Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts
Voice1:

MAN: Excuse me? I’d like to buy a bus ticket.

WOMAN: Sure. Where are you going?

MAN: Well, I wanna go to Sault Ste. Marie. Can you tell me about the trip from here?

WOMAN: Well, from here to Sault Ste. Marie, it’s an eighteen hour trip. You will need to change buses at Sudbury.

MAN: It’s not a straight trip then?

WOMAN: I’m afraid now. It takes twelve hours to reach Sudbury, where you’ll have a two hour wait, and then it’s a four hour journey to Sault Ste. Marie.

MAN: That’s a long trip. I’m going for an interview and need to be there on Wednesday. When is the next bus?

WOMAN: Tomorrow morning, it leaves right at 7AM.

MAN: It’s Monday today. Going tomorrow would cut it close, and I can’t afford to be late. Let’s see. It’s 10AM right now. Maybe I can arrange for something else.

WOMAN: Alright. Good luck.

Voice2:

MAN: Hello again. Are there still any bus tickets available to Sault Ste. Marie?

WOMAN: Oh, you were here in the morning. Yes. There are seats available. Shall I book one for you?

MAN: Well, I’d like to have some more information such as the facilities offered.

WOMAN: Well, the only facility the bus offers is a washroom that the passengers can use. Other than that, there’s nothing else.

MAN: So no food or drinks are offered?

WOMAN: No. But the bus does make two rest stops between Musoni and Sudbury. You’ll be able to get food and drinks during those stops unless you pack your own.

MAN: Sounds like I’ll need to bring some food then. I guess I can arrange for some things before I leave. Is there anything else I should know about?

WOMAN: No. There’s nothing else. It’s really going to be a long, dull trip. You’ll just have to make the best of things. Bring a book or MP three player or anything to keep you occupied.

MAN: I’m kind of in a hurry to get there. Maybe I can get a buddy to take me there. I guess I still have time to decide what to do.

WOMAN: Sure. But the depot closes at 5PM, so you’ve got only two hours.

MAN: Alright.

Voice3:

WOMAN: Hey. You made it just in time. We’re about to close. I guess you weren’t able to find another way to Sault Ste. Marie.

MAN: I’m afraid I haven’t. So I’m going to have to pay for the ticket. How much is it?

WOMAN: It’s $100.

MAN: So much?

WOMAN: Yes. But then it is a long trip. How would you like to pay?

MAN: Well, I don’t have any cash, and the ATM is on the other side of town. Do you accept credit card payments?

WOMAN: Yes. We do. We take both credit and debit cards.

MAN: Alright. Here’s my debit card.

WOMAN: Okay. Let’s give it a try. Your PIN, please.

MAN: Alright. It seems to be taking a long time.

WOMAN: It didn’t go through. Want to try it again or do you have another card?

MAN: Let’s try it again. I think I entered my PIN incorrectly.

WOMAN: Alright. PIN and it looks like it’s working. Okay. Here’s your ticket. Have a pleasant trip.

MAN: Thanks.

Voice4:

WOMAN: At last, you’re home, Ward. How was your day?

MAN: Hi, June. My day was busy as usual. I’m almost done with that big project. So far it’s going well. I should be finished with it by the end of the week.

WOMAN: That’s great. I know a lot’s resting on this project.

MAN: Indeed. Its success will determine whether or not the company can expand its business.

WOMAN: So what do you think? Will it? Well,

MAN: I really do. I think there are chances of me getting promoted. Mister Rock had hinted at this earlier today.

WOMAN: Oh, that’s such wonderful news. However, I hate to spoil your mood now.

MAN: Alright. What has Ted done now, or was it Walter?

WOMAN: Actually, it’s both of them, and it’s Eddie Haskell who’s at the center of it.

MAN: I wish Walter would stop hanging out with Eddie. What happened?

WOMAN: Well, it seems that the three of them were at the malt shop having shakes, and halfway through, Eddie left the shop and didn’t come back.

MAN: You mean, Eddie left the boys to pay for his shake?

WOMAN: Well, yes. And the worst of it was that the boys only had enough money for shakes for both of them. Eddie, it seems, not only ordered a shake, but he also ordered a burger and some fries. The manager of the malt shop called me and told me what happened. He also said that the boys are now not allowed there. The boys are really upset about the whole thing. Do you think you can talk to them and help them straighten it out?

MAN: Certainly. I will. And as far as I’m concerned, Eddie Haskell is no longer invited to this house, so I’ll advise the boys not to hang out with him.

Voice5:

MAN: Hello, ma’am, and thank you for taking some time to talk. I’m currently researching the culture of the nineteen twenties. Right now, I’m focusing on women and what their life was like during that time.

WOMAN: It’s my pleasure, and this is right up my street as I’m a professor of women’s studies here at the university.

MAN: We all know that, and you are quite famous. So first up, one of the things that stands out during the nineteen twenties, particularly in The United States, was the flapper culture for women. I’m wondering if it ever came to Canada and had any impact.

WOMAN: It actually did come to Canada and quickly swept through Toronto and many of the major cities. It also had a major impact on the urban society here in Canada. One of the aspects of the flapper culture was that it encouraged independence among women. They did things that were, in general, unheard of.

MAN: Could you elaborate, please?

WOMAN: Certainly. For instance, much of the behavior displayed by flappers was never seen prior to the first World War. But after that, women began wearing lipstick in public. They were going to movies and dance halls. They mostly wore short skirts, boots that were left undone, cut their hair short, listened to jazz, and generally partied constantly.

MAN: What was the reason for this?

WOMAN: It was primarily an open showing of their hatred for the old ways. In their own way, they were stating that they were free to do as and what they pleased.

MAN: Alright. But what sort of impact did they make here in Canada?

WOMAN: Well, for Canada, a majority of these women actually pushed for a real change. They began working outside the home and challenging women’s traditional roles. One of the main areas was in jobs. Many of the manufacturing jobs during the time were held by men. But due to World War one, Canada suffered a severe shortage of male workers as it sent many young men off to the war. Women took these jobs, replacing men. Many of the paper and wood mills were being operated by women, especially here in Toronto in which many of the mills became some of the first to do this.

MAN: What other kinds of changes took place?

WOMAN: One other significant change was the fact that these women changed the demographics for many of our large cities. More often than not, they worked and remained unmarried far longer than their rural counterparts, had less children, and helped pave the way for the inclusion of women in Canadian society.

Voice6:

MAN: A Saskatoon woman recently established her taxi company and is being seen by many as a very big move, especially considering the fact that there is little representation of women within this industry.

This was the view of Laura Anderson as she opened Laura’s taxi. She believes that as a woman, she will receive lots of support, especially from other women, particularly because many women have expressed that they would prefer a female driver.

This was especially evident when she witnessed the overwhelming support from her female passengers. According to Laura, her female riders are surprised by seeing her and often express that they feel more comfortable with a woman driver.

Laura goes on and states that this sense of comfort is evident by the fact that women seem to be more relaxed and talk freely with her during their rides, and this is true for women of all ages.

Laura’s cab company seems to be an important move as many women in the past have expressed issues involving safety while riding cabs. For instance, in 02/2015, an advisory board released a report about women and what their needs were. One of the findings was that many young women refused to take cabs alone because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

Even sharing rides was felt to be unsafe because there were chances of strangers learning their personal addresses. According to a woman’s rights advocate, safety is one of the foremost issues women are constantly occupied with.

Thus, the idea of female cab drivers comes as a welcome relief. Currently, Laura is the sole driver in her company, but she intends to recruit more women drivers as her business expands.

She is looking forward to this move and suggests that her company is not just a means of earning profit, but a way to safeguard the safety of women in Saskatoon.

Video:

MAN: So as I was saying, we need to address the issue of the clubhouse. There are a lot of maintenance issues that need to be seen.

WOMAN1: Yes. That’s right, Pete. But shouldn’t we address the status of the lanes first? There are a lot of potholes that have emerged due to rains last year.

WOMAN2: I agree with you, Betty. There’s a big pothole right in front of my driveway and it’s hard to reach the other side. Many of the other owners have expressed to me similar problems and not just with that particular pothole.

MAN: Maybe, but many people use the clubhouse for different functions. The bathrooms need repairs, the whole building needs to be repainted, and then there’s the pool and the gym.

WOMAN1: I think the clubhouse can wait until then. We can always close the clubhouse, but we can’t close the lanes.

WOMAN2: You know, those potholes really do need to be taken care of. And just like Betty, I’ve had a number of residents come to me complaining about it. We’re supposed to represent the owners. We should consider their most pressing problems first.

MAN: You might have a point there, but no one is going to like having the clubhouse closed.

WOMAN2: Well, it’s going to have to be closed anyway if it’s to be repainted. We’ll have to close the bathrooms in order to repair the plumbing, and the pool needs to be cleaned. These won’t take long, at least I don’t think so.

MAN: Maybe. What will it take to get the lanes repaved?

WOMAN1: I’m not sure. We’ll have to call in a contractor to see. The original contractor is no longer in business.

WOMAN2: So it looks like we’ll have to call around then.

WOMAN1: Well, why don’t we call some contractors and then we can discuss our options when we meet next week? By then, we would have an idea about the duration and the cost.

WOMAN2: Sure.

MAN: Alright. It sounds like a good idea.

Voice7:

WOMAN: According to one property owner who lives along the shore of Lake Erie, erosion along the shoreline must be seen to be believed. Unless you can see it, you won’t understand the problems he and other property owners along the Great Lakes are facing.

This is because the shoreline along Lake Erie is eroding at a rapid pace, but this is also happening in other locations in all the other Great Lakes as well. A local authority expects the water levels of Lake Erie to surpass the record levels that were set twenty years ago back in 1996 and 1998. This is according to Tom Bird, who’s the director of watershed management of Essex.

He states that for the last five years, the lake’s water levels have been high, and this has worsened erosion over the shoreline. Bird notes that there have been substantial portions of the lake road that have been lost in Chatham Kent and that the entire shoreline, including that on Pelee Island, is crumbling away.

This has happened despite the fact that many areas along the shore have been stabilized, but due to the fact that erosion is widespread, it’s going to take a major effort to mitigate the problem.

Moreover, these projects are expensive, such as the planned shoreline protections for Pelee Island, which will cost nearly $15,000,000, and this will have a tremendous effect on property owners who are already feeling the brunt of the increasing water levels. And as it stands, there is really nothing they can do to protect their properties.

According to Bruce Cotton, his property is one that is in danger, and he states that he is helpless in taking action. He has considered shoring up the eroded areas by dumping large rocks and covering them with sand.

However, he is prevented from doing so. He states that such individual and simple solutions require that he hire a coastal engineer, which is an expensive affair. Cotton purchased his single story three bedroom house, which borders a nearby public park, which has already lost 50 meters of shoreline.

So far, his own property has lost 1.5 meters. While he knew erosion would be a problem, he didn’t realize it would be so rapid. Currently, Cotton wants to have the park fixed where it connects with his property and has made a point that park management is responsible for this.

The park is managed by Ontario Parks whose spokesperson said that fixing the shoreline is outside their jurisdiction and that it is the responsibility of multiple departments such as watershed management, the city, and both the provincial and federal governments. While Cotton has attempted to sell his home, he has been unsuccessful.

Similar scenarios are occurring with other owners. According to Cotton, he wants a solution but doesn’t feel he has any say or course of action.

Byrd acknowledges the plight of the owners as well and states that the situation is worsened by the fact that the local and provincial governments are unable to help individual homeowners by providing bailouts.