UNIT 2 Speaker 5

I’m a bit of a nerd, I guess. I taught myself

Recording script 1.02
programming language when I was barely into my
You will hear five short extracts in which people are
teens and did computer science at uni. Steve and I
talking about computer games. For questions 1-5,
started the company two years ago and now there
choose from the list (A-H) the job of each person.
are five of us: Debra is our sales manager and we
Use the letters only once. There are three extra
have two amazing guys for the graphics, who work
letters which you do not need to use.
hard to guarantee our games look better than the
You now have 30 seconds to look at the questions.
rest. Steve generates most of the creative ideas, I
Speaker 1 come up with all the programming solutions and
The trend in society is to label computer games as then the art team does the business!
mindless and anti-social, but I dont share that view.
Many of the problem teenagers that we care for at
the centre need to develop relationships and UNIT 4
improve their social skills. Introducing computer Recording script 1.03
games in an early session often allows me to get You will hear a zoo keeper called Helena Tomkins,
through to these kids and to win their confidence. I talking about her work. For questions 1-10, complete
also find that playing these games often makes them the sentences with a word or short phrase.
feel better about themselves, and that is so You now have 45 seconds to look at the questions.
important.
Helena: Hello. Thank you for inviting me here to talk
Speaker 2 to you today. I’ve wanted to work with animals ever
Some games are very violent and have extremely since I was four or five years old. What really
graphic content - lots of blood and gunfire. I worry interested me was not looking after cats or dogs like
about what that might be doing to a young person other children, but lying in the long grass watching
who already has emotional issues of some kind. I insects. That interest in nature stayed with me
know the evidence isn’t conclusive, but some of the throughout my childhood and when fairly young, I
problem cases I have to deal with in my classroom decided to become a zoo keeper.
really make me think that there could be a link In order to achieve my aim I had to work hard to get
between violent games and aggressive behaviour. into university. I did biology, though for my job you
can do a variety of different degrees as long as they
Speaker 3
have some connection with animals - things like
I never played computer games much myself when I
zoology obviously, and psychology and animal
was young. The kids I look after are only eight and
science are fine too.
ten, and I feel it's not good for them to be exposed
When you're appointed as a zoo keeper, you
to so much violence. But their mum and dad let
generally work with just one species of animal. I
them play with this stuff at the weekends, so I'm in a
worked with the sea lions for a couple of years but
rather tricky position. It's always easier when the
for the last few months I’ve been in charge of the
weather's good and we can get out to the park to
pandas, which is particularly exciting as they're an
play football, but on a rainy afternoon, I find it hard
endangered species and we have a special breeding
to say no sometimes.
programme in place.
Speaker 4 There are some downsides to being a zoo keeper.
My job's great! I’ve always been into Manga and We sometimes have to work quite long hours,
cartoons, so working on the visual side of all these sometimes all night, especially in the hospital when
fantastic new games we’re developing is pure fun! an animal's sick, but I don’t really mind that as it's
We often work late to finish a project and it can take part of the job. What does get me, however, is the
ages getting a particular image right, but it's great rain. It's quite hard to make yourself go outside
when you finally succeed. I'd like to move into when it's wet. Even the animals don’t like it!
animation work in the future and they may be My typical day usually starts around seven o’clock. I
willing to send me on a training course for that some guess the main task I have in the morning is getting
day. the food ready, I don't clean out the enclosures.
Someone else is responsible for that. Then, in the
afternoon, I write up health reports or assist with Woman: Oh really, and is the plot as good as people
any medical procedures. On Saturdays and say? I think the writer has won awards for his earlier
Wednesdays I also do talks, but that's only in the work.
summer when we have a lot of visitors. In the winter Man: Yeah, and it's not bad at all, although there are
it's obviously much quieter and I can get more one or two bits that didn’t work, which I got rather
involved in research projects. irritated by. For me, what stood out was the people
The animals I look after can be dangerous so you playing the two leading roles. They were excellent,
need to take care when you're around them. Early which is more than can be said for the songs. I found
on in my career, a monkey bit my finger but I only them unimpressive for the most part, just one cliché
needed a few stitches. Someone else I worked with after another.
had his arm bitten by a tiger, so I’ve been lucky! That Woman: Well, it sounds as if I should go and see it
sort of thing doesn’t happen very often though, I'm sometime, anyway.
pleased to say! [The recording is repeated.]
I don’t have to carry a stick or anything to protect
Question 2
myself, but what you do have to have with you is a
You hear a woman talking about a hotel.
radio and if we get on that, someone'll come
Woman: This five-star hotel may not be affordable
running immediately. It's always good to know that
for most of us, but it's frequently chosen by the rich
there are other people around to give you a hand if
and famous, who love to be photographed there.
things get difficult with an animal.
The hotel has been redeveloped by one of the
The visitors are usually great, especially the children.
world's most talented designers, and every room
The people who do irritate me though are
shows evidence of his style and flair. I was taken to
sometimes the teachers who bring their class to the
the library for tea where I spent ages looking at the
zoo. They often don’t spend enough time talking to
huge collection of leather-bound books displayed
their pupils, explaining about each animal. I think
floor to ceiling on the longest walls. But when I tried
they see it as a day out really. It's a pity as it's a
to take one down, I realised that they were all fake!
missed opportunity I always think.
A library with unreadable books seems a departure
As to the future, you do get attached to the animals
from good taste to me, and I would personally knock
you’re looking after, so it would be hard for me to
a star off for it!
leave them at the moment. However, there are a
[The recording is repeated.]
couple of things I might do in the future. I've been
offered the chance to go to China next spring to see Question 3
how my animals behave in the wild. There's also a You hear a girl and a boy talking about being
possibility of going to the USA to work on a breeding famous.
project, but that's not going to happen for a few Girl: So what would you find hard about your life if
years yet. you became a superstar one day, a big footballer
I do hope what I've told you has given you some maybe? I hope you'd still treat me the same way!
insight into what I do. I can definitely recommend Boy: Of course I would, Jackie, friendships don’t
being a zoo keeper! change. I dunno, are there any drawbacks? You
could basically have whatever you wanted . . . a nice
car, a big house . .. You'd have plenty of money
UNIT 6 coming in and everyone would make a big fuss of
Recording script 1.04 you, wouldn’t they?
You will hear people talking in six different
situations. For questions 1-6, choose the best answer Girl: I suppose you re right but you can have too
(A, B or C). much attention, you know. And what about the
publicity? I’d hate that side of it. Imagine going out
Question 1 to the shops and having photographers following
You hear a man telling a woman about a new you down the street. What a hassle!
musical. Boy: That’d be fun! I'm sure you'd get used to it,
Man: I've just been to see that new musical that anyway. It's part of the lifestyle.
everyone's talking about. [The recording is repeated.]
Question 4 For questions 1-5, choose from the list (A to H) what
You hear an interview about swimwear. each speaker says. Use the letters only once. There
Interviewer: I’m with Liam O Neill, and we're are three extra letters which you do not need to use,
surrounded by his latest range of swimwear that's You now have 30 seconds to look at the questions.
caused a sensation here at the Clothes Show. Liam,
Speaker 1
why do you think you’ve done so well this year?
My dad used to own a restaurant and every
Liam: It's unbelievable, isn’t it? . . . I dunno, it's kind
weekend I had a job helping out in the kitchen. I
of strange. The new stores have created a lot of
guess he wanted me to be a chef or something like
interest throughout the country and I guess people
him. But I used to spend my time looking at the
wanted to come and see for themselves.
customers instead. I was fascinated by how they
Interviewer: Liam, your display is most impressive –
behaved - whether they would tip the waiters and
how did you move all that sand?
why things like that. I read lots of books on both
Liam: We had three lorries driving through the night
animal and human behaviour too and ended up
to get here - it just wouldn’t be right to launch
doing zoology at university and then becoming a
swimwear without the beach!
university lecturer on that subject - a bit different
[The recording is repeated.]
from looking into people's minds. which is what I
Question 5 was keen on in my younger days.
You hear a woman talking on the phone.
Speaker 2
Woman: Hello, is that the news desk of the Daily
I guess everyone wants to do something really cool
Times? Yes, I’m ringing with some information . . .
when they’re young, don’t they, like being a pop
you see, I'm a close friend of Heather Woods ... last
singer or flying to the moon on a space rocket. I
week’s jackpot winner, that's right. I know she
never did really. I used to read lots of crime books
doesn’t want any publicity but if the price is right.
when I was younger and try and copy the style. I
I'm willing to give you a story. I mean it's ridiculous,
think I saw m)'self as another Agatha Christie.
all that money and she's sitting there miserably! I
producing loads of paperbacks. It's funny really as
could visit your office tomorrow . .. or email you
my sister joined a band and became quite famous. I
something if you prefer. ... OK, that sounds
ended up working in a zoo, looking after the
interesting, my number's 0208 ...
elephants. I love it and can’t imagine doing anything
[The recording is repeated.]
else now.
Question 6
Speaker 3
You overhear a man calling a hotel.
I wasn’t very good at school - only at music and
Man: Good afternoon. It's Jack White again - I called
drama. My teachers put me in all the stage
you this morning and made a booking for three
productions we had. I would spend ages learning the
nights next week, a double room with bath? Well,
words of the tunes till I was word perfect. I loved
I’ve checked with my wife and the room booking is
everything about it. from the costumes to standing
fine so no changes there, but I'd like to check
on stage with the audience clapping it was all I ever
something. You told me the room rate would
wanted to do. Anyway, things didn’t turn out that
include breakfast but not dinner, yet the
way as I didn’t get into drama school. Now I see real-
advertisement on your website claims that IS
life drama on the streets, investigating crime. I'm
included for all bookings made in March. So it must
what they call a criminal psychologist. I still get to
apply to us. surely? ... OK, I'll hold for the manager,
perform though - but usually in court, giving
thank you . . .
evidence.
[The recording is repeated.]
Speaker 4
What was I like when I was young? Well, I loved
UNIT 8 helping my mum do the cooking and I was always
reading science fiction. I never saw these as my
Recording script .05
future careers though. It was always animals for me.
You will hear five short extracts in which people are
I guess. Nothing huge. More spiders and lizards. I
talking about the job they wanted to do when they
could see myself spending mv life takins care of
were young.
them. Teaching the public about them too. My mum Jed: To create my stories, do you mean? I guess I've
thought I was mad and spent her time trying to got a lot from locations where I've spent some time -
convince me to do enough schoolwork to go into I've never lived in one place for more than five
science maybe even be an astronaut! years, and unusual environments inspire me. My
early work as a programmer was the opposite, no
Speaker 5
help at all, so I left in the end to follow my dream.
My brother wanted to be a famous detective. He
Living where I do now I'm in touch with a lot of
even bought a magnifying glass and a notebook
scientists, but they're generally too focused on
where he'd write down what the neighbours were
reality to be useful to my brand of fantasy!
doing. I think they must’ve thought he was a bit
Interesting people though.
weird. I always did. He thought I was weird too, I
Interviewer: You've written 25 novels, but what was
guess. He'd make fun of me spending all my time in
the very first publication of yours to come out?
the kitchen following different recipes. He didn't
Jed: It was hard at the start, you know ... I
mind eating the results. though. So, I reckon I
desperately wanted to get published and I
must've done something right. And, I actually
remember I tried with a short story, but everyone
fulfilled my childhood ambition as I'm beginning to
said they'd only consider a whole collection, so that
get quite well known now. He, on the other hand, is
was out. Then I decided to enter a competition for
more normal and ended up as a teacher at our local
first novels but I missed the deadline. (I’m still
college, teaching creative writing.
polishing that novel 30 years later!)
No, it was a modest piece in a magazine about life in
other galaxies ... from small beginnings, eh?
UNIT 10 Interviewer: Well, you obviously found the magic
Recording script 1.06 ingredient! And what's the attraction now? I'm sure
You will hear an interview with a science-fiction you don’t really need the money.
writer called Jed Stevens. For questions 1-7, choose Jed: It's always been the same thrill. Science fiction
the best answer (A, B or C). allows you to find fresh angles on how people live
You now have one minute to look at the questions. and interact. You mentioned earnings, but they
were really only necessary while my kids were
Interviewer: Jed Stevens, welcome to the studio. growing up. Today I get by on next to nothing. I
Now, you've been writing successful science fiction know I could make a lot more if I accepted a role in
for almost three decades, but at what age would the filming of my stories, but I’m just not into that
you recommend others to start writing it? side of the business.
Jed: That's a good question. I played around with Interviewer: Jed, if you look back over your 30 years
ideas right through my teens, which is fine for your in the business, as you put it, what has changed in
own amusement, but you just don’t have the science fiction writing?
knowledge or scope to take it on seriously until Jed: Strangely enough, given all the technological
you're out in the world. In your twenties is about progress we’ve seen since the 80s, it's not the
right. There are a few writers who have turned to storylines themselves that have altered, but the
science fiction much later, in retirement, though I storytelling itself - that's improved hugely in my
see that as risky commercially. view. The other aspect that some people comment
Interviewer: So what led you to science fiction in the on is that the novels have become shorter over the
first place? years, but I don’t think there's any evidence for
Jed: Well, it would be convenient to say it was that . .. not in my case, anyway!
weekly doses of Star Trek, which was on television
when I was a kid, but in actual fact, I couldn’t stand Interviewer: OK, and what do you see happening to
it! My elder brother loved it and he listened to stuff the human race in the future, say 50 years from
on the radio too, but that didn’t work for me - I now?
wanted visual images to stimulate my imagination, Jed: Well I don’t have a crystal ball but my thoughts
and I found them in a colourful comic strip that I are that government funding for space exploration
consumed every week without fail. will become more necessary than ever due to a lack
Interviewer: And as a writer, is there anything in of resources on Earth. I don’t think people will be
particular that has been helpful to you? able to get beyond our solar system, but I'm certain
that unmanned vehicles will be sent that far, with windmill blades they used an old plastic pipe which
fascinating results. I also believe that we'll have they cut in two and heated over hot coals to make
started exploiting distant places for water by then, flat. This all took a long time but the result was
on an icy moon of Jupiter maybe. worth it.
Interviewer: Who knows? Jed, it's been really good The windmill was a great success and currently the
to talk to you today, thank you. village has three of them and the villagers can all go
Jed: My pleasure. to watch TV as well as enjoy all the other benefits
electricity has brought. William is now older and is
keen to build windmills across the whole of his
country. William's family can now harvest other
UNIT 12
crops besides maize such as potatoes. The people in
Recording script 1.07
the village are much healthier and happier than they
You will hear a woman talking about a man called
were before and other children are beginning to
William, who built a windmill in his village in Africa.
study science as they can now see how useful it is to
For questions 1-10, complete the sentences with a
their lives.
word or short phrase.
You now have 45 seconds to look at the questions.

Woman: On my radio show today, I’m going to be UNIT 14

telling you the amazing story of William. William was
Recording script 1.08
born and grew up in a small village in Malawi in
You will hear people talking in five different
Africa. He wasn’t naturally academic at school and,
situations. For questions 1-5, choose the best answer
in fact, he had to leave school at the age of 14
(A, B or C).
because his family couldn’t afford to pay the $80
tuition fees. Question 1
His family were farmers and they wanted William to You hear a man talking about his working life.
become one too but William had ambitions to be a Man: I haven’t always been involved in the catering
mechanic. This looked doubtful because the family industry. In fact, I trained as a lawyer, although I've
had no money and so William had to help out in the never actually worked for a law firm. I spent a few
fields. years writing articles for a law magazine, which I
He still had some free time though so he would quite enjoyed, but I always knew this was what I
spend it in the local library. There he found two really wanted to do - the kitchen is my true home! I
textbooks - Explaining Physics and Using Energy - turned professional last year, after I won a TV
and from them, William found out all about how you competition to find the best amateur in the country.
could get electricity from windmills. Since then, I've never looked back.
William's village was very poor but it did have a lot [The recording is repeated.]
of wind. He could see that electricity would solve a
Question 2
number of problems for his family and, best of all,
You hear a conversation about getting a further
he would be able to have a light in his room so he
qualification.
could read at night.
Woman: So I hear you're going back to studying for
William could see that having a windmill to make
a while?
electricity would mean freedom for himself and his
Man: That's right, it’s a full-time course in
family.
marketing. My company's going to pay half the fees
The electricity would be able to quickly pump water
and I've agreed to work for them for at least a year
to his family's fields of maize, which would allow
afterwards in return, though in a different job,
them to grow more food.
obviously.
He decided to build a windmill near his house. His
Woman: I'm surprised you didn’t decide to do
father was too busy so he asked his cousin to help
something part-time to keep your salary coming in!
him and they spent some time trying to find the
Man: I thought about it but I'd rather concentrate
necessary parts. Luckily, they managed to get hold
on the course, to be honest. I've managed to save
of a bicycle someone had thrown away and which
quite a bit, so I should be OK.
they used to form the basis of the windmill. They
[The recording is repeated.]
mainly used the chain and the dynamo. For the
Question 3 UNIT 14
You hear a woman talking about her career.
Recording script 1.09
Woman: I've been involved in fashion photography
You will hear five short extracts in which people are
for more than ten years now. People are often quite
talking about food. For questions 1-5, choose what
envious of what I do, but it's hard work with very
the writer says from the list (A-H). Use the letters
long days sometimes. It's getting more and more
only once. There are three extra letters which you do
competitive too, so it's hard to make a good living
not need to use.
nowadays. Not that it was the money that attracted
You now have 30 seconds to look at the questions.
me in the first place! I suppose I was drawn by the
opportunity to visit some exotic locations - that was Speaker 1
certainly more important to me than the famous I tend not to believe people who say they write for
people I'd get the chance to work with. eight hours a day. I write for about three hours after
[The recording is repeated.] breakfast. It's then that my mind is least cluttered. I
never eat at my desk. It's messy enough as it is. But
Question 4
food is important to my writing. You can learn about
You hear two people at work discussing a colleague.
the characters through their attitude to food. Food
Woman: Mark, can I have a word with you? I’m
provokes powerful feelings – a sense of family, for
getting very impatient with Becky.
example, when everyone sits down to eat together,
Man: Why's that? I’ve always found her very easy to
or hate, if you take food away from someone,
get on with.
especially a child. In fact, I often write so much
Woman: Well, that's not the problem. She's a lovely
about food that my editor has to cut large bits out
person, but whenever I ask her for something, she
when she reads it.
never seems to know where to look and takes ages
to find what I need. Now she seems to have mislaid Speaker 2
a really important file that I gave her last week. I work a long morning - that's when I can be at my
Man: OK. Look, I’m responsible for her so I'll have a most creative. I keep going until I can’t do any more.
quiet word - I know she's been a bit overworked By about two o'clock I realise I’m really hungry and
recently, but it sounds like she needs to sort herself could eat the entire contents of the fridge. One of
out a bit. the great pleasures of working at home is that you
Woman: Thanks Mark, I appreciate it. can be selfish about eating. I think you have to
Man: No problem. watch out for food in fiction; it's vital that it doesn’t
just become some sort of recipe book. I know some
Question 5
writers who just fill the pages with food - their
You hear a man talking about the skills needed for a
characters seem to eat all the time. I can’t do that.
new position in his department.
Man: This is a new role in the sales and marketing Speaker 3
department, to assist in the launch of our latest I was born in New York and my grandparents had a
product range. The post is initially for two years and restaurant. I really loved their Italian dishes. Ravioli
this help is needed immediately, so we're was my favourite and still is. One of the cooks there
encouraging internal people to apply. The successful made great American food too and I used to go back
applicant will be given some responsibility for to her home frequently for meals with her family. I
checking costs and updating sales budgets, so based one of my novels on that family - it centres
although we're not asking for a maths degree, a round a detective who has a difficult job but a great
school-level certificate in that subject is essential. happy family. If I’m happy with what I've written in a
The job will require an element of direct selling by day, I give myself chocolate. Not too much though as
phone, all carried out in English - another language I don’t want to pile on the pounds.
might be an advantage, but we're not demanding
Speaker 4
that. And we can provide basic training in telephone
I'm not easily distracted by food and I don’t see it as
selling too. Please contact Human Resources if you
something you should have as a reward. For me, it's
are interested, as soon as possible.
something that you need to live. As I love writing I
[The recording is repeated.]
spend a lot of time at my desk. I like to start around
9.30 and then work until one. I don’t like fancy
recipes that take ages to prepare. Something like Anna: There are so many benefits to ebooks'
toast or soup is fine by me. After lunch I have a quick including easy access to information online no
nap and then go shopping or to the library. I then matter where you live and the way you can alter the
work until seven and watch the news' Later I go out appearance of the text to suit you. The thing that
to eat in one of the great restaurants in my area. comes up in the survey above all is volume, the fact
that you can carry a whole library around on a piece
Speaker 5
of hardware that will slip into your pocket.
When I'm writing, my main character, a detective,
Interviewer: Interesting. Turning to the commercial
takes me over completely. After I get up' I go to the
aspect in all this, how do book publishers view
caf6 on the corner and have a coffee. and I used to
ebooks nowadays?
have a pastry but not now I'm dieting. Then I sit
Anna: I've interviewed several people in the
down and write until about three, not stopping for
industry, who were understandably nervous to
lunch. Once you start a novel, you don’t switch off,
begin with, seeing ebooks as a threat to their
so you need pauses to think about what you're going
traditional business. But in fact, just as music
to write next. I used to fill those pauses with
downloads have added to album sales, ebooks have
chocolate bars but I've managed to stop that now.
provided publishers with a totally new market. I
My character wouldn’t cook at all, but I can do a
think it's unlikely that paperbacks will disappear but
really good beef stew.
with rising paper costs and transport on top, heavier
hardback books look set to die out - even libraries
are switching to digital downloads of these, it
UNIT 18 seems.
Recording script 1.09 Interviewer: I see. And what about us, the
You will hear a radio interview with a woman who consumers? Are there no disadvantages?
has done a survey on attitudes to ebooks. For Anna: I wouldn’t say that. I don’t agree with the
questions 1-7, choose the best answer (A, B or C). argument that reading ebooks is bad for you - some
You now have one minute to look at the questions. people claim that it leads to weight gain, but doesn’t
reading a book also involve sitting still? For those
Interviewer: Here with me today is Anna Sinclair. people who dislike reading on screen, there will be
Now Anna, you've recently carried out an the added expense of printing and even then, you
investigation into people's reading habits and end up with a pile of paper rather than a solid
current attitudes to the downloading of ebooks. physical book. But that's about it! Think of the multi-
Whose idea was this? media features that some ebooks include for the
Anna: It was something I wanted to do at university, same money - audio and photographs for example.
but my tutor advised me not to due to the work Interviewer: Anna, how do you see ebooks changing
involved. the lives of authors - the people who produce them
When I graduated, I approached a small market in the first place?
research company, who were interested but said Anna: I think it's good news for them, and for their
they couldn’t finance it immediately. So I applied for agents, who still have a role to play in relation to the
a bank loan and sold the results back to the media. And ebooks provide undiscovered writers
company six months later. with the chance to deliver their work to the public,
Interviewer: Did anything surprise you in your rather than waiting for a willing publisher. As with
survey findings? many electronic products, there are of course
Anna: Yes. I had expected that people of my age opportunities for illegal activity, where the author
would be the strongest group in favour of ebooks, earns nothing, but it won’t impact on their earnings
but in fact, they had rather mixed feelings, mainly any more than the invention of the photocopier has
due to cost issues on the hardware needed. Adults done already.
in their 40s and 50s with spare income seem to have Interviewer: Yes indeed. Finally Anna, where will
welcomed the development and it is only the non- this research take you next in terms of your career?
computer-literate who refuse to consider ebooks, Anna: Well, I've got no plans to do anything else on
not surprisingly. ebooks at the moment, but the whole area of
Interviewer: And what do people out there see as market research is fascinating, and I want to take it
the biggest advantage of ebooks? further maybe even having my own company one
day. It's a very competitive field but I’ve learnt a lot scene' These techniques were fairly new when
from this experience and I believe I can offer Conan Doyle was writing, but they later formed a
companies a solid service, working in partnership key part of actual detective work.
with them. I always knew Holmes used a magnifying glass for
Interviewer: OK, well I wish you every success with finding small pieces of evidence such as hair or ash,
it all. Many thanks, Anna Sinclair. but what amazed me was that he also used a
microscope. What he didn’t use was photography,
which was commonly used at the time by the police
to record accident scenes and the faces of criminals
UNIT 20
– it’s strange that Conan Doyle doesn’t mention it at
Recording script 1.11
all in the stories.
You will hear a student called Dan talking about the
Conan Doyle used London as a setting for many of
famous detective Sherlock Holmes, who was created
his Sherlock Holmes stories, and the way he
by the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. For questions
describes the city at that time is fantastic. Many
1-10, complete the sentences with a word or short
modern-day readers of his stories find it odd that
phrase.
there's no fog nowadays! This was a real problem
You now have 45 seconds to look at the questions.
for Londoners until the 1950s when the burning of
coal was forbidden.
Dan: OK, for my presentation on crime, I want to
Conan Doyle wrote his first set of stories about
talk about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his character
Holmes over a ten-year period. After this, he
the detective Sherlock Holmes, who I really like
became more interested in writing historical novels
reading about. Conan Doyle was born in 1859 in
rather than detective fiction and so he killed off
Edinburgh, Scotland, and was greatly influenced by
Sherlock Holmes in a book published in 1893. But, in
his mother's love of storytelling. However, rather
1901, Conan Doyle gave in to public pressure and
than studying literature, from 1876 to 1881 he did
wrote some more books about Holmes.
medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, then you can visit
Although Conan Doyle began writing short stories
an interesting museum in London dedicated to him.
during his time at university, it wasn’t until he had
It is situated at 239 Baker Street. It tries hard to
graduated and set up a medical practice in London
recreate the apartment that Holmes and Watson
that he began to write seriously. This was because
lived in but, although some details like the violin
he wasn’t a particularly successful doctor and had
case and pipe are accurate, the museum has been
very few patients. His main inspiration for the
criticised for displaying the wrong type of furniture.
character of Sherlock Holmes was a professor who
You can also find a small exhibition hall and a gift
had taught him at Edinburgh.
shop there.
Another inspiration for his writing was a visit Conan
So, any questions? …
Doyle had made at the age of 15 to a wax museum
in London. There were wax models of well-known
actors and singers there, but it was the models of
famous murderers that had the greatest impact on UNIT 22
him. Recording script 1.12
The character Sherlock Holmes first appeared in You will hear people talking in six different
1887' not in a novel but as a short story called A situations. For questions 1-6, choose the best answer
Study in Scarlet in a magazine. Holmes was a private (A, B or C).
detective who ran an agency from his apartment at
Question 1
221B Baker Street in London and shared most of his
You hear a professional musician talking about his
work with his friend Dr Watson. From the books
work.
Conan Doyle wrote, I've learnt that Holmes had an
Man: I've been a member of this orchestra for the
expert knowledge of chemistry, but wasn’t quite so
last six years - I play the double bass. In my student
good at biology.
days I was a bass guitarist in a band that did covers
Sherlock Holmes was one of the first detectives in
of all the top songs, but I don’t get the chance to do
fiction to make use of forensic medicine. He was
that any more. Our schedule's pretty tough because
particularly good at identifying footprints at a crime
we do a lot of concerts abroad. When I’m not
touring, I try to get to a few jazz gigs, just to see how my own things for TV commercials. and they bring in
my instrument is being played. an absolute fortune! Just singing solo, which I love
[The recording is repeated.] best.

Question 2 Question 5
You hear a man and a woman talking about a band. You hear a composer talking about his latest work.
Woman: That was a great concert we went to on Man: It’s been a challenge to get the piece finished
Saturday. I’ve just downloaded their new album, by but I’m happy with how it has turned out. I hope it
the way. will influence the next generation of composers - I
Man: Have you? And is it as good as the last one? see in my own students that they need to think
Woman: Not sure yet - it's very different. There's outside the box if they are to deliver truly modern
nothing familiar from their concert either! The lyrics music. The piece is going to be performed for the
contain some really powerful images though, worth first time next month in New York which is
listening to properly. appropriate, as it was the daily noise of the traffic
Man: Sounds like it will take a bit of time to get into and the crowds there that proved to be such a major
it. Can I borrow it sometime? contribution to the mood of the piece. The whole
Woman: Yeah, OK. use of percussion and brass comes from that
[The recording is repeated.] experience, so different from the peaceful farm
where I grew up.
Question 3
[The recording is repeated.]
You hear a boy and a girl talking about their guitar
lessons. Question 6
Boy: How are you getting on with your guitar classes You hear a man and a woman talking about an
this term? open-mic night.
Girl: It’s fun. We've got a new book and the pieces Woman: Hi, Chris. I missed the open-mic night this
are a lot longer than before, so I'm having to do this week - how was it?
more practice. How about you? Man: Great. The house band was good, although
Boy: Not too good. There are too many in our class their bass guitarist wasn’t up to his usual high
now - it used to be just four, but now, with eight of standard. I think he may have been ill.
us, I don’t feel I'm making as much progress Woman: Oh dear. And did that Scottish girl with the
somehow even though I do loads of practice. electric violin play again? Hers was the best
Girl: Well you should ask to move to our class. performance by far last time.
You're free on Wednesday evenings, aren’t you? Man: Sadly not - she doesn’t live in the village, you
Boy: I am, that's a good idea, thanks. know. The real highlight was this teenage kid who
[The recording is repeated.] brought his keyboard along. He was a bit nervous so
he just played with the band to begin with, but then
Question 4
they let him do two of his own songs. He's got a
You hear part of a radio interview with a female
future in music, I'd say.
singer.
Woman: There're so many talented musicians
Man: So you're able to make a good living from your
around here.
music, which is fantastic. What part of your work
Man: Yeah. Were very lucky.
earns you the most, would you say?
[The recording is repeated.]
Woman: Well it used to be the case that my
recordings brought in a lot, especially the ones I did
without my backing band, but with so much
downloading and file sharing, that side has dropped UNIT 24
a bit. Recording script 1.13
Man: And how about your live appearances with the You will hear an interview with a comedian called
band - you play some very big venues, don’t you? Kate Gordon. For questions 1-7, choose the best
Woman: Yes, but when we tour there's never much answer (A, B or C).
profit from the ticket sales once all our expenses You now have one minute to look at the questions.
have been paid. Where I’ve been really lucky
recently is being approached to record a couple of
Interviewer: Here with me now is Kate Gordon, who Interviewer: Several comedians have found success
has just won a comedy award at a major festival. in the cinema. Would that ever interest you?
Kate, what was the award for exactly? Kate: Maybe. I'd enjoy the teamwork for sure, being
part of something big. It would have to be the right
Kate: My one-woman stand-up show! I’m delighted
project though - too many comedians seem to end
as I've never been sure I could do it, but the festival
up with second-rate scripts, which doesn’t help your
audiences thought otherwise. Up till now, I've
career in the long run. I think I'd want to have some
usually been part of something bigger - the radio
control over the writing, even if I couldn’t do it
show was with six talented comedians, and my
myself. And I'd be looking for a young director
earlier work as a TV script-writer also involved a
willing to try things differently.
large team.
Interviewer: Do you ever get nervous in front of an
Interviewer: And is there anything particularly
Audience.
challenging about being a female comedian?
Kate: I'd be lying if I said no! I think it's quite natural
Kate: Well, there are far more guys out there doing
to experience some anxiety, but for me, the strange
shows which could put some women off, I suppose,
thing is that I feel much more secure in front of a
but it’s never stopped me! New venues are opening
really big audience, even if it's a massive one
up, too, so it's becoming a bit easier to get regular
outdoors. While if there’re only 40 or so in a tiny
bookings around the country. Having said that, it
club. it's easy to lose your confidence if you catch
wouldn’t be a very attractive lifestyle touring on my
someone's eve at the wrong moment. I suppose the
own or if and when I have kids!
easiest place for me is the theatre down the road,
Interviewer: You write most of your own material.
where most people know me.
Does that side come easily to You?
Interviewer: Finally Kate, how would you advise
Kate: Definitely not. It involves a lot of time and
people to get going in comedy?
effort. It's not possible to develop a series of new
Kate: Well, don’t make the mistake of just looking at
jokes overnight, and even when I’ve written
others doing their shows – you’ve got to find out
something that's half OK, I'll still need to try it out in
pretty early on whether you can handle doing a live
front of an audience a couple of times before it's
act, so the wav forward is to try an open-mic night,
really right. And actually' sometimes I'm quite
where you get the chance to do a short performance
surprised by the weird sense of humour that people
for real people. You won't do brilliantly to begin with
have. They're more extreme than I am!
but if you keep practising, you'll either improve or
Interviewer: And where do your best ideas come
realise that it's not for you.
from?
Interviewer: OK, well thanks very much Kate.
Kate: For my jokes? They come from me, of course! I
Kate: No worries, it was fun.
guess my recipe for success is to be very nosy – I
observe everyone I come into contact with, apart
from my friends, that is, who would never allow me
to get material from their lives! I never find stuff on
the internet either - it has to come from daily things
that are happening around me, and I don’t miss
much!

UNIT 6 f. I would eat Italian food when I lived in New

York.
6 Writing
g. The crowd watched quietly as they pulled down
a. I don’t go to the theatre very often because the old cinema.
there isn’t one in my town. h. The man asked him if he could give him some
b. (Please) could I use your phone (please)? money.
c. (Yesterday) I bought her a lovely blue silk dress i. Not only does Alison like bananas/apples, she is
(yesterday). also keen on apples/bananas.
d. Alan never used to be keen on swimming. j. I have never been so horrified in my life.
e. Quite a few members of the audience were
students.
UNIT 7 Can’t wait for you to arrive!
4 Punctuated report
Report on the regional college football competition
held on 3rd May. UNIT 10
Venue 4 Review of future tenses
This year the competition was held at Highworth a. Within 20 years, a manned spacecraft will have
College. This was an excellent choice of venue as landed on Mars.
there are six football pitches available, all in b. In the 22nd century, it may be possible to launch
excellent condition. starships, whose destination would be other
The competition galaxies.
All the teams in the competition were very c. Soon, people will be able to travel to low orbit
experienced and played to a good level. This and the journey time between Europe and New
provided excellent entertainment for the spectators. Zealand will be only an hour.
The matches got off to a slow start, mainly because 5 Writing
of the bad weather - it rained heavily throughout Between 10 and 12 January, 2020, Elwood College of
the morning but this cleared up after lunch. Then, Technology is hosting a conference on future
there were a few incidents where the referee's developments in space. The guest speakers will
decision was questioned, but generally the matches include, science-fiction writer John T. Price and the
were all played in a positive way with good team leading scientist Professor Paul Rhodes, who will be
spirit. speaking about his latest research. The discussions
The result will cover topics such as beam-up technology, moon
The two finalists were Chedbury Manor College and settlements and how to contact aliens.
Fulbrook High. The final score was 2-0 to Chedbury
and it was a good win for them. Their striker was
particularly impressive and could perhaps even be
considered for a professional club if he wanted to UNIT 11
take that route. All in all a very good day's sport. 6 Writing a letter, suggested answer
Dear Lynne,
5 Writing an email, suggested answer
I thought I'd write and tell you all my latest news.
Hi Kim,
We've got new neighbours. You remember I told you
It was great to hear from you and I'm really looking
that we had a large family living next door? Well, the
forward to you coming to my college. It's a great
father has got a new job in New York and they
place and pretty well-known for sport. For
moved out last week. They were quite fun, but a bit
swimming, it's necessary to go into the town as our
noisy. They often used to have large family parties
college doesn’t have a swimming pool. There's a
and the young children would run around shouting.
really good one there and students get a discount.
Their parents and their grandpa and grandma were
It's open every evening and at the weekend. I'm not
nice though.
sure about swimming competitions though.
The new neighbours are a family with identical twin
We have a football team, which I'm on. I know you
girls, aged 15. They're very pretty and, so far, seem
are a great goal-keeper so I'm sure there would be
quite friendly. I hope I'll be able to tell them apart.
space for you! There are four pitches at the college
Their dad came over yesterday to say hello and
and matches take place between different colleges
we’re going to have them over for a barbeque next
every weekend during the season. When you arrive,
weekend. I'll write and let you know if my first
go and see the coach, Mr Andrews – he used to play
impression of them was right!
football professionally before he became the coach
That’s all my news for now. Hope you're keeping
at our college.
well.
We also have badminton and also hockey. You might
Love,
also be interested to know that there’s a gym which
has some very up-to-date equipment. I go there in
my lunch hour to work out. It's very popular so you
have to put your name on the list the week before. UNIT 13
3 Grammar - reporting has its own gym or ' sports centre or swimming pool,
a. Zeinaida said that she had gone to the local and these places are often reasonably priced'
paper and had told them their plans. They (had) If you don’t fancy keeping fit with other people, then
asked her some questions to check her out, but get a bike and go out riding. I do this quite a bit - I
in the end they (had) promised to run the story. always cycle to college. I never get the bus because
b. Chris Searle said that that morning he had gone it is very expensive and I would have to wait a long
in through the side entrance. The school time for one to come along. In the past, it may have
secretary was / had been handing out the been difficult to keep fit and healthy, but certainly
registers as normal, but there couldn’t have not nowadays.
been more than 20 or 30 kids in the whole
building.
c. A pupil said that while they were / had been
outside the gates, teachers had come across and
(had) talked to them. Some were i had been
sympathetic, though they weren’t / hadn’t been
able to admit it. Some were / had been
aggressive and had thrown gym shoes at them.
d. Chris Searle said that those children were / had
been made to feel that being ordinary meant
failure. He argued that it is the ordinary people
and their daily work that make a country.
(Present tense is used as this is an ongoing
truth.)

UNIT 17
4 Writing, suggested answer
The haggis, which must be prepared according to
the traditional recipe, should be cooled at the time
of hurling. The haggis, which will be inspected for
illegal firming agents, must not break on landing. A
haggis hurler who has the misfortune to see his
haggis split will be disqualified.
For the junior and middle-weight events, where the
haggis should weigh approximately 500 grams, the
haggis should be no longer than 22 cm with a
maximum diameter of 18 cm.

UNIT 17
5 Writing, suggested answer
I think that there has never been a better time to be
fit and healthy. For a start, supermarkets make a
point of including calorie counts on all their food so
that you know exactly how much salt, sugar and fat
you are eating. If you believe that being a vegetarian
is healthier than eating meat then you will have no
problem finding ready meals or restaurants which
suit your style of eating.
More and more people are joining gyms or going
running or doing pilates classes. There really is no
excuse for not being able to keep fit as every town