TRANSCRIPT LISTENING 06
LISTENING 1
8
Boy: That class was fun. I like working in groups like that.
Girl: I guess it means there are five of you to set up the experiment, so you can
get it done in half the time. How much I enjoy it, though, depends very much on
who I’m asked to work with. I usually don’t get along so well with at least one of
the others, which kind of spoils things.
Boy: I suppose it does.
Girl: But at least you can solve problems and work out what’s happening better if
there are five minds thinking about it.
9
Boy: That was a great museum.
Girl: If I went again, though, I’d suggest not bothering with that room with those
old pots.
Boy: I liked them – they really helped me to imagine what life was like back then.
You seemed to enjoy the shop though – you were in there for ages.
Girl: I wish I’d taken more money.
Boy: It gives us a good reason to come back – there was this amazing puzzle of
some ancient ruins I really wanted.
Girl: It was a long way to come to see a museum of that size, though.
Boy: Yes, I imagined it’d be much bigger.
10
Boy: I really enjoyed that. I came so close to getting the ball in the net a few
times, too.
Girl: If you all play as well as that in every game, you should start actually
beating some of the other teams.
Boy: I hope so. We’ve all trained really hard this season, and our new coach has
made a big difference. I think I probably played better than usual because Mum
and Dad could both get here for once. I’m always really cheerful when they do.
Girl: Well I’m sure they enjoyed it as much as I did.
Boy: I hope so.
11
Girl: What did you think of that poem we read in the literature class?
Boy: It always takes me a while to work out what old poems like that are about,
but that’s what I like about them.
Girl: Me too. It’d be a shame if you understood everything after you’d only read
it once.
Boy: I can’t help wondering why the poet made it so long, though.
Girl: I’m sure it’d be possible to say the same thing in half as many words.
Boy: It would, and without changing the message of what he wants to say.
Girl: Absolutely!
12
Boy: So what do you think of my essay?
Girl: I think it’s OK. The teacher will definitely be surprised by what you chose
to write about, but in a good way – it’s certainly original.
Boy: So you think it’s ready to hand in then?
Girl: If I were you, I’d look at the way it’s written. You’ve included plenty of
information about the topic and some good examples to support what you’re
saying, but it’s written a bit like a list at the moment. You need to see if you can
get it to flow more, so it sounds more natural.
Boy: I’ll try!
13
Boy: You know that video game you lent me?
Girl: Yes, have you got it with you?
Boy: I haven’t actually. I put it in my bag last night to bring to school today, but I
think my brother saw it and probably wanted to play it, too. I think he took it out
and it’ll be in his bedroom somewhere now.
Girl: Oh dear!
Boy: He didn’t know I said I’d give it back to you today. I’m sure he’d be
extremely grateful if we could keep it for a couple of extra days.
Girl: That’s OK, no problem.
LISTENING 2
Man: Carlotta, you’re already a star hairdresser. What got you interested in it?
Carlotta: When I was a kid, I watched friends getting haircuts and I remember
thinking how complicated it seemed. One day, I was watching this animated film.
This man was cutting someone’s hair, but did it really quickly and made it look so
easy. I don’t know why, but after that, I took a real interest in it and in the
magazines I’d sometimes find around our house.
Man: So who did you practise your hairdressing skills on first?
Carlotta: My sister had this fantastic long hair – it looked so nice, and I really
wanted to cut it, but of course my parents wouldn’t let me. My dad wanted his hair
cut really short, so he let me have a go on his before he went to his usual
hairdresser’s. My mum said it didn’t look too bad, but still didn’t trust me to cut
hers!
Man: Later on, you studied hairdressing at college. What did your teachers say
about you?
Carlotta: They recognised that the way I cut hair was very natural, which they
didn’t want to change. I didn’t take ages thinking about what I wanted to do, I just
did it. They reminded me that I needed to keep chatting – not just when people first
sit down – to make it a social experience as well as a haircut.
Man: You won the Young Hairdresser competition when you were eighteen.
How did that feel?
Carlotta: It felt good afterwards, of course, but not during the competition. I’d
entered very late, so it seemed like I’d only just finished reading what I could and
couldn’t do when I was on stage. The person whose hair I was cutting kept
moving, which was annoying, but I knew my ideas gave me a chance of doing
well.
Man: At the moment, you work for a well-known chain of hairdressing shops …
Carlotta: That’s right. You might think I’d get to cut the hair of loads of
celebrities there, but none seem to come into the one I work in. I get to try so many
different things, though, because our customers all want such original styles. I’ll
never become rich working there, but it’s been great.
Man: What do you plan to do next?
Carlotta: My idea of starting a training centre didn’t get very far – it was too
complicated. I want my own hairdressing shop, but in a more fashionable place
than where I work now, so hopefully abroad somewhere. I’ve found these great
new skin creams and shampoos I can use there when I do.
Man: Thanks, Carlotta!
