PART 1
Cambridge First Certificate in English Five by the University of Cambridge Local
Examination Syndicate in conjunction with Cambridge University Press. This
recording is copyright. Cassette two, side one. First Certificate Listening Test. Test
three. Hello. I'm going to give you the instructions for this test. I'll introduce each
part of the test and give you time to look at the questions. At the start of each piece,
you'll hear this sound [beeping] . You'll hear each piece twice. Remember, while
you're listening, write your answers on the question paper. You'll have time at the
end of the test to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet. The tape will
now be stopped. Please ask any questions now because you must not speak during
the test. Now, open your question paper and look at part one. You'll hear people
talking in eight different situations. For questions one to eight, choose the best
answer: A, B, or C. One, listen to these students discussing a book.
01:25
Speaker 1
What do the students think of the book? A, it has an unsatisfactory ending. B, there
are too many characters in it. C, it is better in the original language. [beeping]
01:44
Speaker 2
Here's your book, Tom.
01:45
Speaker 3
Oh, thanks. What did you think of it?
01:48
Speaker 2
The story was fine but, well, it took me quite a long time to get to the end of it.
01:53
Speaker 3
Mm. It was written in Welsh originally.
01:56
Speaker 2
I just didn't understand some of the characters, and even though I reread bits, I still
found them hard to imagine.
02:01
Speaker 3
Yeah. I think it's a very complex story, and maybe it's best to read it in the language
it was first written in.
02:08
Speaker 2
I think you're right.
02:11
Speaker 1
[beeping]
02:15
Speaker 2
Here's your book, Tom.
02:16
Speaker 3
Oh, thanks. What did you think of it?
02:19
Speaker 2
The story was fine but, well, it took me quite a long time to get to the end of it.
02:23
Speaker 3
Mm. It was written in Welsh originally.
02:26
Speaker 2
I just didn't understand some of the characters, and even though I reread bits, I still
found them hard to imagine.
02:32
Speaker 3
Yeah. I think it's a very complex story, and maybe it's best to read it in the language
it was first written in.
02:38
Speaker 2
I think you're right.
02:41
Speaker 1
Two, listen to this woman making a telephone call. Why has she phoned? A, to ask
for a list. B, to explain her plans. C, to arrange a meeting. [beeping]
03:03
Speaker 4
Hello, I'm calling about our trip to New York. I just got your message saying you
want to change it to the Friday. That's okay, but you know we agreed to meet up at
the airport. Well, I'm gonna have real problems getting there. Is there any chance
you could pick me up? It isn't out of your way, is it?
03:21
Speaker 1
[beeping]
03:24
Speaker 4
Hello, I'm calling about our trip to New York. I just got your message saying you
want to change it to the Friday. That's okay, but you know we agreed to meet up at
the airport. Well, I'm gonna have real problems getting there. Is there any chance
you could pick me up? It isn't out of your way, is it?
03:42
Speaker 1
Three, you turn on the radio and hear part of a program. What type of program is
it? A, the news. B, a documentary. C, a film review. [beeping]
04:04
Speaker 5
Batman first appeared in, uh, 1939 in a magazine called Detective Comics, and that
was in competition with a character called Superman who had appeared in another
popular magazine a year before. I think these superheroes come from a tradition in
the USA of popular fiction of a kind not found in other parts of the world, which
developed partly out of circus strongman acts. These became very popular in the
1930s when you had the birth of the comic book industry.
04:35
Speaker 1
[beeping]
04:36
Speaker 5
Batman first appeared in, uh, 1939 in a magazine called Detective Comics, and that
was in competition with a character called Superman who had appeared in another
popular magazine a year before. I think these superheroes come from a tradition in
the USA of popular fiction of a kind not found in other parts of the world, which
developed partly out of circus strongman acts. These became very popular in the
1930s when you had the birth of the comic book industry.
05:06
Speaker 1
Four, you hear part of a radio interview. What do we find out about the woman? A,
she is planning a journey. B, she is doing research. C, she is traveling with her
family. [beeping]
05:30
Speaker 6
When I was preparing for the trip, I thought it would take me at least two weeks to
decide where to settle. I mean, this is currently the only country where mountain
gorillas can be viewed in their natural surroundings. But finding a good family to
observe can still be very difficult. It was just luck really that after a few days in the
forest, I came across these two families, and I've been here for about six weeks
now. Because there's only me, they don't feel threatened.
05:58
Speaker 5
Well, you're good neighbors, in fact, aren't you? [laughing]
06:07
Speaker 7
When I was preparing for the trip, I thought it would take me at least two weeks to
decide where to settle. I mean, this is currently the only country where mountain
gorillas can be viewed in their natural surroundings. But finding a good family to
observe can still be very difficult. It was just luck really that after a few days in the
forest, I came across these two families, and I've been here for about six weeks
now. Because there's only me, they don't feel threatened.
06:35
Speaker 8
Well, you're good neighbors, in fact, aren't you? [laughs]
06:38
Speaker 7
[laughs] Five. You overhear this conversation in a college corridor. What does the
man say about the lecture? A, it's important, B, it's been canceled, C, it will be held
next week.
07:02
Speaker 8
[beep] Hi, Julie. I'm afraid I can't get to see you in the library tomorrow afternoon.
I've got to go to Mrs. Jefferson's lecture.
07:12
Speaker 7
I thought that had been canceled.
07:13
Speaker 8
Mm. She said last week that she might not be able to make it, but according to the
notice board, it's still on.
07:19
Speaker 7
Oh.
07:20
Speaker 8
I know she's planning to go over the whole term's work before the exams next
week, so I think it's one not to miss.
07:27
Speaker 7
Fine. I'll see you later in the week then.
07:34
Speaker 8
[beep] Hi, Julie. I'm afraid I can't get to see you in the library tomorrow afternoon.
I've got to go to Mrs. Jefferson's lecture.
07:43
Speaker 7
I thought that had been canceled.
07:45
Speaker 8
Mm. She said last week that she might not be able to make it, but according to the
notice board, it's still on.
07:51
Speaker 7
Oh.
07:52
Speaker 8
I know she's planning to go over the whole term's work before the exams next
week, so I think it's one not to miss.
07:59
Speaker 7
Fine. I'll see you later in the week then.
08:03
Speaker 8
Six. Listen to this woman talking to her friend. Where has she been? A, to the
doctor's, B, to the chemist's, C, to the dentist's. [beep] You've been a long time.
08:26
Speaker 7
I know, [sighs] but when I got to the surgery, I had to fill out all these forms
because I was a new patient. That took 10 minutes to start with. And then there
were at least three people waiting to go in before me. Anyway, I've got this
prescription, so hopefully it'll cure these headaches I've been having. I hate
spending money on my health, but I suppose I better go and get the tablets before
they close.
08:51
Speaker 8
[beep] You've been a long time.
08:54
Speaker 7
I know, [sighs] but when I got to the surgery, I had to fill out all these forms
because I was a new patient. That took 10 minutes to start with. And then there
were at least three people waiting to go in before me. Anyway, I've got this
prescription, so hopefully it'll cure these headaches I've been having. I hate
spending money on my health, but I suppose I better go and get the tablets before
they close.
09:18
Speaker 8
Seven. You overhear two people talking about a holiday one of them has just had.
How did the woman feel? A, relaxed, B, pleased, C, disappointed. [beep] So what
was the hotel like?
09:41
Speaker 7
Very nice, if you like that kind of thing. It's very big, rather impersonal, lots of
public areas.
09:48
Speaker 8
You don't sound too keen.
09:49
Speaker 7
Well, it, it wasn't quite what I expected. When I saw the photo in the brochure, it
looked nice and cozy, but when I got there, the public rooms were so huge. I
always felt I was on display.
10:04
Speaker 8
[beep] So what was the hotel like?
10:09
Speaker 7
Very nice, if you like that kind of thing. It's very big, rather impersonal, lots of
public areas.
10:16
Speaker 8
You don't sound too keen.
10:18
Speaker 7
Well, it, it wasn't quite what I expected. When I saw the photo in the brochure, it
looked nice and cozy, but when I got there, the public rooms were so huge. I
always felt I was on display.
10:31
Speaker 8
Eight. Listen to this woman talking to a group. Who is she talking to? A, people
living in rented property, B, agencies that let property, C, owners of property.
[beep]
10:57
Speaker 7
In this country, there's an established procedure where the landlord or owner of the
property must inform tenants that he intends to review the rent. You should get this
in writing, either direct from the owner or from the agency that deals with your
property. If the proposed increase is enormous, there are various ways that you can
fight this. [beep] In this country, there's an established procedure where the
landlord or owner of the property must inform tenants that he intends to review the
rent. You should get this in writing, either direct from the owner or from the
agency that deals with your property. If the proposed increase is enormous, there
are various ways that you can fight this. That is the end of part one.
11:49
Speaker 7
[beep]
PART 2
Now turn to Part 2. You'll hear part of a radio program about public transport in
cities using rickshaws, carts drawn by a bicycle. For questions nine to eighteen,
complete the sentences. You now have forty-five seconds in which to look at Part
2. [beep] One of the more recent ideas for a European city can be seen in action in
Berlin, where an engine-free taxi service is beating the queues on the traffic-packed
streets. Here, tourists are finding that hiring a rickshaw, a bicycle-drawn
two-passenger cart, is the quickest way around town. The service is the idea of Jens
Grabner, who realized that this form of transport, already normal in India and other
Eastern countries, was also ideal for busy European cities. He now owns eleven
rickshaws, which he imported from China at a cost of one thousand four hundred
dollars each, and they're becoming a familiar sight around the city. No doubt if
you've been there, you'll have seen them. Grabner runs his service in the tourist
season in Berlin.
01:18
Speaker 1
He started it in nineteen ninety-four with just one rickshaw, and that year had four
hundred customers. Now well-established and with more vehicles, the service
carries some four hundred people a month, so he's certainly doing very well for
himself. In the first season, Grabner was regarded as a bit strange, and people
didn't take his business seriously. And in fact, there were moments after he'd
bought all his new rickshaws when he himself had doubts about the business and
wondered about the possibility of failure. Luckily, it didn't fail, and now he gets
students and others who want a bit of extra money to drive the rickshaws. He
charges them seventeen dollars each a day for the use of the rickshaw and
recommends that they charge fourteen dollars per passenger for every half-hour
trip. It can be quite a good business for them as well as for him. Drivers can make
up to ten journeys a day when the weather is fine.
02:16
Speaker 1
The service owes part of its success to the fact that Berlin is a cycle-friendly city
and has numerous cycle lanes. There are also many traffic lights at junctions, and
cars have to watch for bikes as they turn, so traveling by bike is often the quickest
way to get around. Getting permission to run a rickshaw service in a city isn't
always easy. In Britain, for instance, an English businesswoman has just won a
three-year battle against the protests of taxi drivers. Grabner, on the other hand, has
had no problem with Berlin taxi firms, who consider the market big enough for
both. In the future, we may see rickshaws in more and more cities. For the
environment's sake, I hope so. [beep] Now you'll hear Part 2 again. One of the
more recent ideas for a European city can be seen in action in Berlin, where an
engine-free taxi service is beating the queues on the traffic-packed streets.
03:26
Speaker 1
Here, tourists are finding that hiring a rickshaw, a bicycle-drawn two-passenger
cart, is the quickest way around town. The service is the idea of Jens Grabner, who
realized that this form of transport, already normal in India and other Eastern
countries, was also ideal for busy European cities. He now owns eleven rickshaws,
which he imported from China at a cost of one thousand four hundred dollars each,
and they're becoming a familiar sight around the city. No doubt if you've been
there, you'll have seen them. Grabner runs his service in the tourist season in
Berlin. He started it in nineteen ninety-four with just one rickshaw, and that year
had four hundred customers. Now well-established and with more vehicles, the
service carries some four hundred people a month, so he's certainly doing very well
for himself. In the first season, Grabner was regarded as a bit strange, and people
didn't take his business seriously.
04:26
Speaker 1
And in fact, there were moments after he'd bought all his new rickshaws when he
himself had doubts about the business and wondered about the possibility of
failure. Luckily, it didn't fail, and now he gets students and others who want a bit of
extra money to drive the rickshaws. He charges them seventeen dollars each a day
for the use of the rickshaw and recommends that they charge fourteen dollars per
passenger for every half-hour trip. It can be quite a good business for them as well
as for him. Drivers can make up to ten journeys a day when the weather is fine.
The service owes part of its success to the fact that Berlin is a cycle-friendly city
and has numerous cycle lanes. There are also many traffic lights at junctions, and
cars have to watch for bikes as they turn, so traveling by bike is often the quickest
way to get around. Getting permission to run a rickshaw service in a city isn't
always easy.
05:26
Speaker 1
In Britain, for instance, an English businesswoman has just won a three-year battle
against the protests of taxi drivers. Grabner, on the other hand, has had no problem
with Berlin taxi firms, who consider the market big enough for both. In the future,
we may see rickshaws in more and more cities. For the environment's sake, I hope
so. That's the end of Part 2.
PART 3
00:00
Speaker 1
Now turn to part three. You'll hear five people talking about their favorite holiday
destinations. For questions nineteen to twenty-three, choose from the list A to F
what each speaker says about the place. Use the letters only once. There is one
extra letter which you do not need to use. You now have thirty seconds in which to
look at part three. [beep]
00:38
Speaker 2
Uh, for the last two years, we've flown out to Africa and gone off on safari. We
camp and walk and drive in small trucks with a company called Kalahari Safari, all
without leaving any trace of ourselves behind to spoil it for others. We have local
guides, which is great, and walk in the bush at dawn and sleep around the campfire.
I don't worry about anything for two weeks and arrive home completely relaxed.
01:11
Speaker 3
The best family holidays we've had have been in Queensland, Australia. In fact,
our ambition is to make our home out there, run a pineapple farm or something.
That'd be our idea of heaven. I reckon that within ten years, British people will be
going to that part of Australia in the same numbers that they're already going to the
United States, to Florida.
01:37
Speaker 4
We stay in Britain and go off to this remote spot on the west coast of Scotland. It's
all totally unspoiled. It's a hard place to get to, lots of narrow single-track roads.
There's nowhere to stay, so you have to take your own tent. We love the emptiness.
We walk and picnic and fish. We go in April and May when there's a good chance
of sunshine, though sometimes we hit a bad year. Makes you realize what it must
be like to live there all the time.
02:13
Speaker 5
We adore the small villages and landscapes of the southern part of France. There
are still areas that aren't visited much by tourists. We like that because it means you
can really get to know the people who live there. And regional parks have been set
up to protect the countryside from development. So the scenery and villages that
have been painted by so many well-known artists still look much the same.
02:43
Speaker 6
Well, I must admit our favorite holiday spot is our private island in the Caribbean.
The only buildings are the main house, a staff house, and two cottages. Then
there's a swimming pool, of course, [chuckles] and tennis courts. But apart from
that, the island remains more or less untouched. It's quite a distance to our nearest
neighbors, so we get absolute peace and quiet.
03:16
Speaker 1
[beep] Now you'll hear part three again.
03:21
Speaker 2
Uh, for the last two years, we've flown out to Africa and gone off on safari. We
camp and walk and drive in small trucks with a company called Kalahari Safari, all
without leaving any trace of ourselves behind to spoil it for others. We have local
guides, which is great, and walk in the bush at dawn and sleep around the campfire.
I don't worry about anything for two weeks and arrive home completely relaxed.
03:55
Speaker 3
The best family holidays we've had have been in Queensland, Australia. In fact,
our ambition is to make our home out there, run a pineapple farm or something.
That'd be our idea of heaven. I reckon that within ten years, British people will be
going to that part of Australia in the same numbers that they're already going to the
United States, to Florida.
04:22
Speaker 4
We stay in Britain and go off to this remote spot on the west coast of Scotland. It's
all totally unspoiled. It's a hard place to get to, lots of narrow single-track roads.
There's nowhere to stay, so you have to take your own tent. We love the emptiness.
We walk and picnic and fish. We go in April and May when there's a good chance
of sunshine, though sometimes we hit a bad year. Makes you realize what it must
be like to live there all the time.
04:58
Speaker 5
We adore the small villages and landscapes of the southern part of France. There
are still areas that aren't visited much by tourists. We like that because it means you
can really get to know the people who live there. And regional parks have been set
up to protect the countryside from development. So the scenery and villages that
have been painted by so many well-known artists still look much the same.
05:28
Speaker 6
Well, I must admit our favorite holiday spot is our private island in the Caribbean.
The only buildings are the main house, a staff house, and two cottages. Then
there's a swimming pool, of course, [chuckles] and tennis courts. But apart from
that, the island remains more or less untouched. It's quite a distance to our nearest
neighbors, so we get absolute peace and quiet.
05:56
Speaker 1
That's the end of part three.
PART 4
00:00
Speaker 1
Now turn to part four. You'll hear an interview with someone who works in the
film industry. For questions twenty-four to thirty, choose the best answer, A, B, or
C. You now have one minute in which to look at part four. [beeping]
00:27
Speaker 2
I suppose the first question I have to ask you, Alan, is one you get fed up
answering, [chuckles] but here goes. What is a best boy?
00:34
Speaker 3
[chuckles] Well, I'm not sure why I'm called a best boy exactly, but I like to think
it's because I'm the best at what I do. But the title is an American term used to
describe the assistant to the man who works with the cameramen and the
electricians on a film to make sure that the film is properly lit.
00:51
Speaker 2
So how do you spend your time?
00:53
Speaker 3
Basically, what I do is work between the electrical department and production. I
deal with the companies where the lights come from, and I'm also there on the film
set making sure that everything runs smoothly, that the lighting is set up when the
camera crew arrives to shoot the film, and then I also help with the budget. We
have to do time sheets, things like that. It's mostly paperwork really.
01:17
Speaker 2
When did you start working in the industry?
01:19
Speaker 3
About fifteen years ago. I'd been an electrician and my first few film jobs were
basic electrical ones, then I moved over to this.
01:29
Speaker 2
It sounds rather a complicated job to me.
01:31
Speaker 3
[chuckles] No, not really. I've never had to do anything out of the ordinary. But
filming on location does make things more intense. There's less control than in the
studio, and you can have problems with the weather. On my latest film, we were
working in the hills, and it would take us ages to get the equipment up there. But I
enjoyed it. It was a challenge.
01:52
Speaker 2
Is working on location a plus for you?
01:55
Speaker 3
Well, you see some great places, but long working days and problems with
production are far more common. There's a lot of responsibility with the job
because there's so much money involved. If all the lighting goes wrong on one day,
then obviously there'll be trouble. The long hours are very unsociable, which is
okay if you're single, but there's quite a lot of work abroad, which puts a lot of
pressure on the family. I went away for five months once. When I left, my son
wasn't talking, and when I came back, he was. It varies, though. Some years you
don't go away at all.
02:32
Speaker 2
What advice would you give to someone wanting to give it a try?
02:35
Speaker 3
You need a good head for mathematics, plus knowing how to mend a fuse. So
training as an electrician is the first step. Then you need some experience on the
production floor.
02:47
Speaker 2
Where do you see yourself in the future? What would promotion be for you?
02:51
Speaker 3
I like it where I am. I like working behind the scenes and seeing how the
production works. There are enough challenges in the present job for me. The more
experience you get, the more you worry whether you got things to the right stage at
the right time or not. You can't just go home and switch off. But getting things right
is a big satisfaction.
03:15
Speaker 1
[beeping] Now you'll hear part four again.
03:21
Speaker 2
I suppose the first question I have to ask you, Alan, is one you get fed up
answering, [chuckles] but here goes. What is a best boy?
03:28
Speaker 3
[chuckles] Well, I'm not sure why I'm called a best boy exactly, but I like to think
it's because I'm the best at what I do. But the title is an American term used to
describe the assistant to the man who works with the cameramen and the
electricians on a film to make sure that the film is properly lit.
03:45
Speaker 2
So how do you spend your time?
03:47
Speaker 3
Basically, what I do is work between the electrical department and production. I
deal with the companies where the lights come from, and I'm also there on the film
set making sure that everything runs smoothly, that the lighting is set up when the
camera crew arrives to shoot the film, and then I also help with the budget. We
have to do time sheets, things like that. It's mostly paperwork really.
04:11
Speaker 2
When did you start working in the industry?
04:13
Speaker 3
About fifteen years ago. I'd been an electrician and my first few film jobs were
basic electrical ones. Then I moved over to this.
04:23
Speaker 2
It sounds rather a complicated job to me.
04:25
Speaker 3
[chuckles] No, not really. I've never had to do anything out of the ordinary. But
filming on location does make things more intense. There's less control than in the
studio, and you can have problems with the weather. On my latest film, we were
working in the hills, and it would take us ages to get the equipment up there. But I
enjoyed it. It was a challenge.
04:47
Speaker 2
Is working on location a plus for you?
04:49
Speaker 3
Well, you see some great places, but long working days and problems with
production are far more common. There's a lot of responsibility with the job
because there's so much money involved. If all the lighting goes wrong on one day,
then obviously there'll be trouble. The long hours are very unsociable, which is
okay if you're single, but there's quite a lot of work abroad, which puts a lot of
pressure on the family. I went away for five months once. When I left, my son
wasn't talking, and when I came back, he was. It varies, though. Some years you
don't go away at all.
05:26
Speaker 2
What advice would you give to someone wanting to give it a try?
05:30
Speaker 3
You need a good head for mathematics, plus knowing how to mend a fuse. So
training as an electrician is the first step. Then you need some experience on the
production floor.
05:41
Speaker 2
Where do you see yourself in the future? What would promotion be for you?
05:45
Speaker 3
I like it where I am. I like working behind the scenes and seeing how the
production works. There are enough challenges in the present job for me. The more
experience you get, the more you worry whether you got things to the right stage at
the right time or not. You can't just go home and switch off. But getting things right
is a big satisfaction.
06:09
Speaker 1
That's the end of part four. There'll now be a pause of five minutes for you to copy
your answers onto the separate answer sheet. I'll remind you when there is one
minute left so that you're sure to finish in time.