Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts
Voice1:

WOMAN: Hey. Do you have a minute? We need to talk.

MAN: Uh-oh. What’s up, mom?

WOMAN: I just got a call from your principal. It seems you were involved in a senior prank. You want to tell me about it, a?

MAN: There’s nothing to tell, mom. I was talking to several guys, you know, Steve, Frank, and Bob. They were thinking of pulling a prank on the principal, mister Davis. We thought it’d be fun, something harmless.

WOMAN: Harmless? I’d say that it was far from harmless. You guys damaged his car.

MAN: So they went ahead and did it, They are no good. I told them not to.

WOMAN: Well, mister Davis says it was your idea to paint the windows of his car. He’s threatening to suspend you and everyone else involved. If that happens, you won’t be graduating.

MAN: I thought of the idea, but I told the guys that we shouldn’t do it. I was gonna suggest something else, like putting salt in his coffee. That wouldn’t have been so bad.

WOMAN: Well, he mentioned your name and said something about you buying the paint. You might want to call your friends and see what happened.

MAN: I’m definitely gonna call them. I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.

Voice2:

MAN: Hi, mom.

WOMAN: Hi. Did you talk to your friends about the prank?

MAN: Yes. I did, and I’m very upset with Frankie and Bill.

WOMAN: I would imagine you’d be angry with all three.

MAN: I am, more so with Frankie and Bill.

WOMAN: What happened?

MAN: Well, both of them confessed that they told mister Davis that I bought the paint. They both told him that I also started the painting, but I had to leave. So they essentially lied about me. Steve, on the other hand, mentioned that it was my idea but didn’t say anything about the fact that I told all three not to do it.

WOMAN: I see. Well, mister Davis is expecting to see you in his office first thing in the morning. You’ve got some explaining to do, son. Just be prepared that you might not be able to join the others for the graduation.

MAN: I know. And I’m really angry because I should never had let this happen.

WOMAN: Perhaps you should have thought more about it before you gave the boys the idea.

MAN: You’re probably right, mom. Right now, I’m very disappointed that my friends have let me down.

Voice3:

WOMAN: Welcome back home. How did it go with mister Davis?

MAN: It went okay. He’s still very upset, but he believes me about my involvement.

WOMAN: Oh, what happened?

MAN: Well, I saw Frankie leaving the admin building as I was entering. He saw me, but he didn’t say anything. Well, it seems that he had spoken to mister Davis about the incident and told him the truth.

WOMAN: So you were off the hook?

MAN: Not quite. Mister Davis does hold me responsible for coming up with the idea, and I do have a punishment.

WOMAN: So you’ll get to graduate with everyone else at least?

MAN: Yes. But I have to write an essay. I have to write about the phrase, think before you act. I have to write a thousand words, and it’s due on Monday.

WOMAN: Well, it could have been worse. He could have insisted that you help pay for the damages caused to his car.

MAN: Luckily, no. I’m not looking forward to the essay, but I guess I got off easy. The guys won’t be graduating with the others, and they will have to pay for the damages. Mister Davis said it’s gonna cost $500.

WOMAN: Oh my. Well, you better get cracking on that essay.

Voice4:

MAN: Hey, Julie. Look at those roasts. One of those would be perfect for Saturday’s barbecue, don’t you think?

WOMAN: You know, you’re right. We can get one of the bigger ones, and we’ll save a lot of money buying meat.

MAN: Any ideas about what we can serve with the roast?

WOMAN: Well, since you are barbecuing, how about some grilled veggies? You do a good job with those.

MAN: I could do that, but I’d like to try something different. Hey, artichokes. That would be different. I could grill them. You know, my brother grills them, and they turn out great.

WOMAN: Your brother is a great cook. Let’s try it then. We can make baked potatoes as well.

MAN: That sounds good. And you can make a salad.

WOMAN: Sure thing. I’m thinking of going to the produce section and getting all the vegetables. Why don’t you do all the non-food items?

MAN: Non food items? Like what?

WOMAN: Oh, we need paper towels, napkins, disposable plates, and plasticware. Not to mention plastic cups. I don’t want to do too many dishes for the barbecue.

MAN: Ah, I see your point. Alright. I’ll go get them.

Voice5:

WOMAN: Thank you for meeting with me, doctor Broderick. I’m surprised to hear that just like humans, pets can also have allergies.

MAN: That’s very true, Valerie. As a veterinarian, every spring, I treat many dogs and cats for seasonal allergies.

WOMAN: Why is that? I mean, how can dogs and cats get allergies?

MAN: Well, consider the fact that dogs and cats, just like humans, are mammals, and most mammals are prone to many of the same illnesses.

WOMAN: Yes. That’s true since you recently diagnosed my cat with diabetes.

MAN: Yes. That’s correct. So it doesn’t take a great leap to understand that just like us, our cats and dogs can develop seasonal allergies.

WOMAN: Can you tell me more about these allergies which our pets can get?

MAN: Typically, their allergies are in reaction to the same allergens we react to, grass, pollen, and dust mites. And just like us, they experience seasonal flus during the spring and fall. This is usually the case, but we also know that pets may be allergic to other things, so they may be infected by a variety of allergens.

WOMAN: Do they have the same symptoms as we do?

MAN: Actually, they don’t. While we tend to sneeze, have watery eyes and runny noses, for dogs and cats, they experience symptoms at the point of contact. These points are usually the paws and underbody. Typically, what you find is that they experience itching in these places.

WOMAN: So every time my cat itches, I should be worried that she has an allergy?

MAN: No. You shouldn’t. But do observe your pet. If it is scratching a lot and you notice the skin is reddish in color or very irritated, then you should consider that it might have an allergy.

WOMAN: I see. So can the allergies be cured?

MAN: No. Just like humans, we can’t cure allergies for dogs and cats, but they are treatable, and we can do a lot in terms of prevention.

WOMAN: Well, what can we do then to keep them from getting allergies?

MAN: There are primarily two strategies that will help. The first is to control the environment as much as you can. For instance, limit the amount of time your pet is outdoors. If you notice any plants that cause your pet to start itching, then remove that. Finally, frequent baths for your pet will wash away the allergens from their fur and also help soothe their skin.

Voice6:

MAN: Two days ago, a 25 year old man and 24 year old woman from Armstrong were listed as missing when they failed to return from their hiking excursion on Mount McKay. Brad Storch and Lisa Montgomery went hiking on Mount McKay on Saturday morning, but with the storm front that moved in from the north, they were suddenly stranded as the streams rose to the point where it was impossible to cross them. According to experts, they sought to cross the Beaver Creek but turned back to search for a way down the mountain. However, they got lost in the forest and were unable to find their way back. Responders were sent on Easter Sunday. However, due to the flooded creeks and streams and poor weather conditions, they were not able to locate them. The fire department got the call at 02:30 PM and immediately dispatched four pumpers, a technical rescue technician, a technical rescue trailer, and a Kubota all-terrain vehicle to the mountain, and the platoon chief went to the scene. They went back out this morning when the weather cleared to resume the search. It wasn’t until this afternoon when they deployed a search and rescue helicopter that they located the couple 10 miles from the trail on the north side of the mountain. Both of them were in good condition. They were immediately taken to the Thunder Bay Medical Center where they were treated for fatigue, dehydration, and exposure. They have been subsequently released and have returned home.

Video:

WOMAN: Okay. We need to start thinking about the prom. Primarily, we need to consider how we’re going to come up with funds for it.

MAN1: Well, the students must buy tickets to the senior prom. Shouldn’t ticket sales cover it?

MAN2: I was on the prom committee last year, Jeff, and the amount raised by ticket sales didn’t come close to paying for the prom. That’s why we need to organize some type of fundraising event.

MAN1: Why don’t we do a car wash? All the other clubs do one.

WOMAN: That’s why we shouldn’t do that. We should do something different, something fun where we can invite a lot of people, students, teachers, and the general public.

MAN1: We could do a bake sale or barbecue.

WOMAN: That’s not a bad idea, but I think that would cost a lot of money. We don’t want to spend much. We’ve only got $500 to work with.

MAN2: With Halloween coming up, maybe we can create a haunted house. We can charge admission to enter.

WOMAN: That’s not a bad idea. But again, I don’t think it would work. It’s going to require a lot of decorations, props, costumes, and makeup. I don’t think $500 will cover that either.

MAN1: I know. My uncle. He does party planning and he rents equipment for various functions. Recently the Moose Club had a charity fundraiser and they had a casino night, and they rented everything for my uncle. I’m sure my uncle could let us use the equipment at a cheaper price. He might be willing to donate it.

MAN2: That sounds like a great idea. We can charge admission and then charge for a certain amount of chips which people can use to play the games. We can purchase some grand prizes as well.

MAN1: Yes. Shall I go ahead and talk to my uncle?

WOMAN: Sure. Let me see what he says, and we can then plan. We can discuss it further next week.

Voice7:

WOMAN: There is a serious issue with Canada’s medical community, the CMA. While the good news is that malpractice suits are low in number, the problem lies in the way they are resolved.

And this is leaving many patients who have been injured through accidents and mishaps by medical personnel frustrated, angry, and helpless in obtaining compensation for their suffering.

Take for instance, Jonathan Cook, who had to have his prostate removed due to cancer. He was expecting to stay in the hospital for a week, but this turned into a three week stay as a result of surgical sponge being left inside him during the surgery.

That occurred nearly three years ago. And while he had filed a malpractice suit, there has been little done to settle his case. According to Cook, he was put through hell due to his medical team’s bungling. And Cook isn’t alone. Many who have sued their doctors for malpractice are finding little success.

According to Philip Stillman, who represents malpractice victims, Cook has a valid claim, but the problem is that most patients nowadays do not file such suits. Part of the problem is the difficulties in getting access to the court system.

Moreover, he cites the fact that the Canadian Medical Association, which provides liability coverage and legal support to physicians, is also a problem. According to Stillman, the CMA has ample financial resources to mount very aggressive defense for doctors being sued.

Most patients do not have the financial resources to compete, and this is acknowledged by many lawyers. As a result, most attorneys are reluctant to take on a case because of the huge cost involved.

However, according to the director of the CMA, doctor Steven Brakeman, this lower rate of court cases is due to an entirely different reason. He claims that the CMA only takes cases in which it is able to mount a defense that is confident in upholding. For this reason alone, he cites their high success rate in winning cases.

Stillman, who once worked for the CMA, counters this by noting the vast funds held in the CMA coffers. According to its most recent annual report, the CMA holds over $4,000,000,000 in assets.

Stillman points out that because of their vast holdings, the CMA is capable of dragging out a case to the point where a patient can no longer afford to pay legal bills. A good example is Grace Alexandra.

Eight years ago, she was seen for pain in her lower spine. During an examination, she was given an injection in her spine to help ease her pain. However, she got more than she bargained for because she ended up developing meningitis, a serious disease, which usually requires hospitalization.

The reason why she contracted this disease was due to the fact that the doctor who gave her the infection was herself suffering from an untreated infection, which was transmitted to Alexandra via the injection.

Alexandra filed a claim, which was investigated and led to the physician’s license being revoked. However, in regards to recovering legal compensation, her case has dragged on for seven years.

According to Alexandra, the system for medical malpractice is ruled by the CMA, and it has broken it to suit its needs. She suggests that some government intervention must be in place in order to facilitate quicker decisions.

She states that it is unfair that a case is dragged for years without any decision, and perhaps she is right.