Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts
Voice1:

MAN: Hello. Are you a new student?

WOMAN: Yes. I am.

MAN: Well, welcome to the workshop. I see you have your supplies. Have you painted before?

WOMAN: It’s been, like, twenty years since I’ve painted. I’ll be working with oils.

MAN: Alright. Now I recommend that you use an odorless thinner. Turpentine has a very strong odor and can make people sick if exposed to it.

WOMAN: Is such a thinner available? I didn’t know. I’ve always used turpentine for thinning and cleaning brushes.

MAN: It’s good. Some people use linseed oil, but that can be expensive. Odorless thinners aren’t that expensive and are easily obtainable. It’s available in one liter and four liter bottles.

WOMAN: Oh? Do you have some of those with you then?

MAN: I don’t, but the art supply store down the block does. If you go now, you’ll still have time to start your painting.

WOMAN:Oh, okay. I’ll go do that then.

Voice2:

MAN: Hey. Welcome back. Were you able to get the odorless thinner?

WOMAN: Hi. Yes. I was. Thank you. Just let me set up now so that I can get started.

MAN: So what type of painting are you gonna start?

WOMAN: I’m thinking of painting a landscape.That’s what I used to do.

MAN: Ah, I see. Are you using, photo reference?

WOMAN: No. But I have some ideas of what I want. Mountains in the distance and such.

MAN: Okay. Well, the biggest factor to consider is where to put your horizon line. The horizon helps set the perspective of the painting.

WOMAN: Is it not the composition or the use of lines?

MAN: Those are also important, but a painting must have perspective first, particularly a landscape. Otherwise, it’ll look flat.

WOMAN: Do you have any suggestions where I can put the horizon line?

MAN: Well, that depends on what you’re trying to depict. Generally, the horizon line should be placed at eye level. So when you hang your painting, the horizon should be at the same level as the eyes of the viewer.

WOMAN: Oh, I see. It seems I have forgotten a lot about painting.

MAN: Don’t worry. I’m here to help you.

Voice3:

WOMAN: Well, I think I’m almost done.

MAN: Indeed. You are. This has come out very nice.

WOMAN: Thank you. I did have some problems with the clouds. I couldn’t decide how I wanted to render them.

MAN: Oh?

WOMAN: Well, you know, there are several ways I could have painted them. I thought of using a paper towel, but that didn’t seem to work.

MAN: Well, when using paper towels, you have to be careful about smearing the paint. It doesn’t look like you use a sponge. You can create excellent clouds using a sponge.

WOMAN: I never thought of that. Actually, I used a fan brush and using the tip, I was able to paint in some nice clouds.

MAN: Well, what you did is very good. You could also have used a flat brush to give the painting a good effect.

WOMAN: Maybe, but I thought the fan brush gives me more flexibility.

MAN: Well, congratulations. You did a really great job on this.

WOMAN: Thank you, and I really enjoyed the workshop.

Voice4:

MAN: Hello, are you going to use all of this table space?

WOMAN: Uh, actually I was, but there’s plenty of room. Please help yourself.

MAN: Thank you. This is the first time I came here. I thought it would be much bigger.

WOMAN: Actually, no. And table space at times can be a premium. I’ve seen many people literally hogging a whole table and not sharing with others.

MAN: That doesn’t quite seem fair. I mean, where else are people going to fold their clothes?

WOMAN: Right. I’ve seen some people literally folding their clothes on washers or directly in their baskets. Anyway, are you new in the neighborhood?

MAN: Actually, yes. But I live in the apartments across the street and my washer broke down.

WOMAN: You have a washer in your unit? You’re lucky. That’s so convenient. I wish I had one in my apartment, but there are no hookups.

MAN: It’s not so bad coming to the laundromat as long as it’s not crowded.

WOMAN: Right. I’m Patty. Nice to meet you.

MAN: You too. I’m Brent. How long have you been living in the neighborhood?

WOMAN: I’ve been living here for ten years. It’s a nice place. There’s a lot to do.

MAN: So where can a person get a good cup of coffee around here?

WOMAN: Well, the best is at Joe’s. The coffee is great there. So, would you like to get a cup after we finish?

MAN: Sure. I’m almost done. Looks like you’ve finished already.

Voice5:

MAN: Thank you for meeting me. I myself am an Inuit. I’m really fascinated by the culture of my people and other indigenous Canadian people.

WOMAN: I’m happy to talk to you. I’m a member of the Dene people and a tribal elder. I also teach children about our heritage.

MAN: So what do you teach them?

WOMAN: I teach them a lot about our folklore and customs. It’s very important to keep these alive. Otherwise, our culture will cease to exist.

MAN: That’s very true. Is there any one custom you teach that really stands out?

WOMAN: Yes. There is. One of the most interesting customs is our hand games, which our children play.

MAN: My people have some hand games as well. What can you tell me about them?

WOMAN: The hand games are actually the only games which were originally played by adults as a form of gambling among friends and different groups.

MAN: I see. And what sort of things were gambled?

WOMAN: Usually, they used bullets, furs, dogs, toboggans, stick matches, and some other items. Usually, the items were not expensive.

MAN: Oh, so nowadays it’s no longer used for gambling?

WOMAN: Well, not generally. Today hand games are played in cultural centers, community carnivals, and other events all over the Denae country as a means of encouraging our culture.

MAN: And what is it based on?

WOMAN: It is based on the simple concept of hiding objects and guessing where it is. But there is a catch. Between two players, one person has to hide an object and the other has to find it.

MAN: So what is the catch?

WOMAN: It’s this, the participants must use elaborate hand signals and gestures. The person hiding the object must use gestures to hide the object. Often, this makes use of sleight of hand skills.

MAN: You mean similar to that of a stage magician?

WOMAN: That’s right.And the person who has to find the objects must use gestures as well. Usually, the game is played in teams of up to five people each. One team will hide the object, and the other team attempts to find it.

MAN: It sounds like a lot of fun.

WOMAN: It is fun, and the children really enjoy it. It’s a great way to spend time during the long winter days.

Voice 6:

While they can’t really alter their uniform, there are some royal mounted Canadian police officers who have been lucky enough to accessorize them. Thanks to an avid beater by the name of Irena Popoff, who lives in the Northwest Territories. She has been making beaded name tags for the officers stationed in this remote community.

According to her, she made her first name tag several years ago after befriending an officer stationed in her community. She stated that the officer came to her and asked if she could sew one to which she responded in the affirmative.

The next thing she knew was that she was asked to make a name tag with beads using the mounted police’s colors. After a while, other officers began approaching her for beaded tags, and soon it took off. Each tag is the same and is an oval with blue, white, and yellow beads, which can be pinned to the officer’s uniforms using Velcro.

According to the local commander, Captain Eric Hoffmeyer, the RCMP uniform policy doesn’t allow officers to significantly alter their uniforms. But because the beaded name tags are discreet and do not attract too much attention, they are acceptable for use.

One of the nice things is that the name tags seem to be bridging the gap and making connections between RCMP officials and the local first nation people. But for the officers themselves, the name tags represent a fond keepsake that they can have for the rest of their lives.

Video:

WOMAN: As you know with the closure of Manor Home, we will need to find a new place for our support group meetings. We really need to find it soon.

MAN1: Couldn’t we just continue to have them at Manor Home? I just heard that the owners sold the business. It will still be a home.

MAN2: That’s true, Dave. But it’s going to be turned into an old age home, so our presence won’t seem right there. Besides, I had already met with the new owners, and they’re not interested in hosting our meetings.

MAN1: I don’t like that, Rob. We’ve been holding meetings at Manor Home for over ten years. Just to be dumped like that and with all that our group has done for the community,

WOMAN: I agree, Dave. It’s a bad situation, but what can we do?

MAN1: Well, can’t we appeal to the new owners and see if they are willing to let us have the support groups until we find a new venue?

WOMAN: It’s like Rob said, Dave. They won’t let us. What about the library? They have meeting rooms.

MAN2: They do, but those rooms aren’t that big. Remember last month, we had that meeting and over 30 people came. Besides, we generally have 15 to 20 people present. The rooms at the library wouldn’t hold that many.

WOMAN: Besides, the scope of our support doesn’t just include families, but also mental health staff and those afflicted with a mental illness. We need to consider a place that would be accessible to all these groups.

MAN1: There are several other facilities in the community. We could approach those.

MAN2: That’s not a bad idea. Let’s call these places and see what we can come up with.

MAN1: Fine by me, but I’m beginning to think we might want to check with Pavilion Hospital first. They have that big conference room.

WOMAN: Well, let’s check all of them first, and then we can decide which option suits our purpose the best.

MAN2: That sounds reasonable to me. What do you think, Dave?

Voice 7:

WOMAN: There’s been a long debate among the government and indigenous organizations regarding a settlement for the survivors of those who were forced to attend the Indian day schools. The Indian day school was a program operated by the federal government between the late eighteen hundreds to nineteen seventies, in which approximately 200,000 native children were forced to attend federally funded day schools.

Moreover, these day schools operated independently from the Indian residential schools. As a result, the students who attended were not included in the 02/2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. And this had many people fuming.

This is despite the recent announcement from the Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Sophie Calderon, who pledged that eligible students of the program are now entitled to $10,000 to $200,000 each. This announcement is based on a recent settlement in which several students of these schools sued the government alleging abuse and neglect. Despite this promise by the government, there is concern.

According to the chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the settlement requires that survivors have a year to file a claim, and all filings must be through the same law firm. Chief Robert Huntley notes that based on the large number of survivors, approximately 20,000, there’s no way one firm can handle such a feat.

As a result, the FSIN and several law firms are applying to become interveners to work on behalf of the survivors. Moreover, they plan to appeal the settlement before it is finally ruled on in federal court. According to one survivor who wished to remain anonymous, this plan by the government is completely unfair and will mean that many will lose out.

He also stated that he and other survivors are being forced to accept this agreement. The general sentiment among survivors towards it is unacceptable. Part of the reason for this is because the previous agreement called for five years to submit a claim rather than one year.

One of the lawyers working on behalf of the survivors, Paul Winfield, acknowledged the frustration and claims that the government is forcing people to rush their claims. He questioned the government’s reason behind this, suggesting that it’s designed to ensure that most students of the day schools will fail in securing their claims.

Surprisingly, this view is not shared by all lawyers who represent survivors. Penny Blankenship suggested that the one year deadline was set for a reason, and she cited the fact that most of the students are aging and that nearly 2,000 school survivors die every year. She stated the process is to ensure that everyone can receive a settlement.