Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts
Voice1:

WOMAN: Hi. I’m not sure if you can help me or not, but I’m looking for the lost and found chamber.

MAN: You’re actually at the right place. What did you lose, ma’am?

WOMAN: Well, I’m afraid I’ve lost my purse. I was in the restaurant of your hotel. I had just finished lunch and suddenly had to leave. I unfortunately left my purse behind.

MAN: Okay. Can you describe your purse?

WOMAN: Yes. It’s a white purse with a zipper. It’s rather large, and it has a large red diagonal stripe across it on both sides. Oh, and it’s a Gucci purse.

MAN: Okay. I’ve got it. What was inside the purse? Can you tell me the contents?

WOMAN: Well, it had my wallet that had my driver’s license, $130 in cash, and my debit card. I’d also kept my comb and my cell phone in it.

MAN: Alright. Now, are you staying in the hotel?

WOMAN: Yes. My room is 105, and my name is Rosalind Post. I hope you do find my purse.

MAN: We’ll certainly keep an eye out for it, ma’am. In the meantime, I suggest you retrace your steps to where you were in the restaurant. You may have left it somewhere.

WOMAN: It’s possible. Alright. I’ll go do that.

Voice2:

MAN: Hello again. You lost your purse. Right?

WOMAN: Yes. That’s right. Were you able to find it?

MAN: Unfortunately, no. I personally informed all departments about your lost purse. I gave them all a description of it and the contents you told me about.

WOMAN: So no one has seen it. That’s not good. I mean, I don’t know how I will go home without it. And I’m checking out tomorrow. It’s important that I get it back.

MAN: We’ll keep looking for it, though. In the meantime, is there anything you need? Do you want me to contact anyone at home?

WOMAN: I I I don’t know whom to contact. I could contact my sister, but I don’t know how she will help.

MAN: Maybe she can wire you some money if you need.

WOMAN: I don’t know. All I know is that I’m checking out tomorrow and will be going home.

MAN: May I ask, how are you traveling?

WOMAN: I’m taking a train.

MAN: I see. Have you booked your tickets?

WOMAN: Yes. I did, and I have my passport. Luckily, I’ve kept those in my suitcase. I guess I am prepared to travel.

MAN: That sounds good. Well, we’ll keep looking for your purse, that’s for sure, and we’ll help you out in any way we can.

Voice3:

MAN: Hello? Yes? Ah, okay. Great. I’ll let her know. Thank you.

WOMAN: Was my purse found?

MAN: Indeed it was. That was the cleaning staff. One of the maids found your purse on the floor next to the bed in your room.

WOMAN: Under the bed in my room? I wonder how it could have gotten there.

MAN: Maybe you dropped it and it got pushed under the bed somehow.

WOMAN: Maybe. I seem to recall leaving it on the floor next to the nightstand. I left it there as there was no room on the stand.

MAN: When did you do that?

WOMAN: It must have been last night. I went straight to bed. When I got up this morning, I showered, dressed, and went to the restaurant for breakfast.

MAN: It seems that you forgot about putting it on the floor.

WOMAN: It seems to be. I’m just embarrassed that I don’t remember. I’m sorry I caused so much trouble.

MAN: It’s okay, ma’am. These things happen. I’m just glad your purse has been found. It should be down here any minute.

Voice4:

MAN: Good morning.

WOMAN: Morning. You’re a bit late, aren’t you? I’ve made you a sandwich for breakfast and got your coffee ready.

MAN: Thank you. I’m sorry. I overslept.

WOMAN: Well, I know why. You weren’t in bed when I went to sleep. Were you still working on your papers, or did you stay up to play that online game of yours?

MAN: It was the papers. I had to finish that report for work. I didn’t finish until 01:30.

WOMAN: What’s so important about that report?

MAN: It’s the analysis of the upcoming project. If you remember, I led the team on the effectiveness study. The final report is due today.

WOMAN: Didn’t you say that it was due next week?

MAN: It actually was, but it got moved up. I was notified about it on Monday. That’s why I’ve been working late nights all week.

WOMAN: Well, you did mention that you would. So to celebrate your finishing, we should do something special so that you can relax.

MAN: Sounds good to me. Let’s go out for dinner.

WOMAN: I’m thinking maybe we can plan a weekend getaway. We can go to the lake. You can relax and go fishing, and I can do some painting. Plus, we’ll be all alone, and there will be nothing to worry about.

MAN: That sounds like a great idea. I heard the lake was stocked with travel not long ago. We can go tonight after work. I’ll be home on time.

WOMAN: Great. I’ll go ahead and pack. We won’t need much. I’ll get some groceries as well. You just make sure that you’re home on time. Speaking of being on time, we need to go or we’ll both be late for work.

MAN: I’ll see you tonight then. I can’t wait.

Voice5:

MAN: Hello. It’s great to meet you, ma’am. Since you are a meteorologist, you must be really aware of climate change.

WOMAN: I am. And I’ve been involved in climate change research for a number of years now. I understand that you are studying the ramifications of climate change on Canada’s environment in mister Phillips class.

MAN: I am, and he suggested that I meet with you as I am doing research on the subject. What can you tell me about the impact of climate change on Canada’s environment? Is it good or bad?

WOMAN: Well, it’s mostly bad, primarily due to the melting of the Arctic Sea ice.

MAN: So what is happening as a result of the melting ice?

WOMAN: Ice is melting all over the world. But since Canada is adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, we’re directly affected by it.

MAN: I could imagine. Just what are these effects?

WOMAN: Well, because of climate change, the Arctic ice is thawing at an unprecedented pace, which is causing rising sea levels and flooding along the Arctic Coasts as well as elsewhere. But there are other effects as well. One of the most significant effects that affect the plain provinces with dry hot air is wildfire.

MAN: Fire? How so?

WOMAN: To begin, even though wildfires have been an essential part of the ecosystem, they are becoming increasingly dangerous. For example, there have been several fires in recent years in Western Canada in which hundreds of thousands of hectares have been destroyed along with thousands of buildings. And these infernos are due to several factors, all related to climate change.

MAN: I remember the one in the Yukon back in 02/2016. That was very bad. So what are these factors?

WOMAN: Well, one of the things to consider is that due to the melting of ice caps, we’re having more rain than snow in the winters. And these wetter winters lead to more grass and shrubs growing in the spring. Moreover, we’re having longer summers with much higher temperatures, which in turn dry out this vegetation. So when it comes to fire season, we have the makings of firestorms, increased temperatures, and lots of fuel.

MAN: That does sound dangerous.

WOMAN: It is indeed. But because we’re having longer summers, we’re also having longer winters, and this is leading to droughts in some areas of the West. In places that are experiencing drought, the snowpack has shrunk. This means that when spring comes, there will be less water that melts into rivers and streams, and this will also lead to drying of vegetation.

Voice6:

WOMAN: He’s known as the flag man in his neighborhood here in Sudbury, and that is essentially what he is. Michael Cumberbund has been flying flags for over a decade at his home in the city, and every day it is a different flag.

What is interesting is that each day the flag of a different country is flown. This is generally opposite to most people who fly flags, which many do, but they are different as they are expressing a sense of patriotism. For Cumberbund, his flag flying is to celebrate humanity’s diversity.

This idea of diversity is echoed by his neighbors. For instance, Rebecca Charles, who lives three doors from Cumberbund, notes that it’s nice to see the diversity of our community, which is beyond the flags he displays.

Even school students have suggested this. 10 year old Terry and his sister Anna, who live in the neighborhood and walk past Cumberbund’s house each day. And they say that they love all the different colors and designs of the flags.

They have also stated that the flags have sparked their interest in geography because when they see a flag they don’t know, they search and learn about the country. According to Cumberbund, he flies his flags because he loves them, both their colors and their histories.

He also states that it is his way of celebrating all the diverse people who live in the community and feels that it helps bring people together. Cumberland began his adventures with flags over twenty years ago as a volunteer for a social service organization and suggested flags for the presentations he had to make.

Over the years, his flags grew to nearly 200, which he collected over the years. He states that he spent a lot of money on his flag collection, but it is money well spent.

Video:

WOMAN: Okay, Bill. What’s next on the list?

MAN1: Well, Jenny, we need to discuss the situation. It’s getting worse by the day.

WOMAN: I haven’t noticed. What’s going on? Are the garden areas overgrown?

MAN2: Yeah. I wasn’t aware that there was a problem. Is it the playground?

MAN1: It happened over the weekend, and there’s a lot of graffiti. The question is, what are we gonna do about it?

MAN2: Well, we need to clean it up.

WOMAN: Obviously, we need to do that, but I think what you’re suggesting, Bill, is how are we going to put a stop to it?

MAN1: Exactly. I’ve thought about calling the police for more patrols, but I don’t think they would help, nor would cutting the park hours do anything.

MAN2: Neither do I. Maybe if we hired some guards, they could patrol the grounds and prevent such things from happening.

MAN1: That’s not a bad idea, but we don’t have the funds to hire more staff.

WOMAN: We could contract with a security company. We’ll save a lot of money that way.

MAN1: That’s not a bad idea. We’ll have to check and see if the budget can handle the expense.

MAN2: I don’t think it would. Plus, this is a family park. I don’t think it would seem right if we allowed guards to roam around the park.

MAN1: Well, what would you suggest then?

WOMAN: Yeah. I mean, the guards’ presence would stop the graffiti.

MAN2: I think I have a better idea. At least, I think it would be more economical. How about we set up CCTV cameras around the park?

MAN1: That’s not a bad idea, actually. We can have them monitored by a staff person who can then inform police.

WOMAN: That might work. Can the budget handle it?

MAN1: I guess we’ll have to explore this. Why don’t we call and find out about price and such?

MAN2: Great.

WOMAN: Well, shouldn’t we propose this to the executive committee first?

MAN1: We could, but they would want us to have some preliminary information first.

WOMAN: Okay.

MAN1: Well, let’s get started then.

Voice7:

MAN: Just recently, the federal government has imposed a controversial carbon tax that will affect the cost to consumers and businesses for even the most basic of items, from food to even medical care.

While the government states this is to help fight climate change, there seems to be more to it. As it stands, many provinces are opposing this tax. For instance, in Ontario, the provincial government is appealing against this tax in the Ontario Court of Appeals.

According to Roger Hammersmith, director of the Taxpayers Union, the group which is appealing on behalf of the Ontario government, the main argument is the overstepping of the federal government over the provinces.

He states that the government does not have the power to impose such attacks, and this has angered many of the provinces. He notes that several provincial governments are fighting this tax in the court.

Despite this, one federal government spokesperson in a recent news conference in response to these multiple suits states that the tax is a necessary and appropriate step to deal with climate change, which has been affecting the entire country.

According to the spokesperson, the tax is to curb pollution and is a charge on purchases of gasoline and other fossil fuels, and it will also be charged to those businesses which are deemed as industrial polluters. Moreover, the law only applies to those provinces that have not developed a carbon pricing scheme that meets the federal standards.

These provinces include not only Ontario, but also New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. One of the biggest issues that supporters of the tax point out is that climate change is threatening the health of all Canadians and that drastic measures must be taken.

This view is supported by Hal Cuthbert, who is the president of the Public Health Council. He states that it is the federal government’s responsibility to maintain public health, and because of this, it has the right to take any action to ensure its integrity.

He points out that because climate change affects all Canadians, the carbon tax does not need to respect the purview of the provinces. This is shared by Alan Ladd, who is the associate director of Healthy Canada.

According to Ladd, because climate change affects all Canadians, it’s fair that the provinces prices rather than being left to individual provinces to decide. But even still, many groups, including those provincial governments, are contesting the tax claim that public health is already administered by the provinces.

As a result, the federal government is overstepping its reach by trampling over provincial rights.

According to Bob Ross, a member of the Canadian Government Oversight Bureau, a citizen’s rights group, the question isn’t about implied fairness by imposing an across the board tax, but rather allowing provinces the freedom to find solutions that are suitable for their own unique situations.