CD 2 Track 2

skinny

spiky

slim

stocky

snow

smile

sphere

swim

CD 2 Track 3

scruffy

straight

splash

sprint

squash

CD 2 Track 4

M = Man, W = Woman

W: Oh … look at these photos of Brad Pitt. He used to look so different - I'd forgotten that he used to have a beard!

M: A beard - did he?

W: Yeah, look. In this photo, he's got a really long, scruffy beard … and long scruffy hair, too. I think he looks awful! What was he thinking of? Do you think it was for a film or something?

M: No, I don't think it was. I mean, I don't remember him looking like that in any films.

W: No … nor do I. Hmm. I mean, he's so good-looking in this picture. I think he looks great when he's clean-shaven and with short hair … He looks great. I really can't understand why he grew that beard. I mean, I don't mind the long hair so much … although I do think he looks better with short hair …

CD 2 Track 5

Eben

Well, I'm sure you've all heard that Switzerland is … is as beautiful as a postcard or one of those famous Swiss chocolate boxes with all the postcard pictures on it. Well, I actually grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. I lived there for all of my teen years starting at the age of 11. And like most teenagers, I wasn't terribly happy. The other reputation, of course, that Switzerland does have is, you know, that it's, it … it's like clockwork. It's the perfect place, natural beauty and lots of things to do. And as an adult, I suppose I sometimes regret that I didn't appreciate it when I was a teenager, when I was younger. I had all the opportunity to live there. I could've stayed there and finished my university there, erm, but I chose not to. I'd … I was more interested in going to North America. But as a parent, and going there, and that's what this picture's about. This picture was actually only taken a few years ago, of my family, standing, not at one of my favourite spots, but certainly a spot that repre … represents Geneva to me. It's the lake, it's the boats in the background, and the Salève, that's the mountain. Well, in many ways I feel that if I'd settled there, you know, as an adult, as a parent, that would've been the ideal place, and … to raise my children. All the things that I took for granted, that I couldn't quite appreciate as a young person, I appreciate as a parent, and would've wanted, in a way, to give my kids the opportunity to … to experience life there. I suppose what it comes down to is, you know, although I'm not Swiss, having lived there for so many years, there is so much that I'm attached to, including things, that you know, are part of the community, the people. And those are the things that I would've wanted to share with my kids and my wife, I guess.

CD 2 Track 6

I = Interviewer, J = Jeanette

Jeanette

I: Well, Jeanette, these photographs on your wall are really interesting. Can you tell me where they're from?

J: Ah, they're from, ah, Kyoto actually. I used to live, erm, very close to Kyoto and I'd often go at the weekends and visit the temples and the shrines and the gardens, and they were absolutely exquisite. They were so beautiful, I loved them so much. In fact I was going to create, ah, a Japanese garden when I came back to the UK, ah, but unfortunately, erm, we didn't and I, I … when I was there I would … would, ah, often take photographs, and to remind me of different features and, erm, I often, erm, bought … looked for and bought, erm, bamboo ornaments and, erm, things that I would put in the garden. And in fact I … I always knew that my parents were going to, erm, design and create a Japanese garden, and they have, so I … I also bought those things for them. Erm, yes, erm, I would have liked to, ah, create a pool with carp in and have, erm, bamboo and azalea and Japanese pines and, erm, but unfortunately, it never really happened because when we came back, erm, we had the children very quickly and somehow the garden just became filled with things for the children to play on, trampolines and play houses and so on, and there was never any room for a Japanese garden. I do have some, I did buy some bamboo and azaleas and so on but, erm, yeah unfortunately … well, maybe in the future some time.

I: Yeah maybe yeah, well the … the water is very calming as well isn't it, it's very serene looking.

J: Yeah. It's, it's beautiful, really relaxing.

CD 2 Track 7

1

Some of my happiest memories are from when I used to go on holiday. We often went to the same place. I went with my parents, my grandparents and my brother. I can remember that place so clearly … It was such a lovely beach, and in my mind, it was sunny all the time. I don't know if it was, really! It makes me feel really nostalgic about my childhood … I can picture it so well. I tell you, in a way, it feels like last week … even though I was about six … I can still smell the sea and … oh, I would've liked to live there all the time …

2

Well, if we're talking about great memories … well some of my best memories are of playing football with our team. Just thinking about it … well, it brings back so many memories. We'd get together every Sunday and play down at the park. And we'd also play matches against other local teams. We had such a good time … I mean, we weren't very good … we didn't win much, but that wasn't really the point. We were all friends at university together … it was about five years ago, I suppose … Those were the days! I wish I hadn't lost touch with so many of them … We just had such a laugh together …

3

I found a photo the other day of when I was living in Italy and my friend Siena and I used to have breakfast at the weekends in this lovely little café on the main square. It was so nice. It reminds me of one of the best times of my life … I regret leaving that place in a way. I loved living in Italy. The people were so friendly and the town where I lived was so beautiful. It doesn't feel that long ago really, although I suppose it must be about, what … nine or ten years ago now … yes, about ten years ago.

CD 2 Track 8

1

It makes me feel really nostalgic about my childhood

2

Oh, I would've liked to live there all the time.

3

Those were the days!

4

I wish I hadn't lost touch with so many of them.

5

It reminds me of one of the best times of my life.

6

I regret leaving that place, in a way.

CD 2 Track 9

1

This year hasn't been great but I'm sure things will be better next year.

2

I saw this great film last night.

Oh yeah …

3

… but I don't really understand what you're saying. Do you mean that I won't be able to turn the computer on …

4

Kate … Kate … thank goodness you're home. I've been so worried!

5

Listen … I think we're lost ... and we shouldn't be walking round here late at night. I'm not sure that it's safe, you know …

6

So, go on, why exactly did you agree to go out on a date with him?

7

Well, of course, he said that was why he was late home but you don't believe him, do you?

8

I can't believe it. We're flying off to Australia for a month on Monday to see my twin sister. I can't wait …

9

You're always late. Why can't you be on time for once in your life?

10

Can you see that young guy … standing … looking into that car? What on earth do you think he's doing?

11

She said what?! I can't believe it. That's terrible …

CD 2 Track 10

Well … where shall I start? Well … the basic story is that a girl, Catherine, is left a box by her mother, who died when she was a baby. Catherine discovers the box when she's thirty-one, the same age as when her mother died. Inside the box are eleven objects, like a red hat, a map of part of England and so on … all of them meaningless at first, but when Catherine begins to examine each object, she finds new truths not only about her mother but also about herself. Through these objects Catherine finds that her mother was not the sweet and innocent woman that everyone likes to remember her as.

So, what did I think of it? Well … overall … I really enjoyed it - it's a really interesting idea for a story - and I thought it was very well-written. Not only that but there are lots of aspects of Catherine's life that I can totally relate to - different events, feelings and thoughts which so accurately mirror my own life that I found myself constantly underlining parts of the text.

However, sometimes I found it a bit slow. I wanted to know about the objects and it seemed to take ages to work out what they were all about. Still … apart from that one small thing … it was very easy to read and I'd certainly recommend it.

CD 2 Track 11

M = Man, W = Woman

M: Hi … what are you reading?

W: Oh, it's 1984 by George Orwell. It's really good. Have you read it?

M: No I haven't. I've heard of it … but I haven't read it. I would like to read more books in English though … My teacher is always saying that it's a really good way of improving your English.

W: Yes, that's true. Obviously, you can improve your reading skills by reading a lot, but you can also learn a lot of vocabulary … and improve your writing.

M: The problem for me is that I find extended reading in English very difficult - there's always so much I don't understand that I get frustrated and then give up.

W: Yes, me too … I think a lot of students feel like that … It's really frustrating when you want to look everything up in a dictionary all that time! But there are some techniques you can use … some ways of improving your reading so you won't find it so difficult …

M: Mmm? Like what?

W: I used to try to read and concentrate on every single word … but it makes it so slow and boring. Now, I've really increased the speed of my reading by reading in chunks.

M: Reading in chunks?

W: Yes … try to look at about four or five words at once before you move your eyes to the next group of words. You'll find it much easier to understand because you're looking at words more in context. If you only look at one word at a time, it often doesn't really have any meaning on its own.

M: Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, that makes sense.

W: I think the other thing you can do is time yourself. You, know, you can test yourself by seeing how fast you can read something … a

newspaper article, let's say. Give yourself five minutes or something to see how much you can understand.

M: Yes, I suppose you get more aware of your level then … and you can focus on how much you do understand instead of all the words you don't understand!

W: Yes, that's right.

CD 2 Track 12

M = Man, W = Woman

M: OK, well, this is fun. It's quite exciting to think that someone might open this up in a hundred years' time.

W: Yes, and see what kinds of things we had. I wonder if they would be able to work out what the things were …

M: Mmm … well, what things shall we put in? I mean, five things … that's not many. We have to try to decide on five really good things to try and show our world as it is now.

W: Yes. OK, well, I think we should include a globe so that they can see what the world looked like. I mean, whoever opens this thing up can see how the world was divided up. I mean, because in one hundred or one thousand years' time, the world might look very different.

M: OK, yes, good idea. And in my opinion, we should also include a sort of everyday thing. You know, like, maybe some typical clothes in order to show something about daily life.

W: Like a pair of jeans, or something?

M: Yes, jeans would be good, since most people nowadays own at least one pair of jeans, don't they?

W: Yes, true. OK, well, what else then?

Upper Intermediate

Unit 6 Audio Script

PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2011 Pearson Longman ELT

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