AUDIO SCRIPTS
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sleep much in that time.
M:
I see, and are you eating well?
Drinking much coffee?
A:
I have three meals a day, and yes,
I drink loads of coffee – it keeps
me going, really.
M:
OK, and, er, what about exercise?
A:
Exercise? That’s not a word I like!
I’ve never played sports in my life.
M:
I see, well, what I think …
Interview 2
M:
Hello, I’m Mavis. What’s your
name?
D:
Hi, I’m Dane. Dane King.
M:
Nice to meet you, Dane. Are you
in the first year here?
D:
Yes, I am.
M:
And what are you studying?
D:
I’m doing Biology.
M:
Right, and how can I help you?
D:
Well, it’s a bit embarrassing,
really.
M:
Go on.
D:
Well, I really miss home. I’m
from the US.
M:
Yes, I guessed from your accent.
So you feel homesick?
D:
That’s right. Really badly. I didn’t
make many friends here yet, and
I miss my mom, you know, her
home cooking and everything.
M:
Well, there’s no need to be
embarrassed about that.
D:
I know, but it feels like the only
time I’m happy is when I go to a
fast food restaurant, and I do that
nearly every day now. And I’m
losing interest in my studies.
I just want to go home.
M:
OK, well, I think …
LESSON 4.3 RECORDING 4.4
M = Mavis Much, A = Abigail Parker,
D = Dane King
Interview 1
M:
I see, well, I think I can help with
your sleeping problem. I think you
should take more breaks during
the day in order to relax a little.
The problem is that you are too
stressed all day. Also, you
shouldn’t drink a lot of coffee
because it stops you from relaxing.
A:
But I need it. I have to keep going
during the day, and because I’m
not sleeping at night, I need it to
keep me awake in the daytime.
M:
I know, but it causes you problems
as well. Try drinking just two or
three cups a day. And you
certainly shouldn’t drink coffee in
the evening, because that
definitely keeps you awake.
A:
OK, but can’t you just give me
some medicine, like a sleeping pill
or something?
M:
Sleeping pills? No, I don’t think
you should take them. If you make
a few changes to your lifestyle,
you will be OK.
A:
But my friend who’s studying
medicine said sleeping pills can
work.
M:
Yes, but your friend is still
studying, so I think you should
listen to my advice, honestly.
Interview 2
M:
OK, well, I think you should join a
sports club.
D:
A sports club? Why?
M:
To make friends, and also to stop
you thinking about home all the
time. If you play sport, your mind
will stop thinking about home.
D:
I guess so. But I only play baseball,
and they don’t play that in this
country.
M:
But you’re from America, and
you’re pretty tall, so I’m sure
you’ve played basketball before.
D:
Sure, when I was at school, but I’m
not that good at it.
M:
I’m sure you’re better than most of
the British students who play it.
And anyway, you need to meet
other people in order to make
some friends.
D:
I guess I can try joining the
university basketball club.
M:
Good. And you ought to change
your eating habits. You know, you
shouldn’t go to fast food
restaurants every day, because you
need variety in your diet.
D:
I know, but I have to eat, and
I can’t cook. My mom always
cooked for me.
M:
Well, perhaps you should join a
cookery society as well, to learn
how to cook.
D:
Is that the only advice you have?
Joining clubs and societies?
M:
There’s no need to be rude.
D:
Heck, I’m sorry. It’s just very
difficult living in a different
culture. I get stressed very easily.
M:
That’s OK. Let’s talk a little
more …
LESSON 5.1 RECORDING 5.1
1
Islands have their own kind of
magic, and Greenland is one of
the most magical of them all.
Greenland lies off the coast of
North America. It’s the biggest
island in the world; 2,655
kilometres from north to south,
and 1,290 kilometres from east to
west. So there’s a lot of land, but
it’s not very green. That’s because
an ice cap – a thick layer of ice
– covers 85 per cent of Greenland.
Snow falls on Greenland in every
month of the year. The snow gets
deeper and deeper and turns to
ice. As a result, Greenland has the
second largest ice cap in the
world. On average, the ice is one
and a half kilometres thick, but in
some places it’s thicker than that
– more than three kilometres thick,
in fact. In large parts of the island,
there are no people at all. About
55,000 people live around the
coast, where the climate isn’t as
cold as in the centre. Their main
work is fishing.
2
Yes, it probably looks familiar …
and of course it is. I’m in Trafalgar
Square, in the heart of London.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that
Great Britain is an island, too. In
fact, Great Britain is the eighth
largest island in the world, and the
largest in Europe. It’s interesting,
too, because it’s actually three
countries: England, Scotland and
Wales. It’s rich in history, and
people come from all over the
world to visit famous churches,
museums and castles. Great Britain
is more crowded than many of its
European neighbours, and has a
population of more than 60
million. But in parts, it’s as
beautiful as Italy or Switzerland.
Mountains cover a lot of Scotland,
where there are many long, deep
lakes. Wales and the north of
England are hilly, while the south
and east of England are flatter.
The area around London isn’t as
impressive as other parts of the
island.
3
Madagascar is a world apart. It’s
the fourth largest island in the
world. It lies off the coast of Africa,
and split away from the rest of
Africa about 100 million years
ago. It’s a land of contrasts and
surprises. There’s rainforest on the
east coast of Madagascar. In the
south, it’s hot and dry, but the
climate is cooler in the middle of
the island, where there are
mountains. So some parts are not
as tropical as others. The
population is about 18 million,
and most of the people are farmers.
But what makes Madagascar
special is that there are unusual
types of animals and plants that
