CUỐN 12 TEST 2

MAN: Good morning, Kenton Festival box office. How can I help you?

WOMAN:             Oh, good morning. I’m coming to Kenton for a few days’ holiday next month, and a friend told me there’s a festival. She gave me this number to find out about it.

MAN: That’s right, the festival begins on the 16th of May (Example) and goes on till the 19th.

WOMAN:             Oh, that’s great. I’ll be there from the 15th till the 19th. So could you tell me the programme, please?

MAN: Well, on the first day, there’s the opening ceremony, in the town centre. People start gathering around 2 o’clock, to get a good place to see from, and the events will start at 2.45 (Q1), and finish about 5.30.

WOMAN:             OK, thanks. I’ll make sure I get there early to get a good spot.

MAN: The festival will be officially opened by the mayor. He’ll just speak for a few minutes, welcoming everyone to the festival. All the town councillors will be there, and of course lots of other people.

WOMAN:             Right.

MAN: Then there’ll be a performance by a band (Q2). Most years we have a children’s choir, but this year the local army cadets offered to perform, and they’re very good.

WOMAN:             Uhuh.

MAN: After that, a community group from the town will perform a play they’ve written themselves, just a short one. It’s about Helen Tungate (Q3). I don’t know if you’ve heard of her?

WOMAN:             I certainly have. She was a scientist years ago. (Q4)

MAN: That’s right. She was born in Kenton exactly 100 years ago, so we’re celebrating her centenary.

WOMAN:             I’m a biologist, so I’ve always been interested in her, I didn’t realise she came from Kenton.

MAN: Yes. Well, all that will take place in the afternoon, and later, as the sun sets, there’ll be a firework display. You should go to the park to watch, as you’ll get the best view from there, and the display takes place on the opposite side of the river (Q5). It’s always one of the most popular events in the festival.

WOMAN:             Sounds great.

————————      

WOMAN:             And what’s happening on the other days?

MAN: There are several events that go on the whole time. For example, the students of the art college have produced a number of videos, all connected with relationships between children and their grandparents. (Q6)

WOMAN:             That sounds interesting. It makes a change from children and parents, doesn’t it!

MAN: Exactly. Because the art college is in use for classes, throughout the festival, the videos are being shown in Handsworth House. (Q7)

WOMAN:             How do you spell the name?

MAN: H-A-N-D-S-W-O-R-T-H. Handsworth House. It’s close to the Town Hall.

WOMAN:             Right.

MAN: Now let me see, what else can I tell you about?

WOMAN:             Are there any displays of ballet dancing? I’m particularly interested in that as I do it as a hobby.

MAN: There isn’t any ballet, I’m afraid, but there’ll be a demonstration of traditional dances from all round the country. (Q8)

WOMAN:             Oh, that’d be nice. Where’s that being held?

MAN: It’s in the market in the town centre – the outdoor one, not the covered market (Q9). And it’s on at 2 and 5 every afternoon of the festival, apart from the first day.

WOMAN:             Lovely. I’m interested in all kinds of dancing, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy that!

MAN: Mmm. I’m sure you will.

WOMAN:             And I’d really like to go to some concerts, if there are any.

MAN: Yes, there are several. Three performed by professionals, and one by local children.

WOMAN:             And where is it being held?

MAN: It’s in the library, which is in Part Street. On the 18th, at 6.30 in the evening.

WOMAN:             I presume I’ll need tickets for that.

MAN: Yes, you can book online, or you can buy them when you arrive in Kenton, either at the festival box office, or from any shops displaying our logo in the windows. (Q10)

WOMAN:             Well, I think that’ll keep me busy for the whole of my stay in Kenton. Thank you so much for all your help.

MAN: You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay.

WOMAN:             Thank you. Goodbye.

CUỐN 12 TEST 3

SUSIE:   Hello?

PAUL:    Hi, Susie, it’s Paul here. How are you? Enjoying your new job? You’re working at the library, aren’t you?

SUSIE:   Yes. I started when the library re-opened a month ago (Example). It’s great.

PAUL:    Actually Carol and I have been meaning to join for a while.

SUSIE:   Oh, you should. It doesn’t cost anything, and the new library has all sorts of facilities. It’s not just a place where you borrow books. For instance, there’s an area with comfortable seats where you can sit and read the magazines they have there. Some people spend the whole morning there.

PAUL:    Mmm. Wish I had that amount of time to spend!

SUSIE:   Yes, you must be pretty busy at present, with the children and everything?

PAUL:    We are, yes. But we’re hoping to get away this summer. We’re thinking of going to Greece.

SUSIE:   Well, we’ve got a much larger section of the library devoted to travel books now (Q1), so you should come and have a look. I can’t remember if there’s anything specifically on Greece, but I should think so.

PAUL:    OK. Now Carol’s organising a project for the history class she teaches at school – it’s about life in the town a hundred years ago. Do you have anything that might be useful?

SUSIE:   Yes, actually we’ve now got a new section with materials on the history of the town and surrounding region. (Q2)

PAUL:    Right. I’ll tell her. You can’t always find that sort of thing on the internet. Now in the old library there used to be a separate room with reference books. It was a really nice quiet room.

SUSIE:   Yes. We’ve put those books in the main part of the library now, but we do have a room called the community room. It can be hired out for meetings, but at other times people can use it to study. (Q3)

PAUL:    I might use that. It’s hard to find anywhere quiet at home sometimes.

SUSIE:   I can’t remember how old your son and daughter are … we’ve introduced a special section of fiction written specially for teenagers (Q4), but they might be a bit young for that?

PAUL:    Yes, they would be.

—————-

SUSIE:   Well, we do have lots of activities for younger children.

PAUL:    Yes?

SUSIE:   For example we have a Science Club. At the next meeting, they’re going to be doing experiments with stuff that everyone has in the kitchen (Q5) – sugar and flour and so on.

PAUL:    They might be interested, yes.

SUSIE:   And we have a competition for children called Reading Challenge. That doesn’t begin until after the end of term. They have to read six books, and they get a certificate if they manage it.

PAUL:    So that gives them something to do while they’re on holiday, instead of getting bored.

SUSIE:   That’s the idea. And there’s special activities for adults too. On Friday we have a local author called Tanya Streep who’s going to be talking about her new novel. It’s called ‘Catch the Mouse’ and she based the story on a crime that actually took place here years ago. (Q6)

PAUL:    Right. We’re not free on Friday, but I’ll took out for the book.

SUSIE:   Now this probably isn’t for you, but we do have IT support available for members. We get quite a few older people coming along who are wanting to get up to speed with computer technology. It’s on Tuesday mornings – they don’t need to make an appointment or anything, they just turn up. (Q7)

PAUL:    Well, my mother might be interested, I’ll let her know.

SUSIE:   OK. And there’s another service which you wouldn’t expect from a library, which is a free medical check-up. The hospital arranges for someone to come along and measure the level of sugar in your blood, and they check cholesterol levels at the same time. (Q8)

PAUL:    Really?

SUSIE:   Yes, but that’s only for the over-60s, so you wouldn’t qualify.

PAUL:    OK. Well, I’ll tell my mother, she might be interested.

SUSIE:   What other information … well, we do have a little shop with things like wallcharts and greetings cards, and also stamps (Q9) so you can post the cards straightaway, which is really useful.

PAUL:    Yeah. Well, I’ll bring the children round at the weekend and we’ll join. Oh, one more thing – I’ll be bringing the car, is there parking available? (Q10)

SUSIE:   Yes, and it’s free in the evening and at weekends.

PAUL:    Perfect. Well, thanks, Susie see you …

CUỐN 12 TEST 4

BOB:  Hello, Pembroke Cycling Holidays, Bob speaking.

MARGARET:        Oh hello. I’ve seen your advert for people to lead cycle trips. Are you the right person to speak to?

BOB:  Yes, I am. Could I have your name, please?          

MARGARET:        It’s Margaret Smith. (Example)

BOB:  Are you looking for a permanent job, Margaret? (Q1)

MARGARET:        No, temporary. I’ve got a permanent job starting in a few months’ time, and I want to do something else until then.

BOB:  What work do you do?

MARGARET:        This will probably sound crazy – I used to be a lawyer, and then I made a complete career change and I’m going to be a doctor (Q2). I’ve just finished my training.

BOB:  Right. And have you had any experience of leading cycle trips?

MARGARET:        Yes, I’ve led several bike tours in Africa (Q3). The trip to India that I had arranged to lead next month has now been cancelled, so when I saw you were advertising for tour leaders, I decided to apply.

BOB:  OK. Now we normally have two or three leaders on a trip, depending on the size of the group. Some tours are for very experienced cyclists, but we’ve got a tour coming up soon in Spain, which is proving so popular we need an additional leader. It’s a cycling holiday for families. Would that suit you?            

MARGARET:        It certainly would. I enjoy working with children, and I probable need some more experience before I go on a really challenging trip.

BOB:  That tour includes several teenagers: have you worked with that age group before?

MARGARET:        Yes, I’m a volunteer worker in a youth club (Q4), where I help people to improve their cycling skills. Before that I helped out in a cycling club where I taught beginners.

BOB:  Well that’s great. Now the trip I mentioned is just for a fortnight, but there might be the possibility of leading other tours after that. Would that fit in with your plans?

MARGARET:        That’s be fine. I’ll be free for five months. My job is due to start on October the 2nd, and I’m available from May the 1st until late September. (Q5)

BOB:  Good. Now is there anything I need to know about the food you eat? We usually have one or two people in the group who don’t eat meat, or have some sort of food allergy, so we’re always very careful about that.

MARGARET:        Yes, I’m allergic to cheese (Q6). Would that be a problem?

BOB:  No, as long as we have enough notice, we can deal with that.

MARGARET:        That’s great.

——————–

MARGARET:        It sounds really interesting – would you like me to fill in an application form?

BOB:  Yes, please. Where should I post it to?

MARGARET:        Could you send it to 27 Arbuthnot Place – A-R-B-U-T-H-N-O-T – Place, Dumfries. (Q7)

BOB:  And what’s the postcode, please? (Q8)

MARGARET:        DG7 4PH.

BOB:  Was that P Papa or B Bravo?

MARGARET:        P Papa.

BOB:  Got that. If you could return the application form by Friday this week, we can interview you on Tuesday next week (Q9). Say half past two. Would that be possible for you?

MARGARET:        Yes, it’s fine. You’re quite a long way from where I live, so I’ll drive over on Monday. Should I bring anything to the interview?

BOB:  We’ll have your application form, of course, but we’ll need to see any certificates you’ve got that are relevant, in cycling, first aid, or whatever.

MARGARET:        OK.

BOB:  And at the interview we’d like to find out about your experience of being a tour guide, so could you prepare a ten-minute talk about that, please? (Q10) You don’t need slides or any complicated equipment – just some notes.

MARGARET:        Right. I’ll start thinking about that straightaway!

BOB:  Good. Well, we’ll look forward to receiving your application form, and we’ll contact you to confirm the interview.

MARGARET:        Thanks very much.

BOB:  Thank you, Margaret. Goodbye.

MARGARET:        Bye.

CUỐN 13 TEST 1

OFFICIAL:            Hello, Tourist Information Centre, Mike speaking, how can I help you?

WOMAN:             Oh, hi. I wanted to find out about cookery classes. I believe there are some one-day classes for tourists?

OFFICIAL:            Well, they’re open to everyone, but tourists are always welcome. OK, let me give you some details of what’s available. There are several classes. One very popular one is at the Food Studio. (Example)

WOMAN:             OK

OFFICIAL:            They focus on seasonal products, and as well as teaching you how to cook them, they also show you how to choose (Q1) them.

WOMAN:             Right, that sounds good. How big are the classes?

OFFICIAL:            I’m not sure exactly, but they’ll be quite small.

WOMAN:             And could I get a private (Q2) lesson there?

OFFICIAL:            I think so … let me check, yes, they do offer those. Though in fact most of the people who attend the classes find it’s a nice way of getting to know one another.

WOMAN:             I suppose it must be, yes.

OFFICIAL:            And this company has a special deal for clients where they offer a discount of 20 percent (Q3) if you return for a further class.

WOMAN:             OK. But you said there were several classes?

OFFICIAL:            That’s right. Another one you might be interested in is Bond’s Cookery School. They’re quite new, they just opened six months ago, but I’ve heard good things about them. They concentrate on teaching you to prepare healthy (Q4) food, and they have quite a lot of specialist staff.

WOMAN:             So is that food for people on a diet and things like that? I don’t know if I’d be interested in that.

OFFICIAL:            Well, I don’t think they particularly focus on low calorie diets or weight loss. It’s more to do with recipes that look at specific needs, like including ingredients that will help build up your bones (Q5) and make them stronger, that sort of thing.

WOMAN:             I see. Well, I might be interested, I’m not sure. Do they have a website I could check?

OFFICIAL:            Yes, just key in the name of the school – it’ll come up. And if you want to know more about them, every Thursday evening they have a lecture (Q6) at the school. It’s free and you don’t need to book or anything, just turn up at 7.30. And that might give you an idea of whether you want to go to an actual class.

—————————

OFFICIAL:            OK, there’s one more place you might be interested in. That’s got a rather strange name, it’s called The Arretsa (Q7) Centre – that’s spelled A-R-R-E-T-S-A.

WOMAN:             OK.

OFFICIAL:            They’ve got a very good reputation. They do a bit of meat and fish cookery but they mostly specialise in vegetarian (Q8) dishes.

WOMAN:             Right. That’s certainly an area I’d like to learn more about. I’ve got lots of friends who don’t eat meat. In fact, I think I might have seen that school today. Is it just by the market? (Q9)

OFFICIAL:            That’s right. So they don’t have any problem getting their ingredients. They’re right next door. And they also offer a special two-hour course in how to use a knife (Q10). They cover all the different skills – buying them, sharpening, chopping techniques. It gets booked up quickly though so you’d need to check it was available.

WOMAN:             Right, well thank you very much. I’ll go and …

CUỐN 13 TEST 2

JIM:   Hello, South City Cycling Club.

WOMAN:             Oh, hi. Er … I want to find out about joining the club.

JIM:   Right. I can help you there. I’m the club secretary and my name’s Jim Hunter (Example).

WOMAN:             Oh, hi Jim.

JIM:   So, are you interested in membership for yourself?

WOMAN:             That’s right.

JIM:   OK. Well there are basically two types of adult membership. If you’re pretty serious about cycling, there’s the Full membership. That costs 260 dollars and that covers you not just for ordinary cycling but also for races both here in the city and also in other parts of Australia. (Q1)

WOMAN:             Right. Well, I’m not really up to that standard. I was more interested in just joining a group to do some cycling in my free time.

JIM:   Sure. That’s why most people join. So, in that case you’d be better with the Recreational membership. That’s 108 dollars if you’re over 19, and 95 dollars if you’re under.

WOMAN:             I’m 25.

JIM:   OK. It’s paid quarterly, and you can upgrade it later to the Full membership if you want to, of course. Now both types of membership include the club fee of 20 dollars. They also provide insurance in case you have an accident (Q2), though we hope you won’t need that, of course.

WOMAN:             No. OK, well, I’ll go with the Recreational membership, I think. And that allows me to join in the club activities, and so on?

JIM:   That’s right. And once you’re a member of the club, you’re also permitted to wear our kit when you’re out cycling. It’s green and white.

WOMAN:             Yes, I’ve seen cyclists wearing it. So, can I buy that at the club?

JIM:   No, it’s made to order by a company in Brisbane. You can find them online: they’re called Jerriz (Q3). That’s J-E-R-R-I-Z. You can use your membership number to put in an order on their website.

WOMAN:             OK. Now, can you tell me a bit about the rides I can do?

JIM:   Sure. So we have training rides pretty well every morning, and they’re a really good way of improving your cycling skills as well as your general level of fitness, but they’re different levels. Level A is pretty fast – you’re looking at about 30 or 35 kilometres an hour. If you can do about 25 kilometres an hour, you’d probably be level B (Q4), and then level C are the novices, who stay at about 15 kilometres per hour.

WOMAN:             Right. Well I reckon I’d be level B. So, when are the sessions for that level?

JIM:   There are a couple each week. They’re both early morning sessions. There’s one on Tuesdays, and for that one you meet at 5.30 am, and the meeting point’s the stadium (Q5) – do you know where that is?

WOMAN:             Yes, it’s quite near my home, in fact. OK, and how about the other one?

JIM:   That’s on Thursdays. It starts at the same time, but they meet at the main gate to the park. (Q6)

WOMAN:             Is that the one just past the shopping mall?

JIM:   That’s it.

————————–

WOMAN:             So how long are the rides?

JIM:   They’re about an hour and a half. So, if you have a job it’s easy to fit in before you go to work. And the members often go somewhere for coffee afterwards (Q7), so it’s quite a social event.

WOMAN:             OK. That sounds good. I’ve only just moved to the city so I don’t actually know many people yet.

JIM:   Well, it’s a great way to meet people.     

WOMAN:             And does each ride have a leader? (Q8)

JIM:   Sometimes, but not always. But you don’t really need one; the group members on the ride support one another, anyway.

WOMAN:             How would we know where to go?

JIM:   If you check the club website, you’ll see that the route for each ride is clearly marked. So you can just print that out (Q9) and take it along with you. It’s similar from one week to another, but it’s not always exactly the same.

WOMAN:             And what do I need to bring?

JIM:   Well, bring a bottle of water, and your phone. You shouldn’t use if while you’re cycling, buy have it with you.

WOMAN:             Right.

JIM:   And in winter, it’s well before sunrise when we set out, so you need to make sure your bike’s got lights. (Q10)

WOMAN:             That’s OK. Well, thanks Jim. I’d definitely like to join. So what’s the best way of going about it?

JIM:   You can …