Audio transcript
Wellington on the North Island. Another important city
Diagnostic test 4.13
S = Sam, L = Lucy
S Hi, Im Sam. Are you the new girl in my class?
L Hi. Yes. My names Lucy. Im from Manchester.
Its my first day here.
S Well, welcome to Hillside. Have you got any
friends here?
L No. Are there many students in our class?
S 28. Dont worry. Its a great class and were all
very friendly.
L Good. What lesson have we got now?
S Geography with Mr Jones. Hes that man with
the exercise books near the door - the one with
ginger hair and a beard.
L Im rubbish at Geography. Is he nice?
S Yeah. Hes very funny and his lessons are
interesting. Whats your favourite subject?
L Science. What about you?
S Music is my favourite subject. And Im quite
good at ICT. But the lessons arent very
interesting.
L Is there a science lab?
S Yes. There are two big labs on the third floor.
The Science teacher is Mrs Green. Shes my
mum.
L Your mum! Is that difficult?
S Yes. Im not very good at Science.
S Here we are. My desks over there near the
window. Theres a desk next to it if you want to
sit there.
L Thanks.
Unit 1 Test
4.14
New Zealand is in the south-west Pacific Ocean,
2,000 km from Australia. There are two main islands
North Island and South Island, with a total area about
the same size as Italy. New Zealand has got a small
population of just over 4 million people. The majority
of the population today is of European origin, but there
is also the indigenous population, the Maoris, who
have got their own language. The capital city is
is Auckland. New Zealand has got a strong economy,
a low level of crime, a good level of education, and an
excellent quality of life.
It is also a great place for sport, especially rugby. The
national rugby team, the All Blacks, are possibly the
number one team in the world and they are famous for
their haka a Maori war dance which they perform
before every game.
New Zealand is a beautiful country with high
mountains, volcanoes and dramatic coasts they
filmed the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies
here.
So, why not visit New Zealand? its a fantastic place!
Unit 2 Test
4.15
M = Maria, D = Dan
M Hi, my names Maria. Im in year 8 and Im
doing a school project about peoples interests.
Can I ask you some questions?
D Sure.
M What are your hobbies?
D I love reading comics. Im a big fan of Batman
and I collect all the comic books. I spend a lot of
money on them and Ive got over one hundred
old comics. I usually buy them on the internet.
M Have you got any other interests or do you play
sports?
D Im interested in photography, and I also enjoy
playing tennis. Its my favourite sport. I often
play with my dad on Saturdays. Oh, and I
sometimes go swimming after school.
M So youre quite active. Is there a thing that you
really dont like?
D Football. I cant stand watching it on TV. All my
friends are big fans of Manchester United and
they watch all the matches, but I never do.
M Is there an object thats very important to you?
D My mobile. I always have it with me and I spend
a lot of money on top-ups. I also use it to go on
the internet. Its really cool! Sorry. I dont usually
use it in class because its against the rules.
Well, I sometimes send text messages in a
boring lesson!
M Thats all. Thanks, Dan.
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Unit 3 Test
4.16
My names Rob and Im 15. Im from San Diego in
California. At the moment Im living here in London
because my dads working here for a year. Hes a
university professor. What do I like, and what dont I
like about the UK? Well, first of all, I dont like the
weather. In San Diego its usually sunny but here its
often cloudy, or it rains. I also miss the beach because
I really love surfing, and you cant really surf in
London! What else...? The foods OK, I guess, but my
dad says the beer is horrible.
So, what do I like? Well, I like my school friends
theyre cool, even if we have to wear a uniform. In the
USA nobody wears a school uniform. The teachers
are all very friendly too. My favourite subject is History,
but I hate Maths because its really difficult. Im also
now playing in the school football team, and I dont
mean American football, but what we call soccer. Im
the goal keeper and the other players say Im quite
good. I watch football on TV too and Im a big fan of
Arsenal. I know it sounds strange, but I spend a lot of
time visiting museums because Im really interested in
knowing more about European history. The museums
in London are great and many of them are free. In the
USA theyre really expensive! So Im having a good
time here, I guess.
End-of-Term 1 Test
4.17
W = Woman, J = Joe, M = Mary
W Hello, Joe. Come in. Mary isnt ready yet. Shes
having a shower. Would you like some tea?
J No, thanks, Mrs Hughes.
W Mary says that you live in East Street.
J Thats right. My parents have got a restaurant
there. I sometimes help them at weekends to
earn some money. Im saving for my holidays. I
want to go cycling in Ireland with my cousin.
Were planning to stay in camp sites.
W That sounds fun. Do you know Ireland?
J Yes. My mum comes from Connemara on the
west coast. Ive got relatives there - my
grandparents and Mums brother.
W I believe its very beautiful.
J Yes. There are hills and lakes, and the beaches
are amazing. But the seas too cold for
swimming.
W Do you often go with your parents?
J No, they cant go in the summer because of the
restaurant. Mum goes in September. I usually
go with my brother in August. We fly to Dublin
and then we get a bus to Connemara. We stay
at my uncles house and we go trekking in the
hills and horse riding with our cousins. I love
horse riding.
W Marys sister is learning to ride at a riding centre
not far from here. But I dont think Mary likes
horses.
W Marys coming now. She always spends hours
getting ready!
M Hi, Joe.
W Have you got your front door key?
M Yes, its in my bag. Can you give me some
money for the bus, Mum?
W OK. Enjoy the party.
M Thanks. Bye!
Unit 4 Test
4.18
P = Presenter, E = Ellie, D = Dorian
P Im visiting the healthy food festival in Antville
today. There are a lot of different types of food.
Im standing in front of the vegetarian cook
book stand. Its very busy here. Vegetarian food
seems very popular. Excuse me. Im Pete
Parker from Radio Sun. Can I ask you some
questions, please?
E Yes, of course. My names Ellie.
P Are you a vegetarian, Ellie?
E Yes, I am. In fact Im a vegan.
P Can you explain what a vegan is?
E I only eat fruit, vegetables and nuts. I dont eat
anything from animals; no eggs or dairy
products, and no fish, of course. I hate the idea
of eating animals. I think its wrong.
P Wow! Isnt it a dangerous diet? I mean, what
about energy and protein? Surely it isnt safe for
children.
Audio transcript
E It isnt a safe diet for a child, but its fine for an
adult. I eat lots of lentils and beans. Theyre full
of protein.
P Whats your favourite food, Ellie?
E Bean burgers and chips.
P Ah, so vegetarians have junk food too! Thanks
Ellie.
Excuse me? Can I interview you?
D Sure. Im Dorian.
P Are you a vegetarian?
D Well, not really. I dont eat meat, but I eat fish.
Im trying to lose weight, so Im not eating
cheese or eggs at the moment, either. Im in a
basketball team and Im trying to get fit. Its
really hard. Im looking for some ideas for
interesting food. But I cant find anything.
P Whats your favourite food, Dorian?
D Chocolate! I eat too much chocolate, especially
chocolate ice-cream.
P Well, there arent any chocolate cook books
here, Dorian. Its all lentils and beans. I think Ill
go and have a steak!
Unit 5 Test
4.19
S = Sally, M = Mike
S Hi Mike, how was Sicily?
M It was OK.
S What do you mean? Why was it only OK?
M Well, Kate and I stayed at Tonys house for a
week, but it wasnt always easy.
S _______Why not? Tonys such a nice guy and so
hospitable!
M I know, but its just that it was really hot in the
house. We couldnt sleep at night.
S Come on Mike. Everyone knows that Sicily is
hot in August. What did you expect?
M ___Well, I dont know really. It was my first trip to
Sicily.
S Anyway, wasnt the food great?
M Oh yeah, we loved it! They have fantastic pasta
dishes with aubergines and fabulous granitas.
Theyre better than ordinary ice cream. I had
one every morning for breakfast.
S For breakfast? Really?
M Yeah, thats a typical thing there, but it was just
really different for me.
S _ So the only problem was the hot weather, then?
M Well, no, not really. You know, Tony lives a long
way from the beach. We drove for an hour to
get to the beach every day. And it took another
hour to get back again.
S Wow. An hour? But were the beaches beautiful?
M Oh yeah. And they werent too crowded. We
also visited some historic towns and an
incredible lake with a waterfall. We spent all day
there that was paradise!
S _Well, it sounds like your holiday was quite good
after all!
M Mmm, maybe youre right.
Unit 6 Test
4.20
O = Careers Officer, T =Tom, B = Becky
O Youre interested in science, Tom. Is that
correct?
T Thats right. Im doing Chemistry, Biology and
Maths at A level. Id like to be a vet because I
love animals and want to work outside.
O You know that you have to get excellent exam
results to become a vet. How are you doing at
school?
T Thats the problem. My results arent brilliant.
O Do you think you can improve them? You have
to be realistic. Its a very popular career and
there arent many university places. Its a good
idea to have a second choice so youre not
disappointed.
T I know. My dad wants me to be an accountant
because Im good at Maths, but Id hate to be
sitting in an office all day. I definitely want an
active lifestyle. Id quite like to be a farmer.
O Well, you dont have to decide now but you
need to start thinking about it. Why dont you
look at the careers website for some ideas?
T OK. Thanks.
O Hello, Becky. Have you got a career in mind?
B Id love to be a computer game designer
because I love playing computer games. But
my parents would prefer me to be nurse or a
teacher or something. I wouldnt like to do a job
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where I have to deal with people. Im no good at
that because I havent got any patience. I prefer
being on my own in front of a computer.
O There are a lot of jobs in IT these days, so
thats a good choice. You need to study it at
university. Are you good at Maths?
B Oh, no, I hate Maths. Its my worst subject, but
Im good at Art and languages. And I like
History.
O Well, Im not sure those are the best subjects
for working in IT. But its not too late to change.
Its important to choose the right job because
you have to do it for a long time.
B I know.
End-of-Term 2 Test
4.21
Hello, there. This week Wild Planet is visiting the
Antarctic. Im standing at the South Pole in the place
where the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen stood
one hundred years ago. Amundsen became the first
person to reach the South Pole when he arrived here
on the 14th of December 1911. It took him and his
team 66 days to trek to the Pole, across mountains
and valleys covered in snow and ice. They travelled
fast because they had dogs to pull their things. At the
same time, an Englishman called Captain Robert
Falcon Scott was also on his way to the Pole. Scott
had horses but this was a mistake because the
animals couldnt walk in the deep snow. In the end
they had to kill the horses and his men had to carry
their own things. Scott reached the Pole 20 days after
Amundsen. The weather was terrible on their return
journey and in the end Scott and his men died of cold.
These days theres a scientific research station at the
South Pole and thats where I am staying. Its called
the Amundsen Scott South Pole Station in honour of
the two great explorers. You have to experience the
conditions here to understand how amazing these
early explorers were. Its December here and thats
summer in the southern hemisphere and the
temperature is only minus 25 degrees Centigrade
warm for here. But in June and July, temperatures go
down to below minus 60 degrees Centigrade. These
days you can fly here and you can communicate with
the outside world. But in the early 20th century there
werent any of these things. Because its summer
there are a lot of people here, around 200 mainly
scientists but also a mechanic and computer
technicians. In the winter there arent many people
about 50 and there arent any planes. There are two
doctors at the station but they cant do complicated
surgery.
The Americans built the station, but scientists from
many different countries work here. Its warm inside
and theres a restaurant with great food. In the
summer they fly the food in, but in winter, they grow
vegetables and fruit in a special warm building.
Well, its time for dinner now. Next week Ill be in
another cold place at the top of Mont Blanc in the
Alps. Goodbye.
Unit 7 Test
4.22
A _______Hello, have you got time to answer some
questions?
B No, sorry. Im in a hurry!
A Excuse me, would you like to answer a few
questions for a survey?
C Mmm...how long will it take?
A Only a few minutes.
C OK then.
A ____Ive got some questions here about diet and
eating habits.
C Oh no, Im not sure I eat very well, you know.
Maybe you can ask a different person?
A No, really, please dont worry, were just
collecting some anonymous data. Were not
here to judge you or tell you what to do!
C Well, OK, go on then.
A _____OK, first I need to know how old you are, if
thats OK.
C Im 19.
A _ OK, next question. How many meals do you eat
a day?
C ____Well, three of course breakfast, lunch and
dinner.
A So, no snacks then?
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C Snacks... er... well, sometimes I have some
cake with a cup of tea, or maybe a packet of
crisps. But I dont eat snacks every day.
A _____OK. How much meat do you eat in a typical
week?
C Oh, I eat some meat every day.
A And what about fish?
C I probably eat fish about once a week.
A Right, now, fruit and vegetables. How many
portions of fruit and vegetables do you eat a
day?
C Um, well, I dont like fruit much, but I always eat
some vegetables with lunch and again at
dinner.
A Thats all very healthy. Now, what about
sweets? How often do you eat sweets?
C Mmm Im not sure maybe twice a week,
something like that.
A __OK, great. Now, how often do you eat out, in a
restaurant?
C Ah, only once a week, usually at the weekend.
A And whats your favourite type of restaurant?
C Oh, thats easy, I love Thai or Indian food. I like
good pub food too.
A OK, thats all. Thanks very much.
C Youre welcome.
Unit 8 test
4.23
P = Presenter, S = Simon
Unit 9 Test
P Welcome to Sports World. The Athletics World
Championships are starting tomorrow and all
the top athletes will be there. Now, a question
listeners often ask us is how long humans will
continue to break world records. Simon
Granger, a specialist on human biology, is with
us today. Simon, are we getting closer to the
limits of human performance?
S At every Olympic Games or World
Championships, athletes still set new records,
but record breaking is definitely slowing down,
and obviously there is a limit to human
performance. Athletes bodies are the same, but
sports science has helped improve
performances. Training methods are improving
all the time as we understand the human body
better. Science is helping sports people adapt
their training programme and diet better to the
needs of their particular sport. Running the
marathon or cycling, for example, are
endurance sports and need different
preparation to that of a 100 metre sprinter or a
table tennis player.
P What about changes in technique?
S In some sports, changes in technique have
improved performance. A good example is the
high jump. When athletes started using the
backward jumping technique, they jumped
higher. But another important factor is the
athletes mind. In any sport, success or failure
is a combination of physical abilities and mental
skills. Athletes have to cope with stress and
stay concentrated. Coaches these days use
methods like music in the changing rooms
before events to help them relax and not feel so
nervous. This is very common in football and
other sports are now doing it.
P What about sports equipment? Is that
important?
S Equipment has a huge impact on sporting
performance - more than anything else. There
are lots of examples, from high performance
running shoes to full-body swimming costumes
or light racing bicycles. I think that the only way
that athletes will continue breaking records in
the future will be because of new equipment.
P Thanks Simon.
4.24
L = Lorna, R = Robert
L Have you ever hurt your knee playing football,
or broken an arm in a volleyball match and now
youre afraid of playing again? Or maybe you
have just sprained a muscle cycling? Today we
are talking to Robert Stevens. His organisation
Rebuild specialises in rehabilitation after sports
injuries. Robert, tell us all about it.
R Hello Lorna. Yes, thats right. We help athletes
after sports accidents. We treat everything, from
simple sprains to more serious injuries. We
work with top professionals and also with the
general public.
L So what exactly do you do?
Audio transcript
R Well, the first thing we do is to look at the injury
and see how serious it is. Then we talk to the
clients doctor and create an exercise
programme to help the client to get better.
L Can you give us an example?
R Sure. For back problems, we give the client a
treatment of physiotherapy and lots of
swimming. All the clients who have tried this
therapy have been very happy with the results.
L Do you have any well-known clients?
R Yes, some of our clients are famous, but I cant
give you any names! Weve worked with top
football and rugby teams, international tennis
players and even golf champions. People come
to our centre in London from all over the
country.
L And, is it a very expensive service?
R No, not really, but it is extremely specialised.
And of course it depends on the injury.
Sometimes the therapy can take a long time,
and then it is more expensive.
L How many people work in your team?
R Well, there are three personal trainers who give
advice, three instructors who follow the clients
personally, and two physiotherapists who work
on massage and muscle tone.
L And what is your job, Robert?
R I am the manager, and also one of the personal
trainers.
L How can people contact you?
R They can visit our website www.rebuild.co.uk
and read about some of our clients
experiences. They can also send us an email at
info@rebuild.co.uk. Or they can visit us
personally in central London and have a free
consultation.
L Thank you Robert.
R My pleasure.
End-of-Year Test 1
End-of-Term 3 Test
4.25
B = Ben, S = Sarah
B Is that you in the photo, Sarah?
S Yes. I was on holiday in Greece with my
parents. The beach was a bit boring so my
parents paid for me to go parasailing. It was the
most amazing sport Ive ever tried.
B Whats parasailing?
S Its like paragliding, but its over the sea. A
motor boat pulls you. You sit on a special seat
which is attached to a parachute. The seat is
attached to the motor boat.
B Werent you frightened?
S No, it was really exciting.
B How high did you go?
S About a hundred metres above the sea.
B How long did it last?
S Only about fifteen minutes and it was very
expensive so I couldnt go again. But I will do it
again one day. I loved it. Now, tell me about
your most exciting experience.
B Well I had a terrifying experience last summer
when I was in Italy with my parents. We went
out in a boat. The sea was lovely so my sister
and I decided to go for a swim.
S So what happened?
B I was swimming about fifty metres from the boat
when I suddenly saw something huge and dark.
I was terrified. I thought it was a shark.
S What did you do?
B I swam as fast as I could towards the boat.
When I got there I was exhausted. Mum pulled
me into the boat and I started crying.
S But what about your sister? Where was she?
B Thats why I was so upset. She was still in the
sea. Then suddenly Dad pointed to the sea and
shouted Look! Dolphins!
S So it wasnt a shark you saw. It was a dolphin.
B Yes. You cant imagine how happy I was.
4.26
P = Presenter, J = John
P On the programme this evening is sociologist
John Smith. Hes talking about changing
lifestyles. John, how have teenagers lifestyles
changed?
J Well, only forty years ago, physical exercise
was an important part of every British
teenagers lifestyle. You could see young
Audio transcript
people - cycling or kicking a ball around after
school with friends. But these days, you dont
see many kids outside. They are all indoors on
their computers or watching TV. Today, young
people only do on average about two hours
sport a week and they spend four and a half
hours in front of a TV or computer screen every
day! When I was young, we walked a lot
because our parents didnt drive us
everywhere. And we didnt have all this modern
technology that kids have today. Of course, this
inactivity has a big impact on their bodies.
Today, a lot of young people are overweight.
Modern diets with too much fast food and cola
are part of the problem but the most important
thing seems to be that they dont get enough
exercise. A survey has come up with some
frightening results: 15% of kids cant swim and
a tenth cant ride a bike! In fact one third of all
young people havent even got a bike, but 97%
have got a mobile phone! Todays kids are unfit,
but theyre also weak. Fitness tests show that
they cant do things that we could do as
children, like holding onto wall bars in a gym
and hanging from them.
P Thats scary! Whose fault is it?
J Teenagers dont have the opportunities to do
exercise. It starts at primary school. Some
schools have introduced very stupid rules that
ban traditional games at break time because
adults say they arent safe. Then in secondary
school, there isnt enough time for sports and
some schools have sold their playing fields so
theres nowhere for kids to do outdoor sports.
Surprisingly, a majority of young people say that
theyd like to get more exercise and theyd love
to do more sport at school, but they cant.
P So whats the answer?
J Society has to give young people more
opportunities to do exercise. And this has to
start when theyre small children.
End-of-Year Test 2
4.27
P = Presenter, K = Kelly, D = Dan
P The topic on this weeks programme is town
and country. Kelly grew up in the country and
now lives in the city. Dan, on the other hand,
was born and grew up in a city and now lives on
an island. Kelly, can you tell us about your
experience?
K I came to Manchester two years ago. Before
that I lived in a small village near the sea. My
dad was a farmer and he had sixty cows. But
then he had a serious accident and became
disabled. It was terrible because he couldnt
work on the farm any more. But Dad is a very
positive person and he decided to train to
become a teacher. Were living in Manchester,
so he can go to the university here. Mum is a
nurse, so it was easy for her to find a job here.
P How do you like it?
K Its OK. There are lots of things to do here
more than in our village. Ive made lots of
friends. I go to dance classes. But Id prefer to
live in a village. I cant stand the noise in the
city and everybody runs about everywhere. I
think life in the country is healthy and theres
nothing to spend your money on. Here, my
friends spend hours at the shops and theyre
interested in clothes and stuff. They dont
interest me. When Dad gets his qualification, I
hope well go back to the country. But Id like to
live in a village not too far from a city.
P Thanks Kelly. Now, Dan, can you tell us about
your experience?
D Yes, Im the opposite. My family left Glasgow
two years ago and they moved to a small island
in Scotland. They wanted a change. My dad
makes furniture and Mum is a writer so they
dont have to live in a town. I have to study at
home because there arent any secondary
schools on the island. In fact, there isnt much
to do here if youre a teenager. Luckily, Ive got
a horse. I go riding a lot in the hills at
weekends. I also spend a lot of time on the
internet. I chat to my friends back in Glasgow.
Ive made a couple of friends but they live quite
far away.
P Would you like to return to the city?
D I think so. Here theres not much for young
people, but it isnt all negative. People are
friendly and easy-going. Im not sure Id like to
live in big city again perhaps a small town. My
parents are also getting bored with life here, so
I think well move again next year.
P Thank you both for sharing your experiences.