Week 6: https://forms.

gle/Eiy5yopwpjLRBRcG6

Part 1
You will hear a telephone conversation between a customer and the receptionist at a courier company. First you have
some time to look at questions 1-8.
[Pause 30 seconds]
You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this
will be played first.
Sam: Good morning. This is Sam speaking. How may I help you?
Marco: Hi. My name is Marco and I'm calling to enquire about sending some goods to Canada.
Narrator: The destination country is Canada, so you write Canada in the space provided. You should answer the
questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1-
8.
Sam: Good morning. This is Sam speaking. How may I help you?
Marco: Hi. My name is Marco and I'm calling to enquire about sending some goods to Canada.
Sam: No problem. What's your full name please Marco?
Marco: My middle name is Pronto; that's P-R-O-N-T-O.
Sam: Sorry, Marco, just your surname will be fine; that's all we need for the form.
Marco: It's Cebrianatori; that's C-E-B-R-l-A-N-A-T-O-R-l.
Sam: Great, and your address please?
Marco: I live on Grimsby Place.
Sam: Grimsby Place; okay.
Marco: But wait, you mean the address from where the goods will be collected?
Sam: Right.
Marco: In that case I'd better give you my mum and dad's address; my stuff is there temporarily until I make the move.
Same street; house number 25, in Grimsby, and the postcode is GB8 6BY.
Sam: Now Marco, tell me what you would like to have shipped.
Marco: I am moving to Canada, so I have a fairly (1)___big container____________________for my belongings you'll
understand.
Sam: Of course, what are the dimensions?
Marco: It's two metres high, one and a half across and three metres long.
Sam: My! That's huge!
Marco: Tell me about it! Moving day is going to be a nightmare!
Sam: And what will this container 'contain' then?
Marco: Well, to start with, there's my television. I'm also taking a brand-new sofa bed with me, as well as my fridge-
freezer and (2)_________home computer____________.
Sam: I see. That all sounds rather valuable, do you know the total value of the goods in the container?
Marco: Yes, I estimate about £5,000.
Narrator: Before listening to the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 9-10. [Pause 30
seconds] Now listen and answer questions 9-10.
Sam: Excellent. Now, shipping to Canada is not by any means cheap these days, so this is going to cost you £500.
Marco: That would nearly pay for a new TV and sofa!
Sam: It's a lot of money, isn't it? But, as I said, shipping is (3)_____expensive business________________. How do
you intend to pay then Marco?
Marco: Credit card okay?
Sam: Fine. I assume you are the card holder?
Marco: Actually it's my sister's account; money's a little tight for me at the moment with the expense of the move, so it's
either a case of ask sis or ask the parents - which would you choose?
Sam: I see what you mean! Okay, I'll take the details in a moment and confirm the collection date, but first let me just
ask you a few questions about your move to Canada; the Canadian government requires (4)_________________all
shiping companies______________ to carry out a thorough check before agreeing to ship goods into the country, and
part of that check is a personal profile of our customers, you see. So, why are you moving to Canada?
Marco: My girlfriend is Canadian. I'm going to live with her.
Sam: And what will be your employment status over there?
Marco: Well, I'm travelling on a working-holiday visa, but I hope to secure a work-sponsored visa shortly after arrival.
Sam: (to himself) I see; a holiday visa?
Marco: No, a working-holiday visa; that allows me to stay in the country for 12 months as opposed to 60 days with a
holiday visa.
Sam: Okay, no... (fading)
Narrator: That's the end of Part 1. You have half a minute to check your answers. [Pause 30 seconds]
Now turn to Part 2.
Part 2
As chair of the town council subcommittee on (5)____park facilities___________________________, I’d like to bring
you up to date on some of the changes that have been made recently to the Croft Valley Park. So if you could just take a
look at the map I handed out, let’s begin with a general overview.
So the basic arrangement of the park hasn’t changed – it still has two gates, north and south, and a lake in the middle.
The café continues to serve (6)___________softment____________________ drinks and snacks and is still in the same
place, looking out over the lake and next to the old museum.
We’re hoping to change the location of the toilets, and bring them nearer to the centre of the park as they’re a bit out of
the way at present, near the (7)______avention playground_________________________, in the corner of your map.
The formal gardens have been replanted and should be at their best in a month or two. They used to be behind the old
museum, but we’re now used the space near (8)_______the south gate________________________ – between the park
boundary and the path that goes past the lake towards the old museum.
We have a (9)_________new outdoor gym______________________ for adults and children, which is already proving
very popular. It’s by the glass houses, just to the right of the path from the south gate. You have to look for it as it’s a
bit hidden in the trees.
One very (10)____________successful introduction___________________ has been our skateboard ramp. It’s in
constant use during the evenings and holidays. It’s near the old museum, at the end of a little path that leads off from
(11)______the main path_________________________ between the lake and the museum.
We’ve also introduced a new area for wild flowers, to attract bees and butterflies. It’s ( 12)____________on the
bend___________________ in the path that goes round the east side of the lake, just south of the adventure playground.
Part 3
You will hear a discussion between two work colleagues and their manager about the restructuring of their company.
First you have some time to look at questions 21-25.
[Pause 30 seconds]
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21-25.
Manager: Come in both of you; I believe you wanted to talk to me about something, is that right?
Penny: Yes, basically, all the staff are (13)____concern____________________what the restructuring of the company
is going to mean for them, none more so than myself and Anne as we are the newest members.
Manager: As I said to all staff at the meeting last week, there is no cause for concern; there will be no compulsory
redundancies; all redundancies will be on a voluntary basis.
Anne: Yes, we understand that, but to tell the truth, we just want (13)___/______________that our jobs are safe.
Manager: Look, Anne - and Penny - the company isn't going to be short-sighted and let its bright young minds go.
Besides, we've already met out target for the number of voluntary redundancies we want to secure; in fact, there is a
waiting list. You know as well as I do that the age profile of staff at this company needs to come down. A lot of our
employees are close to retirement age and are just (15)_____going through______________the motions until they can
take their pensions. That's why we decided on this redundancy initiative; we want to encourage those that would be
happy to leave to do so and employ younger, more motivated staff.
Penny: I guess that makes us feel a little better, but we're also worried about the(16)____upcoming_salary
review_____________________; what will it mean for us?
Manager: Given the fact that the company's motivation for this restructuring initiative is not to cut costs, once again,
you needn't be worried that there will be (17)__a negative effect_____________on your salaries.
We are running a very profitable business and we will reward our top performers in the upcoming review. Both of you
fall into that category so you can expect (18)_____to healthy bonus____________and salary increase; simple as that.
Anne: That's good to know. Another thing on our minds was the fact that, with all these voluntary redundancies
happening in the next few months, there will be a lot of positions opening up higher in the company. What we were
wondering is will (19)_____the recuitment_trail_________________be an internal or an external one?
Manager: Obviously, we will recruit internally where possible; that has always been company policy. So, if you are
asking me will there be opportunities to gain a promotion in the near future, then the answer is very definitely yes. The
type of candidate we will be looking for has a proven track record and is performance-driven. Penny: How can we
improve our chances of (20)______getting promoted______________then when the opportunity arises?
Manager: Well, in the meantime, be prepared to take on additional responsibilities - especially those (21)_____related
to_________________the management of other members of staff. Obviously, the higher up you go in the company, the
more involved you will be in managing people. What the management team is looking for then is proof that you can
work effectively with, and manage, other members of staff.
Narrator: Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 26-30. [Pause 30 seconds]
Now listen and answer questions 26-30.
Anne: One more thing.
Manager: Go on.
Anne: This project you've given us to manage; is it a test of our abilities?
Manager: I guess you could say it is a test of sorts, but look at it more as a chance for you to prove yourselves. Actually,
now that I have you both here(22)____in private_________________, can we talk about that a bit?
Anne: Of course.
Manager: Okay. Penny, let's start with you. Has the timescale been agreed yet?
Penny: Yes. You said we have a total of 8 weeks to bring the product to launch, so we've decided to allocate three
weeks at the beginning to product research and prototype testing.
Manager: Very good.
Anne: Then after that we are going to spend a further three weeks formulating our marketing strategy and doing some
research and testing on a sample of (23)____the target market_______________itself to get some feedback.
Manager: And presumably the last two weeks will be devoted to the launch?
Anne: Exactly.
Manager: Now, let's talk estimated costs.
Anne: Well, you've given us a total budget of £100,000. Of that, we're allocating 50% to product development and
testing, a further 25% to marketing and £25,000 will be spent on the launch.
Manager: Penny, give me a breakdown of the launch costs would you?
Penny: Sure. £10,000 will be spent on (24)_____/_________________the venue. £10,000 will be spent on promotional
work and the remaining money will be used to pay for catering and administrative costs.
Manager: I'm very happy with that to be honest. As I said, you guys should stop worrying; you're doing a fantastic job
so keep it up!
Narrator: That's the end of Part 3. You have half a minute to check your answers. [Pause 30 seconds]
Now turn to Part 4.
Part 4
You will hear part of a talk about how to attract birds to your garden. First you have some time to look at questions 31-
40. [Pause 1 minute]
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31-40.
The best way to attract birds to your garden is by satisfying their basic needs which are: the need for water, the need for
food, and the need for safety.
Birds drink water and bathe in it, and many also use it to make mud to(25)___build the nest_______________. A
simple birdbath - which can be nothing more complicated than a shallow dish - will, therefore, attract birds. Don't use
tin pans as these get hot under the heat of the sun. In fact, a cement bowl is probably going to be (26)________the most
effective______________bath to use; but make sure that it is no more than 6.5 centimetres deep.
The best time of all to attract birds to your garden, and, indeed, the time when they need your help most, is during the
winter season. During summer, birds can find most of their food on their own and
are(27)__largely /_______________________. In winter, however, they benefit greatly from the help of their human
friends. Often, when it is cold, an ice- or frost-crust may form over the ground, covering the bird's natural food supply.
It is when this happens that they really need your help with feeding.
It is probably best, though, to start feeding from late autumn onwards. That way, the birds will become used to finding
food in a certain spot, so later, after the onset of the winter, they will become (28)_opponent
features__________________________in your garden. Put food out at night so that the birds will find it the next
morning, and, whatever you do, make sure that you make your feeder accessible from a raised landing area only,
otherwise, you will find yourself attracting some (29)______unwanted pet____________________such as rodents like
mice and, worse still, rats. Continue feeding until early spring, when food becomes plentiful again. If you cannot serve
them insects, then try to give the birds suet, a form of beef fat. You can buy this cheaply at pretty much
any(30)_____meat market__________________, so it won't cost you an arm and a leg. As well as being nourishing,
suet also has the advantage of not freezing during cold weather. Many birds will also enjoy crumbs, nuts and seeds. You
can even serve them boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, provided these are(31)__/__________________. Other foods
you probably have lying around in your store cupboard may also be used - try feeding them raisins, figs, dried fruit
generally, biscuits, boiled rice and so on as well.
If you want to build a birdhouse or nesting box, I would encourage you to proceed by all means. These offer fine
protection, especially for the smaller and more vulnerable species. You can buy readymade nesting boxes and shelves
for a very (32)_____reasonable price_________________these days. Alternatively, if you fancy doing a little DIY, they
are not very difficult to build either. Most birds prefer houses made of rough slabs of wood covered with bark; which to
the birds feeds quite(33)___aesthetic and natural_____________________. If at all possible, try to match your
birdhouse to the surroundings as well, so if you paint your birdhouse, be sure to use a dull grey-green or brown colour.
The simplest type of birdhouse to construct yourself (34)__consists of________________________a hollow branch
nailed to a tree. When you are erecting your bird-houses, be sure to place them (35)___a good
distance_____________apart from one another. Few (36)____________________enjoy nesting in close proximity to
competitors of their own kind. Cleanliness is(37)________vital importance__________________, too. Your bird nests
should be cleaned out yearly to make room for new nesting material to be brought in by
their(38)____/_____________________. Early autumn is the best time to prepare your birdhouse, as the new season's
chicks will (39)___hatch__________________________and flown the coop so to speak. Once cleaned, your birdhouses
will be ready to welcome their spring visitors once they (40)______/__________________your neighbourhood early
the next year.
Narrator: That is the end of Part 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers. [Pause 30 seconds]
That is the end of the listening test. You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to the Listening Answer Sheet.