Easy Life Cleaning Services

ANNOUNCER: Part 1, you will hear a man phoning to inquire about a cleaning service for his apartment. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

JACINTA: Hello, Easy Life Cleaning Services, Jacinta speaking.

CLIENT: Oh hello. I'm looking for a cleaning service for my apartment. Do you do domestic cleaning?

JACINTA: Sure.

CLIENT: Well, it's just a 1 bedroom flat. Do you have a basic cleaning package?

JACINTA: Yes. For a 1 bedroom flat we usually need about 2 hours for a clean. We do a thorough clean of all surfaces and polish them where necessary. Does your apartment have carpets?

CLIENT: No, I don't have any, but the floor would need cleaning.

JACINTA: Of course, we'd clean the floors in every room. We'd also do a thorough clean of the kitchen and bathroom.

CLIENT: OK.

JACINTA: We also offer some additional services. For example, we can clean your oven every week.

CLIENT: I hardly ever use that, but can you do the fridge?

JACINTA: Sure. Would you like that done every week?

CLIENT: Yes, definitely. And can you do ironing?

JACINTA: Yes, of course.

CLIENT: It wouldn't be much, just my work shirts.

JACINTA: That's fine. We could also clean your microwave if you want.

CLIENT: No, I clean that regularly, so there's no need.

JACINTA: Some services can be done monthly. For example, we can clean the inside of your windows.

CLIENT: Yes, that would be good. I'm on the 15th floor, so the outside is cleaned by specialists.

JACINTA: We could also arrange curtain cleaning.

CLIENT: No, that's fine. But could you clean the balcony every month?

JACINTA: Yes, we can use a pressure washer for that.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.

JACINTA: We also help with general maintenance. For example, if you need a plumber urgently, we can arrange one quickly. The same applies if you need an electrician.

CLIENT: That's good to know. I've only just moved here, so I don't have those contacts.

JACINTA: We also offer a special vacuum system that can improve air quality by capturing up to 99% of dust.

CLIENT: I don't have allergies, but I'll remember that.

CLIENT: Can you tell me about your cleaning staff?

JACINTA: All our cleaners go through a police security check and must provide references.

JACINTA: They also complete two weeks of training before starting work.

JACINTA: At the end of training, they take a test.

JACINTA: After each visit, clients complete a performance review and email it to us.

CLIENT: OK, that sounds good. Will I have the same cleaner each time?

JACINTA: Yes, we try to arrange that whenever possible.

CLIENT: Great. I'd like to go ahead with the service.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of part 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers to part 1.

Hotel Management

ANNOUNCER: Part 2, you will hear a training manager giving a talk to a group of senior staff from a hotel chain about the problem of high staff turnover. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

SPEAKER: As many of you have worked in the hotel industry for some time, you will probably have experienced the problem of high staff turnover.

SPEAKER: Every hotel relies on loyal and experienced staff to make sure everything runs smoothly.

SPEAKER: When staff are constantly changing, it creates difficulties for managers and employees.

SPEAKER: Many hotel jobs such as cleaning are considered low-skilled and are often poorly paid.

SPEAKER: Managers often assume that low pay and long working hours are the main reasons employees leave.

SPEAKER: However, a more significant factor is often the lack of training in many hotel jobs.

SPEAKER: High staff turnover also causes practical problems for hotels.

SPEAKER: Recruiting new staff frequently is extremely time-consuming.

SPEAKER: Managers sometimes need to cover extra duties while waiting for replacements.

SPEAKER: This prevents them from focusing on long-term improvements, such as improving customer service.

SPEAKER: When employees leave, it can negatively affect the remaining staff.

SPEAKER: They may begin to feel less motivated and even consider leaving themselves.

SPEAKER: One important solution is for managers to avoid making basic management mistakes.

SPEAKER: For example, when organizing work shifts, managers should never give preferential treatment.

SPEAKER: All employees should have some choice about their schedules and share evening and weekend shifts.

SPEAKER: When staff are treated fairly, they are more willing to help when extra work is required.

SPEAKER: Keeping employees satisfied also benefits the business.

SPEAKER: For example, the Dunwich Hotel invested in staff training and improved working conditions.

SPEAKER: As a result, staff complaints decreased and customers began spending more money during their stays.

SPEAKER: The hotel has now introduced a successful customer loyalty scheme.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

SPEAKER: Let’s now look at some examples of hotels that have successfully reduced staff turnover.

SPEAKER: At the Sun Club, staff felt that managers did not value their opinions.

SPEAKER: To address this, staff are now regularly invited to meetings where their ideas are encouraged.

SPEAKER: The Portland Hotel introduced a program to identify employees with management potential.

SPEAKER: These employees receive special training to encourage them to remain with the company.

SPEAKER: At Bluewater, 50 top-performing employees are rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip abroad.

SPEAKER: These trips combine fun activities with opportunities to learn about the business.

SPEAKER: For example, staff visited a brewery to learn about new beer products served in the hotels.

SPEAKER: At Pentlow Hotels, junior reception staff were offered a management training program.

SPEAKER: This gave them additional responsibilities and experience in different roles.

SPEAKER: Green Planet Hotel introduced childcare vouchers to help employees with family responsibilities.

SPEAKER: At the Amesbury, manager Louise Marsh created a supportive work environment.

SPEAKER: She believes staff should feel like part of a large family where everyone is valued.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of part 2. You now have half a minute to check your answers to part 2.

Sporting Activities at School

ANNOUNCER: Part 3, you will hear two students called Jeanne and Thomas discussing their sport science course. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

JEANNE: Hi, Thomas. How are you enjoying the course so far?

THOMAS: Yeah, I think it's good.

JEANNE: Remind me, why did you decide to study sports science? Didn’t you want to be a professional athlete when you were at school?

THOMAS: Yeah, that was my goal. My classmates assumed I would achieve it because they thought I was brilliant.

JEANNE: That must have been a nice feeling.

THOMAS: Hmm, I thought I could win anything. No one could run faster than me.

JEANNE: So what happened? Did your parents want you to focus more on academics?

THOMAS: Not really. Perhaps they should have pushed me harder.

JEANNE: What do you mean?

THOMAS: I think I should have practiced more.

JEANNE: Why do you say that?

THOMAS: I went to Kenya for a couple of weeks to train with some of the best teenage athletes in the world.

JEANNE: Really! I didn’t know that.

THOMAS: I was chosen from lots of athletes. Everyone back home was very proud of me.

THOMAS: But when we started competing, I quickly realized I wasn’t good enough.

JEANNE: That must have been a huge shock.

THOMAS: Yes, I thought, “This can’t be happening!” I was used to winning.

JEANNE: I’m sorry to hear that.

THOMAS: It’s OK. I’m over it now. I think doing a university course is a better path.

JEANNE: I agree. I chose this course because it covers such a wide variety of sports-related topics.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30. Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

THOMAS: Jeanne, have you thought about ideas for next week’s discussion on technology in sport?

JEANNE: We have to cover more than one sport, don’t we?

THOMAS: Yes.

JEANNE: Technology usually makes us think about the future, but maybe we could look at past developments too.

THOMAS: For example, early table tennis bats. They used to be made entirely of wood.

JEANNE: Really?

THOMAS: Yes. In the 1920s, someone discovered that pimpled rubber worked well as a covering.

JEANNE: Interesting! What about cricket?

THOMAS: The first cricket helmet appeared in 1978, and people actually laughed at it because it looked strange.

JEANNE: That’s surprising since helmets are now essential for protection.

THOMAS: Yes. Modern helmets have air vents to keep athletes cool.

JEANNE: Golf equipment has also changed a lot.

THOMAS: Early golf clubs were made entirely of wood, and they broke easily.

JEANNE: Now they’re made from much stronger materials.

THOMAS: What about hockey sticks?

JEANNE: Some players still use wooden sticks, but originally players had to make their own.

THOMAS: And early football was very different.

JEANNE: The first footballs were made from animal skin.

THOMAS: They absorbed water in the rain, making them heavier.

JEANNE: That must have made heading the ball very painful.

THOMAS: Yes, definitely. But I think we now have enough ideas for our discussion.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of part 3. You now have half a minute to check your answers to part 3.

Maple Syrup

ANNOUNCER: Part 4, you will hear a presentation by a food science student about the production of maple syrup. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

SPEAKER: Hello everyone. Today we’re going to look at another natural food product, and that is maple syrup.

SPEAKER: Maple syrup looks like clear honey, but it is not produced by bees.

SPEAKER: It is made from the sap inside the maple tree.

SPEAKER: Maple syrup is a thick, golden, and sweet-tasting liquid.

SPEAKER: It is commonly used on foods like waffles and ice cream, or in baking.

SPEAKER: It contains no preservatives or added ingredients, making it a healthier alternative to refined sugar.

SPEAKER: There are many species of maple trees, and they grow well where there is plenty of moisture in the soil.

SPEAKER: However, they also need sun exposure during the day and cool nights.

SPEAKER: These conditions are mainly found in Canada and the northeastern United States.

SPEAKER: In fact, Canada produces more than two-thirds of the world’s maple syrup.

SPEAKER: This is why the maple leaf appears on the Canadian flag, which was adopted in 1964.

SPEAKER: Maple syrup production actually began with indigenous communities long before European settlers arrived.

SPEAKER: They drilled holes in the trunks of maple trees and collected the sap in containers made from tree bark.

SPEAKER: Because they could not store the liquid sap for long, they boiled it to produce maple sugar.

SPEAKER: They heated the sap by placing hot stones into it.

SPEAKER: This created sugar that could be used to sweeten food and drinks.

SPEAKER: Today, the process has improved but remains very similar.

SPEAKER: Maple forests are an important natural resource in many communities.

SPEAKER: Trees cannot be tapped until the trunk reaches about 25 cm in diameter.

SPEAKER: This may take up to 40 years.

SPEAKER: During cold nights, the tree absorbs water from the soil.

SPEAKER: During warmer daytime temperatures, the water moves back down the tree.

SPEAKER: This constant movement creates the sap used to produce maple syrup.

SPEAKER: Workers drill a small hole into the trunk and insert a tube connected to a bucket.

SPEAKER: The sap collected is about 98% water and 2% sugar.

SPEAKER: It must be boiled immediately so that the water evaporates.

SPEAKER: This is done in large pans known as evaporators.

SPEAKER: As the sap boils, steam is produced and the liquid becomes thicker.

SPEAKER: When the correct thickness is reached, the syrup is removed from the heat.

SPEAKER: A substance called sugar sand must then be filtered out.

SPEAKER: This improves the clarity and taste of the syrup.

SPEAKER: Finally, the syrup is packaged and prepared for sale.

SPEAKER: It takes about 40 liters of sap to produce just 1 liter of maple syrup.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of part 4. You now have one minute to check your answers to part 4.