TEST 6

Listening section 1
Agent: Fairfield Rentals. Andrew Williams. How can I help you?
Woman: Oh hello. I'm calling from the UK -um, my family are moving to Canada early next year,
and we're hoping to find somewhere to rent in Fairfield for the first six months while we settle in.
Agent: Right, I see. Well, let's get your details.
Woman: Yes, my name's Jane Ryder.
Agent: OK, Jane. And can I have a phone number - the best number to get you on?
Woman: Well, that'd probably be our home number -so 0044 for the UK, and then it's
.
Agent: Alright. And an email address, please, so we can send you out all the information and
forms.
Woman: I think it's best if I give you my husband's email - he's sitting in front of a computer all
day so he can print stuff off and get it back to you sooner than I could. It's
[email protected]. I'll just spell the company name for you. That's
Agent: Great. And we have a question here about occupation.
Woman: Richard's an IT specialist for an advertising company. They're transferring him to their
Fairfield branch.
Agent: Actually, just your job for now, thanks.
Woman:
Agent: OK, I'll put that down. Now, what kind of accommodation are you looking for? House,
apartment?
Woman: An apartment, probably, as long as it has two bedrooms. There'll be me, my husband and
our ten-year- old son.
Agent: And so with an apartment, you're less likely to get a garden.
Woman: That's OK.
Agent: But what about a - is that something you'll want the apartment to have?
Woman: Yes,
Agent: OK, just a moment, I'll just make a note of that.
Woman: But - er before we go on -I should probably say now that
- because we'll be
shipping all that over, and I don't really want to pay for storage while we're waiting to buy a house.
Agent: Not a problem. I'll make a note of that.
Woman: Actually, though, just thinking about the kitchen, what can I expect from a rental
property? I mean, what kind of equipment is provided?
Agent: Well, the normal thing is that you get a stove - I think that's a cooker in British English.
Woman: OK, good to know, but ? We'll be selling ours
before we come, so , we'd like the apartment to have one for when we arrive.
Agent: I can certainly add that to the form. If there's any other whiteware that you need -like a
dishwasher for example, there are plenty of stores here that'll arrange delivery on the same day as
purchase.
Woman: Thanks. Hopefully we won't need to buy too many things.
Agent: Now, how about location? Have you done any research into the Fairfield area?
Woman: Not that much so far.
Agent: Well, you mentioned you have a boy -I imagine you'd like to be
.
Woman: Good idea. That would help. What's public transport like in Fairfield? Is it easy to get
around?
Agent: The bus service is pretty comprehensive - there are plenty of local routes, services into the
city and out of town.
Woman: OK, and for a two-bedroom apartment - what sort of rent should we expect to pay?
Agent: Well, looking at the properties we have at the moment, prices start from around ￡730 per
month, and- depending on the area - can go up to ￡l,200.
Woman: That's too much. Something halfway would be better.
Agent: So, ?
Woman: I'd say so, yes.
Agent: Can I ask if you smoke or if you have any pets?
Woman: No to both questions. But I do have one more request, please.
Agent: Yes?
Woman: Well, I've also been offered a job - at Victoria General Hospital - and I suspect I'll be
working nights occasionally - so
- so I can catch up on sleep if necessary during the day.
Agent: Congratulations on the job offer. I'll add your request to the form. Well, what I'll do is
compile a list of suitable properties for you and send them via email. Um, can I just ask -how did
you hear about us? Obviously not from our commercials if you're living in the UK.
Woman: Actually,
. He spent a few months in Fairfield a couple of years ago and he pointed us in the direction
of your website.
Agent: Well, it's good to be recommended. So, what I'll do is ...
Listening section 2
Well, good afternoon. I'm Constable James McDonald, and as you may know, I'm the community
police officer for the local area. That means that - as part of my job-I try to get out in the community
as much as possible - talk to the people that live in this neighbourhood -people like yourselves -
and make sure there's an effective level of communication between the public and the police -
hence the reason for this meeting. There have been several burglaries in the area in the last few
weeks and I'd like to talk about ways you can keep your home and property safe.
So, I'd suggest that a good way to start is by talking to your neighbors and exchanging
with them. This'll allow you to get in touch immediately if there's anything
suspicious happening next door. Then, make sure you have a good discussion about the best course
of action to take in case of - make sure everyone is clear about what to
do and who to call. If you plan ahead, this'll prevent uncertainty and even panic should anything
happen later. Another thing that I would advise you to do is always leave your
playing - even when you go out. And if you keep your curtains closed, burglars are less likely to
try and break in because they can't be sure whether someone's home or not. Now, none of us want
to be in the situation where we can't get into our own home, but do take time to think where the
best and safest place is to leave your . Putting them under the door mat or
anywhere near the front door is just asking for trouble. You'd be surprised how many people
actually do this - and it makes life really easy for burglars. All these things will help keep your
community safe and will cost you nothing. However, if you are going to spend some money, what
I'd recommend more than anything else is that you invest in some well-made
for your house. This will give you peace of mind.
[pause]
OK, moving on. Unfortunately, there's been an increase in the number of minor crimes and anti-
social behaviour in the general area and I want to talk about some specific prevention measures
that are being proposed. First of all, the skate park. As you probably know, it's well used by
younger people in our community but unfortunately we're getting more and more reports of broken
glass - making it especially dangerous for younger children. One possible solution here is to get
rid of
- making it more visible to passersby and vehicles. If the vandals know they're being watched, this
might act as a deterrent. As you will have heard, a couple of local primary schools have also been
vandalised recently - despite the presence of security guards. The schools don't have the funds for
video surveillance - so we need people in the neighborhood to

. Please don't hesitate to do this. I expect most of you are familiar with the problems
facing Abbotsford Street. It seems that no amount of warning signs or speed cameras will slow
speeding drivers down. I'm happy to say, however, that the council have agreed to begin work over
the next few months to . What else?
Oh, yes. The newsagent and the gift shop on Victoria Street were both broken into last week, and
although no money was taken, the properties have suffered some serious damage. Access was
gained to these shops through the small alleyway at the back of the properties - it's dark and as you
can imagine, no one saw the thief or thieves in action. So, we've been advising shop owners along
there about what kind of
 - we'll then be able to get evidence of any criminal
activity on film. The supermarket car park is also on our list of problem areas. We've talked to the
supermarket managers and council authorities and we've advised them to

. If you don't deal with this sort of thing at once,

there's a strong possibility that the activity will increase and spread, and then it becomes...
Listening section 3
Karina: Hi, Mike. How's it going?
Mike: Actually, I was up last night with an assignment so -yeah, I'm tired, but I guess we'd better
sort this presentation out.
Karina: Well, we've done enough background reading, but I think we need to organise exactly
what we're going to say about biofuels during the presentation, and the order.
Mike: I thought we could start by asking our audience what car engines were first designed to run
on - fossil fuels or biofuels.
Karina: Nice idea.
Mike: Yes, when most people think about cars and fuel, they think about all the carbon dioxide
that's produced, but they don't realise that that wasn't always the case.
Karina: You're probably right.

Mike: Yes. The manufacturers used the corn and peanut oil and turned them into a kind of very
pure alcohol.
Karina: You mean ethanol?
Mike: Yes. In fact, most biofuels are still based on ethanol. Actually, I've got some notes here
about the process of turning plant-matter into ethanol - the chemical reactions and the fermentation
stages and...
Karina: It's interesting - the other students would appreciate it, but different biofuels use different
processes and if we give a general description,
, and then the tutor might mark us down. I'd rather we focus on the environmental issues.
Mike: Fair enough. So, um - the main plants that are used for biofuel production now are sugar
cane, corn...
Karina: And canola. Of all of them, canola is probably the least harmful because machines that
use it don't produce as much carbon monoxide.
Mike: Sugar cane seems to be controversial. It doesn't require as much fertilizer as corn does to
grow, but when they burn the sugar cane fields, that releases loads of greenhouse gases.
Karina: Yes, but some critics have suggested that the
Mike: I see what you mean. You're probably right. It's interesting how everyone saw the biofuel
industry as the answer to our energy problems, but in some ways, biofuels have created new
problems.
Karina: Well, in the USA, I wouldn't say that farmers are having problems - the biofuel industry
for them has turned out to be really profitable.
Mike: I think, though, that even in the USA, ethanol is still only used as an additive to gasoline,
or petrol.

. Once they do, it'll be cheaper and the industry might move forward.
Karina: That'll have to happen one day. At least the government are in favour of biofuel
development.
Mike: Yes. But Brazil's probably in the lead as far as biofuels are concerned -they've got to the
point where they don't need to import any oil now.
Karina: Which is great, and the industry in Brazil employs a huge number of people, but is it
sustainable? I mean,

? At some point, there

has to be a limit on how much land can be used for sugar cane production - certainly if you want
to preserve natural habitats and native wildlife.
Mike: I think that whatever problems Brazil's facing now- the same will be true for any country -
you have to weigh up the pros and cons.
Karina: Well, we probably won't see an increase in biofuel use -I mean,

Mike: ... making sure they require minimal energy to produce.

Karina: Exactly. And in a way that means they have to cost less than fossil fuels - certainly when
you're filling up your car.
Mike: Yes, and whatever other kind of engines use fossil fuels at the moment.
[pause]
Karina: Alright, so in the last section of the presentation, what problems are we focusing on?
Mike: Well, we've already had a look at different types of pollution in the first section, so we can
leave that out, but the biggest issue related to biofuels is that land is now being used to grow
biofuels crops - and that's contributing to .
Karina: Indeed. It doesn't seem right we're using corn to run cars when people can't afford to buy
it to eat. Yes, let's talk about that. The other thing is that in some countries, the way that biofuel
crops are grown and harvested still produces
- really damaging to the atmosphere.
Mike: OK, that's definitely an issue we should look at.
Karina: Let's not finish on a negative note, though. Why don't we talk about the potential new
sources of biofuel- so rather than corn and sugar cane - what other plants could be used?
Mike: Good. Some companies are exploring the possibility of using
, and seeing how that can be used to make ethanol.
Karina: Yes, and algae is another possibility. You can grow it in any water and it absorbs
pollutants, too.
Mike: I read that. . They're another plant that
researchers are investigating as a biofuel.
Karina: And these kinds of plants aren't used as food, which is why...
Listening section 4
Good morning. Today we're thinking about the way that technology is influencing our social
structures and the way we interact with one another. Humans, as we know, have always lived in
groups; without this arrangement, our species would have died out long ago. But now, the way we
see and define our group is changing.
I'd like to start by mentioning the research of American sociologist Mark Granovetter in 1973. It
was Granovetter who first coined the term 'weak-ties', which he used to refer to people's loose
acquaintances - in other words, friends-offriends. His research showed that weak-ties had a
significant effect on the behaviour and choices of populations - and this influence was something
highly important in the fields of information science and politics, and as you can imagine,
also. So, these friends-of-friends, people we might spend time with at social or
work gatherings, might not be like us but they can still have a positive influence because we share
the same sort of . That's enough to make a connection- and this connection
can turn out to be more beneficial than we might suspect. An example of this, an example of how
the connection can influence us, is when our weak-ties get in touch and pass on details about
they think might be suitable for us. Well, since Granovetter first came up with this
theory, his work has been cited in over 19,000 papers. Some of these studies have looked at how
weak-tie networks are useful to us in other ways, and one thing that seems to improve as a result
of weak-tie influence is our health.
[pause]
Today, our number of weak-tie acquaintances has exploded due to the Internet - to the phenomenon
of online social networking. This is still a relatively new way of communication - something that
has a huge amount of potential - but also, as with any invention, it brings with it a new set of
problems. Let's start with the benefits. Without question, online social networking allows us to
pass on the latest news -
-and for many, this information comes from sources
more trustworthy than local media. So, this is one clear point in favour of online social networking.
I know that it's also being used by students - as a means of increasing their chances of success -in
the way that lecture notes can be shared and ideas discussed. I think, personally speaking, that we
need some further research before we can definitively say whether it helps or not. There's also
been a great increase in the number of networking sites devoted to sharing advice on health issues
but there are as yet no studies to prove the reliability of that advice. Now, what we do have clear
evidence for is that people are developing
in a way that wasn't possible before - the process is
faster. I'm not talking about quality here, but simply that they exist. And it's debatable whether the
number of online friends that you have increases your level of self-confidence - that's perhaps an
area of research some of you might be interested in following up.
Turning to the problems, there are any number of articles connecting online activity to falling
levels of physical fitness but it's too easy to blame the Internet for our social problems. The poor
grades of school children are also frequently linked to the time spent on social networking sites,
but it would be naive to believe there are no other contributing factors. One real concern, however,
is the increase in the amount of fraud. Where for example, people are
, which they've put online,

. And then, certainly

for employers, online social networking sites have provided a great time- wasting opportunity -

, no matter what restrictions are in place.

We'll come back to these issues in a minute, but I'd like to say something about the theories of
Robin Dunbar - an anthropologist at Oxford University. Dunbar has found that the human brain
has evolved in a way that means we can only give real attention to a particular number of people.
150, apparently. So, for example, if the number of friends on your online network is greater than
that, according to Dunbar, this would imply the relationships are only superficial. Dunbar is not
against online relationships, but he

. He's concerned that for young people - if

their only experience of forming relationships is online -

for maintaining relationships, for example, in situations where

negotiation or diplomacy is required, or where it's essential for ...