Audioscripts

TEST 1
PART 1
SALLY: Good morning. Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Sally
speaking. I'm one of the rangers.
JOHN: Oh hello. My name's John Chapman, and I'm a
teaching assistant at a local primary school. I've
been asked to arrange a visit to the park for two of
our classes.
SALLY: OK. What would you like to know?
JOHN: Well, I'm new to this area, so perhaps you could tell me
something about the park first, please.
SALLY: Of course. Altogether the park covers 170 acres, that's 69 QI
hectares. There are three main types of habitat: wetland,
grassland and woodland. The woods are well established
and varied, with an oak plantation, and other areas of
mixed species.
JOHN: Right.
SALLY: The wetland is quite varied, too. The original farmland
was dug up around 40 years ago to extract gravel.
Once this work was completed, the gravel pits filled
with water, forming the two large lakes. There are
also several smaller
ones, ponds and a stream that flows through the park. Q2
JOHN: OK, so I suppose with these different habitats there's quite
a variety of wildlife.
SALLY: There certainly is — a lot of different species of birds and
insects, and also animals like deer and rabbits.
JOHN: And I understand you organise educational visits for school
parties.
SALLY: That's right. We can organise a wide range of activities
and adapt them to suit all ages.

1
JOHN: Can you give me some examples of the activities?
SALLY: Well, one focus is on science, where we help children to
discover and study
plants, trees and insects. They also collect and analyse Q3
data about the things they see.
JOHN: Uhuh.
SALLY: Another focus is on geography. The park is a great
environment to learn and practise reading a map and using
a compass to navigate around the park.
JOHN: Do you do anything connected with history?
SALLY: Yes, we do. For instance, the children can explore how the
use of the land has changed over time. Then there's leisure
and tourism.
JOHN: That focuses on your visitors, I would imagine. Q5
SALLY: Yes, mostly. The children find out about them, their
requirements, the problems they may cause and how
we manage these. And another subject we cover is
music: here the children experiment with natural
materials to create sounds and explore rhythm and
tempo.
JOHN: That must be fun!
SALLY: Most children really enjoy it.

SALLY: And of course, all the activities are educational, too. Learning
outside the classroom encourages children to be creative, and to explore
and discover for themselves.

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JOHN: I would imagine they get a sense of freedom that might not be a normal
part of their lives.
SALLY: That's right. And very often the children discover that Q8
they can do things they didn't know they could do, and they deve
op new skills. This gives them greater self-confidence.
JOHN:It sounds great. So, what about the practical side of it? How Q9
much does it cost for a full-day visit? We would expect to bring
between 30 and 40 children. QIO
SALLY: If there are over 30, it costs £4.95 for each child who
attends on the day. We invoice you afterwards, so you don't pay
for children who can't come because of sickness, for example.
There's no charge for leaders and other adults — as many as you
want to bring.
JOHN:That sounds very fair. Well, thanks for all the information.
I'll need to discuss it with my colleagues, and I hope to get back to
you soon to make a booking.
SALLY: We'll look forward to hearing from
you. Goodbye. JOHN: Goodbye, and thank
you,
QII
PART 2
t's great to see so many members of the Twinning Association Q12
here tonight. Since the twinning link between our two towns,
Stanthorpe here in England and Malatte in France, was Q13
established, the relationship between the towns has gone from
strength to strength.
Last month, 25 members of the association from Stanthorpe
spent a weekend in Malatte. Our hosts had arranged a great Q14
programme. We learned how cheese is produced in the region
and had the chance to taste the products. The theme park trip
had to be cancelled, but we all had a great time on the final boat
trip down the river — that was the real highlight. (215
This is a special year for the Association because it's 25 years since
we were founded. In
Malatte, they're planning to mark this by building a footbridge in
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 Test

the municipal park. We've been discussing what to do here and

we've decided to plant a poplar tree in the museum gardens. We
considered buying a garden seat to put there, but the authorities
weren't happy with that idea.
In terms of fundraising to support our activities, we've done
very well. Our pancake evening was well attended and made
record profits. And everyone enjoyed the demonstration of
French cookery, which was nearly as successful. Numbers for
our film show were limited because of the venue so we're
looking for somewhere bigger next year.
We're looking forward to welcoming our French visitors here
next week, and I know that many of you here will be hosting
individuals or families. The coach from France will arrive at 5 pm
on Friday. Don't try to do too much that first evening as they'll be
tired, so have dinner in the house or garden rather than eating
out. The weather looks as if it'll be OK so you might like to plan a
barbecue. Then the next morning's market day in town, and
that's always a good place to stroll round.
On Saturday evening, we'll all meet up at the football club,
where once again we'll have Toby Sharp and his band
performing English and Scottish country songs. Toby will already
be well known to many of you as last year he organised our
special quiz night and presented the prizes.

Now on Sunday, we'll be taking our visitors to Farley

House. You may not all be familiar with it, so here's a
map to help you. You can see the car park at the bottom
of the map. There's an excellent farm shop in the grounds
Q1
where our visitors can buy local produce — it's in the old 6
stables. which is the first building you çorne to. They're
built round a courtyard, and the shop's in the far corner
on the left. There's also a small café on the right as you
go in.
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I know that one or two of our visitors may not be all that mobile.
The main entrance to the
house has a lot of steps so you might want to use the disabled
entry. This is on the far side of the house from the car park.
Children will probably be most interested in the adventure
playground. That's at the northern end of the larger laket in a
bend on the path that leads to the lake. There's lots for
children to do there.
There are a number of lovely gardens near the house. The
kitchen gardens are rectangular and surrounded by a wall.
They're to the north-east of the house. quite near the smaller
lake. They're still in use and have a great collection of fruit and
vegetables.
The Temple of the Four Winds is a bit more of a walk — but it's
worth it. Take the path from
the car park and go past the western sides of the stables and
the house. Then when the path forks. take the right-hand path.
Go up there with the woods on your left and the temple is right
at the end. There are great views over the whole area.
OK, so that's .

COLIN: I haven't seen you for a bit, Marie.

MARIE: No. I've been busy with my project.
COLIN: You're making a vegan alternative to eggs, aren't you?
Something that doesn't use animal products?
MARIE: Yes. I'm using chickpeas. I had two main aims when I first
started looking for an alternative to eggs, but actually I've
found chickpeas have got more advantages.
COLIN: Right.
MARIE: But how about your project on reusing waste food — you were

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looking at bread, weren't you?

COLIN: Yes. It's been hard work, but I've enjoyed it. The basic process
was quite straightforward — breaking the stale bread down to
a paste then reforming it.
MARIE: But you were using 3-D printing, weren't you, to make the
paste into biscuits?
COLIN Yeah, I'd used that before, but in this project, I had time to
: play around with different patterns for the biscuits and
finding how I could add fruit and vegetables to make them a
more appetising colour. and I was really pleased with what I
managed to produce.
MARI It must've been a great feeling to make something appetising
E: out of bits of old bread that would've been thrown away
otherwise.
COLIN lt_was. And I'm hoping that some of the restaurants in town
: will be interested in the biscuits. I'm going to send them some
samples.
MARI I came across something on the internet yesterday that might
E: interest you. It was a company that's developed touch-
sensitive sensors for food labels.
COLIN Mmm?
:
MARI It's a special sort of label on the food package. When the
E: label's smooth, the food is fresh and then when you can feel
bumps on the label, that means the food's gone bad. It started
off as a project to help visually impaired people know whether
food was fit to eat or not.
COLIN:
Interesting. So just solid food?
MARIE:
No, things like milk and juice as well. But actually, I thought it
might be really good for drug storage in hospitals and
pharmacies.
COLIN:
Right. And coming back to food, maybe it'd be possible to use it
for other things
besides freshness. Like how many kilograms a joint of meat is.

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for example.
MARIE:Yes, there's all sorts of possibilities.

COLIN: I was reading an article about food trends predicting how

eating habits might change in the next few years.
MARIE: Oh — things like more focus on local products? That
seems so obvious, but the shops are still full of imported
foods.
COLIN: Yes. they need to be more proactive to address that.
MARIE: And somehow motivate consumers 10 changes yes.
COLIN: One thing everyone's aware of is the need for a
reduction in unnecessary packaging — but just about
everything you buy in supermarkets is still covered in
plastic. The government needs to do something about
it.
MARIE: Absolutely, It's got to change.
COLIN: Do you think there'll be more interest in gluten- and
lactose-free food?
MARIE: For people with allergies or food intolerances? I don't
know. Lots of people I know have been buying that type of
food for years now.
COLIN: Yes eve if heven't been dia nosed with a Iler
MARIE That's right. One thing I've noticed is the number of
branded products related to celebrity chefs — people
watch them cooking on TV and then buy things like spice
mixes or frozen foods with the chef's name on I
bought something like that once. but I won't again.
COLIN: Yeah — I bought a ready-made spice mix for chicken
which was supposed to be used by a chef I'd seen on
television, and it didn't actually taste of anything.
MARIE: Mm. Did the article mention 'ghost kitchens' used to
produce takeaway food?
COLIN: No. What are they?

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MARIE Well, they might have the name of a restaurant, but

actually they're a cooking
facility just for delivery meals — the public don't ever go
there. But people aren't aware of that — it's all kept very
quiet.
COLIN: So people don't realise the food's not actually from the
restaurant?
MARIE: Right.
COLIN: Did you know more and more people are using all sorts
of different mushrooms now, to treat different health
concerns? Things like heart problems?
MARIE: Hmm. They might be taking a big risk there.
COLIN: Yes. it's hard to know which varieties are
safe to eat. Anyway maybe now .

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PART 4
For my presentation today, I'm going to talk about the Céide Fields in
the northwest of Ireland, one of the largest Neolithic sites in the world. I
recently visited this site and observed the work that is currently being
done by a team of archaeologists there.
The site was first discovered in the 1930s by a local teacher, Patrick
Caulfield. He noticed that when local people were digging in the bog,
they were constantly hitting against what
seemed to be rows Qf stones. He realised that these must be walls and (231
that they must be thousands of years old for them to predate the bog
which subsequently grew over them.
He wrote to the National Museum in Dublin to ask them to investigate,
but no one took
him seriously. It wasn't until 40 years later, when Patrick Caulfield's son Q32
Seamus who had become an archaeologist by then, began to explore
further. He inserted iron probes into the
bog to map the formation of the stones, a traditional method which Q33
local people had always used for finding fuel buried in the bog for
thousands of years. Carbon dating later proved that the site was over
5,000 years old and was the largest Neolithic site in Ireland.
Thanks to the bog which covers the area, the remains of the
Q34
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settlement at Céide Fields, which is over 5,000 years old, are

extremely well-preserved. A bog is 90 percent water; its soil
is so saturated that when the grasses and heathers that grow
on its surface die, they don't fully decay but accumulate in
layers. Objects remain so well preserved in these conditions
because of the acidity of the peat and the deficiency of
oxygen. At least 175 days of rain a year are required for this
to happen; this part of Ireland gets an average of 225 days.

The Neolithic farmers at Céide would have enjoyed several

centuries of relative peace and stability. Neolithic farmers
generally lived in larger communities than their predecessors,
with a number of houses built around a community building, As
they lived in permanent settlements, Neolithic farmers were
able to build bigger houses. These weren't round as people
often assume. but rectangular with a small hole in the roof that
allowed smoke to escape. This is one of many innovations and
indicates that the Neolithic farmers were the first people to
cook indoors. Another new technology that Neolithic settlers
brought to Ireland was pottery. Fragments of Neolithic pots
have been found in Céide and elsewhere in Ireland. The pots
were used for many things; as well as for storing food, pots
were filled with a small amount of fat and when this was set
alight, they served as lamps. Q35
It's thought that the Céide Fields were mainly used as paddocks
for animals to graze in. Evidence from the Céide Fields suggests
that each plot of land was of a suitable size to sustain-an-
extended-family. They may have used a system of rotational Q36
grazing in order to prevent over-grazing and to allow for plant
recovery and regrowth. This must have been a year-round Q37
activity as no structures have been found which would have
been used to shelter anim I in e . Q38

However, archaeologists believe that this way of life at Céide

ceased abruptly. Why was this? Well, several factors may have Q39
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contributed to the changing circumstances. The soil would have

become less productive and led to the abandonment of farming.
The crop rotation system was partly responsible for this as it
would have been very intensive and was not sustainable. But
there were also climatic pressures too. The farmers at Céide
would have enjoyed a relatively dry period, but this began to
change and the conditions became wetter as thece was a lot
more rain. It was these conditions that encouraged the bog to
form over the Q40
area which survives today.
So now I'd like to show you some

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.
TEST
2

PART 1
WOMAN: Hi Coleman, how are you?
COLEMAN:Good, thanks.
WOMAN: I wanted to have a chat with you because our friend
Josh told me that you've joined a guitar group and it
sounds interesting. I'd really like to learn myself.
COLEMAN:Why don't you come along? I'm sure there's room for
another person.
WOMAN: Really? So — who runs the classes?
COLEMAN:He's called a 'coordinator' — his name's Gary
Mathieson.
WOMAN: Let me note that down. Gary. . . . How do you spell his
surname?
COLEMAN:It's M-A-T-H-I-E-S-O-N.
WOMAN: Right, thanks.

COLEMAN: He's retired, actually, but he's a really nice guy and he
used to play in a lot of bands.
WOMAN:
Thanks. So how long have you been going?
COLEMAN: About a month now.
WOMAN: And could you play anything before you started?
COLEMAN: I knew a few chords, but that's all.
WOMAN: I'm sure everyone will be better than me.

COLEMAN: That's what I thought, too. When I first spoke to Gary on

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 Test 2

the phone, he said it

was a class for beginners, but I was still worried that (22
everyone would be better than me, but we were all
equally hopeless!
WOMAN: Oh, that's reassuring. So where do you meet?
COLEMAN: Well, when I joined the group, they were meeting in Gary's
home, but as the
group got bigger, he decided to book a room at the Q3
college in town. I prefer going there.
WOMAN: I know that place. I used to go to tap dancing classes
there when I was at secondary school. I haven't been
since, though and I can't remember what road it's in . is
it Lock Street?
COLEMAN: It's just beyond there at the bottom of New Street near the (24
city roundabout.
WOMAN: Yes, of course.

COLEMAN: The guitar club is on the first floor in Room T 347.

WOMAN: Right. And when do you meet? s it at the weekend?

COLEMAN: We meet on Thursdays. It used to be 10.30 and that

suited me well, but now we meet at 11. The class that's
in there before us asked if they could have the room for
another 30 minutes.
WOMAN: Oh, I see. Well, I'd love to come, but I don't have a guitar.
COLEMAN: Well, you can always buy a second-hand one. There's a
website called 'The perfect instrument' that sells all kinds
of guitars, violins and so on. I'm sure you'll find something
there.

WOMAN: So what's a typical lesson like with Gary?

COLEMAN: Well, he always starts by getting us to tune our
guitars. That takes about five minutes.
WOMAN: Uhuh.
COLEMAN: Some people have an app they use, but others do it by

13
 Test 2

ear. Gary goes round and helps them. And while he's
doing that, he tells us what he's going to do during the
lesson.
WOMAN: Right.
COLEMAN: First, we usually spend about ten minutes doing some
strumming.
WOMAN: So is that using . . . what are they called . . plectrums?
COLEMAN: No — we just use our thumbs.
WOMAN: Much easier.
COLEMAN: Gary reminds us where to put our fingers for each chord
and then we play them together. Sometimes we all just
start laughing because we're so bad at keeping
time, so Gary starts clapping to help us. (28
WOMAN: Do you learn to play any songs?
COLEMAN: Yes — we do at least one song with words and chords. I
mean that's harder than you think.
WOMAN.' Oh, I'm sure it is!

COLEMAN: That part of the lesson takes about 15 minutes. He often

brings a recording of the song and plays it to us first.
Then he hands out the song and if there's a new chord in
it, we practise that before we play it together — but
really slowly.
WOMAN: Do you do any finger picking?

The training we get is a continuous process, focusing on (217/18

technical competence and safe handling techniques, and it's
given me the confidence to deal with extreme situations without
panicking. I was glad I'd done a first aid course before I started, (217/18
as that's a big help with the casualty care activities we do. We've
done a lot on how to deal with ropes and tie knots — that's an
essential skill. After a year, I did a one-week residential course,
led by specialists. They had a wave-tank where they could create

14
 Test 2

extreme weather conditions — so we could get experience at

what to do if the boat turned over in a storm at night. for
example.
COLEMAN: That's the last ten minutes of the lesson, when we QIO
pick out the individual notes from a tune he's made up. It's always
quite simple.
WOMAN:That must be hard, though.
COLEMAN: It is, but people like it because they can really
concentrate and if we're all playing well, it sounds quite
impressive. The only trouble is that he sometimes gets us to play
one at a time — you know, alone.
WOMAN:That's scary. QII
COLEMAN'. It is, but I've got used to it now. At the end he spends
about five minutes telling us what to practise for the following
week. Q12
WOMAN:Well, thanks Coleman. I'll go and have a look at that
website, I think.

PART 2 Q13
I never really planned to be a lifeboat volunteer when I came
to live in Northsea. I'd been working in London as a website
designer, but although that was interesting, I didn't like city Q14
life. I'd been really keen on boats as a teenager. and I thought
if I went to live by the sea. I might be able to pursue that
interest a bit more in my free time. Then I found that the
Lifeboat Institution was looking for volunteers, so I decided to
apply. Q15
The Lifeboat Institution building here in Northsea's hard to miss,
it's one of the largest in the country. It was built 15 years ago with
funds provided by a generous member of the public who'd lived Q16
here all her life. As the Lifeboat Institution is a charity that relies
on that kind of donation, rather than funding provided by the
government, that was a huge help to us.
When I applied, I had to have a health assessment. The doctors
were particularly interested in my vision. I used to be short-
sighted, so I'd had to wear glasses, but I'd had laser eye surgery

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two years earlier so that was OK. They gave me tests for colour
blindness and they thought I might have a problem there, but it
turned out I was OK.
When the coastguard gets an alert, all the volunteers are
contacted and rush to the lifeboat station. Our target's to get
there in five minutes, then we try to get the boat off the dock
and out to sea in another six to eight minutes. Our team's proud
that we usually achieve that — the average time across the
country's eight and a half minutes.
I've recently qualified as what's called a 'helmsman', which
means I have the ultimate responsibility for the lifeboat. I have
to check that the equipment we use is in working order — the
crew have special life jackets that can support up to four people
in the water. And it's ultimately my decision whether it's safe to
launch the boat. But it's very rare not to launch it, even in the
worst weather.
As well as going out on the lifeboat, my work involves other
things too. A lot of people underestimate how quickly
conditions can change at sea, so I speak to youth groups and
sailing clubs in the area about the sorts of problems that
sailors and swimmers can have if the weather suddenly gets
bad. We also have a lot of volunteers who organise activities
to raise money for us, and we couldn't manage without them.

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 Test 2

BELLA: So let's find some examples in the article of footwear that

was rejected for recycling.
DON: OK. I think there are some in the interview with the
recycling manageL Yeah — here it is.
BELLA: Mmm. Let's start with the ladies' high-heeled
shoes. What did he say about those?
DON: He said they were probably expensive — the material was
suede and they were beige in colour — it looked like
someone had only worn them once, but in a very
wet field so the heels were too stained with mud and grass Q25
to re-sell them.
Since I started, I've had to deal with a range of
emergency situations.
But the work's hugely motivating. It's not just about saving lives —
I've learned a lot about the technology involved. My background in
IT's been useful here, and I can use my expertise to
help other volunteers. The 're a reat rou — we're like a famil reall (219/20
, which helps when you're dragging yourself out of bed on a cold
stormy night. But actually, it's the colder months that can be the
most rewarding time. That's when the incidents tend to be more
serious, and you realise that you can make a huge difference to
the outcome.
So if any of you listeners are interested.

PART 3
BELLA: Hi Don — did you get the copy of the article on recycling
footwear that I emailed you?
DON : Yeah — it's here .I've had a look at it.
BELLA: So do you think it's a good topic for our presentation?
DON : Well, before I started reading it, I thought recycling
footwear, well, although it's
quite interesting, perhaps there isn't enough to say about (221
it, cos we put shoes in recycling bins, they go to charity
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shops and that's about it.

BELLA: but there's much more to it than that.
DON: I realise that now and I'm keen to research the
topic more.
BELLA: That's great.
DON : One of the things I didn't realise until I read the article was
just how many pairs of trainers get recycled!
BELLA: Well, a lot of young people wear them all the time now.
They've become more popular than ordinary shoes.
DON: I know. I guess they are very hard-wearing, but don't they (222
look a bit casual for school uniform? I don't think they're
right for that.
BELLA: Actually. I think some of them look quite smart on
pupils . better than a scruffy old pair of shoes.
So do you keep shoes a long time?
DON : Yes. Though I do tend to wear my old pairs for doing dirty
jobs like cleaning my bike.
BELLA: I must admit, I've recycled some perfectly good shoes. Q23
that haven't gone out Qt fashion and still fit. just
because they don't look great on me any more. That's
awful isn't it?
DON: I think it's common because there's so much choice. The
article did say that recent sales of footwear have
increased enormously.
BELLA: That didn't surprise me.
DON: No. But then it said that the amount of recycled Q24
footwear has fallen: it's 6 percent now compared to a
previous level of 11 percent. That doesn't seem to make
sense.
BELLA: That's because not everything goes through the recycling
process. Some footwear just isn't good enough to re-sell,
for one reason or another, and gets rejected.

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 Test 2

BELLA: OK . . . and the leather ankle boots. What was wrong with
them?

19
 Test 2

DON: Apparently, the heels were worn — but that wasn't the (226
problem. One of the shoes was a much lighter shade
than the other one — it had obviously been left in the
sun. I suppose even second-hand shoes should look the
same!
BELLA: Sure. Then there were the red baby shoes.
DON: Oh yes — we're told to tie shoes together when we put
them in a recycling bin, but people often don't bother.
BELLA: You'd think it would have been easy to find the other. but Q27
it wasn't. That was a shame because they were obviously
new.
DON: The trainers were interesting. He said they looked like
they'd been worn by a marathon runner.
BELLA: Yeah — weren't they split?
DON: Not exactl½ One of the soles was so worn under the foot Q28
that you could put your finger through it.
Well, we could certainly use some of those examples in
our presentation to explain why 90 percent of shoes
that people take to recycling centres or bins get thrown
into landfill.
BELLA: Mmm. What did you think about the project his team
set up to avoid this by making new shoes out of the
good parts of old shoes?
DON: It sounded like a good idea. They get so many shoes,
they should be able to match parts. I wasn't
surprised that it failed, though. I mean who wants to
buy second-hand shoes really? Think of all the germs
you could catch!
BELLA: Well, people didn't refuse them for that reason, did Q29
they? It was because the pairs of shoes weren't
identical.
DON'. They still managed to ship them overseas, though.
BELLA: That's another area we need to discuss.
DON: You know I used to consider this topic just from my
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own perspective, by thinking about my own recycling

behaviour without looking at the bigger picture. So
much happens once shoes leave the recycling area.
BELLA: It's not as simple as you first think, and we can show 030
that by taking a very different approach to it.
DON: Absolutely. So let's discuss .
PART 4
For my project on invertebrates, I chose to study tardigrades.
These are microscopic — or to be more precise — near-
microscopic animals. There are well over a thousand known
species of these tiny animals, which belong to the phylum
Tardigrada. Most tardigrades range in length from 0.05 to 1
millimetre, though the largest species can grow to be 1.2
millimetres in length. They are also sometimes called 'water
bears': 'water' because that's where they thrive
best, and 'bear' because of the way they move. 'Moss piglet' is Q31
another name for tardigrades because of the way they look
when viewed from the front. They were first discovered in
Germany in 1773 by Johann Goeze, who coined the name
Tardigrada.
As I say, there are many different species of tardigrade — too
many to describe here — but,
generally speaking, the different species share similar physical Q32
traits. They have a body which is short, and also rounded — a bit
like a barrel — and the body comprises four segments. Each
segment has a pair of legs, at the end of which are between four
and eight sharp claws.
I should also say that some species don't have any claws; Q33
What_they-haye-are-djscs, and these work by means of
suction. They enable the tardigrade to cling on to surfaces or
to grip its prey. Within the body, there are no lungs, or any
organs for breathing at all. Instead,
. Q34
As far as the tardigrade's head is concerned, the best way I can Q35
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describe this is that it looks rather strange — a bit squashed

even — though many of the websites I looked at described its
appearance as cute, which isn't exactly very scientific. The
tardigrade's mouth is a kind of tube that can open outwards to
reveal teeth-like structures known as 'stylets'. These are sharp
enough to pierce plant or animal cells.
So, where are tardigrades found? Well, they live in every part of
the world, in a variety of habitats: most commonly, on the bed of
a lake, or on many kinds of p ants or in very wet environments.
There's been some interesting research which has found that
tardigrades are capable of surviving radiation and very high
pressure, and they're also able to withstand temperatures as
cold as. —200 degrees centigrade. or highs of more than 148
degrees centigrade, which is incredibly hot. (236

It has been said that tardigrades could survive long after human 037
beings have been wiped out, even in the event of an asteroid
hitting the earth. If conditions become too extreme and
tardigrades are at risk of drying out, they enter a state called Q38
cryptobiosis. They curl into a ball, called a tun — that's T-U-N —
by retracting their head and egs, and their metabolism drops to (239
less than one percent of normal evels. They can remain like this
until they are re-introduced to water, when they will come back
to life in a matter of a few hours. While in a state of cryptobiosis,
tardigrades produce a protein that protects their DNA. In 2016,
scientists revived two tardigrades that had been tuns for more Q40
than 30 years. There was a report that, in 1948, a 120-year-old
tun was revived, but this experiment has never been repeated.
There are currently several tests taking place in space. to
determine how long tardigrades might be able to survive there. I
believe the record so far is 10 days.
So, erm, moving on. In terms of their diet, tardigrades consume
liquids in order to survive. Although they have teeth, they don't
use these for chewing. They suck the juices from moss. or
extract fluid from seaweed, but some species prey on other
tardigrades, from other species or within their own. I suppose
this isn't surprising, given that tardigrades are mainly comprised
22
 Test 2

of liquid and are coated with a type of gel.

Finally, I'd like to mention the conservation status of tardigrades.
It is estimated that they have been in existence for
approximately half a billion years and, in that time, they have
survived five mass extinctions. So, it will probably come as no
surprise to you, that tardigrades have not been evaluated by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature and are not on
any endangered list. Some researchers have described them as
thriving.
LEON: Hi Shannon — how are you settling into your new flat?
SHANNON:Really well, thanks.
LEON: You look like you're going shopping.
SHANNON:Yes, I am. My cousins are coming to stay for a couple of
days, and I have to cook for them.
LEON: Well, there are plenty of places to buy food in Kite
Place — it's the area by the harbour.
SHANNON:Oh, OK, I'll find that on the map. Thanks.
LEON.' What sort of food do you need to get?
SHANNON:Well, neither of them eats meat but they both like fish
Does anyone have any questions they'd like to
ask?

TEST
3
PART 1

23
 Test 3

LEON: Well, there's a really good fish market there.

SHANNON: Oh great — where is it exactly?
LEON: It's at the far end of Kite Place, so you have to go over the Q2
bridge and then it's on the right.
SHANNON: OK — is it open all day?
LEON: It doesn't close until four, but I'd recommend going
earlier than that — it does run out of some things.
SHANNON: Oh, I don't want that to happen.
LEON: As long as you get there by 3230, you should be fine. Q3
It's only 11 now, so plenty of time.
SHANNON'.Right.
LEON: Do you need to buy vegetables too?
SHANNON: I do, and I want to avoid all the plastic packaging in the
supermarket!
LEON: Well, there's a really nice organic shop there. Now
what's it called it's the name of a flower. I know, it's
'Rose'.
SHANNON: That's a nice name.
LEON: Yeah — it sells vegetables and quite a lot of other stuff.
SHANNON: And where's that?
LEON: Well, as you reach the market, you'll see a big grey
building on your left — I think it used to be a
warehouse. Anyway, now it's a restaurant upstairs, but
the ground floor has two shops either side of the
entrance and it's the one on the left.
SHANNON: That's easy enough.
LEON: You can't miss it — there's also a big sign on the
pavement so you can look for that.
SHANNON: Fine! I guess if I need anything else, I'll have to go to the
supermarket.
LEON: Yeah — you should be able to get everything you need,
but there's a minibus that goes to the supermarket if you
24
 Test 3

need it. It's purple and the number is 289.

SHANNON'.Thanks, that's great.

LEON: So what do you need to get at the fish market? The

salmon is always very good and the shellfish.
SHANNON:I'm going to make a curry, I think, and I need about 12
prawns for that.
LEON: They'll have plenty of those.
SHANNON:
OK.
LEON: Have you ever tried samphire? Q7
SHANNON:No — what's that?
LEON: It's a type of seaweed. I just ask for a handful and you fry it
in butter. It's delicious!
SHANNON:Oh, I might try that — how do you spell it?
LEON: It's S-A-M-P-H-I-R-E.
SHANNON:Great — it's always good to try something different.
LEON: Yeah.
SHANNON:I'llsee what beans they have in the organic shop and I
think I'll get something for dessert there.
LEON: How about a mango?
SHANNON:I'm not sure — they're not always ripe. I'd prefer a melon
— it's bigger too.
LEON: Good idea. The owner also sells a lot of spices there
that you can put in a curry,
and things like coconut. Q9
SHANNON:Oh, that's very helpful. I'll have a look.
LEON'. No problem.
SHANNON:I know bread doesn't really go with curry but I always like
to have some in case.
LEON: As I said — all the bread is home-made and there's lots of
variety. I like the brown bread myself.
SHANNON:Mm, sounds good.

25
 Test 3

LEON:They sell other things there too.

SHANNON:Like cakes? I love chocolate cake.
LEON:Well — not that, but they have a whole range of tarts and the
best are the
strawberry ones. QIO
SHANNON:Perfect — hopefully I won't even have to go to the
supermarket!

PART 2
PRESENTER:The children's book festival is coming up again soon
and here to tell us all about it is the festival's
organiser, Jenny Morgan. So tell us what we can
expect this year, Jenny.
JENNY: Well, as usual we've got five days of action-packed
exciting events for children, with writers coming from
all over the country getting involved.
Just to give you an idea of what's on offer in the
workshops, first of all, there's
a very special event called Superheroes. This is a QII
chance for deaf children to share their reading
experiences with author Madeleine Gordon, who is
herself hearing impaired.
'Just do it' is a practical workshop led by the well-known
illustrator Mark Keane.
He'll take participants on a magical journey to faraway Q12
lands with an opportunity for s irin actors to do some
role I
'Count on me' is an inspiring and entertaining look at the
issues of friendship
for 13—14-year-olds. It looks at some of the Q13
friendships described in popular books and asks
participants to compare these with their own
experiences. 'Speak up' is part of a series of
workshops on the subject of mental health. This
26
 Test 3

is a creative writing workshop encouraging children Q14

to describe situations where young people
experience loneliness. A recent survey revealed that
children can be lonely even when they're at home
with their families.
'Jump for joy', as many of you will know, is the heart-
warming, best-selling story
by Nina Karan about a young girl's trip to visit her Q15
relatives in India. It recently received the gold medal at
the Waterford Awards. Nina will get children to ce—
uate the word 'joy' by writing a poem.
'Sticks and stones' is the beautifully illustrated picture
book for young readers
about a community who organise an African-Caribbean Q16
festival to help local children learn about their
Jamaican roots. This will be a musical event where
children will have the chance to play steel drums. This
is bound to be very popular, so please book as soon as
possible.

PRESENTER:Thanks Jenny. That all sounds really interesting. I'm just

wondering if you have a favourite book you could
recommend for our readers?
JENNY: It's hard to choose, but Alive and Kicking is definitely
worth mentioning. You won't have heard of the writer
as it's her first book — which is really impressive. It's
basically the teenage diary of a boy from Somalia who
comes to live in the UK.
It deals with the serious issue of immigration and all (217/18
the challenges the boy has to face at school and with
the language barrier, etc. Usually, books like this are
quite sad, but this one actually made me cry with (217/18
laughter. On each page, there are simple but hilarious
black and white stick drawings of the boy with his
friends and teachers. At the end of each diary entry,
27
 Test 3

there are new English words the boy learns each day,
which may help develop some children's vocabulary.
PRESENTER:I think my kids would enjoy that. What about any advice
for parents on how to encourage their children to read
more?

JENNY: Well, this is something I get asked about a lot.

There are so many distractions for kids these days that it can be
hard to find time for reading. One thing I'd say is to make time
to sit down with your child and share books with them. A lot of
parents give up reading aloud to their children as soon as they
learn to read independently, but this is a mistake. It's good to
read more advanced books to them as it helps to develop their
vocabulary. If you don't have time for this, then
let them listen to audio books. Often, they'll want to read books Q19/20
they've listened to for themselves. I think it's a good idea to
make a mental note of the type of books your child is reading —
often they just read the same genre all the time,
which can get a bit boring. You can introduce new authors and Q19/20
genres to them. Librarians should be able to help you with
this. PRESENTER: Well Jenny, I think that's really useful. .

PART 3
CLARE: Hi Jake. How are you getting on with the practical
teaching?
JAKE: It's harder than I expected, but I've got some great classes.
How about you?
CLARE: Not brilliant. I'm really struggling with my Year 12 science
class.
JAKE: Are they hard to control?
CLARE: Well, I don't have discipline problems as such. It's just Q21
that they don't seem to think that science has anything
to do with their lives. It's depressing. They listen to
28
 Test 3

what I say, and I gave them a test last week and the
results weren't too bad, but there's no real
engagement.
JAKE: Right.
CLARE: And as part of my teaching practice, I have to design an
experiment for them to do. I was wondering about
something on the children's diets . . you know, asking
them to record what they eat and maybe linking it to
their state of health.
JAKE Mmm. Let's think. So your methodology would involve the
children recording
what they eat. OK, but you'd also need to have access to Q22
the children's medical records and I don't think people
would be happy about that; confidentiality would be an
issue. If you could get the right data, the conclusions
might be significant, but I suspect it's not going to be
easy.
CLARE: Right.
JAKE: Have you thought about doing an experiment using
animals?
CLARE: Wouldn't that be upsetting for the children?
JAKE: Well, the animals don't have to be harmed in any way. It
could just be an experiment where they're given a certain
diet and the effects are observed.
CLARE: Would I have to get permission to use animals?
JAKE: Yes, you'd have to submit an outline of the experiment
and fill in a form, but it's quite straightforward.
CLARE: But if we found out that, say, a particular diet affects the
health of animals,
the same thing wouldn't necessarily be true for people. Q23
would it?
JAKE: No that's true, but the findings for any experiment are
going to be limited. It's inevitable.
CLARE: I suppose so. So what animals could I use to investigate
29
 Test 3

the effects of diet? Mice?

JAKE: Yes. You'd need experimental mice — ones that have been
specially bred for experiments.
OK, so what will your experiment be investigating exactly?
CLARE: Well, something to do with nutrition. So maybe we
could look at food supplements . things like
extra iron and extra protein, and their impact on
health.

JAKE: Mmrn. That might be rather broad. Maybe just look at the
effects of one supplement, like sugar, on the health of the
mice?
CLARE: In fact, maybe the focus could be on whether mice can (224
control their own diet.
JAKE'. So, what happens when they have access to more sugar,
that they don't really need?
CLARE: Exactly. Do they eat it or do they decide to leave it?
JAKE: Great. Then later on, you could do a follow-up experiment
adding another variable.
Like, you could give some of the mice the chance to be Q25
more activel running on a wheel or something. and the
others iust sit around and don't do much.
CLARE: Or I could repeat the experiment but change the type of
food I provided or use mice with a different genetic
structure. But I think your idea would be more
interesting, I might think about that some more.

CLARE: So can I talk through a possible procedure for the

experiment where mice are given a sugar supplement?
JAKE: Sure. I did a similar experiment in college actually.
CLARE: Great. So how many mice would I need?
JAKE: I'd say about 12. And all young ones. not a mixture of old Q26
and young.

30
 Test 3

CLARE'. OK. And I'd need two groups of equal sizes, so six in each
group. And how would I tell them apart? I suppose I
could put some sort of tag on one group . or just
mark them in some way? Q27
JAKE: You could use food colouring, that wouldn't hurt them.
CLARE: Perfect. Then each group would go into a separate cage,
and one group, let's call them group A, would be the
control group. So they'd just have ordinary mouse food. I
suppose you can buy that?
JAKE: Yes, it comes in dry pellets.
CLARE: And the other group would have the same as the first
group, but they'd also have the extra sugar.
JAKE: Would you just give them straight sugar?
CLARE: It might be better to give them something like cereal with Q28
it.
JAKE: Mmm. Then you'd need to weigh the mice, I should think
once a week. And you'd need an electronic balance.
CLARE: But we can't hold them on the balance, or it'd affect the
reading.
JAKE: Exactly. So you need something called a weighing Q29
chamber to stop the mice from runnjng_away. It sounds
complicated, but actually you can just use a plastic box
with holes in the top.
CLARE: OK. So once we've measured the weight gain of each Q30
mouse we can work out the average for each group.
as well as the standard deviation. And then see where
we go from there. That sounds cool, I think the
students will enjoy it.
JAKE: Yes. One thing

PART 4
In today's lecture, I'm going to be talking about microplastics.
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than five
millimetres in size. Recently there's been a greater awareness
31
 Test 3

that there are large quantities of plastic waste — big and small —
in the environment. The amount of plastic waste in the oceans
has received widespread attention, but far less is known about
the effects of microplastics in freshwater and particularly in soil.
Microplastics can enter the environment via a number of different
sources. Threads and
microflbres detach from synthetic clothing every time they're put in Q31
a washing machine, and
these find their way into the water system. Other sources
include big pieces of plastic waste that are already in the
environment, and these break down into microscopic particles
over a period of time. On a larger scale, factory waste is another
route, as are tyres which wear down as cars, lorries and so on
travel along road surfaces.
We already understand some of the impacts of microplastics from
studies involving fish and other animals. There is evidence that
microplastics harm small creatures in a variety of ways, such as by
damaging their mouths, or by impairing their ability to feed, for
example when microplastics get lodged in their digestive system.
Surprisingly perhaps, it is likely that humans consume
microplastics, as these have been detected in a wide range of
food and drink products, including bottled water, as well as in
water that comes direct from the tap. What's more, salt and
many kinds of seafood have also been found to contain
microplastics.
Q32
However, it's important to underline that there is not yet
conclusive proof that microplastics cause significant harm to
people. In many countries, including here in the UK, there is
legislation which prevents manufacturers from adding plastic Q33
microbeads to shower gels. facial cleansers and toothpaste.
It is very difficult to accurately estimate the total amount of
microplastic particles in the soil as they can be hard to detect, Q34
but we do know they are carried in the air and deposited in
the soil by rain. What's more, many of the fertilisers used by
both farmers and gardeners contain microplastics. Q35
32
 Test 3

A team from the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge has

carried out a study of the effects of microplastics on the
digestive tracts of earthworms. These worms, which live in
topsoil, are an essential component of our agricultural system.
By feeding on soil. they mix nutrients into it. thereby making it
more fertile.
The researchers set out to discover whether the introduction of
microplastics into the soil — and the subsequent ingestion of
these by earthworms — would impact soil quality and
ultimately inhibit plant growth. The short answer was, yes, it
did. After placing three different types of microplastic particles
into the soil, they planted perennial rye grass. The particles of
microplastic, which included biodegradable PLA and
conventional high-density polyethylene, or HDPE, were then
ingested by the earthworms in the soil. The result was that the
worms lost-Y—jght-rapjd/.y. What's more, a lower percentage
than normal of the rye grass seeds germinated, and the
researchers concluded that this was a direct result of the Q36
earthworms being unable to fulfil their normal role in making
soil more fertile. The team also discovered that there was an
increase in the amount of acid found in the soil, and this was Q37
attributed mainly to the microplastic particles from
conventional HDPE plastic.
The conclusions of the study make for very interesting reading Q38
— I've included the reference in the notes to give you at the end
of this session. To summarise, the authors proposed the idea
that we need to regard soil as we would regard any other Q39
process in nature. This means we should accept the implications
of soil being dependent on decaying and dead matter constantly
being passed through the bodies of earthworms. That is, when
soil becomes impoverished by the presence of microplastics,
society are negatively impacted. Q40

33
 Test 3

TEST
4
PART 1
KAEDEN: Hello Charlotte. I'm Kaeden, one of the supervisors.
Welcome to the team.
CHARLOTTE:Hi Aden.
KAEDEN: It's Kaeden.
CHARLOTTE:I'm so sorry.
KAEDEN: Don't worry. People often get my name wrong; they
never know how to spell it. It's K-A-E-D-E-N, in case you
ever need to write it.
CHARLOTTE:I'll try and remember.
KAEDEN: So, there are a few practical things you need to sort out
this morning. Then I'll show you what you're going to do
today.
CHARLOTTE:The email I received said to go to the front desk, to
show my letter of appointment and pick up my badge.
RAE-DEN: You'll need that for the staffroom and other areas of the
supermarket where shoppers aren't allowed.
So, after you've finished at the front desk, I'll take you to
the staffroom. Put your
coat and rucksack in one of the lockers there. Take C02

whichever one is free.

CHARLOTTE:Will I have a key?
RAE-DEN: Yes. Try not to lose it. At the end of the day, leave it in
the door for the next person to use.
CHARLOTTE:Will do.
KAEDEN: You also need to go to the HR department to see
Tiffany. She's really helpful.
CHARLOTTE:I was told to bring my passport with me. HR need to take
a note of the number in it.
KAEDEN: That's right. Or you can show your ID card.
CHARLOTTE:I don't have one of those.
KAEDEN: OK. Tiffany will give you a uniform. They have lots in (04

34
 Test 3

different sizes, so you just tell her what you need. I

won't come with you to HR — I've got to go and sort
something else out. Problem with a bread slicer.
CHARLOTTE:Is the HR office near the staffroom?
KAEDEN: The staffroom's on the first floor, and HR are a couple of
floors above that, on the third floor. There's a staircase
outside the staffroom.
CHARLOTTE:OK.
KAEDEN: When you've finished with HR, come and find me in the
bakery section of the shop.
CHARLOTTE:I'm looking forward to getting started.
KAEDEN: I'll just give you my phone number, in case you can't find
me. Have you got your phone there?
CHARLOTTE Yes . . . OK, ready.
KAEDEN: It's oh-four-one-two double-six-five nine-oh-three. (26
CHARLOTTE:OK, done.

I<AEDEN: So, Charlotte, your tasks today are in the bakery

section, on the sushi counter, and on the meat and
fish counters. The first job is to check sell-by dates on
CHARLOTTE:the bread and cakes. If any of the dates are today's,
put a new price label on the packaging.
What if any of the labels are yesterday's dates, or
older? Do I throw those items away?
1 14

KAEDEN: Yes, but that shouldn't happen — we check the stock

every day. When something needs a new price label,
put a yellow one on the package, next to the original
price.
CHARLOTTE:
OK.
KAEDEN: After that, you'll go to the sushi takeaway counter.
CHARLOTTE: Will I be preparing boxes of food?
KAEDEN: For today, you'll just be helping the staff.
CHARLOTTE: Yes, of course.

35
 Test 3

KAEDEN: You'll see lots of flat cardboard boxes at one end of the
counteL Beneath those
is where we keep the plastjç boxes — we run out of 08
those really quickly, so you should bring more from the
storeroom.
CHARLOTTE: Is that my only task on the sushi counter?
KAEDEN: No. You also need to clean the area where they
prepare the dishes. There are cloths and bottles of
spray by the sink. Oh, and please make sure you
clean that too.
CHARLOTTE' Sure. That's important, isn't it?
.
KAEDEN: Absolutely. But you mustn't wash up knives. You have to
do some training before you're allowed to touch sharp
objects.
CHARLOTTE: What should I do if there are any?
KAEDEN: Ask someone to put them in the dishwasher.
CHARLOTTE: OK, thanks. I don't want to get anything wrong.
KAEDEN: Don't worry. You'll be fine. And I'll be around to help.
CHARLOTTE: Right.
KAEDEN: Finally, the meat and fish counters. You need to clean
the area where staff serve customers, including wiping
the weighing scales.
CHARLOTTE: OK. Anything else?
"AE-DEN: The fish is laid on ice, but when that starts to melt, Q9
you'll need to get more from the cold-room.
CHARLOTTE: I know the staff on the food counters wear a hat. Will
that be the same for me?
KAEDEN: You won't be serving customers directly, so no. But make
sure you put on
thermal gloves when you take anything out of the cold- QIO
room. The temperature's low enough in there to get
frostbite from touching things.
CHARLOTTE: Understood.

PART 2
My name's Liz Fuller and I'm a running coach with Compton Park

36
 Test 3

Runners Club.
Welcome to my podcast. If you're thinking about taking up running
L
— I'm here to help.
There are many training programmes available online which aim
to help people build up to running 5 kilometres. Some of them
are great and thousands of people of all ages are taking part in
5-kilometre races across the country as a result. People like
them because they're easy
to follow and don't push them too hard. However, they don't work(211/12
for everyone — especially if
because they're aimed at
people
with average fitness and running ability. Another thing is that Q11/12
everyone is different — and jf_you have any specific questions
related to your needs. there's no one to provide any answers.
I have a couple of simple tips I always give to new runners. I
expect you've been told to run very slowly until your fitness
increases — well, I find that can prevent progress. You should
run at a speed that feels comfortable, but time yourself and try
to run a bit faster each time.
Listening to music can be very helpful — it takes your mind off Q13/14
things and helps your body get into a rhythm. I'd say that is better
than running with a friend — especially as most people are

competitive and that's not what you want when you're just
starting. I don't think the time of day is especially important —
some people are better in the evening, while others are morning
people — but you need to be consistent, so aim to train regularly
— twice a week is enough to begin with. Q13/14

New members often say to me that they've been put off running Q15
either because they lack confidence, or they don't have time, or
they think they dislike running. Ceri, for example, joined the club
two years ago at the age of 40. She'd always enjoyed running at Q16
school but wasn't sure if she'd be able to do it. She was worried
about being left behind and being the slowest runner. But she
Q17

37
 Test 3

says she was made to feel so welcome she soon forgot all about Q18
that.
James had always hated the idea of running but a friend
encouraged him to come along for a taster session and he hasn't
looked back. He never misses a training session despite having a Q19
really demanding job.
Leo was worried about having to commit himself to training
sessions every week and wasn't sure he'd be able to fit training
into his busy schedule. But after experiencing a lot of stress at Q20
work he came along to us and gave it a go. Now he says he feels
much more relaxed and he looks forward to his weekly run.
Mark is quite typical of our new members. He's never
considered himself to be a sporty person and it was only when
he retired that he decided to take up the challenge of trying to
run 5 kilometres. It took him months to find the courage to
contact us but felt reassured immediately as there were other
people his age who were only just taking up running for the first
time.
My own journey hasn't been easy. I did my first marathon Q21
when I was 37, after having had two kids. My husband had
been running marathons for years, but I never dreamed I'd be
doing one with him. I managed to complete it in four hours,
but I felt like giving up halfway through — it was only the
support of the spectators that kept me going.
I do think signing up for a race of whatever length is motivating
— whether it's 5K or 25K — because it's good to have
something to work towards and it gives you a sense of
achievement. I did my first 10K after only six months, which
was certainly very challenging and not something I'd necessarily
recommend. But after you've been training for a few weeks, it's
worth putting your name down for a 5K — some people find
they only need a few practice runs before taking part in a race,
but I'd give yourself a couple of months at least.
Well, I hope that's given

PART 3
KIERAN:So Jane — you'll be off to Denmark soon to do your work
placement.

38
 Test 3

JANE: Yes, I'm really looking forward to it and I've just started
packing up all my books to put in storage.
KIERAN:Well, I hope they don't get spoilt.
JANE: It's OK — my grandfather works in a bookshop and he told
me how to pack them. KIERAN: Oh, that's helpful.
JANE: He says you have to support the spine otherwise the paper
can come away from the cover.
KIERAN:Yeah — that's obvious.
JANE: He also told me to pack them flat in the box not on their
side — again because they can bend and if you leave them like
that for. say. a year, it's quite hard to get them back to their
normal shape.
KIERAN: Well. it's pretty clear that ruins them, but a lot of people just can't be
bothered to protect their books.
JANE:He always says it's such a shame that publishers don't use better-quality
paper.
KIERAN:It's the acid in the paper that causes the prob em, isn't it?
JANE: Yeah — that's why old books go yellow. You know some of the books
my grandfather's given me are like that already. KIERAN: Oh .
JANE: I should dump them really if they're going to deteriorate Q22
further. but I'd feel bad. They'll always remind me of him.
He's quite a collector, you know.
KIERAN: Well, if they're important to you
JANE: Yeah — I'd regret just throwing them away.

39
 Test 3

KIERAN: You know, maybe it's because I was taught to treasure

books . . but I hate seeing students force open the
pages — of paperbacks. They press so hard they end
up breaking the spine.
JANE: I know, but unfortunately, paperbacks aren't designed to
last a long time and people know that. Hardbacks aren't
quite as weak.
KIERAN: Yeah, they're different, I suppose. But I still don't think
people value hardbacks like they used to.
JANE: Well, they aren't decorative, are they, like other objects.
Plus, nowadays, people don't keep them out on shelves as
much as they used to.
KIERAN: That's such a pity. When I visit someone — if they have. Q23
say, a colourful book on a table, it's the first thing I'm
drawn to.
JANE: I agree — and book covers can be a work of art in
themselves. Some are really. eye-catching.
KIERAN: I've always been taught to handle books carefully. If you
watch someone take a book off a shelf, well, they usually
do it wrong.
JANE: Ah, my grandfather says, you should put your hand
right over the top of the book . . or if you can't do that,
pull the other books on the shelf aside so that you can
hold the whole cover.
KIERAN: When did you learn all this?
JANE: He watched me pull a heavy book off the shelf when I was Q24
small. and it fell on the floor and broke apart.
KIERAN: Oh dear!
JANE: I can still remember it!
KIERAN: You know what I really like?
JANE: What?
KIERAN: The smell of new books.
JANE: Me too.
KIERAN: My parents used to laugh at me when I was a kid
because I loved putting books up to my nose. Almost as
much as reading them!

40
 Test 3

JANE: Ne-vm-oksarentçheapLthough.arQthey?
Q25
KIERAN: I guess we're lucky we can buy them.
JANE My grandfather stocks second-hand books as well as new
ones and they don't smell quite as good.

KIERAN:I'd love to have a bookshop like your grandfather. What's it like?

JANE: Well, it's quite big — it's got two floors and an attic, and he stocks all kinds
of books really.
KIERAN:I guess he treasures things like first editions and other rare books.
JANE: Yeah — you might think he'd keep those in the attic or somewhere.
KIERAN:so they'd be hidden?

JANE: Yeah. But he likes people to know that he has them. So, he Q26
puts them out in the shop but makes sure you need a
ladder to get them.
KIERAN: Right. That would prevent any thefts!
JANE: Uhuh.
KIERAN: Does he stock books for children?
JANE: He does. He particularly likes to encourage kids to read;
he always says that he used to sit under the stairs as a
child with a pile of books and read them all.
KIERAN: Is that where he keeps them, then?
JANE: Not exactly — he's got a dedicated area on the ground Q27
floor with cushions so that parents can enter with their
toddlers, go there and spend some time reading to
them.
KIERAN: Oh cool.
JANE: And then there's a place for pushchairs by the front door.
And a café if anyone needs refreshments.
KIERAN: That's good to know.
JANE: As I said, it's a big shop and there's a storage area out the
back as well.
KIERAN: Oh, what does he keep there? Books he wants to
throw away?
JANE: He hardly ever throws anything away — he just leaves Q28

41
 Test 3

unwanted books by the front door for customers to

take.
KIERAN: Well, that's very nice.
JANE: Yeah — and books people or institutions have Q29
requested. they all go at the far end.
KIERAN: Oh.
JANE: He thinks it's best to keep these out of the main shopping
area as they're boxed and new.
KIERAN: Did you get your coursebooks from him?
JANE: Naturally. He stocks books for a lot of the colleges. He
used to keep these books
on the first floor, but now there's a new university in Q30
my hometown, he's moved them downstairs to attract
the students. They're actually part of the coffee shop.
on low shelves all around it.
KIERAN: Pretty central then. You'll have to take me there some
time!
PART 4
Tree planting now dominates political and popular agendas and
is often presented as an easy answer to the climate crisis, as well
as a way for business corporations to offset their carbon
emissions. But unfortunately, tree planting isn't as
straightforward as some people think. When the wrong trees are
planted in the wrong place, it can do considerably more damage
than good, failing to help either people or the environment.
Reforestation projects are currently being undertaken on a huge
scale in many countries and it's crucial that the right trees are
selected. A mix of species should always be planted, typical of
the local natural forest ecosystem and including rare and
endangered species in order to create a rich ecosystem. It's
important to avoid non-native species that could become
invasive. Invasive species are a significant contributor to the Q31
current global biodiversity crisis and are often in competition with
native species and may threaten their long-term survival.
Restoring biodiversity that will maximise carbon capture is key
when reforesting an area, but ideally any reforestation project
should have several goals. These could include selecting

42
 Test 3

trees that can contribute to wildlife conservation, improve the Q32

availability of food for the local community and maintain the
stability of soil systems. Meeting as many of these goals as
possible, whilst doing no harm to local communities, native
ecosystems and vulnerable
species, is the sign of a highly successful tree-planting scheme.
To ensure the survival and resilience of a planted forest, it's
vital to use tree seeds with appropriate levels of genetic
diversity: the amount of genetic variation found within a
species essential for their survival. Using seeds with low
genetic diversity generally lowers the resilience of restored
forests. which can make them vulnerable to disease and
unable to adapt to climate change.
Choosing the right location for reforestation projects is as
important as choosing the right trees. Ultimately, the best area
for planting trees would be in formerly forested areas that are
in poor condition. It's better to avoid non-forested landscapes
such as natural grasslands, savannas or wetlands as these
ecosystems already contribute greatly to capturing carbon. It Q33
would also be advantageous to choose an area where trees
could provide other benefits, such as recreational spaces.
Reforesting areas which are currently exploited for agriculture
should be avoided as this often leads to other areas being
deforested. Q34

Large-scale reforestation projects require careful planning. Q35

Making the right decisions about where to plant trees depends on
having the right information. Having detailed and up-to-date maps
identifying high-priority areas for intervention is essential. Drone Q36
technology is a useful tool in helping to prioritise and monitor
areas of degraded forest for restoration. In Brazil, it's being used
to identify and quantify how parts of the Amazon are being
devastated by human activities such as rearing cattle and illegal
logging.
Q37
A good example of where the right trees were picked to achieve a
restored forest is in
Lampang Province in Northern Thailand. A previously forested Q38
site which had been degraded through mining was reforested by
a cement company together with Chiang Mai University. After

43
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spreading 60 cm of topsoil, they planted 14 different native tree Q39

species which included several species of fig. Figs are a keystone
species because of the critical role they play in maintaining
wildlife populations. They are central to tropical reforestation
projects as they accelerate the speed of the recovery process by Q40
attracting animals and birds which act as natural seed
dispersers. This helps to promote diversity through the healthy
regrowth of a wide range of plant species. Unlike the majority of
fruit trees, figs bear fruit all year round, providing a reliable food
source for many species. At this site. for example. after only
three rainy seasons. monkeys started visiting to eat the fig
fruits, naturally dispersing seeds through defecation.
Reforestation projects should always aim to make sure that local
communities are consulted and involved in the decision-making
process.
The restoration of mangrove forests in Madagascar is an
example of a project which has succeeded in creating real
benefits for the community. Destruction of the mangrove
forests had a terrible impact on plant and animal life. and also
badly affected the fishing industry, which was a major source of
employment for local people living in coastal areas. The
reforestation project involved hiring local people to plant and
care for the new mangrove trees. Millions of mangrove trees
have now been planted which has resulted in the return of a
healthy aquatic ecosystem. The mangroves also act as a
defence against the increased threat of flooding caused by
climate change. What's more, the local economy is more stable
and thousands more Madagascans are now able to send their
children to school.

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