Academic Test 2 listening FEMALE

A woman is making a hotel reservation for her friend Sandra Mackay. They discuss the dates of her stay, availability of rooms, room rates, and payment options. They also talk about the cleaning schedule and room service. In another section, a radio announcer talks about upcoming art exhibitions and performances at the local arts center. They mention a visual art display, a showcase of student art, Shakespeare season, a folk pop concert, and a quartet performing classical music. Lastly, two students named Steve and Jan are planning an assignment together. Test 2. You will hear a number of different recordings and you will have to answer questions on what you hear. There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions and you will have a chance to check your work. All the recordings will be played once only. The test is in four sections. At the end of the test you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. Now turn to section 1. Section 1. You will hear a conversation between a hotel receptionist and a woman who wants to make a reservation. First you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5. You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this example will be played first. Good morning. Welcome to the Horizon Hotel. How may I help you? I've come in to make a reservation for a friend. And your friend's name is? Mackay. Sandra Mackay. That's M-A-C-K-A-Y. Thank you. The woman says her friend's name is Sandra Mackay. So Sandra Mackay has been written in the space. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5. Good morning. Welcome to the Horizon Hotel. How may I help you? I've come in to make a reservation for a friend. And your friend's name is? Mackay. Sandra Mackay. That's M-A-C-K-A-Y. Thank you. When is she arriving? She's flying in on the 15th but she'll stay with me for the first night because we have an early start on the 16th. We're going for a quick trip to the coast. But we should be back on the 18th. So that's the 18th of this month? No, sorry, did I forget to say it's next month, December. Well, that's getting pretty close to Christmas but we may have something available. Right, we have one or two nice rooms left. But how long will she stay for? A week. So she'd be checking out on Christmas Day, the 25th. Is that a problem? Well, it depends. We don't have a room available for the whole week but if she didn't mind changing rooms midway through her stay, we could work something out. Oh, I see. And if she wanted to extend her stay, that wouldn't be possible, I'm afraid. We're completely booked out from Christmas Day through to New Year. No, she won't want to extend and I don't think she'd have a problem with changing rooms. Good. Well, I'll put her in room 502 to start with and then she'll have to move to 805. No, just a minute, let's make that 702 because that's available and it's two floors directly above 502 so the room layout will be identical. How much will it cost per night? The basic room rate is $165. Is breakfast included? No, but a complimentary drink is served every evening at 5 o'clock. Oh, that could be quite nice. Shall we make the booking then? We will require a deposit equivalent to one night's stay. That's fine, I can pay the deposit. How would you like to do that, in cash or by credit card? Credit card, I suppose. Oh, wait a minute, I might have enough money in my purse. Yes, let's do it in cash. Hang on, I'll just make a note of that. Deposit paid, in cash. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10. Just a second while I print a receipt. Who shall I make it out to? My name is Zoe Reed, R-E-E-D. Thank you, Ms. Reed. Now I'll need some contact details for either you or Ms. Mackay. I'll give you my details. I only live on the other side of town. Can I have your address and phone number, please? I live at 14 South Street, Morningtown, and my phone number is 439-4829. Thank you, 439-4829. Yes, that's right. Now I'll just print the booking form. If you have any questions or need to make any changes, just quote the reservation number on the bottom of the form. That's it there. A-Q-459. Thanks very much. Oh, before I go, just a couple of questions. What time does the room get cleaned? I'm only asking because my friend usually has a short nap after lunch and she wouldn't like to be disturbed. Well, the maids are usually finished by 1 p.m. because we have a 2 o'clock check-in time, you see. They come on duty quite early in the morning, so they are sure to be finished in your friend's room by lunchtime. Yes, definitely. I'd say roughly 11 o'clock. Thanks. That's good to know. One more thing. Is there room service for meals? Only for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast service finishes at 9 and starts at 5 a.m. Dinner service starts at 6 p.m., but the last orders have to be in half an hour before the kitchen closes at 11 p.m., so full room service closes at 10.30. But remember, light snacks, things like toasted sandwiches or muffins, can be ordered at the bar just off the lobby throughout the day and evening until 2 in the morning. Thanks very much. You've been most helpful. That is the end of Section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to Section 2. Section 2. You will hear a radio announcer introducing what's on at the local arts centre. First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16. Then you have some time to answer questions 11 to 16. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16. Hello and thanks for joining me on the arts scene tonight. Brought to you by your local radio station 2ZG and made possible by the generous sponsorship of Bertrand's Music and Video Store. Firstly, I want to announce that the refurbished arts centre downtown is opening soon, with some spectacular visual art displays and performances that you won't want to miss. In Gallery 1, you'll find a number of art installations, including a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, a gallery, and the arts centre will be hosting an extraordinary exhibition of the latest creative works of our regional artists. There'll be landscapes, abstracts, photography, ceramics and sculpture. The exhibition opens on the 4th of March and runs through to the 10th of April. It's free and open to the public from 11am to 4pm weekdays and, by the way, all works on display are for sale, so be sure to bring your credit card with you. Gallery 2 will put on the annual showcase of the art of school students who take a sometimes challenging and often emotive look at the current issues facing youth in particular and society in general. This is the Issues of the 21st Century exhibition and the dates to keep in mind are 10th of March to the 4th of April. The gallery will be open from 10 till 3, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends. There's no charge but teachers should make bookings if they're bringing large groups. Let's move on to the performing arts now. Shakespeare season is back again and this year's production is the ever popular Romeo and Juliet. Tickets are just $40 for adults and half price for seniors and there are rush tickets for students at $15. Performances are in Theatre 1 at 8 o'clock every evening. Bookings are essential. The show runs from the 5th of March to the 3rd of April and there's a possibility of more shows if there's a high demand for tickets. Now, if you like a folk pop with a country twist, you must see Shannon Keel who is back in town for one night only on the 1st of April, performing for us in the basement. She'll be supported by Ricky Bond's band which has been touring with her for the last 7 weeks and show time is 9.15. Tickets are on sale at the door, just $12.50. Doors open at 8. Coming to the Arts Centre for 4 performances in the showroom is Class Act, a quartet who have captivated audiences with their amazing repertoire of classical music and who now include top class cabaret in their programme. They will give matinee performances every Friday in April at 11 o'clock. Tickets are only $14 a single, or better yet, why not get together with a group of 6 or more friends and pay only $12? Before you hear the rest of the announcement, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20. Now listen, and answer questions 17 to 20. Now, here's some exciting news. I've just heard that Michael O'Brien is going to perform at the Arts Centre next year, but we haven't got any dates finalised as yet. As you know, Michael is Ireland's most popular easy listening entertainer and he's returning from a tour of Canada and the United States where he has enjoyed huge success, even in Nashville, the home of country music. That's a long way from his Irish roots. Michael is without doubt a singing superstar. He has had 15 top 10 music videos and is almost a permanent feature in the UK album chart, with 18 UK chart albums to date. But he is still as excited and enthusiastic about his work and his fans as he was when he first launched his career 20 years ago. Perhaps some of you are unaware that Michael's first years were ones of struggle. The family was very poor and his father was forced to go abroad to provide for his family. He worked on farms in Scotland and it was very hard manual labour, very different from the lifestyle Michael enjoys today. Unfortunately, his father died when Michael was only 5 years old and the burden of raising 5 children fell on his mother. Although Michael followed in the footsteps of his sister by pursuing a singing career, she was his role model and inspiration, he has attributed much of his success in life to his mother's influence and he has dedicated his most recent DVD release to her. You can pick up a copy of that DVD, Unwavering Devotion, at Bertrand's Music and Video Store. Well, that's all from me. It's been nice talking to you. Tune in at the same time next week. Until then, goodnight and take care. Now turn to section 3. Section 3. You will hear a conversation between two second year students, Steve and Jan, who are planning an assignment together. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25. Hi Jan. Sorry, my tutorial finished late. No problem Steve. Let's get straight to work. I've got so many other assignments this week and we've only got till next Wednesday. Sure, fine by me. So, we've got to do a combined presentation with at least 20 slides and a recommendation at the end. Is that right? Yes, and then 5 minutes for questions. Oh right, I'd forgotten that. So, what shall we choose as a topic? I was wondering about copyright or intellectual property law. It's a tricky area though. Well, I've been doing a bit of reading about digital privacy and it's actually a really challenging issue now. I mean, the way employers and government departments rely on commercial databases for information on people. Okay, that sounds like it has potential. Tell me more. I can't say I've read much about it. Um, well these databases compile information on all sorts of things, not just birth dates and income. They record people's lawsuits and convictions, employment history, credit rating, medical history, a range of statistics and stuff that is often out of date or is only partially true. And they get this information from public records on the internet? You mean it's actually available online? Yes, and that's the problem. We live in such a networked society now. There's so much data on the net and it's rarely accessible. Often the company employees who compile these databases include dated information or get confused by similar names and list the wrong details for people. I'm starting to get the idea. What kind of things can go wrong? Well, for example, a sales manager was fired because of a background check by a data company which reported that he'd served a jail term. He protested but his boss still fired him. All he'd had was something minor like a speeding ticket. He suffered an unjust dismissal, plus the stress of trying to find another job. He was out of work for seven months. I see. Okay, this has really got me thinking now. It's a great topic. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30. Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30. Ah, I'm thinking now about how the search engines apparently compile information on people based on their online search habits. You know, there's been a bit in the news lately. I guess that's pertinent. That's right. It's all part of the same issue. The search engines actually gather a huge amount of data about computer users and some of it is definitely sold to other paying customers. The database companies sell lists to direct marketing companies, for example. That's their core business, so they're always trying to access more information in order to attract new clients and improve their profitability. Hmm. What about social networking sites? How much of that information is truly private? Not a lot, it seems. And hackers can download sensitive information and misuse it as well. Also, every time you fill out an online form or survey to enter a prize drawer, you're compromising your privacy. I never thought about that. I often enter those and give my email address and mobile number. Well, apparently in Europe they have laws controlling the ability of companies to sell or share people's personal data without getting explicit consent. But that's not the case here. Then that could be our main recommendation. Yes. And then we can advise people to actually purchase their own credit reports and files from a few of the big database companies to check that the information stored on them is actually accurate. It's so frustrating to have to do something like that. For sure. Also, bloggers should be very cautious. They can be sued for breaches of privacy and for libel. Even Twitter comments aren't exempt from legal action. So that's another area to consider for suggestions. Anyway, we need to decide how to split this up. How about if one of us does an overview of the general issue and the history of it all to date? I think I might tackle that. You'd be better on the technical stuff. Great. Then I'll look at new developments and make policy recommendations. For example, there are technology researchers looking at how access to files and information can be restricted. Because, you know, originally the internet was designed to be as open as possible. That's right. And instead it's created a real conflict. Already some of the browser companies are working on solutions to this, such as offering a tracking protection feature that users can switch on to restrict how much data can be mined from their computer use. And there are a few other ideas out there as well. And about the question slot. I seem to remember Professor Duncan suggesting we prepare a couple of questions ourselves in case no one asks anything. Hmm. I guess that's a good idea. That is the end of Section 3. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to Section 4. Section 4. You will hear a lecture on the Antarctic tooth fish industry. First you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40. Good afternoon. As you know, it's Environment Week, and that seems like a good time to focus on one of the most special places in the world, the Ross Sea, and its associated fishing industry, which is largely focused on the Antarctic tooth fish. Now, back in 2008, this part of the Antarctic, that is the Ross Sea, which, by the way, makes up only about 3% of the Southern Ocean, was rated as being the least changed environment on the planet. In fact, it's been described by one source as a living laboratory, a link with evolution, and it teems with fascinating and unusual sea and mammal life. So there have been urgent pleas for the Ross Sea to be given some kind of permanent protection. What are the issues facing the area then? Well, aside from the huge problem of global warming that threatens all of the Antarctic Oceans and the ice cap, most of these are associated with the fishing vessels that come into the Ross Sea. As well as the usual things like general rubbish and sewage pollution from these boats, the most significant potential danger is an oil and diesel spill from a fishing boat that's either damaged or sunk due to the thick ice. In January 2012, a Korean fishing vessel caught fire in the Ross Sea, with a loss of at least three lives, although luckily an oil spill was averted. In late 2011, another Korean ship, the Inseong No. 1, sank with 22 lives lost, although the rest of the crew were saved by other fishing boats in the area. Again, in December 2011, another vessel, the Sparta, caused an international furor when it was hulled and stranded in pack ice in the Southern Ocean. That one was Russian. New Zealand planes had to fly missions to drop off water pumps and other essential equipment and supplies to the ship. Remember that the crews of such flights are put at extreme risk on such long flights, as the weather can become stormy at very short notice. All in all, it was a miracle that this ship was able to be repaired and moved from the area without a significant leakage of fuel. So, apart from the potential for environmental problems from the boats and the danger to fishermen working in this hostile environment, there's also the matter of the cost and danger of providing support in a crisis. And, you know, there's a lot of pressure on the fishing crews to make the most of the brief weather window during which boats can operate so far south. So they tend to keep fishing no matter what the weather is like, which means that errors of judgments are more likely. The officially authorized fishing fleet has a quota, or limit, and each boat is hoping to get the biggest share possible of the total allowable catch. Then, of course, there are the illegal boats. That means the boats operating without permits. They just try to catch as much as possible regardless. And the vessels may not even be in a suitable condition to be operating in these icy southern waters. Consequently, a key issue is the decimation of the species. Now, how much do we know about this particular fish? The Antarctic toothfish inhabit very cold Antarctic seas, usually between 200 meters to 2 kilometers deep. They are large creatures, rather ugly, and they are slow-growing. Although they live up to approximately 50 years, it seems they only reach sexual maturity after about 16 years. Also, very little is yet known about their life cycle, things like where they spawn or what happens to the young ones before they're freed. We do know that the adult fish are near the top of the food chain, but we need to know much more about the juvenile forms, things like what they look like, where they spend those early years, and what sort of predators go after them. Okay, so the fishing season in the Ross Sea spans December to February. It's estimated that close to 3,500 tons of Antarctic toothfish have been taken annually since the fishery opened in 1996. This represents approximately 100,000 fish per year. I must add, though, that in the last couple of years, overall catches have been reduced due to overfishing and the decline in total fish numbers. There's no record, of course, of the numbers of fish caught by illegal fishing boats. Those in the Antarctic toothfish industry claim that the short fishing season and the difficulties faced by the boats in this inhospitable climate provide their own natural limits on fishing. They say that the industry is concerned to preserve fish stocks, and they assert that with careful management and monitoring, the fishery is sustainable. However, others dispute that this is the case, especially given the distances involved and the difficulties faced in trying to manage and monitor fishing boats in such a remote location. In the Ross Sea area, conservative estimates suggest that fish stocks have declined by about 20% over the past 16 years. But, in fact, there is not enough accurate research to support such claims. The figure could be even higher. Leading scientists who specialize in this issue are calling for a Marine Protection Area, or MPA, with a total ban on fishing. But so far, this has not been achieved. Right, so that's an introduction. Now let's watch a short video before we discuss your next assignment. That is the end of Section 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers. That is the end of the listening test.