Extract One
You hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.
- Which aspect of college publicity material do the friends disagree about?
- In the woman's opinion, companies link themselves with charities in order to
Extract Two
You hear two friends talking about ways of keeping fit.
- What is the woman's criticism of exercising in gyms?
- How does the man respond to his friend's criticism?
Extract Three
You hear a woman telling a friend about living in her capital city as a student.
- What is she doing during the conversation?
- Why does the man give the example of trees?
Extract One
F: Hi, Daniel – how are things? Have you applied for college yet?
M: Well, I can’t decide which one to go for. Lots of colleges have sent me their glossy brochures … and I see they now go on about how environmentally friendly they are; in fact they’ve got a star rating system for this one ..
F: Mmm … they e trying to attract as much interest as possible, though I’m not sure that would have much impact on my choice .. ltimately the course has to be the right one, though I can see they need to compete …
M: Well, yes, but if I was torn between two courses the new rating could decide it. It’s good they’re thinking about these issues … and the marketing people are certainly shouting about it!
F: It’s getting like the commercial sector – those companies who sponsor a charity for example, trying to persuade consumers that just by buying their products, they’re doing their bit for charity and can ignore other causes. I don’t know if it increases sales, but the cynic in me reckons many companies just want to appear softer in the public eye, so they make a lot of noise about their charitable credentials.
Extract Two
F: Are you still going to the gym, Frank?
M: Yes, but not as often as | should be.
F: That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’ve heard that the dropout rate among gym members is very high even in those really expensive, luxury health centres. Anyway, gyms aren’t the answer. I’m sure the real key is to build exercise into your daily routine, by doing something simple like walking to the mall or taking the stairs rather than the elevator – or doing sport. And another thing, I people tend to think that a sixty-minute workout entitles them to
laze around for the rest of the day or eat a lot and then undo all I the good they might’ve done, but people who exercise little and often don’t fall into the same trap.
M: That’s all very well, Mary, but what about the people who don’t give up on the gym and who actually feel the benefit, and quite enjoy the comradeship? Each to his own, you know. If you’d just give it another shot, you might find it suited you too.
Extract Three
M: What did you study at university, Alicia?
F: Horticulture – plants and things. I was based at a regional one, but I also spent time studying in the capital.
M: Seems a strange place to go if you want to grow things – the middle of a huge city.
F: Mmm, that’s what my fellow students said! I mean, I know it wasn’tideal. It’s a harsh climate – winters are bitterly cold, and the summer’s sweltering, with little rain. But folks in the city are just determined to grow stuff – on rooftops, balconies, wherever. They’ll just garden anywhere they can. It was a reminder of the strong spirit of gardeners.
M: Come to think of it, I do remember noticing the way some of the trees were looked after there. Instead of bare bits of ground around urban trees, they seem to take great pride in filling the earth around them with flowers.
F: And all that’s done by the residents themselves. It’s as if every tree s to be celebrated.
M: I wouldn’t go that far. Not all parts of the city are like that.