Test 1: Listening, Part 1 (page 24)

Im going to give you the instructions for this test. Ill introduce each part of the test and give you
time to look at the questions. At the start of each piece you will hear this sound. Remember to play
each piece twice.

Now open your question paper and look at Part 1.

Youll hear three different extracts. For questions 16, choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best
according to what you hear. There are two questions for each extract.

Extract One

You hear two people talking about their work as website designers.
Now look at questions 1 and 2.

M: As a kid, I was always messing around on computers, so ended up doing a degree in

computer science. Though strictly speaking it isnt necessary for this job, it did mean I could
walk straight into it. What companies want is people who can come up with ideas. I get a
buzz from that side of it, even when its hard. Its a fluid working environment, so hours arent
fixed and can be long in relation to the salary. I generally like to work on my own, but a web
designer cant produce stuff in a vacuum, because by its very nature its a collaborative effort.

F: I didnt go the university route but worked part-time with different companies and made loads
of contacts whove come in handy got my foot in the door so to speak then I got a full-time
job offer that got me on the ladder. It wasnt easy, and considering what you put in the jobs
not the big earner that people assume it is at least not at the beginning! I supplement it by
writing reviews of other peoples sites, but I enjoy the flexibility. I like working with other
people, and thats key.

Extract Two

You hear two cyclists talking about their sport.

Now look at questions 3 and 4.

F: How long have you been cycling then?

M: I started road cycling when I was six, and got hooked immediately. Id practise sprinting
between two streetlights over and over. Ive always been competitive, and I work harder than
anyone else. If I dont win I need to know why. I copy the person who beat me. I wont stop till
Im better than them. The stiff competition in the cycling world is what drives me. Youve been
to the velodrome, havent you?

F: Yeah. The track itself is amazing such a steep angle and the bikes have no brakes. If you
stop pedalling it stops! Although Im not such an experienced cyclist as you, I jumped at the
chance to try it and, wow! From the position of the start line that steep slope looks like a
mountain! I was told the faster you go the safer you are, so I pedalled like mad, and managed
one lap. I kept going and started to enjoy it; so much so I forgot to pedal, and immediately fell
off!

M: So youll go be going back?

F: You try stopping me!

Extract Three

You hear a man called Roy talking about bees on a phone-in programme.

Now look at questions 5 and 6.

Int: So, Roy, what do you want to talk about on the programme today?

Roy: I want to talk about bees. Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem, theyre friendly creatures
and theyre declining in numbers. For what it's worth, my own experience is much like that of
other callers whove reported near normal numbers of bumble bees but virtually no honey
bees. I think theres a distinct lack of wasps, too. I'm at a loss to know why, though Ive read
interesting articles about the domestication of bees and poor practices of modern
beekeepers, but it seems clear that we cant discount what others see as the number one
culprit the overuse of chemicals by gardeners.

Int: So what do you suggest gardeners do, Roy?

Roy: Well, the best thing anyone lucky enough to have a garden can do is provide a bee friendly
area. And the good news is bees prefer lazy gardeners, which I suspect is most of us. A wild
garden providing a natural habitat is the way forward. Choose what you plant carefully. It
doesnt have to be hard work but it could make a big difference! And buy your honey from
local suppliers you know and trust.
Test 1: Listening, Part 2 (page 26)
Youll hear a student called Tim Farnham giving a class presentation about a seabird called the
albatross.

For questions 714, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. In the exam, you have 45
seconds to look at Part 2.

Hi. My names Tim and the topic of my presentation is a seabird called the albatross. Its the largest
seabird, and its always been a great favourite with sailors. Its also well-known because it features
in a famous English poem.

The word albatross came into the English language via the Portuguese word alcatraz that was
used for similar birds called gannets. The famous American prison island was also named after
them. But the real origin of the word is thought to be Arabic, where it means diver.

Theres lots of different species of albatross, and scientists are always arguing about exactly how
many. Over the years, estimates have varied from thirteen to as many as eighty. Nowadays, a
figure of twenty-one is widely accepted, with nineteen of those identified as being in danger of
extinction.

The albatross is mostly found in the southern hemisphere, and theres none in the north Atlantic.
The bird travels long distances in search of its food fish and squid mostly and depends on the
wind to a great extent. Thats why you rarely find them in tropical areas, where long periods of calm
are common.

The albatross manages to cover such long distances by conserving energy. Apart from take-off and
landing, it rarely flaps its huge wings, and actually theres a locking mechanism in its shoulder that
keeps the wings in place as it glides through the air.

As youd expect, the birds got good eyesight and will swoop down when it sees signs of food near
the surface of the water. What I didnt expect to find, however, was that it can also detect the smell
of its food; this explains why it follows fishing boats that use dead fish as bait. Indeed, one of the
reasons the albatross is such an endangered bird is that it tends to get caught up in fishing nets.

Another reason the albatross faces extinction is it takes a long time to reproduce. The bird can live
for sixty years, and only starts breeding from the age of five. Even then, each pair of birds only
produces one egg per year. They build nests on remote uninhabited islands, because animals like
rats, which arrive at the same time as humans, will eat the eggs and, predictably, cats will kill the
chicks. Apparently, even little mice can be a problem at nest sites, which is incredible.

And, of course, the albatross has always been killed by people. Sailors used to eat them, and at
one time their feathers were highly valued, which was actually the main reason. Even the birds
bones were used in certain ceremonies by local populations, though that wasnt on a big scale.

These days, plastic is the biggest enemy, and theres tons of it in the sea. Eating plastic doesnt in
itself kill an albatross, but it tends to stay in the stomach and so cut down the amount of food the
bird can digest, which then weakens it. Some dead birds have even been found with weird things
like plastic cigarette lighters and toy soldiers in their stomachs as well as the all too common bottle
caps. There must be a way of stopping those getting into the sea!

Anyway, before I go on to talk about ...

Test 1: Listening, Part 3 (page 27)
You will hear an interview with a woman called Amy Martles, who works as a choreographer,
creating dance performances for live shows.

For questions 1520, choose the answer A, B, C or D which fits best according to what you hear. In
the exam, you have 70 seconds to look at Part 3.

M: My guest today is the choreographer Amy Martles, whos put together many diverse dance
productions; everything from classical ballet to modern stage musicals and experimental
modern dance the list goes on. Amy, tell us, how did you get into choreography in the first
place?
F: Well I got the performance bug as a kid you know, wed put on plays at primary school.
Dance was a part of that, though it wasnt ever to the forefront particularly. Gymnastics was
the thing I excelled at, and it was my sports coach who suggested trying private dance
classes. She saw something in the way I used my body to communicate feeling, and
thought that might be worth developing. She was right. I naturally leaned towards rather
athletic dance styles, and there wasnt much of a repertoire for that, so creating dances was
the natural way forward. I like to do my own thing, and movement and gesture are a very
effective means of communication. That whole ideas always fascinated me.
M: So, do you need to be a good dancer to be a good choreographer?
F: Well, when I was a dancer, I had the experience of working under a choreographer and I
keep reminding myself how that felt how frustrating it can be when the choreographer just
seems to be trying out ideas on a whim and youre the guinea pig. You know, after a long
tiring session, thats the last thing a dancer wants. Any choreographer worth her salt would
pick up on that and call it a day. Im not sure you have to be an exceptional dancer yourself
though, and I know of choreographers who hardly ever set foot on stage themselves and
certainly couldnt reproduce all the steps. Because thats not the point really its more
what you bring out in others.
M: Sure. Talk us through how you go about creating a new dance.
F: Well it really depends like, sometimes Im commissioned for a show where the music, the
narrative thats all in place and Im working within those constraints and thats the
challenge. Other times its an idea that comes first and I work with the composer to create
something coherent that could be performed as an original piece of dance and thats just
as challenging, but in a different way. For that I create the final version with the dancers,
seeing what their bodies can manage, which moves are more achievable or visually
effective. It can be pretty experimental and almost random like, you might see a
movement that really works by chance if, say, a dancer slips and creates a particular
shape and you make something of it.
M: Right. So what do you aim for in your work?
F: Well, I have to feel that everything comes together as a unified whole, that were saying
something to the audience thats honest and meaningful. That means having harmony and
balance in everything the music, the dance steps, the costumes and the lighting, and
theyre all equally important. Sometimes you can see a piece that has originality and
groundbreaking steps, but performed on a set thats distracting, and the message gets
blurred. I want to enhance peoples perceptions not confuse them I want them to
understand what Im doing and the idea Im trying to put across. So its more about them
than me really, but its certainly not about impressing them with flashy moves or anything
like that.
M: Ive heard choreographers are very choosey about which dancers theyll work with. What
do you look for in a dancer?
F: For me, its got to be someone whos ready to collaborate in anything and explore any
options without pre-conceptions. Im pretty intolerant of dancers who go in for introspection
 or whose egos need massaging. Actually, in some ways, working with students is more
straightforward because theyve got the basic training, theyre desperate to learn, but
theyre not weighed down with expectations. I guess I like the idea of the blank canvas
best. But if I am working with professionals, then its more collaborative, and thats nice too.
We develop a conversation about the work and through that something emerges its a
coming together of minds, so always stimulating.
M: And if youre asked to work on a new production of a well-known piece, is it a very different
approach?
F: I think I stay true to the spirit of the piece and to my own instincts. All art is created to
speak to contemporary audiences. Even productions of historical dramas end up being
about todays concerns. Thats inescapable. But I wouldnt set out to change the underlying
ideas in a piece. I know people will inevitably make comparisons with past productions, and
I dont have a problem with that, but its not my starting point. Actually more of an issue for
me is the gulf that people perceive between the experimental original piece and the new
production of a known work because it just isnt as wide as they imagine. Sure, the
starting point is different, as are the practical considerations but if youre talking about the
essence the choreographers vision her craft if you like then for me theres hardly a
gulf at all.
M: Thanks for your insights, Amy
Test 1: Listening, Part 4 (page 28)
Part 4 consists of two tasks. Youll hear five short extracts in which people are talking about how
they gave up office jobs to do other types of work.

Look at task 1. For questions 2125, choose from the list AH what made each speaker decide to
give up office work. Now look at task 2. For questions 2630, choose from the list AH what each
speaker likes best about their present job.

While you listen you must complete both tasks. In the exam, you have 45 seconds to look at Part 4.

Speaker one
I just drifted into office work having no particular qualifications to speak of. I didnt mind that it was
nine-to-five or that we were always chasing impossible deadlines. I mean, thats what kept the
people in our section on our toes. No, the thing I couldnt stand was all the sitting about in front of a
screen. Even though I went to the gym at lunchtime, I still never really felt fit. Gardenings certainly
put that right. Im outside in all weathers, but I love it, and although the moneys nothing to write
home about, I really feel that people who employ me are grateful thats worth a lot to me.

Speaker two
The trouble with our office wasnt so much the lack of space; I could put up with that it was the
sort of people you had to work with. I mean, sitting in front of a screen for six hours at a stretch, you
needed a bit of light relief, but nobody there could see the funny side of my anecdotes Im afraid.
Im much happier in hairdressing. I chat all day, and you never know whos going to come in next.
My boss is a real laugh and I feel that Im really expressing my creativity when I suggest a new style
to a client even if it doesnt always work out as I intended.

Speaker three
People think I went into nursing because I wanted a more caring job, but that wasnt the real
reason. Sure, its nice helping people, but we used to do that in our office too. No, it was having to
do everything by yesterday that got me down. We were always in a rush because the bosses
couldnt get the scheduling right. Although the hours are a bit irregular, Im actually a bit better off as
a nurse, so its a real win-win situation for me, because I had been expecting a cut in my standard
of living. Im calmer and feel more in control of my life and, in a years time, Ill be fully qualified.

Speaker four
I went into office work because I had good IT skills. I thought it was a good career move. It never
occurred to me that Id find it stressful just being there. I mean the hours werent that long but we
were all packed into this really small area. It was quite well-paid, but it just wasnt worth it. As a
window dresser for a big store I know that what I do will be seen by lots of people and could have a
big impact that makes me determined to do it as well as I can. I love that feeling. And theres no
grumpy boss breathing down my neck all the time either!

Speaker five
I thought Id get promotion eventually and thatd help me re-engage with the job. But when I did, it
made no difference. I couldnt care less whether we met our deadlines or not much to my
colleagues disgust. I just did my hours and looked forward to going home. Id no commitment to it
anymore. Plumbings such a contrast. Its a small company but theyre paying for my training and
that makes up for the drop in salary. What thrills me is that people look up to you when you say
youre a plumber, even if Im not fully qualified yet. It means you can do things they cant. I never
felt that as an office worker.