LISTENING (2)

0:00

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

This is the IELTS Listening Test.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

You will hear a number of different recordings and

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

you will have to answer questions on what you hear.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

There will be time for you to read the instructions and

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

questions and you will have a chance to check your work.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

All the recordings will be played once

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

only.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

The test is in four parts.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

At the end of the test,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

answer sheet.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Now turn to part 1.

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S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

Part

0:43

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

1.

0:43

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

You will hear a woman phoning a friend to

0:47

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

get information about a job agency.

0:50

S… Speaker 7 (LISTENING (2))

First,

0:52

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

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S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

Now

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

1:31

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

You said to phone if I wanted to get more information about

1:35

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

the job agency you mentioned.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

Is now a good time?

1:39

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Hi,

1:40

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Amber.

1:41

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Yes,

1:41

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

fine.

1:42

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

So the agency I was talking about is called Bankside.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

They're based in Docklands.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I can tell you the address now.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

497 Eastside.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

OK,

1:52

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

thanks.

1:53

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

So is there anyone in particular I should speak to there?

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

The agent I always deal with is called Becky Jameson.

2:01

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

Let me write that down.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Becky...

2:04

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Jameson.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

J -A -M -I -E -S

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

-O -N.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

Do you have her direct line?

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Yes,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

it's in my contact somewhere.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Right, here we are.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

07866510333.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I wouldn't call her until the afternoon if I were you.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

She's always really busy in the morning trying to fill last -minute vacancies.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

She's really helpful and friendly,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

so I'm sure it would be worth getting in touch with her for an informal chat.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

It's mainly clerical and admin jobs they deal

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

with, isn't it?

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

That's right.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I know you're hoping to find a full -time job in the media eventually,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

but Becky mostly recruits temporary staff for the finance sector,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

which will look good on your CV and generally pays better too.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Yeah,

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

I'm just a bit worried because I don't have much office experience.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I wouldn't worry.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

They'll probably start you as a receptionist or something like that.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

So what's important for that kind of job isn't so much having business skills

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

or knowing lots of different computer systems,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

it's communication that really matters,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

so you'd be fine there.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

And you'll pick up office skills really quickly on the job.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

It's not that complicated.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

OK,

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

good.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

So how long do people generally need temporary staff

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

for?

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

It would be great if I could get something lasting at least a month.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

That shouldn't be too difficult.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

But you're more likely to be offered something for a week at first,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

which might get extended.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

It's unusual to be sent somewhere for just a day or two.

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S… Speaker 8 (LISTENING (2))

Right.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

I've heard the pay isn't too bad.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

Better than working in a shop or a restaurant.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Oh,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

yes, definitely.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

The hourly rate is about £10,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

£11 if you're lucky.

3:53

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

That's pretty good.

3:55

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

I was only expecting to get eight or nine pounds an hour.

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S… Speaker 7 (LISTENING (2))

Before you hear

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

the rest of the conversation,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions six to ten.

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S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

Now

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

listen and answer questions six to ten.

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S… Speaker 7 (LISTENING (2))

Do you want me to tell

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

you anything about the registration process?

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Yes,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

please.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

I know you have to have an interview.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

The interview usually takes about an hour and you should arrange that about a

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

week in advance.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

I suppose I should dress smartly if it's for office work.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

I can probably borrow a suit from Mum.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Good idea.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

It's better to look too smart than too casual.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Will I need to bring copies of my exam certificates or

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

anything like that?

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

No, they don't need to see those,

5:11

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

I don't think.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

What about my passport?

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Oh,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

yes, they will ask to see that.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

OK.

5:17

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

I wouldn't get stressed about the interview,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

though. It's just a chance for them to build a relationship with you so they can try

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

and match you to a job which you'll like.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

So there are questions about personality that they always ask candidates,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

fairly basic ones,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

and they probably won't ask anything too difficult,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

like what your plans are for the future.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Hope not.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Anyway,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

there are lots of benefits to using an agency.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

For example,

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

the interview will be useful because they'll give you feedback on your performance so

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

you can improve next time.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

And they'll have access to jobs which aren't advertised.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Exactly.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Most temporary jobs aren't advertised.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

And I expect finding a temporary job this way takes

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

a lot less time.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

It's much easier than ringing up individual companies.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Yes,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

indeed.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

That is the

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

end of part one.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

You now have one minute to check your answers

6:19

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

to part one.

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S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

Part

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

two.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

you will hear a woman giving a presentation about a holiday on an

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

island in britain that her company organizes first

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions eleven to fourteen now

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S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

listen

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

carefully and answer questions eleven to fourteen

7:48

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Good morning.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

My name's Erica Matthews,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

and I'm the owner of Matthews Island Holidays,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

a company set up by my parents.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Thank you for coming to this presentation,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

in which I hope to interest you in what we have to offer.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

We're a small,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

family -run company,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

and we believe in the importance of the personal touch,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

so we don't aim to compete with other companies on the number

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

of customers.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

What we do is build on our many years' experience,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

more than almost any other rail holiday company,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

to ensure we provide perfect holidays in a small number

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

of destinations,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

which we've got to know extremely well.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

I'll start with our six -day Isle of Man holiday.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

This is a fascinating island in the Irish Sea,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

with Wales to the south,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

England to the east,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Scotland to the north,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

and Northern Ireland to the west.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Our holiday starts in Hesham,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

where your tour manager will meet you,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

then you'll travel by ferry to the Isle of Man.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Some people prefer to fly from Luton instead and another popular

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

option is to go by train to Liverpool and take a ferry from there.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

You have five nights in the hotel and the price

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

covers five breakfasts and dinners and lunch on the three days

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

when there are organised trips.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Day four is free and most people have lunch in

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

a cafe or restaurant in Douglas.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

The price of a holiday includes the ferry to the Isle of Man,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

all travel on the island,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

the hotel and the meals I've mentioned.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Incidentally,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

we try to make booking our holidays as simple and fair as possible.

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S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

unlike with many companies,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

the price is the same whether you book six months in advance

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

or at the last minute.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

And there's no supplement for single rooms in hotels.

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

If you make a booking then need to change the start date,

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S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

for example because of illness,

9:53

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

you're welcome to change to an alternative date or a different tour for

9:58

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

a small administrative fee.

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

Before you hear the rest of the talk,

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S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.

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S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Now

10:39

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

listen and answer questions 15 to 20.

10:43

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

OK,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

so what does the holiday consist of?

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Well,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

on day one,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

you'll arrive in time for a short introduction by your tour manager,

10:56

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

followed by dinner in the hotel.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

The dining room looks out at the river,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

close to where it flows into the harbour,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

and there's usually plenty of activity going on.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

On day two,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

you'll take the coach to the small town of Peel,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

on the way calling in at the Tynwald exhibition.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

The Isle of Man isn't part of the United Kingdom,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

and it has its own parliament called Tynwald.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

It's claimed that this is the world's oldest parliament that's still

11:27

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

functioning, and that it dates back to 979.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

However,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

the earliest surviving reference to it is from 1422,

11:37

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

so perhaps it isn't quite as old as it claims.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Day three,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

we have a trip to the mountain Snaefell.

11:46

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

This begins with a leisurely ride along the promenade in Douglas

11:50

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

in a horse -drawn tram.

11:52

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Then you board an electric train which takes you to the fishing

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

village of Laxey.

11:58

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

From there,

11:59

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

it's an 8km ride in the Snaefell Mountain Railway

12:04

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

to the top.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Lunch will be in the cafe,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

giving you spectacular views of the island.

12:10

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Day 4 is free for you to explore,

12:14

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

using the pass which we'll give you.

12:17

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

So you won't have to pay for travel on local transport or for

12:21

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

entrance to the island's heritage sites.

12:23

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Or you might just want to take it easy in Douglas and perhaps

12:27

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

do a little light shopping.

12:29

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

The last full day,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

day five,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

is for some people the highlight of the holiday with a ride

12:37

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

on the steam railway from Douglas to Port Erin.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

After some time to explore,

12:43

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

a coach will take you to the headland that overlooks the Calf of Man,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

a small island just off the coast.

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

From there,

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S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

you continue to Castletown,

12:53

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

which used to be the capital of the Isle of Man and its medieval

12:58

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

castle.

12:58

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

And on day six,

13:01

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

it's back to the ferry,

13:02

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

or the airport,

13:04

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

if you flew to the island,

13:05

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

and time to go home.

13:07

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Now,

13:09

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I'd like to tell you a bit more.

13:14

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

That is the end of Part 2.

13:15

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

You now have 30 seconds to check your

13:20

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

answers to Part 2.

13:21

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Part

13:51

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

3.

13:52

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

You will hear two psychology students discussing

13:57

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

the effects of the order in which the children in a family are born.

14:01

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

First,

14:03

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

14:06

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Now

14:37

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.

14:45

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

How are you getting on with the reading for our presentation next week?

14:49

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Well, OK,

14:51

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Ruth, but there's so much of it.

14:52

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I know.

14:53

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I hadn't realised birth order was such a popular area of

14:57

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

research.

14:58

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

But the stuff on birth order...

15:00

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Order and personality is mostly unreliable.

15:02

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

From what I've been reading,

15:04

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

a lot of the claims about how your position in the family determines certain

15:08

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

personality traits are just stereotypes,

15:11

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

with no robust evidence to support them.

15:13

S… Speaker 7 (LISTENING (2))

Okay,

15:14

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

but that's an interesting point.

15:17

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

We could start by outlining what previous research has shown.

15:20

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

There are studies going back over a hundred years.

15:24

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Yeah, so we could just run through some of the typical traits,

15:28

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

like the consensus seems to be that oldest children are generally

15:32

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

less well -adjusted because they never get over the arrival of a younger sibling.

15:36

S… Speaker 6 (LISTENING (2))

Right,

15:37

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

but on a positive note,

15:38

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

some studies claim that they were thought to be good at nurturing,

15:42

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

certainly in the past when people had large families.

15:46

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

they would have been expected to look after the younger ones.

15:48

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

There isn't such a clear picture for middle children.

15:52

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

but one trait that a lot of the studies mention is that they are easier to

15:56

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

get on with than older or younger siblings.

15:58

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Hmm,

15:59

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

generally eager to please and helpful,

16:01

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

although that's certainly not accurate as far as my family goes.

16:05

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

My middle brother was a nightmare,

16:07

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

always causing fights and envious of whatever I had.

16:11

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

As I said,

16:12

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

none of this seems to relate to my own experience.

16:15

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I'm the youngest in my family,

16:17

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and I don't recognise myself in any of the studies I've read about.

16:21

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I'm supposed to have been a sociable and confident child who

16:25

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

made friends easily,

16:26

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

but I was actually terribly shy.

16:29

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Really?

16:30

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

That's funny.

16:31

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

There have been hundreds of studies on twins,

16:33

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

but mostly about nurture versus nature.

16:36

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

There was one on personality which said that a twin is likely

16:41

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

to be quite shy in social situations because they always have

16:45

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

their twin around to depend on for support.

16:47

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

My cousins were like that when they were small.

16:50

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

They were only interested in each other and found it hard to engage

16:54

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

with other kids.

16:54

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

They're fine now,

16:56

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

though.

16:56

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Only children have had a really bad press.

17:00

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

A lot of studies have branded them as loners who think the world revolves

17:04

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

around them because they've never had to fight for their parents' attention.

17:07

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

That does seem a bit harsh.

17:09

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

One category I hadn't considered before was children with

17:13

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

much older siblings.

17:15

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

A couple of studies mention that these children grow up more quickly

17:19

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

and are expected to do basic things for themselves,

17:22

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

like getting dressed.

17:23

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I can see how that might be true.

17:26

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Although I expect they're sometimes the exact opposite,

17:29

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

playing the baby role and clamouring for special treatment.

17:32

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Before you hear

17:37

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

the rest of the discussion,

17:38

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.

17:42

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

Now

18:08

S… Speaker 4 (LISTENING (2))

listen and answer questions 27 to 30.

18:15

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

What was the problem with most of these studies,

18:17

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

do you think?

18:18

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I think it was because,

18:19

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

in a lot of cases,

18:21

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

data was collected from only one sibling per family,

18:25

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

who rated him or herself and his or her siblings

18:29

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

at the same time.

18:30

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

Some of the old research into the relationship

18:34

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

between birth order and academic achievement has been proved to be accurate,

18:39

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

though.

18:40

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

Performances in intelligence tests declined slightly from the eldest

18:44

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

child to his or her younger siblings.

18:46

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

This has been proved in lots of recent studies.

18:49

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Yes, although what many of them didn't take into consideration was

18:53

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

family size.

18:54

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The more siblings there are,

18:56

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

the likelier the family is to have a low socioeconomic status.

19:00

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Which can also account for differences between siblings in academic performance.

19:05

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

The oldest boy might be given more opportunities than his younger sisters,

19:09

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

for example.

19:10

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Exactly.

19:10

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

But the main reason for the marginally higher academic performance

19:15

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

of oldest children is quite surprising,

19:17

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

I think.

19:18

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

It's not only that they benefit intellectually from extra attention

19:22

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

at a young age,

19:23

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

which is what I would have expected.

19:26

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

It's that they benefit from being teachers for their younger siblings by verbalising

19:30

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

processes.

19:31

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Right.

19:32

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

And this gives them status and confidence,

19:34

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

which again contributes,

19:36

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

in a small way,

19:37

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

to better performance.

19:39

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So,

19:40

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

would you say sibling rivalry has been a useful thing for you?

19:44

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I think so.

19:45

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

My younger brother was incredibly annoying,

19:48

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

and we fought a lot.

19:49

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

But I think this has made me a stronger person.

19:52

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

I know how to defend myself.

19:55

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

We had some terrible arguments,

19:56

S… Speaker 5 (LISTENING (2))

and I would have died rather than apologize to him.

20:00

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

But we had to put up with each other,

20:02

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

and most of the time we co -existed amicably enough.

20:05

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Yes,

20:06

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

my situation was pretty similar.

20:08

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

But I don't think having two older brothers made me any

20:12

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

less selfish.

20:13

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

I was never prepared to let my brothers use any of my stuff.

20:17

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

That's perfectly normal.

20:18

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

That

20:23

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

is the end of part three.

20:25

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

You now have 30 seconds to check your

20:29

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

answers to part three.

20:30

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Part

21:01

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

four.

21:02

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

You will hear a student giving a presentation about a type of tree

21:07

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

known as the eucalyptus,

21:09

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

which is common in Australia.

21:11

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

First,

21:13

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.

21:17

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Now

21:58

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

22:02

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Today,

22:06

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I'm going to talk about the eucalyptus tree.

22:09

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

This is a very common tree here in Australia,

22:12

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

where it's also sometimes called the gum tree.

22:16

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

First,

22:17

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

I'm going to talk about why it's important.

22:20

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Then I'm going to describe some problems it faces

22:24

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

at present.

22:25

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Right,

22:26

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

well, the eucalyptus tree is an important tree for lots

22:31

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

of reasons.

22:32

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

For example,

22:33

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

it gives shelter to creatures like birds and bats,

22:37

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and these and other species also depend on it for

22:41

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

food,

22:41

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

particularly the nectar from its flowers.

22:45

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So it supports biodiversity.

22:48

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

It's useful to us humans too,

22:52

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

because we can kill germs with a disinfectant

22:56

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

made from oil extracted from eucalyptus leaves.

23:01

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The eucalyptus grows all over Australia,

23:04

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and the trees can live for up to 400 years.

23:08

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So it's alarming that all across the country,

23:12

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

numbers of eucalyptus are falling because the trees

23:16

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

are dying off prematurely.

23:18

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So what are the reasons for this?

23:21

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

One possible reason is disease.

23:25

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

As far back as the 1970s,

23:28

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

the trees started getting a disease called mundula yellows.

23:32

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The tree's leaves would gradually turn yellow,

23:36

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

then the tree would die.

23:38

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

It wasn't until 2004 that they found

23:42

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

the cause of the problem was lime,

23:44

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

or calcium hydroxide,

23:47

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

to give it its proper chemical name,

23:49

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

which was being used in the construction of roads.

23:54

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The lime was being washed away into the ground and affecting

23:58

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

the roots of the eucalyptus trees nearby.

24:00

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

What it was doing was preventing the trees

24:05

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

from sucking up the iron they needed for healthy growth.

24:08

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

When this was injected back into the affected trees,

24:13

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

they immediately recovered.

24:14

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

But this problem only affected a relatively

24:19

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

small number of trees.

24:21

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

By 2000,

24:22

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

huge numbers of eucalyptus were dying along Australia's

24:27

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

east coast of a disease known as bell miner -associated

24:31

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

dieback.

24:32

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The bell miner is a bird,

24:35

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and the disease seems to be common where there are high populations

24:39

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

of bell miners.

24:40

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Again,

24:42

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

it's the leaves of the trees that are affected.

24:46

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

What happens is that insects settle on the leaves

24:50

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and eat their way round them,

24:52

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

destroying them as they go,

24:54

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and at the same time they secrete a solution which

24:58

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

has sugar in it.

24:59

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The bell miner birds really like this solution,

25:04

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and in order to get as much as possible,

25:06

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

they keep away other creatures that might try to get it.

25:11

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So these birds and insects flourish at the expense of

25:15

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

other species,

25:16

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and eventually so much damage is done to the leaves

25:20

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

that the tree dies.

25:21

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

But

25:27

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

experts say that trees can start looking sick before

25:31

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

any sign of bell minor -associated dieback.

25:34

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So it looks as if the problem might have another explanation.

25:40

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

One possibility is that it's to do with the huge bushfires

25:44

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

that we have in Australia.

25:46

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

A theory proposed over 40 years ago by

25:50

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

ecologist William Jackson is that the frequency of

25:54

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

bushfires in a particular region affects the type of vegetation

25:59

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

that grows there.

26:01

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

If there are very frequent bushfires in a region,

26:04

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

this encourages grass to grow afterwards,

26:08

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

while if the bushfires are rather less frequent,

26:12

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

this results in the growth of eucalyptus forests.

26:15

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So why is this?

26:18

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Why do fairly frequent bushfires actually

26:22

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

support the growth of eucalyptus?

26:26

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Well,

26:26

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

one reason is that the fire stops the growth of other

26:30

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

species which would consume water needed by

26:35

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

eucalyptus trees.

26:36

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

And there's another reason.

26:39

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

If these other quick -growing species of bushes

26:43

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

and plants are allowed to proliferate,

26:45

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

they harm the eucalyptus in another way by affecting

26:50

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

the composition of the soil and removing nutrients from it.

26:55

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

So some bushfires are actually essential for the eucalyptus

26:59

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

to survive as long as they are not too frequent.

27:03

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

In fact,

27:05

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

there's evidence that Australia's indigenous people practised regular

27:09

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

burning of bushland for thousands of years before the arrival

27:13

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

of the Europeans.

27:14

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

But since Europeans arrived on the continent,

27:18

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

the number of bushfires has been strictly controlled.

27:23

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

Now,

27:23

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

scientists believe that this reduced frequency of bushfires

27:27

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

to low levels has led to what's known as dry rainforest,

27:32

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

which seems an odd name as usually we associate

27:36

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

tropical rainforest with wet conditions.

27:39

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

And what's special about this type of rainforest?

27:44

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

Well, unlike tropical rainforest,

27:47

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

which is a rich ecosystem,

27:49

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

this type of ecosystem is usually a simple one.

27:53

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

It has very thick,

27:55

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

dense vegetation,

27:56

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

but not much variety of species.

27:59

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

The vegetation provides lots of shade,

28:03

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

so one species that does find it ideal is

28:07

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

the bell minor bird,

28:08

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

which builds its nests in the undergrowth there.

28:12

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

But again,

28:13

S… Speaker 2 (LISTENING (2))

that's not helpful for the eucalyptus tree.

28:16

S… Speaker 1 (LISTENING (2))

That is the end

28:20

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

of part four.

28:21

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

You now have one minute to check your answers

28:25

S… Speaker 3 (LISTENING (2))

to part four.

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