SECTION 1
You will hear a telephone conversation between an accommodation agency and a student. First, you have some time
to look at questions 1 to 6. You will see there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only,
the conversation relating to this will be played first.
Hello, how can I help you today? Ah yes, hello. I'm ringing you today as I am interested in renting a property
and I was hoping you could help me. The name of the person is Jane Smith.
So, Jane Smith has been written in the space. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen
because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.
Hello, how can I help you today? Ah yes, hello. I'm ringing you today as I am interested in renting a property
and I was hoping you could help me. The name of the person is Jane Smith. Okay, I'm just filling in an
accommodation request form for you. Could you spell out your name for me? Sure, it's J-A-N-E and my surname is
Smith, S-M-I-T-H. Is that all okay? Great, thanks. Now, what is your gender and age, may I ask? I'm a female and
I am 26 years old. And what is the approximate length of your stay? I'm planning to stay for 2 years. Okay, and
what is the latest date you can move in by? Well, I'd like to move in on the 7th of July, but I'm able to move
in up to a month later than that date. So the 7th of August is the latest I can move in by. Now, what kind of
accommodation are you looking for? I'm looking for a one-bedroom flat to rent, so I'd like to rent on my own.
And what is your occupation? I'm a student at the local university and I'm also a part-time waitress. So you
want the accommodation to be fully furnished? Yes, that's right. And I'd also like a separate bathroom and
kitchen things, so that I don't have to buy any. Okay, that's no problem. What other facilities are you looking
for? Well, first of all, I'd like to have my own facilities. Also, I'd like the apartment to have a washing
machine because it's so expensive to do your laundry in a launderette these days.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10. Now listen and
answer questions 7 to 10.
Okay, now let's see. What about the rent? How much are you prepared to pay? I'm on a very tight budget, so I
can't pay any more than 615 a month for rent. That's a little low for the kind of accommodation you're looking
for, but let's see what we can do. What is the minimum rent you could afford? The absolute lowest amount is 560
a month, but I could possibly stretch to 600 if the apartment is really nice and in a good location. Would the
rent for the accommodation include the cost of bills? No, the rent is separate from the bills. So you'll have to
pay for the electricity, gas and internet yourself. Yes, I understand. When I rent a property from you, how much
deposit am I required to pay? The deposit is one month's rent in advance. Yes, that's what I was expecting. I
know that some landlords have a very strong objection to their tenants having pets. I've always wanted to have a
dog, so I'd like to live somewhere where they're allowed. Yes, I understand. Not all landlords are okay with
this, but I'll make a note of it. Are there any other requirements? Well, I've heard that it's difficult to find
a parking space in the city, so I would prefer to live within walking distance of a park. I don't have a car, so
parking wouldn't be a problem for me. It's just a lot more pleasant to have a view of some greenery from the
window. The apartments that we have available to rent are all in a very central location in the city, so there
are many parks nearby. Okay, that sounds great. I think that's all the information I need. So what should I do
now? Let's have a look and see what we can find for you. Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but our system is down at the
moment, so I'm afraid you'll have to pop in sometime next week to see what we have available. Yes, of course. No
problem. That is the end of Section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
SECTION 2
You will hear a talk on the improvements that have been made to a local park. First you have some time to look
at questions 11 to 20.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 20. Good morning, and welcome to this public meeting, which has
been called to discuss the future of the park. Firstly, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Councillor Bob
Smith, and I am the chairman of the Parks and Recreation Committee. As a representative of the council, I'm
delighted to be able to welcome you all here today. I'm sure that we're all very proud of our park, but the
council has felt for some time that it could be improved. I'm here to give you an overview of our plans. After
this, there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions. To protect our park, we have had to update the
regulations, a measure which will enable us to preserve the park for the future. The park is a very complex
ecosystem, with a variety of plant and animal life that we have a responsibility to protect. To this end, the
park is managed by the council in partnership with a group of local people known as 'the Friends of the Park'.
Through this partnership, the council is able to contribute to the maintenance of the park, and in return, the
friends of the park are able to advise us on how the park should be managed. We feel that this is a fair trade,
that will ensure the park is well looked after. As the park is a public space for everyone to enjoy, we feel
that it is very important to involve the community in the process of its management. This is why we have invited
you here today. We place a great deal of importance on our younger generations, so we make a significant effort
to involve local schools, to ensure that young people have respect for the park and understand its importance.
Our ultimate aim is to create a park that is not only safe for the public to visit, but is also an exciting and
dynamic place to be. Okay, so now I'll show you the plan of the park and talk you through some of the changes
we've made. As you can see, the park is bordered by Park Road to the north and Main Street to the east. The main
entrance to the park is at the top of Main Street, and this is where we've made most of the changes. The cafe
that used to be located near the main entrance has now been converted into a games room for young people, and
we've built a brand new cafe which has a much more convenient location at the southern end of the park, next to
the flower garden. The flower garden is one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of the park, so we thought
that the cafe would be well placed there. The children's playground has also been upgraded, and the old
equipment has been replaced with modern swings and slides. For those of you who have young children, I'm sure
this will be a welcome change. The new equipment has been designed to be much safer than the old equipment. We
wanted to create a more formal area in the park, so we've developed the empty piece of land in the centre of the
park between the two paths. We've built a beautiful flower garden in the shape of a circle, with a path running
around the edge of it. To the west of the flower garden is a small wooded area which we've decided to leave as
it is, as it's a very peaceful and beautiful part of the park. It's very popular with the park's visitors, and
we didn't want to spoil that. Toilets have also been built, so that visitors don't have to leave the park to use
the public toilets in the library. They're located just behind the flower garden. Many of the park's older
visitors have complained that there are not enough seats in the park, and they've often had to sit on the grass,
which can be very damp. So we've installed benches throughout the park. The main path that runs through the
middle of the park from east to west is now a tree-lined avenue, with benches facing the fountain. We've also
placed benches in the flower garden, where visitors can sit and admire the view. Finally, we've produced a
leaflet which gives you more information about the park, and we've put up a few signs with a map of the park.
The leaflet also includes a list of all the different species of trees that can be found in the park, as well as
a calendar of events for the coming year. We've placed a statue of the famous writer from our town, Charles
Dickens, in the centre of the park. So that's all from me. Now I'd be happy to answer any of your questions...
SECTION 3
You will hear two students discussing a presentation they're going to give. First you have some time to look at
questions 21 to 26.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26. Hi David, how are you? I'm a little tired, as I've been
studying for my presentation all week, but I'm glad that I've finally finished it. You've finished your
presentation already? That's great! When are you going to be presenting it to the class? I'm presenting
tomorrow, and I'm so nervous. I hate speaking in front of a lot of people. Well, I'm sure you'll do a great job.
Our presentation is about the UK honey bee population, so it should be really interesting. So what is the main
problem that the bees are facing in the UK? Well, apparently there has been a sharp decline in the population of
honey bees in the UK. Have you heard of the Varroa mite? No, I haven't. It's a parasite that attaches itself to
the bee and feeds on its blood. It's very bad news for the bees, as it can be fatal. I see. And are these
parasites the main cause of the decline in the bee population? They are a major cause, but they're not the only
cause. The resistance of the bees has also been weakened by the use of pesticides in the agriculture industry.
Many people are also unaware of the way in which bees are farmed, which is also a contributing factor to the
decline of the population. Beekeepers often transport their bees from one side of the country to another, which
can be very stressful for the bees. This also leads to overcrowding, as the bees are often housed in smaller
hives. Oh, I see. What other factors affect the health of the bees? Nutrition is another major factor. Farmers
often replace the honey with sugar water. However, the honey contains important nutrients that are essential for
the bee's health. Sugar water, on the other hand, contains no nutrients. That sounds terrible. Is there anything
that can be done to help the poor bees? Well, new regulations are being put into place that will help to protect
the bees. For example, farmers will now have to ensure that their pesticides do not harm the bees. The
regulations also state that farmers must make sure that bees have a varied diet by planting a selection of
different flowers, shrubs and trees. Oh, so the public have a part to play as well then? Yes, everyone can help.
You can buy honey that is produced by local beekeepers, so you can be sure that it has been produced in a
sustainable way. You can also plant flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen in your garden for the bees to
feed on. Or, if you don't have a garden, you could take a beekeeping course. It's a great hobby, and it's a
fantastic way to help the bees. The beekeeping society is a great organization that teaches people about the
importance of bees. They're also planning on launching a new campaign next year to help raise awareness of the
issue.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30. Now listen and
answer questions 27 to 30.
So shall we start planning our presentation? I've already done a bit of research, so I can write the
introduction. Great, that's a good idea. I'll do some more research on the Varroa mite. There are some really
interesting articles online, so I'll read those and then I'll write up my findings. And you can do the
conclusion, as you're very good at summarizing. I think that's a good idea. We should also include a
bibliography at the end, so we can list all of the resources we used. We should probably do that together at the
end. Yes, I agree. It's important that our bibliography is accurate, so we should both check it. Okay, well,
that's all for now. Let's meet again tomorrow to put it all together. Okay, see you tomorrow. Bye.
SECTION 4
You will hear a lecture about the history of weather forecasting. First you have some time to look at questions
31 to 40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40. Good afternoon, and welcome to this lecture on the history
of weather forecasting. To begin, we will look back into ancient times. Most ancient cultures thought of weather
as a divine event. They believed that the weather was controlled by the gods, and because of this, they
regularly made sacrifices of animals or even humans in order to appease the gods and bring them good weather. It
was therefore very important to keep the gods happy. In ancient China, the art of weather forecasting was linked
with the practice of astrology. The ancient Chinese created a calendar that was based on the position of the sun
and moon. They divided the year into 24 parts, according to the seasons. Certain days of the year were
associated with certain types of weather. For example, the beginning of spring was associated with rain, and
ceremonies were often performed in order to ask the gods to send the rain that was needed for the crops to grow.
In ancient Greece, the weather was also considered to be a divine event. However, this was the first culture to
have a more scientific approach. The Greeks were the first to write books on the subject, and they were also
able to predict the weather by observing the movement of the stars. In the Renaissance, a number of scientific
instruments were invented which were to have a great impact on the history of weather forecasting. In 1450,
Leone Battista Alberti invented the first anemometer, which was an instrument that could measure the speed of
the wind. A few years later, Leonardo da Vinci designed a hygrometer, which could measure the amount of water
vapor in the air. This was a very important invention, as humidity is a very important factor in predicting the
weather. But perhaps the most important invention of all was the thermometer. The ability to measure temperature
was a crucial development in the history of weather forecasting. The first barometer was invented in 1643 by
Evangelista Torricelli. This was a revolutionary invention, as it enabled scientists to measure atmospheric
pressure. This discovery was very important, as the pressure of the atmosphere is another key factor in weather
prediction. One of the most famous scientists of the 18th century was Benjamin Franklin. He was the first to
discover that lightning is an electrical current, and he was also the first to chart a major storm. In the 19th
century, a number of important developments were made. Francis Beaufort was the first person to create a scale
to measure the strength of the wind. This scale is still in use today. During this period, Robert FitzRoy was
also developing his own theories of weather forecasting. His theories were revolutionary at the time, and he was
the first to create weather forecasts for the public. With the invention of the telegraph, it was possible to
get information on the weather from many different places. This information was used to create the first weather
maps. It was also during this period that the word 'forecast' was first used. The 20th century saw many more
developments in the history of weather forecasting. In the 1920s, weather balloons were first used to collect
data from the upper atmosphere. In the 1960s, the first weather satellite was sent into space, and this was to
have a huge impact on the accuracy of weather forecasting. So you can see that the history of weather
forecasting is a long and complex one. Now, let's look at some of the challenges that forecasters face today...
