Following your letter therefore, I wish to apologize for any inconvenience caused. I would like to offer you a free two-day voucher, which can be used at this hotel in the future. We look forward to your next visit and any further feedback you have. Best regards Yours sincerely 8.3
Exam practice
1 Students begin by checking their understanding of the instructions with the true /false statements. Answers
1 T 2 F (Each part consists of five recordings.)
3 T 4 T (In this case the topic in 1-5 is 'training course' and then in 6-10 the students listen for the function or purpose of the speaker.) 5 T
2 The four questions listed will always apply to this part of the exam. Students try to apply them, practising with the listening scripts for
speakers 1 and 6.
Answers
(Views on key vocabulary may vary.) 1: Purpose: To describe a training course Role: A trainee on a course Opinion: Very critical
Key vocabulary: the parts on how to answer questions / working on convincing people / how to stand / when to use your hands / bit excessive / visual aids / pointless 6: Purpose: To confirm arrangements Role: A colleague of Joe
Opinion: Neutral / No opinion
Key vocabulary: at three o'clock as planned / problems on planes / seems to be OK now / see you tomorrow
8.4, 8.5 Refer students to the Exam Success tip before they begin the task. They should read the questions and predict the expressions they might hear, especially for the functions in A-H of Section Two.
Answers 1 D 2 F 3 A 4 H 5 E 6 D 7 E 8 A 9 G 10 C
8.4 Listening script
Narrator Section One. Questions 1-5. You will hear five people talking about training courses. For each recording, decide which course the person is referring to. Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording. Do not use any letter more than once. After you have listened once, replay each recording. You have fifteen seconds to read the list A-H.
Now listen, and decide which course each speaker is referring to.
Narrator One.
Speaker 1 Actually, it didn't tell me more than I already do. I supposed the parts on how to answer questions and working on convincing people was OK. But how to stand and when to use your hands seemed a bit excessive. And when he talked about visual aids I wondered if everyone else thought it was as pointless as me.
Narrator Two.
Speaker 2 We tend to cover areas such as planning and organization. Then I give exerciese on how to simplify your language, because so many of us seem to think that on paper we need to be more formal than when we speak. The trouble with that is that I find many people make quite simple information quite complicated.
Narrator Three.
Speaker 3 I really found the group activities useful. You know, we played some games and did roleplays to see what it was like to work with others and how to facilitate groups of people so they pull on each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Narrator Four.
Speaker 4 I've just started in HR so it'll be helpful in the future when departments contact me about finding people to join them. It's amazing how much you can tell about someone by the way they sit or their body
language as well as asking the right questions. I also learnt about different methods of testing to assess characters and potential.
Narrator Five.
Speaker 5 You often think that people don't understand or wonder why teams don't get on. So it was interesting to think about how we all view the world in different ways. Even down to how we say hello and shake
hands or bow. For example, did you know that it's rude to talk about business straight away in Brazil?
Narrator Now listen to the recording again.
8.5 Listening script
Narrator Section Two. Questions 6-10. You will hear another five short recordings. Each person is speaking on the phone. For each recording, decide the main reason for the call. Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording. Do not use any letter more than once. After you have listened once, replay each recording. You have fifteen seconds to read the list of reasons A-H.
Now listen, and decide the reason for each speaker's call.
Narrator Six.
Speaker 1 Hi Joe. I'm just phoning to say I'll be in at three o'clock as planned. They had said there would be problems on the planes because of a strike but it seems to be OK now so I'll see you tomorrow.
Narrator Seven.
Speaker 2 Hi. It's me. It's about the meeting you couldn't come to. Sorry your train was delayed, by the way. Anyway, just to say it was agreed we should start work on the 25th and Hamid thinks we'll make the schedule we talked about if we bring in one more person to act as site manager. I said I thought this would be OK as the budget allowed for it.
Narrator Eight.
Speaker 3 Good morning. I'm calling about your advert for a secretary that was in today's newspaper. I applied for that post two weeks ago and heard nothing back from you. I really think that if you didn't like my
application you should have at least replied and let me know. Instead I discovered it in the paper!
Narrator Nine.
Speaker 4 I was wondering if you could call Lucy for
me. I think I left the plans for the Royale Project at her office. If you have time, could you go round and pick them up because I'll need them for tomorrow. Sorry to bother you with it but I'm in our other office all today. I've been trying to call her all morning but she must be out. Can you try her this afternoon?
Narrator Ten.
Speaker 5 Hello, I'm calling about the overdraft facility you offer to customers with online banking. I was wondering how I can get it. Also, I'm not sure how to get an online account, so maybe you can tell me what I need to do.
Narrator Now listen to the recording again.