You will hear people talking in eight different situations.
1.You hear a message on a telephone answering machine.
- Why is the speaker calling?
2. You hear a man talking about a water-sports centre.
- The man says the centre should
3. You hear a professional tennis player talking about her career.
- What annoys her most about interviewers?
4. You hear a poet talking about his work.
- What is he doing?
5. You hear two people talking about a programme they saw on TV.
- The woman thinks the programme was
6. You hear two people talking about an ice-hockey game they’ve just seen.
- How does the girl feel about it?
7. You overhear two friends talking about a restaurant.
- What do they both like about it?
8. You hear a man on the radio.
- What type of information is he giving?
1.
John: Oh hi it’s me, John. Sorry to miss you – you must’ve already left for work. Look, I wondered if you wanted to come away for the weekend. There’ll be about 10 of us including someone called Sam Brent who says he was at college with you – and he remembers that you were brilliant at rock and roll! They’ve decided it’ll be on October 9, Friday night till Sunday. Anyway, I’ll put the details in the post. I know you’re busy at the moment, so don’t feel you have to come, but just let me know one way or the other when you can. Talk to you soon. Bye.
2.
Woman: So how did you like the new sports centre?
Man: Well, there’s a wide choice of things to do… It’s just that their advertisements said ‘something to suit all the family’. I wish they’d had water games for the under fives. There was nothing really suitable for them. But you can learn to windsurf or sail, and you have the freedom to go anywhere in the lake …
Woman: Isn’t that a bit dangerous?
Man: Not really. Nobody’s allowed in the water without a lifejacket, and a rescue boat is on hand all the time.
Woman: Sounds great.
Man: It was
3.
Interviewer: Are you ever annoyed by interviewers?
Star: Well, I’m often asked about the financial side of things. I don’t mind, but I can honestly say, for many tournaments, I don’t even know what the prize money is. I just focus on playing to my full potential. They must find that answer disappointing! No, the ones I have a problem with are those who assume it’s all about partying and gossip. I wish they’d ask about the real lifestyle: practising day in, day out, and getting from tournament to tournament. I probably do around a hundred long-haul flights a year. It sounds exciting, but it wipes you out and actually ruins your social life!
4.
Poet: I’ve been slowly writing more and more poems for kids over the last few years. Talking to young people in schools, which I’ve been doing for some time now, reinforces my belief that they need and want the same range of subjects that older people do – relationships, work, family, etc. Often it’s something that only emerges after my poems are finished, but quite a few of them in my new collection were first thought of as poems for adults, until I realised that they might work just as well, or better, for kids. But I hope it’s a book that adults will enjoy too.
5.
Woman: Did you watch that programme about the Gobi Desert last night? I thought it’d be really interesting because it’s a part of the world I know very little about.
Man: The photography was brilliant, wasn’t it?
Woman: Yes, you could really feel how harsh the life was there.
Man: Overwhelmingly grey, I thought. It’d be hard to feel cheerful living in that landscape.
Woman: It was a bit short on facts though, wasn’t it?
Man: I don’t think it was that kind of programme. They just wanted you to be amazed at the fantastic landscape. I guess that’s why there wasn’t much commentary.
Woman: You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.
6.
Man: So, your first live ice-hockey game. Glad you came?
Woman: Well, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but it was so cold – I had no idea that it would be like that. I wish I’d brought my thicker coat!
Man: That’s normal! At least it was a really exciting game – our team was doing much better than usual.
Woman: Well, perhaps that accounts for the noise! I knew it would be loud, but it was incredible.
Man: What do you expect? We have to support them!
Woman: Well I can say I’ve done it – just don’t expect to see me here next week!
7.
Man: I can see why people really rate the place.
Woman: Yeah. They really know how to bring out the flavours in the different dishes. They also put a lot of thought into combining unusual ingredients. And as a restaurant it’s not too stuffy and formal. It’s got a really lively feel about it.
Man: Perhaps a little too lively. It was quite hard to hear each other above the din. I’m not sure it’d be the place to come for a romantic dinner. Great food though, and so visually appealing on the plate.
Woman: They’ve made a lot of effort with that. It really adds to the experience, doesn’t it?
8.
Radio: As a result of heavy snow, there has been major disruption to rail services this morning. A number of breakdowns have been reported in the west, with people stranded on some trains. In this region blizzard conditions are making driving conditions hazardous. A severely restricted train service will be operating within the next few hours into the capital and delays are expected on all lines in the south of the country. In the north, there is some snow, but services have been able to continue, with only a few cancellations reported.