Section 1
You will hear a woman phoning the owner of a holiday cottage to ask about renting it.
Dave: Hello?
Woman: Oh, hello. I'm calling about a vacation rental. The name I've been given is Carol Marriott?
Dave: I'm Dave, Carol's husband. We own it together.
Woman: Oh, right. Well, some friends of ours rented Aster Cottage from you for a week by the ocean last summer, and they recommended it to us. My husband and I would like to rent it in the fall, for a week.
Dave: Okay. When exactly?
Woman: Um, we're looking at the week beginning September 21st, if it's available.
Dave: Let me check. Um, no, I'm sorry, it's already booked that week. You could have it the previous week, from the 14th?
Woman: Well, we could manage that week if we change a couple of arrangements. Um, how much would it cost?
Dave: That would be $835.
Woman: Ah, that's rather more than we wanted to pay, I'm afraid. We were hoping to pay closer to $790, which our friends paid last year.
Dave: We also have a slightly smaller cottage called Periwinkle Cottage.
Woman: Excuse me, um, how do you spell the name?
Dave: P-E-R-I-W-I-N-K-L-E, Periwinkle. It's available the week you wanted, and it's the exact same price that your friends paid last year. I take it you want a place that sleeps just two people, like Aster Cottage?
Woman: Yes. Is it near Aster Cottage?
Dave: Yeah, it's right across the street.
Woman: And what's this cottage like?
Dave: Well, it's part of a historic building that was originally a school 100 years ago. It was converted into a post office around 1950, then later on the post office moved, and the building was divided to make two cottages.
Woman: So, is it on several floors?
Dave: No, it's all on one floor. There's a large living room, a kitchen that's really well-equipped, a bedroom, and a bathroom with a tub and a shower.
Woman: Oh, very nice!
Dave: From the living room, you can go out onto the deck, which is a great place to have your meals when the weather's nice.
Woman: That sounds fantastic! Can you see the river that flows through the town from the cottage?
Dave: You sure can. It's close by. You can see it from the bedroom.
Woman: Okay. Would we need to bring anything - bedding, say?
Dave: That's provided. But we make a small charge for towels, unless you bring your own, of course.
Woman: Oh, okay. I'll do that, because we'll be driving. There'll be plenty of room in the car for things like that. Oh, that reminds me: is there a garage that we can use?
Dave: I'm afraid there isn't one, but you can usually get a parking spot on the street right in front of the cottage.
Woman: No problem. We probably won't use the car much while we're there anyway. We like to go for walks. Oh, and what about the town itself? Are there any restaurants in the neighborhood?
Dave: There are a few, all within walking distance. A lot of people like the fish restaurant, but in my opinion, the Chinese restaurant has got to be the best for miles around.
Woman: That's good to know. We might end up eating out every evening.
Dave: Well, why not?
Woman: Our friends said the town is pretty famous for antique stores.
Dave: That's right. There's a whole bunch of them - at least 10 on the Main Street.
Woman: Marvelous! Okay, I'd like to make the booking, please.
Dave: Great! We ask for a deposit of $200 and final payment at least six weeks before your stay. But we'll be away ourselves for much of August, so let's say no later than the last day of July. Is that okay with you?
Woman: Fine!
Dave: Okay, then let me give you our details so you can send the deposit.
Section 2
You will hear a race coordinator giving information to volunteers about the Bridge to Brisbane Fun Run.
Race Coordinator: Thank you for all volunteering to help us with the Bridge to Brisbane Fun Run. The purpose of this meeting is to give you some information about your duties on race day.
Race Coordinator: Some of you were asking about where you can park on the day. Unfortunately, some of the usual places, down by the river, for example, will be out of bounds because we'll need extra space for emergency vehicles. Probably the best option is the Jack Gray Sports Field in Barker Street. Although the closest parking lot is the Metro Shopping Complex, I would advise you not to park there, as they tend to tow away people who aren't customers.
Race Coordinator: At the start line, most of you will be checking that runners have the necessary gear, especially their electronic timing chip, the race number, and the identity wristband. Make sure that the number is attached to the front of the running shirt or singlet, not the back. The timing chip, which records the runner's time, needs to be clipped onto one of their shoes, and check that they are wearing their wristband.
Race Coordinator: Some of you will be responsible for organizing the starting groups. It's very important that runners start in a particular order. There is a system of color codes. The red group are walkers and people with baby strollers. The purple group are runners that expect to finish in less than one hour, and the yellow group are our elite athletes. We'd like them to start the race, and we'd like the other groups to follow after that, with the red group and the strollers at the very back. This is for their own safety.
Race Coordinator: Now, we are still short on volunteers for the race day, so if you have any friends or family members who might be interested, please let us know. We're probably okay for people to help with the start, but we'll still desperately need volunteers along the race course to distribute water bottles to the runners. A few of you have offered to help with first aid, but the good people of St. John's Ambulance have donated their services, so that won't be necessary.
Race Coordinator: Now, I'll show you the layout of the Race Village, which is where the race ends. Can you all see the map? If you look at the bottom right-hand side, you'll see where the runners enter the village next to the corporate catering section. As you continue along the course, you'll see the stage on your right - that's where the winners will receive their medals.
Race Coordinator: Now, can you all see the finish line near the center? After they finish the race, the runners can take one of two paths - it doesn't matter which one - to get their finish T-shirts from the T-shirt stand at the end of those paths. Many of you will be stationed there at the end of the race.
Race Coordinator: After they finish, the runners will also want their belongings, and all bags are kept in the building on Bowen Road. It's quite close to the exit in the top left-hand corner of your map.
Race Coordinator: Now, some of you will have an important role working in the Information Centre. That's the building in the center of the map, not far from the finish line. It's just below it on your map.
Race Coordinator: And one other thing: can you all please remind the runners to enter in the prize draw for the new car? The entry box is between the shade tents and the corporate catering buildings.
Race Coordinator: Okay, let's see now, what else do I need to point out? Ah, yes, the runners are always thirsty, and the main water station in the village is just beside the third exit through to Gregory Terrace, to the left of the corporate catering area. So everyone please direct the race finishers there to get their free bottled water.
Section 3
You will hear a student called Joel discussing his research project with his tutor, Dr Owen.
Dr Owen: Come in, Joel. Right, so how's your research going? You're looking at how farmers feel about new technology in agriculture, aren't you?
Joel: Well, actually, it's more general than that. I'm looking at their attitudes to a variety of new developments in agriculture.
Dr Owen: Okay. Have you got a title for the project yet?
Joel: I was thinking of something simple, like 'Farmers' Attitudes Towards the Adoption of New Farming Practices'.
Dr Owen: Mmm, that's possibly a bit too general. I think the title needs to be a bit more specific. What kind of farming will you be looking at?
Joel: Well, that'll vary, actually. But I want to speak to each of the ten farmers in my sample. So I've chosen farms which are all in the same region.
Dr Owen: Okay. Well, I'd specify where they are then.
Joel: Right. I'll amend the title to do that.
Dr Owen: Okay. Is there any particular reason why you've decided to do face-to-face interviews? It'll be quite time-consuming, won't it?
Joel: Yes, and I did consider doing telephone interviews for that reason, especially as it's unnecessary for me to actually see the places where they work. It's just that, in my experience, a lot of farmers don't like talking on the phone. So they'll be more likely to talk freely if I see them in person.
Dr Owen: Yes, you're probably right. Good!
Joel: Then the first thing I want to investigate is how the farmers actually find out about new developments in agriculture that they might want to adopt. What sources they use.
Dr Owen: Right. So how are you going to do this?
Joel: Well, I could make a checklist of sources of information for them to look at in advance, so they could tick off the ones they actually use. Things like farming magazines, farm product advertisements, television, and the internet, and so on.
Dr Owen: It might be more useful to ask them rather than show them a list. A spontaneous response to one or two open questions might give you a more accurate picture.
Joel: All right. I'll do that then.
Dr Owen: Now, talk me through some of the other issues you want to cover.
Joel: Well, there's the way the government communicates with farmers.
Dr Owen: Right. Well, one thing is farmers complain that the government sends out the same information to all of them, whether they're poultry farmers or dairy farmers or arable farmers.
Joel: So they get all this information, but half of it doesn't actually apply to them?
Dr Owen: Exactly. So you could look at that.
Joel: Right. Then I wanted to look at attitudes of British farmers to the cost of making any changes on their farms. According to articles I've read, farmers in Britain aren't in principle against investing money in new machinery and new practices, but they're actually just too busy to work out what the financial implications are.
Dr Owen: Yes, and a lot of them don't seem to consider getting financial advice from their accountants about it either.
Joel: Right.
Dr Owen: There's also been some research in Australia on sheep rearing practices. I can give you the reference if you like. Basically, it appears that the majority of Australian sheep farmers are willing to risk adopting new practices on the basis of just a few pieces of research. They don't usually wait until the evidence in favor of the changes is overwhelming; they're quite happy to act before then so they can get ahead of the game.
Joel: Okay, I'll take a look at that. Thanks! We said we'd also look at some of the reading material I've been reviewing.
Dr Owen: Yes, I had another look at 'Contemporary Farming Manual', which is clearly bang up to date. It covers a lot of things a farmer might want to know, but it's so dull!
Joel: Absolutely! I found it really hard going, and I can't imagine any farmer wading through it. There aren't even any decent pictures.
Dr Owen: Did you have time to look at 'Running a Small Farm'?
Joel: Yes, although I only read bits of it because, despite being entertaining, it wasn't very academic.
Dr Owen: I know, and a lot of the information is either misleading or simply wrong! I'm surprised it got published at all. I don't imagine the farming press will rate it very highly.
Joel: Mmm. You recommend 'Agriculture and Economics'. I expected that it would be really difficult. The title's a bit off-putting, but I thought it was brilliant! So I've bought it.
Dr Owen: Yes! Some people think it relies too heavily on farming practices in specific parts of the world, but the theories that underpin these are universal, and that's why it's a required textbook for anyone studying agriculture.
Joel: Right. What else did you come across? I borrowed 'How to Survive in Farming' from the library. I thought it'd be interesting background, and I liked the informal style, but it turned out to have been written years ago.
Dr Owen: Yes, and like everything else, farming fashions have changed! So it's badly in need of a new edition.
Section 4
You will hear a lecturer talking about Aboriginal textile design in Australia.
Lecturer: The indigenous people of Australia, or Aboriginals, have a long history of using animal and plant fibers to make a variety of fabric. Over the years, their traditional designs and stories have been incorporated into various textiles.
Lecturer: The Ernabella Arts Centre is a place where local Aboriginals can produce their traditional craft and also learn new techniques to decorate fabric. For the first thirty years, the artists crafted rugs working with wool. These rugs incorporated their own unique designs. However, as they became less economical to produce, the artists were introduced to batik, which is an Indonesian method of dyeing textiles. Batik is quicker than weaving, so many of the Ernabella artists started to produce it themselves. Screen printing was later introduced to the center, and Ernabella's artists were commissioned to produce fabric for furniture that was to be used at popular tourist destinations, such as the National Park offices at Uluru.
Lecturer: Screen printing has also been used successfully by the Tiwi people, who live on islands north of Darwin. Their company, Tiwi Designs, produces fabric that is inspired by their surroundings. For example, they incorporated bird motifs into their early designs. Tiwi art, culture, and language are very different from those of mainland Aboriginal groups. The patterns on their fabric are related to the beliefs and legends in their culture. For example, some textile designs are chosen because they are thought to cause rain.
Lecturer: Another successful Aboriginal design company was founded by Jimmy Pike. His dynamic prints, paintings, and fabrics are greatly influenced by the Australian landscape, in particular that of the desert, which is often featured in his work. Pike worked with acrylic paint, oil pastels, and screen printing. Surprisingly, Jimmy Pike's life as an artist began in prison, where he was serving a sentence for murder. The art teachers there recognized his talent and gave him the technical skills he needed to become a successful artist. After Pike's release, he started his own company, aiming to create a product that would sell well commercially but still retain its Aboriginal cultural identity. Eventually, he decided to bring his artwork onto textiles, which were used to produce clothing. The designs he selected were transferred onto cotton and had both a strong linear character and a good color range.
Lecturer: Bronwyn Bancroft is one of the most successful Aboriginal artists and designers to date. She has produced a great deal of artwork and textiles, and many of her paintings are held by Australian art galleries. Her work reflects her Aboriginal roots, but always with a contemporary, fresh view of family and the natural environment. In 1995, she was chosen by a charity organization to paint a pair of jeans owned by Cathy Freeman, a famous Aboriginal Australian athlete. She used imagery of lizards moving quickly over the Australian terrain, and she added a rainbow, which represents the optimism that Cathy symbolizes for all Aboriginal people. In 2001, she was chosen to design costumes for the opening of the biggest street parade ever held in Australia - the 'Journey of a Nation' parade. The people in Bancroft's section of the parade all wore an outfit she designed. It featured the image of a snake that had no head or tail to represent an ongoing culture.
Lecturer: Exploitation of creative work can be a problem for any artist, and copyright laws exist to protect individual artists from the unauthorized use of his or her work. This issue is often more complex for Aboriginal artists, as the symbols and motifs used in their designs also hold cultural significance for them. An example of this was when a businessman had rugs made overseas, incorporating images stolen from Aboriginal paintings. The 'Carpet Case', as it became known, was taken to court, where luckily, the artists won.