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Practice Test 1 Paper 4 Listening

This is the Certificate of Proficiency in English Listening Test.Test 1.

Im going to give you the instructions for this test. Illintroduce each part of the test and give you time to lokat the questions.

At the start of each piece youll hear this sound:

TONE

Youll hear each piece twice.

Remember, while youre listening, write your answers on thequestion paper. Youll have five minutes at the end of the testto copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet.

There will now be a pause. Please ask any questions now,because you must not speak during the test.

PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 1

Now open your question paper and look at Part One.

PAUSE 5 seconds

You will hear four different extracts. For questions 1-8,choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according towhat you hear. There are two questions for each extract.

Extract One

PAUSE 15 seconds

TONE

Man: Growing up in Surrey, I remember outings to localbeauty spots being a big feature of our summer. More oftenthan not we would go up high somewhere and look outover the countryside. One of my most abiding memories istrying to identify landmarks from Reigate Hill. As a child, Iloved being up high and I suppose it was also fascinatingto me because I loved maps, and up there it was likelooking at a huge full-scale map, spread out before me. So it was no surprise to me to hear that The CountrysideAgency has just given 70,000 to the Surrey Hills Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty in order to make certainareas more accessible to the public. The agency has aprogramme which they call the Inspiring Views schemeand the money is to be split between five sites, one ofwhich is Reigate Hill. I dont know its kind of satisfyingfor me to think that that same fascination I had as a childcan now be enjoyed by new generations of people.

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract One

PAUSE 2 seconds

Extract Two

PAUSE 15 seconds

TONE

Woman (to herself): What pleasure can they possiblyget from it?Man: Whats that?Woman: Sorry. I was just reading that vandals haveattacked the primary school again. Thats the third timethis month it says here.Man (resigned): Modern times, love. Thats what wevecome to expect, isnt it. I dont know why youre so surprised.Woman: Yes but look; (reading from newspaper) graffition the walls, several broken windows and a fire in themusic room that caused hundreds of pounds worth ofdamage. I mean, thats serious! What if someone wastrapped in the building when they started the fire? Whatif they themselves were trapped? Youd have thoughtthey would dont they Man (slightly sarcastic): What? Think about their actions?Think about the consequences? Thats just it, isnt it? Whydo you think they call it mindless violence? Think? Theythink, all right. They think about how not to get caught.Beyond that, theyre not capable of much else, Im afraid.Woman: Well Im not so pessimistic as you. There mustbe some way to get through to them. Theyre young.Some of them dont know any better. They dont knowthat there are alternatives and, well, they could be told.Man: Youd have to catch them first. I know what Id liketo say to them.

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract Two

PAUSE 2 seconds

Extract Three

PAUSE 15 seconds

TONE

Man: The rise of the popular singer is pretty muchintertwined with the history of the first half of the twentiethcentury. In the beginning, singers were very much indemand, on one condition they had to sing loud, simplybecause the recording equipment at that time wasextremely primitive and not at all sensitive.

With electricity in the twenties came much betterrecording techniques but a change in fashion. Musiciansdominated and vocalists were no longer required. Dancebands were all the rage and any singing that had to bedone was given to one of the band members. Singers

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had to play an instrument. Bandleaders were notprepared to pay good money for someone if all theycould do was sing!

But towards the end of that decade, things began tochange again with the advent of radio. In 1927, GeneAustins My Blue Heaven became the first million-selling vocal record. The public was keen to be sweet-talked by a succession of men with smooth voices. TheBig Band era of the forties briefly stole the limelight but,apart from that, the singer was never again out of a job.

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract Three

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Extract Four

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TONE

Presenter: Well, the country has certainly taken abattering over the last fortnight and I hope you are gettingback to normal after the recent floods and the traffic chaosthey brought with them. But, theres a chink of light at theend of the tunnel, or at least there is through the tinywindow of Studio One. Spring weather on the way? Timeto remove a layer or two? Maybe youre thinking ofbraving the elements and doing a spot of gardening. Wellhere to tell us whats in store is Francis Dunne. What haveyou got for us today Francis good news on the horizon?Francis: There is indeed, although it depends to someextent on just where your horizon lies. For those of youlucky enough to live in the North, youre going to get aforetaste of spring in the next day or two. Clear blue skiesare forecast, with reasonable temperatures I dont thinkwell hit the twenty mark, but in some areas it will be quiteclose. Higher ground, of course, will see slightly lowertemperatures around fifteen with the prospect of a bitof mist or fog in the morning and evening, and possiblysome drizzle overnight. For the rest of us, though, Imafraid its business as usual with a fresh wave of gales onthe way which will see us through till Tuesday. Long-term, though, things will improve. You could be sowingthose seeds by the end of the week.

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract Four

PAUSE 2 seconds

Thats the end of Part One.

Now turn to Part Two.

PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 2

You will hear a police officer talking about the job ofCommunity Ward Officer. For questions 9-17, completethe sentences with a word or short phrase.

You now have forty-five seconds in which to look at PartTwo.

PAUSE 45 seconds

TONE

Interviewer: Im here today in Northampton to find out alittle bit about life on the beat. Thats Police ConstableNigel Godfreys beat, to be precise. PC Godfrey has beenin the force for six years and for the past year he hasbeen a Community Ward Officer. Let me start by askingyou what that means Im not too familiar with the term.PC Godfrey: Well, its our official title now, but the roleshould be familiar. In the area where I work, I am simplya known face someone who the public can turn to ifthey have something troubling them. While Im on duty,Im available to anyone in the area who wants toapproach me about police matters. Interviewer: And in the meantime, I suppose it gets quiteboring does it? In between people coming up to you?PC Godfrey: No! Theres more to it than that. I work withvarious community groups, liaising with the organisers ofthose groups, going on school visits, talking to peopleabout safety matters, crime prevention, that sort of thing.Part of the job is that I should provide a friendly andapproachable side of the police force whereas all toooften people see the police as distant ... off-putting ...hostile even. Im here to show that thats not the case and,hopefully, to facilitate communications between the publicand the police. By organising meetings with members ofthe community, I give them a contact that they know theycan trust. We believe that this helps to lower the crime rate.So, boring? No. Dont forget that I get called to crimes aswell I still do all of that, so I still have a huge variety ofthings to deal with and no two days are the same.Interviewer: And what would you say is the best thingabout your job, compared to, say, other jobs youve doneas a police officer.PC Godfrey: Well obviously I get satisfaction out of it,otherwise I wouldnt be in the police, but the one thingabout this job is that you see the whole story. What I meanis that, in other departments, youre often paid to specialisein one thing; forensics, for example, or traffic duty. Here, notonly do you get the whole range, but you get to see itthrough from start to finish. I mean, the chances are that Iwill know something about the person who has donesomething wrong might even have spoken to him thatmorning and I get a call and have to intervene. Now, ninetimes out of ten, my position in the community allows me tosettle the matter without an arrest before it turns nasty. Istop things going too far and Im only able to do thatbecause of the nature of this role. Other times, when

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people do cross the line and theres nothing else for it butto make an arrest, I get to be part of the whole process.Before I came here, I never knew much about whathappened after my involvement its a complaint you heara lot from policemen; they do their job and then the case ispassed on to the next department. Its a bit like working ona production line, assembling cars, say. You get to put theseats in but you never see the finished car.Interviewer: An interesting comparison. I wonder howmany people have thought of police work in that way. Icertainly hadnt.PC Godfrey: Well, in a way, talking to you and indirectly toyour listeners is what my job is all about. Yes, we work ona community level and your programme is being broadcastacross the nation. There is that. But in many communitiesnationwide, the public have the same access as they do inNorthampton. And part of my job is to de-mystify the policeforce to bring it to the public in a way that they can use it.So these explanations are useful if it helps people to see usfor what we are, rather than some impersonal body thatsout to get them! I wonder how many people have thoughtabout this; that the average police officer would far ratherthat a dispute be settled amicably than in the courts. And ofcourse, we get a lot more satisfaction from preventingcrimes than we do from arresting people after the event. Interviewer: So, plenty to think about there. Its certainlyopened my eyes. Thank you, PC Godfrey, for taking thetime to talk to us and, for listeners with access to theInternet, you can find (Fade)

PAUSE 10 seconds

Now youll hear Part Two again.

TONE

REPEAT Part Two

PAUSE 5 seconds

Thats the end of Part Two.

Now turn to Part Three.

PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 3

You will hear a woman describing her experiences duringan earthquake. For questions 18-22, choose the answer (A,B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.

You now have one minute in which to look at Part Three.

PAUSE 1 minute

TONE

Presenter: With me in the studio is Julie Fields. Julie wasunlucky enough to be on holiday in Japan when the recentearthquake struck. Julie, Im glad youre here to tell thetale. We dont have too many earthquakes here in Britain,

so not many of our listeners have first-hand experience ofwhat it is like to be present at, quite literally, an earth-shaking event such as this. What happened to you?Julie: We were driving it was just the two of us when ourcar started to veer wildly from side to side. For a moment, wethought it was a flat tyre, so we pulled over and got out. Thenwe realised that the earth was still shaking. It seemed to stopafter a few seconds and remember we still hadnt workedout what it was at this stage then it came back, with avengeance! I think thats the point when Paul said, "Its anearthquake!" The ground shook violently from side to side,really jerky movements, as I remember. Then there wassome up and down movement. I was holding on to the topof the car to try and keep my balance, and Paul was kind ofbent double, unable to straighten up or get a foothold onanything. And we could hear rocks falling somewhere, whichwas the really scary thing. Anyway, the next thing was theseplumes of what looked like smoke, but turned out to be dust,rising into the air. That was weird, and I remember staring atthem, trying to work out what it was. After what seemed likehours, the earth stopped moving and the sound of the rocksfaded away. Itd only been a few seconds, I suppose. Wecouldnt move for a few minutes, we were both shaking andI was crying hysterically. Id never known anything like it, butI had absolutely no control over my emotions. I was cryingso hard that I couldnt catch my breath.Presenter: A harrowing experience. You say you werecrying. Was that out of fear, do you think? Julie: No. Ive thought about this a lot. I dont think it couldhave been fear because, after all, I didnt start crying tillafter it had stopped. I dont know what it was. All I can sayis that there is no time to be frightened at first because youdont recognise it while it is happening. Then, when theaftershocks start thats when the fear sets in, becausewhen it starts up again you have a very clear memory ofthe big one and you expect the aftershock to do the same.Theres also the worry that the next one could be evenbigger. Im told thats quite rare that they usually diminishin size but your brain doesnt work rationally when youregripped by that kind of fear. My thought processes in thefirst few hours following the earthquake were verymuddled. I wanted to run away, to stay still, to be airlifted,to go and dive into the sea somewhere I didnt knowwhat I wanted to do. I had a really hard time coming toterms with the fact that the one thing you could take forgranted the earth being beneath your feet couldnt betaken for granted after all. And every time there was a littleshake or a big shake I had a different response. Presenter: How long did you stay there after theearthquake?Julie: We were there for another five days afterwards.Presenter: And what were you like during that time? Didyou begin to get over it?Julie: Well that was another strange thing. The more weheard other peoples stories, the jumpier we became. Imean, the aftershocks continued the whole time, so wehardly slept at all. It was one thing to be out in the open

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when it happened, and in a way, Im glad we were, butback in the hotel, the sounds and the sensations werevery different when there was a tremor. We seemed tospend the whole time rushing out of the building, waitingfor a while, then slowly going back, in twos and threes.Until the next one. It was like that day and night.Presenter: Julie, it sounds as though you wont forget it fora long time, if ever. Were glad youre back safe and soundon terra firma. Thanks for coming in today to talk to (Fade)

PAUSE 10 seconds

Now youll hear Part Three again.

TONE

REPEAT Part Three

PAUSE 5 seconds

Thats the end of Part Three.

Now turn to Part Four.

PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 4

You will hear a brother and sister, Phil and Cathy, talkingabout mortgages. For questions 23-28, decide whetherthe opinions are expressed by only one of the speakers,or whether the speakers agree. Write P for Phil, C forCathy, or B for both, where they agree.

You now have thirty seconds in which to look at Part Four.

PAUSE 30 seconds

TONE

Phil: Have you found a place to live yet?Cathy: No. Its a real nightmare! I mean, there are plenty offlats available, but I just cant make up my mind what to do. Phil: Whats the problem? I thought you wanted to moveinto a bigger place so you and Tim could start a family.Cathy: Oh, yes.. thats not the problem its two thingsactually. You know Ive always been keen that we shouldget our own place, well I think now is the perfect time forus to take out a mortgage. But Tim is a bit more cautious I think hes afraid of being made redundant again, but Icant really see that happening, not now that hes beengiven that new accountPhil: I dont know. I mean, look at what happened with mycompany ten people were laid off last year and theyrethreatening even more cutbacks if the market doesnt pickup. And then where will I be? Two thirds of my salaryalone goes on our mortgage, and Marthas pay wouldntcover it if I lost my job. I think Tim is right to be careful.Cathy: Oh come on, youre not going to lose your job you are production manager after all! In ten years yourflat will be yours, and you wont have thrown moneydown the drain on rent.

Phil: OK. Say that you do get a mortgage if you start afamily, are you going to carry on working full time? Andthink of all the extra expenses that a child will bring Ireally think you should work out the maths here.Cathy: You sound just like Tim! To be honest I haventsat down and put pen to paper. Its actually a really goodidea I should. But youre overlooking the fact that Im acivil servant, and Ive got lots of benefits includingmaternity leave, and job security. Also Stella has agreedto help out, so Ill be able to go back to work.Phil: Youre right, that really is a plus. But can you covera mortgage on just one salary? Not to mention your day-to-day expenses. Im not trying to put you off by the way,after all I do have a mortgage myself. I suppose yourmentioning taking out a loan has just made me realisehow stressed I am about mine.Cathy: Well, I must admit I didnt know it was a worry toyou. What about Martha? What does she think?Phil: Funnily enough she was very cautious at first, and Iwas the one who persuaded her but I really couldnt tellyou if she worries about it now. I think she has enough onher plate with work, the kids and looking after her dad.Cathy: Well, youve got me thinking a bit more seriouslyabout the matter, and I certainly wont go jumping in at thedeep end at least Ill stop nagging Tim so much anyway!Phil: Thatll be the day! (they laugh)

PAUSE 10 seconds

Now youll hear Part Four again.

TONE

REPEAT Part Four

PAUSE 5 seconds

Thats the end of Part Four.

Therell now be a pause of five minutes for you to copyyour answers onto the separate answer sheet. Be sure tofollow the numbering of all the questions. Ill remind youwhen there is one minute left, so that youre sure to finishin time.

PAUSE 4 minutes

You have one more minute left.

PAUSE 1 minute

Thats the end of the test. Please stop now. Yoursupervisor will now collect all the question papers andanswer sheets.

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Im going to give you the instructions for this test. Illintroduce each part of the test and give you time to lookat the questions.


TONE


Remember, while youre listening, write your answers onthe question paper. Youll have five minutes at the end ofthe test to copy your answers onto the separate answersheet.


PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 1


PAUSE 5 seconds

You will hear four different extracts. For questions 1-8,choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best accordingto what you hear. There are two questions for eachextract.

Extract One

PAUSE 15 seconds

TONE

Woman: At the age of eleven I was sent away to boardingschool; my father was posted overseas, so I suppose myparents thought that this was as good an option as any forme. For the first term I was all at sea I must admit, but afterthat I slowly began to find my feet and now I look back onthose years quite nostalgically. You hear terrible stories ofawful goings-on at boarding schools, but I cant say I noticedanything of the sort nor do I remember suffering in particular.

One of the good things is that it stood me in good stead forlater on in life, in a way; having to fend for myself to a certainextent and not being able to run to mummy at the slightestproblem. I think it gave me a lot of self-confidence andmade me pretty independent. For instance, I didnt feeldaunted during my first term at university, unlike a lot of myfellow students, nor was I particularly worried by the idea oflooking for work in another area. The downside, I suppose,is that now, as a mother of two teenagers, Im not alwayssure how to best advise them on the various problems theyface. But, we muddle along somehow! (laugh)

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract One

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Extract Two

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TONE

Woman: Do you remember when there were only threechannels to choose from? I mean, there was just nothingon and whatever was being broadcast wasnt usuallyworth watching. Were much better off now with all thisvariety.Man: Well, Im not sure there really is a noticeablechange in quality you know. Neither would I criticise whatI call the good old days. Theres so much available nowthat you cant see the wood for the trees and Im often ata loss to know what to watch. At least with a more limitedchoice it was easier to decide on something. Woman: I suppose youve got a point there, but the thingis now, with all these channels, there is heightenedcompetition, so each channel is fighting for the ratingsand that means that they will produce better qualitytelevision.Man: Well they should be producing better qualityaccording to your theory, so why arent they? Lots of thechannels dont even produce anything, all they do is playre-runs of old series and films. Woman: But dont you see thats the beauty of it, nowthere is something for everyone! Many viewers simplylove those old re-runs, and now at the press of a buttonthey can watch them. The vast number of channelsmeans that television can now cater for all tastes.Man: Well I can never find anything. Woman: Theres always the off button.

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract Two

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Extract Three

PAUSE 15 seconds

TONE

Man: For the vast majority of the population the attractionof this activity is probably beyond us. But over the lastdecade or so, its popularity has increased to the extentthat people from all walks of life are having a go. Justwhat is it about jumping into a void with only your anklesto break your fall that is so alluring, though? Well, I thinkthat unlike other dangerous sports, this does not require

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any level of expertise; you dont need any form ofinstruction as you would with, lets say, free falling out ofa plane. Neither does it require any measure of talent.The only similarity I can honestly see is that it takes anawful lot of nerve to do it.

But apparently the rewards are very much the same. Aswith snowboarding, rafting, motor cross or any othernumber of so-called dangerous pastimes, this gives youthe same thrill and rush of excitement as the most difficultof them. I must admit I really take my hat off to anyonedaring enough to take this leap of faith: and I mean faithnot only in themselves, but also in the technologyholding them up. Personally, Ill remain the awe-struckspectator with my feet firmly on the ground.

PAUSE 5 seconds

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PAUSE 2 seconds

Extract Four

PAUSE 15 seconds

TONE

Presenter: Coping with the death of a loved one is atraumatic experience and, for many, a very lonely one.I have with me in the studio today Jane Marshall, whocounsels the bereaved and helps them cope with theirloss. Jane, there was a particular chain of events that ledto you becoming a counsellor, wasnt there? Jane: Yes, my grandmother died when I was 12 and mygrandfather was absolutely devastated. For manymonths we just didnt know how to help him, but then afriend of my mothers, who was a widow herself,suggested he join an over-sixties travel club. Before then,my grandfather hadn't been particularly outgoing, butafterwards, he suddenly sprouted wings, and decided itwas time he saw the world. His itchy feet took him tothree continents over the following decade. I think I justwanted to be able to give people this kind of insight.Presenter: So travel is the solution then?Jane: Oh no. Simply my grandfather managed to facethe loss of my grandmother in a very positive way. Herealised that he had to continue leading a fulfilling life, butat the same time not neglect the memory of his wife. Sohe globe trotted with a group of interesting people towhom he could both relate and talk. And this really is thekey I try to help people take up something which theywill find fulfilling and which will also give them theopportunity to communicate with others. Presenter: For example?Jane: Well, this depends on a variety of different factors someones physical or financial situation, and of course apersons interests and lifestyle. For instance, one lady Ive

been helping recently found her granddaughter was asource of incredible comfort, and now they have a regulardate at the cinema and a take-away afterwards. Otherswho have no family have actually found an outlet involuntary work or even correspondence courses. Theimportant thing is to realise that life goes on of course, butyour past is also of great importance. If both your pastand your present bring you pleasure, then you are on theright track. And my grandfather achieved this I think.Presenter: Jane Marshall, thank you.

PAUSE 5 seconds

TONE

REPEAT Extract Four

PAUSE 2 seconds



PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 2

You will hear an appeal made on the radio by anenvironmentalist. For questions 9-17, complete thesentences with a word or a short phrase.


PAUSE 45 seconds

TONE

Woman: Good evening. I have the pleasure to be with youtonight to talk about a problem that is very close to ourhearts and our consciences. Everyone has probablygot, stashed away at home somewhere, a fur coat, asnakeskin belt or shoes, or something similar that we aretoo embarrassed to wear because we feel guilty. Deepdown, we are fully aware that these animals should nothave been sacrificed just for our Western vanity. It is notthat we need these luxuries in the Western world. Thereare many synthetic products to replace them that areindistinguishable in appearance and often more durable.Synthetic fibres do not need special temperatures orexpensive cleaning processes in order to keep them ingood condition, nor do you have to keep them insured inyour wardrobe because of their value. And, anyway, willthe younger generation, sensitised by so many ecologicalmovements, really want to inherit them?

The majority of people throughout the world are aware ofthe problem of endangered species. In every country,different species of birds or animals, as well as insects andplants, are listed as being in danger of extinction. Over fivethousand species of animals are threatened in the worldand seven times this number of plants are in danger.

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Illegal hunting is responsible for the disappearance ofelephants, tigers and bears, among others. Elephantpoaching has become a big issue over the last fifty years ashunters brutally kill these majestic creatures solely for theirtusks to provide a few tourists with some ivory trinkets.Similarly, the horn of the rhinoceros is highly sought after,immediately relegating this animal too to the wanted list.

Contrary to expectation, sometimes livestock breedersthemselves are responsible for the death of endangeredanimals as, in their attempt to protect their own herds, theypoison or trap the wild animals that come prowling around.Other times, when an animal or bird is introduced into anarea, it may displace existing inhabitants. This happened,for example, with the starling, a bird introduced fromEngland to America about a hundred years ago.

The destruction of animals habitats plays a huge role in theprocess of their disappearance. Forest fires are naturaldisasters for which man cannot always be blamed, but tree-felling operations in the developing world are slowly oustinganimals from their homes. Rivers may be dammed andswamps drained and filled for construction and irrigationwork. This means that animals and birds are forced to moveelsewhere, where the food supply is not sustainable. Tomake matters worse, the insecticides farmers use to controlpests and produce better crops take their toll on the birdpopulation. If the birds survive, the females lay eggs withshells which are so thin that the embryos do not survive.

Again, if we turn our attention to fishing, the illegal use ofdynamite can cause irreparable harm to the sea bed,while overfishing leads to a serious depletion in stocks,as indeed has happened with cod. At least whale andshark hunting, which provide some islanders with alivelihood, have been restricted somewhat by legislation.Each link in the chain affects the next one. But we shouldnot think of ourselves as separate entities, controlling thechain, so to speak, but rather as one link, albeit animportant one, in this tenuous cycle of life.

That is why I would like to appeal to you tonight tothink of The Friends of Nature and all the good work thatwe are doing. I ask you to contribute generously to thischarity. You can become a member by phoning ourFreephone number 0800 37394 or simply talk to one ofour consultants about the ways in which you can help.

PAUSE 10 seconds


TONE

REPEAT Part Two

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PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 3

You will hear an interview with a pastry chef, RobertHiggins. For questions 18-22, choose the answer (A, B, Cor D) which fits best according to what you hear.


PAUSE 1 minute

TONE

Interviewer: The career of pastry chef is not merely one ofbaking, as I recently discovered. Someone who opened myeyes to this culinary world is Robert Higgins, a pastry chefwho manages a team of five in a luxury hotel pastry shop.Robert, you say that pastry is artistic expression undertakenin a business environment. Can you elaborate?Robert: By all means. First of all, someone who entersthis field is obviously of a creative nature, and baking is amarvellously satisfying way of expressing ones talent.But take me, for example, as someone who has workedtheir way up through the ranks and now manages what isessentially a small business. Baking is just one of theaspects of the job. For my kitchen to run efficiently, I mustplan menus, order ingredients, train and supervise staff,develop recipes, deal with clients and deliveries, maintainaccounts well, really a multitude of tasks in addition tothe actual baking itself.Interviewer: So, a pastry chef is also an adeptbusinessman. Tell me then, what attracted you to thisprofession?Robert: Funnily enough, I hadnt given it much thought -but at 23 I was made redundant and, feeling somewhatat a loose end, decided to go for a career change. It wasactually my sister who suggested I try a culinary course,as we were then sharing a flat and I was forever cookingto pass the time. It seems she was impressed, and put itto me that I could do this for a career and I thoughtabout it and then said why not. I enrolled on a culinarycourse and worked evenings in restaurants to finance mystudies. I was then taken on as an apprentice with thecompany I still work for and, slowly but surely, with a lotof perseverance and determination, I made it to chef. Interviewer: Not simply chef, though. Your pastries arerenowned and sought after worldwide. How do youaccount for this success?Robert: Well, a good pastry chef must be rather aperfectionist. You need to produce numerous baked itemsand remain meticulous. I think you also need to understandthe subtleties of taste and flavour when baking, especiallyin dessert composition. Of course, a sense of style andaesthetics helps no one will touch a pastry that doesntlook good, will they? I am certainly a perfectionist anyonewho knows me will vouch for that and probably irritatinglyso at times, but this is an art where there is no room forerror. I also really enjoy my work, and it is a career whichneeds dedication, as a 15-hour day is not unusual.

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Interviewer: So youve never regretted the career move? Robert: Oh no. Not that its all been plain sailing, mindyou. The majority of baking jobs are productionpositions, and I found at first I was working very hard andfelt concerned about getting burned out. But the chef Iwas working under showed me how to refine mytechniques, and the production process soon becamesecond nature to me. I also realised the discipline thatrepetitive tasks equip you with. Consequently, I am todayvery efficient at running the pastry shop. I also have awonderful staff, so the only real anxiety I suffer is trying tocreate what I first envisage in my head. But then, that isalso the joy of being creative.

PAUSE 10 seconds


TONE

REPEAT Part Three

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PAUSE 5 seconds

Part 4

You will hear two people, John and Sandra, talking abouttheir health. For questions 23-28, decide whether theopinions are expressed by only one of the speakers, orwhether the speakers agree. Write J for John, S forSandra, or B for both, where they agree.


PAUSE 30 seconds

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John: Ive been thinking about trying some herbalremedies. Im still getting migraines and the painkillersIve been taking dont seem to help at all. Im also worriedabout my immune system. If I get too used to themedicine Im taking, I think my bodys natural defencescould get really weak.Sandra: Do you really think so? I think youd have to take anawfully large amount for that to happen. Not that I dontsupport the idea of natural remedies, mind you, it just seemsto have its limitations. If Ive got indigestion Im the first todrink a camomile tea, but for something more serious John: well, this is the interesting thing according towhat Ive been reading, there are any number of herbsthat can be used to treat quite serious ailments. Forinstance, garlic, apparently, is effective as a naturalantibiotic and is a much better option than apharmaceutical drug because it doesnt have any sideeffects. Apart from the smell! (laughs)

Sandra: You can say that again! It seems a bit far-fetchedthough. I know that garlic has beneficial properties; I mean,its been known for thousands of years that a garlic-rich dietcan do you enormous good look at the Mediterraneandiet for example. Even my father was recommended to eatmore by the family GP when his blood pressure went up.But I thought herbs were more useful in the field ofpreventive medicine rather than well, I mean, if you wereprescribed a course of antibiotics by your doctor, wouldyou really run off and eat a head of garlic instead?John: I suppose youve got a point there. And Im notsure that Id want to risk it. But I still dont agree thatherbs are only preventive. Ive been reading aboutginseng, and it supposedly has this amazing qualitywhere it pinpoints your problem and brings your bodyback to its natural state. Basically, whatever is wrong withyou, ginseng can help the natural healing process. Sandra: You should try it for your migraines. If it works Illtake back what I said about preventive medicine andanyway I didnt say herbs are useful only in this way, butmore useful. Also, Im not saying that preventive medicineis a bad thing. I think we should all be much more self-aware, and if we combine that awareness with some familyhistory we can use herbs to improve and prolong our life. John: So what you mean is that you agree with the useof herbs for your health, but if you have somethingserious youd prefer to opt for conventional treatment.Sandra: In a word.John: Thats all very well, but when do you decide thatwhat youve got is serious? I mean, I feel terrible if I getthe flu or a heavy cold, but I wouldnt consider myself tobe that ill. But I would be interested in trying out a herbalremedy if only because nothing else has ever worked. Sandra: I dont see why you shouldnt try it out, especiallyfor your migraines as I said before. Migraines arenotoriously difficult to deal with, but you never know John: You know I think youve convinced me. So if I get (Fade)

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Woman: The very first time I set eyes on this house well,I just knew I knew it was for me. I had taken a wrongturning down a country lane, on my way to visit a friend, andI wasnt sure where I was. Luckily it was for sale it had justgone on the market that morning. So I walked through thegarden and knocked on the front door. The elderly lady wholived there invited me in. Strictly speaking, of course, sheshould have told me to make an appointment through theestate agent, but, you know, we hit it off from the word go.She showed me around and we had a few cups of tea anda great chat. She said that she was so worried about whomight come to live in the house after she had left it. Shedidnt want just anyone to be there. In fact, she phoned theestate agent there and then and told him that she had foundsomeone who wanted to buy the house and said that he

could take it off the market. It was a bit embarrassing, really she wasnt like most people who are selling their houseand want to get as much as they can for it.

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Woman: I had been out of work for almost eighteenmonths and was really feeling low when this opportunitywas offered to me by the unemployment benefit office.You see, its often quite hard to find a job if you have noreal qualifications, and all I had was a few GCSEs.Anyway, after dragging my feet for over a year I thought... why not? Ive got nothing to lose. And Im really glad Idid the course. You see you get your first lessons free onthe training programme and then once youve got thebasic skills they help you find a job and, with theemployers agreement, you carry on your training oneday per week. And then you use your salary to help paytowards the training scheme, which should help otherunemployed people get started.

I found a job here at Claires Salon within two months ofstarting the course, and at first I was just sweeping up hairand doing a bit of shampooing. But now I do highlightsand styling too, all because Im continuing my training.

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Man: Its certainly great value for anyone interested in thatkind of food. If you join this scheme before the end of March,everything that you buy for the next two months is half price.The only thing is, you have to buy quite large quantities Woman: Sounds like a fantastic deal! What sort of thingshave you got, anyway?Man: Oh all kinds of beans and lentils fresh fruit andvegetables lots of varieties of rice ...Woman: All really healthy stuff! not my kind of thing atall though I do think its good to buy in bulk. Do a lotof people do it?

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Man: Its okay for beans and rice and things like that, but fruitand vegetables dont keep so well, do they? So itd only suityou if you, made, say, your own jam, or froze a lot of food.Woman: (laughing) Like a proper housewife, you mean!Thats not me, Im afraid!

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Man: Well, I know that traditionally its not supposed tobe something that men do but I dont mind it at all in fact, I quite enjoy it I find it very relaxing, really. Youknow, it gives you time to think about other things.Woman: Oh, I just couldnt be bothered. Think of all theother things you could be doing! Actually, I hardly everdo it now John does it.Man: Isnt that a bit mean, leaving it to him?Woman: Not at all! Why? If he wants it done, he can do itfor himself he knows I detest it. And anyway, its notnecessary we can easily live without it. Its an extra its superfluous, as far as Im concerned.Man: But do you not think that everything looks a lotnicer more clean, more fresh? And it shows that youvetaken some care that you want things to look nice.Woman: Listen, its got absolutely nothing to do withcleanliness!Man: I suppose youre right.

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Part 2

You will hear a radio report given by a historian interestedin certain aspects of ancient buildings. For Questions 9-17, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.You now have forty-five seconds in which to look at PartTwo.

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Presenter: You may not realise that there is a lot more tosome buildings than meets the eye. Here to reveal theinner secrets of some ancient structures is Dan Paterson,well-known Historian and Antiquarian.Dan: Yes, ancient peoples had a particular concept ofbuildings which we today can find extremely strange andunusual. In recent years, a new area of studies has sprungup. It is called Archaeoastronomy, a word coined from thefirst half of Archaeology and Astronomy, because itactually combines these two disciplines which, for usanyway, have always been separate and independent. Itmight be difficult at first to see any connection between thetwo, but let me explain. Many ancient buildings were closelylinked to the sun and the stars. The place they were built inand the direction they faced was completely determined bythe position of the sun or a particular star. That is to say, theywere aligned with one or the other. Why? Because on oneparticular day of the year, for example, when the sun rises,it shines on one part of the building. This is usually at one ofthe equinoxes or solstices. In Newgrange in Ireland, at thewinter solstice on the twenty-first of December, the risingsun shines directly down a narrow passage and illuminatesthe small room at the end. In Abu Simbal in Egypt, the samething happens twice a year. Another famous example isStonehenge, in England. Here, at the summer solstice onthe twenty-first of June, the first rays of the rising sun shineon the centre of the monument. These are fairly well-knownexamples, I suppose, though I think most people dontrealise how widespread a phenomenon this is. A muchmore spectacular case is Chitchen Itza, in Mexico, part ofthe Mayan civilisation. There is a huge stone pyramid therewith a large number of steps, dedicated to Quetzalcoatl,who was a god shaped like a snake. At the spring andautumn equinoxes, the sun makes an elongated, movingshadow on the steps of this pyramid, which looks just like along snake slithering down. Speaking of pyramids, thelargest of the Egyptian pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Giza,is aligned with the North Star. As a final example, Ill tell youabout the Governors Palace at Uxmal, in Mexico again. Thisbuilding is aligned with the Morning Star. A person standingin the entrance there and looking straight ahead would seethe Morning Star rising. The Morning Star is really a planetof course the planet Venus. To conclude, then, there canbe very little doubt that all of this was deliberately done andcarefully planned. There are too many similar cases for it tobe mere coincidence. To my mind, these buildings weredesigned to face the rising sun or a star on a certain day inthe year at a certain time. Why? Well, I cannot go into all thedetails now, but there is no question that one of the reasonswas to mark certain times in the year certain key times the times that divide up the year in a natural way and markthe coming of the next season. Nowadays, we have clocksand diaries and calendars these are the instruments weuse to tell the time and the date and the month. In the past,none of these existed so people used the regularmovement of the sun and stars to help them to keep trackof the passing of time.

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Part 3

You will hear an interview with Maeve McCarthy, whoworks with the Travelling People in Ireland. For questions18-22, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits bestaccording to what you hear.


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Interviewer: This is the third in our series On the Fringeof Society, and were very pleased to have with us in thestudio this morning Maeve McCarthy, who has workedwith the Travelling People in Ireland for over ten years.Welcome, Maeve.Maeve: Thank you very much.Interviewer: First of all, for those of us who have neverheard of them, can you tell us a bit about the TravellingPeople. Who exactly are they?Maeve: Well, the Travelling People, or Travellers as wesometimes call them, are people who have no fixedhome. In the past, they travelled around the country inhorse-drawn caravans. They used to be called Tinkersbecause they mended anything made of tin like potsand pans Interviewer: So does that mean that they are the sameas the Gypsies which we have here in England?Maeve: Mmmm there are certainly some similarities. Isuppose the most obvious one is that they both movearound from place to place but they are different inother respects. For example, the Gypsies traditionally tellfortunes and are sometimes associated with circuses.This is not true at all of the Travellers you could saythey have a less mmm colourful image. Also, thereare fewer Travelling People they form a much smallergroup. However, the Gypsies belong to the Romanypeople, who are spread all over the European mainland,while the Travellers are a distinctly Irish phenomenon.Their ancestors may have been wandering poets, orpossibly outcasts of society resulting from wars andvarious social upheavals. This is what really distinguishesone group from the other, Id say.

Interviewer: Hmmm and have they managed tomaintain their traditional way of life?Maeve: Up to the first half of the twentieth century they did they did, more or less but then things began tochange, and life now is very different. For example, noTraveller lives in a horse-drawn caravan now. They all havebig, state-of-the-art caravans which can be pulled by cars.And they dont mend pots and pans, of course theres nodemand for that any more. They earn their living as scrapdealers and horse traders these days. Irish society haschanged a lot, and they have had to change with it to acertain extent probably to a large extent, actually yes.Interviewer: Whats the eh social situation? I mean,are the Travellers independent of Irish society, or are theywell integrated into it?Maeve: Well now the answer to that questionhighlights all kinds of problems, Im afraid. Im not sayingthat in the old days everything was rosy far from it. ButI think its true to say that back then the Travellers knewwhere they stood. They had their own way of life and theyhad their work which everyone needed. Nowadays, theyarrive somewhere and park their caravans on waste landor even on the side of the road. Sometimes they generatea lot of rubbish and the camp becomes very unsightly.Its a very difficult situation. You know most people willsay yes, of course the Travellers have to live somewhere,but at the end of the day they dont want Travellersanywhere near their house.Interviewer: What do you think should be done to help?Maeve: (big sigh) I think I think its important toanalyse the problem first. The Travellers cant live insociety, and they cant live completely outside it anymore. Efforts have been made to provide housing forthem, but this doesnt really work very well because itsnot natural for Travellers to live in a house. And,eventually, they will want to move on. I think you canmake a comparison with the Sami people of NorthernEurope, who cant live solely by being nomadic reindeerherdsman any more and who are also dependent onmodern society to the extent that it has made their liveseasier. I dont have an answer Im afraid I wish I did.But any answer that there is will have to be some kind ofcompromise a compromise that will allow theTravellers to live partly in society and partly out of it.Interviewer: Maeve, thank you very much for (Fade)

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Part 4

You will hear two friends, Frank and Jane, talking aboutthe Channel Tunnel. For questions 23-28, decide whetherthe opinions are expressed by only one of the speakers,or whether the speakers agree. Write F for Frank, J forJane, or B for both, where they agree.


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Frank: Did you enjoy your tour around France, Jane? Jane: Yes, I did. It was very enjoyable. Things havechanged since I went thirty years ago though. We usedthe motorways this time, but they were frightfullyexpensive. We came back on Eurostar, you know.Frank: Mmm its a bit like a production line, isnt it?When I use it, I always feel a bit like goods beingtransported from A to B.Jane: Well, I was quite impressed, to tell you the truth,and we did save time. Once we were on the train it tookus only 35 minutes, so I can see the value of using theTunnel on a permanent basis if you have to travel to Parison business. Still, I think Id prefer to take the ferry anyday, and be outside in the fresh air. Frank: Mmm Im not sure about that. The last time Itravelled across the Channel, I was violently sick! But itwas winter, I suppose.Jane: I guess Im just a bit claustrophobic. I get visions ofgetting trapped, or the walls caving in, or something likethat. It is almost 30 miles long, after all.Frank: Oh, come off it, Jane. Thats a bit far-fetched.Youve been watching too many disaster films. Its beenrunning for almost ten years now, and nothing reallyserious has happened. A bit of a fire one time, somefrozen rails occasionally, but nothing to speak of really.Theres always the central service tunnel you could walkthrough to get home. Thats a consoling thought, isnt it?Jane: Thanks. Ill sleep all the better for knowing that, Imsure. Seriously though, I realise that the extra tunnelmakes things a bit safer, but when youre actually downthere, you easily panic.Frank: Well, you might but thenJane: Oh, Frank, be serious! Do you think fewer peopleuse the ferries now the Chunnel is shunting so many carsin and out? I mean they can run hundreds of trains a day,so think how many passengers they can carry. Itsphenomenal.Frank: Yes, that is astounding. I suppose the sea traffichas dropped marginally, but through switching to highspeed boats, the ferry companies have managed tosurvive and, of course, if you have the time, they arecheaper.Jane: I heard that Napoleon had started building a tunnelback at the start of the nineteenth century. Is that right?

Frank: I dont think it was that early and we shouldntcredit him with everything I think some engineeraround that time planned a similar tunnel. They actuallydug quite a way in the 1880s but then stopped.Jane: Why? Did the tunnel collapse or flood or something?Frank: No, they were scared of an invasion, I think. Itwould have been asking for trouble.Jane: Yes, I can see that, but the French are invading usnow, if you ask me, with their eggs and apples and dairyproduce. Weve got enough of our own, without theirs too.Frank: Thats being a bit chauvinistic, dont you think?Im sure we British send quite a lot of produce to them. Jane: I suppose youre right. By the way, I heard theywere thinking of making yet another much bigger tunnelto carry even more people.Frank: That was the plan originally, but its been shelvedand for a good while to come, Id say. The present tunnelcost twice as much as theyd estimated and it was twoyears late. Itll be a long time before that debt is repaid.Jane: Well, if it took them a couple of hundred years toget the first tunnel built, I reckon were pretty safe insaying we wont live to see the next one.

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Man: A few of those who phone in are probably attention-seeking rather than voicing a serious point of view, butits rare enough not to present a real problem. For thevast majority of our listeners, I genuinely believe we areproviding a forum where they can express their opinionand enter into dialogue with the various public figureswho are guests on the show. Its a good opportunity forthe man on the street to make himself heardand thenature of the programme has led to some pretty heateddiscussions, I can say.

This is where I come in, acting out the part of referee asit were leading and controlling the discussion so that itmakes good listening and good entertainment. Each ofthese is equally important. People dont want to tune inand listen to a jumble of disjointed questions andanswers. The discussions need to flow and connect,especially in the absence of any visual aid, which wouldotherwise allow facial expression to play a major role.

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Interviewer: There seem to be two main schools ofthought about sharks. There are those who think thathundreds of great whites are prowling off the shores justwaiting for the chance to eat us, and then the others whothink that far from being dangerous, sharks are in factfriendly creatures which like to be stroked. Let me putthese opposing viewpoints to Mike Peters, oceanographercurrently researching shark behaviour.Oceanographer: Well, as strange as it may sound there issome truth in both notions. However, somewhere betweenthe two would probably be more realistic. This is a speciesof such variety that any one statement to describe them asa whole is hard to pin down. True, all sharks can bite - justas all fish can. But, in fact very few will actually do so, asthey are not really interested in attacking us. Nevertheless,it is wise to be wary of, lets say, tiger sharks they areknown to frequent shallow waters and will eat absolutelyanything. On the other hand, Ive heard of cases wherezebra sharks are friendly to divers and have swum calmlywith them for considerable lengths of time.

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Man: Flying kites is a popular pastime, and certainly not newto us, with its origins in the Far East dating back at least 2,000years. They were initially used to fish bait was attached tothe tail and the kite attracted the fish as the wind drew the baitacross the water. Legend has it that a kite was also used tooverthrow an evil emperor. By using one to measure thedistance from his camp to the palace wall, General Han Hsinwas able to dig a tunnel long enough to get him and his armyinside the grounds for a surprise attack.

Kites have also been used to study weather patterns, andeven Benjamin Franklin flew one in a thunderstorm notto forecast the weather mind you, but he did prove thatlightning and electricity have the same properties. Ouch!Kites have even assisted in the development of flight, asthe basic principles of aerodynamics they display helpedto pave the way for aeroplane design.

This versatile, yet so simple object will never lose itsattraction, just as the sky and flight will never cease tofascinate.

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Miriam: If were going to start a family, I really think one of uswill have to stay at home on a permanent basis for at leastthe first few years. The problem is who? Ive asked Cathy andIll get six months maternity leave, but then Ill have to goback full time or resign, I suppose. I dont want to have togive up my career, and if I leave for a few years Ill have tostart at the beginning again, you know what its like Stan: Hang on a minute Miriam, lets not rush intoanything. Somebodys got to be here for a young family,but I think there are lots of ways of doing it. Theres oneguy at my place and he stays at home two days a weekand works on his computer there. We just contact him bye-mail if we have any queries. Im sure I could arrangesomething along the same lines.Miriam: Well, it sounds really good but what about theother days?Stan: Why dont you ask Cathy about job-sharingschemes, or the possibility of taking off a weekday andgoing in on Saturday Look, itll work out. My mumsonly down the road and shell be over the moon if we askher to help out.

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You will hear a musician describing her experience ofplaying the viola. For questions 9-17, complete thesentences with a word or short phrase.


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Woman: I first started playing at the age of eleven. Myparents were not at all musical, but I had this wonderfulmusic teacher who gave me lessons after school once aweek. There was a viola in the music department forsome peculiar reason, and although I actually wanted toplay the violin I had no choice but to start with this. Well,

I have never looked back; my love affair, I suppose youcould say, with this instrument started from the moment Ipicked it up. My teacher soon recognised in me a naturalaffinity for the viola and recommended me to a privateschool specialising in music.

My parents were very supportive of me right from the start- despite their mild surprise at the fact that a buddingmusician had suddenly appeared in their midst! Withoutthem I would never have fulfilled my dreams. Howeverromantic the idea of being a musician may have seemedto me at the time, they were fully aware of the practicalitiesof the situation; financially it was very difficult for them butsomehow they managed to find the fees for the school andbuy me an extremely good viola which saw me through allmy early training. They also made a point of taking me toas many concerts as possible, which inspired me andgave me this incredible love of performance.

The most moving experience I have ever had was when mydad retired and was given a golden handshake from hiscompany hed worked for them for over forty years. Well,at a family reunion a short while afterwards he suddenlypresented me with this enormous box and inside was anoriginal 1792 viola of the most exceptional quality I justcouldnt believe it. He had spent his entire retirement gift onme well, this is my most prized possession. So you cansee I really have quite exceptional parents as well

I started performing at the age of fourteen mostly locallyin young peoples orchestras. But it wasnt until I hadfinished my training that I could work full time. Now, one ofthe major drawbacks of the work I do is that its not alwayseasy to find work and if you do, its not always exactly whatyou want to be playing. I muddled along like this for twoyears and found the whole situation very frustrating. Butfive years ago I got my lucky break; while on tour in AustriaI was offered the chance to play lead viola in a newly-founded chamber orchestra. I jumped at the opportunity,although there was a risk that the project wouldnt take off.But a year later we had made a name for ourselves, andnow have toured most of Europe. Were hoping to moveon to North America and Canada in the autumn, and tourthere for the next couple of years. I think the attraction ofour orchestra is two-fold. First of all, all the musicians werein similar situations to my own, and the feeling of liberationwe all had on joining the orchestra surely accounts for ourenthusiasm. Secondly, we all play period instruments andthis really gives a beautiful mellow quality to our playing.

At the moment I am happy where I am, but I do have somelong term plans taking shape in my head. I think what Iwould most like to do in the future would be to form my ownquartet. On the other side of the coin, there is also the matterof family at some point I would like to have children of myown but this is a very demanding career which requiresyou to be constantly on the move, so I must admit this isvery much on standby at present. Luckily, my husband is afellow musician, so he is quite understanding on this matter!

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You will hear an interview with Bret Wilkins, a computerprogrammer who works with the blind. For questions 18-22, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits bestaccording to what you hear.


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Presenter: The Royal National Institute for the Blind, orRNIB as it is more commonly known, has long beendedicated to helping those with sight problems. My guesttoday is Bret Wilkins, who is a computer programmerspecialising in technology for the blind. Bret, how exactlycan a computer assist someone with sight difficulties?The screen, after all, is a visual tool.Bret: Well, in fact, computer technology has given thevisually impaired a new freedom which was previouslydenied them. As Im sure you know written script for theblind is called BraillePresenter: the system of raised bumps that allowsblind people to read with their fingertips ...Bret: a simple Braille keyboard can easily beconnected to most computers and there are special webbrowsers available, like Jaws or WindowEyes forexample, which turn text into speech. Presenter: Ah, I see you mentioned the web sosomeone with sight problems can now surf the Internet assuming they have one of these programmes.Bret: Theoretically, yes. But in practice we are faced witha number of problems. Many companies, when creatinga website, fail to take into consideration the needs of thedisabled user for instance, graphics should havealternative text and links should have more than a simpleclick here message, as blind people navigate using thekeyboard tab keys rather than the mouse. Unfortunatelythis is often not the case, and the reason is usually oneof ignorance rather than a desire to be difficult. My aim isto inform as many companies as possible of how tobetter design their sites and thus give disabled usersimproved access to the web.

Presenter: And have you met with co-operation?Bret: Oh, yes. I think companies realise that it is in theirbest interest to reach as many people as possible, andthe blind population are clients, the same as anyone else.Presenter: You said earlier that computer technologyhas given blind people new freedom. Can you explainthis more fully?Bret: Yes. First of all, as far as the Internet is concerned,the sheer amount of information and services available tothe blind is phenomenal as it is for everyone, of course.But a blind person can now look up train times unaided,can shop online just imagine how much easier shoppingis well, the list is endless. But its not just the Internet thathelps. In the past, the only reading material for the blindwas in books these of course are in Braille and are verybulky publications so you can imagine that the digitalformat offered by computers has obvious space-savingadvantages. Our job at the Institute is to ensure that asmuch material as possible is now converted into digitalform, and thus help the blind and visually impaired livefulfilling lives as active members of their community.Presenter: Bret Wilkins, thank you very much for joiningme today.

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Part 4

Youll hear two people, Martha and Philip, discussingvarious plans that have been put forward for urbandevelopment. For questions 23-28, decide whether theopinions are expressed by only one of the speakers, orwhether the speakers agree. Write M for Martha, P forPhilip, or B for both, where they agree.


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Interviewer: Today, we will be looking at some of thearguments surrounding urban design and urbanplanning. Martha Oldham, who is an architect, hasagreed to come in to the studio to talk to us. And to startthe ball rolling, weve got West TVs Philip Newell here.Philip, as a historian, what would you say about some ofthe plans weve heard for our towns and cities?

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Philip: Well, if were talking about plans, Id have to saythat every conceivable approach has been put forward. Ofcourse, its true to say that, with some of them, if they wereadopted, I might be considering leaving the country! But we like freedom of speech in this country everyoneshould have the right to say what they think. With that inmind, I think some of the plans are appalling. The recentgovernment drive to build more homes has gone topeoples heads. I have actually seen designs for towerblocks modelled on the very ones built in the sixties thatwe are now busy tearing down. Seriously, if you look atsome of the plans, the only difference is the colours and afew trimmings. If you saw them in black and white, andwith one or two decorative features removed, you wouldsay that they had been drawn up in around 1962. I wouldhave thought that wed learned our lessons from thatperiod. At the other extreme, I have seen so-calledVictorian Revival designs which are totally wrong in termsof their historical accuracy. Not even close, Im afraid.Interviewer: Martha. Now youre an architect. Doesanything of what Philip says ring true with you?Martha: Absolutely. Ive seen some of those designs tooand, although it would be unprofessional of me to mentionspecific cases, I know what Philip means. The towerblocks of the sixties were a social disaster. The intentionswere good, Im sure, but you cannot put hundreds ofpeople together in a run-down area without making certainprovisions. So, yes, I agree with that. As for the revival ofVictorian civic pride, which actually came from a speechby the Prime Minister, well, that seems to have been takenout of context a little. I dont think he ever advocated arevival of Victorian architecture. Certainly, as far as Iunderstood it, he wanted people to be proud of theirbuildings, but I dont think it was ever suggested that theyshould be historically accurate.Philip: Nor would it be desirable. Can you imaginepeople living in terraced housing with an outside toilet?No, my point was that the overall appearance of some ofthese designs should bear some resemblance to the waytheyre labelled.Martha: Well, that is a subject close to my heart. Many ofus in our profession are very concerned that the naming ofprojects is done conscientiously ... especially if they arehousing projects because well put it this way a lotof hasty decisions concerning projects and designs maywell be taken. Those making the decisions may easily beswayed by a nice-sounding name. A phrase like VictorianRevival conjures up a nice nostalgic image to mostpeople. If, as you say, there is little relationship betweenthe product and the name, plans could be put into effectwhich would do serious harm and those on the receivingend would be the unfortunate people who had to live inthem. One thing is for sure; it wont be the politicians wholive there. They will be far away in the countryside,unaffected by the consequences of their actions.Philip: Perhaps I could ask you, Martha, whether youthink the architect who works on civic buildings Im

moving away from housing here do you think that, indrawing up plans for a single building, say, in London do you think that architects really consider the style of thesurrounding buildings. I mean, Ive heard it said that theydo, but I get the impression that they use these projectsas a showcase for their own talents, while paying verylittle regard to the big picture.Martha: Well, I cant presume to speak for others in myprofession. But I would say thats one of the priorities tomake it fit in and I go to great lengths personally.Having said that, you have to accept that much of whatwe call blending in is highly subjective. I mean, youmight think that a modern design fits because it uses thesame material, or is the same colour as the neighbouringbuildings. I could argue that another building is moresuitable because the proportions are roughly the sameas other buildings in the area. Now a third person mightsay that neither is suitable. And for any number ofreasons, we could all be right! Interviewer: Im going to have to step in here becauseits time for a break. But stay with us and well continuethis fascinating ... (Fade)

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REPEAT Part Four

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This is the Certificate of Proficiency in English ListeningTest. Test 5.

Im going to give you the instructions for this test. Illintroduce each part of the test and give you time to lokat the questions.


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Part 1


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Woman: How long have you been a member of the RoadAssistance Service, James?Man: Well, I first became a member about five years ago,but Ive only had to call them out three or four times.Woman: Was it for anything serious?Man: On one occasion, I remember, I couldnt get it tostart in the morning. They came and jump-started it forme but then, of course, I still had to search around for anew battery. Another time, they changed a tyre, which Idmanaged to get a puncture in.Woman: Come on, dont tell me that you cant do that byyourself! Even I know how to do that.Man: I dont doubt your ability for one moment, Sarah,but if its pouring with rain and icy cold and youve paidfor the service anyway, wouldnt you prefer to have itdone for you?Woman: I see your point. Do you have to wait a long timefor a call-out?Man: Ive never waited more than twenty minutes, evenwhen I got stranded once on the top of a hill miles awayfrom anywhere. I was most impressed!Woman: So am I ... Perhaps you could give me theirparticulars sometime.Man: By all means

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Here we are outside the Brighton Pavilion. This was oneof the summer palaces of the British Monarchs in pasttimes, used by George IV and his niece too, QueenVictoria. The present extravagant style can be attributedto the nineteenth century architect John Nash. You willnotice its Chinese style inside, but the exterior is Indian.Indeed, from here, you can see the gold domes, whichremind us of the Taj Mahal.

When you enter the Pavilion, youll be amazed by thelavish furnishings, brilliant colours and wonderfulceilings. You may have heard it criticised for its bad tasteand gaudiness, but it certainly is an exotic gem from pasthistory, our heritage from the British Monarchy.Unfortunately, Queen Victoria did not enjoy it for verylong, as almost immediately cheap train tickets enabledthousands of visitors to make the journey there easilyand her privacy was threatened.

It has obviously gone through various stages of disrepairand was once almost demolished. Naturally, some of itsformer elements no longer exist; for example, it once hadan indoor riding room and tennis court, but these fell intodisuse.

If you require a guided tour, youll find help at the foyeron entering, and dont forget to visit the Pavilion shopwith its fine gifts.

The coach will be leaving from this point at 3pm in orderto visit the nearby Sea Life Centre. Try not to be late back.

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Man: I was unlucky enough to be made redundant in mylate 40s. It came as a great blow to me though most ofus in the company had known it was imminent for a longtime. Yes, our profits had been going down because ofthe slump in the building industry, but we never thought itwould come to the crunch, somehow. None of us werecomputer-literate, you see, and I hadnt had the foresightto take a course in it, so I expect some bright-eyedschool-leavers have been given our jobs. I cant hold itagainst them, though. Theyre the ones with all the know-how nowadays, arent they? Im not complaining, as Ive

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been living comfortably on my redundancy pay all thisyear, but it cant go on for ever and Im beginning to worryabout the next fifteen years of my life till I retire. Lucky Imnot a family person like some of my colleagues. Theyrethe ones who are really up against a serious problem.

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Announcer: Good morning, everyone. On our breakfastprogramme, this wet Wednesday morning, youre goingto hear from our guest speaker about the benefits of fishin our diet. Now, lets welcome, first of all, Mrs. DoreenLawson, who works at the Ministry of Agriculture andFisheries. Good morning, Doreen.Doreen: Good morning, StanleyAnnouncer: Doreen, I gather that everyone would benefitif advertisers boosted the idea of fish as a health food.Doreen: Undoubtedly, yes, Stanley. The fishing industryhas been waning for the last ten years what with limitedstocks, constraints on fishing rights and rising costs. Allthis has had an impact on the consumer so that fresh fishis rather expensive nowadays.Announcer: Do you think this is what puts people offbuying it?Doreen: Yes, it may be dear, I agree, but people shouldbe made to know that its nutritional value is far superiorto other things eaten today. Its good for the eyes, thebrain, the heart and, anyway, its extremely tasty. I thinktheyre getting their moneys worth.Announcer: Well, most people are beginning to realisethis, but its a pity that children are still loath to touch fishbecause of the bones. Doreen: Yes, but theres no need to torture them, asthere is so much highly nutritious filleted fish around.Perhaps advertisers should bring consumers round tothese products.Announcer: I totally agree. Maybe the Scots have got theright idea as they even have fish for breakfast. Doreen: Yes. Do you remember the advert, Go to workon an egg? Perhaps we could do something similar andsay Go to work on a fish?

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That is the end of Part One.


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Part 2

You will hear somebody on the radio speaking about fleasand their habits. For questions 9-17, complete thesentences with a word or short phrase.


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Man: There can be nothing less enjoyable about havinga pet than the fact that it could host a family of fleas, andnot only one either. These tiny insects can be difficult tospot on your cat or dog, as they rarely come out of hidingbut live around the roots of your pets hair. Unfortunately,fleas can be transferred from animals to humans veryeasily and they were probably responsible for the historicplagues in England in the seventeenth century. Theseoffending insects were given a free passage by therodents that arrived by ship from the Far East and in thisway the fatal disease was transmitted.

Fleas are a dark brown colour and have three pairs ofhind legs which have the strength and flexibility that anyOlympic high or long-jumper would envy. Of course,people can really exaggerate how far, and especially howhigh, fleas can jump. For example, I read in an article theother day, that they can jump the equivalent height of theEmpire State Building. In actual fact, their vertical recordis seven inches and they have a horizontal leap ofthirteen inches, which means a jump of 137 metres inhuman terms, which is quite enough for me.

Fleas actually bite us with their sucking mouthpart andleave a single hole, whereas ants and spiders leave two. Idont know about you, but if Im bitten, I find the desire toscratch the resulting swelling so overwhelming I dontbother to examine the identity of the attacker too closely.What is more worrying about fleas is the number of eggsthey lay every day. In a fleas lifetime, a total of sixhundred can easily be reached. Naturally, some eggs willdrop out of your pet onto the floor or carpet, but,unfortunately, their chances of survival are no less thanthe others, as the larvae, which hatch out within the nexttwo weeks, can live on dead skin, feathers or even dust. Itthen takes another two weeks for the developing larvae toreach adulthood. If a newly emerged flea gets sucked upin your hoover, the good news is that itll probably die ofstarvation, but once an adult flea has had a blood meal, itcan survive from two months to a year without feeding.

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Once bitten, twice shy goes the English proverb, but itsrather difficult to enforce this if you have the bad luck to getan infestation. If you have a dog or a cat, its very likely thatthey are the root cause of it. They are discerning creatures,though, like mosquitoes, and if they have the chance tochoose, they seem to sense who has the sweetest bloodand the most sensitive of us suffer again!

All kinds of remedies and prevention measures havebeen suggested, ranging from certain herbal extracts tochemical sprays that are guaranteed to kill your pettogether with the fleas. The new gimmick promoted byvets and pet shops alike is the single-drop treatmentadministered to the animal surreptitiously on the back ofits head. The theory behind this is that it penetrates yourpets skin, enters the bloodstream and gives anunpleasant taste to the blood. The makers of thisexpensive treatment claim immediate extermination ofthe offending fleas, but in my own experience, the fleasjust decide that their food supply has lost its attractionand move on, or should I say, jump on to newer feedinggrounds, which could well be you or me.

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REPEAT Part Two

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Part 3

Youll hear part of a radio programme about MichaelRafters, a man who had an unusual experience. Forquestions 18-22, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) whichfits best according to what you hear.


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Radio Host: Welcome to Its a Funny Thing. My guest thisevening is Michael Rafters from Kent, and he has quite anunusual experience to share with us. Michael, now Iunderstand that youre quite a seasoned traveller, butthere was one particular journey even you wereunprepared for. Am I right?Michael: You most certainly are! To be honest, if it hadnthappened to me, even I would find it hard to believe.Radio Host: Im sure the listeners are on tenterhooks.So, what exactly happened to you in September 1999?

Michael: Yes. Well, it was September 3rd to be precisewhen I set off on a round trip of Europe by train Id alreadydone a similar trip around Scandinavia two years previously anyway, this time I wanted to see Europe, and I have thisthing about trains, ever since I was a kid actually, so Imkilling two birds with one stone on this sort of journey Radio Host: Where did you go first?Michael: Well, I went through the tunnel of course, butinstead of going to France, as I had originally planned, Iwent to Brussels, which turned out to be really great.Anyway, during the first week of my trip everything wentvery smoothly, much to my relief because at one stage Ithought Id lost my travellers cheques only to discoverthey were actually in my backpack Radio Host: So when did the problems start?Michael: It was in Austria. I wanted to go through theBrenner Pass as Id heard that its really breathtaking, soI was going to change at Vienna and take the trainsouthbound for Rome, which left in the small hours. Unfortunately here it comes unfortunately I got lockedin the baggage compartment on the train to Vienna! Idgone to get something out of my backpack. It was inthere because they had told me it was too big to keepwith me in the carriage. Anyway, as I tried to open thedoor to get out, the handle just came off in my hand.Well, I called out for a while and nobody came it wasright at the end of the last carriage and the train waspractically empty, so I suppose nobody heard me. Aftera while I got fed up, so I decided I would wait untilsomebody found me when we pulled in at Vienna. Radio Host: Which I assume they did.Michael: Again, unfortunately not. You see, I had beentravelling for two days without any proper sleep and I wasreally tired. So I curled up in a corner and dozed off. Iwoke up when I felt the train jolt to a halt, and the firstthing that struck me as odd was the sunlight. I was dueto arrive in Vienna at 11 pm, by the way. Then I noticed Iwas covered in a blanket, which I certainly didnt recallever seeing before, and thenRadio Host: not more!Michael: yes and then I saw that the door handle wasintact someone had fixed it!Radio Host: Youre joking! Well, what happened next?Michael: Of course, the staff at the station came in tounload the luggage and when they found me they werepretty surprised, to say the least. By this time I hadrealised that I was in Innsbruck Radio Host: where?Michael: Innsbruck I could see it written on the platformsigns outside, and I was beginning to put two and twotogether. I mean, obviously I must have slept through thestop at Vienna.Radio Host: But what about the blanket and the doorhandle?Michael: Well, this remains a mystery to this day. But thatsnot all when I looked for my backpack, it had disappearedand it has never been found. The authorities at Vienna

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couldnt find any of their staff who recalled having seen me,so Ive no idea what happened. The only thing I can think isthat somewhere in Austria theres a thief who likes to mendlocks in his spare time and who was considerate enough tomake sure I wouldnt catch a chill! (they laugh)Radio Host: Unbelievable! That must have been difficultto explain to the stationmaster how was his English?Michael: Practically non-existent! But it didnt really matteras, believe it or not, my mother is Austrian and I can get byin the language. Actually, I consider myself lucky in a way,because, of all the places to get stranded without anyluggage, Innsbruck is probably the most convenient forme as, not only am I familiar with Tyrolean dialects, but itsalso my aunts home town! (more laughter)Radio Host: Incredible! Now Michael, tell me . (Fade)

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REPEAT Part Three

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Part 4

You will hear two Linguistics students, Julia and Peter,talking about the use of the apostrophe in English. Forquestions 23-28, decide whether the opinions areexpressed by only one of the speakers, or whether thespeakers agree. Write J for Julia, P for Peter, or B for Both,where they agree.


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Peter: Its true though, I think. Everywhere you look nowyou see an apostrophe where it shouldnt be. The mostcommon mistake is in plurals you know lik

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