Part 1 — Consultation with a Doctor
You will hear a woman talking to a doctor about the problem with her eyes.
Dr. Jackson: Good afternoon, take a seat.
Annu: Oh, thank you, Dr. Jackson.
Dr. Jackson: How can I help you?
Annu: I'm feeling a bit unwell these days. I hope you can give me some advice.
Dr. Jackson: Okay, could we start off with some basic details so that I can fill in the patient form?
Annu: Sure.
Dr. Jackson: First of all, what's your full name, please?
Annu: It's Annu Atkinson.
Dr. Jackson: Could you spell your family name?
Annu: A-T-K-I-N-S-O-N, Atkinson.
Dr. Jackson: Do you know your postcode?
Annu: Yes, I think it's EL2 14FB. Hmm, let me check... Oh sorry, it's actually EL14 2BF.
Dr. Jackson: Thanks. And where are you living now?
Annu: At the moment I'm living with my parents on Queen's Avenue.
Dr. Jackson: Okay, got that. And your date of birth?
Annu: October 1st, 1986.
Dr. Jackson: Oh, what a coincidence! It's my birth date too, but I was born in 1984. Do you have a telephone number that I can contact you with?
Annu: Yes, it's 875934. But I'm out and about a lot in the afternoon and evening.
Dr. Jackson: So would the best time to ring you be in the morning?
Annu: Yes.
Dr. Jackson: Fine, got that.
Dr. Jackson: Now, what exactly brings you here?
Annu: Well, my eyes seem to have some problems whenever I spend more than half an hour reading books or working on the computer.
Dr. Jackson: Hmm, I see. Is this a new problem or an old one? I mean, has it been happening for a long time?
Annu: No, it started just three days ago. Oh no, I think it was five days ago in the gym, after I played badminton.
Dr. Jackson: So it was after you played badminton. What is the symptom exactly?
Annu: I see these flashing lights. I can't figure out what happened. Do you know what it is?
Dr. Jackson: Hmm, I didn't know that either at the moment. What was the condition of the room where you played badminton? Was it very dark?
Annu: Oh, it was very bright. Sometimes I couldn't even open my eyes. Since then I haven't been able to see things clearly.
Dr. Jackson: Oh, that might be the reason. And have you ever been treated before for anything like dizziness?
Annu: Well, I went into Central Hospital last month because of severe headache, and they kept me in for observation for a couple of days, but they couldn't find anything wrong.
Dr. Jackson: Okay, I'll make a note of that too.
Annu: Thank you.
Dr. Jackson: I think I've got all the information I need right now, and there are two suggestions for you. One is that you should take a good rest. If you find yourself looking at a screen for too long, you should look away, focus on a point in the distance for approximately 10 to 20 seconds, and then focus on something closer to you. Repeating this a few times should keep your eyes from getting tired.
Annu: Thanks. And what about the second one?
Dr. Jackson: I'll give you some eye drops. You can use it before bed, that should reduce levels of eye strain. Here's the prescription. If the situation doesn't improve in a week, come back and see me again.
Annu: I see. Thank you for your advice. I will give it a try. Goodbye!
Dr. Jackson: Bye.
Part 2 — Oceanic Island Traveling
You will hear a man sharing his experiences with Oceanic Island Traveling.
Hello, my name is Damon and I would like to share my experiences of Oceanic Island Traveling. First of all, some of you have been asking me how Oceanic Island Traveling keeps its tour group members updated while they are on the travel trip. Please note that the information board is updated daily and we encourage you to check it every morning before you begin your day on the beach, in the cottage, or participating in any of the many activities offered. So please remember to check it at the reception area in the front of the visitor center of the resort.
You are probably aware of the many different activities offered on our trips. There is something you should know before booking. Reservations are not necessary for most activities, such as sand soccer, beach volleyball, and even scuba diving. However, if you are planning to participate in our water skiing activity, we encourage you to book that activity at least 48 hours beforehand, as we hire an outside group to conduct this activity and we need to notify them of how many participants will be involved.
One of the many activities available to the guests is the Mystery Cave tour. Some people interested in participating in those tours don't know what the ticket price includes. The ticket price includes transportation to the caves. All participants are required to wear a safety helmet inside the caves, and the ticket has covered that for you. If you are joining this tour, you will need to wear some comfortable shoes, as there will be some walking involved with this tour. If you are interested to see a map of the Mystery Cave in advance of your trip, you can see it on the Oceanic Island Traveling website. Of course, we will offer you a map of the cave if you need it during the tour, but it will cost an extra fee.
For those of you interested in visiting the Davison Wildlife Park, you should know that the park is an excellent site for families, though it does attract a lot of zoologists to do some research. Again, transportation to the park is included in your ticket price. And please note that children aged 12 and under receive a discounted ticket price. In the wildlife park, children can often watch elephant shows which are really an attraction, but now some elephants are ill and they need some time to recover. Still, there is another activity that should entertain kids: they are allowed to feed the animals. This activity is extremely popular with kids. Among the most popular animals at the zoo are the collection of red kangaroos. The size of these kangaroos is similar to that of black bears, but generally, they are bigger than adults, and if you're lucky, you might even be able to see some baby kangaroos while you are visiting. The crocodiles are also very popular at the wildlife park. These prehistoric animals have a lifespan of over 50 years. A male crocodile can even be expected to live to the age of 80. You won't get as close to the crocodiles as you will to some of the other animals in the park, as they are somewhat dangerous. You will be able to view these animals from a distance in their natural habitats.
For those of you that have previously participated in this tour, please know that some of the activities which were previously available are no longer available and have been replaced with new activities. The barbecue and the bonfire are now restricted by ordinance due to fire precautions in the area. Instead of going hiking on the hills, most of our tourists prefer to visit many of the gift shops in the area to buy souvenirs for themselves or for family and friends who are not on the tour. The emu farm, which has previously been a popular place to visit, is now temporarily closed for business. But, newly available to you is a popular trip offered to the Nelson Cheese Factory in which visitors can take a tour and learn all about the process of manufacturing cheese. And finally, a visit to the St. John's Fruit Farm is another very popular day trip. The fruit farm is within walking distance of our cottages, and you can get there by minibus this time, but we'll have a few nature trails that go past the cottages in the future. At the farm, you will be able to pick strawberries and apples in the farm's orchards and fields. Many tourists enjoy this activity a lot. We don't have hill hiking in the area, but we do have tours that involve in other destinations. Contact me if you are interested.
Part 3 — Research on Food Additives and Ingredients
You will hear Jack and his tutor discussing research on food.
Tutor: Jack, how is your research into food additives and ingredients going?
Jack: My project is going well, although I haven't quite finished. There are a few remaining points I need to research and some data to compile.
Tutor: I'm happy to hear it's coming along well. I understand you collaborated with a partner on some aspects of this project. Sometimes it's worth teaming up with a fellow student, especially if you've worked together before and you know you can perform well as a team.
Jack: Originally, I thought the research material would be complicated, so I should ask a friend to help interpret the results. However, it was not as complicated as I imagined. But it turned out having a partner was beneficial because there was a lot of research that needed doing, and I wouldn't have had the time to do it on my own.
Tutor: It's usually of benefit when conducting a research project to interview people that deal with your topic of study regularly. Have you thought about who you could include in your interviewing process? Perhaps supermarket managers would be a good starting point.
Jack: Yeah, it's true that supermarket managers could be important subjects for a survey like this. But I have decided to start with consumers and take down their opinions on what they're eating. Then what I'm going to do is to conduct some surveys with food manufacturers. It's also necessary to know what food manufacturers think of.
Tutor: Excellent! Just remember, you will have to get permission from management before you begin. What information have you found useful for your project so far?
Jack: I've been examining labels on frequently purchased products, especially ready-made meals, to understand what manufacturers are required to disclose. I found the results interesting. I thought the weight of the product and ingredients would have to be stated on the packaging.
Tutor: What did you find instead?
Jack: It seems the price of the food item is the most important consideration of the manufacturers, rather than the consumer's awareness of what they're eating.
Tutor: Regarding food items that contained a list of ingredients, was there anything you found particularly surprising such as which foods are most popular?
Jack: Unfortunately, I couldn't find out much about the popularity of foods from the labels, although I suspect the most frequently bought items would be from the fast food aisle. What really surprised me was the amount of artificial ingredients these foods contain. We're taking in vast amounts of additives every day.
Tutor: As the cost of food goes up, we'll see additives listed in the ingredients more often, as it's cheaper to produce chemicals than grow the natural products. Do you have any concerns over how your project is going? Is it hard to get respondents?
Jack: That's the easy part. My partner on the project worries that we have much more essential data to collect, but I'm more concerned with the fact that we're running out of time to complete the project.
Tutor: I have some tips to assist you. You must have a great deal of recorded content to interpret. It may be difficult to compile, so continuing to work with your partner is a good option.
Jack: Those handheld recorders worked really well. I think I'll use them again for interviewing next time. I've also got to collect some data specific to consumer preferences. It's difficult to find the time.
Tutor: There's no harm in asking someone else to collect it and even analyze it. You just need the results. Some of the first-year students would be glad to have the experience.
Jack: That would be fantastic! I've got some specific research to do on the ingredients of well-done beef. It's a controversial issue.
Tutor: Perhaps you could read some articles on the subject beforehand, although there is not much information available. I understand why you want to include this in your project, but I think you need to weigh up its worth against the time it would take. It wouldn't be worth it.
Jack: True. I still have those interviews in the shopping center to conduct.
Tutor: I suggest before you begin that you do some training. Most shopping center managers want interviewers to act professionally, so you might need to find out some specific information first. You don't want to harass customers.
Jack: Okay, I'll think about that. I've also got to decide on the layout of the results and format it into a logical presentation.
Tutor: You can work on that once you've gathered all your data.
Jack: Great, thanks for your help!
Part 4 — Lecture on Green Mountain Fossil Park
You will hear part of a lecture about a fossil park.
Welcome, students, to the daily talk on the fossils found here at Green Mountain Fossil Park. First, I will tell you a little about the history of our park. The park is designed to educate you on what the environment was like in this area around 5 million years ago, when most of the area was at sea level and near water bodies, such as lakes and seas. These bodies of water provided moisture and significant plant and animal variety, which has resulted in the fantastic collection of fossils which you will see today. The fossils here were discovered by mine workers during the 1960s, and the park itself was opened to tourists and students back in 1985.
We have three types of fossils here in the park. The first are transitional fossils. These are rare fossils that appear to exhibit traits of the animal's evolutionary ancestors and its descendants, such as an animal showing both dinosaur and bird-like features. Next, we have preserved fossils, which are more common fossilized remains. These are fossils in which the structure of an animal or plant remains intact, and you can clearly see something like a plant or a fish. Thirdly, we have fossils which indirectly show the activity of animals, such as their tracks and burrows, and we refer to these as trace fossils.
You may wonder how fossils are formed. Well, many people think it happens when organisms are caught in a volcanic eruption and are trapped in ash, but in reality, these formations are rare. The most common way a fossil is formed is through petrifaction. An animal dies and becomes buried under mud or silt. Over time, the mud hardens around the bones of the animal. Eventually, the bones also decay and are replaced by minerals, which form the shape of the fossil in stone. You will see many of this kind of fossil today.
After you finish today's tour, you may wish to take home a souvenir. We encourage you to do so. There is a shop outside the park, but you can also make purchases from our exhibitions. The money raised helps to fund our work of preserving this wonderful site. Of course, you can also buy fossils and take them home. Please don't think that all fossils are expensive to buy. The majority are small and affordable samples that are as wonderful as the larger ones. Don't forget to check them out.
As you can see, you all have some worksheets to go through here today. These will help you to learn as much as you can from your visit. There are also some tools you will find as you go around the site. For example, there are tape measures available beside each fossil so that you can note the dimensions of each fossil. This can help us to identify different species. We also encourage you to use your specially designed notebook to record as many different types of rocks as you can. Geology forms an important part of the study of fossils, and so we want you to focus on the types.
If you brought a camera along with you today, don't hesitate to use it as the images of the fossils will be worth reviewing later. You may wish to experiment with the settings to see what they are like. Here in the information center, you can pick up an information sheet which contains some useful tips on how to do that.
Last of all, you can practice using a compass. Even though you cannot locate the fossils themselves using the compass, it will help you find the sediments, which are the key to the location of the fossils. These are very soft, so to protect the delicate fossils, trowels and plastic covers are needed. You will find these throughout the site, please use them. Please feel free to ask any of our staff as you tour around, and enjoy your day! We hope you leave us today with a greater passion to study fossils further.