LANGUAGE LEADER Audioscripts

Progress Test 1-3

Track 1
1
Well, I live in a detached house in a suburb of a major city. What do I like about it?
Mmm, well, I like the access to all the cultural events and shops, but I also like the
fact that my local area is very green you know, lots of parks and open spaces for the
kids. The public transport connections are very good too, so I can be in the city centre
in a very short time if I avoid the rush hour, so I guess you could say I have the best of
both worlds! The only real problem, I think, is the mindless vandalism that goes on,
you know damage to cars and bus stops, which we all have to pay for in the end. Its
bored young people with nothing to do. I suppose its the price you pay for living in a
city.
2
I live in a farm cottage on the edge of a very small village, almost a hamlet really, in
the countryside. It really is very rural about 25 kilometres to the nearest town. Its
the peace and quiet I like really, and the fresh air. There arent many vehicles on the
roads so no traffic congestion the airs very clean, and theres very little noise
and light pollution. The whole pace of life is much slower no one rushes anywhere.
Oh yes, and the stunning views, Im surrounded by magnificent scenery. One problem
were having at the moment is abandoned cars. People are dumping old cars they
dont want any more in the village at night. We then have to wait for ages before
theyre taken away.
3
I live in an apartment block in the city centre. Its the cosmopolitan atmosphere I like.
Theres always plenty to do, and such a wide range of shops. I can go out at any time
of the day or night and get whatever I want, either food and drink or entertainment. I
love the liveliness of the city and being surrounded by people all the time you know,
that constant buzz of activity. People talk about the crime rate in the city, but where I
live there always seem to be loads of police so I feel very safe. The one thing that gets
me down is the amount of litter people drop on the streets. Its so unnecessary and just
makes me feel depressed. I sometimes feel like saying to them I have to live here
with all your rubbish. The council could do more to keep the streets clean as well, I
suppose, but we all have to pay for it in higher taxes.

Progress Test 4-6

Track 2

Part 2

PHOTOCOPIABLE 2008 Pearson Longman ELT

What are the websites you can rely on? Well, of course, government-sponsored sites,
educational sites run by universities or medical schools, and websites of well-known
professional organisations, theyre usually non-profit making and should be trustworthy,
you can rely on them. By the way, government agencies in the UK usually have the
suffix .gov in the address, and educational bodies have .ac, though in the United States
.edu is more commonly used for academic sites. Professional organisations and
charities sometimes have .org and commercial organisations often finish with .com.
A word about health and medical information you find on the net. Any statement or
evidence should be supported by well-established research or medical institutions. Or,
if the material you find has been reviewed by an expert, thats a good sign. We call
that peer reviews. If the material has not been reviewed, then be careful. Check
other sources, other websites, to see if they support the statement or evidence you
have found. The material should be up to date medical sites should really be updated
weekly or monthly well thats the ideal.
I think one other point is worth mentioning. Its important the website separates
opinion from research results. Research results are based on evidence, and you need
to know what the evidence is. Its OK for opinions to be included in the website, as
long as its clear they are opinions, and not scientific facts. Oh, yes, and by the way, a
good website will provide links with other sources of information so you can check if
these back up the findings or research results.
Well, I hope these tips will help you to evaluate information you get from Internet
websites. Youre lucky to have this source of information. When I was studying
medicine, the library was the main source of information for me. Nowadays, I use the
Internet a lot in my research, but Im very careful what websites I use. Im sure you
will be too.

Progress Test 7-9

Track 3
Director, Experts
1
E1: I recommend Savanna Charles. Shes an American sculptor living in London.
D: What is she? I mean, what sort of thing does she do?
E1: Difficult to describe really. Shes got such an original style. She makes huge
figures out of glass, aluminium and other metals. Theyre mostly exhibited in
large halls or open spaces. Theyre amazing. Absolutely breathtaking.
D: Sounds interesting. Whats she best known for?
E1: She did something called Spiderwoman. It was exhibited recently at the
Rockefeller Centre in New York. Its over 30 metres high.
2
E2: There are several artists I could mention. The best is probably Alberto Cassini.
Hed be a very good choice. Hes from Argentina, still young, about 28, living
in Florence at present. Hes an abstract painter, a bit similar to Kandinsky, but
with his own style.
D: OK, tell me a bit about his style.
E2: Well, the shapes on the canvas have a lot of movement and drama, like

PHOTOCOPIABLE 2008 Pearson Longman ELT

 Kandinsky. But Alberto likes darker colours, and he doesnt use as many
geometric shapes. His best known work is called Chaos. Thats the normal
English spelling, C.H.A.O.S.
D: Mmm, Id like to look at a few photos of his work.
E2: By all means, Ive brought some along for you to see.
3
E3: For your first exhibition, why not be a bit different? How about showing the
work of a photographer?
D: OK, who do you have in mind?
E3: Well, how about Ingrid Tauber, a young German photographer?
D: Tell me about her.
E3: Shes based in Hamburg. Married, husband also a photographer. Erm
D: What sort of photos does she take?
E3: Shes fascinated by faces. So she takes lots of photos of peoples faces,
showing different emotions, happiness, sadness, loneliness, despair, that sort
of thing. People of all ages, anyone, not just celebrities.
D: Mmm, I think Ive seen some of her photos. Didnt she do one of an old
woman I saw it in a magazine, I think?
E3: Yes, thats right. Her most famous photo is called Homeless Woman. Its a
compilation of about 50 shots of a very old woman, showing all kinds of
emotions. Its incredibly moving.
D: I must look at more of her work. She could be the artist were looking for.
4
E4: I can suggest a very interesting artist. How about John Leach thats L-E-A-
C-H, by the way? Hes British, a graffiti artist, you can see his work all over
Europe.
D: A graffiti artist, now that would be interesting. What sort of stuff does he do?
Is it very abstract?
E4: Not at all. He does murals, usually images of war, starving children, crowds
out of control, that sort of thing. There are a lot of walls in Berlin, Paris and
Amsterdam covered with his art.
D: Whats his most famous mural, or should I say, piece of graffiti?
E4: When he went to Brazil, he did an astonishing piece of graffiti in one of their
cities, maybe So Paulo or Rio, its over 20 metres long, lets see, its called
Battleground, you must have seen it on postcards.
D: Yes, it rings a bell. I think I know who you mean.

PHOTOCOPIABLE 2008 Pearson Longman ELT

Progress Test 10-12
Track 4

1
Ayla, from Turkey
When Im outside Turkey, travelling for my job, I miss the smell of strong Turkish
coffee, and the smell of the food. I really miss our typical Turkish breakfast of white
cheese, bread, eggs, honey and olives. I think also of the rain in my home town, and
holidays where my family and relatives come together. I miss the prayers we hear five
times a day from the mosques. I also think Turkish hospitality is wonderful. I miss
visiting friends, relatives and neighbours and the way that Turkish people really try
hard to make their guests feel comfortable. Another thing I miss about Turkish culture
is the respect for older people.
2
Carola, from Germany
When I lived abroad, I missed cycling to places. I didnt see many people on bikes,
everyone used cars all the time, even for short distances. Children were taken to
school by their parents, and my host father drove to a nearby petrol station to get his
newspaper. I thought about getting a bike, but there were no cycle paths in my area,
and I felt Id be a kind of outsider if I cycled to work in the morning.
I also missed small local supermarkets where you can walk to do your shopping. In
Germany, we have many small supermarkets in all parts of cities or towns, and you
can get everything you need there. They are not huge and anonymous, like the big
supermarkets in some other countries.
Talking of food, I missed German bread and German rolls. Bread tastes a lot better in
my country, I can tell you.
3
Anna, from Russia
When I worked abroad what I missed most was certain emotional aspects of our
culture, not material ones. I certainly missed the Russian style of friendship. In my
country, people will discuss all kinds of very personal problems, even intimate
problems with you. And they expect friends to forget their own problems and do
everything to help you out. But outside Russia, I noticed people are more
individualistic, and even with good friends, the conversations are more superficial,
they take less time, and people tend to be more focused on their own problems.
Also, I missed Russian jokes and loud laughter. Russians often organise parties at
someones home, old friends come together and spend hours eating and drinking
around a big table, discussing things, singing, dancing. One final thing. I missed our
traditional Russian winter, going down snow covered hills on a toboggan with my
young son, skiing and skating, playing snowballs and making snowmaidens with our
fluffy snow.
4
Danielle, from Cameroon

PHOTOCOPIABLE 2008 Pearson Longman ELT

What did I miss when I was abroad? Definitely the food. In Cameroon, everything we
eat is fresh, no processing, artificial stuff or colouring. I remember we had to literally
chase the chicken, kill it, and then cook it. It took almost the whole afternoon. And
then I missed the spices. We took the tomatoes, basil and peanuts straight out of the
field, it was wonderful! When we wanted a treat, all we had to do was go to the
mango or guava or avocado tree and pick it. And if we wanted a snack, we would go
to the cornfield to get some corn. I tell you, I had no problem keeping slim.
The weather, I missed that too. Cameroon is a tropical country, so we have some very
good weather. Believe it or not, what I missed most was the sun of course, but also the
tropical rain. I tell you, when it beats down on top of a tin roof, it produces a sound
thats like a lullaby, it makes you feel sleepy.
5
Alessandra from Italy
I feel comfortable living in foreign countries, especially in Europe. I like the variety
of cultures you meet just travelling a few hundred kilometres. But I miss something
that just isnt there. Its the sound of my typically Italian language where I grew up. It
took me a long time to realise its effect on me. When I hear people speaking my
Italian dialect, then I let myself dive into a very private comfort zone. Its a blend of
feelings consisting of love, trust, comfort, and being home. For me, Ive lived and
worked in various places around the world, but Ive never experienced that anywhere
else, except in my home country.
Im studying in England now and I definitely miss not being able to express my ideas
as soon as they come into my mind. I just cant communicate easily and precisely
what I think in English, and that frustrates me.
Of course, I miss knowing where to go to find what I need. Being Italian, it means I
miss good food, the sun and friendly people. I miss so much, but Im really enjoying
being in England.

Final Test
Track 5
Presenter, Guest
P: ... and welcome to todays edition of Daybreak, where my guest is Professor
Mary Robinson, the author of a new book on improving reading skills.
G: Hello, Pam, and good morning everyone.
P: Yes, hello, Mary, and thanks for joining us. Perhaps we could start with you
telling us a bit about why you wrote the book?
G: Yes, sure. Well, Ive noticed that among the sort of students I meet at the
university, there seems to be a decline in the amount of reading they do, both
for their studies and for pleasure. This is a real shame because there is a clear
link between the amount you read and your ability to express yourself. Also, it
seems that reading is the best way of acquiring knowledge. For example,
research into how people acquire knowledge has shown that people who
watched more TV were more likely to get general knowledge questions
wrong, and this is independent of intellectual ability.
P: Really, how interesting.
PHOTOCOPIABLE 2008 Pearson Longman ELT
G: Yes, it seems the more reading you do, the better, whatever it is. Reading
increases vocabulary, improves your general knowledge and keeps your
memory and reasoning abilities working well.
P: Thats got to be a good thing! So what tips can you give for improving
reading?
G: Obviously, it depends on the sort of reading youre doing. However, I think
students are often not selective enough about what they choose to read and
then they focus too much on details. Its very important to get an overall idea
about what youre reading and to make full use of any headings and
subheadings to help guide your reading, and stop you wasting time reading
unnecessary information. Also, I think its crucial to engage with what you
read. People often think of reading as a one-way process, but in fact it should
be a two-way process ...
P: Can you explain what you mean there?
G: Of course. To be an effective reader, you should always be thinking about
what the writer may say next, and also questioning what you read. Think about
if you agree or disagree with what you are reading, with the opinion of the
writer, with their logic, conclusions and arguments ... that sort of thing.
P: Right. Anything else?
G: Well, one particular problem that Ive noticed is foreign students who focus
too much on unknown vocabulary. This can make reading very time
consuming as they constantly stop to look up words in their dictionaries.
P: Yes, I see. In fact, I think people often do that in their own language too.
G: When theyre studying, indeed. However, often, you can work out the
meaning of the word by reading on and looking at the context its used in, or at
least make an educated guess. For people who want to improve their reading
speed, a good tip is to use your finger, but not to follow the words on the line.
No, the secret here is to move your finger down the page as you read, as this
will train your eyes to move more quickly down the text and keep you moving
forward.
P: Thats a good tip. Well, thank you very much, Professor, and good luck with
the book.
G: Thank you, Pam.

PHOTOCOPIABLE 2008 Pearson Longman ELT