Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts - Close

Practice Test A - Listening Transcripts
Voice1:

MAN: Hello. I’m wondering if you can help me, please.

WOMAN: What’s the problem?

MAN: Well, I’m looking for the shopping center, but the only thing here is the park.

WOMAN: Well, not to mention the big parking lot as well. Well, you’re not too far. You’re about a mile away.

MAN: Oh, well, how can I get there?

WOMAN: Well, go down to the street to the traffic lights, then you turn right onto Johnson Drive, then take the first left onto Wilcox Avenue and then the second left on Front Road. It’ll be on the left hand side. You can’t miss it. No. On the other side of it will be the city plaza.

MAN: Alright. Bright turn at the light. First left, then second left. I think I’ve got it.

WOMAN: Great. Christmas shopping,

MAN: Yeah. ’Tis the season, you know.

WOMAN: Indeed it is. Merry Christmas.

Voice2:

WOMAN: Well, hello. I see you finally made it to the shopping center.

MAN: Hi. Nice to see you again. Well, I did do some shopping, but I haven’t found the shopping center yet.

WOMAN: Oh, what happened?

MAN: Well, I got lost. I turned on to Wilcox and landed downtown. Well, there were a lot of shops there, and so I did some shopping. I thought I’d come back to the park and relax before I try to find the shopping center.

WOMAN: You ended up downtown, Sounds like you turned right on Wilcox rather than left.

MAN: That’s why. I should have turned left. I still wanna go there. I wanna go to the electronic bazaar.

WOMAN: Well, let me check my phone. I can get a map. I’m surprised you haven’t done the same.

MAN: Well, I don’t have a smartphone. Never saw the use of having one. I’ve never needed to use the Internet and such.

WOMAN: You need to hurry. The electronics bazaar will be closing in an hour.

MAN: Oh, no. How can I get there quickly?

WOMAN: Well, there’s a bus that makes a stop on the corner over there. It usually stops there every ten minutes, and it’s a five minute ride.

MAN: Is it that big bus that stopped there?

WOMAN: Goodness no. That bus doesn’t go there. The bus you want is a small one.

Voice3:

WOMAN: Hey. What happened? You missed the bus?

MAN: I guess my luck has run out. I waited fifteen minutes for it, and it never showed up.

WOMAN: That’s too bad. Well, do you know what you’re going to buy from the electronics bazaar?

MAN: Yeah. I’m getting an electronic keyboard for my daughter. The store is having a big sale on them, and it’s just the model she wants.

WOMAN: That sounds exciting.

MAN: Yeah. She’s really fond of playing piano. She takes lessons and all, but we don’t have the space for one. But I thought a keyboard would be a nice present for her.

WOMAN: It does sound great. Well, if you like, I’m free right now. I can walk with you and show you the way. It’s just a five minute walk, and you’ll get there in the nick of time.

MAN: That would be swell.

Voice4:

WOMAN: Hi, Bill. How are you?

MAN: Oh, hi, Sarah. I’m okay. Well, no. I’m not. You know how I was supposed to meet with Frank Douglas regarding his account?

WOMAN: I heard something about you having to meet with him. What happened? The Douglas account is one of our most important accounts.

MAN: I know, but he canceled the meeting, and I don’t know why. I hope we haven’t done anything on our end to upset him.

WOMAN: I’m sure it’s okay. Why don’t you give him a call?

MAN: I called his office, but he’s not taking any calls today. I did leave a message.

WOMAN: Well, did you ask his secretary why he may have canceled?

MAN: No. I didn’t. She seemed impatient to end the call. You haven’t heard anything, have you?

WOMAN: Well, it does sound like there’s an emergency going on at Douglas Enterprises.

MAN: Any idea? You know what the emergency is?

WOMAN: Well, there is a rumor about an aggressive takeover of the company. Perhaps that could be the problem.

MAN: I never heard this. That could explain a lot. Well, since I already left a message, I’ll follow-up on it tomorrow then.

Voice5:

MAN: Hello. Welcome to Pacific Hardware. May I help you find anything?

WOMAN: Why, yes. Could you point me in the direction of the plumbing section?

MAN: Surely. I’m the plumbing manager. Come with me. What can I help you with?

WOMAN: Well, I’m having a terrible problem with the faucet in my bathroom sink. It’s leaking, and I can’t afford to have a plumber to fix it. I called several already, but the plumbers all charge a hundred dollars just to come out. That’s really expensive.

MAN: I understand. I mean, why pay more when you can do it yourself for much less. So where is the faucet leaking? Is it leaking from the valves that is, or is it from the spout?

WOMAN: Well, mostly from the hot water handle. It’s leaking at the bottom.

MAN: Okay. Then it has to do with the stem. Most likely, it’s the washer which has gone bad. That usually happens with older faucets, and you have to replace the washers from time to time.

WOMAN: I see. What do I need to do?

MAN: Well, first, you want to turn off the water from the main valve in the bathroom. Otherwise, you will have a flood on your hands when you remove the stem. After that, first take off the handle. You may need to pry it loose, or there may be a screw holding it to the stem. Next, you want to disconnect the water hose at the bottom of the stem. After that, you’ll take a wrench and remove the nut holding the stem to the faucet.

WOMAN: Alright. I think I’ve got it. How do I check the washer?

MAN: You’ll see that there are two parts of the stem, and they need to be taken apart. This is done by loosening the nut that holds them together. Once that is done, you can easily remove the washer. Once you do that, bring it here and I’ll match it with the right one to replace it. I also suggest you check the washer in the other stem as well, as that is likely to be worn. Replacing both now will save you from having to fix it in the near future.

WOMAN: That sounds very easy. I’ll go and do that. I’ll see you soon. Thank you for all of your help.

Voice6:

MAN: Sofia, the first ever national robot with human traits, delivered a speech and said she wished to be the first non human to conquer the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.

The world’s most advanced artificial intelligence robot spoke at a conference as a part of a program organized by the United Nations Organization, UNO.

Sophia is on the run with the UNO as its first ever innovation champion focusing on the UN’s sustainable development goals in Asia and The Pacific. She said that science and technology give ample opportunity for development.

She also appealed to all to save the planet from ongoing depletion and scars to make it safe for the future.

She added that technology and artificial intelligence could help the world take a big leap in ending poverty, hunger, ensuring better health, fighting corruption, and ensuring gender equality.

She continued that with the help of the Internet, quality education and other services can be delivered to remote parts of the world. A large number of people including government officials, environmental experts, social activists, diplomats, journalists, and students attended the program.

Video:

WOMAN: Okay. Next item. We need to discuss jerseys for the team. The season will start in three months, and we need to pay for the jerseys for our boys. This means we need to talk about our annual fundraiser. We can hold the raffle, but I think we need to combine it with some type of event. First of all, how much are we going to need for the purchase of jerseys?

MAN1: Well, I’ve been doing some checking, and that may be a problem. We may need to find a new supplier. Our current one informed me that the prices of jerseys have increased from $40 to $50.

MAN2: That’s a substantial increase considering that we need to purchase 300 jerseys.

WOMAN: 300 jerseys? Why so many?

MAN2: Remember, we have three teams. Each team has 50 players, and each player is going to need two jerseys, one for home games and the other for away games.

WOMAN: Oh, I didn’t realize. That’s going to cost us, oh,

MAN1: $15,000, and currently, we have half that amount already. So far, we have $2,500 earmarked for raffle prizes. But if we do some type of fundraising event, we’ll have around $5,000 for the fundraiser. The question is, what can we do with $5,000?

MAN2: Well, if it’s for some type of party, the event can be held here at the school. According to the principal, we can use the school facilities for anything. I was thinking we could have a family barbecue day.

MAN1: That’s not a bad idea. We can sell meal tickets and then also incorporate different activities such as games and charge for them. In fact, we can do a barbecue day. You know I own the barbecue shack. I have 10 outdoor grills we could use. I’d be happy to cater the event for free.

MAN2: That would be great. It’s the height of summer and the perfect time for the barbecue. We can offer tickets throughout the community.

MAN1: Now you mentioned selling meal tickets.

MAN2: I don’t think that would work. I think we should sell tickets to the entire event. We can still have some games and such and charge each person. Oh, a dollar to play. But if we invite the community, they’re likely to come and not purchase anything. If we sell tickets, we are ensured that we will be collecting money.

WOMAN: You know, I like that idea. Now, Brad, you say you’re willing to cater for free. That’s including food costs?

MAN1: Well, I’m considering that we will have at most 500 people to feed. Depending on the menu, the cheapest that would cost me to do such a large party at cost is around $3,500. That includes everything. Besides, since the Booster Club is a charitable organization, catering will be a big break on my taxes. Anyway, I’ll be happy to come up with a menu for the event.

MAN2: That’s wonderful. So what do we need to do next? Well, we next need to determine a date, decide on the games and activities, and then work on a design for the tickets and how many to print. I’ll get a set design flyer to advertise it. I think in our next meeting, I’ll have the design worked out. And, Brad, you’ll have a tentative menu?

MAN1: Yep. I will.

MAN2: So, Brenda, will you consider organizing and planning the activities?

WOMAN: Fun is my name and fun is my game. I’m on it.

Voice7:

WOMAN: The minimum age for obtaining a driving license should be lowered from 18 to 16, but only after a driver has received at least one hundred hours of practical training, a senior traffic officer said.

Major David Morris, the director of the Toronto Police Traffic Department, said the change would help solve the problem of untrained underage teenagers getting behind the wheel illegally.

He said to allow young people to drive at the age of 16 is a protection for them. He added that they would have the appropriate knowledge and training of how to drive safely.

He argued many teenagers drive their parents’ cars behind their backs or borrow their older siblings’ cars, making underage driving a problem. By allowing them to obtain a license after acquiring the appropriate knowledge, many lives are going to be saved.

Several driving instructors, consultants, and parents immediately opposed the idea, citing a lack of maturity among young drivers.

Peter Richardson, a general manager at the Toronto Driving Institute, said there is no evidence to suggest the average 16 year old has the maturity, judgment, or level of social responsibility necessary to interact safely on public roads.

He emphasized grave reservations with any recommendations to reduce the minimum driving age to 16 years. Simon Labette, a regional director for the Canadian Transport Research Laboratory, which is helping the Ministry of Interior establish new licensing regulations, also had reservations. He believed potential risks outweigh the benefits.

He further added that it is about their maturity, their ability to deal with underlying factors as they are still at school and learning things themselves.

Jacob Walsh, a father of a 15 year old boy, said he would not allow his son to drive at the age of 16. He noted that it was too dangerous, and his son would look at the whole driving experience as an adventure.

He further argued that one needs more maturity and experience because to drive a car is a big responsibility. Major David Morris, however, said being young did not necessarily mean being reckless and a danger on the roads.

Currently, drivers in all Toronto must be aged at least 18 to obtain a driving license, but training and testing requirements vary. Major David Morris said students should undergo twenty hours of theoretical lessons and one hundred hours of practical training before taking a driving test.

The roads and transport authority at present requires at least twenty hours of practical lessons. The Toronto Driving Institute requires seven hours of theoretical lessons and says most students need twenty to thirty hours of practical lessons before they can successfully obtain their license.