Q3e Listening & Speaking 2 Online Practice Audio Script

Q:Skills third edition Listening & Speaking 2 Online Practice Audio Script
UNIT 1
Professor So today I want to talk about a new way to advertise—through influencers.
What is an influencer? Well, it’s someone who influences or affects other
people. An influencer can get you to act in a certain way and maybe to buy a
certain product. How does it work?

You may already be friends with an influencer. They are popular, well liked.
Influencers use social media a lot. They usually have an enormous number of
people who follow them on social media, sometimes even hundreds of
thousands of followers. Most influencers are young. Some are even teenagers.
They are often attractive. And this is essential—they are very good at taking
appealing photos and posting them online.

Let’s take an example. Jamie Oliver is a chef from the UK. He has 6.7 million
followers on the social media platform Instagram. He’s a good cook, he’s a
dad, and he tries to get people to eat more healthy food. Through his photos
of healthy food, he influences people—he gets them to eat better. He works
with the British supermarket Sainsbury’s to improve its food.

Because Oliver is so popular, a company like Sainsbury’s wants to work with

him. He is a good advertisement for the company. That’s the way that
influencers can make money.

Let’s say you’re a young person interested in fashion. You use social media
well. You take photos, post funny things, and have a good message. So, people
start to follow you, or become your friends on social media. Suddenly you
have 5,000 online friends. And then one day, you mention you like a certain
kind of shoes. People you know start to buy them because they think they’ll
like what you like. An influencer is born. The shoe company contacts you and
agrees to pay you for a certain number of photos and messages. Influencers
can become very wealthy this way.

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Using influencers is very successful. Companies are now starting to use

people who have only hundreds of followers. But these people are popular
with a certain group of people. The companies don’t pay these smaller
influencers. They give them free products. This is a very affordable kind of
marketing.

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Unit 2
Listening Comprehension What Color is Your Car?

Radio Host Did you know that some car companies spend up to a million dollars to
research and develop just one color for their cars? Today, we’re talking with
auto industry expert, Louis Roselli, about the importance of color in cars. Tell
us, Louis, why is the color of a car so important?

Louis Well, think about it. The color is one of the first things a buyer sees. If they
don’t like the color, they don’t like the car.

Radio Host So, are some colors more popular than others?

Louis Sure. For instance, all over the world, silver or gray is the most popular car
color. After gray, it’s white and black. But we also need to consider which
colors are popular in different areas.

Radio Host Can you give us an example?

Louis Sure. Here are some examples from the United States. People in hot places,
like, say, Phoenix, Arizona, prefer white. White helps to keep the car cooler.
But in Minneapolis, Minnesota, red is popular. This may be because
Minneapolis is a cold city and red is a warm color.

Radio Host And what about those color names? Some of them are pretty crazy. I was
looking at a new car the other day and the color was “silver satin.”

Louis Car makers want names that will make people want to buy the cars. For
example, they often use the word “silver” instead of “gray.” Why? Well, silver
is associated with money and wealth. Silver shines and reflects the light. Gray
is boring. It might make buyers think of gray skies or sad feelings.

Radio Host Interesting.

Louis Let me give you some other examples. Powerful sports cars come in colors
with names like “burning orange” and “blue flame”. These names sound hot

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and exciting. They attract buyers who want a fast, fun car. Other names will
attract buyers who want economical cars, or cars that are good for the
environment.

Radio Host For instance?

Louis The Ford company has produced small cars with colors like “apple green,”
“orange peel,” and “hurricane blue.” These names make people think of
nature. It reminds them that by buying a small car, they’re saving fuel and
helping the environment.

Radio Host Have cars always been so colorful?

Louis Not at all. In 1914, Henry Ford started producing large numbers of the
famous Model T Ford. At the time, all Model T’s were black. Using just one
color helped the Ford factory produce a lot of cars quickly. Today, you can
truly have any color car you want. There’s a color to match every personality.

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Unit 3
Listening Skill Predicting

Traveler’s Etiquette

Radio Host In the past, when people traveled to other countries, they didn’t know what
to expect. Nowadays, we have access to so much information online. We can
find out everything we need to know before we go. Most people find out
about the places they want to visit, the times that tourist attractions are
open, and transportation schedules. But one thing some people forget is to
read about the etiquette of the places they are going to visit. Today, we are
talking with Paul Jackson from Travel magazine about the etiquette in other
countries.

Paul Hi, Tom. First, I want to talk about shopping. In some places, people stand in
line at a market counter and quietly wait for their turn. In other places, like
Spain, for example, customers walk up and say “Who’s last?” Wherever
you’re going, it’s important to find out what the customs are so you don’t
seem rude.

Radio Host Or, so you don’t wait forever for your turn. Anything else we need to watch
out for when we’re shopping?

Paul One important thing you need to know is if people bargain in the kind of
market you’re in. In some places, you are expected to try for a lower price. In
other places, asking for a lower price seems like bad manners.

Radio Host What can you tell us about restaurants?

Paul There is so much you need to know. First of all, how do you call the server,
what do you say, and what kinds of hand motions are acceptable? Things that
are perfectly courteous in one place can seem very rude in another place.

Radio Host And what about paying the bill?

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Paul It’s very important to know what is expected. Does everyone split the bill
evenly? Does everyone pay for his own food? Does one person usually pay
the entire bill? Get this information before you go, or next time you might not
get invited to dinner.

Radio Host I guess some people will say, “Hey! I’m a tourist. Don’t expect me to know
what’s rude or polite in this country.”

Paul I don’t think there’s any excuse for that nowadays. It’s easy to find the
information you need by looking online. And anything you don’t know, you
can learn from paying attention to the people around you.

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Unit 3
Listening Comprehension Phone Interview Etiquette

Maya Hi, Kyle.

Kyle Hi, Maya. How are you?

Maya I’m great. I have a job interview next week.

Kyle Oh, that’s exciting! Where is the interview?

Maya Well, it’s with an advertising company, but the interview is going to be on the phone.
Did you know that some companies are doing job interviews over the phone now?

Kyle Yeah. In fact, I had a phone interview last month. I liked it because I didn’t have to
wear a suit.

Maya That’s true. Still, I’m a little worried about it because I have to call from my cell
phone. Do you have any tips for me?

Kyle Sure! I think there are some rules everyone should follow on the phone. First, you
need to call from a private place. You shouldn’t disturb other people by talking in
public. Also, make sure the place is quiet. It’s bad manners to make phone calls from
crowded or noisy places.

Maya That’s a good point. My friend called me last week from the train station and it was
so loud. I couldn’t hear anything she said. Is there anything else?

Kyle Sure. Just like in any interview, you should use formal, polite language. For instance,
if you want the interviewer to repeat something, say, “I’m sorry, could you repeat
that?” Don’t use casual expressions like, “What?” or, “Hmm?”

Maya Okay, that’s good to know. Hey, I just thought of something. Someone else might call
me while I’m on the interview. What should I do if I get another call?

Kyle Don’t take it! It’s impolite to take other calls, especially during a business call. The
interviewer might think you don’t consider the interview very important.

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Maya Okay, thanks. I won’t take any other calls. Is there anything else I should know?

Kyle Yes, there’s one more important thing. You need to be attentive. You should not do
anything else while you’re on the call. Don’t check your email or walk around your
home. It’s bad etiquette. When you try to do more than one thing, you don’t listen
well. You might say too much or too little. Or you might give the wrong answer
because you didn’t hear the whole question.

Maya Oh, no, I don’t want that to happen. I’ll make sure I give all my attention to the call
and nothing else. Thanks for all the advice.

Kyle You’re welcome, and good luck!

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Unit 4
Professor Okay, yesterday we talked about some of the problems with online
relationships. We know that some people use a lot of technology and don’t
spend enough time with friends and family. We also know that people pay
less attention to others around them when they are always on their phones
or computers. And lastly, we know that sometimes people use technology
and social media to argue with or bully others. Today, however, I want to
take a look at some of the ways technology helps our relationships.

First, people who use social media a lot, who have a lot of online friends, also
often have many friendships with people they meet face-to-face. Often,
people use social media to make plans to meet in real life. So, for many
people, social media increases their social activity. Also, social media help
them stay in contact with friends and family who live far away. In addition,
technology and social media help people keep and grow a feeling of
community. With technology, you can find and connect with people who have
the same interests, for example, gardening or Star Wars movies.

And there’s another way that technology may change or build relationships
—through an idea called “third places.” Most people live in two main places
at home (the first place) and at work (the second place). But many of us also
participate in “third places.” These are places like libraries, parks, clubs, and
cafés where we have meaningful conversations or interactions with others.
With technology, fewer people work in offices and more people work
wherever they want to. Almost 4 million Americans work from home or
someplace other than the office all the time. About 70 percent of people
worldwide telecommute once a week. Many people choose to work in coffee
shops or other public places. Sure, they use their laptops, tablets, and phones
while they are there, but they also chat with people around them. This means
they meet and talk to new people, not just their family members or
coworkers.

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So this might be a surprising way that the use of technology builds

relationships.

Let’s stop there for a moment. Are there any questions so far?

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Unit 5
Listening Comprehension Family Life and the Internet

Radio Host And now, we have another edition of Contrast, where we look at two sides of
a question. Tonight’s question What effect does the internet have on family
life? We have two people here to answer this question. Mr. Phil Romero, a
teacher at one of our largest city high schools, and Dr. Helen Kowalski, a
researcher in internet studies. Welcome. First, Mr. Romero, how would you
answer this question?

Mr. Romero Well, first let me say this. There are many good things about the internet. But,
as a teacher, I often see the negative effect of the internet in the lives of my
students. Let me explain. The problem is, that the time parents and children
spend on the internet, or using the computer, is time they don’t spend
interacting or talking with other family members. They are in the same
house, but they aren’t participating in family life. The kids are alone in their
rooms playing video games for hours and hours. And the problem isn’t just
with the kids. It’s the parents, too. For example, I have a friend who’s a stay-
at-home-dad with twin girls. He started a blog about being a stay-at-home-
dad. The blog started taking more and more of his time. One day he thought,
“Wait, I’m taking time away from the kids so that I can go online and tell
everyone what a great dad I am. Something is wrong here.” So, he stopped
writing the blog. My basic point is that using the internet often means that
families communicate less.

Radio Host Thanks, Mr. Romero. And now let’s hear from Dr. Kowalski.

Dr. Kowalski Thank you. I understand Phil’s point, but the truth is that research shows us
almost the opposite. It shows that internet use, and technology in general,
can bring families together. In one study, 47 percent of the people said that
technology and the internet made no difference in their family life. Another
47 percent said it made family communications better. They explained that
they did things together online, like looking at websites or playing games.

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The internet also makes it easier for people to stay in touch with family
members who live far away. They can chat online and exchange pictures
easily. Most people in the study felt that their families today were as close as,
or closer than, their families when they were growing up. Only about six
percent felt that the internet made family communications worse.

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Unit 6
Listening Skill

Speaker In the year 2010, the number one chess player in the world was Magnus
Carlsen from Norway. At the age of 19, he was the youngest person ever to
hold this position. Chess, however, is one of the oldest games in the world.
The modern game of chess that we know today began in 1475, but we know
that people were playing a similar game in India and Persia in the year 500
AD. From there, the game spread and reached Europe in about 1000 AD. It
became very popular in Europe, especially in France and England. The first
modern chess competition was in London in 1851. A German man, Adolf
Anderssen, won and became famous as the best player of his time. In more
recent times, famous players include American Bobby Fischer, who was the
champion from 1972 to 1975, and Russian Gary Kasparov. He was champion
for 8 years beginning in 1985. The longest chess game lasted for 269 moves.

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Unit 6
Listening Comprehension: Games for Creativity

Speaker 1 I went to a great lecture about creativity last night at the conference I’m
attending.

Speaker 2 Oh yeah? And I suppose I have to hear about it. Boring.

Speaker 1 No, really it wasn’t. It was this guy, Tim Brown, he works for a design
company called IDEO. He started the lecture by having everyone draw a
picture of the person sitting next to them.

Speaker 2 Huh?

Speaker 1 It was embarrassing, but kind of funny, too. Everyone was laughing. I mean,
most people, like me, can’t draw at all.

Speaker 2 So what’s the point?

Speaker 1 Well, when you ask most adults to do something like that, that they aren’t
used to, they get embarrassed. They’re afraid to show their work to others
because they don’t think it’s any good. But children are different. They just go
ahead and do it. To them, it’s a game. It’s fun. That is, until some stupid adult
laughs at them.

Speaker 2 And?

Speaker 1 So Brown says it shows how we lose our ability to be creative as we grow
older because we are afraid to experiment, afraid to make mistakes, afraid
others will laugh or criticize us.

Speaker 2 Hmm. I think I see where this is going. So, if you’re in a job, or even in a class
where you need to be creative, this is a problem.

Speaker 1 Exactly. So, Brown says that a lot of companies, like his, are encouraging their
employees to be more playful in their work. For example, they do a lot of
brainstorming. You know, that’s where people get together and try to think

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of a lot of different ideas to solve a problem. And they have rules for
brainstorming.

Speaker 2 Rules for brainstorming? That doesn’t sound very playful.

Speaker 1 Oh, it is. All games have to have rules. Any kid will tell you that. One rule for
brainstorming is ‘don’t judge.’ That is, don’t say if any idea is good or bad.
Another rule is, ‘go for quantity.’ That means that it’s important to have a lot
of different ideas.

Speaker 2 I get it! That way, people will feel free to suggest any idea, even if it sounds a
little crazy.

Speaker 1 That’s right! With those rules, they know that no one will laugh or say
anything bad about their ideas. And with so many ideas, they’re almost
certain to find something that will help with the problem.

Speaker 2 That makes sense.

Speaker 1 Now, here’s another one of Brown’s games. See this paper with thirty circles
on it? You have to use each circle to draw a picture and you have only one
minute. Work quickly. Don’t ask, “it is good? It is bad?” Just draw! Okay? Now,
go!

Speaker 2 Hey! Wait!

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Unit 7
Laura Good morning. Welcome to our panel today on climate change and extreme
environments. I’m Laura Nelson, and with me are two people who know a lot
about this topic, James Huang, who studies coral reefs, and conservationist
Nadia Suarez. Welcome to you both. James, why don’t you tell us about your
research and what it says about climate change?

James I’d love to. Coral reefs are truly fascinating. Many people think coral reefs are
similar to rocks, but they are actually formed by hundreds of little animals
that are connected. About one-quarter of all the plants and animals in the
ocean depend on coral reefs, and they are important to tourism. So coral
reefs are not only amazing, they are incredibly important. But something
terrible is happening to coral reefs! Climate change is causing ocean
temperatures to rise, and this may be killing the coral reefs. When
temperatures are very hot for a long period of time, it can do permanent
harm to the reef. Such extremes are very dangerous.

Laura I went diving in the Caribbean, and the coral reefs were so beautiful. I’d
really hate to see them disappear.

James Fortunately, some types of coral show an ability to change and survive
extreme conditions. We are studying these corals and hope we will be able to
suggest some solutions very soon.

Laura I hope so too. Nadia, tell us about your work.

Nadia I’m a conservationist, so I’m interested in saving plants and animals that are
facing threats right now. And, as James said, climate change poses a threat to
many species. But James was talking about how extreme temperatures may
kill off the coral reefs. I’m particularly interested in animals that live in
extreme environments now and the dangers they face because of climate
change. Instead of making the environment more extreme, climate change
may be making it too much like other places.

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Laura I’m not sure I understand. Doesn’t climate change make things more extreme,
like causing more rain and floods and really high temperatures?

Nadia You’re right, but I’m talking about places that are already extreme
environments. Take the Arctic. It’s always had a lot of snow and ice and
freezing temperatures. That’s too extreme for most of us, but not for polar
bears. Now that the ice is melting and temperatures are rather pleasant, the
polar bears are in danger.

Laura Oh, I see what you mean.

Nadia An example of an animal in danger is the wild yaks in Tibet. They are used to
living in temperatures below zero and with less oxygen. Soon they will have
trouble finding snow, their usual source of water, and suitable plants to eat.

Laura Wow! This is a really interesting discussion. Let’s see if our audience
members have any questions.

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Unit 8
Listening Comprehension Human Germs on Mars

There’s an argument going on these days about life on Mars. No, it’s not about little green
men, and it’s not about the martians that attacked the Earth in the movie The War of the
Worlds. It’s about the effect of human germs on the environment of Mars.

Now humans are exploring Mars with what we called unmanned vehicles. That means we
aren’t sending people to Mars, but we are sending machines to explore Mars, like the Mars
Rover. Every time we send one of these vehicles to Mars, we are also sending bacteria from
Earth. Scientists do everything they can to make sure that each vehicle is as clean as it can
be. They make vehicles in clean rooms. The arms they use to explore the ground of Mars
are wrapped in a clean plastic, but even so, it is impossible to eliminate all bacteria.

So, what’s the problem? Well, it’s this. Scientists now know that there is ice on Mars. This
means that the planet once had liquid water on it. Water is necessary for life. Where there’s
water, there can be life. In other words, there might already be bacteria on Mars. So, if
bacteria from Earth comes into contact with bacteria from Mars, that will be a kind of
pollution. It means that our bacteria might damage or change the life forms on Mars.

If this is true just with the unmanned vehicles, imagine what will happen if humans travel
to Mars. What will happen if we build communities on Mars? Some people are in favor of
humans on Mars. They aren’t worried about the possible effect of human bacteria on Mars.
Others are uncomfortable with the idea. They say that humans already polluted their own
planet; they shouldn’t go and spread their pollution to other worlds.

By the way, here’s one closing thought Do you know the story of The War of the Worlds? At
the end of the story, all of the creatures from Mars who came to Earth die. What kills them?
Is it guns and bombs? No, it isn’t. It’s human germs. The martians have no defense against
Earth’s germs, so they get sick and die. Of course, The War of the Worlds is just a story, but
the dangers of the bacteria are real. If there are bacteria on mars, what effect will those
bacteria have on humans? We just don’t know for sure.

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