Wayside Camera Club

ANNOUNCER: Part 1. You will hear a man talking to the coordinator of a photography club. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 4. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 4.

BREDA: Hello, Wayside Camera Club, Breda speaking.

DAN: Oh, hello. My name is Da , and I'd like to join your club.

BREDA: That's great, Dan. We have an application form. Would you like to complete it over the phone? Then you can ask any questions you might have.

DAN: Yes, thanks.

BREDA: OK, so what's your family name?

DAN: It's Gree . Dan Green.

BREDA: Can I take your email address?

DAN: Yes, it's dan1068@market.com.

BREDA: Thanks. And what about your home address?

DAN: I'm about 10 miles away from your club in Peacetow . I live in a house there.

BREDA: OK, so what's the house number and street?

DAN: It's 52 Marrowfield Street.

BREDA: Is that MARROWFIELD?

DAN: That's right.

BREDA: And that's Peacetow , you said?

DAN: Yes.

BREDA: How did you hear about our club? Did you look on the internet?

DAN: Usually I do, but this time I was talking to a relative, and he suggested it.

BREDA: Oh, is he a member too?

DAN: No, he belongs to another club, but he had heard good things about yours.

BREDA: OK, so what do you hope to get from joining?

DAN: I'm really interested in the competitions. I enjoy entering those.

BREDA: Right. Anything else?

DAN: Yes, I also like to socialize with other photographers.

BREDA: Great. What type of membership would you like?

DAN: What are the options?

BREDA: It's £30 a year for full membership, or £20 if you're an associate.

DAN: I'll go for the full membership.

BREDA: Good choice, because associate members can't vote in meetings.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 5 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10.

BREDA: I'd like to find out a bit more about you.

DAN: OK.

BREDA: You said you wanted to compete. Have you ever won competitions?

DAN: Not yet, but I have entered three competitions.

BREDA: Tell me about the first one.

DAN: The theme was Domestic Life.

BREDA: So it had to relate to the home.

DAN: Yes, I photographed a family eating dinner together.

BREDA: What feedback did you get?

DAN: They said the photo was too busy.

BREDA: So it was the compositio they criticized.

DAN: Yes.

BREDA: What about the second competition?

DAN: The theme was sunsets.

BREDA: Nice theme.

DAN: The instructions said to capture the clouds as well.

BREDA: And what feedback did you receive?

DAN: They said I should have waited longer. The timing wasn't right.

BREDA: And the third competition?

DAN: It was called Animal Magic.

BREDA: That sounds difficult.

DAN: Yes, I took many photos. I finally got a good shot of a fox, but it was taken at night.

BREDA: So the problem was the lighting?

DAN: Exactly. It was too dark.

BREDA: You seem very enthusiastic. We'd be happy to have you join the club.

DAN: Thanks, that's great.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 1. You now have one minute to check your answers.

Picking Mushrooms

ANNOUNCER: Part 2. You will hear an expert on picking wild mushrooms called Da talking on the radio. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

PRESENTER: This evening we're delighted to welcome Dan Beagle, who has just written a book on finding food in the wild. He's going to tell us everything we need to know about picking wild mushrooms.

DAN: Thank you very much. First of all, I need to talk about safety. You really need to know what you're doing because some mushrooms are extremely poisonous.

DAN: However, once you understand what to look for, it is worth doing because of the amazing variety of mushrooms you can find that aren't available in shops.

DAN: You must be very careful. I always say never eat mushrooms that were picked by friends or neighbors. Some poisonous mushrooms look very similar to edible ones.

DAN: Another thing to avoid is mushrooms growing beside busy roads. But nothing beats the taste of freshly picked mushrooms.

DAN: Remember that the mushrooms in shops are often several days old and not at their best.

DAN: There are some common myths about mushrooms. Some people say you should only eat mushrooms that are pale or dull, but this is not true.

DAN: Some edible mushrooms can be bright red.

DAN: Personally, I prefer mushrooms cooked, but they can also be eaten raw in salads. It is not necessary to peel them.

DAN: Also, you cannot judge whether a mushroom is safe by its smell. Some of the most dangerous mushrooms have no smell at all.

DAN: And remember that just because animals like deer or squirrels eat a mushroom, that doesn't mean it is safe for humans.

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.

DAN: Mushroom picking is often associated with the countryside, but if you don't have a car, your local park can also be a good place to start.

DAN: Parks usually contain different habitats such as playing fields and wooded areas where mushrooms grow.

DAN: It's best to go early in the morning because there is a lot of competitio , not only from people but also from wildlife.

DAN: If you are a beginner, it is better not to go alone. You shouldn't rely only on photos in books.

DAN: There are also phone apps that help identify mushrooms, but they may not work if there is a poor signal in wooded areas.

DAN: Ideally, go with a group led by an expert. This way you will stay safe and learn a lot.

DAN: Conservatio is very important. Never pick all the mushrooms in one area. Only collect what you need.

DAN: Be careful not to damage young mushrooms or other plants.

DAN: Also, never pick mushrooms that are endangered or protected by law.

DAN: Recently there has been a decline in some types of mushrooms because of new housing developments and increased use of water resources.

DAN: When storing mushrooms, collect them in a brown paper bag. When you get home, put them in the fridge.

DAN: They will stay fresh for a couple of days, but it's best to cook them quickly after washing them carefully.

DAN: There are many different varieties of wild mushrooms. Try using them in dishes like stir-fries, risottos, and pasta.

DAN: Just remember that some people may have allergic reactions, so avoid eating large quantities the first time.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 2. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.

Luddites

ANNOUNCER: Part 3. You will hear two business students discussing automatio and the future of work. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

YOUNG MAN: That seminar yesterday on automatio and the future of work was really good, wasn't it? Looking at the first industrial revolutio in Britai in the 19th century and seeing how people reacted to massive change was a real eye-opener.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes, it was interesting to hear how people felt about automatio then, and what challenges they faced. I didn't know it first started with workers in the textile industry.

YOUNG MAN: With those protesting workers called the Luddites, destroying their knitting machines because they were worried about losing their jobs.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes. And ultimately they didn't achieve anything. Industrialization actually created more jobs than it destroyed.

YOUNG MAN: That's true, but at the time it probably didn't feel positive. I can understand why the Luddites felt threatened.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes, I'm sure I would have felt the same. I liked the discussion about the future of work. It sounded very optimistic for a change.

YOUNG WOMAN: The idea that robots will do boring repetitive tasks and people will do more interesting work sounded good.

YOUNG MAN: Maybe it's a bit too optimistic. For example, I don't think people will have more leisure time. Evidence shows people are working longer hours than before.

YOUNG WOMAN: That's true. And what about lower unemployment? I'm not sure about that either.

YOUNG MAN: Maybe in the long term, but not in the near future.

YOUNG WOMAN: And people will probably have to work until they are much older, since people live longer now.

YOUNG MAN: That's already happening.

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.

YOUNG WOMAN: I liked the part about how technology has changed different jobs and how they might change in the future.

YOUNG MAN: Yes, for example accountants. You might expect technology to replace them, but actually there are more accountants than ever.

YOUNG WOMAN: That's amazing. There are now 20 times more accountants than in the 19th century.

YOUNG MAN: I was also surprised about hairdressers. The number has increased a lot in the last hundred years.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes, now there is one hairdresser for every 287 people, compared to one for every 1,500 before.

YOUNG MAN: That's probably because people's income has increased and they spend more on personal services.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes, but technology hasn't really changed the hairdressing job much.

YOUNG MAN: That's true. They have hair dryers and equipment, but it still doesn't rely on computers.

YOUNG WOMAN: The work of administrative staff has changed a lot though.

YOUNG MAN: Yes, years ago secretaries mainly did typing and dictatio .

YOUNG WOMAN: Now they have much more responsibility and higher status. Many graduates go into that work.

YOUNG WOMAN: I was surprised that in 1871, about 25% of people worked in agriculture.

YOUNG MAN: Yes, I thought it would be more than 50%. Now it's less than 0.2%.

YOUNG WOMAN: What about care workers?

YOUNG MAN: They hardly existed in the 19th century because people had shorter life expectancy. But this sector will grow a lot.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes, demand is already very high.

YOUNG MAN: The future doesn't look good for bank clerks though.

YOUNG WOMAN: Yes, since ATMs were introduced in the 1980s, the number of bank clerks has been declining.

YOUNG MAN: Technology will probably make most of those jobs redundant.

YOUNG WOMAN: It's very difficult to predict the future, though.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 3. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers.

Space Traffic Management

ANNOUNCER: Part 4. You will hear part of a lecture for astronomy students about the need for a system to manage satellites and other objects orbiting the Earth. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

SPEAKER: In today's lecture, I'm going to talk about the need for a system to manage the movement of satellites and other objects in orbit around the Earth. This is known as Space Traffic Management.

SPEAKER: We already have Air Traffic Control systems to make sure airplanes travel safely through the sky. Space Traffic Management would be a similar system, but designed to control objects in space.

SPEAKER: The main aim would be to prevent collisions between objects orbiting the Earth.

SPEAKER: To achieve this, we would need a set of legal regulations and advanced technical systems.

SPEAKER: However, at present, there is no fully effective Space Traffic Management system in operation.

SPEAKER: One reason is that satellites are now much cheaper than they used to be, so many more organizations can launch them.

SPEAKER: Instead of launching a single satellite, companies often launch constellations consisting of thousands of satellites working together.

SPEAKER: This means space is becoming increasingly crowded.

SPEAKER: Another surprising fact is that once a satellite is launched, it does not always have to send back identification informatio to Earth.

SPEAKER: While we have systems to track aircraft, we do not yet have reliable systems to track all satellites.

SPEAKER: Another major concern is the growing amount of space debris — fragments of satellites, pieces of equipment, and other orbital junk.

SPEAKER: Even very small fragments can cause serious damage because they travel at extremely high speeds.

SPEAKER: Another difficulty is that some satellite operators do not want to share information about their satellites.

SPEAKER: This may be because the satellite is used for military purposes or because companies want to protect commercial secrets.

SPEAKER: Even when operators are willing to provide information, it is difficult to collect accurate data.

SPEAKER: Scientists need information about the object itself and its locatio at a specific time.

SPEAKER: Satellites move at thousands of kilometres per hour, making them difficult to monitor.

SPEAKER: Current tracking sensors cannot constantly follow objects moving so fast.

SPEAKER: Scientists therefore rely on predictions to estimate where satellites will move next.

SPEAKER: Now let's consider some possible solutions.

SPEAKER: One important step would be improving how informatio is collected and shared.

SPEAKER: We would need global standards for presenting and sharing this information.

SPEAKER: Similar international standards already exist in other scientific fields.

SPEAKER: All collected information would need to be stored in a single global database.

SPEAKER: As the number of satellites continues to grow, space congestio will become an even greater problem.

SPEAKER: A coordinated system would help manage the activities of spacecraft operators.

SPEAKER: It is also essential that such a system builds trust between countries and organizations using it.

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