Shadowing Practice: Real IELTS Listening Test – Vol. 9 Test 9 | Full Practice Test with Transcripts - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
IELTS Listening, version 17213.
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You will hear a number of different recordings, and you will have to answer questions on what you hear.
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There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions, and you will have a chance to check your work.
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All the recordings will be played once only.
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The test is in four sections.
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Write all your answers in the Listening Question Booklet.
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At the end of the test, you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.
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Now turn to Section 1 on page 2 of your question booklet.
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Section 1 You will hear a woman phoning an activity center for information about weekend courses.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 4 on page 2.
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You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.
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On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.
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Good morning.
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Renfrew Activity Centre, how can I help you?
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Hello.
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I'm calling about your activity weekends.
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Some colleagues and I would like to learn some new skills.
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We're fed up with the boring things like playing tennis or going to the gym.
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We thought something like rock climbing might be quite fun.
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That's one of the activities you do, don't you?
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That's right.
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The rock climbing takes place here in the Centre Grounds.
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The woman is interested in going rock climbing.
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So, rock climbing has been written in the space.
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Now we shall begin.
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You should answer the questions as you listen, because you will not hear the recording a second time.
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Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 4.
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Good morning.
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Renfrew Activity Centre, how can I help you?
30
Hello.
31
I'm calling about your activity weekends.
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Some colleagues and I would like to learn some new skills.
33
We're fed up with the boring things like playing tennis or going to the gym.
34
We thought something like rock climbing might be quite fun.
35
That's one of the activities you do, don't you?
36
That's right.
37
The rock climbing takes place here in the Centre Grounds.
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Fine.
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From your website, I see that the main technique I would learn would be rope work.
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What is that exactly?
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Well, you need to know how to use ropes if you're going to climb.
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So we spend the first morning learning about that, and then we practice on the indoor climb.
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On the second day, we take you on two supervised climbs outside.
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And what's the cost of the weekend?
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Well, it depends how many of you there are.
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Up to nine people is 65 pounds per person.
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There'll be about 12 of us.
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Right, that's 60 pounds each.
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That's very reasonable.
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Does that include our accommodation and food?
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No, but it does include the equipment.
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Right.
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Now, I was wondering about the mountain biking weekends.
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Oh, yes, they're very popular.
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Do you have to be an experienced rider?
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Not at all.
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We do take you out in the mountains, but our routes are relatively easy.
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The website said that we learn to do safety checks on our bikes.
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Yes, you learn all about that.
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That'll be very useful.
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And how much is that?
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It's 70 pounds and includes all the help you need from our guide.
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He knows all the best places.
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Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 5 to 10 on pages 2 and 3.
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Thank you.
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Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10.
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Some of my colleagues might prefer something a little less energetic.
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Maybe camping or walking.
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There was something on the website called Wild Camping.
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It's in the forest, the website said.
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That's right.
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I read a bit about it in the paper last week.
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They said that the forest has the most amazing plants.
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Do we get a chance to learn something about that?
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Yes, you do.
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And the cost?
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Fifty pounds.
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That includes your tented accommodation.
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Right, I've got that.
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I think the other activity which we may be interested in is the hill -walking one.
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That's in the National Park, isn't it?
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Yes, it's very popular, and it gives people a chance to get to know each other.
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And so you won't get lost when you go walking on your own.
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We teach you some navigation skills.
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And the cost of that?
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90 pounds.
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Does that include accommodation?
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It doesn't, but there are some very inexpensive B &Bs nearby.
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Or you can stay at the local youth hostel, but lunch is included.
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Thanks.
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Oh, and just a couple of other things.
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Yes?
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Will you need a deposit with the booking?
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Yes.
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When you book, we usually ask for a deposit of £25 per person.
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But if you're booking for a group, then it'll be 20 % of the total cost.
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OK.
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And is there any equipment we must bring with us, or is it all provided?
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The most important thing is to have the right shoes, so you'll need to bring those.
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Other things like maps and wet -weather gear can be borrowed from here.
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Right.
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That's good to know.
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I'll get back to my colleagues and call you when we've decided what to do.
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Or you could book it online.
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But don't hesitate to call me if you still have questions.
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My name's Gordon.
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Gordon Arkwright.
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That's A -R -K -W -R -I -G -H -T.
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Thanks for your help.
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That is the end of Section 1.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Now turn to section 2 on page 4.
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Section 2.
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You will hear a radio show host interviewing a man called Michael McKay, who is the director of a Canadian theatre.
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First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14 on page 4.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15.
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Hi, everybody.
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Thank you very much for agreeing to participate in the next beach cleanup day.
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These days are a real benefit for our community.
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I'm Brenda, the organiser, and I just want to explain a bit about the day to help you prepare
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and to answer any questions you might have.
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The beach that's been chosen for the clean -up day is Quinlan Beach.
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Because it's easily accessible by public transport, the beach is really popular and well -used by locals and tourists alike.
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the town council does its best to provide bins
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but litter is still a problem it's important to deal with
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this as it's a threat to the groups of seals
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that swim around there and regularly rest on the flat rocks when you observe them in their natural habitat
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You really sense why you're picking up this litter.
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You'll be working in groups of three to four people at the beach.
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Some of you have signed up as groups already, which is great.
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The rest of you will be organised into groups on the day.
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There are different roles in the group.
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It'll be up to you to choose who does what in the group.
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After lunch, we'll form new groups which will give you a chance to get to know new people
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You may be wondering what kind of equipment you'll need You
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may have seen tools to pick up litter with They're like poles with a sharp end
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If you want to use one of those, you'll have to bring your own After the safety briefing, we'll give you each a whistle to blow in case you
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need to get our attention The town council is providing special collection bags for us to use Which are fully biodegradable
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There are a few things to keep in mind regarding clothing for the day Definitely go for something comfortable
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And wear shoes or boots
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that will keep your feet dry We're all going to be given yellow caps so we can identify each other
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The town council is supplying vinyl gloves,
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but they're quite large, so your own may be more comfortable Sunscreen is up to you, but highly recommended
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Each group that goes out picking up litter will be given a survey to fill in as you go along
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The town council can get an estimate of the quantity
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and the different kinds of litter we gather up by examining the bags we collect.
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However, they are very keen to know more about where you find the rubbish, which may help them in future.
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So that's what you're asked to indicate on the survey.
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Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20.
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Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
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OK, now please look at the map showing Quinlan Beach When you arrive, you can park in the car park
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which is at the bottom of the map The first aid station is close to the shore
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and will be staffed all day in case anyone needs it You can find it by taking the footpath
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that goes north from the car park towards the beach The path branches out,
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but carry on straight and there it is To get to the equipment pickup, walk along the road that leads from the car park,
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around the bend
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and past the bus stop There's a small building before you get to the golf club
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and that's where the equipment is kept You'll want to know where the toilets are They're adjacent to the car park,
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on the opposite side from where the wooded area is
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You can see the beach is sort of divided into two
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stretches by rocky point The meeting point for the beach clean -up is on the beach that's closest to the cafe
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Later in the day, you'll move to the West Beach
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We'll be meeting for lunch at 1pm Some food is available in the cafe, or you can bring your own We'll meet in the area
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immediately outside the entrance to the Grand Pier Where there are picnic tables You get a good view from there So now,
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if there are any questions, then...
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That is the end of Part 2 You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Part 2
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Part 3 You will hear a student called Aya discussing her research project about maths ability with her tutor.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 23.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 23.
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Right, Aya.
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Last time we met, you decided to choose skills and attitudes in learning maths as the focus of your research project,
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and you were thinking of splitting it into two sections.
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Is that right?
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Yes.
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I decided to start by looking at people's attitude to maths, and then go on to research how people actually solve different maths problems.
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Great.
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Now, what research methods did you use?
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Well, I explored lots of different techniques and actually tried out things like sending out questionnaires, but then I opted for a different approach.
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I thought face -to -face interviews would be more appropriate, because you can look at things in more depth when you're actually with the person.
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How many participants did you have?
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Quite a few, which meant interviewing was pretty demanding work.
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25 altogether, 14 men and 11 women.
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How did you identify them?
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Well, they were all students at this college
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and what I did was send round a really short questionnaire by email asking whether people like maths
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and these 25 answered not at all, which is what I needed.
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So you followed them up?
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Yeah, and arranged to interview them.
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Now the first question I asked them was, How good do you think you are at maths?
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And I got these results.
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A pretty even split at either end of the continuum.
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20 % for both good and poor, and the majority in the middle.
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And I should emphasise that for this there were no distinct differences between men and women.
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Did those figures surprise you?
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I wouldn't say so.
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What did shock me was how violently anti -maths as a subject they were.
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It wasn't what I'd expected at all Yes,
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I can imagine Before you hear the rest of the discussion you have some time to look at questions 24 to 30
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Now listen and answer questions 24 to 30.
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Anyway, the next part of my interview asked about their experiences of learning maths and why they had become so negative about it.
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I identified three different levels of importance, as you can see in this table.
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Do you mean the first row shows those points which were considered most serious?
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Yes, that's right.
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And the second row, the second most important, and so on.
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And I also showed the difference between female and male responses.
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Now, you can see that for the women, they thought bad teaching was mainly to blame for their disliking maths.
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Didn't the men think bad?
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No. They talked mostly about the fact that they were actually, you know, scared of numbers.
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And some of these people considered themselves to be good at maths.
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Yeah.
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Interesting, isn't it?
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And then the problem for the women at the second level was the fact that they couldn't see what applications maths had, what obvious ones anyway.
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Yes, that's been my experience as well.
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And for the men, they found problems because they had this strong belief
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that you have to be born with a talent for the subject to be any good at maths.
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I've come across that quite often in my work too.
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And then at the third level, it was striking that men and women had the same problem, which was that they weren't really aware of alternative strategies,
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you know, for solving problems.
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Thanks.
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Now, what about the second part of your study, Aya?
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Well, the method I used for my research was observation. Of what?
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of how different people solve maths problems so basically i set them a problem
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and asked them to write down any workings out
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and i made notes on how they did it good mathematicians a mixture actually five successful
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and five less successful now i found
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that the most common strategy used by the people who got the correct answers was
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that they attempted to comprehend the question taken as a whole
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this obviously helped them a great deal in contrast with the
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way unsuccessful participants worked for them the most common strategy was to take a solution
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which they had learned before and try to apply it
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and were there any other strategies yes the second most common
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technique i saw used by the good problem solvers was visualization which how interesting i've noticed that's actually how I work best.
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Yep.
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And what about the weaker ones?
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Well, I have to say the strategy they used was to give up immediately after reading the question, I'm afraid.
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Well, that's extremely interesting, Aya.
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Now, had you thought about...
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That is the end of part three.
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You now have 45 seconds to check your answers to part three.
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Thank you.
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Part 4 You will hear part of a lecture about a marine creature called the Red Sea Urchin.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
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Thank you.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Good morning.
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Last week I talked about various research methods in the natural sciences, and you did some background reading on that topic.
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Today, I want to take up that theme again
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and look at a specific example of how data gained using newer techniques has really pushed our knowledge forward,
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more or less overturning existing theories.
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So I'm going to look at the case of the red sea urchin.
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First of all, some background.
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As the name suggests, this is a marine animal, and it's found in shallow coastal waters.
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It grazes on plants.
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It's an herbivore, in other words.
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Here in North America, we can find it all along our west coast, from Alaska down to California.
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So many of you will be familiar with it.
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And it survives very well because it's covered in spines, which are very sharp, and these deter most predators.
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Now, in the 1960s, in this country, the sea urchin was thought to be partly responsible for the sudden decline in kelp,
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a plant which supports an extensive ecosystem.
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So, in fact, it was considered to be a pest.
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Incidentally, since the 1960s, the thinking on that has changed, and humans are now thought to be to blame.
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But anyway, red sea urchins weren't popular, and people even tried to poison them to get rid of them in any way possible.
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But then, in the 1970s, attitudes changed.
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Interestingly, this had nothing to do with science.
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There were no new insights into the biology of the sea urchin.
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It was, in fact, a purely economic development.
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It became apparent that there was a demand for the red sea urchin in Asia, where certain parts of the animal were considered to be a great delicacy.
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And so, a commercial fishery was established based on sea urchins.
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They brought high prices.
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In fact, at one point during the 1990s, they were one of the most valuable marine resources in the state of California.
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So people began to look at the sea urchin in a different light.
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And just at this time, people noticed an apparent decline in the numbers of sea urchins.
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This prompted a wave of scientific studies with the purpose of getting more information about the species, its life cycle, its biology,
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survival rate, growth patterns, and so on.
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So what did research uncover?
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Well, the most significant findings came from research based on biochemical techniques.
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Basically, individual sea urchins were tagged and injected with tetracycline, which allowed researchers to track their growth rates.
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And it quickly became apparent that the sea urchins grew a lot more slowly
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and lived a lot longer than had previously been thought.
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Astonishingly, they can have a vast lifespan, greater than that of almost any other terrestrial or marine species.
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They can live to be 100 years old, and some may even reach 200.
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Just imagine, an individual red sea urchin that hatched early in the 19th century may still be thriving and even breeding.
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It was found that this animal does grow fairly quickly when it's young.
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At the age of two, it can grow from two to four centimeters in just one year.
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But even then, according to scientists who conducted the research, it still takes six or seven years before it's big enough to be harvested.
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By the time the red sea urchin is a teenager, its growth slows quite dramatically, and from the age of 22,
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when it's about 12 centimeters long, it grows at just .1 of a centimeter a year.
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But somehow, the animal never really stops growing, it just grows incredibly slowly.
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Some of the largest
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and probably the oldest sea urchins were found off the coast of British Columbia between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
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And now another very recent study, one using an entirely different technique, has produced independent evidence for these findings.
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The study measured levels of radiocarbon,
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and it has shown that even very old sea urchins show almost no sign of aging when something finally kills them.
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Unlike when someone looks at you or me, you can't look at a sea urchin and say whether it's young or middle -aged.
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And in addition to that, even when they're incredibly ancient, they are still able to breed.
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So, by now, you may be wondering how, with this phenomenal lifespan, there aren't a lot more sea urchins around than there actually are.
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Well, there is a suggestion that reproduction rates for the species are low
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because not many red sea urchins are able to survive the first year of life.
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The study also confirmed the finding that in older sea urchins there is a very steady, very consistent rate of growth.
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And this growth is independent of ocean conditions and other variables.
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So, what are the implications of these findings?
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That is the end of Part 4.
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You now have one minute to check your answers to Part 4.
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Section 1 You will hear a woman phoning an activity centre for information about weekend courses.
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Good morning.
307
Renfrew Activity Centre.
308
How can I help you?
309
Hello.
310
I'm calling about your activity weekends.
311
Some colleagues and I would like to learn some new skills.
312
We're fed up with the boring things like playing tennis or going to the gym.
313
We thought something like rock climbing might be quite fun.
314
That's one of the activities you do, don't you?
315
That's right.
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The rock climbing takes place here in the Centre Grounds.
317
Good morning.
318
Renfrew Activity Centre.
319
How can I help you?
320
Hello.
321
I'm calling about your activity weekends.
322
Some colleagues and I would like to learn some new skills.
323
We're fed up with the boring things like playing tennis or going to the gym.
324
We thought something like rock climbing might be quite fun.
325
That's one of the activities you do, don't you?
326
That's right.
327
The rock climbing takes place here in the centre grounds.
328
Fine.
329
From your website, I see that the main technique I would learn would be rope work.
330
What is that exactly?
331
Well, you need to know how to use ropes if you're going to climb.
332
So, we spend the first morning learning about that, and then we practice on the indoor climb.
333
On the second day, we take you on two supervised climbs outside.
334
And what's the cost of the weekend?
335
Well, it depends how many of you there are.
336
Up to nine people is 65 pounds per person.
337
There'll be about 12 of us.
338
Right, that's 60 pounds each.
339
That's very reasonable.
340
Does that include our accommodation and food?
341
No, but it does include the equipment.
342
Right.
343
Now, I was wondering about the mountain biking weekends.
344
Oh, yes, they're very popular.
345
Do you have to be an experienced rider?
346
Not at all.
347
We do take you out in the mountains, but our routes are relatively easy.
348
The website said that we learn to do safety checks on our bikes.
349
Yes, you learn all about that.
350
That'll be very useful.
351
And how much is that?
352
It's 70 pounds and includes all the help you need from our guide.
353
He knows all the best places.
354
Some of my colleagues might prefer something a little less energetic.
355
Maybe camping or walking.
356
There was something on the website called Wild Camping.
357
It's in the forest, the website said.
358
That's right.
359
I read a bit about it in the paper last week.
360
They said that the forest has the most amazing plants.
361
Do we get a chance to learn something about that?
362
Yes, you do.
363
And the cost?
364
Fifty pounds.
365
That includes your tented accommodation.
366
Right, I've got that.
367
I think the other activity which we may be interested in is the hill -walking one.
368
That's in the National Park, isn't it?
369
Yes, it's very popular, and it gives people a chance to get to know each other.
370
And so you won't get lost when you go walking on your own.
371
We teach you some navigation skills.
372
And the cost of that?
373
90 pounds.
374
Does that include accommodation?
375
It doesn't, but there are some very inexpensive B &Bs nearby.
376
Or you can stay at the local youth hostel, but lunch is included.
377
Thanks.
378
Oh, and just a couple of other things.
379
Yes?
380
Will you need a deposit with the booking?
381
Yes.
382
When you book, we usually ask for a deposit of £25 per person.
383
But if you're booking for a group, then it'll be 20 % of the total cost.
384
OK.
385
And is there any equipment we must bring with us, or is it all provided?
386
The most important thing is to have the right shoes, so you'll need to bring those.
387
Other things like maps and wet -weather gear can be borrowed from here.
388
Right.
389
That's good to know.
390
I'll get back to my colleagues and call you when we've decided what to do.
391
Or you could book it online.
392
But don't hesitate to call me if you still have questions.
393
My name's Gordon.
394
Gordon Arkwright.
395
That's A -R -K -W -R -I -G -H -T.
396
Thanks for your help.
397
Section 2.
398
You will hear a radio show host interviewing a man called Michael McKay, who is the director of a Canadian theatre.
399
Hi everybody, thank you very much for agreeing to participate in the next beach clean -up day.
400
These days are a real benefit for our community.
401
I'm Brenda, the organiser, and I just want to explain a bit about the day to help you prepare
402
and to answer any questions you might have.
403
The beach that's been chosen for the clean -up day is Quinlan Beach, Because it's easily accessible by public transport,
404
the beach is really popular and well used by locals and tourists alike.
405
The town council does its best to provide bins, but litter is still a problem.
406
It's important to deal with this, as it's a threat to the groups of seals
407
that swim around there and regularly rest on the flat rocks when you observe them in their natural habitat
408
you really sense why you're picking up this litter
409
you'll be working in groups of three to four people at
410
the beach some of you have signed up as groups already
411
which is great the rest of you will be organized into groups on the day
412
There are different roles in the group It'll be up to you to choose who does what in the group After lunch,
413
we'll form new groups Which will give you a chance to get to know new people
414
You may be wondering what kind of equipment you'll need You
415
may have seen tools to pick up litter with They're like poles with a sharp end
416
If you want to use one of those, you'll have to bring your own After the safety briefing, we'll give you each a whistle to blow in case you
417
need to get our attention The Town Council is providing special collection bags for us to use, which are fully biodegradable
418
There are a few things to keep in mind regarding clothing for the day
419
Definitely go for something comfortable and wear shoes or boots that will keep your feet dry
420
We're all going to be given yellow caps so we can identify each other
421
The town council is supplying vinyl gloves But they're quite large so your own may be more comfortable
422
Sunscreen is up to you but highly recommended
423
Each group
424
that goes out picking up litter will be given a survey
425
to fill in as you go along The town council can get an estimate of the quantity
426
and the different kinds of litter we gather up by examining the bags we collect.
427
However, they are very keen to know more about where you find the rubbish, which may help them in future,
428
so that's what you're asked to indicate on the survey.
429
Okay, now please look at the map showing Quinlan Beach.
430
When you arrive, you can park in the car park which is at the bottom of the map.
431
The first aid station is close to the shore and will be staffed all day in case anyone needs it.
432
You can find it by taking the footpath that goes north from the car park towards the beach.
433
The path branches out but carry on straight and there it is.
434
To get to the equipment pickup, walk along the road that leads from the car park, around the bend and past the bus stop.
435
There's a small building before you get to the golf club and that's where the equipment is kept.
436
You'll want to know where the toilets are.
437
They're adjacent to the car park, on the opposite side from where the wooded area is.
438
You can see the beach is sort of divided into two
439
stretches by rocky point The meeting point for the beach clean -up is on the beach that's closest to the cafe
440
Later in the day, you'll move to the West Beach
441
We'll be meeting for lunch at 1pm Some food is available in the cafe,
442
or you can bring your own We'll meet in the area immediately outside the entrance to the Grand Pier, where there are picnic tables.
443
You get a good view from there.
444
So now, if there are any questions, then...
445
Part 3.
446
You will hear a student called Aya discussing her research project about maths ability with her tutor.
447
Right, Aya.
448
Last time we met, you decided to choose skills and attitudes in learning maths as the focus of your research project.
449
And you were thinking of splitting it into two sections.
450
Is that right?
451
Yes.
452
I decided to start by looking at people's attitude to maths, and then go on to research how people actually solve different maths problems.
453
Great.
454
Now, what research methods did you use?
455
Well, I explored lots of different techniques and actually tried out things like sending out questionnaires, but then I opted for a different approach.
456
I thought face -to -face interviews would be more appropriate, because you can look at things in more depth when you're actually with the person.
457
How many participants did you have?
458
Quite a few, which meant interviewing was pretty demanding work.
459
25 altogether, 14 men and eleven women.
460
How did you identify them?
461
Well, they were all students at this college
462
and what I did was send round a really short questionnaire by email asking whether people like maths.
463
And these 25 answered, not at all, which is what I needed.
464
So you followed them up?
465
Yeah, and arranged to interview them.
466
Now, the first question I asked them was, how good do you think you are at maths?
467
And I got these results.
468
A pretty even split at either end of the continuum.
469
20 % for both good and poor, and the majority in the middle.
470
And I should emphasize that, for this, there were no distinct differences between men and women.
471
Did those figures surprise you?
472
I wouldn't say so.
473
What did shock me was how violently anti -maths as a subject they were.
474
It wasn't what I'd expected at all.
475
Yes, I can imagine.
476
Anyway, the next part of my interview asked about their experiences of learning maths and why they had become so negative about it.
477
I identified three different levels of importance, as you can see in this table.
478
Do you mean the first row shows those points which were considered most serious?
479
Yes, that's right.
480
And the second row, the second most important, and so on.
481
And I also showed the difference between female and male responses.
482
Now, you can see that for the women, they thought bad teaching was mainly to blame for their disliking maths.
483
Didn't the men think that?
484
No. They talked mostly about the fact that they were actually, you know, scared of numbers.
485
And some of these people considered themselves to be good at maths.
486
Yeah.
487
Interesting, isn't it?
488
And then the problem for the women at the second level was the fact that they couldn't see what applications maths had.
489
What obvious ones, anyway.
490
Yes, that's been my experience as well.
491
And for the men, they found problems because they had this strong belief
492
that you have to be born with a talent for the subject to be any good at maths.
493
I've come across that quite often in my work too.
494
And then at the third level, it was striking that men and women had the same problem, which was that they weren't really aware of alternative strategies,
495
you know, for solving problems.
496
Thanks.
497
Now, what about the second part of your study, Aya?
498
Well, the method I used for my research was observation. Of what?
499
Of how different people solve maths problems.
500
So, basically, I set them a problem and asked them to write down any workings out, and I made notes on how they did it.
501
Good mathematicians?
502
A mixture, actually.
503
Five successful and five less successful.
504
Now, I found that the most common strategy used by the people who got the correct answers was
505
that they attempted to comprehend the question taken as a whole.
506
This obviously helped them a great deal, in contrast with the way unsuccessful participants worked.
507
For them, the most common strategy was to take a solution which they had learned before and try to apply it.
508
And were there any other strategies?
509
Yes.
510
The second most common technique I saw used by the good problem solvers was visualization, which...
511
How interesting.
512
I've noticed that's actually how I work best.
513
Yep.
514
And what about the weaker ones?
515
Well, I have to say the strategy they used was to give up immediately after reading the question, I'm afraid.
516
Well, that's extremely interesting, Aya.
517
Now, had you thought about...
518
Part 4.
519
You will hear part of a lecture about a marine creature called the Red Sea Urchin.
520
Good morning.
521
Last week, I talked about various research methods in the natural sciences, and you did some background reading on that topic.
522
Today, I want to take up that theme again
523
and look at a specific example of how data gained using newer techniques has really pushed our knowledge forward,
524
more or less overturning existing theories.
525
So I'm going to look at the case of the red sea urchin.
526
First of all, some background.
527
As the name suggests, this is a marine animal, and it's found in shallow coastal waters.
528
It grazes on plants.
529
It's an herbivore, in other words.
530
Here in North America, we can find it all along our west coast, from Alaska down to California.
531
So many of you will be familiar with it.
532
And it survives very well because it's covered in spines, which are very sharp, and these deter most predators.
533
Now, in the 1960s, in this country, the sea urchin was thought to be partly responsible for the sudden decline in kelp,
534
a plant which supports an extensive ecosystem.
535
So, in fact, it was considered to be a pest.
536
Incidentally, since the 1960s, the thinking on that has changed, and humans are now thought to be to blame.
537
But anyway, red sea urchins weren't popular, and people even tried to poison them to get rid of them in any way possible.
538
But then, in the 1970s, attitudes changed.
539
Interestingly, this had nothing to do with science.
540
There were no new insights into the biology of the sea urchin.
541
It was, in fact, a purely economic development.
542
It became apparent that there was a demand for the red sea urchin in Asia, where certain parts of the animal were considered to be a great delicacy.
543
And so a commercial fishery was established based on sea urchins.
544
They brought high prices.
545
In fact, at one point during the 1990s, they were one of the most valuable marine resources in the state of California.
546
So people began to look at the sea urchin in a different light.
547
And just at this time, people noticed an apparent decline in the numbers of sea urchins.
548
This prompted a wave of scientific studies with the purpose of getting more information about the species, its life cycle, its biology,
549
survival rate, growth patterns, and so on.
550
So what did research uncover?
551
Well, the most significant findings came from research based on biochemical techniques.
552
Basically, individual sea urchins were tagged and injected with tetracycline, which allowed researchers to track their growth rates.
553
And it quickly became apparent that the sea urchins grew a lot more slowly
554
and lived a lot longer than had previously been thought.
555
Astonishingly, they can have a vast lifespan, greater than that of almost any other terrestrial or marine species.
556
They can live to be 100 years old, and some may even reach 200.
557
Just imagine, an individual red sea urchin that hatched early in the 19th century may still be thriving and even breeding.
558
It was found that this animal does grow fairly quickly when it's young.
559
At the age of two, it can grow from two to four centimeters in just one year.
560
But even then, according to scientists who conducted the research, it still takes six or seven years before it's big enough to be harvested.
561
By the time the red sea urchin is a teenager, its growth slows quite dramatically.
562
And from the age of 22, when it's about 12 centimeters long, it grows at just 0 .1 of a centimeter a year.
563
But somehow, the animal never really stops growing.
564
It just grows incredibly slowly.
565
Some of the largest
566
and probably the oldest sea urchins were found off the coast of British Columbia between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
567
And now another very recent study, one using an entirely different technique, has produced independent evidence for these findings.
568
The study measured levels of radiocarbon,
569
and it has shown that even very old sea urchins show almost no sign of aging when something finally kills them.
570
Unlike when someone looks at you or me, you can't look at a sea urchin and say whether it's young or middle -aged.
571
And in addition to that, even when they're incredibly ancient, they are still able to breed.
572
So, by now, you may be wondering how, with this phenomenal lifespan, there aren't a lot more sea urchins around than there actually are.
573
Well, there is a suggestion that reproduction rates for the species are low
574
because not many red sea urchins are able to survive the first year of life.
575
The study also confirmed the finding that in older sea urchins there is a very steady, very consistent rate of growth.
576
And this growth is independent of ocean conditions and other variables.
577
So, what are the implications of these findings?
578
That is the end of Part 4.
579
You now have one minute to check your answers to Part 4.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 579 sentences and 6293 words to shadow. The speech runs for 49:44. The speaker talks at a steady 127 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mathematics noun | /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/ | An abstract representational system studying numbers, shapes, structures, quantitative change and relationships between them. |
| climb verb | /ˈklaɪ̯m/ | To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending). |
| litter noun | /ˈlɪt.ɚ/ | Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals. |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| technique noun | /tɛkˈniːk/ | The practical aspects of a given art, occupation etc.; formal requirements. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| apparent adjective | /əˈpæɹənt/ | Capable of being seen, or easily seen; open to view; visible to the eye; within sight or view. |
| accommodation noun | /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/ | Lodging in a dwelling or similar living quarters afforded to travellers in hotels or on cruise ships, or students, etc. |
| sharp adjective | /ʃɑɹp/ | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded. |
| carefully adverb | /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ | With care; attentively, circumspectly. |
| decline verb | /dɪˈklaɪn/ | To move downwards, to fall, to drop. |
| incredibly adverb | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/ | In an incredible manner; not to be believed. |
| tennis noun | /ˈtɛnɪs/ | A sport played by two players (or four in doubles), who alternately strike the ball over a net using racquets. |
| deposit noun | /dɪˈpɑ.zɪt/ | Sediment or rock that is not native to its present location or is different from the surrounding material. Sometimes refers to ore or gems. |
| biology noun | /baɪˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/ | The study of all life or living matter. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
| clean up verb | To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy. |
| branch out verb | To expand in the manner of branches. |
| come across verb | To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition. |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| go along verb | To participate, cooperate, or conform. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 106 contractions and reduced forms, such as you'll, I'm, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/, thrive /θɹajv/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, sharp /ʃɑɹp/, contrast /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, shock /ʃɔk/, shore /ʃɔɹ/
- Long words — get the stress right: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, biology /baɪˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, participant /pɑːɹˈtɪsəpənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like mathematics, climb, litter.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been done · has been written · we've decided |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be played · will be given · has been done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | already, which is · groups which will · use Which are |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.