Upper Intermediate

Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 10
I was about twenty-five and I’d been working at the same company for five
years. A friend showed me his photos of an amazing holiday he’d had in
Central America. One photo in particular really struck me. It was when he
went diving and saw the most beautiful fish you’ve ever seen! I began to have
itchy feet and wanted to leave work and do something exciting. I’d never been
out of Europe before then and I was a bit worried about going straight into
uncharted territory! I mean, I didn’t know anything about countries so different
and far away from mine. So, I decided to go to Spain first, to learn a bit of
Spanish and get used to being away from home. I went as an independent
traveller on my own, because I really wanted to do it all by myself. I spent a
month wandering around the town where I was living and learning Spanish
and loving every minute! I was bitten by the travel bug then and wanted to
explore lots of other places. About six months later, after saving up some
money, I went off to Guatemala, feeling very confident and pleased with
myself. The first two months were difficult and I experienced real culture
shock, I think. It seemed that everything was different. Lots of things went
wrong too, like I was robbed twice, I couldn’t find anywhere to live and I was
really homesick and missed my family like mad! So I had a bit of a bumpy ride
to start with, but after a while, I found a job teaching English, made some
friends and started to really enjoy myself. In fact, I grew to love it so much I
stayed there for three years!

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 11
1
Have you ever been to Brazil?
Yes, I have.
2
I’ve always wanted to travel as much as possible.
3
What time did you get to the airport?
4
I’ve been learning English for three years.
5
Has she been working here for long?
Yes, she has.
6
I was walking in the mountains when I fell and broke my leg.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 12
I = Interviewer, O = Oliver
I: So, Oliver, just to remind the listeners, let me ask, what have you
been doing here?
O: Erm … yes, OK … well, basically I’ve been living with a family in a
small village. I’ve been here for about a month and a half now.
I: Mmm … a month and a half …
O: Yes, since about the beginning of July. And … erm … I’ve been
teaching in the village school. I’ve been teaching maths mostly, but
other things as well. It’s all part of a bigger project … a lot of university
students from the UK come for a couple of months at a time. It’s
voluntary work, you know … in the university holidays … to help
people here and get some work experience.
I: So, it’s all coming to an end now … how do you feel about leaving?
O: Oh, well, mixed feelings I suppose. I mean, I’ll be really sad about
leaving everyone here. I’ve had such a good time. You know, it’s been
challenging at times … especially the heat. It’s so hot here! But I’ve
had a great time … really fantastic. Kenya is a really inspiring place.
I: Mixed feelings though?
O: Well, yes, I mean, I’m looking forward to seeing my family. I’ve missed
them while I’ve been here. Everyone in the village has been really
friendly, though, and really looked after me.
I: And what will you miss about this place when you leave?
O: I’ll definitely miss the children in my class … all the children in the
village actually. They’re great.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 13
1
The summer is generally hot and very humid and you are often quite
uncomfortable. It’s often overcast too, and there is no breeze to cool things
down. It’s very different in the winter, when it’s cool and the sky is clear.
2
I’m not so keen on mild weather – when it’s not really hot or cold. I much
prefer it when the weather is quite dramatic. Like when you get scorching
days and then it suddenly pours for hours. Or when it’s hot in the day and you
get sub-zero temperatures at night.
3
The weather is very changeable. In the summer, the days are often bright but
can be showery and the nights are sometimes chilly but not very cold. In the
winter, it seems to drizzle a lot and the sky is often grey.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 14
1
The summer is generally hot.
2
You are often quite uncomfortable.
3
The sky is clear.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 15
J = Jamie, M = Man, P = Presenter, W = Woman
P: Hello everyone. I think we’ll make a start as it’s seven thirty already.
Let me introduce Jamie. He’s our ‘Bhutan expert’. He’s spent a
substantial amount of time in this amazing country and I’m sure he’ll
be able to help you with whatever queries you may have.
J: Hello. Thank you. Well, I’ll do my best … Please feel free to ask
whatever you want and if I can’t answer anything … well, I’ll say so!
So, fire away …
W1: Erm … yes … when is the best time to go?
J: Well, in the winter it can be up to about fifteen degrees centigrade in
the daytime, but you often get sub-zero temperatures at night. There
is a lot of snow in winter, which can make travelling difficult. It’s hot in
the summer, sometimes really scorching, but it’s often very wet too. In
my experience, the best seasons to visit are spring and autumn.
Spring is beautiful with wonderful flowers and lovely sunny days. And
autumn is fantastic too, with mild weather and clear views of the
Himalayas …
Yes?
M1: What activities do you recommend?
J: One of the most popular activities for visitors to Bhutan is to go
trekking in the Himalayas. The high mountains and deep valleys are
truly spectacular and you can sometimes walk for several days before
coming to the next village. You’ll see a huge variety of plant life
ranging from dense forest to tiny mountain flowers. I’ve been many
times. You won’t be disappointed, I can assure you!
M1: Thank you.
W2: Excuse me … I’d like to know whether we need to take anything
special.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

J: Ah yes, good question. The changeable climate means that you will
need an assortment of clothes, including rain gear and good walking
boots. The sun can be very strong especially up in the mountains, so
you’ll need a hat and sunglasses. I’d also recommend warm clothes
for the evenings … it can get pretty chilly, even in summer.
M2: Would we need to carry all our equipment on a trek?
J: No. Trekking is done in organised trips and they provide yaks to carry
your luggage. They also carry the food and camping equipment,
which is all provided. I’ve always found them very well-equipped and
helpful.
M2: And who goes with the trekking group? I mean do they provide a
guide?
J: Oh yes … There’s always a guide who speaks English and a cook
and other assistants to help make the trek run smoothly. They’re all
very friendly … you really don’t need to worry about getting lost or
anything …
W1: Could I ask you what the food is like?
J: Mmm … interesting, yes. The Bhutanese eat a lot of meat, dairy
foods, vegetables and rice. The national dish is a fabulous chilli-
pepper and cheese stew called 'emadatse'. In fact, chillies are very
common in Bhutan and you’ll find that a lot of their dishes are
flavoured with spicy chilli peppers. I love the food, I must say.
M1: I’m thinking of going in the autumn. Do you know if there are any
interesting festivals at that time?
J: Well, yes, this year there are, although the dates of festivals vary
according to the moon. The most popular one for tourists is held in
Thimphu, the capital, and this year it’s in October. People dress in
their colourful, traditional clothes and there is a lot of music and
dancing, including the masked sword dances. All the festivals are
important religious events for the people to offer thanks to their gods.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

M1: I’ve seen pictures of strings of flags in the mountains. Can you tell me
what they are?

J: Yes, they are prayer flags. As I said, the Bhutanese people are very
religious and they use the flags as a way of communicating with the
heavens.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

CD 1 Track 16
M = Man, N = Natalie
M: Natalie, you've lived abroad, right?
N: Yeah, yeah, I've lived in Italy.
M: And when you went to Italy, how did you find it? Was it easy to
integrate or more difficult than you thought it was gonna be?
N: Oh it was easy actually. Erm, I think once you learn the language
then, erm, things just come naturally. And it took me a long time to
learn the language but, erm, I don't think it's such a big issue that
many people think it is.
M: Do you think that many people think it's a big issue?
N: Yeah I think it's a lot easier than – than people, than most people
think. Because it's maybe the fear of the unknown – people haven't
tried it they think it will be more difficult.
M: I think you're right, I think the more time you spend abroad, the easier
you'll find integrating in to new places. But it's that first, first step the
first time you go and do it, it seems quite daunting.
N: Definitely, but then you have ... I don't know … less fun if you stay in
your own country or you, erm … I think it's quite safe staying in your
own country too.
M: Yeah I completely agree, I mean, we only get one life, right? So might
as well see as much as you can.
N: Exactly, and there's nothing more interesting than getting to know
other cultures and finding out about another language or – I mean,
how did you find moving here?
M: Erm, for me moving here was a lot easier than, for example when I
moved to South Korea but, erm, obviously I needed to learn the – a
new language in Korea, but al ... but also I think Canadian and British
culture are a lot closer than Canadian and Korean culture are to each
other.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT
 Upper Intermediate
Unit 2 Audio Script

N: Do you find that you're more adventurous, erm, in Britain than in

Canada?
M: Yes, I think once I'm at home I'm much more in a routine. Erm, but
then again I'm only home for brief periods of time so I just go home
and spend it with my family.
N: See the family, yeah.
M: Whereas, if I was living there, maybe I would venture out and travel
more in Canada.
N: Mm, but I think the more you, erm, explore a country, the more you
find out about it and the more you learn … I mean, for me it's, you can
learn so much more living abroad from different people, and maybe
you're more open too, I don't know.

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