Unit 1 Test Speaker 5:

I had very little confidence in myself when I was younger. My

01 older brother was a great deal cleverer than me and much
better at football and rugby. He was on the school teams.
Speaker 1:
I felt a bit of a second-class citizen I guess. Then, when I
My twin brother and I are incredibly competitive. We always
discovered climbing all that changed. I found I was actually
tried to do better than each other at school – which was good
good at something. I quickly exhausted the local climbing
for our grades I guess! However, the competition extended to
centre and started looking for outdoor challenges. Nowadays,
sports and even the supposedly noncompetitive family games.
climbing is about proving I’m still good at it. It’s also a kind of
Those friendly tennis matches, for instance, always ended up
escape. While I’m climbing there’s no time to think, you have
in a heated debate about whether a ball was in or out. I think
to keep your mind clear to focus on the job in hand. Only when
that’s why we both do these events. We enjoy exercise,
you reach the top can you give yourself a pat on the back.
obviously, but we basically don’t want to lose or be seen to be
Even then it’s a quick one because you’ve still got to get
weaker than each other. It started with a half-marathon that we
back down!
ran for charity and has built up to these Ironman competitions.
The good thing is that however much we want to win we’re
also there for each other. We have each other’s backs.
Unit 2 Test
Speaker 2:
02
I don’t think anyone’s ever actually asked me why I do these
things. I don’t know really. I guess because I can, I mean Presenter: Hello and welcome to Your Shout – the show
money isn’t an issue. I made a lot of money when I was very where people talk about things that annoy them.
young – a well-timed app creation! I’m mad about cars, not just I’m Jenny Jones and with me in the studio today
the top-of-the-range sports cars but the classic and vintage is Maria Eckhart and she’s here to talk about her
models, too. Plus, I crave adventure and am always keen to personal frustration, which is fashion. Hello Maria
add to my list of exploits. So when anyone suggests a rally I and welcome.
jump at the chance. I did the Peking to Paris endurance drive Maria: Hello Jenny.
last year which was my best adventure by far to date. Now I’m Presenter: So, I’m quite intrigued by this. What is it about
looking at the Inca Rally as I fancy seeing South America. fashion that you don’t like?
Maria: Well, it’s not that I don’t like fashion as such, it’s
Speaker 3: just that it’s so established in all aspects of our
I’ve always enjoyed being adventurous and trying out the more lives and sometimes it causes me more trouble
dangerous sports. I’m a bit of an adrenalin-junkie I guess. I did than it’s worth.
my first jump when I was 18. I have to admit that the first time Presenter: What kind of trouble?
it was a little scary and it felt a bit unnatural to be jumping out Maria: Well, let’s start with clothes fashion, which I
of a plane. But having overcome my fears that first time, I felt guess is the obvious thing that people think
empowered and now I just love that feeling in the seconds about when you say fashion. I quite enjoy
before you jump. It’s a tickling feeling of excitement which reading magazines and seeing what people think
surges into a complete adrenalin rush as you make the jump. is in vogue. But it would have to be skinny
During the ten or 20 seconds of free fall you experience a trousers that are all the rage at the moment and
feeling of complete and utter freedom and once you land you have been for several years now. I’m constantly
get a real sense of accomplishment. looking in the shop windows to see if trouser legs
are widening even the tiniest bit. I’m one of those
Speaker 4: unfortunate people whose body shape really isn’t
We do these activities to raise money for a charity which is suited to skinny trousers and I find them
close to our hearts. We’ve both lost loved ones to this disease incredibly uncomfortable. So it takes me forever
and this organisation was amazing both during and after the to find any trousers that fit me these days. In
ordeals. We’re both retired and we feel that participating in addition, there’s very little choice because most
these challenges encourages us to live life to the full as well as lines are geared up to being fashionable.
raise money for a good cause. We’ve just raised £23,000 by Presenter: Yes, I know what you mean. Although I rather
doing this hike of the Inca Trail. Next year we plan to hike the like skinny jeans.
Appalachian Trail in the US. I think it’ll be more challenging by
far because we’re covering a considerably longer distance, but
it’ll also be our best adventure yet and we hope to raise even
more money.

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Maria: That’s because you look good in them! Presenter: Well, Maria, thanks for sharing the things that
Presenter: Thank you. But yes I guess fashion can reduce bother you. Do you feel any better?
your choices if you don’t like the current style. Maria: A little, thank you.
What about in other areas of your life. Does
fashion affect you there, too?
Maria: Oh yes. The hot-drink industry is another one Unit 3 Test
which drives me crazy. They will keep inventing
new ways to drink your coffee: cappuccino, latte, 03
mocha, with cream or without, with milk or soya
Hello everyone. We’re coming to the end of this module on
milk, with a special flavour, the list is endless. All th
Britain in the 19 century. We’ve looked at politics and met
I want is a strong black coffee, do we really need
characters such as Gladstone and Disraeli, we’ve touched on
all this choice?
war and the empire and, of course, we’ve studied Queen
Presenter: I fear some people would say yes we do!
Victoria. Today I thought we would look more specifically at the
Maria: Well, not me. I prefer to keep things simple. The
role of women in society at this time. First of all, I want to talk
same goes for cakes. My mum often bakes
about two women who gained fame during the Crimean War.
cakes at home so I’m used to home baking and I
love it. The trend at the moment seems to be for I’m sure you’ve all heard of Florence Nightingale, haven’t you?
these glamorous 3D cakes in the form of pretty I thought so, but for those of you who may only be aware of
much anything from a shoe or handbag to a her name, here are some facts. She was born in 1820 and
football. lived until she was 90, which is a feat in itself for those days.
Presenter: I know, I’ve seen them. They look very cool. She decided early on that she wanted to be a nurse, but it took
Maria: Well, they may look good but they don't taste years to persuade her parents to allow her to follow this
good. They use that icing that is easy to roll and career. She came from a middle-class family and her parents
press into shapes, but it tastes horrible and they were intent on her getting married and settling down into a life
use so much of it that you can’t taste the cake. of domesticity. She finally wore them down and was allowed to
Take them away, please! study nursing in Germany in 1850. She then became a nurse
Presenter: I’ll see what I can do! Any other areas where in London in 1853. At the outset of the Crimean War she was
fashion has affected your choices? sent with a group of nurses to take care of the wounded
Maria: Well, technology is the other obvious one. I try to soldiers in Scutari, now part of Istanbul. During this time, she
keep abreast of new technology and I really like began to understand the need for cleanliness in hospitals and
my new smartphone. But it's very annoying how on her return she masterminded a report which demonstrated
they will bring out a new model of phone, the S6 the importance of hygiene when treating the sick. She
for example, and then only a few months later, continued campaigning for better conditions in hospitals in
due to updating, they start selling the S6B which England. She started with the simple idea of encouraging
is supposedly even better. If you want to keep on nurses to wash their hands as often as possible, something
trend and have the latest gadget, it costs a that is now part and parcel of every hospital worker’s day. As a
fortune! result, she is considered to be the founder of modern nursing.
Presenter: That is true. I suppose for the companies it’s a Someone else who worked in nursing at this time who is less
good way of making money, but it’s not so good well known but no less remarkable is Mary Seacole. Born Mary
for the consumer’s wallet. Grant in 1805, she grew up in Jamaica, in the Caribbean. Her
Maria: Right! father was a Scottish soldier and her mother was Jamaican, so
Presenter: Any more examples? she was of mixed race. She learnt nursing from her mother,
Maria: As it happens yes, I do have one more. The who ran a house for injured soldiers. Surprisingly for that
other day my dad was buying a new car and the period, Mary was quite the adventurer and travelled to visit
salesman asked us what colour we’d like. I said different places in the Caribbean, Central America and
red as I thought that would be a fun colour. We England where she increased her knowledge of medicine. She
were then told that that would cost another £400 married Edwin Seacole in 1836, but he died in 1844 and they
because red is all the rage at the moment. In the didn’t have any children.
end we opted for black as it felt silly paying more
In 1854 while she was visiting England, she asked the War
for a colour just because it was popular.
Office in London to send her to the Crimea to help nurse the
Presenter: I’ve never heard of that before. Still, look on the
soldiers, but they refused. It’s not clear why she wasn’t allowed
bright side. Next month black might be the must-
to volunteer, but it probably had something to do with her
have colour and then you’ll be on trend!
position in society. In those days, the position of mixed race
Maria: I hadn’t thought of that!

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people in society in England was uncertain. The refusal did not Speaker 3:
deter Mary and showing her determination she set out on her Well, as an ocean lover, I have to say Jacques Cousteau is
own for the Crimea and established a hotel for sick and one of the greatest explorers. He may not have mapped new
convalescing soldiers. She also visited the battlefields at times continents or discovered a new route to the other side of the
and gained such a reputation that she became known as world, but he showed us what was under the water. He was a
Mother Seacole. At the end of the war she returned to England co-inventor of the aqualung and this invention is what enables
and published a book about her travels. She continued caring us to scuba dive today. In the 60s and 70s his ocean
for the sick in England and Jamaica until she died in 1881. explorations, which were later televised, really opened up the
Although these women came from very different backgrounds undersea world to everyone. In those days, a lot of people had
they were both forced to fight for their beliefs and to achieve never swum in the sea and had certainly never been diving
their ambitions. They were both battling prejudices of the times underwater. So his films showing the myriad varieties of fish
regarding the position of women in society and the issue of and corals proved very popular. In addition, he was one of the
race. Although Florence Nightingale gained more fame and first people to realise the effects that human civilisation was
perhaps left a greater mark in history’s notebooks, Mary having on the oceans and he founded the Cousteau Society in
Seacole also gave a great deal to society at the time. 1973 to lead campaigns to raise awareness of the underwater
environment. You could say he was an early environmentalist,
Now I would like you to investigate the role of women during this which makes him a visionary as well as an explorer.
period in more detail. I’d like you to find examples of other
women who were trying to break the mould. People often see Speaker 4:
the Suffragette movement of the 1900s as the start of women’s I think Yuri Gagarin deserves a mention. He quite literally
liberation if you want to call it that. However, I think it started started the space age. I can’t imagine anything scarier than
before then and I’d like you to help me prove this theory. being the first man to go up into space. He had no way of
knowing what it would be like and whether all the equipment
would work. I guess he couldn’t even be sure whether he
Review Test 1, Units 1–3 would return to Earth. So I think that makes him perhaps the
bravest explorer ever. That journey in 1961 opened up a whole
04
new world, a new galaxy of exploration options, not just for the
Speaker 1: Soviet Union but for the whole planet.
I consider Vasco da Gama to be one of the greatest explorers of
all time. He was the first man to lead an expedition around Cape Speaker 5:
Horn to India back in the 1490s. This voyage opened the way I would say that James Cook deserves the accolade for
for world exploration by introducing people to other continents greatest explorer. He spent more than a decade leading
and countries. By creating a route around the tip of Africa, voyages of discovery. On the first voyage that he led from
sailors could avoid the Mediterranean, which was dangerous at 1768 to 1771, he mapped New Zealand and discovered
the time with different nations disputing their rights to navigate it. Australia. On subsequent voyages he investigated much of
It increased trading enormously too as it introduced Indian Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean, where he encountered
spices and other commodities to Europe. For me that journey some of the islands of Hawaii. However, Cook is not just
was by far the greatest accomplishment of the era. You could remembered for his discoveries. The detailed navigation and
say he started the fashion for travelling. cartography information that he left behind gave him a
reputation for being very thorough. In addition, thanks to the
Speaker 2: success of his first undertaking where he was leading a group
I know it’s a bit of a cliché but Christopher Columbus was a real of scientists into uncharted waters, subsequent scientific
adventurer to me. I know he named the West Indies as such expeditions such as that of Charles Darwin were encouraged.
because he believed he had arrived in India and didn’t realise
he’d found a continent unknown to Europeans at the time. But
that doesn’t make his achievement any less important. He had
successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean, which was a real feat
in those days when no-one really knew what lay before them.
I’m sure he couldn’t have foreseen how his findings would
change the world. It set off a string of events that led to the
Spanish colonising most of Central and South America and
using the gold and other riches they found to expand an empire
that played a strong part in Europe for centuries. Today Spanish
influence in Latin America is still evident in the language,
governing methods, architecture and so on.

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 Unit 4 Test Angela: Freelance tribers? What are they?
James: I suppose project manager would be another way
05 to describe them. They are people who are hired
to put together specialist teams for specific
Angela: Hello and welcome to Discussion Hour. Today
projects. They’re already widely used in the film
we’re going to talk about the future job market
and television industries and will become popular
and how we can prepare ourselves for it. I’m
in other areas before too long. Traditionally, in-
joined today by James Towers, the director of
house managers have done this job. However,
Jobsearch. Hello James.
this position is slowly becoming less essential as
James: Good morning Angela, thanks for having me on
technology reduces their role and there is more
the programme.
need for people who are hands-on rather than
Angela: I think my first question is how do we prepare
out of touch.
ourselves for jobs that may not even exist yet?
Angela: What skills would a triber need?
James: Now, that’s a difficult question. It is true that jobs
James: Well, the key attribute is to be able to maintain
are changing rapidly these days and that there
relationships with individuals from all kinds of
are now some jobs that didn’t exist 30 years ago:
backgrounds so that they have prospective
video game designer, life coach, personal fitness
contacts for any job that might come up. They
trainer to name a few. However, I don’t think it’s
would achieve this with social media, of course,
possible to second-guess what jobs may or may
so they’ll be keen on technology. They’ll also
not come about. Virtual reality designers might
need to be creative because the kinds of projects
well be a growth area; however, virtual reality
that they’re called in to manage will be the ones
might not take off and then this job won’t be very
that machines can’t do and where it’s essential to
important. I think it’s more relevant to look at
think outside the box.
which professions will require more workers in
Angela: That’s interesting. I like the sound of that job title.
the future or which ones might become obsolete.
I guess other jobs that run the machines will
Angela: Can you give some examples of that?
grow in importance, too.
James: Absolutely. One job that will no doubt fade out is
James: Yes, data processors, computer programmers
that of delivery person for instance. This is
and app designers will all be in high demand. So
because drones and driverless cars will be
studying subjects like technology and keeping
employed in this capacity and will take over,
up-to-date with industry developments in this
rather like mechanisation is taking over from
area is essential to work in this industry. Moving
factory workers.
on to a completely different industry, urban
Angela: That sounds quite futuristic, but I’m sure you’re
farmer is another job that is probably on the rise.
right and it’s likely to happen in the next decade
Angela: What is an urban farmer?
or so.
James: Well, it’s just as it sounds really. The main
James: Yes, various companies are on the verge of
difference between traditional farming and urban
producing driverless cars and plan to have them
farming is the size of the farm. Urban farmers
in use by the mid-2020s.
only have access to small plots of land, so in
Angela: OK, let’s move on to jobs that will require more
order to be profitable they need to grow high
workers then.
value, fast growing crops such as lettuces,
James: Well, the healthcare industry is one which is
carrots and asparagus. As green spaces become
going to expand over the next few decades,
fewer and fewer this is an industry that is going
mainly because people are living longer and the
to grow rapidly.
age of the world’s population is rising. Nurses,
Angela: Excellent, a job for those who enjoy being
doctors and carers will be in high demand and
outside. Now, let’s look at how we can prepare
there is no doubt about that.
ourselves for these new jobs.
Angela: Yes, I can see that. It’s not surprising really.
James: Another area which will be in high demand is
freelance teachers. The number of online
courses is increasing all the time as people
decide to study part-time or by correspondence
in order to fit it around their work. Freelance
tribers are another group that are sure to be in
great demand.

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 Unit 5 Test somewhere or a great street performance were what you
enjoyed most. If you don’t write that down, you might forget
06 and that would be a shame.
Speaker 1:
Speaker 5:
I love street art. There’s something about painting a large
This may sound a bit odd, but I enjoy being a living statue in
space which is more challenging than using a piece of paper.
my free time. I started doing it when I was in fancy dress one
If you’re given free rein to paint anything you want, then you
year and it progressed from there. I have a couple of spots in
really get a chance to put your ideas on show. Pete, a friend of
town where I can turn up and try to blend in with my
mine, knew someone who had a bare wall they wanted
surroundings. I cover myself in gold paint and old-fashioned
painting to brighten up the area and he invited me along to
clothes: waistcoat, jacket, braces, spectacles, walking stick
help. After that I was hooked. I tend to paint landscapes but
and a cap. I stand very still on a box and then if someone
with patterns intertwined in them. So there’s never just a plain
drops some money in the box in front of me, I move. Exactly
blue sky for instance, it will have lines and twirls in it to give the
what I do depends on my mood, I might just nod and make a
eye something extra to look at. It makes the scene more
slight bow or I might do a little jig. It’s something so completely
ambiguous and open to interpretation.
different from studying that I find it very refreshing even after a
few hours when my legs seize up or I get very cold. It’s a great
Speaker 2:
way to take a break from your life and become someone else
I don’t really consider myself to be an artistic person, but I love
for a while. It’s fun to people watch, too.
taking photos. I think it all started when my dad gave me his
old camera because he bought himself a new one. I spent
quite a while playing around with it, learning how it worked and
what increased aperture or lengthy exposure meant. I would Unit 6 Test
take the same photo several times adding light and things.
07
I started to like the different looks I could give to a scene with
over or underexposure. It’s quite a calming hobby because you Tom: Hey Jenny. Oh look, a travel guide to Vietnam.
have to take things slowly and think how it would work best. It Are you guys planning a trip there?
allows you to express yourself because you bring out what you Jenny: Oh hi, Tom. Yes. I’m just trying to work out when’s
like best in the scene which might be a tree, or the sky or the best month to go.
simply the range of colours. Tom: It’s a bit far away, isn’t it? What’s wrong with the
Mediterranean?
Speaker 3: Jenny: Nothing! It’s just that we’d like to do something
Comics are my thing. I’ve always been a doodler and I used to different this year. We’d like a change from the
draw these funny characters or the speech bubbles with ‘bam’, usual beach holiday.
‘whoosh’ and that kind of thing in them. One day someone Tom: But that’s the beauty of the Med. There are lots of
gave me this outline of a comic book and I filled it in with my different countries, so it’s never the same. You
own characters. There wasn’t much dialogue; it was mainly can go to Spain and practise your Spanish, or
sketches. I just went on from there. I always carry a Greece and visit some historical sites or Italy to
sketchbook around with me in case I have five minutes to check out volcanoes.
spare. Ideas pop into my head all the time and I like to record Jenny: I know, but it’s still not that different and most
them – they usually make me laugh while I’m drawing them. people speak English so we hardly ever have to
If I have more time, I put together a whole comic. I have two try speaking the local language. Plus, I always
younger brothers who are more than happy to read them and think that we’ll do some sightseeing and see some
they inspire me to write more. of the culture but, in the end, we spend most of
our time on the beach while my brothers go off
Speaker 4: and do all sorts of water activities. They always
I’ve always kept a diary for as long as I can remember. My say it’s too hot or boring to go sightseeing. Don’t
parents gave me one for my birthday one year and I kept get me wrong, I love a few days at the beach, but I
writing. I don’t write every day now, I use it more as a record of like to see the country that I’m visiting, too.
my travels. I like to write down everything I see, hear, smell Tom: How will Vietnam be different?
and experience when we go on holiday. Then when I read it Jenny: Well, first of all I don’t think English is that widely
back months or years later, the memories come back very spoken so we’ll have to make an effort to learn a
clearly. It’s so easy on holiday just to take photos of the key few basic words and be up to the challenge of
sights or events, but in actual fact they may not be the best getting our message across in other ways.
parts of the holiday. It’s more likely that a really delicious meal Actually, I must look at the language section of the

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 guidebook. Secondly, if we move around I think Tom: Well, it sounds like you need to plan carefully and
we’ll be able to find activities that suit everyone make sure you organise everything in advance.
and we won’t be able to just laze on the beach. Do you need a visa?
Tom: What kind of activities? Jenny: Yes, we do. We’ve filled in the forms and got the
Jenny: Well, just outside the capital, Hanoi, is an area photos, but we have to send our passports off to
called Halong Bay. You can take a trip on a boat the embassy. Dad’s away on an overseas
around the bay for one or several nights. They’re business trip at the moment, so we need to wait
traditional junk boats, not your modern cruise for him to come back to send the passports off
ships and I think my brothers would enjoy that. In together.
fact, I need to book that soon. Further down the Tom: Good luck with that. I’m going to stick to the
coast is a city called Hue which has a lot of tombs Mediterranean, much simpler and more relaxing.
of emperors and an old palace that you can visit I guess I’m a creature of habit, but we only go on
which Mum and I really want to see. Saigon has holiday once a year so I want to be sure we’ll
got lots of information on the Vietnam War which enjoy it.
my dad is interested in, so that’s something for
everyone.
Tom: That certainly sounds different. What about Review Test 2, Units 4–6
beaches?
Jenny: We’ll probably spend a few days at the beach at 08
the end of our trip so that we can rest a little. We
Last year I travelled to South America for a month with a friend
might even try scuba diving.
and we had the trip of a lifetime. I was a bit nervous before
Tom: Wow! I don’t think I’m quite as adventurous as
going as I’d never travelled out of Europe or had an
you. I wouldn’t like to be in a situation where I
adventurous holiday. Fred is quite an expert traveller and has
couldn’t make myself understood. And it doesn’t
backpacked around the US and Mexico, so I let him take
sound very relaxing, I thought holidays were for
charge. I was worried about how everything would turn out and
resting.
whether we would manage to find our way around, but in the
Jenny: Well, you know what they say – a change is as
end all the planning paid off and it was brilliant.
good as a rest! I’d really like to visit a country in a
different continent where they have very different We started in Argentina and visited the capital, Buenos Aires.
customs and food. From there, we flew to Calafate. If we’d gone by bus, the
Tom: Food, I hadn’t thought about that. What kind of journey would have been about 36 hours, so we opted for the
food do they eat in Vietnam? Rice? quicker option. Once there we spent several days looking at
Jenny: Yes, rice is a staple part of the diet I think. They the glaciers. One day we visited Perito Moreno by trekking on
have lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, judging by to the glacier itself, which was quite an experience. We had a
the photos I’ve seen, although I’ve no idea what real feeling of isolation as everything around you is white rock.
some of them are – I need to look them up. The weirdest thing of all was the noise. The glacier sounded
Tom: I don’t like trying new food. I like to stick with what alive almost. It creaked and groaned and there were random
I know. I always worry that I might get ill from cracks that sounded like a shotgun being fired – I guess it was
eating food I’m not used to. ice splitting somewhere inside the glacier. After the trek we
Jenny: Not if you’re careful. And you make sure you wash took a boat ride out to the front of the glacier and only then did
your hands before eating and so on. we appreciate the enormity of the structure. It towers about
Tom: I’m still not convinced. How are you going to travel 74 metres above the water, which is about the same as a
around? 20-storey building, and it stretches about five kilometres
Jenny: We’re not sure about that yet. There are direct across the valley. Fred and I just sat in the boat gazing at it in
flights from the UK to Hanoi and Saigon so we’re complete awe. Suddenly there was a kind of explosion and a
going to fly into one city and leave from another. huge piece of ice broke off and fell into the water a couple of
I must remember to book those soon – the price of hundred metres away. It caused quite a wave as it landed in
international flights gets very expensive if you the water and there were echoes of sounds for a few minutes
don’t book in advance. Then we just have to find afterwards. It really was incredible.
our way through the country. We might take a The next day we took a cruise up Lake Argentino and into the
couple of internal flights to save time. Apparently, Upsala Canal to see a couple of other glaciers. They were
it’s not that expensive to hire a car and driver to impressive too, though not in the same league as Perito
get to some places so we might do that. Moreno. What was impressive for me was the size of the
Something else I need to research. icebergs that were floating in the water. Some of them were as
huge as houses and they had this blue glow at the bottom,
presumably a reflection of the water. We had a fun time
deciding what the icebergs reminded us of. There was one

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which was like an arch, another that reminded us of an Speaker 2:
elephant and so on. It is sad to know that the glaciers are Well, I don’t particularly enjoy arguing or anything so I do try to
melting and that it’s possible that one day they will have reach an agreement where possible. However, if I have a
melted completely because they are an amazing natural completely different point of view to someone else, I won’t change
phenomenon. it just to end the disagreement. For instance, my best friend and I
Having flown back to Buenos Aires we then headed north to have a good relationship and we wanted to go on holiday together
see the Iguazu Falls. They are situated on the border of Brazil this summer. However, we both had very different ideas about the
and Argentina, so we saw them from both sides. The falls kind of holiday we wanted and destinations. We did try to find
stretch over an area of about 2.7 kilometres long and there are something we both liked, but it proved impossible. In the end we
several islands so the falls are subdivided into separate decided to go on separate holidays and still be friends. I guess
waterfalls. The number of falls changes depending on the flow sometimes you can’t have everything!
of water, which increases during the winter months. On the
Argentinian side you walk through a forest to reach the falls. At Speaker 3:
the top you can walk along a wooden walkway to reach what is How do I deal with conflict? I guess it depends on the situation
known as the Devil’s Throat, which conveys about half of the and the issues, but in general I make my opinion known. I’m
river’s water to the level below. This is probably the highest fall not going to keep quiet just to keep the peace. Last week we
at Iguazu. It’s a huge curtain of water that falls about 700 were working on an enterprise project at school. We were all
metres and it’s difficult to convey in words how completely assigned groups and there were four of us: Lynn, Carl, Sandra
mesmerising it is. You can get unnervingly close to the edge and me. Unfortunately, Sandra is very domineering and likes
and look right down into the foaming abyss. You can also walk to boss people about. She doesn’t listen to others because she
through the forest to the lower levels and other parts of the thinks her opinions are the only ones worth consideration. She
falls. There are quite a few animals in the forest including the kept ignoring everyone and insisting that we follow her ideas.
coati, which is a furry animal with a pointed snout and a long In the end, the three of us exchanged ideas via email and then
stripy tail. On the Brazilian side you can take a boat ride along showed them to her in the next class. She didn’t like it and
the river to the foot of the falls and there we got more than we started to say that three against one wasn’t fair, but eventually
bargained for. If only I’d known just how close we were going she had to listen because our ideas were there, in black and
to get, I would have worn something different. If we hadn’t white. She realised we weren’t going to be ignored.
been wearing the plastic capes that the boat provided, my
clothes would have got soaked. The boat goes right up to one Speaker 4:
of the falls and it feels like you hit a wall of water. I think the It’s difficult, but it’s always important to speak up for yourself
boat is actually a few metres away, but everyone in the boat because no-one else will do it for you. I’m sharing a house with
was covered in spray and it felt (and looked) like we’d had a four friends at the moment and that is proving more
shower. challenging than I expected. During the first week, three of the
others didn’t tidy up or do any housework, so the house was
Having crossed the border into Brazil we then travelled north always a horrible mess. Eventually I had to speak up because
to the capital. I couldn’t take it any longer. I organised a meeting and made
everyone sit around the kitchen table, which was covered in
dirty plates and cups. It didn’t take long for them to see the
Unit 7 Test situation and that I had a point. We decided to set up a rota,
which is on the fridge door. Now it’s clear what everyone’s
09
responsibilities are and there can be no misunderstandings.
Speaker 1:
I avoid it if at all possible. I hate confrontation. I find it much Speaker 5:
easier just to say it’s fine even if it isn’t. I am pretty laid-back I’m not sure really. It all depends on what the problem is and
really so I’m usually happy to go with the flow. It’s not very how easily it can be resolved, but I’m a great believer in
often that I do strongly disagree with something. I think it discussions and making sure everyone gets a chance to give
comes from being the third of four children. It was always quite their opinion, even the quiet ones. Last December we were
hard to get your voice heard or to be noticed and I just found it planning an end-of-year party for school. Everyone had
easier to go along with everyone else. I’m not a particularly different ideas, which was great, but we kept going around in
vociferous person and I don’t enjoy being in the limelight, so circles and no decisions were made. In the end, I made a list
acquiescence is the best option for me. of all the ideas and we voted on each one. All the ideas with
over 50% of the votes were incorporated into the one event.
Since it was done democratically, everyone was content and it
was actually a very good party.

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 Unit 8 Test correctly or efficiently especially if they are
suffering from homesickness or find the
10 experience is not quite what they bargained for.
Then after two weeks or a month they’ll need to
Gregor: What are all these leaflets, Rachel?
train another one all over again. Wouldn’t it be
Rachel: Brochures for working holidays. I’m looking for
better to hire one person full-time instead?
something to do over the summer.
Rachel: I hadn’t really thought about it from that point of
Gregor: A working holiday? Does that mean you get paid
view. You’re right; it must be disruptive,
for what you do?
especially in institutes where volunteers are
Rachel: No, not exactly. There are lots of different
teaching or something. A frequent turnover of
options. For most of them you have to pay to get
volunteers can’t be good. Still I’m sure they
there and cover the cost of accommodation and
wouldn’t do it if they didn’t gain something from it.
food. You don’t receive a salary as such, but you
Gregor: True. I guess extra pairs of hands are always
learn a lot and gain some work experience.
welcome, however inexperienced they are.
Gregor: Interesting. So what kinds of holidays are there?
Rachel: Plus, I’m sure the exchange of cultural ideas
Rachel: There are all sorts: helping out in orphanages in
must be good. Children in orphanages or being
Africa, teaching English in Asia, working with
taught by these teenagers can learn about their
animals. I like the sound of this one in Costa
culture. Public awareness is probably another
Rica. It’s a month working on a conservation
benefit for them, too. The teenagers no doubt go
programme in the jungle. That would fit in with
home and talk about their experiences, which
what I want to study at college.
makes others aware of issues that they’d never
Gregor: Wow! Costa Rica, that’s quite far away. Isn’t it
thought about before.
expensive?
Gregor: I guess. I’m still not convinced. Wouldn’t it be
Rachel: Yes, it is. Around £2,500. That’s why I’m not
better if we paid attention to matters closer to
sure. It’s a lot of money and I’d have to ask my
home and volunteered on a more regular basis
parents to help me out.
over the full year, you know helping out at an old
Gregor: Isn’t there anything closer to home, in Europe
people’s home, a local animal sanctuary or an
at least?
eco project?
Rachel: Well, the National Trust in the UK run long
Rachel: Yes, it would be great if we got more involved.
weekends or single weeks doing conservation
I enjoy the work I do with the forestry
work, but I was hoping for something longer than
commission. But, sometimes I think it’s good to
that. There’s a company which offers some great
have an adventure away from home to see what
conservation experiences in Spain, but you
you’re really made of.
have to be at least 18. My birthday isn’t until
September, so I can’t apply for those until next
year, which is very annoying. If only my birthday
was in May! Unit 9 Test
Gregor: Yes, a week isn’t very long at all. What’s the
11
maximum length of these holidays?
Rachel: I’m not sure, but about two months I think. Actors always talk about how challenging it is to portray a
Gregor: I wonder how beneficial these programmes are. character and how they need to get into the role. Some actors
Rachel: I think they’re really good. I’m sure you’d learn a even go so far as to adopt the character both in and out of
lot in the area you wanted to and it would be a rehearsals in order to get it right. I often wonder which is more
good personal experience. You know, increase difficult, representing a living person or taking on a role that
your confidence, make you more independent, has already been reprised many times.
improve your fluency in another language. On the one hand, those who represent a real-life and still-living
Gregor: Oh, I’m sure it’s good for the people who go on character have their work cut out, that is for sure. They need to
these holidays. I was thinking more about how persuade the living person, their friends and family as well as
advantageous it was for the hosts. I mean do you the rest of the world that they are that character. They have to
think a teenager who visits for a couple of weeks work on the accent and body language to get them just right.
or a month can really help the hosts? The The content of the script is usually out of the hands of the
organisation must have to use considerable actors; however, they still need to get the emotions and
man-hours to educate the teenagers so that they feelings of the character across correctly.
know what to do and allow for a settling in period.
Plus, some teenagers may not do the work

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Eddie Redmayne gave an Oscar-winning performance as The actor no longer has the cap and pipe to rely on which
Stephen Hawking in the film The Theory of Everything. Not might make it harder to convince the audience that it is indeed
only was he able to portray the character down to the last Sherlock Holmes.
detail, but he also managed to represent the gradual process In conclusion, both tasks offer different challenges to actors.
of the disease which affects him. Stephen Hawking himself Playing a real-life character requires paying a lot of attention to
agreed that Eddie had captured his essence. Eddie’s co-star, the finer details of the personality, whereas playing a fictional
Felicity Jones, did an equally good job portraying Jane character offers the actor a chance to give their interpretation
Hawking. Jane was behind the making of the film as she was of the role. In both cases, the actors still have to turn into this
keen to have her role as carer portrayed and Felicity got it just character and make the audience believe their story.
right. Felicity said that as an actress she felt quite a
responsibility to show the truth of the Hawkings’ lives and
Jane’s life in particular.
Review Test 3, Units 7–9
Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady
is another example of an actor portraying a real-life person. 12
Streep says she spent months watching videos and
Anna: Hey Liam, did you see that article about Jennifer
broadcasts to get an idea of Thatcher’s mannerisms and way
Lawrence in the magazine this week?
of speaking and she spoke to Thatcher’s friends and
Liam: No, I didn’t. I don’t usually read those kinds of
colleagues to learn more about her character. For her, she had
magazines. I don’t like gossip and I don’t really need
the added challenge of having to get the British accent just
to know about the private lives of celebrities.
right. Streep said she found it a big but enjoyable challenge.
Anna: Well, nobody needs to know, do they? But it’s
She did what she always does for any role, which is inhabit the
interesting to know how the other half lives. I mean
role completely so that the character comes alive in her.
some of them have such crazy lifestyles it’s almost
Streep once said she feels defensive about the character she’s
unbelievable.
playing ‘because for the time I embody them, they feel like
Liam: Yes, but rather them than me. I would hate to be
me.’ She too won an Oscar for this role, so a lot of viewers
famous and always in the spotlight, wouldn’t you?
obviously believed in her portrayal.
Anna: Oh, I don’t know. Being famous must have its perks.
On the other hand, taking on a role that has already been I mean just think of all the freebies you get for a start.
portrayed successfully is also very difficult. James Bond must Just those Oscar party bags sound crazy. And the
be the obvious example here. Bond is a very well-known film generous salaries, too. Not forgetting all the cool
character with a very loyal fan base and the fans are sure they invitations to parties and top events.
know Bond inside out. Sean Connery set the standard very Liam: Yes, but is it worth it? I mean only the really
high as the first Bond and made it clear that Bond was a successful celebrities get the huge salaries. A lot of
suave, sophisticated spy capable of anything. Subsequent the lesser-known celebrities live that flash lifestyle
actors that take on such an established role need to develop without the means to do it and end up in debt or in
the character in some way and put their own stamp on the some kind of financial trouble.
personality by bringing out otherwise unknown facets of the Anna: OK, but think of the people you can socialise with and
character. In Bond’s case, Roger Moore emphasised his all the fans and friends you make.
brazen cheekiness whereas Daniel Craig tried to get across Liam: I don’t think fans and friends are the same thing at all.
the more emotional side and show that Bond is all too human Fans like you or admire you for what you represent or
and does get hurt. what you do, but they’re not real friends who support
Sherlock Holmes is actually listed as the most portrayed film you through thick and thin. For some reason, they
character ever and over 70 actors have played the part and believe they have the right to criticise your behaviour
given the role their own interpretation. Initially the Holmes and they thrive on rumours about you. Think about
character was kept very similar to the book. A strong man the fans of One Direction – some of them were very
wearing a cap, smoking a pipe, rapidly grasping the problem jealous and possessive of those boys even though
and solving it with ease. However, whereas Bond was not they’d never actually met them.
really fixed to a particular period, so can easily move with the Anna: I guess you’re right. I agree it must be hard as you
times, Sherlock was set in the 1800s and it appeared difficult never know whether someone likes you for who you
to alter that. In more recent productions, Sherlock has jumped are or what you represent.
to this century and as a result changes have been made to the
character. This is not the actor’s responsibility, but the actor
has to meet the challenges this offers and portray the detective
in the new way, yet hark back to the original. In the latest
American TV series, Sherlock Holmes is a consultant to the
police, who is known to be difficult to work with, which seems
to be code for someone with some kind of personality disorder.

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Liam: Exactly. Then there’s the pressure. Once you’re a Unit 10 Test
celebrity you might think you’ve succeeded, but you
end up on a treadmill where you have to be 13
competitive because you need to continue that
Since the 1940s, when the first Superman comic was
success. I think a lot of celebrities worry about being
published, readers have been interested in superheroes.
replaced by someone else, so they push themselves
Characters with superhuman strengths have dominated the
to keep that position. There’s a difference too
screens as they save the world time and again. However,
between those who seek fame to be famous and
there is also a very different genre of hero, which is currently
those who just become famous. The fame seekers
just as popular as the superhero and that is what can only be
enjoy the limelight and adoration; they're the
described as the unlikely hero.
Kardashians of this world. They might be happy with
just 15 minutes of fame because they love being the One of the most famous examples has to be Harry Potter, the
centre of attention. Others use fame as a measure of bespectacled young boy who discovered he was a wizard at
success in their career and take it as part of being the age of 11 and survived numerous attempts on his life from
successful in their field. However, they never actively the most evil of all villains, Voldemort. Harry is nothing special
seek the fame itself and don’t necessarily enjoy all to look at: he has floppy hair and isn’t especially tall or strong.
the publicity. He is an orphan brought up by relations who don’t care for
Anna: It sounds like you would hate fame. him, so he doesn’t have the usual happy family. However, he
Liam: I would, Anna, totally. It must be hard not to be able does have a group of very loyal friends, who stick by him
to go anywhere without being recognised. I mean real through thick and thin. Despite having a limited knowledge of
celebrities can’t even leave their house without it magic, he somehow manages to outwit the great lord time
being reported! And having cameras pushed in your and again.
face or people coming up to you asking for Another unlikely hero is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the
autographs constantly must be annoying. It must be protagonist in the How to Train Your Dragon books and films.
so difficult to be constantly watching your words too, Just like Harry, Hiccup is the complete opposite to your usual
in case they get published and taken out of context. hero: small, skinny and weak – a real disadvantage when
Anna: Yes, well I agree that side of fame would be hard. you’re a Viking. His overriding attribute is his genuine belief in
Liam: Totally, I mean your life is no longer your own, it the good in people and in doing the right thing. Naturally this
belongs to everyone. For some reason, everyone leads to all kinds of exploits and adventures. However, with
feels they have the right to have an opinion on your luck on his side and with the help of loyal sidekicks, he
looks, what you wear, your weight, and so on. Quite manages to outwit and outmanoeuvre the villains.
frankly your private life is called that for a reason.
Looking at heroines, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger
Those are things that should be your concern and
Games series springs to mind. Originally a rebellious girl with
yours alone, yet papers splash those stories on the
little education and ignorant of the world outside her zone, she
front pages because they know that people want to
takes up her first challenge when she saves her sister by
read about it. Some of the stories that are printed are
volunteering in her place. This is proof that she loves her
horrible and if a celebrity were to believe everything
family more than herself. Her success in the first Hunger
they read about themselves, they’d probably end up
Games trial unwittingly starts a revolution and she accepts the
full of self-doubt.
role as figurehead of the rebellion. She too has loyal friends
Anna: I do feel for celebrities who have a family. I expect
who support her and without whom she wouldn’t have
they want to give their children as normal a life as
survived.
possible and yet if they’re always followed by press,
it’s not really normal, is it? Children are always All these books and films have become worldwide successes,
making mistakes, that’s how they learn, but you in spite of, or perhaps because of, their protagonists not being
wouldn’t want those mistakes in the public eye, traditional superheroes. The books and films send the
would you? message that good can overcome evil. However, perhaps the
Liam: Quite. I think that’s why a lot of celebrities come more popular moral is that anyone can be a hero. You don’t
across as being wrapped up in themselves; it’s a form need to be tall or strong or, more to the point, look the part.
of self-preservation. They just want to concentrate on These books and films show that being a hero comes from
keeping their family out of the limelight. within and from having the determination to follow what you
believe in and see a plan through to the end, come what may.
There is also the idea that teamwork is important. The fact that
all the unlikely heroes mentioned have a strong group of close

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friends shows that the ability to pool knowledge and Speaker 3:
experience is essential and it is often necessary to rely on the I spent the summer working for a volunteer programme in
support of others. It also demonstrates that being part of a Tanzania helping to build a school. I had to put together the
team doesn’t represent weakness in any way; it is the best price of my plane ticket and then they provided some basic
way for ordinary characters to gain superhuman strength of accommodation and food while I was there. It was a small
some sort. village that had never had a local school and you could tell
Admittedly all the stories are fantastical with dragons, wizards they were excited about it. It was already under construction
and specially-created monsters, but the heroic elements are when I got there and we managed to complete it before I left,
very human. The characters do get hurt and upset just like which was a real accomplishment. I did a bit of everything:
humans; they do feel depressed and experience a lack of mixing cement, building walls and painting. We used local
confidence when they believe they are fighting an impossible materials and the traditional building methods and were
battle. This is what enables the audience to empathise with the supervised by local builders. It was a steep learning curve but
protagonists. This upbeat message is what people want to all very relevant for when I go to college to study engineering.
hear and I believe it’s why these films are so popular. It allows My time there really opened my eyes to a completely different
us to believe that there is a hero in all of us. We’re just waiting way of life. The people there survive with the bare necessities
for our nemesis or impossible mission to present itself. and life is very simple.

Speaker 4:
I’d learnt to sail with my dad so when I was offered the chance
End of Year Test to help out at a sailing school in Turkey over the summer, I
14 jumped at it. The company paid for my flight out there and put
me up in a staff flat along with four sailing instructors. The
Speaker 1: days were long as we had to be out by the yachts at 7.30 to
I spent my gap year in Peru working as an English teaching get them ready for the day. I helped get the yachts rigged up
assistant in Cuzco. The school provided a room and gave me and then when the tourists arrived I handed out lifejackets and
a basic salary, which meant I didn’t starve. I chose this for the water shoes so they were ready for their adventure. I went out
experience not the money though, and it was worth it. It was on the water with one of the sailing instructors just in case they
good preparation for studying Spanish at college as my needed an extra pair of hands. Spending three months on the
Spanish improved no end and I picked up various other skills water was a wonderful experience and just what I needed to
such as public speaking, event organisation and working with freshen me up for college. I met some really interesting people
children. The children were from the town and loved asking me too: locals who worked in the resort and holidaymakers.
about my country and customs. I enjoyed putting together
events to celebrate traditional British holidays. I also witnessed Speaker 5:
Peruvian customs at local festivals. I spent my gap year in Australia and New Zealand. I spent the
first three months waiting tables in a café to get together
Speaker 2: enough funds for the ticket and then off I went. I started in
I love working outdoors, so I took part in a conservation project Melbourne which is an incredibly vibrant city. I did some more
in Spain over the summer. I travelled to Valencia and helped waitressing there for a month and then moved on to Sydney.
out in Albufera Natural Park. It’s suffered from intensive After that, I managed to get a job picking grapes not too far
farming, industrial hunting and tourism, so there is a lot of from Brisbane and that enabled me to travel on to New
conservation work to be done. I did some nest construction, Zealand. There I got a job helping out at an activity centre
worked on a wildlife survey and got rid of some invasive working on reception, handing out and cleaning equipment.
plants. I stayed with a local family and they showed me some Overall I had a great year as I fulfilled my dream of seeing
of the sights at the weekends. It did wonders for my Spanish Australia and had loads of adventures along the way. It was a
and I learnt a lot about the Spanish culture and traditions. The good lesson in finance too as I had to budget carefully to be
mother of the family I was staying with also taught me to cook able to afford things and to move on to different places. I feel a
a few local dishes, which were much appreciated by my family lot more confident now and I got some useful work experience.
when I went home.

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 Diagnostic Test Speaker 4:
I love being outdoors and trying different activities, so my
15 favourite kind of holiday would be going somewhere with
friends to explore the countryside, like the Picos de Europa
Speaker 1:
National Park for instance. I’d spend my days cycling and
My ideal holiday would be a week or two on a beach with my
kayaking my way around the countryside enjoying lots of
friends. I don’t mind where: the Mediterranean, the Canary
exercise and the odd rush of adrenalin with sports like caving
Islands, the Caribbean are all good, just as long as there’s a
and canyoning. I spend so much time indoors during term time
nice long, white sandy beach where we can dream away the
that I welcome any opportunity to be outside – that’s where I’m
day. I like relaxing holidays where you sunbathe a lot, swim in
happiest. If campsites were available, then I’d camp, too. I love
the sea and take a break from school and studying. It’s fun to
sleeping in a tent and cooking on a campfire.
do some water sports, too. Jet skiing and banana boat riding
are entertaining and a good way to cool down. Sometimes I
Speaker 5:
also like to join in with sports the hotel organises like beach or
If I could go anywhere on holiday, then I would love to do a
pool volleyball.
tour of Italy. I really want to visit cities like Rome and Florence
to see the beautiful buildings they have there. I love history, so
Speaker 2:
I’d want to visit all the sights like the Colosseum, the Vatican,
My favourite kind of holiday involves mountains, snow and
the Ponte Vecchio bridge and so on. It would be nice to travel
skis. I love skiing and practise it whenever I can. I’m quite a
by train or bus between the cities and stop off in some of the
good skier now, so I don’t need to take classes anymore.
smaller towns like Lucca, Perugia and Siena, too. Once there,
When we go on holiday, I ski with my parents and friends.
I would look at a map and then just set off on foot and see
We’re all keen skiers so we’re up and out as early as possible
where I end up because that’s the best way to get to know
and we spend all day out on the slopes, with a quick stop for a
places, and you find lovely old buildings and small squares
bite to eat somewhere. I just love the feeling of speeding down
along the way. Of course I’d enjoy eating lots of Italian food
the mountain and the noise as you slide over the snow. It’s
too: pasta, pizza, ice cream. I’m getting hungry just thinking
awesome; it makes you feel free! In the evenings we’re all
about it!
pretty exhausted, so we have dinner and sit around the fire
playing board games or watching films.

Speaker 3:
My dream holiday would be a road trip from Buenos Aires
down through Patagonia to Ushuaia in the very south of
Argentina. I’m guessing I’d need a month to make that trip as I
think we’re talking about 3,000 kilometres or so and I wouldn’t
want to do it driving non-stop all the way. I know that
Patagonia offers some magnificent scenery with its big wide
open spaces, so I’d do some hiking there and, of course, I’d
want to see the glaciers near the town of Calafate. I would just
love to reach Ushuaia, which is the southernmost city in the
world – it must be a wonderful feeling being so far away from
everything.

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