ECPE Revised Sample Test

Audio Script
N = Narrator
M, M1, M2 = Man, Man 1 or 2 (male speakers)
W, W1, W2 = Woman, Woman 1 or 2 (female speakers)

N: Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English. Sample test.

N: Listening Section Instructions

This section of the test has three parts. Mark all your answers on the separate answer sheet.
Do not make any stray marks on the answer sheet. If you change your mind about an answer,
erase your first answer completely. If you do not know the answer, you may guess. Try to
answer as many questions as possible.

N: Part 1
In this part, you will hear 20 short conversations. After each conversation, you will hear a
question about it. You will hear each conversation and question once. The answer choices are
printed in the test booklet. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet, not in the test
booklet. You should mark A, B, C, or D.

Do you have any questions?

N: Number 1
W1: I’d like to try this new cake recipe tonight, but I don’t think I have all the ingredients …
M1: Are we out of flour again? I should have checked before I went grocery shopping.
W1: No … but I do need butter. Oh, hold on [pauses to read] ... It says here that I can use
vegetable oil instead, which we do have. [Frustrated] Ah, I DO need eggs though.
M1: Ok! I’ll pick up some on the way home.

N: What ingredient does the woman need?

N: Number 2
M2: Umm, Sarah, did you realize there’s a hole in your tote bag?
W2: [sigh] Don’t get me started …
M2: What happened?
W2: You know how my roommate decided to get a dog? Well, Buster—that’s his name—
chews on EVERYTHING. He likes leather best.
 N: How does the woman feel?

N: Number 3
W2: How long have you been working for the company?
M1: About 20 years now.
W2: Wow, that’s a long time. They must be doing something right.
M1: Yeah, I can’t really complain. I hope you have a good experience too.

N: What is probably the woman’s relationship to the company?

N: Number 4
W2: Did you register for the engineering course yet?
M2: I think I might? Looks like it’s going to be pretty tough.
W2: Well, the deadline was yesterday, so—
M2: [interrupting W2, surprised] What?! I thought we had ’til next week. 
W2: You should talk to the professor. There might be a waitlist. 
M2: Right, I have an appointment off campus later, but I could change it. This really can’t
wait.

N: What will the man probably do later?

N: Number 5
M2: I’m not really sure how often you would like me to check on your house while you’re
traveling, Ms. Anderson.
W1: Every couple of days is fine, I’m sure. Really just to get the mail.
M2: And water your plants, too?
W1: Oh, yes. And since my dog is coming with me this time, there’s really not much else.

N: What will the man do for Ms. Anderson?

N: Number 6
M1: Do you need any help with the meeting today?
W1: No, I finished the presentation slides last night and went over them this morning. Oh …
[pause], now that I think about it, I need 14, errrr ..., 15 copies of the handout. Do you
mind getting those for me? I can email you the file right now.
M1: Sure, no problem. I’ll meet you there. 

N: How will the man help the woman?

N: Number 7
W2: Excuse me? Is that your coffee? I think we ordered the same thing, but you were
before me.
 M2: [pause] Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something else. Thanks for letting me know!
W2: No problem, just wanted to make sure I didn’t take the wrong drink.

N: Why does the man apologize to the woman?

N: Number 8
M3: Tina, can you help me identify these rocks?
W3: [surprised] You’re asking me? Science is my worst subject! 
M3: Yeah, but you get straight A’s so that’s not saying much [trails off … ]
W3: Well, that one looks like slate to me—did you compare it to all the options in Mr. Scott’s
reference book?

N: Why is the boy asking the girl for help?

N: Number 9
M1: Did you see the draft of the report that Anthony wrote?
W2: No, I didn’t. Why?
M1: It was completely incoherent. Is that the first significant thing we’ve asked him to do
since we hired him?
W2: I think so.
M1: Well, we need to make sure a good editor is assigned to all of his work—at the very
least.

N: What does the man imply about Anthony?

N: Number 10
W2: So, I had an appointment in that new city building today.
M1: Oh yeah? What’d you think? That big wall of windows. That entrance, kind of discreet
over on the side, right?
W2: [overlap at “right”] Uh, that entrance was a little TOO discreet, if you ask me. I walked
around the building twice before I figured out where the door was!

N: What does the woman think of the building?

N: Number 11
M1: And there are absolutely no seats left? On any of the trains leaving tonight?
W2: That’s right. The overnight BUS will get you there tomorrow morning, though.
M1: Are you SURE there’s nothing left?
W2: Well … there is one first class ticket left, but it’s double the price of the regular ticket.
M1: Oh good, I’d rather do that. It’s better than driving for five hours!

N: What will the man probably do?

N: Number 12
M2: Say, Rachel, are you guys still looking to buy a house sometime soon? 
W2: We really want to! But we’re discouraged; it’s a seller’s market right now and houses
are selling like hot cakes. We keep making offers but are always too late. 
M2: Yeah, it was tough for us when we bought last year, and I’ve heard it’s only gotten
worse since then. I hope you find something soon!

N: What does the woman say about houses for sale right now?

N: Number 13
W3: Where do you think you’ll go to university, Charlie?
M3: Wherever gives me a good scholarship! I don’t want to have to borrow a bunch of
money to go to school.
W3:   Yeah … I know what you mean. I’m looking forward to university, but not paying for it!

N: What does the boy say he wants to happen?

N: Number 14
M1: Karen, I saw your email to the vendor yesterday—thanks for doing that. If you don’t
hear back from them by Friday, can you let me know? 
W2: Oh, sure. Or I can send them another email. 
M1: No, I can give them a phone call—I know the owner of the company and might have
more success talking to him. 
W2: (slightly irritated) Well, I’m sure I can handle it but it’s your call.  

N: What does the woman think about the man’s suggestion?

N: Number 15
W1: So, class, before we move on, does anyone have any questions about the group
assignment you’re working on?
W2: I do. If one of our members has been absent for the last few classes and hasn’t
responded to our messages, what do we do?
M2: Yeah, we’re in the same boat …
W1: Well, your groups should note this on the final submission … if someone didn’t
contribute at all, then I need to know that.

N: What does the man say about his group?

N: Number 16
 M1: Here’s my report for Wednesday, you’ll need that for—[abruptly changes topic] OH I
emailed you the results of last week’s focus group. Carol wanted to see them—can you
go over them with her?
W1: Yeah, I’ll put it on my calendar right now. I’ve already told your clients I’m standing in
for you this week.
M1: What else … [trails off] What am I forgetting? I’ll be back next Monday, if there’s any—
[W1 interrupts M1] 
W1: [Laughing] It’ll be fine, Mark!

N: What are the speakers discussing?

N: Number 17
M1: Thanks again for helping out! We need all the volunteers we can get.
W2: My pleasure! What will I be doing?
M1: Well … we need help passing out flyers, answering phones, and putting out chairs.
What sounds good to you?
W2: Hmm, I spend SO MUCH time talking at my job during the day, so …
M1: Ah, got it. Well, the storage room for the furniture is over there, OK?

N: Why does the woman mention her job?

N: Number 18
W2: Is this where I would sign up to audition for the acting program?
M1: Yes it is, let me pull up the—oh, wait! Did you already submit your résumé and
application?
W2: Last week? Yeah, I have an email confirmation, let me find it … [trails off]
M1: Hmmm … Well, I can check in our system, but you still won’t be able to pick a slot
unless the administrator has already added your information to it.

N: Why is the woman talking to the man?

N: Number 19
W2: How’s your paper coming along?
M2: [unsure] OK? Most of the research I’ve been able to do online, but a couple of things I
need hard copies of, and the library didn’t have them.
W2: Huh. Did you ask at the desk? I borrowed books from another university that way.
M2: Interesting. I didn’t see any—
W2: [interrupts M2] I think it’s a recent change. It isn’t on the website.

N: How does the woman help the man?

N: Number 20
 M1: The airline just emailed me—they were able to make those changes to my frequent
flyer account.
W2: That took no time at all!
M1: Yeah, but unfortunately they didn’t include an update on my mileage balance, and I still
need that. I guess I need to get back online.
W1: You could always call them. But it’ll probably take forever with that sale going on.

N: What is the man worried about?

N: End of Part 1.

N: Part 2
In this part, you will hear three short talks. After each talk, you will hear six questions about it.
Before each talk begins, you will have time to preview the questions that are printed in the test
booklet.

You will hear each talk and the questions once. If you want to, you may take notes in your
booklet as you listen. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet, not in the test booklet.
You should mark A, B, C, or D.

Do you have any questions?

N: Now you will hear the first talk. Look at the questions.

Listen to a speaker at a literary event.

W1: Thank you all for coming—I think we’re in for a treat. To the rest of the world, Frank
Delmont is an award-winning novelist, but to those of us here tonight, he’s a member of
our community. I’ve known Frank for a long time—[laughs] ever since I hired him! Did
you know he wrote his first book, Agents of Coincidence, while he was employed at
this very library? In fact, I remember seeing him hard at work in the break room during
lunch, making notes on a draft while he ate. 

It came as no surprise that the book was a hit! And Frank could have used his new
fame as an opportunity to move to a larger city, but instead he stayed in Mansfield and
helped start the Writer’s Workshop, a summer program for teen authors. It’s in its
 thirteenth year—the biggest yet! [with increasing enthusiasm/pride] Graduates of the
program have gone on to distinguished writing programs at universities all over the
country, and some have even had their own literary successes. If anyone is interested,
we have an entire section of books by local authors downst— [changes train of
thought]

That reminds me! My apologies; I’ve gotten a little off track. [return to more formal
“announcement” tone] After the event tonight, we’re having a reception with
complimentary refreshments on the lower level, provided by The Greenwood Café.
Copies of Frank’s most popular books will be on sale at the table in the back, and we’re
planning on saving some time for book signing after the main event. [warmly] And that
brings me to the reason we’re all here: to hear Frank talk about his latest book,
Summer in the Arctic. Everyone, please welcome Frank Delmont!

N: Number 21
N: What is the speaker’s main purpose?

N: Number 22
N: What does the speaker imply about members of the audience?

N: Number 23
N: How did the speaker meet Frank Delmont?

N: Number 24
N: What does the speaker say about the Writer’s Workshop?

N: Number 25
N: What does the speaker say about refreshments?

N: Number 26
N: What will the audience probably do next?

N: Now you will hear the second talk. Look at the questions.

Listen to a student giving a presentation about a place he visited.

M3: Hi everybody. Like Ms. Jones said, I went to Yellowstone National Park while I was on
vacation. My family stayed in the park for three days. It was a blast! The best way to
give you a sense of how big and beautiful it is, is to show you some videos I took. I’ll
play those in a little bit.

First, I have a few details about the park to tell you about. Yellowstone was declared
 the first national park in the United States in [trails off, searching] … hold on a sec, I
lost my place. Aha! It was in 1872. I also learned that Native Americans lived in
Yellowstone for around 11,000 years. They were the first people to hunt, fish, and
gather plants there.

Yellowstone is a gigantic park and has lots of natural wonders in it. I learned about the
Yellowstone Caldera, which is a huge volcano. It’s considered an active volcano even
though you can’t see lava or anything. Um … and … half the world’s geysers are inside
Yellowstone. A geyser is a hot spring that shoots water up into the air. It’s pretty cool to
see: I definitely got video of that.

I also found out that there are a TON of animals at Yellowstone. You’re not supposed
to get close to the animals but it can be hard NOT to. We were hiking one day and we
saw some black bears close by. They ran away when they saw us, but I managed to
get a few pictures. It was scary since I had never seen a bear in real life before. 

OK, that about sums up my report. Now I’ll turn the projector on and show you the fun
stuff.
 
N: Number 27
N: What does the speaker say about Native Americans?

N: Number 28
N: Why does the speaker mention lava?

N: Number 29
N: What is probably true about the speaker?

N: Number 30
N: What will the speaker probably do next?

N: Number 31
N: Why is the speaker most likely discussing his vacation?

N: Number 32
N: What does the speaker mean when he says: “… that about sums up my report.”

N: Now you will hear the third talk. Look at the questions.

Listen to a software product manager talking to her team.

 W1: Everyone, it’s been an extremely long day, but before we wrap up, I just want to say a
few words. First of all, a huge thank you to you all for making our 2.0 [two-point-oh]
software release a success. It was amazing to see the number of users add up on the
status board as tens of thousands of people around the world used our service—all
with the new look and new features you’ve put so much work into—and without
incident!

Special thanks to the network technology team, who were in here setting up the “war
room” before dawn this morning—and are STILL here well past dark! They’d assured
all of us in engineering, user experience, and marketing that our servers could take as
many users as we could throw at them, and they absolutely backed up that promise.
The fact that we’ve had such a rock-solid launch has led to some really great press
reviews and feedback from our users on social media.

Of course, we’ve gotten some bug reports too. Quality assurance has been doing a
great job of capturing that data and drawing up priorities for the next few weeks and
months. Things will be a bit more normal than today, but it won't quite be “business as
usual.” We’re expecting an influx of new users and, who knows, maybe even increases
in the size of our teams. Anyhow, I’ve gone on long enough. Go get some well-
deserved rest, and I’ll see you all back here tomorrow—after the sun’s up, though!

N: Number 33
N: What information does the speaker say was being tracked?

N: Number 34
N: Why does the speaker mention times of day?

N: Number 35
N: What does the speaker suggest about future priorities?

N: Number 36
N: What does the speaker imply about the future of the company?

N: Number 37
N: What is the main purpose of the talk?

N: Number 38
N: What does the speaker mean when she says: “The fact that we’ve had such a rock-solid
launch has led to some really great press reviews and feedback from our users on social
media.”

N: End of Part 2.

•
N: Part 3
In this part, you will hear two segments from a radio program. After each segment, you will hear
six questions about it. Before each segment begins, you will have time to preview the questions
that are printed in the test booklet.

You will hear each segment twice. Then you will hear the questions once. If you want to, you
may take notes in your booklet as you listen. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet,
not in the test booklet. You should mark A, B or C.

Do you have any questions?

N: Look at the questions. Then listen to the first segment.

Now you will hear the first segment.

M1A: By now, you’ve probably heard that an extremely rare illuminated manuscript from the
1300s, known as a Book of Hours, was found in a home in Chicago. While the find is
exciting, the origins and historical significance of an illuminated manuscript are less
clear to the public. Kelly Waters visited the Berrian University Special Collections
Library to learn more about these works of art. Kelly?
W1: Illuminated—the word comes from Latin. In most contexts, it means “lit up,” and it’s an
apt description of these beautiful works of art. The name refers not only to the
reflection of light off the sheets of gold used to decorate the manuscripts but also to the
enlightenment to be gained from the text, which would contain prayers, songs, and
other religious content. The artistic techniques used in such works have captured the
attention of art history devotees for hundreds of years. Dr. Richard Laramie, a historian
here at Berrian University, is joining me today to shed some light on how these
beautiful creations came to be. Dr. Laramie, what can you tell us about how these
masterpieces were made?
M1B: Well, to begin, it was a very complicated process. Illustrators—usually monks—had to
make all their paints, or pigments, by hand, often using colorful substances that
modern science now tells us were not very safe, like mercury and lead. And illustrators
worked with gold leaf or ground gold, which was really the centerpiece of an
illumination and very difficult to work with successfully. These illustrators were serious
artists. But unlike painters and sculptors, they didn’t receive any fame or glory for their
work, despite the fact that they were amazingly skilled. We can use various clues to
identify the monasteries where manuscripts were created, but it’s hard to know
anything about the specific artist himself.
 W1: The Book of Hours that was found recently has been traced back to a French
monastery in the late 1300s. What about this period, and this kind of book, is unique?
M1B: A Book of Hours was a religious text containing calendars with information about the
Catholic saints to which each day of the year was dedicated. But despite that focus,
they were the first kind of illuminated manuscript made for private citizens, instead of
for church or monastery collections. The Book of Hours that was found is small, but
that’s typical—people carried these volumes around with them. Despite its size, it’s
VERY heavily decorated. It features ornamental initials—where the first letter of each
page is painted much larger and more decoratively than the rest of the text. This
feature came into fashion in the 7th century. The pages are made of paper, not
parchment; using paper was starting to become more common at the time. And it has
the characteristic gold leaf as well, of course. This was an expensive book back in the
late 1300s. Today, of course, it’s priceless.
W1: Obviously, we can never know exactly how many illuminated manuscripts were made
—so we’ll never know how many others are still out there, packed in boxes or hidden in
away in attics.

N: Now you will hear the segment again.

M1A: By now, you’ve probably heard that an extremely rare illuminated manuscript from the
1300s, known as a Book of Hours, was found in a home in Chicago. While the find is
exciting, the origins and historical significance of an illuminated manuscript are less
clear to the public. Kelly Waters visited the Berrian University Special Collections
Library to learn more about these works of art. Kelly?
W1: Illuminated—the word comes from Latin. In most contexts, it means “lit up,” and it’s an
apt description of these beautiful works of art. The name refers not only to the
reflection of light off the sheets of gold used to decorate the manuscripts but also to the
enlightenment to be gained from the text, which would contain prayers, songs, and
other religious content. The artistic techniques used in such works have captured the
attention of art history devotees for hundreds of years. Dr. Richard Laramie, a historian
here at Berrian University, is joining me today to shed some light on how these
beautiful creations came to be. Dr. Laramie, what can you tell us about how these
masterpieces were made?
M1B: Well, to begin, it was a very complicated process. Illustrators—usually monks—had to
make all their paints, or pigments, by hand, often using colorful substances that
modern science now tells us were not very safe, like mercury and lead. And illustrators
worked with gold leaf or ground gold, which was really the centerpiece of an
illumination and very difficult to work with successfully. These illustrators were serious
artists. But unlike painters and sculptors, they didn’t receive any fame or glory for their
work, despite the fact that they were amazingly skilled. We can use various clues to
identify the monasteries where manuscripts were created, but it’s hard to know
anything about the specific artist himself.
 W1: The Book of Hours that was found recently has been traced back to a French
monastery in the late 1300s. What about this period, and this kind of book, is unique?
M1B: A Book of Hours was a religious text containing calendars with information about the
Catholic saints to which each day of the year was dedicated. But despite that focus,
they were the first kind of illuminated manuscript made for private citizens, instead of
for church or monastery collections. The Book of Hours that was found is small, but
that’s typical—people carried these volumes around with them. Despite its size, it’s
VERY heavily decorated. It features ornamental initials—where the first letter of each
page is painted much larger and more decoratively than the rest of the text. This
feature came into fashion in the 7th century. The pages are made of paper, not
parchment; using paper was starting to become more common at the time. And it has
the characteristic gold leaf as well, of course. This was an expensive book back in the
late 1300s. Today, of course, it’s priceless.
W1: Obviously, we can never know exactly how many illuminated manuscripts were made
—so we’ll never know how many others are still out there, packed in boxes or hidden in
away in attics.

N: Number 39
N: What recent event involving a rare manuscript does the first speaker refer to?

N: Number 40
N: According to Dr. Laramie, what made the illustrators different from other highly skilled artists?

N: Number 41
N: What key feature is shared by both the Book of Hours and earlier illuminated manuscripts?

N: Number 42
N: What does Dr. Laramie say about the value of the Book of Hours?

N: Number 43
N: What does the reporter imply about similar illuminated manuscripts?

N: Number 44
N: What is the main purpose of this report?

N: Look at the questions. Then listen to the second segment.

Now you will hear the second segment.

News Anchor (W1): 

The use of perfumes began in ancient Egypt, first as part of religious rituals, later as
toiletries. Early perfumes were combinations of oils and natural scents, as some
 perfumes still are today. For more on what is now a multi-billion-dollar global industry,
here is Ron Taylor.
 

Reporter (M2):
Creating a perfume is a complicated, time-consuming process. It has traditionally been
the province of perfumers [per-FYU-mers], also known as “noses.” They’re experts with
not only an acute sense of smell, but years of training. 

Michelle Perez has worked in the perfume industry for decades. She and journalist
Steven Brown are here today to explain some of its mysteries. Welcome to you both. 

Expert 1 (W2):
[overlapping with E2 below] Thanks, Ron. 

Expert 2 (M1):
[overlapping with E1 above] Happy to be here.

Reporter (M2):
Michelle, would you begin by telling us HOW perfumes are made?
 

Expert 1 (W2): 
Well, it starts with gathering the raw materials. Flowers are often a key ingredient, and
some of the high-end brands have their own flower fields, to ensure the supply they
need. There are also fruits, spices, leaves, grasses, and possibly animal products.

Reporter (M2):
Animal products?
 

Expert 1 (W2):
[amused] Yes: you’ve probably heard of MUSK in relation to scented products. That
comes from male musk deer. That’s just one example. 

The next step is to extract the OILS from the flowers or other plant materials. The
easiest method is basically squeezing out the oil. Other methods involve boiling or
steaming.

To give you an idea of the QUANTITY of oil required, think of this: making a fifteen-
milliliter bottle of French perfume requires extracting the oil from over six HUNDRED
roses.
 

Reporter (M2):
Whoa! No wonder perfume is so expensive. 

Expert 1 (W2): 
Exactly. Then the oils need to be blended, to achieve the desired scent. It can take
HUNDREDS of ingredients, and years of testing, to arrive at the right formula. Once
you HAVE the oils in the right combination, then alcohol is added, to dilute the
ingredients and create either perfume, eau de toilette, or cologne. Of the three
 products, perfume has the least alcohol and the strongest scent; cologne has the most
alcohol and the mildest scent. Finally, you have the aging process. 

Reporter (M2):
I’m particularly interested in the blending: the art of getting to the desired scent. That’s
the job of the nose?
 

Expert 1 (W2): 
It is, and has been for as long as perfumes have been produced. And you’re right to
call it an art—it takes a lot of thought. After aging the product, there’s further testing,
and possibly even MORE blending before it’s considered finished. 

Reporter (M2):
But there’s been a new development in this area. Steven, what can you tell us about
this?

Expert 2 (M1):
A couple of physicists have done a mathematical study of more than 10,000 perfumes
to try and determine what ingredients make a successful perfume. Their work has
provided some INTERESTING insights.
 

Expert 1 (W2):
[skeptical] So, are you saying that MATH might take the place of human expertise?
 

Expert 2 (M1):
Well, the researchers HAVE suggested that a statistical analysis might function as an
artificial nose, but it’s true that not everyone is convinced. 

Reporter (M2):
Fascinating! I also wanted to ask about allergies because I have family members who
are highly sensitive to scents. I use fragrance-free products with no smell for their
sakes, even though there are scented options I’d like to use. You’ve written about this,
Steven?

Expert 2 (W1):
Yes! This seems to be coming up more and more, but it’s hard to say whether these
are allergies. There’s no reliable test for allergies to fragrances. But scents CAN make
people sneeze or give them headaches, so avoiding them isn’t a bad idea.

N: Now you will hear the segment again.

News Anchor (W1): 

The use of perfumes began in ancient Egypt, first as part of religious rituals, later as
toiletries. Early perfumes were combinations of oils and natural scents, as some
perfumes still are today. For more on what is now a multi-billion-dollar global industry,
here is Ron Taylor.
 

Reporter (M2):
Creating a perfume is a complicated, time-consuming process. It has traditionally been
the province of perfumers [per-FYU-mers], also known as “noses.” They’re experts with
not only an acute sense of smell, but years of training. 

Michelle Perez has worked in the perfume industry for decades. She and journalist
Steven Brown are here today to explain some of its mysteries. Welcome to you both. 

Expert 1 (W2):
[overlapping with E2 below] Thanks, Ron. 

Expert 2 (M1):
[overlapping with E1 above] Happy to be here.

Reporter (M2):
Michelle, would you begin by telling us HOW perfumes are made?
 

Expert 1 (W2): 
Well, it starts with gathering the raw materials. Flowers are often a key ingredient, and
some of the high-end brands have their own flower fields, to ensure the supply they
need. There are also fruits, spices, leaves, grasses, and possibly animal products.

Reporter (M2):
Animal products?
 

Expert 1 (W2):
[amused] Yes: you’ve probably heard of MUSK in relation to scented products. That
comes from male musk deer. That’s just one example. 

The next step is to extract the OILS from the flowers or other plant materials. The
easiest method is basically squeezing out the oil. Other methods involve boiling or
steaming.

To give you an idea of the QUANTITY of oil required, think of this: making a fifteen-
milliliter bottle of French perfume requires extracting the oil from over six HUNDRED
roses.
 

Reporter (M2):
Whoa! No wonder perfume is so expensive. 

Expert 1 (W2): 
Exactly. Then the oils need to be blended, to achieve the desired scent. It can take
HUNDREDS of ingredients, and years of testing, to arrive at the right formula. Once
you HAVE the oils in the right combination, then alcohol is added, to dilute the
ingredients and create either perfume, eau de toilette, or cologne. Of the three
products, perfume has the least alcohol and the strongest scent; cologne has the most
alcohol and the mildest scent. Finally, you have the aging process. 
 Reporter (M2):
I’m particularly interested in the blending: the art of getting to the desired scent. That’s
the job of the nose?
 

Expert 1 (W2): 
It is, and has been for as long as perfumes have been produced. And you’re right to
call it an art—it takes a lot of thought. After aging the product, there’s further testing,
and possibly even MORE blending before it’s considered finished. 

Reporter (M2):
But there’s been a new development in this area. Steven, what can you tell us about
this?

Expert 2 (M1):
A couple of physicists have done a mathematical study of more than 10,000 perfumes
to try and determine what ingredients make a successful perfume. Their work has
provided some INTERESTING insights.
 

Expert 1 (W2):
[skeptical] So, are you saying that MATH might take the place of human expertise?
 

Expert 2 (M1):
Well, the researchers HAVE suggested that a statistical analysis might function as an
artificial nose, but it’s true that not everyone is convinced. 

Reporter (M2):
Fascinating! I also wanted to ask about allergies because I have family members who
are highly sensitive to scents. I use fragrance-free products with no smell for their
sakes, even though there are scented options I’d like to use. You’ve written about this,
Steven?

Expert 2 (W1):
Yes! This seems to be coming up more and more, but it’s hard to say whether these
are allergies. There’s no reliable test for allergies to fragrances. But scents CAN make
people sneeze or give them headaches, so avoiding them isn’t a bad idea.

N: Number 45
N: Why does Michelle Perez mention French perfume and roses?

N: Number 46
N: What would Michelle Perez probably say is the greatest challenge for a perfumer?

N: Number 47
N: How does Michelle Perez view the recent research by two physicists?
N: Number 48
N: Why doesn’t the reporter use products with fragrances?

N: Number 49
N: What does Steven Brown say about allergies to fragrances?

N: Number 50
N: What is the purpose of this report?

N: End of the listening test.