Transcript Listening Actual Test Vol 1
Academic English (Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội)
Transcript Listening Actual Test Vol 1
Academic English (Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội)
Transcript Listening Actual Test Vol 1
Test 1
SECT I ON 1
CLERK:Good morning,ma’am,and welcome to “Australia’s Moving Experience”!How can Ihelp you?
WOMAN:Well,I...Ihope you can help me.I’m so up in the airrightnow...I... CLERK:Justcalm down,now.Letme guess:you’re moving and ithasyou a little confused.
WOMAN:That’sitexactly.You see,I’m relocating to the United Statesnextmonth and I’m having a hard time getting organised.
CLERK:Here,filloutyourname and address,and letme askyou a few questions.Oh, whatshould Icallyou?
WOMAN:Myname isJane,Jane Bond.
CLERK:OK,Jane,firstofall,what’s yourworkphone number? In case Ihave any questionsaboutthings.
WOMAN:Myworkphone is 94635550.Butplease trynotto callme too often there.My bosshatespersonalcalls.
CLERK:So doesmine,ma’am,so doesmine.And whataddressshould we ship your thingsto?
WOMAN:Mynew companyisletting me stay temporarilyat509 ClarkHouse,that’sC-L- A-R-K,1137 UniversityDrive in Seattle.
CLERK:Seattle? Beautifulcity,Ihear.Mountainsrightbeside the ocean,almost.Cooler than Australia,too.OK,and when should we come packyourthings?
WOMAN:Iguess thatwould be on Monday,March 11th.
Do you wantanyhelp with an after-packing clean-up? We do thatfora smalladditional charge.
Yes,thatwould be helpful.Ipromised the landlord I’d give herthe keys backby5:00 p.m.on Thursday,the 14th.
Great,we’lljustschedule the clean-up forthatday.Thatway,the place willsmellclean and there’llbe no dust.
Well,you do thinkofeverything!Oh,how much isthisgoing to cost? Here isa listofourbasicprices.
Oh dear,thisseemsratherexpensive!
Yesma’am,butyou’re paying forthe best.We’re carefuland we’re fast.Like we say,the onlything we breakare speed recordsgetting you moved.
Well...maybe that’sso...Oh,Inearlyforgotto tellyou.Idon’twantmyfurniture shipped with me.Iwon'tbe looking foran apartmenttillafterIarrive in America.Would itbe
possible to putmyfurniture in storage here fora month,then have itsentalong later? Ofcourse,we do thatallthe time.A couple ofotherthings.
Here at"A Moving Experience”,we tryto packyourthingslogically.We don’tjustthrow stuff in boxes.
Do you have anyspecialrequests? You know,thingsyou wantpacked in some special place,so you know where to find them?
Like what?
Oh,Idon’tknow...Thingslike dishesmaybe.Notto be rude,butyou looklike a ladywho likesto eat.
Ahhh!Yes,Ineed mydishesand thingswhere Ican find them quickly.
Great.We'llputthose dishesand cutleryin whatwe callthe emergencypack.Can you thinkofanything else?
Ummm,Ido have an antique tea kettle mygreat-grandmothergave mymother.I wouldn’twantto lose that.So Iguess you’d betterputthatin storage with the furniture.
Grandma’s tea kettle with the furniture,gotit!Say,how aboutthingslike youralarm clock? You don’twantto missyourplane on the big day,right?
Well,you certainlythinkofeverything!Yes,that’sright.I'llalso need myalarm clock where Ican find it.
Fine,we’llputthatin yourpersonalpackage.And ofcourse,we'llgive you a listofwhere we packeverything.So,allyou’llhave to do on Thursday,the 14th isgrab yourluggage on yourway outthe door.Um,Icouldn’thelp noticing the new CD playeryou’re carrying.
Is thata Samsung?
Why? Yes,itis.One oftheirbest.Costme nearlya hundred dollars,itdid!
Do you wantto take specialcare ofit? Imean it’sbrand new.
Take care ofit,butnothing special.You can justputitin storage with the furniture.
Thatlookslike everything we need here.Iguessyou’re allset.
Thatwascertainlyquick.Thankyou,young man.Thishasbeen a mostmoving experience!
Good morning everyone,and welcome to the 2nd AnnualWullaballoo Conference on Mastering ComputerLanguages.Ihope you allhad a good trip.Before we getunderway with today’sprogramme,letme fillyou in asto what’s on tap fortomorrow,Sunday, February19th.
At9:00 a.m.righthere in the Main Hall,we’llbe hearing a lecture from DrJohn Smith about“ComputerasTeacher’’.ProfessorSmith,from the UniversityofMelbourne,isa world-class expertin the field ofcomputer-assisted education,and histalkpromises to be both stimulating and informative.
Immediatelyafterwards,at10:30,there willbe a presentation ofpapersbyvarious
delegates.That,however,willtake place in the Garden Room on the ground floor.Ifyou
don’tyetknow,the Garden Room isalso called the Ballroom,and we’llbe gathering at the westend,the slightly raised area called Level2.Justlookforthe crowd.Ifyou get lost,there are signsin the foyer.
Afterallthatthinking,talking,and listening,Iexpecteveryone willbe a bitweary.So at 11:15,there willbe a breakforcoffee,cookies,and otherlightrefreshments.These will be available atthe aptly named RefreshmentStand,placed bythe doorbackhere in the Main Hall.Also,ifyou choose to skip the formallunch,you can buya packed lunch at the stand fora reasonable price.
Istronglyurge you,however,to join usatthe formallunch.Thatwon’tbe tillone o’clock sharp,so you have time to strollabouttown a bit.We’llbe eating atthe Sea View Restaurant.The restaurantislocated righthere in the hotel,on the top floor.It’s a good dozen flightsofstairs,so Isuggestyou take the lifton the ground floor,eh? Ifyou’re not fond offish,there isan all-you-can-eatbarbecue available aswell.Theyeven offer wallabymeat!
Afterlunch,we’lltroop backdownstairsto Level2 in the Ballroom forthe presentation of furtherpapers,which willbegin at2:00 p.m.Please tryto be on time.Iknow you’llbe a bittired afterlunch,butthe Ballroom echoesso with people coming in late.Thankyou in advance.
Once we’ve heard the papers,we’llbreakforafternoon tea at3:10 p.m.No need to walk.The managerofthe refreshmentstand hasgraciouslyagreed to have tea served in the Ballroom.He’seven promised ussome specialscones,baked from a recipe ofhis dearold Scottish grandmother.
Then,tea being drunkand scones munched,we’llretire here to the Main Hallforsome closing remarksand questions.So,by5:00 we should have the conference wrapped up.
Butthe fun isn’tover!ThisisAustralia mates!We’llbe flocking to the hotel’sown Palm Lounge on the eastside ofthe foyerforan informalreception.You can relax,mingle with the otherdelegates,and letyourhairdown a bit.Thiswillrun from 5:10 to 6:10, though you’re free to stay aslong asyou like.The lounge managerhasinformed me that,forthe duration ofthe actualreception,you can have all-you-can-drinkbeerfor
$20.00 with purchase ofan advance ticket.
And,yes,ticketscan be purchased from anyconference organiseroratthe frontdesk anytime between now and the startofthe reception.
Isuggestyou come bytomorrow evening to pickup the tickets since the conference hall onlyholds800 people.Thatway,you can also getyourjourney planned ahead oftime and be sure notto missthistrulymemorable conference.Ifyou wantcocktails,however, I’m sorry.You’llhave to payforthose atthe regularprice.
Oh mygoodness!Speaking ofpaying,Isee Iforgotto tellyou a couple ofthings.The firstisaboutlunch.The charge forthe lunch willbe $15.00 forallyou delegates.Ifyou have guests with you,the costis$25.00 forthe generalpublic,and $6.50 forchildren underthe age of10.That’sfifteen dollarseach,nottotalforeveryone!Anotheritem is aboutthe lunch menu.Iverymuch urge you to trythe fish.Imean,lookatthe
restaurant’sname:Sea View.Asthe name suggests,itis a famousseafood restaurant. The chefisa Basque from Spain,and he reallygetsquite putoutwhen people ignore hisfish specialtiesforburgersorbarbecue.Iffish isn’tyourthing though,trythe steak- he makes an exquisite Filetmignon topped with bleu cheese and mushrooms.
Finally,ifyou’d like to buya ticket,you can have both lunch and the unlimited beerfor
$35.00.Ishould have mentioned thatearlier,butIam a bitforgetful.Maybe Ishould avoid the beerafterthe conference,eh?
Well,I’ve said mybit.Are there anyquestions?
SECT I ON 3
Hello...are you ProfessorVan Diezen?
Yes,Iam.And who mightyou be?
Oh!Sorry,myname isTina.I’m a freshman here.Theytold me Ishould askyou for advice in choosing courses.
Well,that’spartofwhatI’m here for.Please come in and sitdown.Now,whatare your questions?
I,Ialmostdon’tknow!Everything isso confusing!Like whatisa “specialised course”? Oh,easy.A specialised course isone thatiscompulsory,meaning it'sa requirementfor yourmajorand regular,so you can’tplace outbytaking a proficiencyexam.
Thatsoundspretty strict.Then whatare allthese generalcourses? Iseem to have to take so many.
Nothing to be alarmed over.These are courses open to allstudents and notdirectly related to yourmajor.The universityoffersthese generalcoursesto choose so thatyou can become more well-rounded individuals.Forexample,Isee you’re a Microbiology major.So itmightbe a good idea to take some literature orhistorycoursesso thatyou can know something besides allscience.
You mean these coursesare,like,forfun?
Thatmightbe one way to lookatit,butdon’ttellthe literature professorsuch a thing.
Thinkofa generalcourse asthe opposite ofa specified course.A specified course is one thatpertainsdirectlyto yourmajor.
So can Itake anyMicrobiologycourse Iwant?
Let’s see.Oh,those courses used to be open to Microbiologystudentsonly.The good thing is,now it’sopen to studentson a flexible schedule,so it’snotonlyforfull-time students.So the answerisyes,ifyou have the instructor’spermission.MayIaskyou
whyyou chose Microbiology?
Well,Ialso like plain old Biology,too.You know,fullsized animals.Imighteven become a veterinarian.Could Itake some Biologyclasses?
Well,theyare open to full-time studentsonly,which Ibelieve iswhatyou are.Idon’t know how a freshman would getalong with Microbiology,though.Imean,mostofthe studentspresentlylooking into itare from off-campus.
Off-campus?
Yes,you know,people who use itin theirworkathospitals,laboratories,even a police detective.Whydid you choose Microbiology,ifImay ask? Idon’tthinkyou quite answered that.
Well,eventuallyIwantto be a doctor.Atleastmydad tellsme so.
IfImaysayso,young lady,you seem a little uncertain.
Still,Ithinkthatmightbe a good idea fora career.Ofcourse,ifyou're thinking about being eithera doctorora vet,you should take some MedicalScience classesbefore you even thinkofapplying to med school.
Great!Whatshould Itake?
There isone smallproblem.The new MedicalSciences building isunderconstruction, so there are no experimentalfacilitiesavailable untilnextyear.I’m afraid you'llhave to wait.Butdon’tforgetto take those coursesatthe firstopportunity!
Oh,bummer.Isthere anyothercourse you'd recommend forsomeone like me? Well,since you seem to like animals,have you everthoughtaboutlooking into EnvironmentalScience?
No,Ineverreallythoughtaboutitbefore.Isitworthwhile? Quite!In fact,it'sthe fastestgrowing subjecton thiscampus.
I’m sorry,Icouldn’thelp noticing the long listofclasses you’ve written outthere.May I have a look?
Oh,sure.
MedicalScience,Statistics,LaboratoryTechniques,Medicine,Mathematics,Computing.
My,my,a bitofeverything here.
Is ittoo much?
Foryourfirstsemester,yes.WhatIsuggestisstarting outbytaking the compulsory courses.Like we said before,the MedicalScience can wait.Considertaking thatin your sophomore year.IthinkI’d putoff Computing,too.Irecommend to allfreshmen thatI talkto to getthe compulsoryMathematicsoutofthe wayasearlyaspossible,so take thatone.It’llbe one lessdifficultcourse you have to focuson when the science lab opensnextyear,and you have to catch up on classes like LaboratoryTechniques.Your majoralso requiresStatisticsso you have to balance two Mathsclasses,and no doubt you should take that.Otherwise,getyourrequired Medicine course outofthe way by taking something theory-based.
Oh,ofcourse and yourEnvironmentalScience classifyou’re interested.The otherscan wait,though IthinkComputing isdefinitelya good idea,even though it’snotrequired.I see too,on yourpaperthere,you seem to have had high markson the entrance exam.
Uhhh,yeah.Iguess so.
Don’tbe shy!Have you thoughtaboutapplying fora scholarship?
Do theyhave any? Imean,mydad isalways complaining abouthow much moneyit costshim.
In yourdepartment,there are actuallythree fullscholarshipsavailable.Theycover tuition and provide $1,500 cash.
$1,500 cash?!Party!
Please,Miss.The money isintended more asa textbookallowance,notpartymoney.If you promise to behave,
I’llshow you how to apply. Great,and thanks!
SECT I ON 4
We’ve been talking aboutchoosing building materialsin the lastweek.Now,a great manyfactorsinfluence the choice ofbuilding materials.You can’tmake a house of cards,right? And “people who live in glass houses...”and allthat...Anyhow,todayI’d like to say a few wordsaboutflooring.
Some artificialmaterialscan be used,like plasticforinstance,which offermixed blessingswhen used asa flooring surface.On the one hand,plasticischeaperthan nearlyanyotheralternative,shortofbare ground.Plasticalso doesnotwarp like wood.
On the otherhand,the bestthatcan be said aboutplasticisthatit“lookslike”wood or stone.However,itcannotreplace the realmaterials.AsIhave mentioned,I’m fixing up a new house.The decoratormywife hired told me,“Plasticdoes a greatjob oflooking exactlylike plastic.”Besides,itscratcheseasily,fadesordiscolours,and starts cracking within a yearortwo.So,ifyou’re fitting outa sleazy hotelorplan to live in a trailerpark, go with the plastic.Really,though,forallintentsand purposes,thisleavesuswith wood orstone aschoicesforflooring.
Stone and wood are alike in atleastone respect:both go through processing before theycan be putto use.Since few ofuscutourown lumberorquarryourown stone,this isnotperhapsa pressing concern.Still,do-it-yourselferswould do wellto rememberto buyonlyproperly seasoned wood.Unseasoned wood warpsand a warped floorquickly becomesfirewood (and itsownerquicklybecomes poorer).Likewise,exceptfordull- hued materialslike slate orsandstone,moststone floorsare polished before installation.
The choice goeswellbeyond justwood orstone -each type requiresmanyfurther
considerations.A few specialremarksare called forwhen considering wood,for
example.Asalways,aesthetics,personaltaste,and layoutallplayrolesaswellasthe type ofhouse orroom.Oh,and certainlydon’tforgetthe cost.When itcomes to cost,a rule ofthumb isthatthe softerand lessexoticthe wood,the lowerthe cost.In the US, forinstance,pine isboth ubiquitousand cheap.Mahoganyisimported and exorbitantly expensive.Ifyou’re on anykind ofbudgetwhen remodeling,it’s reallyhelpfulto
rememberto go forthe softerwoods.
Aside from cost,there are stilllots ofdifferentfactorsthatare importantin choosing the bestflooring forthe job.Continuing with the example ofwood,one mustconsiderthe effectsofeach type ofwood on the mood ofthe room.When selecting the bestwood to use,particularattention needsto be paid to its grain patterns,texture,and colour.In roomswhere relaxation ordeep thoughtisthe aim -saybedroomsorthe study-dark, strong grained woodsare the rule.
Here the grain oughtto match the furniture fora feeling ofhomogeneity.In roomswhere activityand motion are typical-the dining room orliving room -lighter,finer-grained lumberismore suitable.
In such a setting,the wood grain mightbe usefulin offering a contrastto the furniture.
Thisleadsto a feelofsubconsciousexcitement,in keeping with the room’s function.
In eithercase,though,consulta decorator.Itisa decorator’sjob to know whatmaterials to use to fitthe function ofthe room.Though some thingsaboutputting togethera room are subjective and based on one’s individualtaste,materialsappropriate to a room’s function are much more straightforward.A decoratortakesthe needsofthe customer and usesa mathematicalformula,ratherthan subjective words.Since feelingsvaryfrom person to person,verbaldescriptionsofwood typestend to be ambiguous.You wantthe wood you select,notsomething approximate!And ifyou do decide to do ityourself, rememberthatallwood mustbe treated with preservativesto enhance itsappearance and preserve itsnaturalbeauty.
In the case ofstone,or“quarrytile”asflat-cutflooring stone isproperlycalled,a new set ofconsiderationsmustbe weighed up.Simple colouraside,the degree ofreflection mustbe keptin mind.Thisiscalled the “reflectance rate”,which isexpressed in a numberbetween 0.0 and 1.0,depending on the amountoflightitreflects.
Atone end ofthe scale ispolished silver.Ata rating of1.0,thisshinysurface reflects nearlyallofthe lightdirected atit.Numberscloserto zero describe materialsthat
absorb more light.Moving down the scale a bit,we see the plasticthathasbeen painted white hasa rate of0.8,which makes sense.We know thatthe colourwhite reflectsall othercolourswhile blackabsorbsallcolours,and plasticitselfisa relativelyreflective material.
Materialsthatare denserand darkerhave reflectance ratesmuch closerto zero.The quarrytile Imentioned a while ago hasa rate of0.1.Asyou may know,quarrytile is generallydarkbrown and made from clay so itisquite dense.Ofcourse,there is
considerable variation among types ofquarrytile because ofthe hue ortreatmentofthe clay during itscreation.
Doesanyone have anyguesses asto whatmaterialsmayhave a rate ofalmost0.0? We can guess mostofthese materialsare blackin colour,butplastic,wood,and even stone reflectsome light.One materialwith a rate ofalmost0.0 is blackvelvet.The texture produces almostno shine atall.
Carrara marble,despite itswhite hue,isactuallylowerin reflectivitythan blackonyx!In anycase,the factthattilesvarysomewhatshould notbe forgotten.A highlyreflective floorwould notbe suitable in a library;itwould be indispensable in a ballroom (should yourhome be large enough to feature one).Again,a rule ofthumb isthat“lightmeans lively”.Since form and materialfollow function,one should onlyuse the more reflective materialsin roomswhere the cultivation and expression ofenergyisimportant.Bearin mind too thatmosttypesofstone costmore than allbutthe rarestofwoods.
Ofcourse,there isno reason whysome roomsofa house should notfeature wood floorsorotherstone tiles.You can even mixthe two.A room with wood panelson the wallscan have a beautifulstone floor.Mybedroom haswhite birch wallsand a lightblue slate floor.The place lookslike a Russian hunting lodge.Remember,though,go with whatfeelsrightforyou.Good taste and the “laws”ofinteriordesign are the
homeowner’sservants,nothismaster.It’s onlybeautifulwhen you decide itis.Imean, you’re the one who livesthere,notthe decorator,right? OK,are there anyquestions?
Test 2
SECT I ON 1
Woman:Good morning.I’ve been looking atyourholidays to Australia in yourbrochure.
I’m thinking ofgoing during the second halfofnextmonth.
Man:Good morning.As you can see from ourbrochure,we offera wide variety of packagesto variousdestinationsin Australia.Isthere anything in particularthatinterests you?
Woman:Yes,myhusband and Iare veryinterested in the holidays in the Outback.
Man:These holidays are becoming increasingly popular.Would you like to arrange flights and accommodation with us,orjustaccommodation?
Woman:Can you arrange flightsfrom Sydney? Man:Certainly.
Woman:OK,flights and accommodation then.
Man:Right.You said thatyou wanted to travelnextmonth.Which date would you prefer? Ishould pointoutthatthere are no daily flightsavailable,so ifyou have a flexible itinerary,that’sbetter.
Woman:Well,we arrive in Sydney on the 15thofApriland we were thinking oftravelling to the Outbackon the 18thofAugust,er...Imean April.
Man:OK.There’s only one flightfrom Sydney to Alice Springs on the 18th,so I’llbook you on that.Itleaves at10 in the morning,which is quite convenient.ShallIbook two seats foryou?
Woman:Yes,please.
Man:As foryourstay in the Outback,you can see from the brochure thatwe offerthree packages -budget,standard,and luxury.The budgetpackage is about500 Australian dollars.The standard package is about700 and the luxury one is approximately 1,000, though itdoes depend on exactly whatyou would like regarding extras.Which one would you prefer?
Woman:Well,we can’tdecide between the budgetand standard options.
Man:Ah,well,actually,justlooking atmycomputerhere,on the date thatyou wantto fly into Alice Springs,there is no standard accommodation available.It’s fully booked,I’m afraid.
Woman:That’s OK.We thinkthatthe cheapestone should be fine forus.We don’tmind roughing itfora few days and we don’texpectto be spending much time atthe accom- modation.We preferthe outdoors.
Man:Right.Let’s look atthe room options.Firstofall,would you prefera non- smoking room?
Woman:Yes.Neitherofussmokes. Man:OK.
Woman:Oh,before Iforget,could you bookeverything in myhusband'sname,please? YMan:es,ofcourse.Are you paying bycreditcard?
Woman:Yes.
Man:In thatcase,I’llneed yourhusband’s name exactly asitappearson the card.
Woman:Ofcourse.It’s John A.Smyth.That’sSmyth with a “Y”.
Man:John ...middle initial“A”...surname Smyth,S-M-Y-T-H.Isthatcorrect? Woman:Correct.
Man:Thank you.I’lljustcheck the price.The room willcost100 dollars a nightplus 10 dollarstax,so 110 dollars pernightin total.IsthatOK?
Woman:Yes,that’s fine.Bookusforthree nights,please.
Man:Mostofthe guests like to participate in some specialactivities and trips while they are staying in the Outback.Isthere anything thatinterests you and yourhusband?
Woman:Yes,there are severalthings we’d like to see and do.We’d definitely like to visit the CulturalCentre.
Man:Yes,that’s very popular.It’s within walking distance ofthe accommodation and it’s free.It’salso a greatplace to pickup souvenirsofyourtrip.
Woman:We were thinking aboutvisiting one ofthe nearbyfarms.
Man:There are two farms nearby -a sheep farm and a kangaroo farm.There is also an opportunityto ride camelsin the desert.Have you ridden a camelbefore?
Woman:No,butitsounds like fun.Could you give me some more details aboutthe kangaroo farm and the camelride?
Man:Certainly.The kangaroo farm includes information on how the animals are raised whilstthe camelride provides information on desertflora and fauna.Which would you prefer? You can arrange to see the kangaroos in the wild ifyou like,ratherthan on a farm.
Woman:Thatsounds perfect.OK,we’llgo on the camelride and see the kangaroos in theirnaturalhabitat.
Man:OK.I’llarrange thatforyou.Iforgotto mention thatthe journey also includes a stop ata place ofaboriginalartwork.It’s a place well-known forits stone carvings of animalsand mythicalcreatures.
Woman:Thatsoundsgreat!Are the carvingsin the desert? Man:Yes.
Woman:Wonderful!
Man:Well,that’s perfectthen.I’m sure you'llhave a lovely trip,butrememberthatyou need take care in the sun.
Woman:Yes.We’re really looking forward to ourtrip.We really wantto try to experience the Dreamtime underthe stars.
Man:Ofcourse.That’swhata trip to the Outbackisreallyallabout. Woman:Yes.Now,how aboutthe cost...
SECT I ON 2
Continuing our broadcast of public service announcements, Worldwide Helpers announces upcoming vacancies for a number ofvolunteer worker positions.All applicants must meet the following requirements. Firstofall,applicants mustbe over18 years ofage.The company apologises,butthere can be no exceptions to this rule.Second,persons interested in these positions may not have police records.Minortraffic offences like a parking ticketare,ofcourse,no problem.But,and Iquote,“pastand presentdrug users and sex offenders”need not apply.The employerwill,ofcourse,check with the police to verify yourclean record.
In addition,applicants mustsupply referencesfrom pastor presentemployers or teachers along with theirrecentCV.These references musttestify as to the applicant’s work habits and/orcharacter.Remember,these are references from employers or teachers.A note from yourdearold Mum won’tdo.Worldwide Helpers assures me that they will contact these references to confirm they are genuine.
Although allpositionsare volunteer,the employerwillreimburse some ofyourexpenses. Forexample,theywillpay fortransportation to and from the job site.Aside from that,the costofphone callsiscovered.
As forthe positions themselves,there are three types.The firstinvolves assisting persons confined to wheelchairs.Forthis position,volunteers mustbe physically fitand
in excellenthealth.They mustbe able to liftatleast150 pounds.They should also have a currentFirstAid certificate from the Red Cross.Butthe mostimportantrequirementis thatthe volunteermusthave his own car.On Tuesday afternoons,the volunteers take theirclients to variousscenicspotsaround the cityto experience and enjoynature.
Ifyou don’tdrive,butyou’d stilllike to getinvolved,the centre hasa numberofopenings forpeople to read to the blind.Readers must,ofcourse,read English clearly.Persons with no foreign accentare preferred.Forthese positions,you mustbe available on Monday mornings.Oh,wait,Isee a note here.There is one opening forsomeone who can read Urdu.Apparently,there is a Pakistaniblind person who’d like to hearhis orher native language. But the other positions are all in English.
And finally,there are a limited numberofvolunteers needed to care fordisabled children.I'm sorry,butthe information I’ve been given does notsay how many children orwhatdisabilities they have.In any case,you are needed to care forthe children for one week in August.Apparently,this willbe atthe close ofthe summerholiday.Iwould guess this involves helping them with the routine chores of daily life.
Again,volunteers forthis position mustknow basic FirstAid,be in good health,and be able to liftup to 75 pounds.
OK,ournextannouncementis looking forsomeone to “facilitate”tigerbreeding atthe London Zoo.And,getthis,it’s a "strictly volunteer”position.Thatmeans you don’tget paid!Oh myGod...I'm sorryladiesand gentlemen,butIjusthave to laugh...
SECT I ON 3
DAVE:Are you justleaving the librarynow? Isaw you getthere at8:00 a.m.! PETE:Yeah,I’ve been there allday.
DAVE:Whatfor? Theyhired a cute new librarian orsomething?
PETE:Iwish.No,it’sthe presentation thatIwillgive in EnvironmentalScience the day aftertomorrow.
DAVE:What’s itabout? Iheard you were reallyexcited aboutthe class.And DrSchnee also callsyou forthe “arcane”questions,ashe callsthem.
PETE:It’s aboutenvironmentaldamage in the Yucatan.
DAVE:Excuse me,what? Oristhatwhere? PETE:Yucatan.It’s a state in SoutheastMexico.
DAVE:So what’shappening there?
PETE:Agriculture ishaving a really adverse impacton the environment.There are too manyfarmersdoing too much farming.It’sreallydestroying the forests and ruining the soil.Deforestation isa majorproblem there now.
DAVE:How did you learn aboutthis? Idon’trecallDrSchnee saying anything aboutitin lecture.
PETE:Yes,butmybrotherwentthere lastmonth,you know,to lookatthe old citiesthe Maya Indiansbuilt.That’s whatfirstgotme interested.
DAVE:YourbrotherTom?
PETE:No,Dick,Harry’stwin.Anyway,he told me how few treesthere were now and how much empty ground thatgrowsalmostnothing.He said the place looked more like the desertthan jungle in some parts.Itbroughtenvironmentaldamage.So Istarted looking formaterialsin the library.Here,lookatthismagazine.
DAVE:What’s in it?
PETE:It's an old issue of“NationalGeographic”.Itincludesinterviews
with touristswho’ve been there in the pastfew years.It’s pretty bad.See the photos? DAVE:Isee the photos,butone ortwo photosdon’tprove anything.
PETE:Then read whatthe article says.Rightthere.The firstthing itpoints outishow soilsamplesshow itishard foranything to grow there.Itsays how an area of21,000 square kilometreshaslostmostofitsforestin the pastten years.See,there are graphs. Asthe numberoffarmersincreases,the acresofforesthave decreased.It’san inverse relation.
DAVE:So how big isthatstate? I’m sorry,butI’ve neverreallylearned the metric system.
PETE:It’s biggerthan the state ofMassachusetts! DAVE:That’sshocking!Anything else?
PETE:There’s lotsofelse.Scientists say there’s a “growing area”ofabout10.5 square kilometreswhere nothing can grow atall.It’slike the beginning ofa desert. DAVE:Oh yes.WhatDrSchnee called “desertification”.But,whycan’tanything grow there? I’ve neverreallystudied soilchemistry.
PETE:I’m juststarting to lookinto thatsubject,butmysisterMarie isa geologistand she says the problem isthatthe soilhastoo much saline,with no plantshelping to adjustthe chemistry.Apparently,that’s a common problem with soiltypesthroughout areaswith rainforest.Once you lose the plantcover,it’sdifficultto bring itback.
Reforestation isalmostimpossible,even ifthe land isnotbeing used forotherpurposes. DAVE:Waita minute.Whatis“saline”?
PETE:Saline issaltdissolved in water.Scientistswho’ve gone there have
taken measurements.Theydo thisbygathering a sample ofthe soiland running a simple testthatshowsthe ionisation ofthe solution.The GeologyDepartmentin our own universityhasreviewed the soilatthe site,too.They’re right.Itlooksprettybad.
The levelofsalinityisgoing up.Butthe plantsthatwould solve thatproblem can’tbe planted in soillike that.There isa narrow spectrum ofsalinityin which the plantswill grow.
DAVE:And once you passthe threshold,there isno way to putthe problem right? PETE:Exactly.It’s possible thatno one can do anything to stop the trend now.All because ofhuman greed!I...
DAVE:Waita second.How do you know these “scientists”can be trusted? Whatkind of reputation do theyhave? Are they reliable?
PETE:Oh they're definitelyreliable.They include fourmembersofthe faculty from the GeologyDepartmentrighthere atMIT.Here,studythese photographs and checkthe damage yourself.That’swhatDrHorstwho wrote thisbookhere did.He’snewly appointed,butDrSchnee sayshe’sbrilliant.
DAVE:So,where are you going now?
PETE:I’m headed overto the GeographyDepartmentto borrow a map formy
presentation.You know,thiswhole problem could have been avoided!The farmersthere in the Yucatan...
DAVE:Uh,Pete??
PETE:What?
DAVE:Go take a break!Leave some studying forthe restofus.
SECT I ON 4
Good afternoon,and welcome to InsectBiology101.I’d like to begin thiscourse with a few remarksaboutgood insectsand bad ones.Bugsare allaround usand that’s both a benefitand an annoyance -sometimesmaybe even seriousharm.First,let’s talkabout the good thingsthatinsectsdo forus.
Probablythe mostimportantinsectforhumans,and maybe forallotherlife,isthe bee.Beeshelp plantsin the process ofpollination,and thusare necessaryto most flowersand fruit-producing trees.Thatis,theycarrypollen from “male”flowersto
“female”.Ifitweren’tforbees,we’d have veryfew food plantsand no fruiteither.In fact, there would be no "we”.No lessa thinkerthan AlbertEinstein pointed outthat,without bees,humanitywould be dead within a yearorless.We’d starve.It’sthatsimple.That should maybe make usjusta little humble.
A little lessdramaticisthe factthatbeesalso make the honeywe eat.Moreover,they produce beeswax,which isusefulin candles and it’s also used asa first-rate furniture polish.Sure,these may notbe vitalto ourlives,buttheycan serve asremindersofhow importantbees are.That’sa pointIkeep coming backto in thiscourse.Though,in all fairness,Ishould pointoutthatbutterflies aid in pollination aswellasbees.
Now,here in Michigan,what’sthe worstpartofsummer? Yep,that’s right-mosquitoes. ButI’m talking abouthelpfulinsects,right? So let’s lookatthe dragonflyfirst.Ifthere were no dragonflies,there would be even more mosquitoes!Dragonfliesmainly
eatmosquitoesand also a few otherinsects.Yes,that’s right.Theydon’tjustflyaround, and theyalso help to eliminate harmfulinsects.So,the nexttime you see a dragonfly, don’tyou dare killit!
Now let’stalka little aboutthose harmfulinsects.Take the mosquitoesIjustmentioned asan example.Notso many yearsago,mosquitoeshere in America weren’tjust
annoying.Some were even deadly.They carried malaria and yellow fever.Myown ancestor,the Confederate GeneralJohn BellHood,lived through the worstbattlesof CivilWaronlyto die atage thirty-eightfrom yellow fever.A pest,nota bullet!
Well,besidesthe mosquitoes,in summerthere isalso a kind ofinsectthatneverseems tired.Right,thatisthe fly.Before Igo on talking,Imustmention an African flycalled the Tsetse fly,which feedson blood and can cause seriousdiseases in the people and animalsthatitbites.Besides,itisstilla bearerofsleeping sickness,which
affectsaround 300,000 people everyyearin Africa and can be treated onlywith toxic drugsthatare hard to administer.Worse still,the drugssometimesdon’twork.
Otherinsects,ofcourse,destroyfood crops.In China,forinstance,locustscontinue to be a dangerto the harvestin some areas.Less important,butstillannoying,mothseat people’s clothesand dustmitesslowlydestroycarpets.Worse,butstillin the home, termitesor“white ants”eatwood -the wood ofyourhouse.Iftheyare notstopped,they
can eventuallydestroythe whole building.Usuallythey seriouslydamage a building before anyone even noticesthem.So,aswe allknow,insects can be a realtrouble.
Forsome decadesin the West,to killinsectswith chemicalsseemed a good remedy. Unfortunately,chemicalscan onlybe used in a limited area fora limited time.It’s a small-scale solution.The insects come back.Worse still,some ofthe poisonsused like DDT were found harmfulto the environment.Many kindsofwildlife,like hawks,were harmed.And people in chemical-using ruralareashave one ofthe highestrates ofliver cancerin the world.It’sno secretthatthe chemicalsremain harmfulto humans.
Like allspecies,insectsadaptto theirchanging environmentsatan amazing rate.When a new chemicalisintroduced to theirhabitat,the insectsthatsurvive are generallythe oneswith some way ofresisting the harmfuleffects.Theythen breed with the other survivors,and justlike thatinsectsbecome resistantto mostpoison in a few generations.An insectgeneration,remember,isa couple ofmonthsatmost! So,again we have to ask:whatto do? Well,there are biologicalsolutions.Some of these are prettysimple.One isdestroying the insects’habitat.You take away theirhome orfood.Cleaning yourkitchen isthe bestway to preventroaches.No garbage:no food.
Getting rid ofmarshesand swampseliminatesmosquitoes.Othersolutionsmight include bringing in dragonfliesorbatsin areaswhere mosquitoesare many.Thisis a cheaperalternative to chemicals.Biologicalmethods like thisalso bring no extra pollution to the environment.Butyou have to be careful.Ifyou change the environment too much,you mightbe hurting otherformsoflife accidentally.
One recentmethod ofcontrolling insectpopulationsinvolves interrupting theirbreeding cycle.Whatdoesthatmean? Itmeans"birth controlforbugs”.Insectsare provided with food thatmakesthem unable to reproduce.Since theycan’thave babies,the population disappears,ornearlyso.And since no young are born,resistance isnota problem with no young insectsdeveloping increased resistance.
Interruptthe life cycle,eliminate the bug!It’s clearthatwe musthave an understanding ofthe life cycle ofthe insect.Atleast,that’sthe plan.We’llgo into more detailsasthis course goesalong.Now Iwillstop here to see whetheryou have anyquestionsornot.
Test 3
SECT I ON 1
Woman:Good morning.I’ve been looking atyourholidays to Australia in yourbrochure.
I’m thinking ofgoing during the second halfofnextmonth.
Man:Good morning.As you can see from ourbrochure,we offera wide variety of packagesto variousdestinationsin Australia.Isthere anything in particularthatinterests you?
Woman:Yes,myhusband and Iare veryinterested in the holidays in the Outback. Man:These holidays are becoming increasingly popular.Would you like to arrange flights and accommodation with us,orjustaccommodation?
Woman:Can you arrange flightsfrom Sydney? Man:Certainly.
Woman:OK,flights and accommodation then.
Man:Right.You said thatyou wanted to travelnextmonth.Which date would you prefer? Ishould pointoutthatthere are no daily flightsavailable,so ifyou have a flexible itinerary,that’sbetter.
Woman:Well,we arrive in Sydney on the 15thofApriland we were thinking oftravelling to the Outbackon the 18thofAugust,er...Imean April.
Man:OK.There’s only one flightfrom Sydney to Alice Springs on the 18th,so I’llbook you on that.Itleaves at10 in the morning,which is quite convenient.ShallIbook two seats foryou?
Woman:Yes,please.
Man:As foryourstay in the Outback,you can see from the brochure thatwe offerthree packages -budget,standard,and luxury.The budgetpackage is about500 Australian dollars.The standard package is about700 and the luxury one is approximately 1,000, though itdoes depend on exactly whatyou would like regarding extras.Which one would you prefer?
Woman:Well,we can’tdecide between the budgetand standard options.
Man:Ah,well,actually,justlooking atmycomputerhere,on the date thatyou wantto fly into Alice Springs,there is no standard accommodation available.It’s fully booked,I’m afraid.
Woman:That’s OK.We thinkthatthe cheapestone should be fine forus.We don’tmind roughing itfora few days and we don’texpectto be spending much time atthe accom- modation.We preferthe outdoors.
Man:Right.Let’s look atthe room options.Firstofall,would you prefera non- smoking room?
Woman:Yes.Neitherofussmokes. Man:OK.
Woman:Oh,before Iforget,could you bookeverything in myhusband'sname,please? YMan:es,ofcourse.Are you paying bycreditcard?
Woman:Yes.
Man:In thatcase,I’llneed yourhusband’s name exactly asitappearson the card.
Woman:Ofcourse.It’s John A.Smyth.That’sSmyth with a “Y”.
Man:John ...middle initial“A”...surname Smyth,S-M-Y-T-H.Isthatcorrect? Woman:Correct.
Man:Thank you.I’lljustcheck the price.The room willcost100 dollars a nightplus 10 dollarstax,so 110 dollars pernightin total.IsthatOK?
Woman:Yes,that’s fine.Bookusforthree nights,please.
Man:Mostofthe guests like to participate in some specialactivities and trips while they are staying in the Outback.Isthere anything thatinterests you and yourhusband?
Woman:Yes,there are severalthings we’d like to see and do.We’d definitely like to visit the CulturalCentre.
Man:Yes,that’s very popular.It’s within walking distance ofthe accommodation and it’s free.It’salso a greatplace to pickup souvenirsofyourtrip.
Woman:We were thinking aboutvisiting one ofthe nearbyfarms.
Man:There are two farms nearby -a sheep farm and a kangaroo farm.There is also an opportunityto ride camelsin the desert.Have you ridden a camelbefore?
Woman:No,butitsounds like fun.Could you give me some more details aboutthe kangaroo farm and the camelride?
Man:Certainly.The kangaroo farm includes information on how the animals are raised whilstthe camelride provides information on desertflora and fauna.Which would you prefer? You can arrange to see the kangaroos in the wild ifyou like,ratherthan on a farm.
Woman:Thatsounds perfect.OK,we’llgo on the camelride and see the kangaroos in theirnaturalhabitat.
Man:OK.I’llarrange thatforyou.Iforgotto mention thatthe journey also includes a stop ata place ofaboriginalartwork.It’s a place well-known forits stone carvings of animalsand mythicalcreatures.
Woman:Thatsoundsgreat!Are the carvingsin the desert? Man:Yes.
Woman:Wonderful!
Man:Well,that’s perfectthen.I’m sure you'llhave a lovely trip,butrememberthatyou need take care in the sun.
Woman:Yes.We’re really looking forward to ourtrip.We really wantto try to experience the Dreamtime underthe stars.
Man:Ofcourse.That’swhata trip to the Outbackisreallyallabout. Woman:Yes.Now,how aboutthe cost...
SECT I ON 2
Continuing our broadcast of public service announcements, Worldwide Helpers announces upcoming vacancies for a number ofvolunteer worker positions.All applicants must meet the following requirements. Firstofall,applicants mustbe over18 years ofage.The company apologises,butthere can be no exceptions to this rule.Second,persons interested in these positions may not have police records.Minortraffic offences like a parking ticketare,ofcourse,no problem.But,and Iquote,“pastand presentdrug users and sex offenders”need not apply.The employerwill,ofcourse,check with the police to verify yourclean record.
In addition,applicants mustsupply referencesfrom pastor presentemployers or
teachers along with theirrecentCV.These references musttestify as to the applicant’s work habits and/orcharacter.Remember,these are references from employers or teachers.A note from yourdearold Mum won’tdo.Worldwide Helpers assures me that they will contact these references to confirm they are genuine.
Although allpositionsare volunteer,the employerwillreimburse some ofyourexpenses. Forexample,theywillpay fortransportation to and from the job site.Aside from that,the costofphone callsiscovered.
As forthe positions themselves,there are three types.The firstinvolves assisting persons confined to wheelchairs.Forthis position,volunteers mustbe physically fitand in excellenthealth.They mustbe able to liftatleast150 pounds.They should also have a currentFirstAid certificate from the Red Cross.Butthe mostimportantrequirementis thatthe volunteermusthave his own car.On Tuesday afternoons,the volunteers take theirclients to variousscenicspotsaround the cityto experience and enjoynature.
Ifyou don’tdrive,butyou’d stilllike to getinvolved,the centre hasa numberofopenings forpeople to read to the blind.Readers must,ofcourse,read English clearly.Persons with no foreign accentare preferred.Forthese positions,you mustbe available on Monday mornings.Oh,wait,Isee a note here.There is one opening forsomeone who can read Urdu.Apparently,there is a Pakistaniblind person who’d like to hearhis orher native language. But the other positions are all in English.
And finally,there are a limited numberofvolunteers needed to care fordisabled children.I'm sorry,butthe information I’ve been given does notsay how many children orwhatdisabilities they have.In any case,you are needed to care forthe children for one week in August.Apparently,this willbe atthe close ofthe summerholiday.Iwould guess this involves helping them with the routine chores of daily life.
Again,volunteers forthis position mustknow basic FirstAid,be in good health,and be able to liftup to 75 pounds.
OK,ournextannouncementis looking forsomeone to “facilitate”tigerbreeding atthe London Zoo.And,getthis,it’s a "strictly volunteer”position.Thatmeans you don’tget paid!Oh myGod...I'm sorryladiesand gentlemen,butIjusthave to laugh...
SECT I ON 3
DAVE:Are you justleaving the librarynow? Isaw you getthere at8:00 a.m.! PETE:Yeah,I’ve been there allday.
DAVE:Whatfor? Theyhired a cute new librarian orsomething?
PETE:Iwish.No,it’sthe presentation thatIwillgive in EnvironmentalScience the day aftertomorrow.
DAVE:What’s itabout? Iheard you were reallyexcited aboutthe class.And DrSchnee also callsyou forthe “arcane”questions,ashe callsthem.
PETE:It’s aboutenvironmentaldamage in the Yucatan.
DAVE:Excuse me,what? Oristhatwhere? PETE:Yucatan.It’s a state in SoutheastMexico.
DAVE:So what’shappening there?
PETE:Agriculture ishaving a really adverse impacton the environment.There are too manyfarmersdoing too much farming.It’sreallydestroying the forests and ruining the soil.Deforestation isa majorproblem there now.
DAVE:How did you learn aboutthis? Idon’trecallDrSchnee saying anything aboutitin lecture.
PETE:Yes,butmybrotherwentthere lastmonth,you know,to lookatthe old citiesthe Maya Indiansbuilt.That’s whatfirstgotme interested.
DAVE:YourbrotherTom?
PETE:No,Dick,Harry’stwin.Anyway,he told me how few treesthere were now and how much empty ground thatgrowsalmostnothing.He said the place looked more like the desertthan jungle in some parts.Itbroughtenvironmentaldamage.So Istarted looking formaterialsin the library.Here,lookatthismagazine.
DAVE:What’s in it?
PETE:It's an old issue of“NationalGeographic”.Itincludesinterviews
with touristswho’ve been there in the pastfew years.It’s pretty bad.See the photos? DAVE:Isee the photos,butone ortwo photosdon’tprove anything.
PETE:Then read whatthe article says.Rightthere.The firstthing itpoints outishow soilsamplesshow itishard foranything to grow there.Itsays how an area of21,000 square kilometreshaslostmostofitsforestin the pastten years.See,there are graphs. Asthe numberoffarmersincreases,the acresofforesthave decreased.It’san inverse relation.
DAVE:So how big isthatstate? I’m sorry,butI’ve neverreallylearned the metric system.
PETE:It’s biggerthan the state ofMassachusetts! DAVE:That’sshocking!Anything else?
PETE:There’s lotsofelse.Scientists say there’s a “growing area”ofabout10.5 square kilometreswhere nothing can grow atall.It’slike the beginning ofa desert. DAVE:Oh yes.WhatDrSchnee called “desertification”.But,whycan’tanything grow there? I’ve neverreallystudied soilchemistry.
PETE:I’m juststarting to lookinto thatsubject,butmysisterMarie isa geologistand she says the problem isthatthe soilhastoo much saline,with no plantshelping to adjustthe chemistry.Apparently,that’s a common problem with soiltypesthroughout areaswith rainforest.Once you lose the plantcover,it’sdifficultto bring itback.
Reforestation isalmostimpossible,even ifthe land isnotbeing used forotherpurposes. DAVE:Waita minute.Whatis“saline”?
PETE:Saline issaltdissolved in water.Scientistswho’ve gone there have
taken measurements.Theydo thisbygathering a sample ofthe soiland running a simple testthatshowsthe ionisation ofthe solution.The GeologyDepartmentin our own universityhasreviewed the soilatthe site,too.They’re right.Itlooksprettybad.
The levelofsalinityisgoing up.Butthe plantsthatwould solve thatproblem can’tbe planted in soillike that.There isa narrow spectrum ofsalinityin which the plantswill grow.
DAVE:And once you passthe threshold,there isno way to putthe problem right? PETE:Exactly.It’s possible thatno one can do anything to stop the trend now.All because ofhuman greed!I...
DAVE:Waita second.How do you know these “scientists”can be trusted? Whatkind of reputation do theyhave? Are they reliable?
PETE:Oh they're definitelyreliable.They include fourmembersofthe faculty from the GeologyDepartmentrighthere atMIT.Here,studythese photographs and checkthe damage yourself.That’swhatDrHorstwho wrote thisbookhere did.He’snewly appointed,butDrSchnee sayshe’sbrilliant.
DAVE:So,where are you going now?
PETE:I’m headed overto the GeographyDepartmentto borrow a map formy
presentation.You know,thiswhole problem could have been avoided!The farmersthere in the Yucatan...
DAVE:Uh,Pete??
PETE:What?
DAVE:Go take a break!Leave some studying forthe restofus.
SECT I ON 4
Good afternoon,and welcome to InsectBiology101.I’d like to begin thiscourse with a few remarksaboutgood insectsand bad ones.Bugsare allaround usand that’s both a benefitand an annoyance -sometimesmaybe even seriousharm.First,let’s talkabout the good thingsthatinsectsdo forus.
Probablythe mostimportantinsectforhumans,and maybe forallotherlife,isthe bee.Beeshelp plantsin the process ofpollination,and thusare necessaryto most flowersand fruit-producing trees.Thatis,theycarrypollen from “male”flowersto
“female”.Ifitweren’tforbees,we’d have veryfew food plantsand no fruiteither.In fact, there would be no "we”.No lessa thinkerthan AlbertEinstein pointed outthat,without bees,humanitywould be dead within a yearorless.We’d starve.It’sthatsimple.That should maybe make usjusta little humble.
A little lessdramaticisthe factthatbeesalso make the honeywe eat.Moreover,they produce beeswax,which isusefulin candles and it’s also used asa first-rate furniture polish.Sure,these may notbe vitalto ourlives,buttheycan serve asremindersofhow importantbees are.That’sa pointIkeep coming backto in thiscourse.Though,in all fairness,Ishould pointoutthatbutterflies aid in pollination aswellasbees.
Now,here in Michigan,what’sthe worstpartofsummer? Yep,that’s right-mosquitoes. ButI’m talking abouthelpfulinsects,right? So let’s lookatthe dragonflyfirst.Ifthere were no dragonflies,there would be even more mosquitoes!Dragonfliesmainly
eatmosquitoesand also a few otherinsects.Yes,that’s right.Theydon’tjustflyaround, and theyalso help to eliminate harmfulinsects.So,the nexttime you see a dragonfly, don’tyou dare killit!
Now let’stalka little aboutthose harmfulinsects.Take the mosquitoesIjustmentioned asan example.Notso many yearsago,mosquitoeshere in America weren’tjust
annoying.Some were even deadly.They carried malaria and yellow fever.Myown ancestor,the Confederate GeneralJohn BellHood,lived through the worstbattlesof CivilWaronlyto die atage thirty-eightfrom yellow fever.A pest,nota bullet!
Well,besidesthe mosquitoes,in summerthere isalso a kind ofinsectthatneverseems tired.Right,thatisthe fly.Before Igo on talking,Imustmention an African flycalled the Tsetse fly,which feedson blood and can cause seriousdiseases in the people and animalsthatitbites.Besides,itisstilla bearerofsleeping sickness,which
affectsaround 300,000 people everyyearin Africa and can be treated onlywith toxic drugsthatare hard to administer.Worse still,the drugssometimesdon’twork.
Otherinsects,ofcourse,destroyfood crops.In China,forinstance,locustscontinue to be a dangerto the harvestin some areas.Less important,butstillannoying,mothseat people’s clothesand dustmitesslowlydestroycarpets.Worse,butstillin the home, termitesor“white ants”eatwood -the wood ofyourhouse.Iftheyare notstopped,they can eventuallydestroythe whole building.Usuallythey seriouslydamage a building before anyone even noticesthem.So,aswe allknow,insects can be a realtrouble.
Forsome decadesin the West,to killinsectswith chemicalsseemed a good remedy. Unfortunately,chemicalscan onlybe used in a limited area fora limited time.It’s a small-scale solution.The insects come back.Worse still,some ofthe poisonsused like DDT were found harmfulto the environment.Many kindsofwildlife,like hawks,were harmed.And people in chemical-using ruralareashave one ofthe highestrates ofliver cancerin the world.It’sno secretthatthe chemicalsremain harmfulto humans.
Like allspecies,insectsadaptto theirchanging environmentsatan amazing rate.When a new chemicalisintroduced to theirhabitat,the insectsthatsurvive are generallythe oneswith some way ofresisting the harmfuleffects.Theythen breed with the other survivors,and justlike thatinsectsbecome resistantto mostpoison in a few generations.An insectgeneration,remember,isa couple ofmonthsatmost! So,again we have to ask:whatto do? Well,there are biologicalsolutions.Some of these are prettysimple.One isdestroying the insects’habitat.You take away theirhome orfood.Cleaning yourkitchen isthe bestway to preventroaches.No garbage:no food.
Getting rid ofmarshesand swampseliminatesmosquitoes.Othersolutionsmight include bringing in dragonfliesorbatsin areaswhere mosquitoesare many.Thisis a cheaperalternative to chemicals.Biologicalmethods like thisalso bring no extra pollution to the environment.Butyou have to be careful.Ifyou change the environment too much,you mightbe hurting otherformsoflife accidentally.
One recentmethod ofcontrolling insectpopulationsinvolves interrupting theirbreeding cycle.Whatdoesthatmean? Itmeans"birth controlforbugs”.Insectsare provided with food thatmakesthem unable to reproduce.Since theycan’thave babies,the population disappears,ornearlyso.And since no young are born,resistance isnota problem with no young insectsdeveloping increased resistance.
Interruptthe life cycle,eliminate the bug!It’s clearthatwe musthave an understanding ofthe life cycle ofthe insect.Atleast,that’sthe plan.We’llgo into more detailsasthis course goesalong.Now Iwillstop here to see whetheryou have anyquestionsornot.
Test 4
SECT I ON 1
WOMAN:Hello,how mayIhelp you?
MAN:Well,I’ve been seeing these yellow boxesin frontofa lotofhousesin my
neighbourhood.Ijustwondered whattheywere for.Inoticed yourphone numberon all ofthem,so Icalled.Could you tellme aboutyourbusiness?
WOMAN:We do do recycling,butwe’re nota business.Gaea’sGuardiansisa non- profitgroup.We encourage recycling asa way ofprotecting the environment.
MAN:Idon’tknow.Imean itisa good idea.ButIreallydon’tread the newspaperevery dayoranything.
WOMAN:And we don’tcome collectnewspapereveryday!In fact,we onlydo pickupseveryotherweek.
MAN:Oh,wellthen maybe Icould help.Imean in myneighbourhood,there’s too much rubbish lying around everywhere.I’d like to help out,Iguess.
WOMAN:That’sgreat,sir.You’re doing the rightthing.OK,Ineed to getyourcontact information.Whatisyourname,please?
MAN:PeterWisrough..
WOMAN:Peter...how do you spellyourlastname? W-I-S-R-O-W?
MAN:No,actuallyit’sW-I-S-R-O-U-G-H.
WOMAN:Oh,I’m sorry.I’m a terrible speller.
MAN:You’re a good speller.It’s justthatmyfamilyare terrible pronouncers! WOMAN:You’re quite a card,Peter!OK,now what’syouraddress?
MAN:No.168 Bridge Road.That’s here in London.How aboutifIhave anyquestions?
WOMAN:MAN:I'm sending you a copyofourbooklet,too.The booklethasourphone numberand oure-mailaddress,[email protected],that’sH-E-L-P-L-I-N-E atB-L-A- C-K-C-A-T dotcom.
ButInearlyforgotto ask,what’syourpostcode? BS97PU.
PS97BU?
No.That’s B asin “boy"-S-9-7-P asin “Peter”-U.
So,I’m guessing those yellow boxesIsaw are forrecycled newspapers? Yes,thatiscorrect,and it’sfree ofcharge.
Wow,that’s good news!Do you recycle anything besidesnewspaper? Oh yes,we recycle mosteverything.Glass,plastic,paper...
Oh,so Ican putlike glassand plasticbottlesin the box?
Sorryagain.Thingslike thatyou have to bring to ourcollection centre.
And where isthat?
Ourmain centre isn’tthatfarfrom you.It’sactuallyrighton the EastSide ofCentral Park.
Thatnew blue building?
That’s the one!
Cool.Hey,what’s with allthose differentcoloured boxesoutside thatplace?
Oh,that’sforthe differentmaterialswe recycle.The blue isformetal,the green isfor glassand plastics,and the yellow ofcourse isforpaper.
Hm,okay.I’lltryand manage to keep allthatstraight. Oh,no need,they’re each labelled.
Great.So which one would Iputmagazines in?
MAN:Actually,theydon’tgo in anyofthe bins.Unfortunately,magazinescan’tbe recycled because ofthe materialthey’re made of.It’ssuch a waste.So would you be interested in volunteering?
Um,I’llthinkaboutit.Could you send me some more info?
Absolutely.Along with the newspaperbox,I’llbe sending you ourbooklet,“Savvy",that isS-A-double V-Y.Ittells you aboutwhatyou can do to protecttheenvironmentin your dailylife.Plusitliststhingsyou can do asa volunteerwith ourgroup.
Hey,that’scool,thanks!
Mypleasure.Do you have anyotherquestionsorconcerns? Nope,that’s it!
SECT I ON 2
Welcome everyone to today’s seminaron “CV and Interview Skills”.
Remember,yourCV isprobablythe mostimportantdocumentyou willeverwrite.It opensthe doorto yourcareer!And thatjob interview isprobablythe mostimportant meeting you willeverattend.It's like stepping through thatopen door.So let’srollup our sleevesand getdown to work,shallwe?
Firstofall,Icannotpossiblytellyou everything you need to know aboutwriting a resume in the time we have.Butletme tellyou thatthere are dozensofgreatwebsites on the Internet.These willgive you allthe suggestionsyou need.Ifyou lookatthe paper Igave you,you willsee a listofthe dozen mostpopularsites.
Ican mention a couple ofimportantpoints,however.One isthatyourCV orresume should notbe too long.A page isaboutright.Why?
HR departments do nothave time to read long documents.Too manypeople are sending too manyCVs!Afterall,the economiccrisisof
2008 isstillverymuch alive.Everyone needsa job now.
No matterhow shortyou make thatresume,though,you do notwantto forgetto tellHR how to contactyourreferences.Referencesare people who willgive you a
recommendation fora job.That’s usuallyan ex-bossora professorwho knowsyou well. Do notuse relatives!Idon’tcare how much yourmum lovesyou.
Also,when you send thatCV,be sure to include a typed coverletter.
A coverletterisa letterwhere you,basically,are asking fora job.It'slike introducing yourself.Make itbrief.The realinformation aboutyou ison thatCV ofyours.And, please make sure the letteristyped!
Itdoesn’tmatterifyourhandwriting isbeautifulornot.Companiesonlyread typed letters.
AnotherpointaboutCVs isyou should tryto have an attractive layout.Maybe use differenttypefonts orcoloursto highlightinformation.Some people include a photo.You can find dozensofexampleson the Internet.Whateverlayoutyou decide to use,
however,avoid allspelling and grammarerrors.Iused to be an HR manager.IfIsaw a mistake,thatCV wentinto the garbage.
Something you write in a CV isa description ofyourskillsand experiences in an interesting way.Mention training,too.Imean these are whatgetyou hired!Do notjust say,“Ihave lotsofexperience.”or“Ihave manyskills.”Tellthatbosswhatyou did,for whatcompany,and when.Better,tellhim how wellyou did it!Don’tjustsay,“Isold houses.”Say,“Isold two million poundsworth ofhousesin myfirstyear.”Thatis,say something to make the person reading excited and curious.
Finally,speaking ofCVs,it’ssad.Butsome people actuallyforgetto provide a contact number.That’sprettysilly.You wrote a greatCV,you have HR dying to meetyou...and theydon’tknow how.You forgotyourphone number!Oh sure,ifyou applyonline,they have youre-mailaddress.Butyou justshowed them you’re forgetful.Whyare theygoing to wantto talkto you afterthat?
Alright,moving on to the actualinterview,I’llgo overwhatyou need to know bythe end ofit,and whatyou can discussand negotiate on lateronce itlookslike you’llbe offered the job.First,there’s working hours.It’snotthatnecessaryto hammeroutthe hoursoff the bat,especiallysince it’seasyto come off aslazywhen the firstthing you bring up is how much you’re going to have to work.You can also find outmore aboutpossible promotionslateron.Itisimportant,
however,to geta feelforhow much you’llbe paid.You should make sure the salary range iscommensurate with whatyou’re worth,and ifyou’re not,you can move on to betteropportunities.Being sure you’re going to make whatyou wantto live on ismuch more importantthan issues like yourpension -you’re allso young thatyourpension is notgoing to matterforquite a long time.
You should find outaboutwhatskillsyou mustknow forthe job and whatthey’llteach you.In addition,ifthe companywillprovide training,you should find outhow long the
training period isand whetheritispaid.Beware ofanyjobsthatwantyou to train fora long time withoutappropriate compensation.
Speaking ofcompensation,find outaboutholidaysaswell.Do you getpaid vacation time? Are you allowed to take personaldays? Do you have to workon nationalholidays? Once you workoutthese main issues,you can move on laterto detailslike the location and expected attire and whatnot.
Wow,that’s a lotofinformation!Let’stake a breakso you can thinkeverything overand askanyquestionsyou may have.Don’thesitate to come and see me ifyou need any clarification on allthisstuff!
SECT I ON 3
FRANK:Hello,are you DrLindsey? The Returning StudentsAdvisor?
DR LINDSEY:Yes,that’s right.Are you Frank? Yourappointmentwasn’ttill2:00,but that'sOK.Please come in and have a seat.
FRANK:Thanks,Ilike to arrive earlywheneverIhave anything to do.
DR LINDSEY:That’scertainlya praiseworthy habit.Letme see,itlookslike you’ve taken a long breakfrom school,and Iunderstand you wanted to have a chataboutwhat you should studyifand when you return forfurtherclasses.
FRANK:It’s such a big challenge.Idon’tknow ifI’m crazy fordoing thisornot!
DR LINDSEY Believe itornot,Iknow exactlywhatyou mean.Before Ibegan working here atthe university,Itaughtprimaryschoolfornearlyten years.Ittakesa lotof courage to go backto school!
FRANK:Ifeelmore shy and scared than the primarystudents Iteach!In the schoolsI taught,Ifound today’s youngstersare verysure ofthemselves.In termsofintelligence,I have a lotto teach them.And the maturitylevelofmuch ofmyclassleavessomething to be desired.Butin termsofconfidence,wow!A lotmore confidentthan Iam now,that’s forsure!
DR LINDSEY:Stop fretting.“A brave man isa coward who refuses to run.”Let’stalk aboutyourstrong points.You seem an intelligentman.Whatisityou would like to study?
FRANK You see,I’ve been teaching children fora few years,butIthinkI’d be happier teaching adults.
DR LINDSEY:Ithinkteaching studentsin middle schoolismuch more satisfying
because theyend up being much more gratefulforyourwork.IfImayask,whatgotyou interested in teaching adults?
A lotofthings,Iguess.Imetmyfuture wife backin myfirstyearofcollege.She always complainsthatIwasmore interesting then.She saysthatnow Italklike I’m seven years old!That’sprobablyfrom being with children allday.
Ha ha ha!Again Iknow justwhatyou mean.Myhusband used to say the same thing aboutme when Itaughtkindergarten.Anything else?
Well,yes.Fairlyoften now Irun into formerstudents and we talk.Some ofthem are getting close to being grown up.Iguess Ithinkmore and more abouthow people develop overtime.So,I'm interested in the resultsofeducation,you know,the final stages.
Isee.Well,coming backto the university can be both difficultand veryrewarding.There are some problemsunique to returning students,you know,olderstudentslike yourself. Whatdo you thinkisyourgreatestweakness?
Well,Iactuallythinkmyconfidence isgetting better.
I’m definitelyovercoming myintroversion and starting to be much more comfortable in frontofa class.To tellthe truth,I’m afraid I’m ratherbehind the times aboutmany
things.It’smore difficultforme to chase afterthe popularthingsyoungstersare fond of- such asIphone,Twitter,ifyou name it!
IthinkIunderstand.
How old are you,35? People atyourage stillgo backto schoolforfurthereducation.I wasa bitthe same way.
Imean Ididn’tstudyatthe universitytillafterIhad a family:a husband and one child.
Mypointofview wasa lotdifferentfrom youraverage eighteen-year-old girl’s,Ican tell you!
Gee,thatsoundsprettyrough.A familyand college? Clearlyyou weren’tunsuccessfulthough!
Itwas,Frank.Ittrulywas.Myfirstterm atschoolwasextremely stressful.Butexcuse me!You’re nothere to listen to mylife story.We’re talking aboutyourplans.
Is there anything unique Ishould know aboutyou oryourpastexperience orplans? I’m afraid not.There isnothing interesting aboutmy careerorplans.It’s reallynottoo impressive.
Now,Iforbid you to talklike that.Thisisyourone life,and ifyou’re notinterested,why botherliving it? Don’tbe so humble,Frank.
OK,OK.Mywife says I’m a wimp.
Let'stalkaboutyourdreamsa bit.You wantto teach adults,you said.Whatwould you like to teach them?
Well,when Ifirstcame to college,Ireallyliked Languages and Literature.A lotofpeople have told me thatforpracticalreasons,itwould be more rewarding to choose Business Managementasmymajor,butImade up mymind to studyLiberalArts once Igotthe idea ofgoing backto school.
Imustsayit’s refreshing to meetsomeone who knowsthere’smore to an education than computersand finance.Let’shave a lookatthe university course catalogue...
Excuse me,DrLindsey.Before we do that,could Imaybe askyou some questionsabout changesin universitylife? IthinkIneed to discussthatso Iknow whatto expect.
Ofcourse.I’m here to help you.The biggestthing to getused to isthe change in technology.Professorspresentthingson huge screens,manyofwhich are interactive computerised whiteboards.You can write on them stilland use them like a touch screen.
They’re reallyhandy!No more sloppyscribbled notes on the projector.Let'ssee,Idoubt you’llbe living in studenthousing,so Iwon’tgo into allthe improvements there.
Anothermajorchange thatyou’llenjoyisthe plethora ofresourcesavailable for
students.Asa student,you have 24-houraccess to the gym,and libraryprivilegesthat include the use ofschoolcomputersto scan,copy,and print,and ofcourse the Media Library,which containsmoviesfrom allgenresand mostofthe movieslisted on AFI’s Top 100 Movies ofAllTime.The dining facilitiesare also notwhattheyused to be.
Theyofferchoicesforalldiets,and you can expecta hotmealanytime ofday.
FRANK:Wow,thingsreallyhave changed!I’llbe sure to utilise allthose greatfacilitiesin mytime here.Thanksforallyourhelp,DrLindsey.Ithinkthat’sallthe questionsIhave fornow.
SECT I ON 4
OK and welcome back.During the shortbreakwe justtook,severalofyou approached me with questions.So,before going on with the orientation talk,I’d like to addressthose queries.AsI’ve found,ifone person asksa question,probablya dozen othersare wondering aboutthe same thing!
The firstquestion iswhetherWassamatta U.employs modulestechnology asan instruction method.The answerisyes,we do.Atleastthat’s whatthe university catalogue says.Ifsome ofyou don’tunderstand what“modulestechnology”is,don’t worry.Igoogled the word butcouldn’tfind it.Apparently,though,it’s a method of broadband,wirelessaccess.Atleastthat’s whatan American company’s website told me.Butagain,don’tworry.Ifyou need to know something more,yourprofessorcan tell you.
Anotherquestion someone asked me waswhattomorrow’s workshop on “Research Methodsand Skills”wasabout.Well,research skillsinclude anymethod you can
imagine forfinding and presenting any information you need.That’snotjustschoolwork, either.Writing English -the native language formostofyou -and finding a job are also research skills.And,yes,those willbe addressed in tomorrow’s workshop.
Asyou know,Wassamatta U.isone ofthiscountry'spremieruniversitiesforthe studyof
“the dismalscience",economics.Some ofyou,itseems,wantto geta jump on their classmates.During the break,halfa dozen ofyou came up and asked me where to find economicstomes.Iknow it’sodd,butthisschool’s libraryholdingsare divided up between two libraries.Economics booksare in the old library.Ifyou lookoutofthe window behind me,you can see it.It’sthe red brickbuilding.
Oh,before Iforget,you economicstypes also need a lotofmaths,am Iright? Well, those Mathsbooksare neitherin the old librarynorin the new one.Theycan be found in the MathsDepartmentBuilding.
Whyam Itelling you this? Doesn’t“the Invisible Hand”guide economists? Maybe it’s good you asked:in 2008,thatHand shoved mostofthe world economyoff a cliff,didn’t it?
Now Irealise thatmostofyou couldn’tbring a computerprinterora photocopierfrom home.So I’m sure you’re alreadywondering where you can copythingslike term papers,Internetarticles,and thingslike that.Ihave some good newsand some bad news.The good newsisthatthere are a numberofplacesyou can make copies.These include both libraries and the StudentUnion Building.
Now the bad news.Iam sorryto say,mostclassroom buildingsand academic
departmentsdo nothave copiersstudents can use.So mostofthe large buildingsyou see around campusdo nothave copiersforstudents.The copiersthere are reserved for professorsand office staff.Oh,yes!Inearlyforgetto tellyou.Ifyou need to have
printing done,allthe copiersavailable to studentsare laserprinters.Plus,foryour
convenience,you can payusing prepaid cards.You can getthose in the StudentUnion Building.
Thatjustcoversthe questionsputto me.Ifyou have more,please see me during the nextbreakat2:15.Rightnow,though,I’d like to startto give you a rundown on the variousfacilitieshere on campus.Thatway,you won’tgetlostso easilyin the weeksto come.
Ihave been told thatthisyear’sincoming classfeaturesa large numberofmarried studentsand parents.So,you mustbe wondering where to putthe babywhile you’re in class.OK,rightnow,we are in the StudentUnion Building,right? Rememberthe big doorsin frontwhere you allcame in? Ifyou go outofthe building,you can see the Nurseryisjuston the otherside ofthisbuilding.It’s onlyabouttwenty metresaway! Convenient,eh?
Next,we’re allfrom differentplacesaround the country.Some ofyou are from other countries.Thatmeanswe’re prettylikely to getsickduring the firstmonthsofschoolas we expose each otherto manynew viruses.So,where’sthe doctor? Ofcourse,you need to find the MedicalServicesCentre which ison the rightasyou leave the building.
Remember,that’sthe second building on the right.
And ifyou lookoutofthatwindow,you can see a lotofantennae and satellite disheson the roof.So that'swhatwe callthe Media Centre.
Yeah,Iknow,Ithinkit’sconfusing,too.The Media Centre isnextto the MedicalCentre.
The chairwoman ofthe Journalism Schoolon the firstfloordoesn’tlike itwhen people who wanderin there mistake herfora nurse!
Chancesare you’llhave atleastone Mathsclasswhile you’re here.
Thatred building there justoutside to the leftisthe MathsDepartmentBuilding.Iknow, itlooksaboutasold asthe subjectasMaths,butIassure you thatthe inside is
equipped with state-of-the-artclassroom equipmentincluding interactive chalkboards and surround sound in everyroom.
Oh,can you see the backbuilding there? Yes,behind the Media Centre.Quite new,isn't it? That’sthe new library,justdecorated.
They’re back-to-back,you mightsay.Ifyou lookjustto the leftofitatthe lower,older- looking building,you’llfind the old library.It’snice and quiet-perfectforthose marathon studysessionsduring exam week.Since the weatherisso nice,whydon'twe stop looking atourmapsbutgo fora walkaround the campus?