Gold Advanced Online Tests Audio script
Gold Advanced Online Tests
Audio script
[Track 01 (Progress Test 1)]
Narrator: One.
Speaker 1: When I was in the process of moving, I began to wonder if it was really feasible to
live in such a small space. I mean, I’ve always had lots of stuff, so whittling it down
has been a pretty daunting task. I’m still working on it, actually. It’s hard to part with
some things but the payoff is that there’s less and less clutter and a lot less dusting and
tidying to do than in my old flat. I spend more time outside, of course, because you
can feel pretty hemmed in in such a small space and that can be too much at times. I
was stuck inside for a couple of days last week in all that heavy rain and I really did
begin to feel that I was going to go crazy.
[pause]
Narrator: 2
Speaker 2: This was to be our dream home but in some ways it’s turned out to be a complete
nightmare. I’d always lived in flats where I could pretty much see into every room, so
I had no idea how edgy I was going to feel in a large house like this. I have to be
careful not to watch horror films on TV because I start to imagine every creak and
groan from the rafters is actually someone lurking in one of the other rooms. Of
course, it’s glorious to have so much space after years of living in poky flats. I’ve
finally been able to take my grandfather’s grand piano and a beautiful old sideboard
out of storage. I would never have got them into my old place.
[pause]
Narrator: 3
Speaker 3: I used to think it would be good to move out of the centre of the city but, really, we’ve
got it all right here. Apart from the usual shops, there’s a cinema, some rather pleasant
cafés and even a really great arts centre with a theatre where they show excellent
movies. If we lived out of town, we’d both really miss all that. Sue is always on about
how much she would love a big house with a garden but I think in her heart of hearts
she would never be able to justify the expense. A nice balcony with a few pot plants is
enough, though I must admit here we’re walled in by other buildings on all sides and
that gets to me sometimes.
[pause]
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Narrator: 4
Speaker 4: I tried to find something a bit bigger but everything I looked at was way outside my
price range. I’ve had to put some of my things into storage but perhaps one day when I
have my dream home I’ll have space for more than a sofa bed and a desk! I tend to go
out to eat – even for breakfast. The kitchenette is so tiny there’s barely room to chop a
carrot and it’s difficult to get rid of the cooking smells afterwards. There are loads of
cafés on this street anyway, so I’m spoilt for choice in terms of places to eat. A lot of
my neighbours hang out there in the mornings as well, so I’ve got to know them.
There’s a real sense of community here.
[pause]
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[Track 02 (Progress Test 2)]
Interviewer: My guest today is Diana McLeod, careers advisor at the University of Blackstable.
She’ll be talking to us about how our work can make us happy. Thank you for joining
us, Diana. Isn’t the key to happiness in the workplace keeping ourselves interested in
what we do?
Diana: You would think so but it’s actually quite hard to say whether it leads to happiness or
not. A few months ago I saw some results of a survey in which graduates were asked
to rate different careers in terms of how interesting they were. I was amazed to see
that teaching was rated as the least boring. It came in way ahead of careers in the
media or in advertising. Teachers say their work is challenging, that no two days are
the same, that they get lots of opportunities to interact with other people and that
there’s some scope for using their creative skills – all things that keep them engaged.
But whether they were happy or not is another question.
Interviewer: So perhaps we should be asking, ‘What is it that makes us unhappy at work?’
Diana: Yes, indeed. Common complaints are long hours, a long commute, unrealistic
deadlines and job insecurity. You just can’t feel happy if you know they’re going to
fire you any minute. That is definitely top of my list and it’s on the increase. After that
I’d put having to move away from your friends and family to take a job and contact
with other people at work that is unsatisfactory in some way.
Interviewer: Are these poor relationships at work prevalent in smaller companies, too?
Diana: Well, bullying, for example, happens in all sorts of organisations but it’s true that the
bigger the company or institution is, the more likely it is to occur. Small businesses do
have a much lower incidence, which is one reason for the high levels of job
satisfaction that their employees experience. In a small company, everyone is treated
as if they count. There may be fewer opportunities for training and development than
in the big corporations but there’s more chance of your skills being appreciated. This
is also because you’ve got fewer people above you telling you what to do. No one
likes that.
Interviewer: Becoming self-employed would solve the problem, of course.
Diana: That’s true but people need to bear in mind that the boundaries between work and
leisure will begin to blur. As likely as not, you’ll end up with your nose to the
grindstone at all hours of the day, though you’ll probably mind that a lot less than if
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someone else had coerced you into working on a long weekend. You’re in control of
your own destiny and that tends to make us happier.
Interviewer: I suppose money is a great source of satisfaction, though.
Diana: In fact, it doesn’t make much difference once you have enough to meet all your basic
needs. A bonus or pay rise might lift your spirits but not for long, especially if you
suspect you didn’t deserve it. In fact, if you don’t see them as being related to the
quality of your work or the intensity of your efforts, they’ll ultimately reduce your
motivation. The carrot and stick approach won’t always motivate us or keep us happy.
Interviewer: But one key to happiness must surely be success.
Diana: Happy people often are successful at work but they were probably happy in the first
place and that affected their behaviour in such a way that their employers noticed
them and promoted them. So how do we get happy? By feeling that we matter and that
our work is making a positive difference to others. There’s a saying that you do a job
for the money, a career for the status but a vocation because you care. So if you would
do what you do even without being paid for it, then it’s pretty much guaranteed to
make you happy.
Interviewer: Well, I must say that’s very encouraging and very good advice, especially at a time
when many people find themselves starting their working lives as volunteers.
We’re opening the lines to callers now, so if you would like to talk to Diana about
your career plans, the number to dial is [fade]
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[Track 03 (Progress Test 3)]
Tim: I’m Tim Cole, and as an experienced travel writer, I’m here to tell you not to believe
everything you read in guidebooks because following some of the recommendations
they give can result in the most bizarre situations. I’ll never forget the night I arrived
in Sydney, for example. I’d turned up at the address of what I thought was a budget
hotel given in the guidebook at 1 a.m., exhausted and looking forward to a few hours’
rest, but instead found myself at a comedy club, which at the time I didn’t find at all
funny.
The problem is that too many travellers are too trusting of their guidebooks and don’t
bother to research even the most basic facts before they set off. Some guidebooks are
only updated every couple of years, so it’s no wonder many things have moved on by
the time you get there. The most important thing when choosing a guidebook is to
check the publication date; if it’s not within the last twelve months, don’t buy it.
Then the other thing to think about is who the guidebook is aimed at. If you’re into the
history and culture of a place, don’t buy a guidebook full of information on the
alternative nightlife scene. But my pet hate, and something I’m always extremely
wary of, are the restaurant suggestions. So often I’ve turned up somewhere and the
menu, price and décor bear no relation to the place I’ve been reading about – if they
haven’t already gone out of business and shut down, that is.
Other things to look out for in a guidebook are the maps. These need to be detailed but
not so small you can’t read them. You don’t want to have to carry a magnifying glass
around with you. Books that include unnecessary information are another thing I find
annoying – like photos of famous places, for example. We already know what the
Eiffel tower looks like! Why not include more background information instead?
Of course, most guidebooks are also now available in a digital format and many
travellers prefer using these because they’re obviously not heavy to carry, so you can
download as many as you like. But I don’t find them easy to use at all because
navigation is much harder than flicking through the index at the back of a book. Life’s
just too short and you can never guarantee you’ll have wifi access anyway. Until I can
get a digital travel guide which is tailor-made for my individual trip, I’m happy to
stick with the traditional form of guidebook.
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However, on my trip to Hawaii last summer I experimented with a new way of getting
good travel advice: Twitter tourism. Instead of using a guidebook, I decided to rely on
the advice of locals and visitors alike – and let them choose what I should visit, where
I should stay and what I should eat. I didn’t mind as long as their advice was based on
a recent experience. It actually worked out really well and it felt like a real adventure.
Without the Twitter travel tips I’d never have visited the Ukulele Festival or eaten
spam sushi. One thing I’d never imagined doing – and I’m so grateful for the advice –
was a ten-kilometre kayak expedition along the coast for a night time swim with
manta rays in a huge cave. A truly magnificent sight. And my top tip for anyone
visiting Hawaii!
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[Track 04 (Progress Test 4)]
Speaker 1: I did this magazine quiz called How well does your partner know you? You had to
grade statements and then give the same quiz to your partner to answer about you.
Well, there was a huge discrepancy between my results and Charlie’s, and the analysis
said something like, ‘You should have spent more time getting to know each other.’
We started to talk about the questions and some of his answers really had me worried.
He can’t have been listening to half the things I’ve told him over the years! I did the
quiz on the spur of the moment but I rather wish I hadn’t now.
[pause]
Narrator: 2
Speaker 2: I’d already had an interview and had actually been working there for a couple of
weeks. The job is perfect for me – it involves working to deadlines and I thrive on
pressure. After a couple of weeks they said I had to do a personality test. They must
have got my results mixed up with someone else’s because they said I wasn’t good at
handling pressure. I’ve never felt so insulted in my life. Me? Not handle pressure?
Well, now I think my boss sees just how wide of the mark the results were.
[pause]
Narrator: 3
Speaker 3: I’m a real sucker for quizzes and personality tests. I love them! But I honestly didn’t
expect much from this one. I mean how could choosing colours say anything about
your personality? You had to click on eight colours in order of preference, then wait a
few minutes and repeat the same test. I clicked on purple first and then I can’t
remember but I know I put grey, blue and black last both times. When I read the
results I could hardly believe it. My attitudes, my worries, my problems with my
partner, my work habits – it was all absolutely spot on.
[pause]
Narrator: 4
Speaker 4: The psychology department were asking for student volunteers to do a personality
test. I’ve always wanted to get to the bottom of how these tests work, so I went along.
We were asked to wait until they called us in but they put us in this really stuffy room
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with only three seats and there must have been at least fifteen of us. We had to wait
for ages! I was getting really fed up. Finally, it was my turn. They thanked me for
coming and explained that they had really been looking at our behaviour in the
overcrowded room and recording it. They ought to have told us that was what was
going on. It’s not ethical.
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[Track 05 (Progress Test 5)]
Presenter: Welcome to the Review Show. Joining me today are writers Diana Abel and Mark
Shaw. The first book we’ll be discussing is Robert Provine’s Laughter: a scientific
investigation. It’s certainly an interesting topic, Mark. But what did you make of the
idea that laughter is not primarily a response to humour but a social lubricant –
something used to smooth interaction between people?
Mark: Yes. Very interesting. It’s something I’ve come across before and I don’t think
Provine is the first to make this claim. But he is the first to popularise this theory. And
I think a lot of people will find it really difficult to accept that we don’t just laugh
because we find something funny. Laughter has a much more complex role. What’s
really disturbing is that, according to some statistics, we’re laughing much less than
we used to, usually only when we’re watching a comedy on TV.
Presenter: Indeed. Diana, I know you were particularly struck by the comparisons between male
and female laughter in the book.
Diana: Yes, that’s right. While researching the book, Provine looked at hundreds of lonely
hearts ads in the newspapers and found that one of the key qualities women look for in
a potential partner is a good sense of humour – something sought after much less
commonly by men. That was news to me. It seems women want a man who will make
them laugh, while men like women who laugh at their jokes. That might explain why
until relatively recently there were so few female comedians around.
Presenter: Provine does stress the importance of increasing laughter in our lives and gives some
advice on how to achieve this. Were you tempted to try out any of his suggestions,
Diana?
Diana: Well, Provine thinks laughter is important for maintaining relationships but doesn’t
necessarily support the idea that laughter improves health or longevity. So he’s not
advocating attending laughter workshops or laughter yoga. His message is really quite
simple. If you want to laugh more, rather than sitting in front of comedy programmes,
socialise more with people whose company you enjoy – which makes sense to me.
One thing I’m in favour of, which Provine doesn’t mention, is that people should
lighten up and laugh at themselves more.
Presenter: Did either of you find your attitude to laughter had changed after reading the book?
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Mark: I certainly started noticing when people actually laughed and found it confirmed
Provine’s theory, that is, people were laughing at things that weren’t remotely funny
and also in odd places during a conversation.
Diana: The effect it had on me was to monitor my own impulses to laugh – it made me less
spontaneous in a way.
Mark: … analysing what made you want to laugh instead of reacting naturally – I
experienced that, too.
Presenter: So did you find the book answered everything you ever wanted to know about
laughter?
Mark: It was pretty comprehensive, especially the parts on how humour and comedy work.
He also focuses on how humour can be abusive and cruel – anyone who’s experienced
this in the playground will be able to relate to that. The section on the mechanics of
breathing and laughing I could have done without.
Diana: I was more interested in the social aspects of laughter. Provine argues that laughter
existed before comedy and I wish he’d gone into more depth about how laughter may
have begun.
Mark: That was my favourite section of the book, so more on that would have been
welcome. The descriptions of how laughter may have started with chimpanzees
tickling each other are wonderful.
Presenter: But, overall, would you recommend this to someone who hasn’t got a professional or
academic interest in laughter?
Mark: Without question, yes. There were some bits where I felt my lack of a background in
neuroscience was a disadvantage but you can just skip those bits and move on to some
of the lovely anecdotes about the research – some of the accounts of the contagious
nature of laughter are really amazing. In some places people couldn’t stop laughing
for days.
Diana: Yes, incredible.
Presenter: And do you think the book will help people?
Mark: Well, if you just want to find out about the benefits of laughter, there are more
appropriate self-help guides. This is more wide-ranging than that.
Presenter: I see. So, moving on to another book about comedy … [fade out]
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[Track 06 (Exit Test )]
Narrator: One.
Speaker 1: It was a really busy Saturday, so the multi-storey car park was jam-packed. I had to
drive around for about twenty minutes to find a space. I was in an incredible hurry, so
I locked the car, headed for the lift and got out at ground level where the shops are. It
was only then that I realised I hadn’t actually registered which row I’d parked in or
even which floor I was on. I think I’ve finally got it through my own thick skull that
the secret is to make a mental note of where I am. I must have looked a right idiot
hanging around until most of the other cars had gone but I finally managed to find
mine.
[pause]
Narrator: 2
Speaker 2: I’ve always had trouble remembering my girlfriend’s cousin’s name. What pops into
my head first is ‘Antoinette’ and then I think it’s ‘Brigitte’. I usually avoid calling her
anything, which was what I did last time we met. I don’t think she noticed but my
girlfriend certainly did and she was not impressed. She was so cross she would barely
speak to me for the rest of the afternoon. There’s actually an old song about a girl
called Bernadette and the experts say using a song or poem sometimes does the trick.
I’ll give it a go.
[pause]
Narrator: 3
Speaker 3: I was actually really looking forward to it, but I was so busy I had to put it right out of
my mind during the day. By the time I remembered, all the decent shops were closed
and I ended up getting him a DVD from a petrol station. He’d bought me some pearl
earrings. I could tell he was thinking I’d let our anniversary completely slip my mind
and he looked so crestfallen I felt terrible. Apparently, there’s some kind of
anniversary alert app you can get and they’ll send you messages with suggestions for
gifts. I’ll have to go for that next year.
[pause]
Narrator: 4
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Speaker 4: My sister used to put these little sticky notes all over the house with things she was
trying to commit to memory. You’d find them on packets of cornflakes and on the
bathroom mirror – everywhere. That’s what I should have done because even if I put
things down on paper, if there are lots of facts and figures and so on, I get them all
muddled up. For this subject there were heaps of dates and place names. I knew that if
I didn’t get them straightened out in my mind, my chances of getting a good mark in
the finals were out of the window, and I was right.
[pause]
Narrator: 5
Speaker 5: There I was in this busy station and I needed to get some change for the ticket
machine and get to the airport or I was going to miss my flight. I studied it for about
seven years but my French is really rusty. I was desperately racking my brains for the
phrase ‘I need change’ but all that came into my head were words in Spanish.
Apparently, if you conjure up an image of the person who originally taught you or told
you something, you sometimes remember it. So I thought of my old French teacher
and suddenly a complete sentence popped into my head. I got my change.
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