ESOL International
Sample English Listening Examination
Level C1 Advanced
Texts to be used with the examination.
The texts are to be
recorded and sent to the centre on a disk prior to the examination.
Instructions are written in
underlined italics and should
not be recorded.
The recording must be
played to learners in full from start to finish.
This is the NOCN ESOL International Advanced
Level Listening examination.
Please check that your name and other details
are on your mark sheet.
The invigilator will have explained how to
fill in the mark sheet.
Do not write on your examination paper.
The Listening examination will now begin.
Part 1
You will hear ten sentences.
Read the replies on your examination paper. You have two minutes to read the replies on
your examination paper.
Pause for two minutes
Listen to the sentences.
You will hear the sentences in full twice. Choose the best reply for the situation. Then you will have two minutes to check your
answers.
Record the sentences (three seconds
between each sentence)
1. We can’t have a meeting today. Tomorrow would be better.
2. Excuse me, where is the bank?
3. You need to decide now.
4. Shall we go out or stay at home?
5. You are £50 short.
6. The tickets were expensive but the show was
fabulous!
7. Are you ready? We need to go now.
8. It looks very modern, doesn’t it?
9. Peter asked me to move in with him. What should I do?
10. I would like to express my sincere apology.
Pause for five seconds after the first reading
Now listen to the sentences again.
Record the sentences again
Now check your answers. You have two minutes to check your answers.
Pause for two minutes after the second reading
Part 2 –
Conversation 1
This is Conversation 1. Read the questions and answers on your
examination paper. You have two minutes
to read them.
Pause for two minutes
Listen to the conversation. You will hear the conversation twice. Answer the questions. Then you have two minutes to check the answers.
Record the conversation
We are going to talk to Will.i.am, 38, who was born William Adams to a single
mother in a poor area of Los Angeles. He
co-founded the Black Eyed Peas in the 1990s and the band has since
sold more than 31m albums worldwide. In
August his solo record Reach For The Stars was the first music to be broadcast
by NASA back to Earth from Mars. He has
donated £500,000 to the Prince's Trust to help young people develop technology
skills.
-Will, which living person do you most
admire, and why?-My mom – she's fantastic. She has been the main influence on my life. I love her.
-What is the trait you most deplore in others?
-Small-mindedness. I cannot abide petty people – they need to get a life!
-Property aside, what's the most expensive thing you've bought?
-I spend money on things to make – such as the car I made. Maybe I could be a car mechanic if my career ends!
-What is your most treasured possession?
-My ideas. I cannot imagine losing my creativity.
-Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
-"Umm."
-What is your favourite smell?
-Citrussy things. They take me right back to holidays in the sun.
-What does love feel like?
-Romantic love is painful. It reaches the very bottom of your heart and soul.
-Have you ever said 'I love you' and not meant it?
-I try not to.
-What is the worst job you've done?
-I never had a job. My music is my life, my inspiration and the love of my life right now.
-When did you last cry, and why?
-The last time I cried was at New Year's dinner, because my mom was proud that I did the family prayer.
-What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
-Ask questions, be curious.
Pause for five seconds after the first reading
Now listen to the conversation again.
Record the conversation again
Now check your answers. You have two minutes to check your answers.
Pause for two minutes after the second reading
Part 2 –
Conversation 2
This is Conversation 2. Read the questions and answers on your
examination paper. You have two minutes
to read them.
Pause for two minutes
Listen to the conversation. You will hear the conversation twice. Answer the questions. Then you have two minutes to check the answers.
Record the conversation
-
Hello Michael. What can I do for you today?
-
Hello
Doctor. It was while I was playing
tennis yesterday, I fell over and hurt my ankle. It’s really painful and it got swollen, I
can’t move it at all.
-
Let’s have a look at it. How is the pain now?
-
It’s
really bad. I tried to put some ice on it but it didn’t help.
-
We’ll have to do an x-ray to see if
it is fractured. We’ll probably have to put it in plaster for a week to
immobilize it and prevent further damage. In the meantime I am going to
prescribe stronger painkillers to relieve the pain. You need to take two when
required but do not exceed more than eight within 24 hours. As they already
contain paracetamol make sure not to take any other medication that contains
paracetamol. I’ll make an emergency appointment for your x-ray and we’ll be
able to decide about further treatment. Do you need any assistance to get to
hospital?
-
No,
thank you. I have my friend with me.
-
OK. Then. When you get to the
hospital, please report at the A and E.
-
Sorry,
A and E?
-
Yes, Accident and Emergency. They
will look after you there.
-
Thank
you very much, doctor.
-
You are welcome.
Pause for five seconds after the first reading
Now listen to the conversation again.
Record the conversation again
Now check your answers. You have two minutes to check your answers.
Pause for two minutes after the second reading
Part 3 – Debate
This is a debate. You will hear it twice. Read the questions and answers on your
examination paper. You have two minutes
to read them.
Pause for two minutes
Listen to the debate.
You will hear it twice. Answer
the questions. Then you have two minutes
to check the answers.
Record the debate
|
LEWIS: Hello. I
don’t know if it’s still raining where you are, but the Met Office says there
may be some respite from the record rainfall of recent months - more rain
than the UK has seen for at least 100 years. Heavy rain of course means
floods, and not just for those by rivers; once the ground is soaked and it
rains again, flash floods caused by surface water with nowhere to go can hit
anywhere. So today Money Box Live takes your questions on financial loss from
floods and rain. First and biggest of course is the damage to your home and
property. Are you insured? Will you be able to afford insurance in future?
Our first question is from Sheila in Penrith. Sheila, your question.
SHEILA: Yes, do we have a right to know from insurance
companies whether they’ve identified our property as being at flood risk? How
can we find out and can we challenge it because you know geographically we
might seem to be very close to a major river flood - I’m talking about my own
situation here - but actually the local typography, we can be considerably
higher than that river flood level? It seems to be - sometimes you know -is
it just a blanket policy and how can we challenge this?
LEWIS: Yes, that’s
an interesting question. We’ve had several emails and calls like that, Sheila.
Let me go first to Matt Cullen from the Association of British Insurers.
CULLEN: Thanks. Well
hi, Sheila. The short answer is no, you don’t have a right; but often an
insurer will give you an idea of how they’ve rated your flood risk if you ask
them. They’re not required to do that, but they might do that if you ask
them. But I think this shows how on a general level it’s really important to
shop around the market for flood insurance …
SHEILA: Yes, of
course.
CULLEN: … because
insurers all have different ways of rating home insurance and particularly
the flood aspect of it. So they’ll use all kinds of different methods, so you
do need to shop around the market and try and make sure you’re getting the
best deal.
LEWIS: And in your
case, Sheila, you say … I think you live quite close to a river, but you live
a lot higher than the river. Is that right?
SHEILA: Yes, quite.
Yes, I’m about 100 feet up above it vertically.
LEWIS: So that would
be a big flood, wouldn’t it, to hit you?
SHEILA: Half of Britain I think would be underwater in
that situation.
LEWIS: (laughs) Yes, though I
suppose it could run down into your house. But is it possible, Matt, to argue
with the insurer and say well, look, I might be in this postcode, but, for
heaven’s sake, I’m on a hill and the river’s 100 feet below me?
CULLEN: Yes, it can be possible to do that. What
insurers will often ask for in this kind of situation is a report that they
can trust, so often a survey report from a qualified hydrological engineer
who understands flood risk on a very local level and can provide more
detailed information than insurers might have in the normal course of
business.
LEWIS: Ok, Sheila
thanks very much for your call. We’re going to Cirencester now to talk to
Annette. Annette, what’s your question?
ANNETTE: Oh hello. My
house building insurance was £591 last year, and has been for the last 4
years since I had a flood in 2007. This year it was increased from £591 to
£2,274. Now I rang them immediately to protest and ask why, but I didn’t get
any satisfaction, so I wrote a formal letter of complaint but this didn’t do
any good. I had a letter from them saying that they’d done the assessment;
they’d personally reviewed my policy premium and confirmed that it was
correct and couldn’t offer me any reduction. I just wanted to ask you now, in
view of the fact that it is said that Caroline Spelman is going to get a
guarantee with insurers on availability and affordability …
LEWIS: She’s the
Secretary of State for this.
ANNETTE: Yes. … how is
this affordability to be judged? I mean some people easily can afford £2,274;
some people couldn’t possibly afford it at all. I did think long and hard
about not insuring at all and then of course I got too frightened to do this
…
LEWIS: Yes, I can
imagine. Annette, let’s ask Matt Cullen from the Association of British
Insurers. Her insurance premium has gone up nearly four times, fourfold,
Matt. Is that affordable? Is that fair?
CULLEN: Well we do understand how frustrating it is for
consumers to see their insurance premiums rising sharply. I can’t comment on
the individual case, obviously I don’t know the details, but insurers do want
to see flood insurance remain affordable for consumers in the future and
that’s why we’re working very hard with the Government at the moment to try
and deliver a solution for this. But fundamentally the Government needs to be
involved because, like Annette says, the insurance industry isn’t really the
right body to decide what is affordable. That’s Government’s job.
LEWIS: I guess
that’s true, but if we’re going to have more and more bad weather - and it
does seem that you know we used to be told, ‘Oh it’s a flood once in a
thousand years’, we’ve had several of those over the last few years - if it
is going to be more, places are going to be more liable to flooding, a way
has to be found that people can afford insurance. And you know when your deal
comes to an end next June something’s got to be in its place and, as I
understand it, there will be some kind of levy which will pay for these
expenses. But no more money’s going into it, so 2,000 odd pounds may still
have to be affordable.
CULLEN: Well we’ve been working very hard to try and
consider what the options might be after the current agreement on flood
insurance expires next year. We’ve made it clear that if nothing replaces
that agreement, it’s a dangerous path to go down; that there could be
significant numbers, up to 200,000 people around the country struggling to
afford flood insurance, and that’s exactly what we want to avoid.
LEWIS: Yes, quite. Anyway thank you very much for your
calls. That is all we have time for. More on our website, bbc.co.uk/moneybox.
I’m back at noon on Saturday with Money Box, but Money Box Live is now off
the air for the summer until September.
|
Pause for two minutes after the first reading
Now listen to the debate again.
Record the debate again
Now check your answers. You have two minutes to check your answers.
Pause for two minutes after the second reading
Part 3 – Discussion
This is a discussion. You will hear the discussion twice. Read the questions and answers on your
examination paper. You have two minutes
to read them.
Pause for two minutes
Listen to the discussion.
You will hear it twice. Answer
the questions. Then you have two minutes
to check the answers.
Record the discussion
|
ANDREW
MARR: Tristram Hunt, Shadow Education Secretary, joins me now. Good morning.
TRISTRAM
HUNT: Good morning, Andrew.
ANDREW
MARR: Can we start by talking about standards because the international
comparisons are terrible at the moment. England has come, I think, 20th out of 24 countries in
literacy, 22nd
in
numeracy. These are really pretty atrocious figures. Do you accept that
standards have slipped over the last ten or twenty years?
TRISTRAM
HUNT: This is a big structural issue for our country. It goes across
governments, it goes down generations. You can go right back to the mid 1990s
and look at the reports then. I think if you drill down in to the data, what
it shows is that in the 14 to 19 bracket, we’re not achieving what we need to
achieve there. So we absolutely need to focus on maths and English from 16 to
18, where it needs to be and the standards there are vitally important,
because that’s what employers say they need.
ANDREW
MARR: So you accept that this study is real because in the past, people have
said… ‘Oh, we’ve done very well with GCSEs, there was no grade inflation’.
But you accept that standards have slipped in Britain?
TRISTRAM
HUNT: The report is a wake-up call. You know, we all need to re-double our
efforts and the question is how do you achieve improvements in standards and
the Labour Party view is you focus on teacher quality. You focus on
professionalising our teachers. You look at their continuing professional development.
You essentially follow the model that they have in Finland, and Finland came
second in this, where you have the best graduates going into teaching and you
have them going into difficult communities and you have them showing the
passion and the capacity and the autonomy. You
listen to their views and you take them with you.
ANDREW MARR: But you do need more
rigorous exams. You do need tougher A levels. You would agree with that.
TRISTRAM HUNT: You need to be absolutely
clear about standards and I think OFQUAL is doing a very good job. Look, I’ve
got a PhD from the University of Cambridge. I’m very lucky that I don’t need
to be told about the importance of rigour and standards but it’s not just
about academic life, it’s also about vocational pathways. We have a
government obsessed about our GCSE A Level university route and that’s
absolutely vital and I’m determined as anyone else to make sure kids from
working class communities can get in to the best universities in our country.
We’re about aspiration and achievement but if you want to get an
apprenticeship at Rolls Royce, if you want to work in the engineering sector,
the Labour Party is also determined to make sure you have excellence in those
career pathways as well.
ANDREW MARR: Do you think that in
retrospect, setting a kind of ‘50% of all kids must go to university target’
was foolish? There’s been a lot of worry across universities and higher
education about falling standards. Kids not able to cope with the three year
courses they’ve been put in to, dropping out early. You must have talked to
academics who are very, very worried about this.
TRISTRAM HUNT: Look, when we see what’s
happening in India and China, the vast majority of young people are going to
University right around the world. When
we want as many kids from disadvantaged communities to be able to go to
university, we can’t put a cap on aspiration and it was always about
life-long learning as well. But I think if we had the emphasis wrong, it was
an over emphasis…
ANDREW MARR: …on numbers.
TRSITRAM HUNT: …upon that university
track. Ed Miliband has made it very clear that he wants us in government to
focus on what he’s called ‘the forgotten 50%’; those for whom the university
pathway is not necessarily the right pathway and what we want is equity
between them.
ANDREW MARR: Have you thought about
bringing back polytechnics?
TRISTRAM HUNT: Well I’m very attracted by
the institutions of polytechnics, what polytechnics achieved. In Stoke on
Trent we had the North Staffordshire Polytechnic, which did brilliant work
for the ceramics industry. But you are taking me outside my brief and I’ve
only been in the job a few days and if I trespass onto higher education so
soon, I’m going to be in trouble.
ANDREW MARR: You’re going to be in trouble.
TRISTRAM HUNT: Exactly.
ANDREW MARR: Tristram Hunt, thank you
very much indeed for being so candid and joining us this morning.
TRISTRAM HUNT: Thank you Andrew.
|
Pause for two minutes after the first reading
Now listen to the discussion again.
Record the discussion again
Now check your answers. You have two minutes to check your answers.
Pause for two minutes after the second reading
That is the end of the Listening
examination. Please check your mark
sheet is completed correctly. Put your
pens down.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου