Academic Test 3 listening FEMALE

A representative of an internet provider service helps a man to retrieve his forgotten password. The man provides his personal information and answers security questions. The representative sends him a generic password, which the man is advised to change later. The conversation then moves on to the man's request for a new cable and canceling his home phone plan. Finally, the man signs up for an antivirus product. In the second section, a man who owns a holiday home gives instructions to a woman who has rented it. He explains the alarm system, provides information about keys, linen, towels, and light bulbs, and gives tips about local attractions and restaurants. In the third section, a college professor and a postgraduate student discuss the student's recent internship experience. Test 3. 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 telephone conversation between a representative of an internet provider service and a man who wants to get a new password. First you have some time to look at questions 1 to 7. 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. The person answering the call says her name is Natasha. So Natasha 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 7. Good evening, this is WebNet and you're speaking with Natasha. How can I assist you today? Hello Natasha. I tried to log in to my WebNet account yesterday and I realised I'd forgotten my password. Are you able to help me with that? Of course. What I'll need to do is ask you a few questions to check your identity and then I'll issue you with a new password. Is that okay? No problem. Firstly, can I have your full name please? Michael Simmons. S-I-M-M-O-N-S. I don't have a middle name. Great. And your date of birth? It's the 27th of the 3rd, 1988. Right. And I also need to know your previous address. I live at 12 Wake Street and that's in... We have that as your current address. What was the address you registered with us before you moved there? Oh yeah. I used to live at 319 Ocean Drive. That's in East Providence. I'll just need your contact phone number as well. That's 0492 48002. And just a few questions about your account. Do you know what your current data allowance is? I upgraded to the Gold account not long ago, so it's unlimited. Yes, unlimited data. Right, now can you just tell me about your payment plan? Which plan are you currently on? Do you know? Oh, hang on a minute while I think. Yes, I started off with a 12-month automatic renewal, but a few months ago I switched to the 24-month plan. That's fine. Now when you first registered for WebNet, you selected two secret questions and provided us with the answers. In order to issue you with a new password, I need you to answer those questions for me. Firstly, what is your mother's maiden name? My mother's name is Sarah. That's Sarah with an H. That sounds like her first name. We're looking for her maiden name. That's her family name, before she was married. Sorry, I misheard. It's, um, White. White as in the collar? Yes, that's right. Now, the other question you chose to answer, what was your first pet? The first pet I ever had? Yes. It was actually a goldfish. Yeah, that's what it says on your file. Okay, that's all done for you, Mr Simmons. I've sent you a generic password, which should arrive in your email box within a few minutes. I'll just make a note of the date. 30th of June. When you log in, I suggest you go to the members details section on the website and change it to something you're going to remember. Wonderful, thanks. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 8 to 10. Now listen and answer. Questions 8 to 10. Is there anything else I can help you with today? Yeah, there are a few things. I've been having some connection issues recently. I think the problem is with the cable that connects the modem to the computer. Do you supply those? You need a new cable. Not a problem. I'll arrange for that to be sent off tomorrow. Thanks. Also, I'm currently signed up for three of your services. Home phone, mobile and broadband. I use the internet a lot, on my computer and on my mobile. But to be honest, I never use the home phone and I don't see why I should keep paying for that plan. Would you like me to cancel that home phone for you? Yes, please, if you wouldn't mind. Done. Is there anything else? Yes, just one last thing. Do you offer any antivirus products? Yes, we have one which offers full protection against viruses, spam and identity theft, which is useful if you're doing any online banking and that kind of thing. It's called the Security Pack. Sounds perfect. Sign me up for one of those, please. And we've got another one. It's called the Parenting Pack. It prevents your children from accessing harmful websites and downloading things they shouldn't. I'm not so worried about that anymore. Both my children are adults and have left home. So, just the Security Pack, thanks. That's everything. 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 man who owns a holiday home talking on the phone to a woman who has rented it. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16. Now, turn to Section 2. Section 2. You will hear a man who owns a holiday home talking on the phone to a woman who has rented it. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 16. Now, listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 16. Hello, Ron Smith speaking. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. I'm here to answer questions 11 to 16. Hello, Ron Smith speaking. Hi, this is Kayla Lawton. I signed up with the Holiday House Agency to rent your beach house, but the agent isn't available today and I have a problem. I can't remember what she said about the alarm system. Oh, it's quite simple, really. The main thing to remember is to enter by the back door, which leads into the kitchen, because that is where the alarm is situated, right next to the light switch just beside the door. If you go through the front door into the living room, it will take you longer to reach the alarm and you only have a few seconds to deactivate it. The code is 3498. OK, I've got that. The agent will have given you the back and front door keys, but there are other keys that you may need for the garage, the laundry and the little garden shed. You'll find them hanging on a hook inside the cupboard in the hallway, next to the hot water cupboard. The laundry room is outside, next to the garage. It should be kept locked, so please remember to return the key to the hook when you've done your washing. The last tenant lost it somewhere in the garden and I had to have the lock replaced. There should be some laundry detergent for the washing machine next to the dishwashing liquid under the kitchen sink. Oh, now, about the linen. The sheets are already on the beds and there are lots of towels at the house too. Of course, you'll want to enjoy that lovely safe swimming beach as much as possible. You'll find a pile of beach towels in a basket on the washing machine. Feel free to take these to the beach with you. We have lots of them and they're pretty old, so it doesn't matter if they get a bit dirty or sandy. There are other, newer towels for use in the bathroom only. These are in the hot water cupboard, on the shelf, up above the cylinder. Please don't take these ones down to the beach. Ah, what else? Oh yes, I should tell you that the electricity supply is generally reliable, but sometimes there are power surges which make a few light bulbs blow. If that happens, don't worry. There are spare light bulbs in a shoebox on the chest of drawers in the bedroom. That reminds me, the main power supply is switched off at the mains box, which is above the front door. The first thing to do when you arrive is to pull down the large lever. It's clearly labelled mains switch. You don't need to touch any of the other switches. Thank you. Anything else? Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 17 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 17 to 20. Oh, one more thing. Something that might interest you is a folder of local information. You know the sort of thing. Interesting places to visit, opening hours for the shops and services in the town, plus a little map of local walks. It's on top of the TV along with the remote control. Parking in the town is usually really easy, except for weekends, when the place is swamped with tourists. So I would recommend doing your shopping on weekdays. Oh, one thing though. If you want to combine a shopping expedition with a visit to the Early History Museum, you should know that it's not open on Mondays. There are lots of good places to eat in town too. You'll find a list of menus and takeaway prices for some of the more popular local cafes and restaurants. If you like Chinese, the Happy Dragon has excellent food, or I'd recommend the Pizzeria if you prefer Italian. They have a good selection of takeaway pasta and pizza as well. The Happy Dragon is a firm favourite with the locals though. Both restaurants deliver free of charge, but note the phone numbers have changed since the menus were printed. Phone 323 11 90 for pizza and 323 99 11 for Chinese. You won't be disappointed. Thanks a lot. I'll do that. That is the end of Section 2. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to Section 3. Section 3. You will hear a college professor and a postgraduate student, Diana, discussing her recent internship experience. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25. Thanks for coming in today to discuss your internship experience. Completing some sort of work experience, like an internship, is a core part of our master's program and we want to make sure students are able to make the most of it. That's fine. So, as I understand, you were offered an internship by Gregory Associates. Is that correct? Actually, I got offers from a few companies, but Gregory Associates was the only one I seriously considered. Was there any reason for that? Yeah, they didn't offer the best conditions. Some of the other companies were offering to cover transportation and other living costs, that kind of thing. But I knew Gregory Associates was a widely recognized leader in the industry, and that was the big factor for me. And were you happy with your choice? Well, yes and no. Mixed feelings? Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong. Everyone in the office was great. They didn't talk down to me and were always happy to assist if I wasn't sure about something. Was it the work, then? Some students do find internships a little tedious and boring. It's not that it was boring. I was doing new things every day, and I loved that. They really kept me on my toes. It's just that I'm studying economics, you know? But most of the projects I was assigned to involved more administrative stuff. It just wasn't relevant to what I've been studying. I'm sorry to hear that. I'll make a note of it. Let's talk about the good things. What did you particularly enjoy about the experience? Well, as an intern, the managers do tend to keep you at arm's length. They just don't trust you enough to let you take on a lot of responsibility for the big projects. That's understandable. Yes, but in a way, I liked that, because I got to stand back and watch and get a real sense of how a company like that runs on a day-to-day basis. And that was the highlight for me. Well, that's great to hear. How did you find managing the internship alongside your study commitments? Well, because my internship was over the summer break, that wasn't an issue for me at all. Okay. What would you say was the biggest struggle, then? In the beginning, I might have said the hours. Those 6 a.m. starts were tough. But I quickly got used to that. In retrospect, the biggest difficulty was getting by on such a tight budget. As I wasn't earning anything, the whole experience really drained my savings account. Yeah, that can be tough. And my last question. What was the outcome of this internship for you? Some of our students are lucky enough to get offers of employment before finishing. At first, I was hoping I would be one of them. In the end, I wasn't. But I'm happy about that now. Why is that? Well, over the course of the internship, I ended up reconsidering whether this industry is really for me after all. I'm going to finish my degree, because I'm only a semester away from graduation now. But then after that, I've decided to pursue a different line of work. Well, I do hope you're successful with that. 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. Now, we're putting together a step-by-step guide about the process for students who want to apply for internships. And we were wondering if you could help us with it. Sure. What would you say is the first step? Before they do anything else, students need to get their documents sorted. Companies need to see all sorts of things, such as reference letters and verified copies of academic transcripts. It can take time to get it all together, so applicants need to get on to this as soon as possible. Great. We'll put that down as number one. And then students should begin researching companies? Absolutely. They should look at a wide range of companies and the internships they offer. They really shouldn't limit themselves at that stage. It would be time-consuming to apply to them all, though. Yeah, so I think they need to weed out those positions they are not qualified for or that don't meet their own needs and interests, and then put together a short list consisting only of those positions that are a good match. And then? Well, the next part is the applications, of course. I think the big mistake here is that some students just send the same cover letter and the same CV to each company, when in reality every position is a little bit different. They really need to alter their applications so that they refer to the individual needs of each position. I'll make a note of that. And should students follow up on their applications? I think so. It's best to call each company. An email is too easy to ignore or delete. And not too soon, either. A week after the applications have been submitted is probably ideal. So if they get an interview, what's next? Obviously, they need to prepare. For me, this included all sorts of things, like practicing my body language in front of the mirror and researching common interview questions online. Any tips for the interview itself? Most students are so obsessed with having the right answers. But I think the most important thing is actually to ask questions. It shows the employer that you are genuinely interested in their company and in the position. That's really helpful advice. Thanks for coming by today. No problem. 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 the first lecture of a course in Development Studies. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. You now have time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to your first lecture in Development Studies. Development Studies, as a discipline, can be boiled down to a couple of core objectives. Basically, we are trying to understand how it is that societies experience particular kinds of change and how they progress as they develop. We're also trying to go beyond that, however, and work out how different sorts of actions can facilitate or even encourage these changes to happen. To achieve these objectives, there are two key approaches that underpin Development Studies. Firstly, there's the theoretical approach, which is all about the how of change. With theory, we can explore some of the big questions. What kind of change should we aspire to, and how can this be achieved? But we don't just talk. We've also got to apply some of this thinking. So, through the applied approach, we're looking at specific policies and trying to understand how they can most effectively be put into place. Although we try not to limit ourselves, we do focus on a few key areas. Due to our location, for example, the Asia-Pacific region is an important area of research for us. At the moment, we're doing a lot of work on urbanisation, and there are two elements to this. One is employment, as urbanisation leads to major employment problems. And the other is housing. With so many people moving to cities, many of them struggle to find a place to live. Other issues of particular interest to our staff are migration and, of course, trade. So, what will you be able to do with a degree in Development Studies? Well, firstly, you'll develop a full working knowledge of all aspects of development. You'll also learn how to gather data. We include sessions on how to gather statistics, but we mostly focus on textual data, that is, policy briefings, research reports, and so on. Once you've done your research, you need to know what it all means. After all, there's not much point in collecting a whole lot of data if you don't know whether it's significant or not. So, we're going to teach you how to critically evaluate your findings. And finally, teamwork is a big part of development work. Your major piece of research work for this class is done in groups of four, so you're going to learn how to cooperate as a team in order to plan and conduct this research assignment. I want to move on now to give you a brief overview of how Development Studies has evolved as a discipline since it was first established. The first thing to note is that, unlike other subjects, such as Mathematics or Philosophy, Development Studies is very young. It began taking shape as a formal discipline only in the 1950s. At that stage, economic concerns were at the forefront of nearly all research efforts. Researchers assumed that development in general could be measured by indicators such as gross domestic product, GDP, or unemployment levels. In the 1970s, a new set of scholars took charge. These researchers, informed by the social movements of the 1960s, brought a new set of issues to the table. At that time, Development Studies grew increasingly critical of established practices and the assumptions that lay behind those practices. Questions were raised in three areas. The role of power in creating policy, the importance of environmentally sustainable change, and problems with inequalities in terms of gender. From the 1980s onwards, the economy staged a comeback as a centrepiece of development practice. A key factor here was the reduced significance of national governments due to a number of market-led reforms in many countries around the world. In contrast to the 1950s, however, researchers have recently shown a heightened interest in smaller-scale economic projects. One significant innovation here is the idea of making tiny loans, sometimes only a few dollars, to help women in particular to start up a small business. And that brings us to today. So let's finish now by talking about... 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. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. You now have half a minute to check your answers. That is the end of the listening test.