CUỐN 14 TEST 3

ANGELA:         Hello, Flanders conference hotel.

MAN:               Oh, hi. I wanted to ask about conference facilities at the hotel. Have I come through to the right person?

ANGELA:         You have. I’m the customer services manager. My name’s (Example) Angela. So how can I help you?

MAN:               Well, I’m calling from Barrett and Stansons, we’re a medical company based in Perth.

ANGELA:         Oh yes.

MAN:               And we’re organising a conference for our clients to be held in Sydney. It’ll be held over two days and we’re expecting about fifty or sixty people.

ANGELA:         When were you thinking of having it?

MAN:               Some time early next year, like the end of January? It’d have to be a weekend.

ANGELA:         Let me see … our conference facilities are already booked for the weekend beginning January 28th. We could do the first weekend in February?

MAN:               How about January 21st?

ANGELA:         I’m afraid that’s booked too.

MAN:               Well, let’s go for the February date then.

ANGELA:         So that’s the weekend beginning the 4th.

MAN:               OK. Now can you tell me a bit about what conference facilities you have?

ANGELA:         Sure. So for talks and presentations we have the Tesla room.

MAN:               Sorry?

ANGELA:         (Q1) Tesla – that’s spelled T-E-S-L-A. it holds up to a hundred people, and it’s fully equipped with a projector and so on.

MAN:               How about a (Q2) microphone?

ANGELA:         Yes, that’ll be all set up ready for you, and there’ll be one that members of the audience can use too, for questions, if necessary.

MAN:               Fine. And we’ll also need some sort of open area where people can sit and have a cup of coffee, and we’d like to have an (Q3) exhibition of our products and services there as well, so that’ll need to be quite a big space.

ANGELA:         That’s fine, there’s a central atrium with all those facilities, and you can come before the conference starts if you want to set everything up.

MAN:               Great. And I presume there’s (Q4) wifi?

ANGELA:         Oh yes, that’s free and available throughout the hotel.

MAN:               OK.

ANGELA:         Would you also like us to provide a buffet lunch? We can do a two-course meal with a number of different options.

MAN:               What sort of price are we looking at for that?

ANGELA:         Well, I can send you a copy of the standard menu. That’s (Q5) $45 per person. Or you can have the special for $25 more.

MAN:               I think the standard should be OK, but yes, send me the menu.

———————–       

MAN:               Now we’re also going to need accommodation on the Saturday night for some of the participants … I’m not sure how many, but probably about 25. So what do you change for a room?

ANGELA:         Well, for conference attendees we have a 25% reduction, so we can offer you rooms at (Q6) $135. Normally a standard room’s $180.

MAN:               And does that include breakfast?

ANGELA:         Sure. And of course, guests can also make use of all the other facilities at the hotel. So we’ve got a spa where you can get massages and facials and so on, and there’s a (Q7) pool up on the roof for the use of guests.

MAN:               Great. Now what about transport links? The hotel’s downtown, isn’t it?

ANGELA:          Yes, it’s about 12 kilometres from the (Q8) airport, but there’s a complimentary shuttle bus for guests. And it’s only about ten minutes’ walk from the central railway station.

MAN:               OK. Now, I don’t know Sydney very well, can you just give me an idea of the location of the hotel?

ANGELA:         Well, it’s downtown on Wilby Street, that’s quite a small street, and it’s not very far from the (Q9) sea. And of course if the conference attendees want to go out on the Saturday evening there’s a huge choice of places to eat. Then if they want to make a night of it, they can go on to one of the (Q10) clubs in the area – there are a great many to choose from.

MAN:               OK. So if we go ahead with this, can you give me some information about how much …

CUỐN 14 TEST 4

ANDREW:        Good morning, Clare House Hotel. Andrew speaking. I’m the (Example) Events Manager.

SAM:               Good morning, Andrew. My name’s Samantha. I’m arranging a party for my parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, and I’m ringing to ask about hiring a room some time next September. Also my parents and several of the guests will need accommodation.          

ANDREW:        OK, I’m sure we can help you with that. Will you be having a sit-down meal or a buffet?

SAM:               Probably a sit-down.

ANDREW:        And do you know how many people there’ll be?

SAM:               Around eighty, I think.

ANDREW:        Well we have two rooms that can hold that number. One is the Adelphi Room. That can seat (Q1) eighty-five, or hold over a hundred if people are standing for a buffet.

SAM:               Right.

ANDREW:        If you have live music, there’s room for four or five musicians in the gallery overlooking the room. Our guests usually appreciate the fact that the music can be loud enough for dancing, but not too loud for conversation.

SAM:               Yes, I really don’t like it when you can’t talk.

ANDREW:        Exactly. Now the Adelphi Room is at the back of the hotel, and there are French windows leading out onto the terrace. This has a beautiful display of pots of (Q2) roses at that time of the year.

SAM:               Which direction does it face?

ANDREW:        Southwest, so that side of the hotel gets the sun in the afternoon and early evening.

SAM:               Very nice.

ANDREW:        From the terrace you can see the area of (Q3) trees within the grounds of the hotel, or you can stroll through there to the river – that’s on the far side, so it isn’t visible from the hotel.

SAM:               OK.

ANDREW:        Then another option is the Carlton Room. This is a bit bigger – it can hold up to a hundred and ten people – and it has the advantage of a (Q4) stage, which is useful if you have any entertainment, or indeed a small band can fit onto it.

SAM:               And can you go outside from the room?

ANDREW:        No, the Carlton Room is on the first floor, but on one side the windows look out onto the lake.

SAM:               Lovely. I think either of those rooms would be suitable.

ANDREW:        Can I tell you about some of the options we offer in addition?

SAM:               Please do.

ANDREW:        As well as a meal, you can have an MC, a Master of Ceremonies, who’ll be with you throughout the party.

SAM:               What exactly is the MC’s function? I suppose they make a (Q5) speech during the meal if we need one, do they?

ANDREW:        That’s right. All our MCs are trained as public speakers, so they can easily get people’s attention – many guests are glad to have someone who can make themselves heard above the chatter! And they’re also your (Q6) support – if anything goes wrong, the MC will deal with it, so you can relax.

SAM:               Great! I’ll need to ask you about food, but something else that’s important is accommodation. You obviously have rooms in the hotel, but do you also have any other accommodation, like (Q7) cabins, for example?

ANDREW:        Yes, there are five in the grounds, all self-contained. They each sleep two to four people and have their own living room, bathroom and small kitchen.

SAM:               That sounds perfect for what we’ll need.

——————————

SAM:               Now you have various facilities, don’t you? Are they all included in the price of hiring the room? The pool, for instance.

ANDREW:        Normally you’d be able to use it, but (Q8) it’ll be closed throughout September for refurbishment, I’m afraid. (Q9) The gym will be available, though, at no extra charge. That’s open all day, from six in the morning until midnight.

SAM:               Right.

ANDREW:        And the tennis courts, but (Q10) there is a small additional payment for those. We have four courts, and it’s worth booking in advance if you possibly can, as there can be quite a long waiting list for them!

SAM:               Right. Now could we discuss the food? This would be dinner, around seven o’clock …

CUỐN 15 TEST 1

AMBER:               Hello William. This is Amber – you said to phone if I wanted to get more information about the job agency you mentioned. Is now a good time?

WILLIAM:            Oh, hi Amber. Yes. Fine. So the agency I was talking about is called Bankside – they’re based in Docklands – I can tell you the address now – 497 Eastside.

AMBER:               OK, thanks. So is there anyone in particular I should speak to there?

WILLIAM:            The agent I always deal with is called Becky Jamieson.

AMBER:               Let me write that down – Becky …

WILLIAM:            Jamieson (Q1) J-A-M-I-E-S-O-N.

AMBER:               Do you have her direct line?

WILLIAM:            Yes, it’s in my contacts somewhere – right, here we are: 078 double 6, 510 triple 3. I wouldn’t call her until the afternoon (Q2) if I were you – she’s always really busy in the morning trying to fill last-minute vacancies. She’s really helpful and friendly so I’m sure it would be worth getting in touch with her for an informal chat.

AMBER:               It’s mainly clerical and admin jobs they deal with, isn’t it?

WILLIAM:            That’s right. I know you’re hoping to find a full-time job in the media eventually – but Becky mostly recruits temporary staff for the finance sector – which will look good on your CV – and generally pays better too.

AMBER:               Yeah – I’m just a bit worried because I don’t have much office experience.

WILLIAM:            I wouldn’t worry. They’ll probably start you as a receptionist, or something like that. So what’s important for that kind of job isn’t so much having business skills or knowing lots of different computer systems – it’s communication (Q3) that really matters – so you’d be fine there. And you’ll pick up office skills really quickly on the job. It’s not that complicated.

AMBER:               OK good. So how long do people generally need temporary staff for? It would be great if I could get something lasting at least a month.

WILLIAM:            That shouldn’t be too difficult. But you’re more likely to be offered something for a week (Q4) at first, which might get extended. It’s unusual to be sent somewhere for just a day or two.

AMBER:               Right, I’ve heard the pay isn’t too bad – better than working in a shop or a restaurant.

WILLIAM:            Oh yes – definitely. The hourly rate is about £10 (Q5), 11 if you’re lucky.

AMBER:               That’s pretty good. I was only expecting to get eight or nine pounds an hour.

————————————————

WILLIAM:            Do you want me to tell you anything about the registration process?

AMBER:               Yes, please. I know you have to have an interview.

WILLIAM:            The interview usually takes about an hour and you should arrange that about a week in advance.

AMBER:               I suppose I should dress smartly if it’s for office work – I can probably borrow a suit (Q6) from Mum.

WILLIAM:            Good idea. It’s better to look too smart than too casual.

AMBER:               Will I need to bring copies of my exam certificates or anything like that?

WILLIAM:            No – they don’t need to see those, I don’t think.

AMBER:               What about my passport? (Q7)

WILLIAM:            Oh yes – they will ask to see that.

AMBER:               OK.

WILLIAM:            I wouldn’t get stressed about the interview though. It’s just a chance for them to build a relationship with you – so they can try and match you to a job which you’ll like. So there are questions about personality (Q8) that they always ask candidates – fairly basic ones. And they probably won’t ask anything too difficult like what your plans are for the future.

AMBER:               Hope not.

WILLIAM:            Anyway, there are lots of benefits to using an agency – for example, the interview will be useful because they’ll give you feedback (Q9) on your performance so you can improve next time.

AMBER:               And they’ll have access to jobs which aren’t advertised.

WILLIAM:            Exactly – most temporary jobs aren’t advertised.

AMBER:               And I expect finding a temporary job this way takes a lot less time (Q10) – it’s much easier than ringing up individual companies.

WILLIAM:            Yes indeed. Well I think …

CUỐN 15 TEST 2

TIM:       Good morning. You’re through to the tourist information office, Tim speaking. How can I help you?

JEAN:     Oh hello. Could you give me some information about next month’s festival, please? My family and I will be staying in the town that week.

TIM:       Of course. Well it starts with a concert on the afternoon of the 17th.

JEAN:     Oh I heard about that. The orchestra and singers come from the USA, don’t they?

TIM:       They’re from Canada. They’re very popular over there. They’re going to perform a number of well-known pieces that will appeal to children as well as adults.

JEAN:     That sounds good. My whole family are interested in music.

TIM:       The next day, the 18th, there’s a performance by a ballet company called Eustatis. (Q1)

JEAN:     Sorry?

TIM:       The name is spelt E-U-S-T-A-T-I-S. They appeared in last year’s festival, and went down very well. Again, their programme is designed for all ages.

JEAN:     Good. I expect we’ll go to that. I hope there’s going to be a play during the festival, a comedy, ideally.

TIM:       You’re in luck! On the 19th and 20th a local amateur group are performing one written by a member of group. It’s called Jemima. That’ll be on in the town hall. They’ve already performed it two or three times. I haven’t seen it myself, but the review (Q2) in the local paper was very good.

JEAN:     And is it suitable for children?

TIM:       Yes, in fact it’s aimed more at children than at adults, so both performances are in the afternoon.

JEAN:     And what about dance (Q3) ? Will there by any performances?

TIM:       Yes, also on the 20th, but in the evening. A professional company is putting on a show of modern pieces, with electronic music by young composers.

JEAN:     Uh-huh.

TIM:       The show is about how people communicate, or fail to communicate, with each other, so it’s got the rather strange name, Chat. (Q4)

JEAN:     I suppose that’s because that’s something we do both face to face and online.

TIM:       That’s right.

———————-

TIM:       Now there are also some workshops and other activities. They’ll all take place at least once every day, so everyone who wants to take part will have a chance.

JEAN:     Good. We’re particularly interested in cookery – you don’t happen to have a cookery workshop, do you?

TIM:       We certainly do. It’s going to focus on how to make food part of a healthy (Q5) lifestyle, and it’ll show that even sweet things like cakes can contain much less sugar than they usually do.

JEAN:     That might be worth going to. We’re trying to encourage our children to cook.

TIM:       Another workshop is just for children, and that’s on creating posters (Q6) to reflect the history of the town. The aim is to make children aware of how both the town and people’s lives have changed over the centuries. The results will be exhibited in the community centre. Then the other workshop is in toy-making, and that’s for adults only.

JEAN:     Oh, why’s that?

TIM:       Because it involves carpentry – participants will be making toys out of wood (Q7), so there’ll be a lot of sharp chisels and other tools around.

JEAN:     It makes sense to keep children away from it.

TIM:       Exactly. Now let me tell you about some of the outdoor activities. There’ll be supervised wild swimming …

JEAN:     Wild swimming? What’s that?

TIM:       It just means swimming in natural waters, rather than a swimming pool.

JEAN:     Oh OK. In a lake (Q8), for instance.

TIM:       Yes, there’s a beautiful one just outside the town, and that’ll be the venue for the swimming. There’ll be lifeguards on duty, so it’s suitable for all ages. And finally, there’ll be a walk in some nearby woods every day. The leader is an expert on insects (Q9). He’ll show some that live in the woods, and how important they are for the environment. So there are going to be all sorts of different things to do during the festival.

JEAN:     There certainly are.

TIM:       If you’d like to read about how the preparations for the festival are going, the festival organizer is keeping a blog (Q10). Just search online for the festival website, and you’ll find it.

JEAN:     Well, thank you very much for all the information.

TIM:       You’re welcome. Goodbye.

JEAN:     Goodbye.

CUỐN 15 TEST 3

SALLY:   Good morning. Thanks for coming in to see us here at the agency, Joe. I’m one of the agency representatives, and my name’s Sally Baker.

JOE:       Hi Sally. I think we spoke on the phone, didn’t we?

SALLY:   That’s right, we did. So thank you for sending in your CV. We’ve had quite a careful look at it and I think we have two jobs that might be suitable for you.

JOE:       OK.

SALLY:   The first one is in a company based in North London. They’re looking for an administrative assistant.

JOE:       OK. What sort of company is it?

SALLY:   They’re called Home Solutions and they design and make furniture. (Q1)

JOE:       Oh, I don’t know much about that, but it sounds interesting.

SALLY:   Yes, well as I said, they want someone in their office, and looking at your past experience it does look as if you fit quite a few of the requirements. So on your CV it appears you’ve done some data entry?

JOE:       Yes.

SALLY:   So that’s one skill they want. Then they expect the person they appoint to attend meetings (Q2) and take notes there …

JOE:       OK. I’ve done that before, yes.

SALLY:   And you’d need to be able to cope with general admin.

JOE:       Filling, and keeping records and so on? That should be OK. And in my last job I also had to manage the diary. (Q3)

SALLY:   Excellent. That’s something they want here too. I’d suggest you add it to your CV – I don’t think you mentioned that, did you?

JOE:       No.

SALLY:   So as far as the requirements go, they want good computer skills, of course, and they particularly mention spreadsheets.

JOE:       That should be fine.

SALLY:   And interpersonal skills – which would be something they’d check with your references.

JOE:       I think that should be OK, yes.

SALLY:   Then they mention that they want someone who is careful and takes care with details (Q4) – just looking at your CV, I’d say you’re probably alright there.

JOE:       I think so, yes. Do they want any special experience?

SALLY:   I think they wanted some experience of teleconferencing.

JOE:       I’ve got three years’ experience of that.

SALLY:   let’s see, yes, good. In fact they’re only asking for at least one year (Q5), so that’s great. So is that something that might interest you?

JOE:       It is, yes. The only thing is, you said they were in North London so it would be quite a long commute for me.

SALLY:   OK.

————————

SALLY:   So the second position might suit you better as far as the location goes; that’s for a warehouse assistant and that’s in South London.

JOE:       Yes, that would be a lot closer.

SALLY:   And you’ve worked in a warehouse before, haven’t you?

JOE:       Yes.

SALLY:   So as far as the responsibilities for this position go, they want someone who can manage the stock, obviously, and also deliveries. (Q6)

JOE:       That should be OK. You’ve got to keep track of stuff, but I’ve always been quite good with numbers.

SALLY:   Good, that’s their first requirement. And they want someone who’s computer literate, which we know you are.

JOE:       Sure.

SALLY:   Then they mention organisational skills. They want someone who’s well organised.

JOE:       Yes, I think I am.

SALLY:   And tidy? (Q7)

JOE:       Yes, they go together really, don’t they?

SALLY:   Sure. Then the usual stuff; they want someone who can communicate well both orally and in writing.

JOE:       OK. And for the last warehouse job I had, one of the things I enjoyed most was being part of a team (Q8). I found that was really essential for the job.

SALLY:   Excellent. Yes, they do mention that they want someone who’s used to that, yes. Now when you were working in a warehouse last time, what sorts of items were you dealing with?

JOE:       It was mostly bathroom and kitchen equipment, sinks and stoves and fridges.

SALLY:   So you’re OK moving heavy (Q9) things?

JOE:       Sure. I’m quite strong, and I’ve had the training.

SALLY:   Good. Now as far as experience goes, they mention they want someone with a licence, and that you have experience of driving in London – so you can cope with the traffic and so on.

JOE:       Yes, no problem.

SALLY:   And you’ve got experience of warehouse work … and the final thing they mention is customer (Q10) service. I think looking at your CV you’ve OK there.

JOE:       Right. So what about pay? Can you tell me a bit more about that, please …

CUỐN 15 TEST 4

MAN:                    Hello. Do you mind if I ask you some questions about your journey today? We’re doing a customer satisfaction survey.

SOPHIE:               Yes. OK. I’ve got about ten minutes before my train home leaves. I’m on a day trip.

MAN:                    Great. Thank you. So first of all, could you tell me your name?

SOPHIE:               It’s Sophie Bird.

MAN:                    Thank you. And would you mind telling me what you do?

SOPHIE:               I’m a journalist. (Q1)

MAN:                    Oh really? That must be interesting.

SOPHIE:               Yes. It is.

MAN:                    So was the reason for your visit here today work?

SOPHIE:               Actually, it’s my day off. I came here to do some shopping. (Q2)

MAN:                    On right.

SOPHIE:               But I do sometimes come here for work.

MAN:                    OK. Now I’d like to ask some questions about your journey today, if that’s OK.

SOPHIE:               Yes. No problem.

MAN:                    Right, so can you tell me which station you’re travelling back to?

SOPHIE:               Staunfirth (Q3), where I live.

MAN:                    Can I just check the spelling? S-T-A-U-N-F-I-R-T-H?

SOPHIE:               That’s right.

MAN:                    And you travelled from there this morning?

SOPHIE:               Yes.

MAN:                    OK, good. Next, can I ask what kind of ticket you bought? I assume it wasn’t a season ticket, as you don’t travel every day.

SOPHIE:               That’s right. No, I just got a normal return (Q4) ticket. I don’t have a rail card so I didn’t get any discount. I keep meaning to get one because it’s a lot cheaper.

MAN:                    Yes – you’d have saved 20% on your ticket today. So you paid the full price for your ticket?

SOPHIE:               I paid £23.70. (Q5)

MAN:                    OK. Do you think that’s good value for money?

SOPHIE:               Not really. I think it’s too much for a journey that only takes 45 minutes.

MAN:                    Yes, that’s one of the main complaints we get. So, you didn’t buy your ticket in advance?

SOPHIE:               No. I know it’s cheaper if you buy a week in advance but I didn’t know I was coming then.

MAN:                    I know. You can’t always plan ahead. So, did you buy it this morning?

SOPHIE:               No, it was yesterday.

MAN:                    Right. And do you usually buy your tickets at the station?

SOPHIE:               Well, I do usually but the ticket office closes early and I hate using ticket machines. I think ticket offices should be open for longer hours. There’s always a queue for the machines and they’re often out of order.

MAN:                    A lot of customers are saying the same thing.

SOPHIE:               So to answer your question … I got an e-ticket online. (Q6)

—————————-

MAN:                    OK. Thank you. Now I’d like to ask you about your satisfaction with your journey. So what would you say you were most satisfied with today?

SOPHIE:               Well, I like the wifi on the train. It’s improved a lot. It makes it easier for me to work if I want to.

MAN:                    That’s the first time today anyone’s mentioned that. It’s good to get some positive feedback on that.

SOPHIE:               Mmm.

MAN:                    And, is there anything you weren’t satisfied with?

SOPHIE:               Well, normally, the trains run on time and are pretty reliable but today there was a delay (Q7); the train was about 15 minutes behind schedule.

MAN:                    OK. I’ll put that down. Now I’d also like to ask about the facilities at this station. You’ve probably noticed that the whole station’s been upgraded. What are you most satisfied with?

SOPHIE:               I think the best thing is that they’ve improved the amount of information (Q8) about train times etc. that’s given to passengers – it’s much clearer – before there was only one board and I couldn’t always see it properly – which was frustrating.

MAN:                    That’s good. And is there anything you’re not satisfied with?

SOPHIE:               Let’s see … I think things have generally improved a lot. The trains are much more modern and I like the new café. But one thing is that there aren’t enough places to sit down, especially on the platforms. (Q9)

MAN:                    OK – so I’ll put ‘seating’ down, shall I, as the thing you’re least satisfied with?

SOPHIE:               Yes, OK.

MAN:                    Can I ask your opinion about some of the other facilities? We’d like feedback on whether people are satisfied, dissatisfied or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

SOPHIE:               OK.

MAN:                    What about the parking (Q10) at the station?

SOPHIE:               Well to be honest, I don’t really have an opinion as I never use it.

MAN:                    So, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied for that then.

SOPHIE:               Yes, I suppose so …

MAN:                    OK, and what about …?

CUỐN 16 TEST 1

SARAH:     Hello. Children’s Engineering Workshops.

FATHER:     Oh hello. I wanted some information about the workshops in the school holidays.

SARAH:     Sure.

FATHER:     I have two daughters who are interested. The younger one’s Lydia, she’s four – do you take children as young as that?

SARAH:     Yes, our Tiny Engineers workshop is for four to five-year-olds.

FATHER:     What sorts of activities do they do?

SARAH:     All sorts. For example, they work together to design a special cover that goes round an egg (Q1), so that when it’s inside they can drop it from a height and it doesn’t break. Well, sometimes it does break but that’s part of the fun!

FATHER:     Right. And Lydia loves building things. Is there any opportunity for her to do that?

SARAH:     Well, they have a competition to see who can make the highest tower (Q2). You’d be amazed how high they can go.

FATHER:     Right.

SARAH:     But they’re learning all the time as well as having fun. For example, one thing they do is to design and build a car (Q3) that’s attached to a balloon, and the force of the air in that actually powers the car and makes it move along. They go really fast too.

FATHER:     OK, well, all this sounds perfect.

————————–    

FATHER:     Now Carly, that’s my older daughter, has just had her seventh birthday, so presumably she’d be in a different group?

SARAH:     Yes, she’d be in the Junior Engineers. That’s for children from six to eight.

FATHER:     And do they do the same sorts of activities?

SARAH:     Some are the same, but a bit more advanced. So they work out how to build model vehicles, things like cars and trucks, but also how to construct animals (Q4) using the same sorts of material and technique, and then they learn how they can program them and make them move.

FATHER:     So they learn a bit of coding?

SARAH:     They do. They pick it up really quickly. We’re there to help if they need it, but they learn from one another too.

FATHER:     Right. And do they have competition too?

SARAH:     Yes, with the Junior Engineers, it’s to use recycled materials like card and wood to build a bridge (Q5), and the longest one gets a prize.

FATHER:     That sounds fun. I wouldn’t mind doing that myself!

SARAH:     Then they have something a bit different, which is to think up an idea for a five-minute movie (Q6) and then film it, using special animation software. You’d be amazed what they come up with.

FATHER:     And of course, that’s something they can put on their phone and take home to show all their friends.

SARAH:     Exactly. And then they also build a robot in the shape of a human, and they decorate (Q7) it and program it so that it can move its arms and legs.

FATHER:     Perfect. So, is it the same price as the Tiny Engineers?

SARAH:     It’s just a bit more: £50 for the five weeks.

FATHER:     And are the classes on a Monday, too?

SARAH:     They used to be, but we found it didn’t give our staff enough time to clear up after the first workshop, so we moved them to Wednesdays (Q8). The classes are held in the morning from ten to eleven.

FATHER:     OK. That’s better for me actually. And what about the location? Where exactly are the workshops held?

SARAH:     They’re in building 10A – there’s a big sign on the door, you can’t miss it, and that’s in Fradstone (Q9) Industrial Estate.

FATHER:     Sorry?

SARAH:     Fradstone – that’s F-R-A-D-S-T-O-N-E.

FATHER:     And that’s in Grasford, isn’t it?

SARAH:     Yes, up past the station.

FATHER:     And will I have any parking (Q10) problems there?

SARAH:     No, there’s always plenty available. So would you like to enrol Lydia and Carly now?

FATHER:     OK.

SARAH:     So can I have your full name …

CUỐN 16 TEST 2

EMPLOYEE:     Hello, Picturerep. Can I help you?

WOMAN:        Oh, hi. I saw your advertisement about copying pictures to disk and I’d like a bit more information about what you do.

EMPLOYEE:     Sure. What would you like to know?

WOMAN:        Well, I’ve got a box full of old family photos that’s been up in the attic for years, some of them must be 50 or 60 years old, and I’d like to get them converted to digital format.

EMPLOYEE:     Sure, we can do that for you.

WOMAN:        Right. And what about size? The photos are all sorts of sizes – are there any restrictions?

EMPLOYEE:     Well the maximum size of photo we can do with our normal services is 30 centimetres. And each picture must be a least 4 centimetres, that’s the minimum we can cope with.

WOMAN:        That should be fine. And some of them are in a frame (Q1) – should I take them out before I send them?

EMPLOYEE:     Yes please, we can’t copy them otherwise. And also the photos must all be separate, they mustn’t be stuck into an album.

WOMAN:        OK, that’s not a problem. So can you give me an idea of how much this will cost? I’ve got about 360 photos I think.

EMPLOYEE:     We charge £195 for 300 to 400 photos (Q2) for the basic service.

WOMAN:        OK. And does that include the disk?

EMPLOYEE:     Yes, one disk – but you can get extra ones for £5 each.

WOMAN:        That’s good. So do I need to pay when I send you the photos?

EMPLOYEE:     No, we won’t need anything until we’ve actually copied the pictures. Then we’ll let you know how much it is, and once we’ve received the payment (Q3), we’ll send the parcel off to you.

WOMAN:        Right.

—————————

EMPLOYEE:     Is there anything else you’d like to ask about our services?

WOMAN:        Yes. I’ve roughly sorted out the photos into groups, according to what they’re about – so can you keep them in those groups when you copy them?

EMPLOYEE:     Sure. We’ll save each group in a different folder on the disk and if you like, you can suggest a name for each folder.

WOMAN:        So I could have one called ‘Grandparents’ (Q4) for instance?

EMPLOYEE:     Exactly.

WOMAN:        And do you do anything besides scan the photos? Like, can you make any improvements?

EMPLOYEE:     Yes, in the standard service each photo is checked, and we can sometimes touch up the colour a bit (Q5), or improve the contrast – that can make a big difference.

WOMAN:        OK. And some of the photos are actually quite fragile – they won’t get damaged in the process, will they?

EMPLOYEE:     No, if any look particularly fragile, we’d do them by hand (Q6). We do realise how precious these old photos can be.

WOMAN:        Sure.

EMPLOYEE:     And another thing is we can make changes to a photo if you want – so if you want to remove an object from a photo, or maybe alter the background (Q7), we can do that.

WOMAN:        Really? I might be interested in that. I’ll have a look through the photos and see. Oh, and talking of fixing photos – I’ve got a few that aren’t properly in focus (Q8). Can you do anything to make that better?

EMPLOYEE:     No, I’m afraid that’s one thing we can’t do.

WOMAN:        OK.

EMPLOYEE:     Any other information I can give you?

WOMAN:        Er … oh, how long will it all take?

EMPLOYEE:     We aim to get the copying done in ten days. (Q9)

WOMAN:        Fine. Right, well I’ll get the photos packed up in a box and post them off to you.

EMPLOYEE:     Right. If you’ve got a strong cardboard box, that’s best. We’ve found that plastic ones sometimes break in the post. (Q10)

WOMAN:        OK. Right, thanks for your help. Bye.

EMPLOYEE:     Bye.

CUỐN 16 TEST 3

JAKE:            Hello, Junior Cycle camp, Jake speaking.

WOMAN:     Hi. I’m calling for some information about the cycle camp – I’m thinking of sending my son.

JAKE:            Great. Well, it’s held every weekday morning over the summer vacation and we focus on basic cycling skills and safety. We have eight levels for children from three years upwards. How old’s your son?

WOMAN:     Charlie? He’s seven. He can ride a bike, but he needs a little more training before he’s safe to go on the road.

JAKE:            He’d probably be best in Level 5. They start off practising on the site here, and we aim to get them riding on the road, but first they’re taken to ride in the park (Q1), away from the traffic.

WOMAN:     Right. And can you tell me a bit about the instructors?

JAKE:            Well, all our staff wear different coloured shirts. So, we have three supervisors, and they have red shirts. They support the instructors, and they also stand in for me if I’m not around. Then the instructors themselves are in blue shirts (Q2), and one of these is responsible for each class.

WOMAN:     OK.

JAKE:            In order to be accepted, all our instructors have to submit a reference (Q3) from someone who’s seen them work with children – like if they’ve worked as a babysitter, for example. Then they have to complete our training course, including how to do lesson plans, and generally care for the well-being of the kids in their class. They do a great job, I have to say.

WOMAN:     Right. And tell me a bit about the classes. What size will Charlie’s class be?

JAKE:            We have a limit of eight children in each class, so their instructor really gets to know them well. They’re out riding most of the time but they have quiet times too, where their instructor might tell them a story (Q4) that’s got something to do with cycling, or get them to play a game together. It’s a lot of fun.

WOMAN:     It must be. Now, what happens if there’s rain? Do the classes still run? (Q5)

JAKE:            Oh yes. We don’t let that put us off – we just put on our waterproofs and keep cycling.

————————

WOMAN:     And is there anything special Charlie should bring along with him?

JAKE:            Well, maybe some spare clothes, especially if the weather’s not so good. And a snack (Q6) for break time.

WOMAN:     How about a drink?

JAKE:            No, we’ll provide that. And make sure he has shoes, not sandals.

WOMAN:     Sure. And just at present Charlie has to take medication every few hours, so I’ll make sure he has that. (Q7)

JAKE:            Absolutely. Just give us details of when he has to take it and we’ll make sure he does.

WOMAN:     Thanks.

JAKE:            Now, there are a few things you should know about Day 1 of the camp. The classes normally start at 9.30 every morning, but on Day 1 you should aim to get Charlie here by 9.20. The finishing time will be 12.30 as usual. We need the additional time because there are a few extra things to do. The most important is that we have a very careful check to make sure that every child’s helmet fits properly (Q8). If it doesn’t fit, we’ll try to adjust it, or we’ll find him another one – but he must wear it all the time he’s on the bike.

WOMAN:     Of course.

JAKE:            Then after that, all the instructors will be waiting to meet their classes, and they’ll meet up in the tent (Q9) – you can’t miss it. And each instructor will take their class away and get started.

WOMAN:     OK. Well that all sounds good. Now can you tell me how much the camp costs a week?

JAKE:            One hundred ninety-nine dollars (Q10). We’ve managed to keep the price more or less the same as last year – it was one hundred ninety then. But the places are filling up quite quickly.

WOMAN:     Right. OK, well I’d like to book for …   

CUỐN 16 TEST 4

SHIRLEY:     Hello?

TOM:           Oh hello. I was hoping to speak to Jack Fitzgerald about renting a cottage.

SHIRLEY:     I’m his wife, Shirley, and we own the cottages together, so I’m sure I can help you.

TOM:           Great. My name’s Tom. Some friends of ours rented Granary Cottage from you last year, and they thought it was great. So my wife and I are hoping to come in May for a week.

SHIRLEY:     What date did you have in mind?

TOM:           The week beginning the 14th, if possible.

SHIRLEY:     I’ll just check … I’m sorry, Tom, it’s already booked that week. It’s free the week beginning the 28th (Q1), though, for seven nights. In fact, that’s the only time you could have it in May.

TOM:           Oh. Well, we could manage that, I think. We’d just need to change a couple of things. How much would it cost?

SHIRLEY:     That’s the beginning of high season, so it’d be £550 for the week. (Q2)

TOM:           Ah. That’s a bit more than we wanted to pay, I’m afraid. We’ve budgeted up to £500 for accommodation.

SHIRLEY:     Well, we’ve just finished converting another building into a cottage, which we’re calling Chervil Cottage. (Q3)

TOM:           Sorry? What was that again?

SHIRLEY:     Chervil. C-H-E-R-V for Victor I-L.

TOM:           Oh, that’s a herb, isn’t it?

SHIRLEY:     That’s right. It grows fairly wild around here. You could have that for the week you want for £480.

TOM:           OK. So could you tell me something about it, please?

SHIRLEY:     Of course. The building was built as a garage (Q4). It’s a little smaller than Granary Cottage.

TOM:           So that must sleep two people, as well?

SHIRLEY:     That’s right. There’s a double bedroom.

TOM:           Does it have a garden? (Q5)

SHIRLEY:     Yes, you get to it from the living room through French doors, and we provide two deckchairs. We hope to build a patio in the near future, but I wouldn’t like to guarantee it’ll be finished by May.

TOM:           OK.

SHIRLEY:     The front door opens onto the old farmyard, and parking isn’t a problem – there’s plenty of room at the front for that (Q6). There are some trees and potted plants there.

———————

TOM:           What about facilities in the cottage? It has standard things like a cooker and fridge, I presume.

SHIRLEY:     In the kitchen area there’s a fridge-freezer and we’ve just put in an electric cooker.

TOM:           Is there a washing machine?

SHIRLEY:     Yes. There’s also a TV in the living room, which plays DVDs too. The bathroom is too small for a bath, so there’s a shower instead. I think a lot of people prefer that nowadays, anyway.

TOM:           It’s more environmentally friendly, isn’t it? Unless you spend half the day in it!

SHIRLEY:     Exactly.

TOM:           What about heating? It sometimes gets quite cool at that time of year.

SHIRLEY:     There’s central heating, and if you want to light a fire, there’s a stove. We can provide all the wood you need for it (Q7). It smells so much nicer than coal, and it makes the room very cosy – we’ve got one in our own house.

TOM:           That sounds very pleasant. Perhaps we should come in the winter, to make the most of it!

SHIRLEY:     Yes, we find we don’t want to go out when we’ve got the fire burning. There are some attractive views from the cottage, which I haven’t mentioned. There’s a famous stone bridge – it’s one of the oldest (Q8) in the region, and you can see it from the living room. It isn’t far away. The bedroom window looks in the opposite direction, and has a lovely view of the hills and the monument at the top. (Q9)

TOM:           Well, that all sounds perfect. I’d like to book it, please. Would you want a deposit?

SHIRLEY:     Yes, we ask for thirty percent to secure your booking, so that’ll be, um, £144.

TOM:           And when would you like the rest of the money?

SHIRLEY:     You’re coming in May, so the last day of March, please. (Q10)

TOM:           Fine.

SHIRLEY:     Excellent. Could I just take your details …