Listening 2026-06 Test 11

Now listen carefully and answer questions one to four. Hello, Tourist Association. Can I help you? Yes, I'm going on vacation and I've been looking at your website about accommodations on Pocheanne Island. I'm traveling on my own and notice that there were several kinds of accommodations there. Can you give me some more information? Sure. Well, there's a small hotel located near the bank. It's convenient and quite comfortable. Yes, I saw that on the website. It looks very nice. Do they have any planned activities there? I think it mentioned that they have a lecture about the island every morning in the hotel. Not a lecture, but they do run a tour of the island every morning after breakfast. It goes all around the island and it's free. And then in the afternoon, guests have the chance to go out sailing if they want. And what kind of things are nearby, things I might enjoy seeing? Isn't there a huge market of some sort? I seem to recall something like that where they sell lots of fresh vegetables. It's the fish market actually, all straight off the boats. It's not far from the hotel. Everyone enjoys that and I'm sure you would too. Oh, and there's also a pottery factory. Not very big, but they produce lovely items. You can buy right there on the spot at a range of very reasonable prices. And is it correct that all the rooms have a balcony? Yes, they're very small, but some have beautiful sea views. You'd have to check if those are available. They do get booked up quickly. Well, I'm sure they do. And how much are the rooms at the hotel? Well, in the high season, they're almost $400 per person a night. But you're lucky. We've just entered the low season, so they're $299, a good deal. Yes, it does seem reasonable. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions five to ten. Now, listen and answer questions five to ten. But what about other types of accommodations like bed and breakfast? Is there anything close to the beach? I understand. It's quite beautiful. Ah, that's where the island's only bed and breakfast is. And it makes it very popular indeed. The rooms are on the small side, but the location's fabulous. And of course, breakfast is included. And you'll be interested to know that every day, the owner takes any guests that are interested on a walk around the island. He's an expert on the birds you find on the island, so it can be fascinating. Is there anything in particular to do or see? Well, it's a little isolated, but people who stay there rave about a vegetarian restaurant only about a mile away. I haven't been there myself, but even dedicated meat eaters seem to love it. Anything else about the accommodations? There isn't a television if you require one of those, but even though they're a little off the beaten track, every room has an internet connection as part of the cost. So guests find that very convenient. And what's the room cost? For one, that would be $249. I'm afraid they don't have off-season rates. Still, that's pretty good. What about the youth hostel? What if I wanted to stay there? It can be a little noisy, especially at weekends, because it's very close to the park. And the local kids use that a lot during the day. But in the hostel, you meet lots of young people. And as for activities, every morning, they even have a cookery class anyone can go to. The guests seem to really like that. And then they can apply what they learn to the meals they make for themselves at the hostel. That sounds like fun, too. Yes. And for an afternoon activity, you can go cycling. There's a shop nearby that rents everything you need at a very low rate. It's a great way of seeing the island. Any chance of getting any other exercise, other than playing with the local kids? Oh, there certainly is. There's a well-equipped gym you are welcome to use. It was just finished a couple of months ago. The hostel staff can arrange for you to get a visitor's card. It's a great facility. How much is a private room in the hostel then? They've got a number of those for just $120 a night. But again, if you're interested, I'd contact them as soon as possible. Well, thanks very much for your help. I think I've had it. That is the end of part one. You now have one minute to check your answers to part one. --- Now turn to section 2, section 2. You will hear a guide talking to a group of tourists on an island off the coast of New Zealand. First, you have some time to look at questions 11-14. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11-14. Well, morning everyone and welcome to EWI Island. The first thing I'll do is give you a bit more information about the island. Then you can walk around by yourselves. So in terms of history, the first people to settle in New Zealand, the Maori people, were already living on the island when Europeans first arrived approximately 200 years ago. At that time, the Maori population was only 2000 or so. It's thought that they got here around a thousand years ago, based on the archaeological remains they left behind. The main resource the Maori came here for was the well-stocked waters around the island which provided most of their food. They also tried to grow potatoes but the conditions weren't as good as on the mainland. The disadvantage for Maori was the shortage of trees on the island for building houses and canoes. It's also important to remember that the island is sacred to the Maori peoples so you need to behave respectfully near the archaeological sites. It's absolutely fine to use a camera and it's funny because some people think they need to whisper or be very quiet. But actually that's not important either. But you really shouldn't consume food or even use your water bottle. It's not appropriate at the site, but it's fine elsewhere. Also keep a close eye on the time because once the last boat returns to the mainland there's no way off the island. Remember that the usual final sailing at 6 p.m. won't be going today because it's a public holiday. You need to be on the wharf at 10 to 5 ready to board the 5 p.m. departure. The trip takes about half an hour so you'll be back in town at 5.30 p.m. or so. Before you hear the rest of the talk you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20. Okay. Well what I'm about to do next is tell you about some of the archaeological sites on the island. So if you look at your map we are now right at the bottom of the map at the wharf where the ferry comes in. So the first place to mention is the fort. To get there from the wharf go up the path and take the first turning to the right. Then you follow the path around behind Puka Bay and you'll come to the fort at the end of the headland. Now another interesting visit is to the Maori village. When the wharf go up the path to the shelter and keep going straight on. You'll pass the lookout on your right and the village is just after that on the left. If you only want a shore walk then a trip to the food storage pits is well worth it. Take the path from the wharf but then turn left down to Paradise Bay. When you reach the beach turn left again and the food storage pits are just along there by the sea. A slightly longer walk is to the garden terraces. You need to go up to the shelter and then keep going straight but not too far. Take the first turning on your right and the garden terraces are on the coast overlooking the little island in Palm Bay. Now children especially will enjoy the gum diggers pits though they are a reasonable walk. You turn left just after the wharf and when you reach the beach turn right then you need to keep going straight. Don't turn left down to Indigo Bay but keep going and you'll find them right down the other end of the island on the cliffs on the north coast. Much closer is one of the oldest meeting houses in this part of the country. You go up to the shelter and turn left and it's directly in front of you. Well now if anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer them for you. That is the end of section 2. You now have half a minute to check your answers. --- You will hear two university students, Mark and Lena, discussing a feasibility study on space tourism. Hi, Lena. Are you ready to work on our space tourism feasibility study? Yes, Mark. I've been reading up on the history. It's absolutely fascinating. I was looking at early proposals. You'd think the astronomical cost of initial test flights would be the most shocking thing. But honestly, what really blew my mind was just how far back the original concepts were drafted. I had no idea people were seriously planning this decades ago. True. Now, the industry faces massive hurdles. Many articles claim that finding civilians willing to risk their lives is the main barrier. I read that too. People are understandably scared. Actually, there is a huge waiting list. From what I've researched, the absolute biggest hurdle these corporations are struggling with is actually engineering launch vehicles that won't fail. Ensuring that level of reliability is the bottleneck. Yeah, safety is the priority. And then there's the environmental side. I honestly think the backlash over emissions could shut down the whole industry. I don't think it'll be banned completely, but regulatory bodies will force them to innovate. The only viable way forward is for companies to transition completely to developing eco-friendly propellants. You're right. Shifting to green or fuel types will be mandatory. Okay. What about the section on passenger preparation? I was thinking we could discuss the physical fitness tests they have to pass. We could, but the physical stuff is heavily documented. What's much more compelling and what the class would find unusual is how they get civilians mentally ready to be in such a confined, hostile environment. Let's focus on that. Good point. The psychological conditioning aspect is more unique. Great. And for the conclusion, I'd love to talk about where we might go next, like hotels on the moon or potential Mars bases. Those destinations are exciting, but maybe too sci-fi. It would be much more grounded to end by analyzing exactly when these companies realistically expect to start regular scheduled commercial operations. Yeah, focusing on projected dates makes much more sense. Perfect. Now, we need to match some logistical issues with the proposed solutions. First, launch noise. It's simply too loud. Right. One paper suggested restricting flight durations, but that doesn't solve it. The most viable proposal is constructing the launch pads out at sea away from major cities. Yes, moving to offshore platforms solves the noise complaint completely. What about passenger motion sickness? Standard medication makes people drowsy. Instead of drugs, the new approach is to have passengers use computer simulated environments before the flight, so their brains adapt to the visual disconnect. That VR exposure makes sense. And space suit design? They need to be custom fitted, which is incredibly expensive. The breakthrough there is using additive manufacturing. They can scan a person's body and just manufacture the suit, layer by layer, on demand. Exactly. Using 3D printers will cut costs. Now, food storage. Fresh food spoils quickly, and traditional paste is heavy. I read about a startup that is compressing all the essential daily vitamins and calories into a tablet form, which saves massive amounts of space and weight. Utilizing those concentrated capsules is brilliant. Finally, waste management. It's a huge hygiene risk. The current manual methods are pretty gross. The recommendation is to install self-contained robotic disposal mechanisms that handle everything without human intervention. Agreed. Relying on automated machinery is the safest option. All right, we have a solid outline. --- In today's lecture, we'll be examining the role of underwater archaeological sites in uncovering details about ancient civilizations that might otherwise have been lost to time. These sites are particularly significant for studying cultures that left little to no formal records. A good example is the moweries of New Zealand whose history was passed down orally rather than through written documents. In fact they are frequently recognised as a society that lacked any form of written script. This made physical discoveries all the more important. What's fascinating is how much we can learn about people's daily routines and social behaviour from these remains. The arrangement of objects on board for instance can offer clues about the lifestyle of those who sailed centuries ago. The process of studying these shipwrecks has changed dramatically thanks to advancements in equipment. Researchers now rely heavily on underwater drones, sonar scanners and imaging software. Collectively this modern technology has made excavation more precise and far less invasive. Now, when we talk about causes of shipwrecks it's easy to imagine warfare or piracy. But more often than not, the wrecks occurred due to natural forces. One of the most commonly cited causes is exposure to a violent storm, which ships at the time were not well equipped to withstand. Interestingly, the material recovered is sometimes used for more than just academic research. Museums and film producers often collaborate to create immersive exhibitions. In one recent case, artefacts were used in the making of a historical film gallery that visually narrated life on board a 17th century trading vessel. That said, researchers frequently face barriers in these investigations. In many locations, fragile ecosystems, unpredictable tides and limited access have severely restricted the amount of research that can be conducted on site. One particularly compelling case involved a ship that appeared to be equipped for combat. The wreckage included what was believed to be a gun used to defend against pirate raids. A rare find that adds a dramatic dimension to our understanding of maritime risks. Equally intriguing was the discovery of a navigational map still partially intact which outline the ship's intended course through trade routes active at the time. These maps not only reveal destinations but also show the maritime knowledge of the era. So why were these voyages made in the first place? Well, much of it came down to profit. Many of these vessels were transporting precious materials particularly gold which was in high demand across expanding empires. And finally, it's not unusual for wrecks to yield personal and luxury items. In several cases, archaeologists have uncovered treasure collections featuring fine jewelry and antique coins, shedding light on both wealth and craftsmanship of the period. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO]