustainable tourism, or responsible tourism are often used to mean the same thing. But in fact, although the main ideas behind them are similar, there are small differences. And let's briefly look at these now. Alternative tourism is any kind of tourism that is not mass tourism. And by mass tourism, we mean hundreds, if not thousands of people going on, for example, their 2 weeks a year beach holidays or traditional sightseeing tours. Alternative tourism includes travel such as backpacking and adventure holidays. And the term alternative also includes ecoourism which is what we are mainly focusing on today. Now what about sustainable tourism? Sustainable tourism has the same ideals as ecoourism but it isn't limited to natural areas. So you can have a sustainable tourist experience in a city or a town. And then we have responsible tourism. What does that mean exactly? Now basically this involves acting responsibly and respectfully as a guest when we travel overseas. And what do we mean by respectful? Well, being respectful might involve asking permission to take photographs or go into someone's home observing some of the customs of the local community such as dress or making an effort to learn the language. Now, ecoourism can be passive or active. So, what do we mean by passive tourism? Well, let's think of some specific examples. A passive tourist might buy their holiday package from a company that donate part of their profits to local charities. Or a passive tourist might book environmentally friendly accommodation. This means choosing to stay in a hotel which may use solar power as a source of energy or changes sheets and towels for their guests less frequently.
Now you have some time to look at questions 37 to 40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 37 to 40.
Now active ecoourisms a way for people to enjoy everything that nature has to offer and at the same time enable them to leave a positive mark on the environment. Now this kind of ecoourrist is sometimes referred to as a volunteurist. That's a combination of volunteer and tourist. You get the idea. Now, volunteurists prefer to experience a new place in an active way. And this doesn't mean sitting in a tourist bus or listening to a pre-recorded guide. Basically, they want to physically connect with the place they're visiting. And this includes connecting with humans and animals. Now, their approach to travel can make a real difference and can really benefit the places and the communities they choose to visit. Volunteurists often help local people construct and repair buildings, or it could mean being willing to help a community with nature conservation. So, let's think of some specific examples of this kind of work in action. Now, volunteurists have helped local communities to plant hundreds of trees and installed identifying signs in the rainforests of Costa Rica. They've also helped with sustainable food production in Cuba. And in Jamaica, they've been involved in the cleaning up of local rivers. And in Thailand, they've worked on building ecologically sustainable reforested habitats. Now, some of the work that volunteurists do also involves looking after endangered animals like the giant panda project in Japan or the animal sanctuary project in Ecuador. Now, this work doesn't just involve interacting with wildlife, but involves educating local people about the need to protect wildlife. Now, before we explore wildlife tourism in more detail, does anyone have any questions?
That is the end of section 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers.