Tapescripts
The part of the text containing the answer is underlined with the question number given in square brackets []. If you still struggle with CAE Listening, please refer to Listening tips.
Part 1
Extract 1
Girl: Hi Tom, so what d’you think of the concert?
Tom: Well, I’m not complaining because at the end of the day, I had a pretty good night out. But it’s just as well that we got a hefty student discount on the tickets. I went with high hopes of
seeing something really spectacular from the headline band, and it just didn’t happen [1]. I reckon I was taken in by all the hype; you know, the big build-up in the media and everything.
I should know better than to take any notice of it, but you just get swept up by it, don’t you?
Girl: Well, you may but I don’t. I hadn’t actually read or heard much about the gig at all, so I didn’t go with any preconceptions. If you ask me, you’re being rather hard on the main band. I mean, they were way better than the support act [2]. If the idea was to get us in the mood for what was coming later, then I think they should’ve been presenting us with something a bit more exciting [2].
Tom: Well, who knows? Perhaps they were chosen because they wouldn’t upstage the stars.
Extract 2
Gary: There’s been lots of speculation in the press this week surrounding the fate of United manager Tony Benson, with some people calling for his resignation after a run of poor results. Talking to people at the club this week, I sense that there may actually be little substance to stories that his job’s on the line [3]. Indeed, a number of people I spoke to were keen to defend his record, feeling that he was focussing the players on a more stylish, entertaining brand of football. They thought it would only be a matter of time before we begin to see this reflected in the results. What’s your take on all this, Suzie?
Suzie: Well Gary, the club’s invested in promising players. The potential’s there, it’s just a question of whether Benson’s the man to pull it all together and make it work; and time’s running out for him. I’ve been talking to some of the players and I’d say there was a groundswell of support in the dressing room for Benson’s general approach. But I think the results speak for themselves and, these days, if a top-flight football team isn’t getting points, then something’s got to change and that comes back to the manager because that’s his responsibility – getting the results [4].
Extract 3
Man: So what did you think of it?
Woman: I could stand and look at his work all day long. I know it’s a strange thing to say about sculpture, but it really makes you think, you know, about more than just the art – about aspects of life itself [5].
Man: But this was a strange exhibition. They seemed to have gone for quite an eclectic selection [6]. Was it meant to be representative of something? I never read the notes they hand out because I prefer to come to my own interpretation.
Woman: Yes, so do I. Actually, I think the unifying theme was the material. I mean, all these pieces were made out of the same three raw materials – wire, glass and straw. Not all his work is, of course, but I guess it’s a phase he went through; part of his development as an artist. I’d have been happy to have seen some of his other stuff actually [6].
Man: Yeah, more of a range [6]. Well you can’t fault the museum, can you? I mean, any exhibition they put on is worth going to. It’s such a brilliant space and you never know how things are going to look because the presentation’s so imaginative, isn’t it?
Woman: There’s nowhere quite like it really.
Part 2
Carl: Hi, I’ve come along to tell you about surfing here on the island; something I know many of you want to learn. Now, you can learn to surf anywhere that waves break on a swimmable shoreline.
On this island, most of the local population lives around the north coast. We often see waves on it but you rarely see surfers there. The National Park, on the other hand, has miles of sandy shoreline with plenty of elbow room for beginners to develop their surfing skills [7]. I’d say that was your best choice of venue.
Now, surfers need waves, and waves are generated by wind moving across water. The further the wind drags across the water, called fetch, the more powerful the waves, which then spread out and fall into groups we call sets. The distance between waves is measured in seconds and we call that the period [8]. We see just the very top of waves. Most of the energy goes deep into the ocean.
The ocean here’s not warm, so surfers wear wetsuits most of the time. These keep you warm by trapping a thin layer of water against your body, which your body heats. A new suit should almost feel too tight. If the fit of your suit is too loose, then it will hold more water. [9] If you start shivering uncontrollably, then this may be the problem, and you should go in and get warm.
New materials will stretch out and conform to your body. Make sure you have lots of length inthe
legs, and that you have no folds of material under your arms [10]. It’s also important to check that it fits well over your lower back. Rinse your suit thoroughly every time you use it. Use a mild detergent or a wetsuit-specific soap in warm water to wash your suit, and especially your boots and gloves regularly [11]. Hot water is not recommended for wetsuits. And keep your suit on a wide plastic hanger [12]. Metal hangers, especially wire ones, will create creases that will be the first wear-out points on your suit, and wooden hangers aren’t much better. Creases decrease lifespan. Do not store your suit in direct sunlight. It will lose elasticity and become stiff and brittle before its time.
Now, the other thing you’ll need is a surfboard. Don’t go out and buy a new one straightaway. The surfboard you use as an accomplished surfer will be far too fragile to take you through the learning process. The main problem is when beginners hit the board with their knees [13] and put great dents in them, but they also tend to lean surfboards against cars and walls where they can fall over or bump into pointy things when carrying them. So I’d say always borrow your friend’s board to learn on, or maybe rent one.
Your board will need waxing. Surfers use wax to help them stay on their boards, whereas skaters
and snowboarders use it to make their boards slide. If you want to clean old wax off, leave your
board in the sun for a while or, better still, use a hair dryer [14] and then use a wax comb or plastic scraper. A citrus-based cleaner on a cloth will clean up the rest.
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