Festivals and peopletapescript

John Oxford is a professor of virology at the Royal London and Bart's Hospital, and
a leading flu expert. He and his team dug up the ambulance driver's grave, and found
that the dead woman's family had been cheated. The woman had been buried in a plain
wooden coffin, which had disintegrated. Her skeleton may still provide useful informa•
tion, but it would have provided much more if her undertaker had not been a crook, a
dishonest person. _
Professor Oxford and his colleagues hoped to learn from their research on the 1918
flu outbreak how the current Asian flu HSNl may behave when it has mutated, as it
surely will. Once the virus crosses the species barrier, it will spread readily from
person to person, rather than with difficulty from bird to person.
The HSNl virus has already mutated, though there has been scant publicity, and
it has spread from person to person in a couple of families in the Far East. If the strain
behaves like the 1918 virus, Professor Oxford suspects that the news will be broken by
an observant journalist, who will have noticed that the local strain of HSNl has begun
spreading
rapidly.
it will be less virulent, and the mortality figures will be less
startling than
J_heyHowever,
\_¥(?,f_e when I:I_SNl. ��s. caught .only from birds. The usual patt�_r_n. is .

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well

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planned, but he has some reservations. In contrast to other developed countries, British

stockpiles of the antiviral Tamiflu are miserably low - less than half those of France and
comparable to those of Slovenia and Algeria. To deal with the first wave of the pandemic,
we need at least as much as France has. The Department of Health ordered 14.6 mil·,lion courses of Tamiflu in September 2006, enough for 25 per cent of the population. It
would take six to nine months to raise production enough to provide adequate supplies 1
to protect the medical and other vital services, those at increased risk, and a sufficient
number of others to limit the spread of the virus.

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9. Festivals
Listening Activity No.l

Memorial Day

Q 097.MP3

May 30 is the Memorial Day in the United States. It is the national holiday when
Americans honour the military men and women who died in battles.
The music that is associated with this memorial celebration is called "Taps". It is
played at military funerals to honour soldiers who died. The sound of Taps can be heard
at cemeteries throughout the United States as America honours its dead soldiers.

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The Memorial Day holiday started in 1868. The purpose was to honour soldiers
killed during the Civil War between America's northern and southern states. Back then,
the holiday was called Decoration Day. People used flowers and ribbons to decorate the
burial places of those killed during the war. Today, Memorial Day honours the men and
women who died in all of America's wars.
The first yearly observance of Memorial Day was at the National Cemetery in
Arlington, Virginia. The cemetery is across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
It is the largest and most famous national burial place in the United States. It includes
about two hundred hectares of rolling hills. Up and down the hills are lines of simple,
white stones marking the graves where the soldiers are buried. About 200,000 soldiers
are buried there. Also buried there are military and political leaders, cabinet officers,
and Supreme Court judges.
Only two American presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. One is
William Howard Taft. He was president in the early 1900s. The other is John F.
Kennedy. He was president in the early 1960s. He was murdered during his first term
in office. A fire burns all the time over President Kennedy's burial place. More people
have v1S1ted his grave than any other in the Umted--S ates.

Listening Activity No.2

Q

A UK Music Festival

098.MP3

Diane

Hi, John. Do you know the Glastonbury Festival?

John

Yes, it's the most well-known and popular music festival in the UK. It is held on
a farm with hundreds of thousands of people dancing while famous rock bands
play on stages. Thousands of young people in the UK go to it every summer.

Diane

Why?

John

Because summer is the best time for outdoor music

festivals. Diane

It sounds interesting.

John

The Glastonbury Festival began in 1970.

Diane

Is it free to attend the festival?

John

No. Originally, each one only paid £1 for an admission ticket and the ticket included
free milk from the farm.

Diane

It sounds good.

John

Since 1970, the Glastonbury Festival has gone from strength to strength. In 2004,
150,000 fans attended, paying £112 for tickets to the three-day event. Tickets for
the event sold out within three hours.

Diane

Wow, it is so popular. What kind of events?

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John

Well, acts included veteran superstars, such as Paul McCartney and James Brown,
as well as new talent, like Franz Ferdinand and Joss Stone.

Diane

I see. By the way, the festival seems to be run on a profit-making basis. Where
does the money go?
Although many summer festivals are run on a profit-making basis, Glastonbury
is a charity event, donating millions of pounds to local and international
charities.

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John
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lliane

I see.

John

You know, Glastonbury is not unique in using live music to raise money for global
poverty. In July 2007, the Live 8 concerts held simultaneously in London, Paris,
Rome and Berlin. Superstars, such as Madonna, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder,
performed in order to highlight international poverty and debt.
_

Listening Activity No.3

The Edinburgh Festival

.Q 099.MP3

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Listening Activity No.4

Easter in the UK

Q

100.MP3

(Tom and Judy are shopping in a supermarket now.)
Tom Hi, Judy, come here. There are so many large and coloured eggs on the shelf.
Judy Oh, Tom, they are not real eggs.
Tom They are not? What are they?
Judy These eggs are made of chocolate. In March or April, when you see the shelves in a
supermarket are filled with large, brightly coloured eggs, it means Easter time again.
Tom

I see. When is Easter?

Judy It falls on a different date each year. Usually it's on a Sunday in March or April.

Easter is a festival that has been celebrated in Britain for thousands of years. These
days we mark the occasion by giving each other chocolate eggs, or Easter eggs.
Tom What are the roots of this traditional event?
,

Judy Well, for Christian people, Easter is essentially a religious festival. According to the
..,.B,-.6, 1e, Jesus Christ was killed by the Romans but came back to life three days later.
That is why Easter is seen as a time of rebirth and regeneration.
Tom

I see. In Korea, we don't have this festival.

Judy However, some people who do not believe any of the chief religions of the world
suggest that Easter has its origins in pre-Christianity, or pagan times. They claim
,
that the very earliest societies celebrated the end of winter and the beginning of
spring. Easter is the time when life returns to the land, when crops grow and animals breed again.
Tom . It is very interesting.

L

Tom Wow, that's a real big business.
Judy Now, let's get some Easter eggs. I love chocolate.

Listening Activity No.5

The bank holiday

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Q 101.MP3

A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of
Ireland. Bank holidays are so called because they are days upon which banks are shut and
traditionally no other businesses could operate except fire, ambulance, police and health
care workers in essential services. Those employed in essential services usually receive extra

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Judy Well, whatever its origins, Easter is a big business. You know, the UK's biggest
retailer of Easter eggs sold more than 20 million units last year whilst some luxury
Easter eggs can cost more than £20!

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pay for working on these days. Legislation allows certain payments to be deferred to
the next working day.
Before 1834, the Bank of England observed about thirty-three saints' days and religious
festivals as holidays, but in 1834, this was reduced to just four: 1 May, 1 November, Good
Friday and Christmas Day.
In 1871, the first legislation relating to bank holidays was passed when Sir John Lub•
bock introduced the Bank Holiday Act 1871. Sir John was an enthusiastic supporter of
cricket and was firmly of the belief that bank employees should have the opportunity to
participate in and attend matches when they were scheduled. Included in the dates of bank
holidays are therefore dates when cricket games were traditionally played between the vil•
lages in the region where Sir John was raised. Scotland was treated separately because of ,
its separate traditions; for example, New Year is a more important holiday there.

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Exactly a century after the 1871 Act, the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971,
which currently regulates bank holidays in the UK, was passed. Easter Monday, the last I
Monday in August, Boxing Day and Whit Monday are listed as bank holidays in England, I
Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, New Year's Day, Good Friday, the first Monday I
in August, Christmas Day, May Day, and St. Andrew's Day on the 30th November are listed
as bank holidays.

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During the bank holiday, people often do the things they like such as visiting their
friends and relatives, travelling, doing some gardening work or watching football games.
'·--·-·-----------·-----------

Listening Activity No.6

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Father's Day

102.MP3

Father's Day is a fairly new celebration in the British calendar compared with Moth•
er'sDay, which has been a very-popular and well-celebrated festival in the. UK for a very
l-iong time.
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The origin of the celebration is American Father's Day and it was inspired by the

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actions of a man named William Smart He was a veteran of the US Civil War and his
wifedied giving birthtotheir sixth child. He raised his six children alone without re•
1
! marrying, which was undoubtedly unusual back in those days.
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His daughter, _Sonora Dodd, realised when she was an. adult what her father had
.sacrifi��d for his: children: it was in' the early 1900s and she was actually church one [
day, lisfo�irifto a··�eririori ori Mother\ Day. She thought there �hoi.Ild also be a Father's
Day celebration. Arid so the tradition was born, on the third Sunday in June, close to l

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Mother's Day is, probably because it hasn't been in existence for so long. But what do
British people do for Father's Day?
Well, most people would buy their fathers a card. The card would probably have a nice
message in it saying what a great Dad their father is. Some people buy presents as well.
Popular gifts for Dads are ties, chocolates or socks because these are the things that
Dads can always use even if they don't want them. In the week prior to Father's Day, or
indeed Mother's Day, there will be adverts on TV giving us ideas of CDs or gadgets we
can buy. Card shops will be full of mugs or pens and similar merchandise with "World's

Greatest Dad" written on them.

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Some families might do things together to celebrate Father's Day like going out for a
meal. As a special treat, British people might give their Dad a bit of a rest - make him a I I
cup of tea, or even wash his car and mow the lawn to make him feel really appreciated. I

---·----

Listening Activity No.7

Mid-Autumn Festival

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103.MP3

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese
calendar. The other is the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Spring Festival. The Mid-Autumn
Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, usually

around mid or late September in the Gregorian calendar. At this time, the moon is at
its fullest and brightest, making an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of harvest.
There are a lot of traditions connected with the Mid-Autumn Festival. The most impor•
tant one is to eat mooncakes. Shops sell all kinds of mooncakes before the festival. Children
often carry lit lanterns around at that day. The pictures of Chang'e - a woman floating
to the moon - are displayed at many places. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family
mem• bers and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn moon and eat
mooncakes together.
On 2 5 September this year, the celebrations stretch far beyond the borders of
China. Here in the UK events are taking place for Chinese people living here, and to
teach the people of Britain more about this popular festival.
Chinese Londoners have created the Moonwalking in Chinatown to celebrate the Mid•
Autumn Festival. The Soho Theatre professionals and volunteers from the local community
will take audiences around the streets of Soho on a magical lantern-lit walk through the
landmarks and backstreets of Chinatown. They tell the story of three generations of Chi•
nese Londoners who all walk around the streets one night in Chinatown.
In early October, the British Museum is actually opening late for a special free Mid-Au•
tumn Festival event. There will be Chinese musical performances, a guess-the-mooncake•
flavour game and you can learn how to perform a fan dance.

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You can also try your hand at a variety of other traditional Chinese arts and crafts, as
well as learning Mandarin. and learning more about the history of China.
The Chinese population in the UK is quite large, so no doubt there will be events

happening not only in the capital, but all around the country.

Listening Activity No.8

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New Year's Day

Qi 104.MP3

New Year's Day is often a quiet day for many Americans. Many people spend the first
day of the New Year at home. Some watch football games on television. Some of the top
university teams play in these games. The most famous of the bowl games is the Rose
Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Tournament of Roses parade includes many vehicles
called "floats". The floats are covered completely with paper or flowers. Businesses, soI

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Another famous parade takes place on the opposite side of the nation, in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. This city holds a yearly Mummers Parade on New Year's Day. The Mummers make unusual costumes to wear. They cover their faces with masks. They march
through the city and play musical instruments.

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Sometimes families invite friends to visit them on New Year's Day. They serve drinks

and food at these open houses and wish everyone a good year.

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Americans borrowed this tradition from ancient peoples in what is now Britain and Europe. One popular song wishes people love and joy in the New Year.

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Many Americans follow traditions meant to bring go()d luck i!J. the New Year. S()!11e
people wear special clothes or eat special foods. For example, men and women who
'i · want to find their true love wear yellow clothing. Others carry silver in hopes of finding
money.

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People in many parts of the United States celebrate the New Year by eating black•
eyed peas. Cabbage is another vegetable that people eat as they believe it will bring
good luck and money. In the South, people prepare and eat a traditional food called
Hoppin' John. It contains peas, onions, bacon and rice. It has this unusual name because
long ago children were said to like it so much they hopped around the room while wait•
ing for it to cook.
Asian-Americans sometimes make traditional fortune cookies. These sweets contain
small pieces of paper telling about a person's future. Some Americans from Spanish•

speaking families follow a tradition for the New Year that involves fruit. On January
first, they stand on a chair and eat grapes.

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Listening Activity No.9

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The story of Christmas

� 105.MP3

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Listening Activity No.10

Christmas trees

� 106.MP3

Steve

Hey, Susan. Christmas is coming. Have you bought a Christmas tree?

Susan

Not yet.

Steve

What kind of Christmas trees do you use to decorate your house? A real one or a plastic
one?

Susan

A real one, of course. We used to drive to tree farms to buy one.

Steve

How about this year?

Susan

This year, I'd like to order one on the Internet, so I can wait for a tree to come to us at home.

Steve

Sounds great! You know, Christmas trees are a big business.

Susan

Is it?

Steve

Yes, according to the news report, tall or short, real or plastic or metal, whatever
the choice, two thousand million dollars' worth of Christmas trees were sold last year in
the United States.

Susan

Really? What kind of Christmas trees do you use?

Steve

I bought a man-made tree with Christmas lights already on it last year, so I can use it

I like a real one, but I think the easiest way is to buy a plastic one because there are no
fallen needles to clean up. That's why I like them.

You know, the University of Illinois Extension Service says in 2002, artificial trees outnum•
bered real ones in American homes more than two to one. One third of homes had
no tree. The National Christmas Tree Association says thirty-three million real trees were
sold

No, in fact artificial ones generally cost more, but they can be reused, so it is an advantage

According to the report, twenty-two per cent of people who bought real trees last year
chose them at a farm. Two per cent of those people cut the trees themselves.
Susan

Steve

Susan

I see. How long does it take to grow Christmas trees?
The Illinois Extension says the trees take seven to ten years to grow. Most Christmas trees
are now grown on farms instead of in forests. 21,000 tree farmers in the United
States grow Christmas trees on more than 180,000 hectares. Oregon was the leading
producer
last year.
Thank you for all this information.

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Listening Activity No.11

Christmas in the US

Q 107.MP3

Christmas Day is December twenty-fifth. Christians believe that Christmas is the day of
the birth of Jesus. They believe he was the son of God. Almost every home where Americans
celebrate Christmas has a Christmas tree. They buy a real evergreen tree, or a manmade one. They cover it with lights and small objects made of glass, metal, paper or wood.
They put colourful lights in the windows and on the outside of their houses. They make
their homes look special.
Tradition says that a kind old man called Santa Claus travels to every house the night
before Christmas. He leaves gifts of toys for children. Family members leave gifts wrapped
with pretty paper for each other under the Christmas tree and they open their gifts on
Christmas morning.
Many Americans may go to church or visit friends or family members. They may eat a
special holiday meal. Or they may take part in holiday activities for sick or homeless people.

Amencans of other rehg1ons genera y o not ce e rate
ristmas. owever, many send
holiday cards or gifts to their Christian friends. Some Americans do not observe Christmas
as a religious holiday, but they decorate their homes with lights and a tree.
Some people think that the religious meaning of Christmas has been lost. They say
people spend too much time buying gifts for the holiday instead of attending church and
thinking about the religious meaning of Christmas. These Americans want to put more
religion back in Christmas. This often involves holiday observances in public places. Some
people object, however. They point out that the Constitution establishes a separation of
religion and government.
A similar problem takes place in American public schools. It concerns singing Christmas
songs. This year, the New York Times newspaper reported about a religious music ban
declared by a school district in the state of New Jersey. Many community groups criticised
the decision. Christians said the schools were trying to take Christmas music away from
children. Other people supported the ban. They said that singing Christmas songs would
exclude or offend people of other religions in the community. Still, others suggested that
the schools include holiday songs from all the different religions. In this way, students
would be learning about other cultures as well as their own.
One school district in the western state of Washington has published rules for holiday
time. The schools in the town of Lake Washington say they include the beliefs and music
of all groups in the community. Teachers say they are teaching about all religious holidays,
not celebrating them. Still, many Americans like to listen to Christmas music. They may
listen to songs about Santa Claus or the Christmas tree. Many people also attend church
during the Christmas holiday and listen to songs sung by a choir.

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Listening Activity No.12

New Year's Eve celebrations in America

Qi 1os.MP3

Tina

Hi, Steve. Could you tell me how Americans celebrate New Year's Eve?

Steve

OK. The most interesting and traditional celebration is in New York City. On
31st, hundreds of thousands of people are gathered in Times Square. They stand
close together, waiting in the cold darkness for midnight. The people count the
seconds until the New Year arrives. "Ten ... nine ... eight..." A huge glass New
Year's ball is lowered through the darkness. The ball looks like thousands of burn•
ing stars. When the ball reaches the ground, the New Year has begun. People
shout "Happy New Year!" and they throw tiny pieces of colourful paper into the
air. They dance. They sing a traditional New Year song of friendship called "Auld
Lang Syne".

Tina

It is really an exciting moment. By the way, when do the people arrive in Times
Square?

Steve

Each year, people arrive in Times Square quite early when it is still daylight. Af•
ter dark, at about six o'clock, the New Year's Eve ball is raised to its highest po•
sition. By this time, thousands of people are gathered for the celebration ahead.
They say "ooh" and "aah" when the electric company turns on the thousands of
little lights in the ball. Then everyone waits for the beautiful object to fall. Fami•
lies and friends attend this event together.

Tina

Do people have to pay to attend the Times Square celebration?

Steve

No, not for this. You know, perfect strangers meet and talk as if they had known
each other all their lives. Many people in the crowd jump around to keep warm.

Tina

I can believe it is very cold, but I'm sure that people are so excited that it goes
unnoticed.

Steve

Yes, it is true.

Tina

When did the Americans start to celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square?

Steve

Well, the first New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square took place in 1904.
The owners of a building on Times Square held that first party on top of their
building. Three years later, a New Year's ball was lowered from the top of the
building for the first time.

Tina

So since then the ball has been lowered every year?

Steve

Yes, except for two years during World War Two. In 1942 and 1943, crowds still
gathered in Times Square. They observed a moment of silence. After that, bells
rang from a vehicle in Times Square.

Tina

I see. Are there any other New Year's Eve celebrations?

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Steve

Yes, some people like to see the New Year arrive while travelling by boat. For
example, people in Chicago, Illinois, can choose from several special holiday trips
on Lake Michigan. These cruises include dinner and dancing to music performed
by a band. In San Diego, California, a ship company offers New Year's Eve cel•
ebration on the Pacific Ocean.

Tina

It sounds really romantic. I like this kind of celebration. How much does it cost?

Steve

It costs more than one hundred dollars for each person.

Tina

It's a reasonable price.

Steve

Yes. And some Americans have parties at home and invite all their friends. Many
of these events are noisy. People shout and sing. They often blow on small noise•
makers when the New Year arrives at midnight. They kiss their husband or wife
or the person they are with. They dance to music. Other Americans spend a quiet
evening at home. They drink champagne at midnight to welcome the New Year.

Tina

It's very common when people celebrate the holiday.

Steve

Yes, that's right. Some people drink too much alcohol at New Year's Eve celebra•
tions. This can lead to tragtcrestrlrrff a person drinITToo much: and tnen diwes
a car.

Tina

That's true. I've read a report from the National Safety Council. It says hundreds
of people die in road accidents during the holiday.

Steve

It's true. In recent years, the danger of accidents has resulted in a new tradition
called the "designated driver".

Tina

What is it?

Steve

One person among a group of friends drinks little or no alcohol during New Year's
Eve celebrations. Then this designated driver can safely drive the other people
home. Many American cities also offer free taxi service on New Year's Eve to
take people home safely.

Tina

It's very interesting and a very good way to decrease the road accidents.

Steve

Yes. And there are some other events without alcohol. More than 220 American
cities hold the First Night celebrations. Artists in Boston, Massachusetts, started
the tradition of the First Night celebrations in 1976. They wanted to observe the
coming of the New Year. But they did not want to hold noisy drinking parties. So
they organised music, art and other events to observe the holiday.

Tina

Yes, I heard a lot about this. People in Boston can choose among 250 perfor•
mances and exhibits around the city. People can look at huge statues made of ice.

Steve

Right. People there can watch fireworks early in the evening. Later, they can see
fireworks light the midnight sky over Boston Harbour.
Sounds beautiful. I wish I could spend Ne_w_Y_e ' E_v th e_
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Janet

Maurice

I see. I have to sign a tenancy agreement with the landlord before I move in.
Is that right?

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your
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This is house
calledor"giving
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Give the notice to the landlord one month before you will move out. Please do
this by the last day of the month before you move out.

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move out.

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I understand. I have to give notice to the landlord one month before I

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w_elcome.

2. People
Listening Activity No.l

Q

013.MP3

Listening Activity No.2

Q

Announcement

Stephen Jay Gould

014.MP3

Today I'm going to tell you about Stephen Jay Gould, one of the
important American scientists in the past. He worked as an evolutionary
biologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Gould
studied fossils, the hardened remains of an animal or plant of long ago. This
permitted him to better understand how different animal groups or species
developed over time.
Mr. Gould was a strong supporter of the evolutionary theory developed
by Charles Darwin in the 1800s. Mr. Darwin argued that fossils could prove
that plants and animals developed slowly over time from their earlier


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However, he and another scientist, Niles Eldredge, believed that evolution was not a slow
and peaceful process. In 1972, the two men developed a new theory called "punctuated
equilibrium». They argued that evolution of species happened during short, fast bursts of
change during longer periods of no change.

During his more than thirty years at Harvard University, Mr. Gould wrote more than
twenty popular books. He also wrote 300 monthly commentaries published in the maga•
zine Natural History. Many Americans will remember him because he tried to make science
Lular and easy to understand. Stephen Jay Gould died at the age of sixty.

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Listening Activity No.3

Justin Dart

Qi 015.MP3

Today I'm going to tell you about another American we should remember, Justin
Dart, Justin Dart was a long-time activist for the rights of disabled people. Such people are
unable to see, hear or walk because of accident or disease. Many use special chairs with
leave people disabled. In fact, Justin Dart was a disabled man too. He lost the use of his
legs when he became infected with polio at age eighteen. He used a wheelchair for the
rest of his life.
Mister Dart worked for more than fifty years to establish government policies to guar•
antee civil rights and health care for disabled people. He was considered one of the fathers
of the Americans with Disabilities Act which became law in 1990. This historic civil rights
law has improved the treatment of disabled people across the country. It requires that all
public buildings, transportation and other services should be built or modernised so that

disabled people can use them.
Justin Dart received a great honour when President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presi•
dential Medal of Freedom in 1998. This is the highest honour given to civilians in the
United States. Justin Dart died at the age of seventy-one.

Listening Activity No.4

William Shakespeare

Qi 016.MP3

William Shakespeare, a famous English poet and dramatist, was born in April 1564. His
father was a rich man, whose business was making and selling leather gloves. His
mother was the daughter of an important farmer in Warwickshire. He was educated at
a gram• mar school of the town. At the end of 1582, when he was 19 years old he
married Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter who was some years older than him.

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In 1587, Shakespeare went to work in London, leaving his wife and the children at
home. He soon began to act and to write plays. By 1592, he was an important member of a
well-known acting company, and in 1599, the famous Globe Theatre was built on the south
bank of the River Thames. It was in this theatre that most of his plays were performed.
By 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I died, Shakespeare was already the leading poet and
dramatist of his time. He continued to write for the next ten years, but in 1613 he
finally stopped writing and went to live in Stratford, where he died in April 1616. He was
only 52 years old and was buried in the chancel of Stratford church.

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Shakespeare's plays have been acted for hundreds of years, not only in England but
all over the world.

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Listening Activity No.5

The men who escaped

Q

017.MP3

Listening Activity No.6

What do they look like?

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018.MP3

Kerry

Hello, Hans. It's Kerry. I was just ringing to ask about your two friends. You ask of
me to meet them at the airport tomorrow morning, but you forgot to tell me what
they look like! How will I recognise them?

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Hans

Oh, sorry, Kerry. Yes, well... they're all very different from each other. Let's start
with Greta. She is 25 years old and she is about 180cm tall and quite slim. She has
long blond hair, blue eyes, and a pointed nose. She looks pretty cheerful. She usu•
ally wears a T-shirt and jeans with flat shoes.

Kerry

Right! Greta has long blond hair, blue eyes and a pointed nose. She is quite tall and
slim. She usually wears a T-shirt and jeans with flat shoes. What about the next
one?

Hans

Diana is the opposite of Greta in many ways. She is 35 years old, heavy-set and very
short, about 150cm. She is half-Thai, half-American, so she has short black hair and

big blue eyes. She always has a sweet smile. She likes to wear sports clothes.
It's
easy to recognise them. You would like them. One more thing I forgot to mention.
Greta is very shortsighted and she wears glasses.

Kerry

I'll remember that. Right. Diana is heavy-set and short. She has short black hair
and big blue eyes. She always wears sports clothes. OK. I'll see them at 9 o'clock
tomorrow morning.

Hans

Thanks, Kerry. Goodbye.

Kerry

Bye.

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Listening Activity No.7

Millie Benson

Q 019.MP3

Millie Benson was the one person most likely to be missed by young Americans.

She wrote books for young people. The main character in each of her books is a sixteen•
year-old girl named Nancy Drew who solved mysteries. These books were extremely
popular for many years. They gave teenage girls the idea that they could do anything
that boys could do. This was especially important at a time when women were struggling
for equality with men.
Millie Benson began writing the Nancy Drew books in 1930. She wrote twenty-three
of the first twenty-five stories in the series under a false name, Carolyn Keene. This was
because Ms. Benson signed an agreement with her publisher promising never to make
public her identity. For more than fifty years, she was never officially recognised for
writing the books.
This changed in 1980 during a court case against the publisher. Ms. Benson was
permitted to tell the world she was the true writer of the Nancy Drew series. The Nancy
Drew mysteries have sold more than two hundred million books in seventeen languages.
Millie Benson was also one of the first female newspaper reporters. She wrote for
newspapers for more than sixty years. She was also a pilot and an adventurer. She made
many trips to the jungles of Mexico and Central America to study archaeology. Millie
Benson was ninety-six years old when she died.

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Winning at IELTS Listening - 145


On board

Listening Activity No.8

� 020.MP3

(Mike and Maria boarded the plane. Maria noticed Mike didn't look very well.)

Maria ·What's the matter, Mike? Are you sick?
Mike

Oh, God, I hate flying.

Maria You're kidding! How come?

Mike

Oh, I don't know, but I really get nervous.

Maria

Have you ever had a bad experience on a plane?

Mike

No, I just keep thinking of all the things that can go wrong.

Maria Oh, come on. Flying is the safest way to travel, comparing to driving it's ...
Mike

I know. Look, let's talk about something else, OK? I'll be all right.

Maria

OK. Your parents' thirtieth anniversary is tomorrow, isn't it?

Mike

Yes, that is why we are going on this flight for.

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Maria I'm curious about your parents. What are they like?
Mike

They are just ordinary people. Dad is an electrician and he is a hardworking person.
My Morn is a nurse and she is kind and very patient. They met when Dad was in
the hospital from an accident.

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Maria Accident? What happened to your Dad?
Mike

Well, he helped his college friend repair the roof at the weekend, and then he lost
his balance and slipped and fell. He was sent to a local hospital right away.

Maria Was it serious?
Mike

Maria

Mike

Yes, he had a broken arm and two broken ribs, so he stayed there for about three
months. In the hospital he met Mom. As a matter of fact, Morn was the nurse
who
. . took care of him. Then they got married.

That is interesting.

-.

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My Dad is pretty conservative, but Morn is not. They have some fantastic arg:
rnents sometimes. But they are both crazy about fishing. They fish every chance
they get.
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Maria They seem a very good couple.
Mike

Oh, yeah, tomorrow you will meet them and I'm sure you'll like them,

Maria I'm looking forward to meeting them.

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Listening Activity No.9

Snooker superstar

Q 021.MP3

Listening Activity No.10

Three American women

Q 022.MP3

For many years, Time magazine has recognised a person or persons who made im•
portant news during a year. Recently, Time named three American women as its Persons
of the Year for 2002. One of those honoured is Coleen Rowley. She works for America's
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Time also honoured Cynthia Cooper, an official of the
communications business WorldCom Corporation. The third winner is Sherron Watkins.
She formerly worked for the energy trading company Enron.

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Winning at IELTS Listening - 147


These women reported serious problems or wrongdoing in the places where they work.
Each woman risked her job to tell the truth. Their actions have led to congressional
inves• tigations and called for reform.
Coleen Rowley wrote a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller in May. She criticised
the agency for failing to gather evidence before the September eleventh terrorist
attacks on
�the-united-States. Miss Rowley told how-officials at FBI-headquarters had dismissed in•
formation from the agency's office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The information
concerned a French citizen, Zacarias Moussaoui. Mister Moussaoui is now waiting to be
trialed in the state of Virginia. He is accused of helping plot the terrorist attacks.
Miss Rowley wrote that an FBI agent had identified Mister Moussaoui as a
terrorist threat one month before the attacks. The Minneapolis office asked FBI
headquarters to let it seek a court order to search the suspect's property. Agents
especially wanted to search his computer. Yet higher-level FBI officials dismissed their
appeals. Congress and the Bush Administration now are exploring ways to improve the
agency's performance.
Cynthia Cooper examines financial records for the WorldCom Corporation in Clinton,
Mississippi. In June, Miss Cooper told a WorldCom financial committee that the
company's
records were dishonest. Soon, WorldCom's chief financial officer admitted that the compony earned almost four million dollars less than it had reported. Since then, the amount

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has grown to more than nine million dollars. Owners of the company's stock shares
have
lost three million dollars. WorldCom reported that it is unable to pay its debts.

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Sherron Watkins was a communications officer with Enron, based in Houston, Texas. In
August of last year, she wrote to the company chairman Kenneth Lay. Miss Watkins told
I him about questionable financial methods at Enron. She also said the company should tell
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its shareholders the truth about its losses. Months later, the company began to fail. By
then, Enron had lost about one million dollars.
The actions of Sherron Watkins and Cynthia Cooper led to criminal charges against

.. ��;�:o:o,;i�;dn:::��::;:�i:!:congressal�o is considering ways to prevent
com�

Listening Activity No.11

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Justine Henin - the world No.1 tennis player

Q

023.MP3

Justine Henin was born on June 1, 1982. At the age of 2, a hazard made her
move to Rochefort, which was only a few metres from the local tennis club, where she
played tennis for the first time.

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At the age of 5, she spent all her summer vacation on the courts, going home from
time to time for meals. By the time she was 6 and still progressing very fast, she left
Rochefort Tennis Club to join Ciney Tennis Club.
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This was her first contact with training and competition. After working with several
trainers, Justine joined the French Tennis Federation.
In 1997, she won the Orange Bowl - a junior championship. Soon, Justine stopped
her studies and she became a full-time professional in 1999, which was also the year of
her first participation at the Fed Cup with the Belgian national team. Her first step in
the women's circuit was a wonderful success as she won the final of the Antwerp tournament against Sarah Pitkowski.
In 2001, Justine finally made the public notice her when she was playing a semi-final
in Paris and a final in Wimbledon. Thanks to high-level performances, Justine entered
the list of top 10 woman players.
In 2003, Justine won 3 victories. The best one was with a memorable victory against

Serena Williams in the Charleston final. Justine had risen to number 3 position in the
world after her third victory in Paris.
During a fantastic American tour, Justine won three titles in three tournaments. The
first one was in San Diego. She defeated Kim in the final. The second was in Toronto.
She overcame Lina Krasnoroutska a in the final. And the t · d
the I JS Open
She drew the attention of the American public by playing in the semi-finals. In more
than three hours of unexpected twists and turns, Justine overcame not only cramps,
but, after she almost lost the match twice, she defeated the public favourite
Jennifer Capriati.
Justine Henin once again made tennis history by winning her second Grand Slam
tournament and by becoming the number two in the world, right behind her compatriot.
The Belgians dominated women's tennis, and as far as Justine was concerned, she domi•
nated New York as well as Paris.
It's been said that the year 2003 was Justine's year. Winner of two Grand Slams and
five other tournaments, it was logical that the champion would be the number one in
the world by the end of the year. And, as said, it was the morning after her victory over
Jelena Dokic in Zurich that Justine was the first in the world for the first time.
From January 2004 onwards she still craved for victory. She won the two most im•
portant tournaments in Australia, in Sydney and Melbourne. And during her tour of
Australia, she was undefeated, including beating Lindsay Davenport in the semi-finals
and Kim Clijsters in the final.

Justine took the courageous decision to go to the Olympics in Athens, without really
knowing how sick she was. After a false start, she almost achieved perfection during the
semi-final against Anastasia Myskina. Then buoyed up by this incredible success, she
didn't give any chance to Amelie Mauresmo in the final and won the only Belgian golden
medal in Athens. "This is," she said with great emotion, "the most beautiful victory of
my career."

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Winning at IELTS Listening - 149


Listening Activity No.12

Woman
Man . -

Talking about people you admire

Q 024.MP3

Hi, I'm conducting a survey for a lifestyle magazine, and I wonder if I could
ask you a few questions?

·uh, ·�hat.abouti -- -

Woman Well, we're doing a feature on modem-day heroes, you know, people you really
· admire.
Oh, I see.
Man
Woman
Man

So, who would that be for you?
Well, I'm from China and I'm crazy about basketball, so I think the people I
admire most are all basketball players. If I have to choose one, it would be Yao
Ming.

Woman And why would you choose him?
Well, I think Yao Ming is one of the best basketball players China has ever had.
Man

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Woman So, do you admire him mainly for his basketball skills?
Man

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That's one of the reasons. Sure, he is really a talented player. Some players said,
"Yao Ming is such a huge, talented guy and he's the focal point of the offense,
so we're just going to have to take the challenge and play against him." But there
are other reasons. For one thing, Yao is one of the tallest men in the world. He I
is 228cm tall, a very good size for basketball. And he has his own unique style. j

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Woman So, he is tall, talented and unique. Anything else?

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Well, I think the other thing that makes him stand out is that he has a lot of
courage. He has had to really fight hard to get to where he is today. He is one I
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of the NBA Stars and people call him NBA giant Yao. At present, he plays in
Houston Rockets Team and he is a starting player in the team. And one of the I
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now, but he always comes back to play for China when our country needs him. I
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Man

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!

Woman

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Man

:

So, have you ever met him?

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Yes. Actually, I did meet Yao Ming at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when they I
were practicing. I even got to talk with him a little."
,

Woman Oh, so what did you say?
Man

I said, "Yao Ming, can I have your autograph?" and he said, "Sure. Here you are."

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It didn't last very long, but I'll always remember that moment. Who knows_, ,!
maybe he will too.

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