PART 1 QUESTIONS 1

This is the Listening Section. Please play the audio by clicking the Play button.

Part 1:

You will hear a woman asking a sale assistant about travel insurance policies.

Before you listen again, you have 30 seconds to read questions 1 to 6.

Sales Good morning. Take a seat.

Assistant: I see you’ve picked up some of our brochures.

Customer: Yes. I’ve been reading the one on travel.

Sales Would the travel insurance be for you, or for your family as well?

Assistant:

Customer: Just for me.

Sales So, (1) Individual?

Assistant:

Customer: That’s right.

Sales Are you looking for a basic or a comprehensive policy?

Assistant:

Customer: To be honest, I’ve had basic in the past, but it didn’t pay out very much.

Sales That’s often true.

Assistant: With our company, you can be insured for different amounts. For instance, in Section 1: Baggage and personal effects, you can be insured for all five subsections or for as few as two.

Customer: I think I’d like insurance for all five since I’m going to some unsafe places.

Sales Wise decision.

Assistant:

Customer: By the way, can a camera be counted as a single (2) item, or must it be included in Cameras and portable electronic (3) equipment?

Sales

Assistant: If you have an expensive camera, you can nominate it as a single (2) item. Our maximum payout is $1,5000. Occasionally, people have their camera and computer stolen together. If insurance is only taken out on Subsection 2, this may not cover the replacement of both things.

Customer: That’s what happened with my previous policy.

However, in that one, there was a higher limit for lost or stolen money: yours is only (4) $700.

Sales

Assistant: These days, with credit cards, people don’t carry much cash, so we’ve set the limit accordingly. Still, we pay out well for Document.

Customer: Indeed.

In the Disrupted travel section, (5) ‘reasonable costs’ is written for a missed connection or an early return, instead of an amount of money. What exactly are (5) ‘reasonable costs’?

Sales

Assistant: Put it this way: if you miss your flight due to poor weather that is verifiable, we pay $300 per day of lost time. If you arrive at check-in as the aircraft is leaving because you overslept, we still payout, but only $100 a day. We rely on information from the (6) airline to determine this.

Narrator: Before you listen to the rest of the conversation, you have 30 seconds to read questions 7 to 10.

Sales

Assisant: Are you also interested in vehicle insurance?

Customer: Yes, I am. I’m about to buy a nice (7) old car- a vintage Jaguar X16.

Sales

Assistant: Hey, I used to have one of those although, nowadays, I prefer old motorbikes.

Did you know you can insure a vehicle on its own, or you can include it in our Multi-saver policy, along with your house and contents?

Customer: Yes, I saw that.

It’s true I’m buying an expensive car, (8) but I rent my house, so I’m not ready for Multi-saver.

Sale

Assistant: I understand.

Have you decided which level of cover you’d like for your car?

Customer: Top cover.

Sales

Assistant: Are you sure? It is pricey.

Customer: I know, but last time I had insurance, I wasn’t covered for storm damage.

Sales

Assistant: Don’t tell me that was just before the November hailstorm!

Customer: Uh huh.

(9-10) So, I need storm damage insurance. Also, I’d like my police to start as soon as I’ve paid for it. With my old one, there was a stand-down period of two weeks. Would you believe, I backed into a wall just three days after I’d taken out the policy.

Sales

Assistant: Oh dear.

Customer: Then, I spent months fighting with the insurance company over the value of my car. I know it wasn’t worth much but it was relatively new.

Sales

Assistant: (9-10) If you choose Top Cover, we agree on a value for your car and renegotiate each year to avoid disputes.

Again, it’s not as cheap as some, but the policy works out better in the long run.

Narrator: You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.

That is the end of Part 1.

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Part 2:

Touring Devonport on a Segway.

You will hear a guide giving information on how to ride a Segway, and on places to see in Devonport.

Before you listen, you have 30 seconds to read questions 11 to 16.

Guide: Hi folks.

Before we start, I’d like to check if there’s anyone here under the age of thirteen. No? Anyone who’s pregnant, or who’s just had (11) leg surgery? Good. Our company isn’t insured for these users.

Now, I can see you’re all eyeing your Segway with interest. They’re curious beasts, aren’t they? Battery-driven two-wheeled vehicles are often used in crowd control or postal delivery. I’ll be giving detailed operating instructions in a moment, and then I’ll outline our route.

In (12) 2,5 hours, we won’t see everything in Devonport, but we’ll take in much more than if we were on foot. In fact, the maximum speed of a Segway is eighteen kilometres per hour.

Right-o. Safety gear. Here are your helmets. Please keep them on while riding. I hope you’re wearing flat enclosed shoes as well. Actually, you can operate a Segway in any footwear, but our company insists on sturdy shoes because we explore tunnels, and walk around rocks at North Head.

So. Riding a Segway is marvellously easy once you know how. It’s important not to think of a Segway as a similar to a bicycle or a scooter since a Segway rider barely needs (13) to exert energy to move. This concept of movement with minimal (13) exertion seems foreign to some beginners, and most mishaps are the result of riders’ jerking backwards and losing their balance.

Another mistake learners make is to hop off a Segway then they’ve stopped, but a Segway is as steady when stationary as when in motion, so don’t dismount unless there’s a place you can’t ride into, like the tunnels in (17) North Head or (18) the French Café, where we end our tour.

A Segway is also robust. It’s quite light at (14) 36 kilograms, and its low centre of gravity and wide tyres mean it can handle many different surfaces. In fact, I’ve been in the snow with mine.

However, a Segway does have a delicate internal mechanism. It contains a gyroscope- a device that’s constantly moving to keep itself, and you, upright.

OK. Using the controls. The first thing you’ll notice is that there are hardly any. There’s an on-off button, and a screen indicating battery life and operational mode; we’ll be using ‘Normal’. So, let’s turn on our Segways. Now, hold the post upright, and place one foot on the platform. Push the on-off button. You’ll see the red lights rotating while the gyroscope is calibrating. When the lights turn green, release the kickstand, and place both feet on the platform. Now, lean forward slowly, and the machine will start; lean further forward, and it will speed up. In fact, (15) leaning is the way to control your Segway. (15) Leaning remember, not jerking- that’ll make you fall off. Lean backwards, and the Segway slows down; keep leaning backwards, and it stops. Twist the left handle to go left; twist the right to go right. Simple. With the internal gyroscope constantly monitoring your (16) centre of gravity and adjusting the post accordingly, you’ll always keep your balance.

Narrator: Before you listen to the rest of the talk, you have 30 seconds to read questions 17 to 20.

Guide: As I said earlier, we’ve been in this lovely harbour suburb of Devonport for (12) 2,5 hours, beginning at the wharf and (17) ending up at the French Café. On the way, we’ll pass (18) a yacht club, quite a famous club in fact, and a church and graveyard that are the oldest in this part of the city. We’ll also climb two volcanoes. (19) The first volcano has remained from the pre-European settlement in the form of storage pits and terraces, but there are no buildings left. (20) The second volcano, called North Head, has a museum at its base and some disused tunnels. The museums are devoted to naval history, but I’m afraid we won’t have time to visit. Where do we go next? Oh yes- (17) the rocks below North Head. The rocks below North Head lead to Cheltenham Beach. We’ll leave our Segways above the rocks while we explore. It’s too cold to swim at this time of year, but people do in summer.

Throughout our tour, I’ll be guiding you in your Segway adventure, and recounting some amazing tales of this historic suburb.

Narrator: You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.

That is the end of Part 2.

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Part 3:

Study options.

You will hear a professor talking to her student about his study options.

Before you listen, you have 30 seconds to read questions 21 to 24.

Professor

Anderson: Come in, Rangi.

Rangi: Thank you, Professor Anderson.

Prof

Anderson: I’ve been meaning to contact you, but I just got back last night.

Rangi: Where’ve you been?

Prof

Anderson: (21) Conferences in Massachusetts and New York.

Rangi: For (21) Physics?

Prof

Anderson: Yes.

Rangi: Great.

I’m looking forward to attending (21) conferences one day.

Prof

Anderson: I imagine that won’t be so far away. I was extremely impressed with your Classical Mechanics exam. In fact, you were one of only two students out of 180 to get an (22) A+.

Rangi: Wow.

I really did enjoy the course.

Prof Anderson: So, how can I help you?

Rangi: I’m sorry to say it’s a bit of a long story. You see, I’ve had to rethink my studies completely, and I wonder if I’m making the right decision.

Prof Anderson: You’re doing two degrees, aren’t you – Science and (23) Arts?

Rangi: I was doing two. I’ve decided to focus on Science.

Prof Anderson: Oh?

Rangi: It all came about because I wanted to study abroad for a year. I was thinking about Edinburgh.

Firstly, I sought approval from the Maths and Physics Departments. I wanted to take Quantum Mechanics and Computer Simulation at Edinburgh.

Prof Aderson: Those are third-year courses, right?

Rangi: Yeah.

So, I received approval from Maths and Physics. The stumbling block was the higher authority – the Science Faculty. When I submitted my application, it was rejected.

Prof Anderson: What?

Rangi: It turns out that students who study abroad for a year can only do first – or second-year courses, or third-year courses in a subject that’s not their major.

Prof Anderson: I’ve never heard that before.

Rangi: Needless to say, the lecturers who approved my transfer hadn’t either, and nor does the regulation appear on the Science Faculty website.

Prof Anderson: That’d be right. This faculty is (24) disorganized.

Rangi: So, then I thought I’d take Arts courses at Edinburgh, and leave the third-year Maths until I came back. I quickly got approval for second-year History and Philosophy from the Arts Faculty.

Prof Anderson: When are heading off?

Rangi: That’s just it. During this process, I began to think carefully about my studies. To be honest, the Arts courses I’ve done were less challenging than the Science ones, so I’ve decided to drop (23) Arts.

Before you listen to the rest of the conversation, you have 30 seconds to read questions 25 to 30.

Prof Anderson: Where do I figure in all this?

Rangi: The first week after I’d made my decision, I felt fine. (25) Without doing the Arts courses, I could finish my Science degree earlier. But this week, I’ve had some doubts.

When I started the two degrees, lecturers in the Science Faculty assured me that, these days, scientists need a rounded education, which they get if they take some Arts courses. I was even told I’d learn to write and think better if I did Philosophy.

Prof Anderson: (26) I do think the claims made by some lecturers are dubious.

Rangi: Then, there’s the fact that (27) now I’m going to be stuck here next year. I was so excited about going to Europe.

Prof Anderson: It is disappointing to give that up.

Still, the reason I wanted to contact you, Rangi, is that (28) I’m looking for students to work six hours a week in my lab. It’s paid work – not highly paid, but probably better than working in a bar. Also, we’ve just bought a new laser, which you’d learn to use.

Rangi: That sounds excellent.

Prof Anderson: As to going abroad, why not do your post-graduate studies in the US? There’s some amazing Physics being done in Massachusetts. If you like, I can send you the papers from the conference.

Rangi: Thanks.

Prof Anderson: Of course, I’d be sad to lose you if you did go abroad, (29) but an A+ student, like you, has a very good chance of winning a major scholarship.

Rangi: Goodness. I’ve never even considered that.

Prof Anderson: Personally, I think committing yourself to Science is the way to go.

Rangi: (30) Thanks, Professor Anderson. You’ve taken a load off my mind. Now, I don’t have to deal with Hegel or Leibnitz, I’ve plenty of ties to read those conference papers.

Narrator: You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.

That is the end of Part 3.

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Part 4

The ugly fruit movement.

You will hear a lecture on the ugly fruit movement as an effort to prevent food wastage.

Before you listen, you have 45 seconds to read questions 31 to 40.

Lecturer: Good afternoon.

I was in such a hurry I didn’t have breakfast.

I’d like to show you these apples that my neighbour grew. This one’s fine, but this one’s an odd shape, you certainly wouldn’t find it on sale at a supermarket in this country. But, it tastes great.

Today, I’d like to discuss food wastage, and a movement attempting to address the issue. There are ugly-fruit exponents throughout Europe, but I’ll focus n a group in Portugal, called Fruta Feia, which means ‘ugly fruit’.

But first, some statistics. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, or the FAO, (31) around 40% of food for human consumption is wasted globally. The direct economic impact of this is a loss of $750 billion dollars each year. Meanwhile, every day, 870 million people worldwide go hurry. The environmental effect of food production is also astounding. (32) in the US, it’s estimated that the transportation of food uses ten percent of the total US energy budget. At the same time, (32) food production consumes 50% of our land and (32) 80% of our available fresh water. The single largest component of solid municipal waste – around 40% - is rotting food, and the gases that produce increased global warming.

Surprisingly, food wastage in developing countries is as high as developed ones. What differs is where the wastage occurs. (33) in a country like Bolivia, Laos, or Zambia, food loss occurs after harvesting and during processing, due to inadequate storage, poor transportation infrastructure and warm climatic conditions, whereas in the developed world, wastage occurs at the retail and consumer level – consumers seldom plan their shopping, which leads to over-purchasing; or, the enormous variety of supermarket food encourages impulse buying. Furthermore, consumers are strongly advised by regulatory authorities to dispose of food that may well be edible but which has passed its use-by date. (34) this overly-cautious labelling with use-by dates is something Fruta Feia has campaigned against.

(35) the complex food rules of the European Union began in 1992, and have fuelled great discontent, especially in the UK, where journalists famously lampooned bureaucrats for banning bent bananas and curved cucumbers.

After such criticism, the EU did reduce its list of rules for selling fruit and vegetables from 36 to ten. The difficulty lies with retailers that reject large amounts of food due to aesthetic considerations, believing spinach has to be completely green, and tomatoes perfectly spherical. Any blemish, even one that doesn’t affect the edible contents, signals an item’s description.

To reduce wastage, the FAO recommends three things. Priority should be given to preventing wastage in the first place to by balancing production with demand. Where there is surplus, reuse by donation to needy people or to farm animals should take place. Lastly, if reuse is impossible, recycling and recovery should be pursued.

Back to Portugal and Fruta Feia, Portugal, in Western Europe, is a developed nation of 10.5 million people. It joined EU 30 years ago. In 2011, however, it was severely affected by a (36) debt crisis, and its economy is still shaky. As a result of the (36) debt crisis, unemployment is high, and hundreds of thousands of people have left the country. In these hard times, many Portuguese are hunting for bargains. So, enter the cooperative Fruta Feia, set up in Lisbon in 2013 by Isabel Soares.

Fruta Feia has three aims, to feed people cheaply; to encourage EU rule-makers to overhaul use-by dates; and, to subvert notions of both what is (37) visually acceptable and what is (37) edible. When surveyed, most people who joined Fruta Feia also support local agriculture.

Isabel Soares estimates that one-third of Portugal’s farm produce is thrown out due to artificial standards set by supermarkets. A farmer, Jose Dias, who supplies Fruta Feia said that from his annual production of tomatoes, one (38) quarter did not meet supermarket standards, so were dumped. Now, Fruta Feia buys his ‘reject’ tomatoes at half the price he would sell them to a supermarket. Consequently, Fruta Feia’s members also pay (39) less for tomatoes than supermarket shoppers do.

As to the myriad of regulations set by the EU, Fruta Feia does not contravene any; its own produce is unlabelled and unpackaged. Despite this somewhat unglamorous look, it has sold more than 20 metric tons of food in Lisbon alone.

Personally, even when the contribution of Fruta Feia and its 1000 members is (40) tiny, they are still, literally and metaphorically, eating away at the mountains of food that otherwise go to waste. And I salute that.

That is the end of the Listening test.

You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to your answer sheet.