ielts chrysalis

Target 6.0-6.5+

IELTS LISTENING 3 HOMEWORK

Following Descriptions
Answer key & Tapescript
Answer Key
1. (audio 1)
 11. C 16. F

12. A 17. H

13. B 18. A

14. C 19. D

15. A 20. C

2. (audio 2)

11. A 16. C

12. C 17. F

13. B 18. G

14. B 19. I

15. H 20. B

3. (audio 3)

11. C 16. D

12. A 17. I

13. A 18. H

14. A 19. G

15. B 20. E

4. (audio 4)

IELTS CHRYSALIS 2
 11. A 16. C/E
IN EITHER ORDER
12. B 17. G

13. B 18. D
IN EITHER ORDER
14. D 19. B

15. C/E 20. F

5. (audio 5)

11. C 16. records

12. B 17. identity

13. A 18. acknowledgement

14. A 19. interview

15. registration office 20. decision

6. (audio 6)

11. trees 16. A

12. Friday- Sunday 17. A

13. farm 18. I

14. C 19. F

15. B 20. E

7. (audio 7)

IELTS CHRYSALIS 3
 21. B 26. E

22. A 27. B

23. A 28. G

24. C 29. A

25. B 30. F

8. (audio 8)

21. A 26. G

22. C 27. C

23. B 28. H

24. C 29. A

25. B 30. E

9. (audio 9)

11. E 16. G

12. F 17. B
IN EITHER ORDER
13. B 18. E

14. D 19. A
IN EITHER ORDER
15. C 20. D

10. (audio 10)

IELTS CHRYSALIS 4
 31. English literature 36. experimental

32. autobiography 37. video

33. lab(oratory) 38. framework

34. practical skills 39. editor

35. novices/ beginners 40. sequence/ order

11. (audio 11)

21. C 26. F

22. E 27. A

23. H 28. C

24. B 29. B

25. A 30. B

12. (audio 12)

21. C 26. D

22. G 27. G

23. A 28. C

24. E 29. A

25. F 30. E

13. (audio 13)

IELTS CHRYSALIS 5
 11. B 16. H

12. C 17. D

13. C 18. F

14. B 19. A

15. A 20. E

14. (audio 14)

21. B 26. paper

22. A 27. humans/ people

23. C 28. stress

24. C 29. graph

25. history 30. evaluate

15. (audio 15)

21. C 26. ensure

22. A 27. deposited

23. B 28. display

24. C 29. distribute

25. C 30. reward

16. (audio 16)

21. C 26. C

22. B 27. H

IELTS CHRYSALIS 6
 23. A 28. E

24. A 29. B

25. C 30. F

Tapescript
Audio 1

Hello, and welcome to the home page for the Healthy Hearing Medical Clinic and Surgery,
where we'd like to share a little more information about the services we provide and more.

Oct hospital is one of the leading specialised hospitals in the United Kingdom, attracting the
very best healthcare professionals from around the globe. Not only are we a leading medical
practice, but we are also the only hospital in the United Kingdom dedicated entirely to the
treatment of, and research into the curing of hearing loss. Our facilities and stair here are
renowned across Europe, attracting thousands of patients a year, Our consultations can
number anything up to 11,000 patients a year, however, we aim to treat around 5,000
patients a year so as to maintain and ensure the quality of our services. Our patients are
guaranteed the highest standard of care, as well as the use of first class facilities. All patients
requiring overnight treatment arc provided with their own private room with en-suite
facilities, as well as a state-of-the-art entertainment centre, which includes a flat screen LCD
television and Playstation.

Appointments with our healthcare professionals can be made at an time during the week,
with female doctors available between 8 am and 11am. If you need to see a doctor outside of
these times, please visit the “Out of Hours” page of our website for more information. Our
doctors are all trained to an exceptionally a high standard, and practice a vast array of
specialties: Mr. Robert qualified ear and throat specialist, Mr. Edwards is a pediatric hearing
specialist, while Mr. Green specializes in reversing hearing loss. For more details about our
people, please visit the “Staff Members” page on our website.

During a consultation, doctors will sometimes decide medication is required, for which
patients should receive a prescription. There are several pharmacies within the city;
however we recommend that patients use the pharmacy housed within our health care
facility. Our in-house pharmacy is well-stocked at all times, our products are competitively
priced, and our pharmacists are on hand to help and advise from 8 am until 10 pm from
Monday to Saturday, and from 9 am until 12 pm on Sundays. If you require any help outside
of these hours, please see our “Out of Hours” page on the website.

IELTS CHRYSALIS 7
Since the Healthy Hearing Medical Clinic and Surgery also functions as a teaching hospital,
we aim to provide our students with every opportunity to expose themselves to medicine in
practice. Therefore we would like to encourage our patients to give their consent for a
medical student to attend their consultations. If our patients are not comfortable with this,
there will be a form at reception where patients will be able to opt out.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Now, please look at the map I've given you of the Healthy Hearing Medical Clinic and
Surgery. For those not familiar with our practice, reception can be found through the main
door at the end of the corridor. If your consultation is booked with Mr. Green, you need to
go through the main door and turn right by the nurses' desk, and his office is at the end of
the corridor on your left-hand side. If you need to alter any of your personal details, please
visit our secretary at the Office for Medical Records, which you will find next to the therapy
room. If you’re waiting surgery, please first check in with reception, before taking the first
door on the right after you enter the clinic. Finally, in the event that you feel disappointed
with any of the services we have provided, or have any further questions, please locate our
Manager's Office, which can be found near the Office for Medical Records and between two
closets.

If you have any more questions about the Healthy Hearing Medical Clinic and Surgery,
please do not hesitate to contact us on 01256 111 111. [fade out]

Audio 2

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

The narrow old side streets we great places for finding original pictures, jewellery and
ceramics which won't break the bank, as well as local produce like fruit and vegetables.
There's also lots of pavement cafes where you can have a coffee and watch tourists from all
over the world go by. The oldest buildings in the area are on the main streets, including the
city's first department store, built in the 1880s, which is still open today.

The Sheepmarket is a centre for fashion, and there's a policy of encouraging new young
designers. The Young Fashion competition is open to local young people who are passionate
IELTS CHRYSALIS 8
about fashion. This year they've been asked to design an outfit based on ideas from the
music and technology that's part of their everyday life, using both natural and man-made
fibres. The garments will be judged by a panel of experts and fashion designers, and the
winning entries will be modelled at a special gala evening.

Parking at the Sheepmarket is easy. There are plenty of pay and display car parking spaces
on the roadsides which are fine if you just want to stay for an hour or two, but if you want to
spend the day there it's better to park in one of the four underground car parks. It's not
expensive and if you can present a receipt from one of the local stores, you'll not be charged
at all. After 6 pm many of the car parks have a flat rate which varies but it is usually very
reasonable.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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

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

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

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

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

Finally, if you're interested in purchasing high quality artwork, the place to go is Nucleus.
You need to go from Crawley Road up through Station Square and east along Hill Road until
you get to a small winding road funning off. Go up there and it's on your right — if you get to
City Road you've gone too far.

Audio 3
IELTS CHRYSALIS 9
Hello. I'm delighted to welcome you to our Mining Community, and very pleased that you're
interested in the ores and pits of this area. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with your
special experience here. Now, let me start by giving you some warnings on safety rules and
regulations.

Rule number one: always wear safety equipment. There is a litany of safety equipment that
mining workers use for their protection, from helmets to safety glasses and gloves. It is
essential that all workers wear the necessary safety equipment at all times. There have been
countless stories of workers being saved by helmets, which are the hard hats that you can
see on the shelf beside you. So visitors wearing helmets is mandatory in the mining area,
although you are free to take them off when you are in the mining museum and picnic area.
You won't need to pay any deposit though you should return them to the counter once you
finish the visit. The helmets are offered in all sizes so choose a suitable one.

All right. Our mining Community is currently being refurbished for some of the main area.
So please make a note of that and you'll know what to look out for. So, when you go in or out
of the mine, please pay attention to the road for it has just been repaired because of the
rough surface, and can be really slippery since it's still wet. The history and process of tin
mining are complicated and involve a lot of special words, but here you will see how it was
and still is done. After a short 5-10 minute walk, visitors can track round a numbered route
with clear explanations. Most of the tour is in the open air, so nice weather helps. All areas
are clearly posted with signs, but if you have problems travelling around or climbing up and
down, you can turn to the staff here and we are happy to help. If you are interested, Blue
Hills Tin Stream is a working water-powered tin streaming mill that gives visitors a very
clear idea of how difficult it is to get tin out of rock. I hope you'll enjoy the informative
indoor presentation and this self-guided tour. But you have to bear one thing in mind that
smoking is forbidden throughout the whole community, though you can take phones and of
course use them. You'll also be surprised that there will be more than just one place to go in
the mine. The underground tunnel is now being refurbished and only relevant workers can
access it. But it will soon be all finished and I believe it’s a lovely place for you to explore
around. Don't forget to wear protective clothing—it's mandatory.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now, let's start by seeing where you can go. As you can see on our map in the brochure I've
given you, we are here, at the reception block. We have a famous mill which is used for
making and processing materials such as steel and coal. To visit it, just go straight ahead
north along the path in front of you and you'll find it at the end of the path.

Now towards the east, go along the path from our starting point. Turn left at the comer and
then turn right. There is a car park at the east end of the lane. To the west, there is a
museum. Pass the shop around the crossroads, and it is just located at the west end of the
IELTS CHRYSALIS 10
road. And by the way. the shop is specialised in selling a variety of ore-related souvenirs,
including keyrings, postcards, tin-made Lewis Chessmen, and even Roman Soldiers which
are made from beautiful pyrite.

If you are interested in the laboratory where scientific experiments. analyses and research
are carried out, it is situated at the southern part of the park, opposite of the shop. I bet
you'll be happy to hear that this laboratory is also used for gold and crystal refinement. So
don't miss this one for the sake of it.

I assume by this time you'll all need some rest and refreshments, so we have an excellent
café which caters for delicious food and beverages at the other side of the road next to the
shop. Of course if you want to spend some time in the fresh air. we have a perfect picnic area
which is just right and northeast of the reception block. Further east there is a path leading
to the northern part of the park, and at the end of it is the toilet.

Now most of the visitors would choose to use the mailbox and send the beautiful postcards
to their friends. To reach it, just...

Audio 4

Hi. Great to see you! I'm Jody, and I'll be looking after both of you for the first month you're
working here at the Amersham Theatre. I'll tell you something about the theatre now, then
take you to meet two of the other staff. It's an old building, and it's been modernised several
times. In fact, as you can see, we're carrying out a major refurbishment at the moment. The
interior has just been repainted, and we're about to start on the exterior of the building —
that'll be a big job. The work's running over budget, so we've had to postpone installing an
elevator. I hope you're happy running up and down stairs! When the theatre was built,
people were generally slimmer and shorter than now, and the seats were very close
together. We've replaced them with larger seats, with more legroom. This means fewer
seats in total, but we've taken the opportunity to install seats that can easily be moved, to
create different acting spaces. We've also turned a few storerooms over to other purposes,
like using them for meetings.

We try hard to involve members of the public in the theatre. One way is by organising
backstage tours, so people can be shown round the building and learn how a theatre
operates. These are proving very popular. What we're finding is that people want to have
lunch or a cup of coffee while they're here, so we're looking into the possibility of opening a
café in due course. We have a bookshop, which specialises in books about drama, and that
attracts plenty of customers. Then there are two large rooms that will be decorated next

IELTS CHRYSALIS 11
month, and they'll be available for hire, for conferences and private functions, such as
parties. We're also considering hiring out costumes to amateur drama clubs.

Now I want to tell you about our workshops. We recently started a programme of
workshops that anyone can join. Eventually we intend to run courses in acting, but we're
waiting until we've got the right people in place as trainers. That's proving more difficult
than used expected! There's a big demand to learn about the technical side of putting on a
production, and our lighting workshop has already started, with great success. We're going
to start one on sound next month. A number of people have enquired about workshops on
make-up, and that's something we're considering for the future. A surprise success is the
workshop on making puppets — we happen to have someone working here who does it as a
hobby, and she offered to run a workshop. It was so popular we're now running them every
month!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Now, a word about the layout of the building. The auditorium, stage and dressing rooms for
the actors are all below ground level. Here on the ground floor we have most of the rooms
that the public doesn't see. The majority are internal, so they have windows in the roof to
light them.

Standing here in the foyer, you're probably wondering why the box office isn't here, where
the public would expect to find it. Well, you might have noticed it on your way in - although
it's part of this building, it's next door, with a separate entrance from the road.

For the theatre manager's office, you go across the foyer and through the double doors, turn
right, and it's the room at the end of the corridor, with the door on the left.

The lighting box is where the computerised stage lighting is operated, and it's at the back of
the building. When you're through the double doors, turn left, turn right at the water cooler,
and right again at the end. It's the second room along that corridor. The lighting box has a
window into the auditorium, which of course is below us.

The artistic director's office is through the double doors, turn right, and it's the first room
you come to on the right-hand side. And finally, for the moment, the room where I'll take
you next - the relaxation room. So if you'd like to come with me...

Audio 5

Thank you all for coming to my talk this evening. It’s nice to see so many people in the
audience. For those of you who don’t know very much about

IELTS CHRYSALIS 12
‘Connection’, let me start by giving you some background information about it.

‘Connection’ is a British organisation that facilitates homestays all over the globe. This
organisation prides itself on matching tens of thousands of host families with guests every
single year, allowing travellers to discover a country’s culture in a way like no other.
Homestays are ideal for both travellers and homeowners, enabling inter-cultural exchanges
and the development of life-long friendships, while providing travellers with often
discounted accommodation costs, and host families with a steady income from the comfort
of their own homes. The homestay experience is particularly popular with university
exchange students looking for a more genuine insight into their country of choice, and an
unrivalled opportunity to develop their language skills. The homestay experience is truly
unique and once-in-a-lifetime, and one that you will likely remember for the rest of your
lives. It is important to note, however, that some people will find it difficult to adapt to the
new country, with many enduring what is known as ‘culture shock’. Connection’s advice for
those suffering from culture shock, is to go out and make as many friends as possible, no
matter how difficult you may find it. Friends are guaranteed to help you feel more
integrated as part of the local society, and show you some great places to hang out. At first, it
might seem extremely challenging to overcome the language barrier between you and your
host family; however, you will find that you quickly overcome this and develop a very close
and almost familial relationship. Many of our travellers have suggested that they have found
discussing their hobbies and other interests with their host families is the best way to
overcome any barriers, since you are more than likely to find something you share in
common. For example, you might find that you are both passionate about football, and end
up playing in the local field every week. One of our guests undertaking a homestay in a rural
area of the UK told us that she and her host now take a Tai Chi class together upon a hilltop
at sunrise, calling the experience ‘absolutely breathtaking’. After the first few weeks, you
will find your understanding of the people around you and their culture deepens by leaps
and bounds, and you will soon become one of the locals. Our hosts, in over 140 countries,
turn a location into a culture, time into experience and strangers into friends.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

So how can you find out about applying for a homestay? The best way would be to visit
Connection’s website, www.connection.com, and contact one of their friendly advisors for
more information. Once you have confirmed your interest in the service, we would strongly
advise that you remain in close contact with the registration office, which will send you
several emails keeping you up-to-date with potential matches in your country of choice.
Once registered, Connection will require you to send various documents, and will act as an
intermediary between you and the host family prior to final confirmation and payment.
During this stage, Connection will ask you to provide two photos, one for the host family,
and the other for our own records. Please ensure that you sign the back of each photo. Due

IELTS CHRYSALIS 13
to the nature of the service Connection provides, security is an absolute must, and they will
ask you to send in photocopies of your passport, birth certificate, and a bank statement as
confirmation of your identity. On receipt of these documents, the official process will begin
and your bank account will be debited for the initial deposit of £200. If you haven’t received
any acknowledgement confirming receipt of these documents from us within seven working
days, please contact the main office. As I mentioned before, due to the nature of the
organisation, Connection operates a meticulous screening process, and all applicants will
undergo an interview in our head office in London, with exceptions made in extreme
circumstances. After your interview, it may take us several weeks to carry out the decision
process, so please be patient with us. If you would like a fast-track service, please indicate
this on your application and we will notify you of the additional charges. Finally, once we
have come to a result about your application, you will receive a decision in the post. If you
do not receive an offer of placement, we will refund your deposit within seven working
days.

Audio 6

Hello, I'm delighted to welcome you to our Wildlife Club, and very pleased that you're
interested in the countryside and the plants and creatures of this area. I think you'll be
surprised at the variety we have here, even though we're not far from London. I'll start by
telling you about some of the parks and open spaces nearby.

One very pleasant place is Halland Common. This has been public land for hundreds of
years, and what you'll find interesting is that the River Ouse, which flows into the sea eighty
kilometres away, has its source in the common. There's an information board about the
plants and animals you can see here, and by the way, the common is accessible 24 hours a
day.

Then there's Holt Island, which is noted for its great range of trees. In the past willows were
grown here commercially for basket-making, and this ancient craft has recently been
reintroduced. The island is only open to the public from Friday to Sunday, because it's quite
small, and if there were people around every day, much of the wildlife would keep away.

From there it's just a short walk across the bridge to Longfield Country Park. Longfield has a
modern replica of a farm from over two thousand years ago. Children's activities are often
arranged there, like bread-making and face-painting. The park is only open during daylight
hours, so bear that in mind if you decide to go there.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

IELTS CHRYSALIS 14
Longfield Park has a programme of activities throughout the year, and to give you a sample,
this is what's happening in the next few days. On Monday you can learn about herbs, and
how they've been used over the centuries. You'll start with a tour of our herb garden,
practise the technique of using them as colour dyes for cloth and listen to an illustrated talk
about their use in cooking and medicine.

Then on Wednesday you can join local experts to discover the variety of insects and birds
that appear in the evening. We keep to a small number of people in the group, so if you want
to go you'll need to phone the Dark ranger a few days ahead. There's a small charge, which
you should pay when you turn up.

I'm sure you're all keen to help with the practical task of looking after the park, so on
Saturday you can join a working party. You'll have a choice of all sorts of activities, from
planting hedges to picking up litter, so you'll be able to change from one to another when
you feel like it. The rangers will be hard at work all day, but do come and join in, even for
just a short while. One thing, though, is to make sure you're wearing something that you
don't mind getting dirty or torn.

And finally I'd like to tell you about our new wildlife area, Hinchingbrooke Park, which will
be opened to the public next month. This slide doesn't really indicate how big it is, but
anyway, you can see the two gates into the park, and the main paths. As you can see, there's
a lake in the north west of the park, with a bird hide to the west of it, at the end of a path. It'll
be a nice quiet place for watching the birds on the lake.

Fairly close to where refreshments are available, there's a dog-walking area in the southern
part of the park, leading off from the path. And if you just want to sit and relax, you can go to
the flower garden; that's the circular area on the map surrounded by paths.

And finally, there's a wooded area in the western section of the park, between two paths.

Okay, that's enough from me, so let's go on to...

Audio 7

Tutor: Well James, I've had a look over your case study and for a first draft, it looks
promising.
James: I have to be honest, when you told us we had to write about a furniture company, it
didn't sound like the kind of thing that would interest me, but since then, I've
changed my mind.
Tutor: Why’s that?

IELTS CHRYSALIS 15
James: Well, as you know, Furniture Rossi is an Australian company, still comparatively
small compared to some of the high street stores, but it's got plans to expand into
foreign markets. So I chose it for that reason. It’s going through a transition — it’s a
family-run business aiming to build a global brand.
Tutor: All right, and you've made that clear in your writing. One thing, though, that I think
you've overlooked is why Luca Rossi started a furniture company here in Australia
in the first place.
James: Well, he'd just got an arts degree, hadn't he? And people were trying to talk him
into an academic profession but he wanted a practical job — something he thought
would be more satisfying in the long run. His grandfather had been a craftsman.
He'd made furniture in Italy and he'd passed this skill on to Luca's lather and well.
Luca thought he'd like to continue the tradition.
Tutor: Yes, that was the motivation behind his decision. And what was it, do you think,
that gave Furniture Rossi a competitive edge over other furniture companies?
James: I wouldn't think it was price. It's always been at the higher end of the market, but
according to my research, it was to do with the attitude of the employees — they
were really focused on giving good customer service.
Tutor: Yes, Luca Rossi insisted on that. Their promotional campaigns also emphasised the
fact that the wood only came from Australian forests, but that was the case with
their rivals, too, so it wouldn't have made them stand out. OK, we'll have a careful
look at the content of your case study in a minute, but I just want to make a general
comment first, before you start writing your second draft.
James: OK.
Tutor: Yes, what I'd like to see more of is your opinion, a bit more critical thinking, rather
than the bare facts. But it, good to see you've been careful with your referencing,
this time.
James: Thanks. And I read and re-read my work so I'm pretty sure there aren't any errors
with the language.
Tutor: Yes, it's fine. Oh, but there, one other thing I could probably mention at this point.
James: Yes?
Tutor: Well, at the end of term, you'll also be giving a presentation — also on Furniture
Rossi.
Jame: Yes, I haven't given it much thought yet.
Tutor: Understandably. But, while you're writing the case study, I'd recommend you think
about what kind of information would be suitable to use in your presentation.
Remember — the last time you gave a presentation on a company, you spent a
considerable pan of the time providing the audience with financial data, but they
probably needed to hear more about company strategy.
James: Yes. I did concentrate rather too much on the figures. I'll make sure there's a
balance this time.
IELTS CHRYSALIS 16
Tutor: Good.
[pause]
Tutor: OK, so let's just think about the content of your case study — the history of
Furniture Rossi. I see here in paragraph four you're talking about how Luca Rossi
raised the capital for his new business venture — and then you're talking about the
customer base growing much wider — but what was it that prompted this growth?
James: Well, that was to do with the quality of the furniture products that the company
was selling. People loved that it was all hand-made and would last.
Tutor: And because demand from customers kept growing?
James: Well, then Rossi needed to take on more craftsmen so they could make sure the
orders were ready on time, and then, he also had to set up two new warehouses to
make distribution quicker.
Tutor: Yes. And from there, the company really grew. But think what happened next. They
started looking at ways to increase their profits and called in a consultant. And
what he saw immediately was that the infrastructure was completely outdated —
they were paying three full-time admin staff just for data-entry. So he
recommended they upgrade their software programs and that, in turn, cut
operational costs and just speeded everything up.
James: I'm surprised they didn't get on to that earlier, but I suppose Luca Rossi was more
interested in the design aspect, rather than the finance side of things.
Tutor: Yes, I imagine that's why he eventually turned the day-to-day running of the
company over to his son. And in fact, it was the son, Marco, who persuaded his
father to move on from traditional television advertising and go online instead.
James: I guess that's the best way to reach people.
Tutor: It can be, but initially, customers actually complained.
James: Why?
Tutor: Well some users found it hard to navigate their way around the website- so they
were frustrated and giving up. So then the company called in a professional to
improve it.
James: I see. He must have done a good job. They've had a continuous three-year rise in
revenue - so things must be going well.
Tutors: Indeed. And what of the future?
James: Well, I probably need to talk about this a bit more in the concluding paragraphs,
don't I? Consumers are already aware of the quality of the furniture, that, for sure,
but I think the company is aiming to publicise their values – in fact that they have
respect for beauty, durability and functionality and the environment. A lot of
companies are already...

Audio 8

IELTS CHRYSALIS 17
EMMA: We've got to choose a topic for our experiment, haven't we, Jack? Were you
thinking of something to do with seeds?
JACK: That's right. I thought we could look at seed germination — how a seed begins to
grow.
EMMA: OK. Any particular reason? I know you're hoping to work in plant science
eventually…
JACK: Yeah, but practically everything we do is going to feed into that. No, there's an
optional module on seed structure and function in the third year that I might do,
so I thought it might be useful for that. If I choose that option, I don't have to do a
dissertation module.
EMMA: Good idea.
JACK: Well, I thought for this experiment we could look at the relationship between
seed size and the way the seeds are planted. So, we could plant different sized
seeds in different ways, and see which grow best.
EMMA: OK. We'd need to allow time for the seeds to come up.
JACK: That should be fine if we start now. A lot of the other possible experiments need
quite a bit longer.
EMMA: So that'd make it a good one to choose. And I don't suppose it'd need much
equipment; we're not doing chemical analysis or anything. Though that's not
really an issue, we've got plenty of equipment in the laboratory.
JACK: Yeah. We need to have a word with the tutor if we're going to go ahead with it
though. I'm sure our aim's OK. It's not very ambitious but the assignment's only
ten percent of our final mark, isn't it? But we need to be sure we're the only ones
doing it.
EMMA: Yeah, it's only five percent actually, but it'd be a bit boring if everyone was doing
it.
JACK: Did you read that book on seed germination on our reading list?
EMMA: The one by Graves? I looked through it for my last experiment, though it wasn't
all that relevant there. It would be for this experiment, though. I found it quite
hard to follow- lots about the theory, which I hadn’t expected.
JACK: Yes, I'd been hoping for something more practical. It does include references to
the recent findings on genetically-modified seeds, though.
EMMA: Yes, that was interesting.
JACK: I read an article about seed germination by Lee Hall.
EMMA: About seeds that lie in the ground for ages and only germinate after a fire?
JACK: That's the one. I knew a bit about it already, but not about this research. His
analysis of figures comparing the times of the fires and the proportion of seeds
that germinated was done in a lot of detail- very impressive.
EMMA: Was that the article with the illustrations of early stages of plant development?
They were very clear.
IELTS CHRYSALIS 18
JACK: I think those diagrams were in another article.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
EMMA: Anyway, shall we have a look at the procedure for our experiment? We’ll need to
get going with it quite soon.
JACK: Right. So the first thing we have to do is find our seeds. I think vegetable seeds
would be best. And obviously they mustn't all be the same size. So, how many
sorts do we need? About four different ones?
EMMA: I think that would be enough. There'll be quite a large number of seeds for each
one.
JACK: Then, for each seed we need to find out how much it weighs, and also measure its
dimensions, and we need to keep a careful record of all that.
EMMA: That'll be quite time-consuming. And we also need to decide how deep we're
going to plant the seeds — right on the surface, a few millimetres down, or
several centimeters.
JACK: OK. So then we get planting. Do you think we can plant several seeds together in
the some plant pot?
EMMA: No. I think we need a different one for each seed.
JACK: Right. And we'll need to label them — we can use different coloured labels. Then
we wait for the seeds to geminate — I reckon that'll be about three weeks,
depending on what the weather's like. Then we see if our plants have come up
and write down how tall they've grown.
EMMA: Then all we have to do is look at our numbers, and see if there's any relation
between them.
JACK: That's right So ...

Audio 9

Good morning everyone, and welcome to our outdoor survival programme. As you know,
this week you’ll be learning some of the basic information and skills you need to look after
yourself independently in the outdoors. These first two days we’ll be based here in the
classroom, and then we’ll be taking a camping trip to put into practice some of the things
you’ve learned.

I’m going to start off with the topic of food. And to start with I’ll describe just two methods
which we’ll be putting into practice at our camp, and which make use of natural resources:
the steam pit and the bamboo pot. I’ve got two posters here to make things clearer ... And I’ll
start with the steam pit here...

To make this you’ll need some dry sticks, some grass, some loose earth and some stones.
And for this week only, some matches!

IELTS CHRYSALIS 19
The first thing you do is to dig a shallow pit in the place you’ve chosen to do your cooking.
Let’s say about twenty five centimetres deep, and thirty centimetres wide. Your sticks have
to be a bit wider than the pit, because you have to put a line of them along the top from one
end of the pit to the other. Before setting light to these you take some large stones and
arrange them on top. Then you start the fire and wait till the wooden platform burns
through and the stones fall into the pit. At this point, brush away any pieces of hot ash from
the stones - you can use a handful of grass - and then take another stick and push it down
into the centre of the pit, between the stones. After that you cover the whole pit with a thick
layer of grass. And then you can put your food on it. wrapped in more pieces of grass, like
parcels. Finally, cover the whole thing with earth. You have to pat it firmly to seal the pit.
Then all you have to do is take the stick out and pour a bit of water into the opening that it
leaves. It should take about four hours for your food to cook, as it cooks slowly in the steam
that’s created inside the pit.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

So... simple but effective. The other method you’re going to practise this week is the
bamboo oven. Now the steam pit is ideal in certain conditions because the heat is below
ground level, for example, if there’s a strong wind and you’re afraid a fire might spread. But
when it’s safe to have an open fire you can use the bamboo oven method. You get a length of
bamboo, which as you probably know is hollow, and consists of a number of individual
sections with a wall in-between. You use a sharp stick to make a hole in each of the dividing
walls apart from the end one. Then you lean the bamboo over a fire, with the top propped
up by a forked stick and the bottom sitting on the ground. You pour enough water in the top
to fill the bottom section, and then light a fire underneath that section to heat the water.
Then you put your food inside the top section, and the steam coming up the bamboo
through the holes you made cooks it.

I’m going to move on now, to food itself, and talk about some of the wild plants you might
cook. I’m going to begin with fungi - that’s mushrooms and toadstools. I’m sure you’ll be
aware that some of these are edible, and they’re delicious, but some of them are highly
poisonous. Now whether they’re poisonous or not, all fungi that you find in the wild should
be cooked before eating, because that helps to destroy any compounds in them that might
be mildly toxic. But be aware that any amount of cooking won’t make poisonous varieties
any safer to eat. Unless you can definitely identify a fungus you should never eat it. It’s not
worth the risk. And you need to be really sure, because some fungi that are poisonous are
very similar in appearance to certain edible varieties. They can easily be mistaken for each
other. So ... having said all that, fungi are delicious when they’re freshly picked, and although
they are only moderately nutritious, they do contain minerals which the body needs.

I’ll move on now to leafy plants, which are generally ...

IELTS CHRYSALIS 20
Audio 10

For my short presentation today, I’m going to summarise the work I’ve done so far on my
research project: to explore expertise in creative writing. Essentially, I’ll share with you the
process I underwent to gather my interim findings.

First of all, I should give a little relevant background information about myself - before I
started my current degree course in cognitive psychology, I studied English literature and,
as you can imagine, this meant I spent a great deal of time thinking about the notion of
creativity and what makes people develop into successful writers. However, the idea for this
research project came from a very specific source - I became fascinated with the idea of
what makes an expert creative writer when I read a well-known twentieth century writer’s
autobiography. I won’t say which one, at this stage, because I think that might prejudice
your interpretation! Anyway, this got me thinking about the different routes to expertise.
Specifically I wondered why some people become experts at things whilst others fail to do
so, in spite of the fact that they may be equally gifted and work equally hard.

I started to read about how other researchers had explored similar questions in other fields.
I began to see a pattern - that those studies which involved research in a lab were too
controlled for my purposes and I decided to avoid reading them. I was quite surprised to
find that the clearest guidance for my topic came from investigations into what I call
‘practical skills’ such as hairdressing or waiting tables. Most of these studies tended to use a
similar set of procedures, which I eventually adopted for my own project.

I’ll now explain what these procedures were. I decided to compare what inexperienced
writers do with what experienced writers do. In order to investigate this, I looked for four
people whom I regarded as real novices in this field - which proved easy ... perhaps
unsurprisingly. It proved much harder to locate people with suitably extensive experience
who were willing to take part in my study. I asked the first four to do a set writing task and
as they wrote, to talk into a tape-recorder ... a technique known as ‘think aloud’ ... this was in
order to get experimental data. Whilst they were doing this, a research assistant recorded
them using video - I thought it might be helpful for me in my transcriptions later on. I then
asked four experienced writers to do exactly the same task. After this, I made a comparison
between the two sets of data and this helped me to produce a framework for analysis. In
particular, I identified five major stages which all creative writers seem to go through when
generating this genre of text. I think it was fairly effective but still needs some work ... so I
intend to tighten this up later for use with subsequent data sets.

I then wanted to see whether experienced writers were actually producing the better pieces
of writing. So I asked an editor, an expert in reviewing creative writing, to decide which
were the best pieces of writing. This person put the eight pieces of work in order of quality -

IELTS CHRYSALIS 21
in rank order - and, using his evaluations, I was then able to work out which sequence of the
five stages seemed to lead to the best quality writing.

Now my findings are by no means conclusive as this point ... I still have a long way to go but
if any of you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them and ...

Audio 11

NATALIE: Dave, I'm worried about our case study. I've done a bit of reading, but I'm not
sure what's involved in actually writing a case study — I missed the lecture
where Dr Baker talked us through it.
DAVE: OK, well it's quite straightforward. We've got our focus — that's tourism at the
Horton Castle site. And you said you'd done some reading about it.
NATALIE: Yes, I found some articles and made notes of the main points.
DAVE: Did you remember to keen a record of where you got the information from?
NATALIE: Sure. I know what a pain it is when you forget that.
DAVE: OK, so we can compare what we've read. Then we have to decide on a particular
problem or need at our site. And then think about who we're going to interview
to get more information.
NATALIE: OK. So who'd that be? The people who work there? And presumably some of the
tourists too?
DAVE: Yes, both those groups. So we'll have to go to the site to do that, I suppose. But
we might also do some of our interviewing away from the site — we could even
contact some people here in the city, like administrators involved in overseeing
tourism.
NATALIE: OK. So we'll need to think about our interview questions and fix times and
places for the meetings. It's all going to take a lot of time.
DAVE: Mmm. And if we can, we should ask our interviewees if they can bring along
some numerical data that we can add to support our findings.
NATALIE: And photographs?
DAVE: I think we have plenty of those already. But Dr Baker also said we have to
establish with our interviewees whether we can identify them in our case study,
or whether they want to be anonymous.
NATALIE: Oh, I wouldn't have thought of that. OK, once we've got all this information, I
suppose we have to analyse it.
DAVE: Yes, put it all together and choose what's relevant to the problem we're focusing
on, and analyse that carefully to find out if we can identify any trends or
regularities there. That's the main thing at this stage, rather than concentrating
on details or lots of facts.

IELTS CHRYSALIS 22
NATALIE: OK. And then once we've analysed that, what next?
DAVE: Well, we need to think about what we do with the data we’ve selected to make it
as clear as possible to our readers. Things like graphs, or tables, or charts.
NATALIE: Right.
DAVE: Then the case study itself is mostly quite standard; we begin by presenting the
problem, and giving some background, then go through the main sections, but
the thing that surprised me is in a normal report we'd end with some
suggestions to deal with the problem or need we identified, but in a case study
we end up with a question or a series of questions to our readers, and they
decide what ought to be done.
NATALIE: Oh, I hadn't realised that.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
NATALIE: So basically, the problem we're addressing in our case study of the Horton
Castle site is why so few tourists are visiting it. And we'll find out more from
our interviews, but I did find one report on the Internet that suggested that one
reason might be because as far as transport goes, access is difficult.
DAVE: I read that too, but that report was actually written ten years ago, when the
road there was really bad, but that's been improved now. And I think there's
plenty of fascinating stuff there for really good day out, but you'd never realise
it from the castle website — maybe that's the problem.
NATALIE: Yes, it's really dry and boring.
DAVE: I read somewhere a suggestion that what the castle needs is a visitor centre. So
we could have a look for some information about that on the Internet. What
would we need to know?
NATALIE: Well, who'd use it for a start. It'd be good to know what categories the visitors
fell into too, like school parties or retired people, but I think we'd have to talk to
staff to get that information.
DAVE: OK. And as we're thinking of suggesting a visitor centre we'd also have to look
at potential problems. I mean, obviously it wouldn't be cheap to set up.
NATALIE: No, but it could be a really good investment. And as it's on a historical site it'd
need to get special planning permission. I expect. That might be hard.
DAVE: Right, especially as the only possible place for it would be at the entrance, and
that's right in front of the castle.
NATALIE: Mmm.
DAVE: But it could be a good thing for the town of Horton. At present it's a bit of a
ghost town. Once they've left school and got any skills or qualifications, the
young people all get out as fast as they can to get jobs in the city, and the only
people left are children and those who've retired.
NATALIE: Right. Something else we could investigate would be the potential damage that
tourists might cause to the castle site, I mean their environmental impact. At
IELTS CHRYSALIS 23
 present the tourists can just wander round wherever they want, but if numbers
increase, there might have to be some restrictions, like sticking to marked
ways. And there'd need to be guides and wardens around to make sure these
were enforced.
DAVE: Yes, we could look at that too. OK, well...

Audio 12

TUTOR: Hello Eve, come in and sit down ... How’s it going?
EVE: Fine thanks. I’m looking forward to my teaching practice next week.
TUTOR: Good. Now you’ve got two classes, haven’t you - Year 3 and Year 6. Have you done
your lesson plans?
EVE: Well, I’ve decided to take the topic of renewable energy ... I haven’t done a lesson
plan for Year six yet, but I thought I’d base their lesson on an example of very
simple technology. So I’ve brought this diagram to show you ... I got it from the
Internet.
TUTOR: Let’s see ... A biogas plant ... So this is equipment for producing fuel from organic
waste?
EVE: Yes. The smaller container on the left is where you put the waste you’ve
collected..
TUTOR: Right, and from there it’s piped into the larger tank?
EVE: That’s right. And that’s slurry on the base of the larger tank.
TUTOR: Right ... and what exactly is slurry?
EVE: It’s a mixture of organic waste and water.
TUTOR: So is that pipe at the bottom where the water comes in?
EVE: Yes it is ... As the slurry mixture digests it produces gas, and that rises to the top of
the dome. Then when it’s needed it can be piped off for use as fuel in homes or
factories. It’s very simple.
TUTOR: I suppose there’s some kind of safety valve to prevent pressure build-up?
EVE: That’s the overflow tank. That container on the right. As the slurry expands some
of it flows into that, and then once some of the gas has been piped off, the slurry
level goes down again and the overflow tank empties again.
TUTOR: I see. Well I think that’s suitably simple for the age level it’s for. I look forward to
seeing the whole lesson plan.
EVE: Thanks. And can I show you my ideas for the Year three lesson?
TUTOR: Of course. Let’s look.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

IELTS CHRYSALIS 24
EVE: I thought I’d introduce the topic by writing the word ‘energy’ on the board, and
reinforcing the spelling and the pronunciation. Then I’ll do a little mime - you
know, run on the spot or something - to convey the sense.
TUTOR: I’d keep it brief at this stage...
EVE: Yes, I will. Then I’ll wipe the word off and write the question ‘Where does energy
come from?’, and see what the pupils come up with.
TUTOR: Fine. I’d suggest that you just brainstorm at this stage, and don’t reject any of
their suggestions.
EVE: Yes, that’s what I was going to do ... Then I’ve produced a set of simple statements,
like ‘Energy makes cars move along the road’, and ‘Energy makes our bodies
grow’. There are eight altogether.
TUTOR: Are you going to give them out as a handout? Or write them up on the board?
EVE: First, I’ll put them on the board, and then I’ll read them out loud. And I’ll get the
pupils to copy them out in their note books. I’ll also ask them to think up one
more similar statement by themselves, and add it to the list.
TUTOR: Good idea.
EVE: After that I thought I’d vary things a bit by sticking some pictures up ... of things
like the sun and plants and food, and petrol, and a running child. And I’ll get the
pupils to work out what order the pictures should come in, in terms of the energy
chain.
TUTOR: I think that’s a very good idea. You could move the pictures around as the pupils
give you directions.
EVE: Yes, I think they’d enjoy that. And to finish off I’ve made a gap-fill exercise to give
out. They’ll be doing that individually, and while they’re writing I’ll walk round
and check their work.
TUTOR: Good ... And have you worked out the timing of all that? It’ll probably take you
right through to the end of the.

Audio 13

We’ll be arriving at Branley Castle in about five minutes, but before we get there I’ll give you
a little information about the castle and what our visit will include.

So in fact there’s been a castle on this site for over eleven hundred years. The first building
was a fort constructed in 914 AD for defence against Danish invaders by King Alfred the
Great’s daughter, who ruled England at the time. In the following century, after the Normans
conquered England, the land was given to a nobleman called Richard de Vere, and he built a
castle there that stayed in the de Vere family for over four hundred years.

However, when Queen Elizabeth I announced that she was going to visit the castle in 1576 it
was beginning to look a bit run down, and it was decided that rather than repair the guest

IELTS CHRYSALIS 25
rooms, they’d make a new house for her out of wood next to the main hall. She stayed there
for four nights and apparently it was very luxurious, but unfortunately it was destroyed a
few years later by fire.

In the seventeenth century the castle belonged to the wealthy Fenys family, who enlarged it
and made it more comfortable. However, by 1982 the Fenys family could no longer afford to
maintain the castle, even though they received government support, and they put it on the
market. It was eventually taken over by a company who owned a number of amusement
parks, but when we get there I think you’ll see that they’ve managed to retain the original
atmosphere of the castle.

When you go inside, you’ll find that in the state rooms there are life-like moving wax models
dressed in costumes of different periods in the past, which even carry on conversations
together. As well as that, in every room there are booklets giving information about what
the room was used for and the history of the objects and furniture it contains.

The castle park’s quite extensive. At one time sheep were kept there, and in the nineteenth
century the owners had a little zoo with animals like rabbits and even a baby elephant.
Nowadays the old zoo buildings are used for public displays of painting and sculpture. The
park also has some beautiful trees, though the oldest of all, which dated back 800 years, was
sadly blown down in 1987.

Now, you’re free to wander around on your own until 4.30, but then at the end of our visit
we’ll all meet together at the bottom of the Great Staircase. We’ll then go on to the long
gallery, where there’s a wonderful collection of photographs showing the family who owned
the castle a hundred years ago having tea and cakes in the conservatory – and we’ll then
take you to the same place, where afternoon tea will be served to you.

Now if you can take a look at your plans you’ll see Branley Castle has four towers, joined
together by a high wall, with the river on two sides.

Don’t miss seeing the Great Hall. That’s near the river in the main tower, the biggest one,
which was extended and redesigned in the eighteenth century.

If you want to get a good view of the whole castle, you can walk around the walls. The
starting point’s quite near the main entrance – walk straight down the path until you get to
the south gate, and it’s just there. Don’t go on to the north gate – there’s no way up from
there.

There’ll shortly be a show in which you can see archers displaying their skill with a bow and
arrow. The quickest way to get there is to take the first left after the main entrance and
follow the path past the bridge, then you’ll see it in front of you at the end.

IELTS CHRYSALIS 26
If you like animals there’s also a display of hunting birds – falcons and eagles and so on. If
you go from the main entrance in the direction of the south gate, but turn right before you
get there instead of going through it, you’ll see it on your right past the first tower.

At 3 pm there’s a short performance of traditional dancing on the outdoor stage. That’s right
at the other side of the castle from the entrance, and over the bridge. It’s about ten minutes’
walk or so.

And finally the shop. It’s actually inside one of the towers, but the way in is from the outside.
Just take the first left after the main entrance, go down the path and take the first right. It’s
got some lovely gifts and souvenirs.

Right, so we’re just arriving …

Audio 14

SUSIE: So Luke, for our next psychology assignment we have to do something on

sleep and dreams.
LUKE: Right. I've just read an article suggesting why we tend to forget most of our
dreams soon after we wake up. I mean, most of my dreams aren't that
interesting anyway, but what it said was that if we remembered everything,
we might get mixed up about what actually happened and what we dreamed.
So it's a sort of protection. I hadn't heard that idea before. I'd always assumed
that it was just that we didn't have room in our memories for all that stuff.
SUSIE: Me too. What do you think about the idea that our dreams may predict the
future?
LUKE: It's a belief that you get all over the world.
SUSIE: Yeah, lots of people have a story of it happening to them, but the explanation
I've read is that for each dream that comes true, we have thousands that don't,
but we don't notice those, we don't even remember them. We just remember
the ones where something in the real world, like a view or an action, happens
to trigger a dream memory.
LUKE: Right. So it's just a coincidence really. Something else I read about is what they
call segmented sleeping. That's a theory that hundreds of years ago, people
used to get up in the middle of the night and have a chat or something to eat,
then go back to bed. So I tried it myself.
SUSIE: Why?
LUKE: Well it's meant to make you more creative. I don't know why. But I gave it up
after a week. It just didn't fit in with my lifestyle.

IELTS CHRYSALIS 27
SUSIE: But most pre-school children have a short sleep in the day don't they? There
was an experiment some students did here last term to see at what age kids
should stop having naps. But they didn't really find an answer. They spent a
lot of time working out the most appropriate methodology, but the results
didn't seem to show any obvious patterns.
LUKE: Right. Anyway, let's think about our assignment. Last time I had problems
with the final stage, where we had to describe and justify how successful we
thought we'd been. I struggled a bit with the action plan too.
SUSIE: I was OK with the planning, but I got marked down for the self-assessment as
well. And I had big problems with the statistical stuff, that's where I really lost
marks.
LUKE: Right.
SUSIE: So shall we plan what we have to do for this assignment?
LUKE: OK.
SUSIE: First, we have to decide on our research question. So how about 'Is there a
relationship between hours of sleep and number of dreams?'
LUKE: OK. Then we need to think about who we'll do the study on. About 12 people?
SUSIE: Right. And shall we use other psychology students?
LUKE: Let's use people from a different department. What about history?
SUSIE: Yes, they might have interesting dreams! Or literature students?
LUKE: I don't really know any.
SUSIE: OK, forget that idea. Then we have to think about our methodology. So we
could use observation, but that doesn't seem appropriate.
LUKE: No. It needs to be self-reporting I think. And we could ask them to answer
questions online.
SUSIE: But in this case, paper might be better as they'll be doing it straight after they
wake up ... in fact while they're still half-asleep.
LUKE: Right. And we'll have to check the ethical guidelines for this sort of research.
SUSIE: Mm, because our experiment involves humans, so there are special
regulations.
LUKE: Yes, I had a look at those for another assignment I did. There's a whole section
on risk assessment, and another section on making sure they aren't put under
any unnecessary stress.
SUSIE: Let's hope they don't have any bad dreams!
LUKE: Yeah.
SUSIE: Then when we've collected all our data we have to analyse it and calculate the
correlation between our two variables, that's time sleeping and number of
dreams and then present our results visually in a graph.
LUKE: Right. And the final thing is to think about our research and evaluate it. So that
seems quite straightforward.
IELTS CHRYSALIS 28
SUSIE: Yeah. So now let's ...

Audio 15

Frank: Hi, Nicole. As you know, we’ve got to decide on the best ways this university
can reduce its waste. You inspected the eastern campus, and I did the western
buildings. Did you do all the interviews as well?
Nicole: Yes, I interviewed all the staff, who made some good observations, and I
interviewed some of the students. The students said little that was interesting.
They don’t seem to care that much. It was the cleaners, surprisingly, who
revealed the most relevant facts.
Frank: That’s not surprising to me. They empty all the bins, so they see the waste
first- hand, whereas the staff just throw things away without thinking. What
item was most commonly disposed of?
Nicole: Well, it really depended on where I interviewed. In the cafeteria precinct,
obviously paper plates and cups were thrown away all over the place. There
was almost no attempt at recycling. However, across the university in general,
it was paper copying that filled up most bins, far more than plastic, or other
forms of waste.
Frank: Do people care about this, then?
Nicole: Well, some do, if you can believe them. I must have interviewed about 30% of
customers in the cafeteria, and the results were mixed. Out of all the people I
interviewed, well over half, maybe about 55% of them, were quite honest
about it, telling me that they had little concern. The other fraction, 45%, were
more troubled.
Frank: Yes, but do they do anything about it?
Nicole: Surprisingly, quite a significant percentage do do something, even if they
aren’t particularly concerned. I mean, small things. About 10% bring their
own cups to the cafeteria, for example, and at least one third said they use
recycling bins, so, in total, it’s an equal split between those who do something,
or those who don’t.
Frank: So why do so many people remain inactive, particularly over an issue they
should care about more?
Nicole: I think they do care, and many of them are prepared to do something.
Obviously, there’s an element of laziness, but I’d say that it’s relatively small. If
they knew what to do, and if stringent systems existed, or if the importance of
this was made clearer to them, I’m sure you’d see a much larger percentage of
people actively working towards helping our environment.

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Frank: Well, there’s cause for optimism, at least.
Frank: Clearly then, there’s a significant waste of paper here at this university, so I’ve
worked out one practical suggestion which could help reduce it —specifically,
the waste from the excess photocopying.
Nicole: Let me hear it, then.
Frank: Ah obviously, for a start, we’ve got to ensure that people, including the staff,
without exception, copy both sides of a page. We can’t tolerate single-sided
copying. It’s just far too wasteful.
Nicole: Absolutely. Just more trees being chopped down.
Frank: But as people are doing copying, there may be adjustments, and practice
copying, producing singlesided copies or blank pages not wanted and not
intended for use. These need to be deposited into a tray for intended recycling
—you know, for recopying onto the blank side of the page.
Nicole: But people don’t usually do that. I’m afraid it’s just human nature. No matter
how unimportant the copying is, they prefer to use fresh paper.
Frank: Yeah, I agree with you, which is why you need to display these papers right in
front of everyone, with a clear sign, ‘Please Reuse’, to make it easy for them to
do so.
Nicole: They still won’t do it.
Frank: I know. That’s why you take some of these papers, and regularly stack them
inside the copier, in a special tray, once a day—say, in the morning.
Nicole: Well, that’s getting better, making it easier for them to use the paper, but still,
I’m afraid many won’t.
Frank: That’s why you allow everyone to select this tray when copying. You
distribute numbers or codes to every person, giving them special access to
this recycling tray. Every time they use papers from this, it’s tallied up to their
account.
Nicole: I know I’m sounding a bit negative ... or even cynical here ... but why should
they bother using that tray?
Frank: Because the person who does the most copying from this recycling tray gets,
say, a cinema pass, or lottery ticket, or some other sort of reward.
Nicole: Ah, right! Now that’s a system which might just work. Let’s trial it in the office
and see what happens.

Audio 16

CLARE: Hi Jake. How are you getting on with the practical teaching?
JAKE: It’s harder than I expected, but I’ve got some great classes. How about you?
CLARE: Not brilliant. I’m really struggling with my Year 12 science class.

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JAKE: Are they hard to control?
CLARE: Well, I don’t have discipline problems as such. It’s just that they don’t seem to
think that science has anything to do with their lives. It’s depressing. They
listen to what I say, and I gave them a test last week and the results weren’t
too bad, but there’s no real engagement.
JAKE: Right.
CLARE: And as part of my teaching practice, I have to design an experiment for them
to do. I was wondering about something on the children’s diets… you know,
asking them to record what they eat and maybe linking it to their state of
health.
JAKE: Mmm. Let’s think. So your methodology would involve the children recording
what they eat. OK, but you’d also need to have access to the children’s medical
records and I don’t think people would be happy about that; confidentiality
would be an issue. If you could get the right data, the conclusions might be
significant, but I suspect it’s just not going to be easy.
CLARE: Right.
JAKE: Have you thought about doing an experiment using animals?
CLARE: Wouldn’t that be upsetting for the children?
JAKE: Well, the animals don’t have to be harmed in any way. It could just be an
experiment where they’re given a certain diet and the effects are observed.
CLARE: Would I have to get permission to use animals?
JAKE: Yes, you’d have to submit an outline of the experiment and fill in a form, but
it’s quite straightforward.
CLARE: But if we found out that, say, a particular diet affects the health of animals, the
same thing wouldn’t necessarily be true for people, would it?
JAKE: No that’s true, but the findings for any experiment are going to be limited. It’s
inevitable.
CLARE: I suppose so. So what animals could I use to investigate the effects of diet?
Mice?
JAKE: Yes. You’d need experimental mice – ones that have been specially bred for
experiments. OK, so what will your experiment be investigating exactly?
CLARE: Well, something to do with nutrition. So maybe we could look at food
supplements… things like extra iron and extra protein, and their impact on
health.
JAKE: Mmm. That might be rather broad. Maybe just look at the effects of one
supplement, like sugar, on the health of the mice?
CLARE: In fact, maybe the focus could be on whether mice can control their own diet.
JAKE: So, what happens when they have access to more sugar, that they don’t really
need?
CLARE: Exactly. Do they eat it or do they decide to leave it?
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JAKE: Great. Then later on, you could do a follow-up experiment adding another
variable. Like, you could give some of the mice the chance to be more active,
running on a wheel or something, and the others just sit around and don’t do
much.
CLARE: Or I could repeat the experiment but change the type of food I provided . . . or
use mice with a different genetic structure. But I think your idea would be
more interesting, I might think about that some more.
CLARE: So can I talk through a possible procedure for the experiment where mice are
given a sugar supplement?
JAKE: Sure. I did a similar experiment in college actually.
CLARE: Great. So how many mice would I need?
JAKE: I’d say about 12. And all young ones, not a mixture of old and young.
CLARE: OK. And I’d need two groups of equal sizes, so six in each group. And how
would I tell them apart? I suppose I could put some sort of tag on one group…
or just mark them in some way?
JAKE: You could use food colouring, that wouldn’t hurt them.
CLARE: Perfect. Then each group would go into a separate cage, and one group, let’s
call them group A, would be the control group. So they’d just have ordinary
mouse food. I suppose you can buy that?
JAKE: Yes, it comes in dry pellets.
CLARE: And the other group would have the same as the first group, but they’d also
have the extra sugar.
JAKE: Would you just give them straight sugar?
CLARE: I might be better to give them something like cereal with it.
JAKE: Hmm. Then you’d need to weigh the mice, I should think once a week. And
you’d need an electronic balance.
CLARE: But we can’t hold them on the balance, or it’d affect the reading.
JAKE: Exactly. So you need something called a weighing chamber to stop the mice
from running away. It sounds complicated, but actually you can just use a
plastic box with holes in the top.
CLARE: OK. So once we’ve measured the weight gain of each mouse we can work out
the average for each group, as well as the standard deviation. And then see
where we go from there. That sounds cool, I think the students will enjoy it.
JAKE: Yes. One thing…

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