Listening 2026 May–Aug Practice Set 3

Narrator: Section 1. Woman: Wildlife Conservation Society. Good afternoon, can I help you? Man: Oh, hello, yes. I'd like to join please. Woman: Oh, yes, certainly. I'll just get some details from you. Could I have your name? Man: Michael Jones. Woman: Right, and can I ask how you heard about this? Was it in an advert or did a friend tell you or...? Man: Neither, actually. It was a radio program. Then I just got your number from the phone book. Woman: Oh, right. And now I need some membership details. It's Michael Jones and the address? Man: 21 Beal Street. Woman: OK. Man: Leeds. Woman: Fine. And you know your post code? Man: Yes, it's LS142JW. Woman: OK. And do you have a daytime telephone number we can contact you on? Man: Yes, you can call me at work. The number is 0117358642. And I can give you my office email address if you like. Woman: That'd be probably useful. Yes, please. Man: It's mj@henninas.co.uk. Woman: Is that H-E-double N-I-N-G-S? Man: That's right. Woman: Thank you. Now I just need to ask you some questions about exactly what you want. First of all, how long do you want the membership for? We do two, three, and five-year memberships. And we also do one for life. Man: Uh. I think I will just get the minimum length this time around. Woman: Fine. And then the type of membership, we do single, joint or family which covers up to four children. Man: Well, we haven't got any children. But I think I will get the joint one because my wife would probably want to do the activities with me. Woman: Yes, fine. Let me see, that would be 49 pounds altogether then, please. Woman: How would you like to pay? Man: By direct debit? Woman: No problem. I just need your bank detail. Can you give me the name first? Man: It's the Union Bank. Woman: And now I've got your name, but I need your account number. Man: Uh, 01 05 96 12. Woman: OK. When would you like to start payment, next month on the first of October or...? Man: Can you make it the 15th instead? Woman: No problem. The membership will begin then, too. Is that alright? Man: That's fine. Woman: I'll just give you the reference number in case there is any problem. Have you got a pen? Man: Yes. Woman: It's JYZ37. And we will be sending you an information pack within a few days. Is there anything else? Man: Oh, yes, could you send me an additional one? I've got a friend who's very interested. Woman: Certainly, no problem. I'll make a note of that. There is also a video we can send you if you like. There is no charge. Man: Yes, please. That'd be great. Narrator: Section 2. Man: I have in this studio with me Mary Smith from York Town Tourism who is here to tell us about some of the events happening in our state capital over the next three weeks at the spring festival. So Mary, what can we expect to see? Woman: Well, it's such an exciting time to be in York town. To kick off the spring festival, there'll be a huge firework display down by the lake, starting at 9pm this Saturday, the 4th of September. Over ten thousand fireworks will be set off, all choreographed to music and broadcast simultaneously here on Radio Yorkee. You should get there early if you want to get close to the action. So bring along a picnic and a blanket, as it could get chilly in the evening. Woman: One of the things that attract visitors to the festival from all over the country is the amazing collection of flowers on show in Central Park throughout the festival. Special buses will run from the town centre to the show at 20 minute intervals for those of you who prefer to take public transport. Woman: If you are interested in seeing the latest in cars, from the fastest to the most expensive, then head over to the Motor Show at the Exhibition Center from the 10th to the 15th of September. It will be open daily from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. So you can even pop there after work. Woman: Do you like photography? Then go along to 'Grow Your Imagination', an exhibition of photographs of famous gardens, which will be held at the art gallery from the 11th to the 19th of September. Come and be inspired by some of the world's most beautiful gardens. I have a sneak preview of some of the photographs and they are magnificent. Woman: If music is more your thing, then you should come and hear the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra performing 'Swing In Spring' at the concert hall on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th of September. It’s a celebration of dance music from the 1940s and 50s. There will be three performances. Both evenings start at 7pm and a matinee performance at 2:30 on the Saturday. So, get your dancing shoes on and head there. It's guaranteed to get your feet tapping. Woman: Those are just a few of the attractions on offer. But for something a little different, you could try 'Balloons Down Under', which is the largest gathering of hot air balloons in the Southern Hemisphere. It's well worth it, because there will be over 25 balloons of all shapes and sizes, which is truly an amazing sight. Woman: I'm also happy to announce that one lucky person will get the chance to go up in one of these balloons absolutely free. That is the prize in our special Spring Festival Competition. It normally costs you 200 dollars. So, it's not a bad prize, is it? I'm sure you all want a chance to win, so you’ll need to fill out the entry form in today’s edition of the York Town News. Don't forget to include your phone number and send it to Radio Yorkee. Make sure your entry reaches us by 5pm on Thursday, the 9th of September. Then to see if you've won, just check out the festival's website on Saturday, the 11th of September, where we will publish the name of the lucky winner. It's such a fantastic prize. So hurry up and get your entry in. Woman: So, there you have it, just a few of the special events happening here in York town over the Spring Festival. And if you like any more details about... Narrator: Section 3. Tutor: Good morning, come in. You are Paul, are you? Paul: Yes, I spoke to you on the phone. Tutor: Yes, have a seat. You want to talk to me about the archaeology course? Paul: Yes. I've read the handbook, but I'd like to find out a few more details before I decide whether to do it. Tutor: Right, yes. What would you like to know? Paul: Well, first of all, can I combine the archaeology course with one in anthropology? Tutor: Yes, you can combine it with any other subject apart from classical history. That’s simply because there are some overlapping lecture times for those two courses. We weren't able to coordinate them. Paul: OK, fine. And could you tell me about the modules? Tutor: Well, in the first semester, there are three. All of them are compulsory. We don’t offer optional modules till next year. Paul: Right. Tutor: The first one focuses on what can be learnt from specific artifacts such as pottery and stone tools. It's called Object Matters and it’s taught by Dr. Morris. Paul: Is that...how is the module presented? I mean, is it lectures? Tutor: We refer to the means of presentation as the learning method. And in this case, it's lectures integrated with practical sessions. So it's a mixture. Paul: What about the content? I suppose we'll be looking at different kinds of archaeological remains and how to date them and so on. Tutor: To some extent, but the module is basically about processes. First of all, recording material, then classification, then interpretation of the data, that's how archaeologists draw conclusions about their findings. And finally, display. Is that OK? Paul: I think so. Yes, thanks. One other thing, how is the module assessed? Is there an exam? Tutor: No. It’s all based on coursework. Paul: OK. Tutor: And the second module, that's the one called Towns and Cities, is taught by our department head — Professor Elliot. And as the name suggests, the module's about the origins of built environments and how they developed. Paul: That's mainly factual, I suppose. Tutor: It is really. And for that reason, the assessment’s by examination. But you may be pleased to know it’s an oral rather than a written exam and... Paul: It sounds a bit scary. Tutor: Most of our students find they actually enjoy it. So don't worry too much. Paul: OK. Tutor: And the title of the third module is Method and Science. And in that Dr. Thompson will be introducing you to the standards used in archaeological fieldwork and analysis, things like excavating and dating. Paul: What about the learning method for this module? Are there any lectures or is it all laboratory work? Tutor: Oh, it's half lab work and half seminars. There aren't any lectures. Then right at the end of the module, you'll take part in a site survey. The date for that is the week beginning the 10th of March. But I can't tell you the location yet. That will be announced later. But I think you'll find it very useful. Paul: Yes, I know... Narrator: Section 4. Lecturer: In this lecture series, we are looking at changes occurring due to the rapid spread of digital technology in the last decade of the 21st century. Lecturer: By digital technology, I include any computer related devices such as email, the Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, to name but a few. Lecturer: Today's lecture focuses on the ideas of Marc Prensky and what he believes are the major effects that high exposure to digital technology has had on young people today. Lecturer: Firstly, what exactly does Prensky believe? Lecturer: He argues that because today's young people have been born into a digital world and spent hours simply playing with technology, they've changed in fundamental ways. Lecturer: He believes they are evolving differently, and as a result, processing information differently from previous generations. Lecturer: It's even possible that these young people's brains have physically changed, although whether this is literally true isn't yet known. Lecturer: Nor does Prensky go quite this far. Lecturer: Prensky divides people into digital natives and digital immigrants. Lecturer: Today's young people are the digital natives and they belong in this new digital age, because they were born into it and grew up native speakers of the digital language of computer technology. Lecturer: Whereas digital immigrants are those born in the generations before the digital age. Lecturer: Just as those who learn a second language often retain their foreign accent, the immigrants are usually in varying degrees not quite as effective at speaking the digital language as the natives are. Lecturer: For example, they are more comfortable finding phone numbers using a phone book or looking up information in an encyclopaedia rather than using the Internet as a primary source of information. Lecturer: Prensky calls this the digital accent. Lecturer: Another example of the digital accent is scanning a manual for a computer program rather than assuming the program itself will teach you how to use it. Lecturer: Basically, people with a digital accent have never really stopped relying on their original non-digital means of sourcing information. Lecturer: They prefer doing things as they've always done them without typing something into a computer. Lecturer: Prensky predicts that due to all this, changes are in store, mainly in the area of education. Lecturer: But what do other educators and theorists such as Thompson Allen, Samuel James, and Peter Vander believe? Lecturer: Samuel James from Sydney University agrees with Prensky's predictions. Lecturer: He believes that educators are no longer successful in the way they teach. Lecturer: However, not surprisingly, Prensky has been criticized by more traditional theorists like Peter Vander and Thompson Allen. Lecturer: They disagree with many of Prensky's assertions. Lecturer: Vander argues that a typical classroom is more varied than Prensky believes, with students coming from a range of backgrounds. Lecturer: He maintains that a large percentage of these students are not necessarily proficient with technology. Lecturer: And not all students today fit the one stereotype. Lecturer: And Allen adds that even though most students today have easy access to technology, some just don't find the digital medium appealing. Lecturer: James disagrees, though. Lecturer: He believes that all today's students do share the same basic interest in and knowledge of digital technology. Lecturer: However, James believes our younger students can communicate with their digital immigrant teachers and can still learn using methods which have proven to be successful in the past. Lecturer: James's theories are taken a step further by Allen, who recognizes that both digital immigrants and natives have to deal with vast amounts of information in today's electronic society. Lecturer: Allen maintains that while most young students are proficient in playing computer games and using the web in quite basic ways, they are not used to using computers at advanced levels. Lecturer: For example, to conduct complex information searches which are so necessary for university study today. Lecturer: Irrespective of Allen's research, James believes it's possible for computer games to play a major role in making classroom learning more stimulating. Lecturer: And he cites many instances where this would be possible today. Lecturer: However, Vander asserts that rather than focusing on developing games, we should think of better ways to assist teachers. Lecturer: Because no computer program comes close to doing what a human teacher does every day.