Lesson 1:

Exercise 1
Reception: Good afternoon, you’re through to reception at The Island Hotel
in Crete, how may I help you today?

Mr. Schiffer: Yes, hello there, I’m hoping to book a double (Example) room for
my wife and myself for about two weeks from the 25th April of this year. Firstly,
could you tell me whether it’s particularly hot during this time?

Reception: Yes, of course Sir, during late April and early May, the daytime
temperature shouldn’t exceed 19 (Q1) degrees Celsius, but the weather has been
rather erratic and difficult to predict in recent years, so I am unable to say for
certain.

Mr. Schiffer: Okay, that sounds good, my wife doesn’t like going outside
when it’s very hot! I haven’t booked flights yet, but I must say that I’m
unfamiliar with Crete and its transport system. Does the hotel provide an airport
shuttle service?

Reception: Yes Sir, we provide a complementary airport pick-up service for

all our guests. It takes about 40 minutes (Q2) to get here from the airport, but it’s
at least 60 minutes at rush hours and you will be provided with a fully
airconditioned shuttle bus.

Mr. Schiffer: Okay, excellent. In that case, do you have any rooms available
for the dates I gave you?

Reception: I shall have a look on the system now for you Sir, bear with me
just a moment, [brief pause] Yes Sir, I can see now that we have several rooms
available. Would you prefer a garden view or a sea view?

Mr. Schiffer: Well, ideally I would like a sea-view room with a balcony, but of
course that depends on the difference in price.

Reception: Not to worry Sir, all of our standard double rooms have en-suite
facilities and a balcony (Q3). If you would like one of our sea-view rooms, there
is a premium of €60 per night.
Mr. Schiffer: Okay, so could you tell me the total nightly rate for a standard
double room with a sea view?

Reception: Yes, of course Sir, for the spring months, our rate is €216 per
night. For 14 nights, altogether this will come to €3,024.

Mr. Schiffer: Perfect. I also read on your website that the hotel has gym and
spa facilities. Are there any other facilities on offer?

Reception: Yes, we have a large outdoor infinity pool overlooking the ocean,
with luxury sun beds and a poolside bar. We also have 3 full-sized tennis courts
(Q4), where we run a popular doubles tournament, with the winner receiving 2
all-inclusive spa day vouchers.

Mr. Schiffer: Goodness, I shall have to brush up on my tennis skills!

Mr. Schiffer: Are there any other activities organised by the hotel that we can
partake in? It’s just that it’s our wedding anniversary on the 30th of June, and I
would like to provide my wife with the perfect romantic getaway.

Reception: I can assure you, Sir, that your wife won’t be disappointed. Ours
is a 5-star resort which is renowned for its luxury and beauty. In terms of
activities, the hotel provides thrice weekly entertainment. On Tuesdays, guests
will take a mini bus and partake in learning to cook succulent fish dishes (Q5)
with our Michelin starred chef, Enrique. The class will take place in a beautiful
valley deep in the Cretan hills, where guests will be treated to an intimate piano
(Q6) performance by our in-house concert pianist, Pedro. On Wednesdays, a
select number of guests will be fortunate enough to explore the mountains by
helicopter (Q7), before being transported to a tropical Cretan garden (Q8) by
shuttle bus. Finally, on Thursdays after a fancy dinner, we provide a spectacular
fireworks (Q9) display, which guests can view from the comfort of a cable car
(Q10).

Mr. Schiffer: Oh wow, that all sounds absolutely wonderful! I shall book the
room now, and then I need to look at flights so as not to become extortionate.
Would you like to take my details now or later? [fade out]
Exercise 2
Man: Hello, First Choice Car Rental! How may I help you?

Woman: Oh, good morning. Um, I’m calling for some information about
your car renting services. I’m an American (Example), and I will be going on a
family holiday to your city from Ohio next month.

Man: OK. no problem. It’s our pleasure to serve you. Could you
please tell me your name and contact information first?

Woman: I’m Caroline, that’s C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E, and my telephone number

is 04196570156 (Q1).

Man: OK. I’ve got that. And how can I send you our quotation, if you are
satisfied with our arrangement? Is email all right, or should I send it by post?(Q2)

Woman: The latter (Q2), please! I’m afraid I’d prefer to read it on paper.

Man: That’s no problem.

Woman: I’m considering renting a caravan for a week, but I don’t really
know the price range for it, since I haven’t rented any car through that method
before. I think it should be within my budget of $50.

Man: You know, we have various caravans at different renting prices,

according to the class of vehicle, facilities inside, mileage, etc. I’d recommend the
‘Explorer’, taking your budget into consideration, which is of good value and
will cost you $39 per day (Q3). Is that OK?

Woman: Of course, that’s fine for me! I know the ‘Explorer’. That could save
me $11 each day! You know a family holiday will be costly. That van is perfect!

Man: I’m glad that you like it. So do you have any particular requirements
about your room in the van?

Woman: Um, how many beds are there?

Man: One twin bed.

Woman: But there are three of us, my mum. daughter and me. So can we
add another bed? (Q4)
Man: No problem.

Woman: For the facilities, I think a kitchen is the most important (Q5),
and of course the stove.

Man: In our vans, such as ‘Explorer’, there are all the basic bedding
materials you need, like pillows and blankets, as well as some equipment for
daily life. And many things can be added into your room according to your
needs, such as a coffee maker.

Woman: Well, I need to have a heater (Q6), in case it’ll be cold at night,
and a microwave of course. (Q7)

Man: All right, I’ve taken notes of all these things. Actually, all our
vans should be taken from our company, which is not too far from the city
centre, so we can pick you up from the centre for free. Is that OK?

Woman: Oh, I’m afraid we’d better be picked up from the airport (Q8), as
we are foreigners in your country and not familiar with the transport system. Is
that alright?

Man: Yes, it is no problem. With that comes the information for the
insurance. I need the driver’s name and age.

Woman: That is my daughter Chris, who is 19, the youngest driver

amongst us three.

Man: I’m sorry, but our company only accepts caravan drivers aged 25
or over, according to our regulations. So…

Woman: Well, that would be me, Caroline, and I’m 49 years old. (Q9)

Man: And where was your driving licence issued? I mean the country.

Woman: I’ve got a licence in America, but I’ve also got one in Australia which
is still valid. Is it better for me to register the local one from your country? (Q10)

Man: Yes, that might be better. So your registration number is…

Lesson 2:
Exercise 1:

WOMAN: So, I understand you’re interested in restaurant work?

MAN: Yes. I’ve got a bit of experience and I can provide references.

WOMAN: That’s good. I can check all that later. Now, Milo’s Restaurants have some
vacancies at the moment. They’re a really good company to work for. Lots of benefits.

MAN: Oh right.

WOMAN: Yes. They’ve got a very good reputation for looking after staff. For example,
all employees get training – even temporary staff. Q1

MAN: Oh really? That’s quite unusual, isn’t it?

WOMAN: Certainly is.

MAN: And do staff get free uniforms too?

WOMAN: Um … you just need to wear a white T-shirt and black trousers, it says here.
So I guess not … But another benefit of working for a big company like this is that you
can get a discount at any of their restaurants. Q2

MAN: Even at weekends?

WOMAN: No, but you’ll be working then anyway.

MAN: Oh yes. I suppose so. Most of their restaurants are in the city centre, aren’t they?
So, easy to get to by bus?

WOMAN: Yes. That’s right. But if you have to do a late shift and finish work after
midnight, the company will pay for you to get a taxi home. Q3

MAN: I probably won’t need one. I think I’d use my bike.

WOMAN: OK. Now, they do have some quite specific requirements for the kind of
person they’re looking for. Milo’s is a young, dynamic company and they’re really keen
on creating a strong team. It’s really important that you can fit in and get on well with
everyone.

MAN: Yeah. I’ve got no problem with that. It sounds good, actually. The last place I
worked for was quite demanding too. We had to make sure we gave a really high level
of service. Q4
WOMAN: That’s good to hear because that will be equally important at Milo’s. I know
they want people who have an eye for detail.

MAN: That’s fine. I’m very used to working in that kind of environment.

WOMAN: Perfect. So the only other thing that’s required is good communication
skills, so you’ll need to have a certificate in English. Q5

MAN: Sure.

WOMAN: OK. Let’s have a look at the current job vacancies at Milo’s. The first one is
in Wivenhoe Street. Q6

MAN: Sorry, where?

WOMAN: Wivenhoe. W-l-V-E-N-H-O-E. It’s quite central, just off Cork Street.

MAN: Oh right.

WOMAN: They’re looking for a breakfast supervisor.

MAN: That would be OK.

WOMAN: So you’re probably familiar with the kind of responsibilities involved.

Obviously checking that all the portions are correct, etc., and then things like checking
all the procedures for cleaning the equipment are being followed. Q7

MAN: OK. And what about the salary? In my last job I was getting £9.50 per hour. I
was hoping to get a bit more than that.

WOMAN: Well, to begin with, you’d be getting £9.75 but that goes up to £11.25 after
three months. Q8

MAN: That’s not too bad. And I suppose it’s a very early start?

WOMAN: Mmm. That’s the only unattractive thing about this job. But then you have
the afternoons and evenings free. So the restaurant starts serving breakfast from 7 a.m.
And you’d have to be there at 5.30 to set everything up. But you’d be finished at 12.30.

MAN: Mmm. Well, as you say, there are advantages to that.

WOMAN: Now, you might also be interested in the job at the City Road branch. That’s
for a junior chef, so again a position of responsibility.

MAN: I might prefer that, actually.

WOMAN: Right, well obviously this role would involve supporting the sous chef and
other senior staff. And you’d be responsible for making sure there’s enough stock each
week – and sorting out all the deliveries. Q9
MAN: I’ve never done that before, but I imagine it’s fairly straightforward, once you
get the hang of it.

WOMAN: Yes, and you’d be working alongside more experienced staff to begin with,
so I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem. The salary’s slightly higher here. It’s an annual
salary of £23,000.

MAN: Right.

WOMAN: I know that if they like you, it’s likely you’ll be promoted quite quickly. So
that’s worth thinking about.

MAN: Yes. It does sound interesting. What are the hours like?

WOMAN: The usual, I think. There’s a lot of evening and weekend work, but they’re
closed on Mondays. But you do get one Sunday off every four weeks. So would you like
me to send off your … Q10

Exercise 2

As many of you here today have worked in the hotel industry for some time, I’m sure
you have experienced the problem of high staff turnover in your hotels. Every hotel
relies on having loyal and experienced members of staff who make sure that everything
runs smoothly. If staff are constantly changing, it can make life difficult for everyone.
But why do staff leave frequently in many hotels? Of course, many hotel jobs, such as
cleaning, are low-skilled and are not well-paid. A lot of managers think it’s this and the
long hours that are the main causes of high staff turnover – but what they don’t realise
is that it’s the lack of training in many hotel jobs which is a huge factor. (Q11)

So, what kind of problems does a high turnover of staff cause? Well, having to recruit
new staff all the time can be very time-consuming, and managers may have to cover
some duties while waiting for new staff to arrive (Q12). This means they don’t have
time to think about less immediate problems such as how to improve their service.
When staff leave, it can also severely affect the colleagues they leave behind. It has a
negative effect on remaining staff, who may start to feel that they too should be
thinking about leaving.

So, what can be done to change this situation? Firstly, managers should stop making
basic errors which leave their staff feeling upset and resentful. When organising shifts,
for example, make sure you never give certain staff preferential treatment. All staff
should be given some choice about when they work (Q13), and everyone should have to
work some evening and weekend shifts. If you treat staff fairly, they’ll be more likely to
step in and help when extra staff are needed.
Keeping staff happy has other tangible benefits for the business. Take the Dunwich
Hotel as an example. It had been experiencing a problem with staff complaints and in
order to deal with this, invested in staff training and improved staff conditions. Not
only did the level of complaints fall, but they also noticed a significant increase in the
amount each customer spent during their stay (Q14). They have now introduced a
customer loyalty scheme which is going really well.

Now I’d like to look at some ways you can reduce staff turnover in your hotels, and I’ll
do this by giving some examples of hotels where I’ve done some training recently.

The Sun Club received feedback which showed that staff thought managers didn’t
value their opinions. They weren’t made to feel they were partners who were
contributing to the success of the business as a whole. This situation has changed.
Junior staff at all levels are regularly invited to meetings where their ideas are
welcomed. (Q15)

A year ago, The Portland recognised the need to invest in staff retention. Their first step
was to introduce a scheme for recognising talent amongst their employees (Q16). The
hope is that organising training for individuals with management potential will
encourage them to stay with the business.

At Bluewater, managers decided to recognise 50 high achievers from across the

company’s huge hotel chain. As a reward, they’re sent on an all-expenses-paid trip
abroad (Q17) every year. Fun is an important element in the trips, but there’s also the
opportunity to learn something useful. This year’s trip included a visit to a brewery,
where staff learned about the new beer that would be served in the hotel.

Pentlow Hotels identified that retention of junior reception staff was an issue. In order
to encourage them to see that working in a hotel could be worthwhile and rewarding,
with good prospects, they introduced a management programme (Q18). These staff
were given additional responsibilities and the chance to work in various roles in the
hotel.

Green Planet wanted to be seen as a caring employer. To make life easier for staff, many
of whom had childcare responsibilities, the hotel began issuing vouchers to help cover
the cost of childcare. (Q19)

Louise Marsh at The Amesbury has one of the best staff retention rates in the business.
Since she joined the company, she has made a huge effort to achieve this by creating a
co-operative and supportive environment. For her, the staff are part of a large family
where everyone is valued. (Q20)

OK, now I’d like to …

Lesson 3
Exercise 1

AGENT: Good afternoon and welcome to Habitat Hunters. You must be

Joseph.
RENTER: Yes, that’s right. You said on the phone that I could come by at 2:00.
Sorry, I’m a little early.
AGENT: No problem at all. In Calgary’s market, you have to move fast if
you want a good apartment!
RENTER: Actually, I’d settle for almost anything. I’ve been here ten days and
the hotel is ruining me. My father has me on a strict budget.
AGENT: Sit right down here now, sir. Let’s talk a little about the places
before we go have a look. Now, we have four apartments available.
RENTER: OK, could you tell me more about those four apartments?
AGENT: Sure. The first one is on Beatle Road, just a block off campus. It’s a
3-bedroom with a bathroom (Q1) and a living room and a great Italian restaurant right
next to it.
RENTER: How much?
AGENT: Well, it’s $435 (Q2) a month, including Internet and utilities.
RENTER: Okay, that sounds reasonable. Any drawbacks to the house?
AGENT: There’s a really big garden, but it hasn’t been taken care of over the
years and is just too big to clean up nicely.
RENTER: Hmm. That sounds okay. Tell me about the next option.
AGENT: The other 3-bedroom apartment is on Oakington Avenue on
campus. It is right near the building where you have classes, and the kitchen and living
room are newly furnished.
RENTER: Wow, that sounds like a pretty good option.
AGENT: Well, it is a cool apartment, but since it’s a dormitory, the living
room, bathroom, kitchen, and washing machine (Q3) are all shared. It would be nice not
to have to buy living room furniture, though.
RENTER: And how much is this one?
AGENT: $400 per month for a bedroom with an air conditioner. For a
bedroom without an air conditioner, you would pay less, $340 for it.
RENTER: Yikes, even with the air conditioner, it sounds really inconvenient
(Q4) to have to share facilities. I’ll never cook if I have to walk down the hall to use the
kitchen.
AGENT: Yeah, that’s true. Anyway, the next place is a 2-bedroom on Mead
Street.
RENTER: Oh, I like Mead Street – that’s off campus, right?
AGENT: Yep. It’s pretty cool, but it only has 2 bedrooms, plus a living room
and a study (Q5).
RENTER: But I want to live together with my two friends.
AGENT: So you could make the study into a small bedroom if you end up
living with them.
RENTER: Also, we guys want a TV and DVD player since we’re all so much
into movies.
AGENT: Well, this place has a great TV and VCR, but no DVD player.
RENTER: No DVD? That’s so weird. Are any other facilities provided?
AGENT: As you said, weird enough, it also comes with a washbasin. (Q6)
RENTER: Is there a washing machine? I think we need that more than just a
washbasin.
AGENT: I’m afraid there’s no washing machine in the apartment.
RENTER: Wow, that’s so old-fashioned! Maybe it’s not the best choice for
three college guys. How much is it?
AGENT: Well, it’s $600 per month, but of course it would be cheaper if you
made it into 3 bedrooms instead of 2. Where is this apartment located?
AGENT: It’s 2500 Mead Street, where there are a lot of bars.
RENTER: It would be affordable, but it would get pretty noisy (Q7). And that
sounds really expensive for an old place in a noisy area. How about the last place?
AGENT: This one’s on-campus in the Devon Close complex. It’s a one-
bedroom, so it will be a little quieter than the Mead Street place.
RENTER: One bedroom, huh? That could be good for focusing on my studies.
What else does it have?
AGENT: It comes with a living room and a study, and includes a really nice
lamp in the study that has a bunch of different settings (Q8). You know what else is
cool? There’s a dining hall downstairs so all evening meals (Q9) are free. You can
purchase breakfast and lunch, but meals after 6 p.m. are free. Wow, this place sounds
too good to be true. Is it really expensive?
AGENT: It’s alright – $500 per month, but there’s no bathroom. (Q10)
RENTER: What? No bathroom?
AGENT: Well, there’s no bathroom in the apartment, but there’s one at the
end of the hall.
RENTER: Hmm. Thanks, I think now I just have to decide whether I want to
live alone or not.
AGENT: Yeah, which one do you prefer?
RENTER: I think I’d choose either this apartment or the one on Beatle Road.
AGENT: OK. You’d better think about it, and then you can contact me
ASAP.
RENTER: Fine, thanks for your help!
AGENT: You’re welcome…
Exercise 2

As chair of the town council subcommittee on park facilities, I’d like to bring you up to
date on some of the changes that have been made recently to the Croft Valley Park. So if
you could just take a look at the map I handed out, let’s begin with a general overview.
So the basic arrangement of the park hasn’t changed – it still has two gates, north and
south, and a lake in the middle.
The café continues to serve an assortment of drinks and snacks and is still in the same
place, looking out over the lake and next to the old museum. (Q11)
We’re hoping to change the location of the toilets, and bring them nearer to the centre of
the park as they’re a bit out of the way at present, near the adventure playground, in
the corner of your map. (Q12)
The formal gardens have been replanted and should be at their best in a month or two.
They used to be behind the old museum, but we’re now used the space near the south
gate – between the park boundary and the path that goes past the lake towards the old
museum. (Q13)
We have a new outdoor gym for adults and children, which is already proving very
popular. It’s by the glass houses, just to the right of the path from the south gate. You
have to look for it as it’s a bit hidden in the trees. (Q14)
One very successful introduction has been our skateboard ramp. It’s in constant use
during the evenings and holidays. It’s near the old museum, at the end of a little path
that leads off from the main path between the lake and the museum. (Q15)
We’ve also introduced a new area for wild flowers, to attract bees and butterflies. It’s on
a bend in the path that goes round the east side of the lake, just south of the adventure
playground. (Q16)
Now let me tell you a bit more about some of the changes to Croft Valley Park.
One of our most exciting developments has been the adventure playground. We were
aware that we had nowhere for children to let off steam, and decided to use our
available funds to set up a completely new facility in a large space to the north of the
park. It’s open year-round, though it close early in the winter months, and entrance is
completely free (Q17/Q18). Children can choose whatever activities they want to do,
irrespective of their age, but we do ask adults not to leave them on their own there
(Q17/Q18). There are plenty of seats where parents can relax and keep an eye on their
children at the same time.
Lastly, the glass houses. A huge amount of work has been done on them to repair the
damage following the disastrous fire that recently destroyed their western side
(Q19/Q20). Over £80,000 was spent on replacing the glass walls and the metal supports,
as well as the plants that had been destroyed, although unfortunately the collection of
tropical palm trees has proved too expensive to replace up to now. At present the glass
houses are open from 10am to 3pm Mondays to Thursdays, and it’s hoped to extend
this to the weekend soon (Q19/Q20). We’re grateful to all those who helped us by
contributing their time and money to this achievement.
The gardens have …

Lesson 4
Exercise 1
Hi folks, my name is Loretta Johnston, and I’m here from the Baltimore Department of
Public Waste. Thank you for coming out to our community meeting tonight. I’ve got a
few words to say about the waste collection here in Baltimore.
First, there’s the sorted collection bins themselves. They’re made of sturdy, solid
material, so none of your trash can seep out or puncture the bin. Also, since these things
sit out on the curb overnight rain or shine, they have to be waterproof (Q11). We can’t
have water getting up in it and filling up the bin. Remember to pay attention to which
bin is which, and sort your waste accordingly. You should have a blue or green bin for
recyclable garbage, a yellow bin for unrecyclable garbage, and a red bin for toxic waste.
Our citywide waste management is divided into two services. The first is commercial
waste collection, or trash collection from buildings. The majority of building (Q12)
waste is paper, which goes in the blue or green bins. You’ll notice in your office
buildings there are signs that warn you not to overfill (Q13) these bins. All that paper
adds up, and an overflowing bin is infinitely harder for collectors to carry to the truck
and empty.
Aside from paper, another large source of building waste is metals.
Metals such as tin and aluminium can be put in the yellow recycle bins, but metals like
lead and copper should be disposed of in the red bins. These heavy (Q14) metals are
harmful to the environment and exacerbate our city’s existing pollution problem.
That’s about all the information you need for building waste. Moving on to the second
service, household waste collection is probably what you primarily think of when you
think of what we do here…
Many of the same guidelines apply – the sorting is the same, et cetera.
Please remember to keep garbage like kitchen waste in a plastic (Q15) bag.
It makes collection easier and lessens the abominable rotten-trash smell.
So after we take your trash away, what happens to it? We take all the garbage to one of
a number of garbage disposal plants, each of which is located in the middle of an open
(Q16) space of some sort. No one wants to have their home or office right next door to a
waste disposal plant, right? Waste is collected and then disposed of once every four
weeks. (Q17)
A lot of trash can build up in that time, so we’re in the process of developing a plan to
fund collection more frequently. Ideally it would be collected weekly, but we will likely
have to settle for biweekly. The garbage trucks make their rounds to clear the bins at
night in order to avoid traffic. (Q18)
I’m sure you’ve seen how much waste your own household produce in a given week.
Now imagine all the trash produced by all the households in Baltimore. It’s a lot, right?
It may surprise you that this amount is only marginal compared to commercial waste.
Yep, the main waste producers are actually businesses (Q19), industrial facilities, retail,
and offices. Hard to believe humans produce that much waste, right? No wonder we
have pollution problems!
Anyway, after all incoming waste is sorted, recyclables are sent to a recycling plant,
while garbage and toxic waste are transported to their respective areas of the plant for
treatment. Items such as stones (Q20), which should not be disposed of in our bins, are
separated out and discarded.
Once the trash has undergone the treatment process, it is compacted and disposed of
with all the other trash and finally, when the landfill space is full, it is buried deep
underground and in time something new is built on the land.
That’s everything about waste collection. Thank you for listening. Are there any
questions?
Exercise 2
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the Museum of Farming Life. I understand
it’s your first visit here, so I’d like to give you some background information about the
museum and then explain a little about what you can see during your visit.

So, where we’re standing at the moment is the entrance to a large building that was
constructed in 1880 as the home of a local businessman. Alfred Palmer, of the Palmer
biscuit factory. It was later sold and became a hall of residence for students in 1911, and
a museum in 1951. In 2005, a modern extension was built to accommodate the
museum’s collections. Q11

The museum’s owned by the university, and apart from two rooms that are our offices,
the university uses the main part of the building. You may see students going into the
building for lessons, but it’s not open to museum visitors, I’m afraid. It’s a shame
because the interior architectural features are outstanding, especially the room that used
to be the library. Q12

Luckily, we’ve managed to keep entry to the museum free. This includes access to all
the galleries, outdoor areas and the rooms for special exhibitions. We run activities for
children and students, such as the museum club, for which there’s no charge. We do
have a donation box just over there so feel free to give whatever amount you consider
appropriate. Q13

We do have a cloakroom, if you’d like to leave your coats and bags somewhere. Unlike
other museums, photography is allowed here, so you might like to keep your cameras
with you. You might be more comfortable not carrying around heavy rucksacks, though
keep your coats and jackets on as it’s quite cold in the museum garden today. Q14

I’d like to tell you about the different areas of the museum.

Just inside, and outside the main gallery, we have an area called Four Seasons. Here
you can watch a four-minute animation of a woodland scene. It was designed especially
for the museum by a group of young people on a film studies course, and it’s beautiful.
Children absolutely love it, but then, so do adults. Q15

The main gallery’s called Town and Country. It includes a photographic collection of
prize-winning sheep and shepherds. Leaving Town and Country, you enter Farmhouse
Kitchen, which is … well, self-explanatory. Here we have the oldest collection of
equipment for making butter and cheese in the country. And this morning, a specialist
cheesemaker will be giving demonstrations of how it’s produced. You may even get to
try some. Q16
After that, you can go in two directions. To the right is a staircase that takes you up to a
landing from where you can look down on the galleries. To the left is a room called A
Year on the Farm. There’s lots of seating here as sometimes we use the room for school
visits, so it’s a good place to stop for a rest. If you’re feeling competitive, you can take
our memory test in which you answer questions about things you’ve seen in the
museum. Q17

The next area’s called Wagon Walk. This contains farm carts from nearly every part of
the country. It’s surprising how much regional variation there was. Beside the carts are
display boards with information about each one. The carts are old and fragile, so we ask
you to keep your children close to you and ensure they don’t climb on the carts. Q18

From Wagon Walk, you can either make your way back to reception or go out into the
garden – or even go back to take another look in the galleries. In the far corner of the
garden is Bees are Magic, but we’re redeveloping this area so you can’t visit that at the
moment. You can still buy our honey in the shop, though. Q19

Finally, there’s The Pond, which contains all kinds of interesting wildlife. There are
baby ducks that are only a few days old, as well as tiny frogs. The Pond isn’t deep and
there’s a fence around it, so it’s perfectly safe for children. Q20
Lesson 5
Exercise 1

BOB: Hello, Pembroke Cycling Holidays, Bob speaking.

MARGARET: Oh hello. I’ve seen your advert for people to lead cycle trips. Are you
the right person to speak to?

BOB: Yes, I am. Could I have your name, please?

MARGARET: It’s Margaret Smith. (Example)

BOB: Are you looking for a permanent job, Margaret? (Q1)

MARGARET: No, temporary. I’ve got a permanent job starting in a few months’
time, and I want to do something else until then.

BOB: What work do you do?

MARGARET: This will probably sound crazy – I used to be a lawyer, and then I
made a complete career change and I’m going to be a doctor (Q2). I’ve just finished my
training.

BOB: Right. And have you had any experience of leading cycle trips?

MARGARET: Yes, I’ve led several bike tours in Africa (Q3). The trip to India that I
had arranged to lead next month has now been cancelled, so when I saw you were
advertising for tour leaders, I decided to apply.

BOB: OK. Now we normally have two or three leaders on a trip, depending
on the size of the group. Some tours are for very experienced cyclists, but we’ve got a
tour coming up soon in Spain, which is proving so popular we need an additional
leader. It’s a cycling holiday for families. Would that suit you?

MARGARET: It certainly would. I enjoy working with children, and I probable

need some more experience before I go on a really challenging trip.

BOB: That tour includes several teenagers: have you worked with that age
group before?

MARGARET: Yes, I’m a volunteer worker in a youth club (Q4), where I help people
to improve their cycling skills. Before that I helped out in a cycling club where I taught
beginners.
BOB: Well that’s great. Now the trip I mentioned is just for a fortnight, but
there might be the possibility of leading other tours after that. Would that fit in with
your plans?

MARGARET: That’s be fine. I’ll be free for five months. My job is due to start on
October the 2nd, and I’m available from May the 1st until late September. (Q5)

BOB: Good. Now is there anything I need to know about the food you eat?
We usually have one or two people in the group who don’t eat meat, or have some sort
of food allergy, so we’re always very careful about that.

MARGARET: Yes, I’m allergic to cheese (Q6). Would that be a problem?

BOB: No, as long as we have enough notice, we can deal with that.

MARGARET: That’s great.

MARGARET: It sounds really interesting – would you like me to fill in an

application form?

BOB: Yes, please. Where should I post it to?

MARGARET: Could you send it to 27 Arbuthnot Place – A-R-B-U-T-H-N-O-T –

Place, Dumfries. (Q7)

BOB: And what’s the postcode, please? (Q8)

MARGARET: DG7 4PH.

BOB: Was that P Papa or B Bravo?

MARGARET: P Papa.

BOB: Got that. If you could return the application form by Friday this week,
we can interview you on Tuesday next week (Q9). Say half past two. Would that be
possible for you?

MARGARET: Yes, it’s fine. You’re quite a long way from where I live, so I’ll drive
over on Monday. Should I bring anything to the interview?

BOB: We’ll have your application form, of course, but we’ll need to see any
certificates you’ve got that are relevant, in cycling, first aid, or whatever.

MARGARET: OK.

BOB: And at the interview we’d like to find out about your experience of
being a tour guide, so could you prepare a ten-minute talk about that, please? (Q10)
You don’t need slides or any complicated equipment – just some notes.
MARGARET: Right. I’ll start thinking about that straightaway!

BOB: Good. Well, we’ll look forward to receiving your application form, and
we’ll contact you to confirm the interview.

MARGARET: Thanks very much.

BOB: Thank you, Margaret. Goodbye.

MARGARET: Bye.

Exercise 2

Welcome to this podcast about the Sheepmarket, which is one of the oldest parts of the
city. As its name suggests, there was originally a market here where farmers brought
their sheep, but now it’s been redeveloped into a buzzing, vibrant area of the city,
which is also home to one of the city’s fastest-growing communities. The nearby
university has always meant the area’s popular with students, who come in to enjoy the
lively nightlife, but now graduates embarking on careers in the worlds of fashion and
design are buying up the new apartments recently built here to replace the small houses
where the market workers used to live. (Q11)

The narrow old side streets are great places for finding original pictures, jewellery and
ceramics (Q12) which won’t break the bank, as well as local produce like fruit and
vegetables. There’s also lots of pavement cafes where you can have a coffee and watch
tourists from all over the world go by. The oldest buildings in the area are on the main
streets, including the city’s first department store, built in the 1880s, which is still open
today.
The Sheepmarket is a centre for fashion, and there’s a policy of encouraging new young
designers. The Young Fashion competition is open to local young people who are
passionate about fashion. This year they’ve been asked to design an outfit based on
ideas from the music and technology that’s part of their everyday life (Q13), using both
natural and man-made fibres. The garments will be judged by a panel of experts and
fashion designers, and the winning entries will be modelled at a special gala evening.

Parking at the Sheepmarket is easy. There are plenty of pay and display car parking
spaces on the roadsides which are fine if you just want to stay for an hour or two, but if
you want to spend the day there it’s better to park in one of the four underground car
parks. It’s not expensive and if you can present a receipt from one of the local stores,
you’ll not be charged at all (Q14). After six pm many of the car parks have a flat rate
which varies but it is usually very reasonable.

The Sheepmarket is one of the main centres for art and history in the whole of the
country. If you look at our map, you’ll see some of the main attractions there. Most
visitors start from Crawley Road, at the bottom of the map. The Reynolds House is one
of the oldest houses in the city, and is open to the public. It’s on the north side of
Crawley Road, next to the footpath that leads to the public gardens. (Q15)

The area’s particularly interesting for its unusual sculptures. The Thumb’s is just what
its name suggests, but it’s about 10 metres high. You’ll see it on Hill Road, across the
road from the Bank. (Q16)

The Museum’s got a particularly fine collection of New Zealand landscapes. It’s on the
east side of the Sheepmarket, on City Road. It’s on the other side of the road from the
public gardens, immediately facing the junction with Hill Road. (Q17)

The Contemporary Art Gallery is on a little road that leads off Station Square, not far
from the public gardens. The road ends at the gallery – it doesn’t go anywhere else
(Q18). That’s open every day except Mondays.

The Warner Gallery specialises in 19th-century art. It’s on City Road, near the junction
with Crawley Road, on the same side of the road as the public gardens (Q19). It’s open
on weekdays from 9 to 5, and entry is free.

Finally, if you’re interested in purchasing high quality artwork, the place to go is

Nucleus. You need to go from Crawley Road up through Station Square and east along
Hill Road until you get to a small winding road turning off. Go up there and it’s on
your right – if you get to City Road you’ve gone too far. (Q20)
Lesson 6
Exercise 1
You will hear a conversation between an optometrist and a patient who has come
for an eye test.

Optometrist: Good morning, can I help you?

Simon Lee: Yes. I’m here for an appointment at ten o’clock with the
optometrist. I’m a little early. I know it’s only ten to ten.

Optometrist: Are you Simon Lee?

Simon Lee: Yes, I am.

Optometrist: I’m Rachel White, the optometrist here today. Come in and take
a seat.

Simon Lee: Thanks.

Optometrist: Before we test your eyes, I just need to get a few details from
you. So, Simon, what’s your full name?

Simon Lee: Simon Anthony (Q1)— that’s A-N-T-H-O-N-Y. And my family

name is Lee: L double E.

Optometrist: And your date of birth, Simon?

Simon Lee: The 1st of June, 1989. (Q2)

Optometrist: The 21st of June.

Simon Lee: No. The first of June.

Optometrist: Whoops… sorry! 1989 – ah, same year my son was born! What’s
your current address?

Simon Lee: I’m living at a hall of residence.

Optometrist: Which one?

Simon Lee: At University Hall (Q3), not far from here, in Adams terrace.

Optometrist: University Hall… And do you have any medical insurance?

Simon Lee: Yes, I’m fully covered

Optometrist: And who are you insured with?

Simon Lee: I’m with ‘Health for life’. (Q4)

Optometrist: Healthy Life.

Simon Lee: No. People always get that wrong. It’s Health for Life. They’re
part of some big insurance company.

Optometrist: Good! Now, Simon. Have you ever had your eyes tested before?

Simon Lee: Yes, once. But not recently. It was when I was still at school.

Optometrist: So roughly when would that have been?

Simon Lee: Probably around September 2007. No, on second thoughts, it

must’ve been the year before – September 2006 (Q5). And my eyesight was fine
then.

Optometrist: But you’re having a little difficulty now, are you?

Simon Lee: Well, yes … since I started at university, I’ve been having
difficulty with distance vision. I can’t always see things in the distance. (Q6)

Optometrist: Well, let’s have a look. Now I’m just going to cover your left eye.
Can you read the top line?

Simon Lee: Yes. R… B… Q… S…

Optometrist: Well, Simon. Your eyes have obviously got a little worse since
your last test and I think you’re going to need to wear glasses … er… not all the
time and … not so much for reading or close work but definitely for driving. (Q7)

Simon Lee: Right. Yes. I thought that was probably the case.

Optometrist: So now you need to choose some frames. There’s a wide range to
choose from, as you can see.

Simon Lee: Can you give me some idea of the difference in cost? I quite
liked the idea of some frameless glasses.
Optometrist: Mm… Did you? Well, the prices vary enormously, like
everything, but the frameless ones are the most expensive. The cheapest are the
ones with the full frame. (Q8)

Simon Lee: Mm, perhaps I’d better go for those.

Optometrist: Or why not try these ones with the half frame?

Simon Lee: They’re not too bad.

Optometrist: Yes. They look quite nice and they’re strong (Q9) far less likely to
break than the frameless ones.

Simon Lee: Oh, that’s a good point. OK, I think I’ll take those ones.

Optometrist: If you pop back next Monday, I should have them ready for you.
And you can pay for them when you pick them up.

Simon Lee: Thanks very much. Can I pay by credit card?

Optometrist: You can, but there will be a slight charge if you do that.

Simon Lee: Right. I’ll pay by cash (Q10) then, if you don’t mind.

Optometrist: No problem. Cash, credit card, debit card. All the same to us. See
you on Monday.

Exercise 2

BREDA: Hello, Wayside Camera Club, Breda speaking.

DAN: Oh, hello, um, my name’s Dan and I’d like to join your club.
BREDA: That’s great, Dan. We have an application form- would you like to
complete it over the phone, then you can ask any questions you might have?
DAN: Oh, yes, thanks.
BREDA: OK, so what’s your family name?
DAN: It’s Green- Dan Green.
BREDA: So – can I take your email address?
DAN: Yes, it’s dan1068@[Link].
BREDA: Thanks. And what about your home address?
DAN: Well, I’m about ten miles away from your club in Peacetown. I live in a
house there.
BREDA: OK, so what’s the house number and street?
DAN: It’s 52 Marrowfield Street. Q1
BREDA: Is that M-A double R-O-W-F-l-E-L-D?
DAN: That’s right.
BREDA: … and that’s Peacetown, you said?
DAN: Uhuh.
BREDA: So how did you hear about our club? Did you look on the internet?
DAN: I usually do that, but this time, well, I was talking to a relative the other
day and he suggested it. Q2
BREDA: Oh, is he a member too?
DAN: He belongs to another club – but he’d heard good things about yours.
BREDA: OK. So what do you hope to get from joining?
DAN: Well, one thing that really interests me is the competitions that you have.
I enjoy entering those.
BREDA: Right. Anything else?
DAN: Well, I also like to socialise with other photographers. Q3
BREDA: That’s great. So what type of membership would you like?
DAN: What are the options?
BREDA: It’s £30 a year for full membership or £20 a year if you’re an associate.
Q4
DAN: I think I’ll go for the full membership, then.
BREDA: That’s a good idea because you can’t vote in meetings with an associate
membership.
——
BREDA: If I could just find out a bit more about you …
DAN: OK.
BREDA: So you said you wanted to compete- have you ever won any
photography competitions?
DAN: Not yet, but I have entered three in the past.
BREDA: Oh, that’s interesting. So why don’t you tell me something about
those? Let’s start with the first one.
DAN: Well, the theme was entitled ‘Domestic Life’. Q5
BREDA: I see – so it had to be something related to the home?
DAN: Yeah. I chose to take a photo of a family sitting round the dinner table
having a meal, and, urn, I didn’t win, but I did get some feedback.
BREDA: Oh, what did the judges say?
DAN: That it was too ‘busy’ as a picture.
BREDA: Aha – so it was the composition of the picture that they criticised?
DAN: That’s right – and once they’d told me that, I could see my mistake.
BREDA: So what was the theme of the second competition?
DAN: Well, my university was on the coast and that area gets a lot of beautiful
sunsets so that was the theme.
BREDA: Oh, sunsets, that’s a great theme.
DAN: Yes. The instructions were to capture the clouds as well – it couldn’t just
be blue sky and a setting sun. Q6
BREDA: Sure, cause they give you all those amazing pinks and purples.
DAN: Yeah – and I thought I’d done that well, but the feedback was that I
should have waited a bit longer to get the shot.
BREDA: I see. So the timing wasn’t right. Q7
DAN: Yes – I took it too soon, basically. And then the third competition I
entered was called ‘Animal Magic’. Q8
BREDA: Well, that’s a difficult subject!
DAN: I know! I had to take hundreds of shots.
BREDA: I’m sure – because animals move all the time.
DAN: That’s what we had to show – there had to be some movement in the
scene. Q9 I got a great shot of a fox in the end, but I took it at night and, well, I
suspected that it was a bit dark, which is what I was told. Q10
BREDA: Well Dan – you seem to be really keen and we’d be delighted to have
you in our club. I’m sure we can help with all those areas that you’ve outlined.
DAN: Thanks, that’s great.

Exercise 3

You will hear an extract from an audio guide to the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal is the most popular tourist attraction in India. It is also one of the
most spectacular buildings of the world, and is considered as a symbol of love.
But how many people realise that it was actually built as a tomb or burial place
for the Emperor’s wife?
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan to commemorate his
beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal when she died, and, although this was not his
original intention, for he had planned to build a black marble tomb for himself,
they both lie side by side in the tomb (Q11) today. Emperor Shahjahan’s two
greatest passions were architecture and jewellery and both are represented here
in all their splendor.
The most skilled architects and craftsmen came from across India and countries
as far away as Persia and Turkey. Much of the structure was built in white
marble that was carried by a thousand elephants all the way from the Indian
region of Rajasthan (Q12) some 300km away. Crystal and jade came from China,
sapphires from Sri Lanka and turquoise from Tibet.
But there’s a lot more to the Taj Mahal than just the tomb, so let’s have a look at
the overall plan before we take a walk through the magnificent gardens. Your
tour begins here at the point marked with an X on the plan. This is known as The
Main Gateway (Q13). Walk through the gate and you come into an magnificent
garden. There are two marble canals studded with fountains, which cross in the
centre of the garden, dividing it into four equal squares. Each of these four
quarters is then subdivided into flower beds. So there are 16 flower beds (Q14)
altogether. The tomb stands majestically at the north end, not in the centre as you
might have expected Instead, at the centre of the garden, halfway between the
tomb and the gateway, there’s a raised pond (Q15) which provides a reflection of
the Taj Mahal. It’s a magnificent sight. On either side of the tomb there are
buildings made of red sandstone. The one to the west – to the left on our plan – is
a mosque (Q16). It faces towards Mecca and is used for prayer. On the east side
of the Teg is a building known as the Rest House. It’s like the twin of the
mosque, but because it faces away from Mecca, it was never used for prayer.
Many people have asked what the Rest House was for. Was it a place for
pilgrims to stay? Was it a meeting hall of some kind? Perhaps the most likely
answer to this question is that its purpose is purely aesthetic, to act as a visual
balance for the mosque and to preserve the symmetry of the design (Q17) of the
whole complex.
Let’s have a look at some of the engineering features of the garden. For one thing,
they require a constant supply of running water. When it was built, water was
drawn from the river (Q18) manually, using an elaborate rope and bucket
system, pulled by a team of bullocks. The water was then brought through a
broad water channel and held in a number of supply tanks (Q19). These tanks
were at varying heights off the ground and were ingeniously designed to store
the very large amounts of water required. Using an elaborate system of
underground pipes, the water was then distributed from the supply tanks to
each of the fountains (Q20). To ensure that the water pressure was the same
throughout the garden, there was a copper pot under each fountain connected to
the water supply. It was undoubtedly a brilliant system.

Exercise 4
Good morning, and welcome to the museum – one with a remarkable range of
exhibits, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy. My name’s Greg, and I’ll tell you about the
various collections as we go round. But before we go, let me just give you a taste
of what we have here.
Well, for one thing, we have a fine collection of twentieth and twenty-first
century paintings, many by very well-known artists. I’m sure you’ll recognise
several of the paintings. This is the gallery that attracts the largest number of
visitors (Q11), so it’s best to go in early in the day, before the crowds arrive.
The there are the nineteenth-century paintings. The museum was opened in the
middle of that century, and several of the artists each donated one work (Q12) –
to get the museum started, as it were. So they’re of special interest to us – we feel
closer to them than to other works.
The sculpture gallery has a number of fine exhibits, but I’m afraid it’s currently
closed for refurbishment. You’ll need to come back next year to see it properly,
but a number of the sculptures have been moved to other parts of the museum.
(Q13)
‘Around the world’ is a temporary exhibition – you’ve probably seen something
about it on TV or in the newspapers (Q14). It’s created a great deal of interest,
because it presents objects from every continent and many countries, and
provides information about their social context – why they were made, who for,
and so on.
Then there’s the collection of coins. This is what you might call a focused,
specialist collection, because all the coins come from this country, and were
produced between two thousand and a thousand years ago. And many of them
were discovered by ordinary people digging their gardens and donated to the
museum! (Q15)
All our porcelain and glass we left to the museum by its founder (Q16), when he
died in 1878. And in the terms of his will, we’re not allowed to add anything to
that collection: he believed it was perfect in itself, and we don’t see any reason to
disagree!
——————–
OK, that was something about the collections, and now here’s some more
practical information, in case you need it. Most of the museum facilities are
downstairs, in the basement, so you go down the stairs here. When you reach the
bottom of the stairs, you’ll find yourself in a sitting area, with comfortable chairs
and sofas where you can have a rest before continuing your exploration of the
museum.
We have a very good restaurant, which serves excellent food all day, in a
relaxing atmosphere. To reach it, when you get to the bottom of the stairs, go
straight ahead to the far side of the sitting area, then turn right into the corridor.
You’ll see the door on the restaurant facing you (Q17).
If you just want a snack, or if you’d like to eat somewhere with facilities for
children, we also have a café. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, you’ll
need to go straight ahead, turn right into the corridor, and the café is
immediately on the right. (Q18)
And talking about children, there are baby-changing facilities downstairs: cross
the sitting area, continue straight ahead along the corridor on the left and you
and your body will find the facilities on the left-hand side. (Q19)
The cloakroom where you should leave coats, umbrella and any large bags, is on
the left hand side of the sitting area. It’s through the last door before you come to
the corridor. (Q20)
There are toilets on every floor, but in the basement they’re the first rooms on the
left when you get down there.
OK, now if you’ve got anything to leave in the cloakroom, please do that now,
and then we’ll start our tour.