Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts
Voice1:

MAN: Hi. I’m Jamie Lawson. I’d like to see doctor Martin.

WOMAN: Good evening. Do you have an appointment?

MAN: Certainly. I called up in the morning to get confirmation. I know doctor Martin’s usually much occupied.

WOMAN: I’m afraid he’s not in the hospital right now. He had to rush to attend an emergency case an hour ago. A bus accident took place on the National Highway.

MAN: Oh, that’s bad. Would my appointment be rescheduled?

WOMAN: Sure. There are many people who are slated to come in even after you, and they’d be given a new timing. But I don’t know when doctor Martin would return.

MAN: What would be my appointment timings in case I prefer to leave right now? I’m still left with buying groceries and picking laundry.

WOMAN: Well, I’d have to shift all the appointments exactly by a day. So you’d have to come here tomorrow at exactly this time.

MAN: That’s a bit difficult. I already have my plans for tomorrow. My friend is leaving for England, and I’ve promised to see him off. He has his flight in the evening.

WOMAN: That’s a problem. It’d be difficult for me to readjust your timings in this case. You might have to look for another timing then as doctor Martin is occupied for the next four days.

MAN: Oh, is there nothing that can be done? I got this appointment after a lot of trouble.

WOMAN: Well, you could wait for a while. Doctor Martin may turn up anytime soon. Or if someone doesn’t show up for his or her appointment, we could accommodate you in that slot for tomorrow.

MAN: But there’s no guarantee that the doctor would be back or that someone may just skip his or her appointment for today. I guess I’d think about what to do.

WOMAN: Alright. I’d be here to assist you with whatever you decide.

Voice2:

WOMAN: Welcome back, mister Lawson. So have you decided anything?

MAN: I guess I’d wait for a while. I can’t afford to miss my friend’s farewell. He’d be very annoyed in case I decided to come here.

WOMAN: I see. Well, have a seat. I’ll let you know if I receive any message from the doctor or in case someone misses his or her appointment for the late evening.

MAN: Thanks. I was wondering if at all it could be possible for you to book me the earliest appointment.

WOMAN: Yes. You can. The forms are kept in the waiting lounge on the help desk. You may pick the one meant for general appointments and submit it here.

MAN: Do I need to add a copy of any additional document?

WOMAN: Not really. Since you’re a regular patient, we’ve got your details in the system already. Usually, only a health insurance card number is taken.

MAN: That’s good. I thought it had taken identification proof as well, though I always carry my driving license.

WOMAN: No. Actually, that’s not needed. Just the insurance card in case the patient is new.

MAN: I hope the appointment fee that has been paid already would be adjusted accordingly.

WOMAN: Yeah. That’d be done. There’s no point in making the patient pay extra if he hasn’t been attending from our side.

MAN: I guess I’d just rush and fill the form. Would I be given a confirmed slot for the next appointment?

WOMAN: Certainly. Take your time. There’s no hurry.

Voice3:

WOMAN: Hi. Did you fill the form?

MAN: I did. I’ve put the preference for next week’s Thursday.

WOMAN: Well, I’m just checking. Thursday, that is December 18. You’re in, mister Lawson. Your appointment is confirmed.

MAN: Great. And the timings would be?

WOMAN: Evening, 07:00. Doctor Martin would be able to see you.

MAN: Can I bring my son along with me at the same time? I want to get him tested as well.

WOMAN: Well, the slot is for one person, but I can accommodate him. You’d be required to pay a separate appointment fee for him in advance.

MAN: Is that also $30?

WOMAN: No. It’s $25. There’s some relief for children. Would you pay in cash or via credit card?

MAN: I’m afraid I’m not carrying my card today. Can I write a check if that works?

WOMAN: Surely. You can write a check-in the name of Winnipeg Civil Hospital, and you’ll be seeing doctor Frederick Martin. Thanks.

Voice4:

WOMAN: Oh, hi, Damien. How are you?

MAN: Oh, hi, Margaret. I’m fine. Well, no. I’m not. You know how I was hoping to receive the report card of my son, Jamie.

WOMAN: Yes. I remember. The other day you mentioned it. I know you were worried. So how was the result?

MAN: Yeah. I’m quite disheartened by his low scores. His grades have been declining ever since we changed schools, and I can’t figure out the reason for his low performance.

WOMAN: I’m sure it’s the change of place. He must have been missing his old friends and finding it difficult to concentrate.

MAN: I’ve talked to him time and time again. The last time, he didn’t have a clue and just promised to perform better the next time.

WOMAN: Well, did you discuss it with any of his school teachers? They might have some ideas.

MAN: Yes. I did. I tried to contact his class in charge yesterday. She seemed quite unimpressed with his class response. She said he hardly pays attention to the discussions in class.

WOMAN: Well, it does sound like something’s distracting Jamie from focusing on his studies.

MAN: Any idea, you know, what it can be?

WOMAN: Well, it might be that he feels isolated here. Why don’t you try to find out if he has made any new friends? Kids at this age feel lonely sometimes. You know, hormones and all.

MAN: I never tried to know if he has made any friends. That would explain a lot. Well, since I’m already going home early today, I’ll surely try to talk to him.

Voice5:

MAN: Hello. Welcome to Wills Lifestyle. May I help you with anything?

WOMAN: Well, yes. Could you tell me where the women’s clothing section is, please?

MAN: Surely. I’m handling that section. Come with me. What can I help you with?

WOMAN: Well, I’m confused. I don’t know which dress I should buy for a really close friend. It’s her birthday, and I really don’t know what she’d like. I visited so many shops, but, honestly, that’s confused me even more.

MAN: Hey. I understand. I mean, obviously, there’s so much variety out there, and when you get to choose from too many options, it does become difficult. So what kind of clothes do you think your friend would like? Casual, formal, or fusion, which is trending.

WOMAN: Well, she works in a bank, so most of the time she wears formal clothes. But I want to give her something special and less conventional.

MAN: Ah, okay. Then it should be something that she can wear on special events. Most likely, it can be a sophisticated evening gown that is mostly worn during occasions such as weddings, corporate parties, and even business meets.

WOMAN: I see. I’d love to look at some of those, please. She often goes to parties, and she complains that she can’t find the right dress at times. Her wardrobe is mainly just too formal.

MAN: Surely. Here we go. This is the latest collection offered by Zara, exclusively for those women who are working and do not have many options to pick from. You’d love the kind of work they have done on the top with chiffon and georgette from hollow to hem. The skirt is mostly plain, available in pastels with few pieces in black and white, and the best part is that it’s extremely comfortable and low maintenance.

WOMAN: Alright. I must say I’m quite impressed. This seems just what I want for my friend. Do you have some variations in the same range?

MAN: Like I said, you’d love it. Well, yes. There is a similar range by the same brand that offers changeable corsets. What really stands out is that each heavily embroidered corset has a stunning work of Swarovski and small mirrors. The train of the attire is completely plain that really complements the entire look of the wearer. Since it is comparatively delicate, direct washing and ironing is not advisable. You may get it dry cleaned whenever required.

WOMAN: That sounds perfect. I’m going to buy this one. My friend is going to love it. Thank you for all your help.

Voice6:

WOMAN: Team USA Olympic gold medalist and world champion, Lindsey Vonn, was named as the winner of the twenty nineteen Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday.

The night’s biggest and most emotional honor was presented to Vonn, who ended her skiing career on February 10 with a bronze medal at the world championships in her final downhill race.

She was presented with the spirit of sport award by the Laureus Academy, a special accolade to honor her historic success and career dedication to skiing. Vonn stated that it was really weird to be retiring, but she felt tremendously honored to have received the award that night. She added that she had been inspired by many sports personalities over the course of her career.

This is Vaughn’s second Laureus Award as she was named as the sportswoman of the year for 2010, the year in which she became the first American woman to win a downhill gold medal.

Vaughn was nominated this year for the comeback of the year for her remarkable recovery from serious injuries to return as one of the best in skiing. In the end, she said that the purpose of such ceremonies is to inspire the next generation of athletes, and hopefully, someday, they could win one of these awards too.

Video:

WOMAN1: Hey, guys. It’s great that you’re all here. We’ve got an important agenda today. We all know we’re not having sufficient volunteers for the medical camp. We need to think of bringing more people together for this noble cause.

MAN: It’s tough. Most people are so occupied. I wish there could be some way to bring their interest towards serving society. There’s already a fully fledged ad campaign going on, and our volunteers are spreading the word.

WOMAN1: I think we need to provide meals to the volunteers. Many times, they complain about fatigue and no refreshment. Ours is a great initiative, and if we add these facilities, it’ll boost our campaign.

WOMAN2: Well, that could be done, but I’m a bit worried about those volunteers who do things strictly at their own convenience. We need people who are not only willing but also regular. The ones who are committed to serve our cause are preferable. They have to deal with elderly people, and that requires patience.

MAN: Well, I believe we should first think of prioritizing the number of volunteers we need. More preference should be given to long term commitment. Volunteers who’d be involved in operations are the top priority.

WOMAN2: Yes. But how do we go about finding them? We’ve handed out so many leaflets. Are there any other ways possible?

WOMAN1: Well, all our important events have been targeted so that the word could be spread. Fortunately, it hasn’t brought a few long term volunteers.

MAN: It’s indeed a great way, but I was thinking if more newspaper ads could be done.

WOMAN2: I think that would be quite expensive.

WOMAN1: Perhaps. But ours is a charitable organization. I’m sure we’d get some concession for getting small ads printed, especially in the local newspaper.

MAN: That would be perfect. Shouldn’t we include radio as well?

WOMAN2: Oh, well, that’s not a bad idea either. Could you contact some of the local channels, Louis?

MAN: Well, my friend David is a news presenter on one of the public stations. I’m sure he could be of help. I’m not too sure whether private stations would come forward to help.

WOMAN1: I hope they do. We can’t afford to spend a lot.

WOMAN2: Agreed.

MAN: Now that we’ve some idea of how to have more volunteers, it’s important to think of how to retain them. You see, most of them hardly sustain for a month or two and then just vanish.

WOMAN1: I believe we should discuss it the next time we meet. We should now rush to move forward and start checking for the advertising options. The incentives can be discussed later on.

Voice7:

MAN: Is having widespread advertising good for society? The question is not new. However, it has been attracting many conflicting views from people hailing from different walks of life.

Although advertising often helps in increasing the revenue generated by businesses, its effects are much more complicated than simply telling someone why they should buy particular goods and services.

Advertising is closely tied to psychology, and good marketing campaigns will engage the viewer on multiple levels. Instead of trying to make a single sale, advertising often forms a long term relationship between the consumer and the brand.

Professor Carla Gray, University of British Columbia emphasized how advertisements are doing more harm than good. She explained that people cannot just choose to ignore advertising because advertisers use many underhand methods to get their message across.

Posters have attention grabbing words or provocative pictures. Some adverts today are even being hidden in what seems like pieces of art or public information, so people do not realize they are being marketed to.

By targeting people’s unconscious thoughts, adverts are a form of brainwashing that takes away people’s freedom to make choices. Likewise, banker John Martin extended Gray’s views and added to the criticism she put forward by taking into consideration the effects of advertising on children.

He said that advertising gives the impression, especially to children, that they can and should have everything they want. This makes them too interested in material things. They are becoming more selfish and obsessed with their possessions and losing moral values and forgetting the importance of nonmaterial things like family and friends.

This harms their relationships and their personal development, which has serious effects for society on the whole. On the contrary, Lisa Parker, local cosmetic store owner, Edmonton, disapproved of both the previous views as she has tried to describe the necessity of advertising for the progress of the economy.

She said that our society is built around the idea that companies produce things that people want, and this is what makes us prosperous. She raised the concern over the loss of jobs of many, provided that consumers suddenly stopped wanting to buy so many products.

She further said that some people take materialism too far, but most people just buy what they need and then a little extra when they treat themselves. This is a much better situation than one in which people can only afford to buy things they need. That would be a step backwards.