Audio Scripts
AUDIO SCRIPTS
UNIT 1
LISTENING  page 4
K=Karin A=Aisha
K Hi, Aisha.
A Oh, hi Karin. Hey, what’s that you’re reading?
K A magazine article. It’s the amazing true story of a
woman in New Zealand—Trish Regan.
A OK. What’s so amazing about it?
K Well, one chance event completely changed
Trish’s life. She was a shy teenager who was
doing quite well at school, but she wasn’t very
ambitious. She was content to just have a quiet
life. Then, one day, she was walking to school. As
she was crossing the road, a car came around the
corner and hit her. She broke her leg and was in
the hospital for two weeks.
A Ouch!
K Yeah. But the driver of the car was a writer for a
comedy show on TV. He went to visit Trish in the
hospital, and they started talking. It seems Trish
was actually a witty person and she was really
good at making people laugh. The writer had
been having problems thinking of funny ideas
for the TV show, so he asked Trish to help him.
She wrote one show with him, and it was a hit.
That was 10 years ago. Now, she writes for the
two biggest TV shows in New Zealand. How cool
is that? And all because of that one lucky—well,
unlucky—chance event.
A Very cool. Actually, it makes me think of how my
life changed because of one short moment in my
life.
K Oooh, sounds interesting. Tell me more!
A Well, I haven’t always loved books. In fact, when
I was a kid, I hated reading—I really liked sports,
but I just didn’t have the patience to sit still and
read for a long time.
K OK. So what changed?
A Well, one day I was going to school on the bus.
There was an elderly lady sitting next to me. I was
shy, like Trish, so I didn’t talk to her. Then, she
suddenly turned and looked at me, and said, “Hi,
I’m Joyce. Here, I’ve finished this book. You should
read it.” And she gave me the book.
K That’s nice. What was it?
A 1984, by George Orwell. I didn’t know anything
about it, and it looked really long. But, I started
reading it, and I loved it. After that, I read other
books by George Orwell, and then I tried different
authors. Soon, reading became my passion. And
now, here I am in college, reading books every
day for my studies.
K All because of that lucky meeting with Joyce on
the bus.
A Exactly!
UNIT 2
LISTENING  page 10
H=Host M=Mark
H Hello and welcome to Movie Mania, your favorite
movie podcast. First, we’re going to hear two
movie reviews from our regular guest Mark
Isaacs. Mark, hello.
M Hello.
H What are you reviewing for us today?
M I’m talking about two films: one that you’re going
to love, and one that you’re going to hate. I’ll start
with the good one.
H I think that’s a good idea.
M It’s a low-key film called No Chili, No Life and it’s
the fascinating true story of three high school
friends.
H What’s it about?
M The three friends liked cooking, and they often
showed up at each other’s houses with meals
they’d prepared. One day, they took some chili
they’d made to a school basketball game, and
everybody loved it. After that … well, maybe I
should stop there because I don’t want to give
away any spoilers.
H Is it funny?
M Yes, it’s very humorous—I laughed a lot. And the
cast is great—young and very likeable. You’ll want
to see this movie again and again.
H Yes, and it sounds like it’s something all the family
will enjoy.
M I think so. It’s opening in movie theaters across
the country this Saturday, so you should check
it out. But hurry up, because it’s only being
shown for one week. Oh, and some of the movie
theaters have had the innovative idea of selling
chili instead of popcorn.
H Wow—that’s awesome. So, I’m worried to ask
this, but … what about the other film?
M I don’t know where to start with this one. I just
hated it, and I’m sure you’ll all hate it, too. It’s
called The Wrong Way. The plot is … really strange.
Three college friends decide to spend one month
walking backwards.
H Excuse me?
M You heard me—walking backwards.
H Why?
M I really don’t know—I couldn’t figure it out. And I
lost interest after about ten minutes.

H It does sound like it could be quite humorous.
M Well, I didn’t laugh once.
H OK. What kind of things happen in the movie?
M Oh, I’ll try and remember. Errrr, oh yes: one day
they are late for class so they have to run to
campus. Backwards. Another time they get on a
train. Backwards.
H Hmm. What happens at the end?
M I don’t know—I gave up and left before the film
had finished. Actually, many people did the
same—the atmosphere at the movie theater
wasn’t good. Trust me, you won’t enjoy this and
you’ll want your money back. Stay away from this
movie.
H Strong words. Well, thank you for coming in
today, Mark.
M Thank you.
H Mark will be here next week with more movie
reviews. Same time, same place. Next on Movie
Mania …
UNIT 3
LISTENING  page 16
M=Marianne D=Daniella K=Kumi
M Daniella—is that you? Hi!
D Oh, Marianne, hello! I didn’t expect to see you
here. This is my good friend Kumi. Kumi, this is
Marianne.
K Nice to meet you.
M Nice to meet you, too. I was just having a coffee.
Will you both join me?
K We’d love to, thank you.
D So, Kumi was just telling me about her power
walking.
M Power walking—what exactly is that?
K It’s basically just walking, but you walk much
faster than your usual pace. I aim to get my heart
rate up to about 110 beats per minute—which is
not as high as most other exercise—and I try to
keep going for more than 60 minutes.
M I see. So why did you start?
K Well, I was conscious that I had been living quite a
sedentary lifestyle. I like running, but when I run
my legs hurt—especially my knees.
M Yes, I’m sure power walking isn’t as hard on the
knees as running. I should try it, because I like
running, but sometimes my knees hurt, too.
K Do you run a lot?
M Oh, not really. I just do it about twice a week to
get out of my comfort zone. It’s cheaper than
joining a gym, and I actually find it relaxing. It’s
a kind of downtime for me. Daniella, you look
amazing—what’s your secret?
D Haha, not a secret, but since last month I’ve been
doing aquarobics.
M I’ve never heard of that. What on earth is
aquarobics?
Audio Scripts
D Oh, come on, you can probably work it out.
“Aqua” means water, and “robics” comes from
“aerobics”—the exercise routine designed to get
your heart pumping. So, put them together and
you get “aquarobics.”
M So, swimming?
D No—I don’t even like swimming. No, you stand
in shallow water and do a usual workout routine,
with loud music playing in the background. But
it’s different from regular aerobics, because there
is more resistance from the water, so you actually
exercise harder than in a normal workout. And,
you said that your knees sometimes hurt when
you run, but with aquarobics the water stops you
from putting too much pressure on your legs and
knees. So, after doing aquarobics, I feel more
tired than usual, but don’t feel as much pain in
my legs. It’s perfect. You should give it a try. Kumi
said she’s going to join me next week.
M Good for her! I think I’ll stick with running,
though.
UNIT 4
LISTENING  page 22
A=Adriana C=Chris S=Stacy
A Hello and thank you for downloading the Smart
Culture podcast, the best podcast for discussing
different customs and exploring cross-cultural
issues. I’m your host, Adriana Santos, and with
me today are two guests who have traveled and
lived all around the world: Chris Schulz and Stacy
Langham. Chris, Stacy, hi.
C Hello.
S Hi.
A This week, we’re talking about time. Specifically,
being on time. Now, I’m from Brazil, and I have to
say that punctuality—being on time—has never
worried me. I think few people in Brazil would
disagree. In fact, there’s even a word for being on
time: hora inglesa, which literally means “English
time.” So, if it’s really important to be on time,
you’ll be told to arrive in “English time.” I’d like to
know, Chris and Stacy, have you lived anywhere
with similar—or different—values? Stacy, you
lived in Japan, didn’t you?
S Yes, I did—for three years.
A Well, the Japanese are known for being quite
punctual. Is that just a stereotype?
S No, I don’t think so. It’s true that being on time is
really important for many of the people in Japan.
Once, I remember laughing because the iconic
bullet train was one minute late, and that was
reported on the news.
C Haha, that’s amazing. I used to live in the UK—if
they reported all of the late trains on the news,
there’d be no time for any other news stories!
Audio Scripts
S So, I think it’s OK to associate punctuality with
Japan. But actually, I lived on a Japanese island
called Okinawa, which has many of its own values
and customs that are often quite different from
the rest of Japan. And they have a concept there
called Uchina Time, or “Okinawa Time.”
A Interesting. What is Uchina Time?
S Basically, it means that arriving a little late—up to
20 minutes—is perfectly OK and not rude.
A And does everyone show up late, then?
S Well, not exactly. It depends on the person and
the situation. If it’s a pretty important meeting,
you have to be on time. But among some of my
friends there, being late wasn’t a problem.
A That’s good to know. Chris, you’ve lived in a few
different countries. Have you noticed differences
in attitudes to punctuality?
C I have, but to be honest I think there’s a lot of
diversity between individual attitudes, even
within the same culture. For example, I’m from
Germany, and the stereotype about my country
is that no person is ever late, right? Well, to some
extent it’s true that Germans are very punctual,
but it’s not like everybody has the exact same
values. My own family is a really good example.
I have two brothers and a sister. When my mom
organizes a family lunch, she contacts each of us
separately. She knows that all of us have quite
different ideas about punctuality, so she tells
each of us different times. If my mom wants
everybody to arrive at 2 p.m., she tells me to get
there at 1:30 p.m., because she knows I’m always
late. My sister, on the other hand, always arrives
early, so my mom tells her the lunch starts at
2:30 p.m.
A Wow, your mom is very smart.
C I think so.
A OK, thanks for your really interesting viewpoints.
We’ve had a great time talking about time … So
until next time, goodbye.
UNIT 5
LISTENING  page 28
H=Host S=Sophie
H Hello and welcome to Travel Hour. Today, we
are looking at problems people have had when
traveling abroad. We’re very lucky to be joined
by Sophie Jameson. Sophie has been a travel
writer for more than 15 years, and her online
blog Sophie’s Travels has recently won an award.
Sophie, welcome.
S Thank you for having me.
H So let me begin by asking, what are the most
common problems people have faced when
traveling?
S Well, the most common problem is
accommodation at the destination. Often, the
problem is that the hotel, B&B, etc. isn’t what
people expected or isn’t what was advertised.
One man wrote to me saying that his hotel room
had beds but no mattresses! He and his friend
had to sleep next to each other on the sofa
cushions.
H Oh my goodness!
S Right! And imagine: you’ve just had a long
journey, you’re tired and you want to relax, and
the place you’re staying is very disappointing.
It’s a very bad start to a vacation. Interestingly,
social media and travel rating websites have
made things worse; people judge and score
accommodation based on their own opinions,
but of course two people don’t always have the
same idea of what is "good" or "bad." That’s why
some travel guides have stopped giving scores
or opinions—just the price and if the room is
Luxury, Standard, or Basic.
H Interesting. What other problems have people
had?
S Another big problem is getting sick. In a new
country, there are new germs and bugs, and
you might also have the extra problem of the
language—how do you explain your illness to a
doctor when you can’t even say “hello” in the local
language? I heard an extreme example from a
woman who experienced some eye pain while on
vacation. She went to two doctors, but neither
could understand the problem. In the end, she
just tried to treat it herself with some eye drops.
H Wow, that’s a big risk. Was she OK?
S No! When she got home, she went to the doctor
who found a tiny bee in her eye.
H A bee? You mean the small insect that stings you?
S Yup!
H Ouch!
S Yup!
H Eew, let’s change the subject. I’ve heard that
being alone is a problem for some travelers. Is
that true?
S Yes, it is. Short trips are OK, but some people who
travel for weeks or months in remote places often
experience strong feelings of loneliness. This
is especially true for backpackers. Yes, you can
make friends as you travel, but these are often
just short-term friendships … After a while that
can make you feel even more alone.
H Right! OK, well, thank you, Sophie. Now, I know
you have just made a helpful list of things people
can do to avoid these problems …
S That’s right—check it out on my website!
H Will do. Thanks, and goodbye.
S Bye.

UNIT 6
LISTENING  page 34
DG=Doctor Garcia ML = Mr. Lee
DG Good morning, Mr. Lee. Thank you for coming
back today.
ML Thank you for making the time for me, Dr. Garcia.
DG Last time we met you were complaining about
headaches, insomnia, and a lack of concentration
at work. You were worried you may have a
serious condition.
ML That’s right.
DG Well, the good news is I have the test results,
and there is nothing unusual. Heart rate, blood
pressure, sugar levels … everything is totally
normal.
ML Oh, that’s a relief.
DG So, the question is, why the headaches, insomnia,
and so on? Let me ask you, Mr. Lee, do you work
very hard?
ML Oh, I don’t think so. Yes, I’m at the office from
seven in the morning until eight at night, but
that’s normal at my company. And, I’m able to
take a couple of coffee breaks during the day, and
I can always take half an hour for lunch—a nice
sandwich, usually.
DG That you eat at your desk?
ML Yes—how did you know that?
DG Just a guess. And how about working at home?
ML No, never. Well, only if there is something
important I have to finish. Last weekend,
for example, there was a deadline for a very
important project, so I worked on it at home. But
only for a few hours on Saturday. Oh, and most of
Sunday as well. But on Monday I didn’t go into the
office until 9 a.m., so I could stay in bed until 6:30
a.m., which was really nice.
DG OK. And how about the work itself?
ML I love it! It’s really challenging, but it’s also really
rewarding.
DG Would you say that it’s stressful work?
ML Oh no. I mean, when a deadline is coming up, I
suppose it can be a bit stressful. And my boss
may get a bit angry with me if I make a mistake,
or if I take too long for lunch, or if I leave the
office before him. But that’s normal—a healthy,
challenging work environment.
DG Wow, I wish I had asked these questions when I
saw you last week—I could have saved you the
time and money of taking all of the health tests.
The problem is very clear, Mr. Lee. Your work is
making you sick. The headaches, lack of sleep,
problems with concentration—these are all
caused by stress, and the stress is caused by your
work.
ML So I have nothing wrong with me?
Audio Scripts
DG Well, for now it’s only stress. But, you really ought
to do something to change your lifestyle, because
stress can lead to serious illness.
ML You think I should quit my job?
DG No, I didn’t say that. But you need more balance
in your life, more downtime. Go out, socialize
with people, do some leisure activities, chill out
with a book … whatever makes you relaxed. Trust
me, it will be very beneficial for your health. Your
headaches and insomnia will go away, and I’m
sure your productivity—even creativity—at work
will improve.
ML OK, thanks for the advice, Dr. Garcia. I think I’d
better take it.
DG Yes, you really should. Good luck.
ML Thank you.
UNIT 7
LISTENING  page 42
M=Mari R=Rin
M Hey Rin, what’s up?
R …
M Hello, Earth to Rin!
R Oh, hi Mari. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.
M What’s so interesting that you don’t even hear
your best friend talking to you?
R It’s the summer ship tour in Asia, which you told
me about last week. I think it sounds absolutely
perfect for me, so I’m filling out the online
application now … which is really hard.
M OK, maybe I can help. What sort of questions are
they asking?
R I have to list my strengths, and give examples.
M Well, you’re very loyal. Remember that time when
you refused to go to a party just because I wasn’t
invited? That was when I knew you were my best
friend.
R Awww, thanks. But I don’t think I can use that
example here.
M OK … well, you always show consideration for
others. Don’t forget, you started that class study
group to help your classmates pass the exam.
That should look good, especially because it’s a
volunteering tour that you’re applying for.
R That’s good—I can use that. Thanks. Now then,
I have to write about one of my weaknesses. I
was going to write that I’m a person who doesn’t
exercise discipline.
M What—are you crazy? No! The key is to put
something that you call a weakness, but it’s
actually a strength. Like, “I have too much
empathy—I spend too much time thinking of
other people, and don’t always think of myself.”
R That’s perfect. I’ll use that.
M Wait—is it true for you?
R Er, yeah, sure. Right, last question: “What do you
Audio Scripts
think is the most important trait in a leader?”
M Empathy, sincerity, discipline.
R I think so too, but I have to give an example of
something I did that showed leadership, so I was
going to write initiative.
M Haha, when did you ever take the initiative? It was
me who found this summer program for you, and
I’m basically writing the application for you.
R OK OK, there’s no need to be mean. I was thinking
of that time our school had a cultural festival.
Remember?
M Remind me.
R Every class had a chance to put on a performance,
but you needed a plan—and our class had no
ideas. It was me who thought of teaching the
whole class an Irish dance, who found practice
videos online, and who got the whole class excited
about it. And, we won first prize!
M Yeah, OK, that was pretty cool, and that was
thanks to your initiative. You should write that.
R Great. Now, how should I start?
M I’m not going to tell you. Take the initiative!
UNIT 8
LISTENING  page 48
C=Connor F=Fridge
C OK, new refrigerator in position. Bit of a strange
birthday present from my brother, but OK. I’ll just
plug this power cable here … flick this switch,
and …
OK. So, I guess I can just start putting ...
F Welcome to the Smart CyberFridge 3000—
integrating the latest AI technology to provide
solutions for all of your cold food storage needs.
C Woah, OK. Hello, CyberFridge.
F Hello, Connor. You are Connor, aren’t you?
C Yes, I am. But, how do you … oh, I guess my
brother registered my name when he bought you.
Clever.
F Connor, my software seems to be out of date.
Should I upgrade now?
C That’s not necessary now, is it?
F No, it’s not. I can do it tonight.
C OK, great. Right, now I should start putting things
in, shouldn’t I?
F Hold the item in front of the scanner. Six eggs.
C Yes, that’s right. That’s amazing.
F Milk.
C Yes.
F Cheese.
C Yes.
F Two apples.
C Actually, these are tomatoes.
F Two tomatoes—I’m sorry. System updating.
C Hmm, I wonder …
F Magazine. Are you sure you want to put that in
the fridge?
C Haha, you are smart, aren’t you?
F What temperature would you like me to be?
Based on the current contents, I recommend 4
degrees Celsius, 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
C That’s good. Oh, but I like to have really cold milk
with my breakfast cereal. You can’t change the
temperature between seven and eight in the
morning, can you?
F Yes, I can. Between seven and eight in the
morning, the temperature will be 2 degrees
Celsius, 36 degrees Fahrenheit.
C Thank you. What other functions do you have?
F For my other functions, I will need access to
the Internet. I see you have connectivity in this
apartment.
C Yes, you can join the Wi-Fi network called
“Connor’s place.” You don’t need a password.
F Joined. Connor, you’d better lock your Wi-Fi. It’s
not secure.
C Yeah, my brother keeps telling me that. I’ll do it
later. So, what can you do?
F Based on the ingredients you have in the fridge, I
have downloaded a recipe for a cheese omelet. I
can give you step-by-step instructions.
C It’s OK, I think I can do that myself. Anything else?
F I can recommend shopping lists for you. What do
you want for dinner tonight?
C Hmm, spaghetti bolognaise.
F You should buy ground beef, onions …
C Wait, I’ll never remember. Can you send the list to
my phone?
F Done.
C Amazing. Well, I think that’s all for now. Thank
you.
F Would you like me to sing you a song?
C No, it’s OK. You couldn’t play some jazz music,
could you?
F Jazz hits, playing now.
UNIT 9
LISTENING  page 54
TG= Tour guide C=Crowd C1, C2, C3=Crowd
members
TG Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!
C Good morning.
TG Come on, let’s have a bit more energy. I said,
good morning, ladies and gentlemen!
C Good morning!
TG That’s better! OK, welcome to the downtown
nostalgia tour. I’ll be showing you around
historical places of interest, and also some spots
that used to be very popular among the older
generations. For those of you who crave a bit of
local cuisine, we can also go to a cool retro cafe
for a bite to eat after the tour is finished. So, are

we ready?
C Yes.
TG I can’t hear you.
C Yes!
TG Great. Oh, by the way, I used to charge for these
tours, but you’ll be happy to know they’re now
completely free. All I ask is that, if you enjoy the
tour, please leave a tip at the end. OK, we start
right here. Easy question to begin—what’s behind
me?
C1 A department store.
TG A department store, yes. Now for the harder
question. What did it use to be, more than 200
years ago?
C1 A library?
TG Good guess, but no.
C2 A school?
TG Also a good guess, but I’m afraid not.
C3 A movie theater?
TG A movie theater … 200 years ago? [laughter] Uhh,
no. OK, the answer is it used to be a hospital. In
fact, this was the only free hospital in the city, so
people would come from far away to get treated
here. At its peak, it used to have beds for a
hundred people, but they would only be allowed
to stay for one night.
C2 Why did it close?
TG Good question—I’m not sure of the exact reason,
but 200 years ago the building was bought by the
Parker Family, who had a reputation for making
fine clothes. They even used to design dresses for
royalty. Well, soon after they bought the building,
the hospital closed.
C1 Where did people get treatment after it closed?
TG Hmm, that’s a topic for a different tour, I think.
OK, follow me.
TG OK, is everyone still here? Are you having fun?
C Yes.
TG Excellent. Now then, the last place on our tour
this morning. You see this beautiful park in front
of us. Believe it or not, this used to be the place
where young people would come and dance on
summer nights.
C3 A long time ago?
TG Well, not that long ago. In the 1950s, people
from the younger generation were craving
more excitement, so some of them would dare
to leave their houses on a Friday night and
gather here and dance with their peers—like
an outdoor dance hall. Of course, people from
the older generation used to think they were
acting recklessly, but they were just having fun.
Interestingly, in recent years younger people have
started gathering here again on warm evenings—
it now has a reputation for being a fun, safe place
for younger people to meet.
C3 Sounds fun. When’s the next event?
Audio Scripts
TG Hmmm, I’m not sure—I guess I’m too ‘mature’
to know the details! [laughter] Well, ladies and
gentlemen, this is the end of our tour. I hope
you enjoyed it, and if you could show your
appreciation with a small tip, I would be most
grateful. Thank you.
UNIT 10
LISTENING page 60
A=Angela C=Claire
A Grandma …
C Yes, Angela.
A I wish you were on social media.
C Why’s that?
A Because, I have so many photos and videos I want
to share with you.
C Can’t you email them to me?
A I could, but it’s so much easier on social media.
C Oh, I don’t know, darling. My friend Mary told
me about this. Her grandson had been pushing
her to get on social media for a long time, and
in the end she agreed. While she was setting up
an account, she changed her mind, but the site
already had her email address and photo. As
soon as she opened her computer the next time,
she found spam messages in her email, rude
messages from anonymous people, and emails
from fake companies trying to get her money in
different scams.
A It’s OK, grandma, the security is much better
these days. For example, you can change your
privacy settings so that you are only seen by
your family and close friends. You’ll be totally
protected from trolls.
C Trolls? Like those little creatures in the movies?
A Haha, no grandma—trolls are those anonymous
people you were talking about. They spend their
life online trying to upset people or make them
angry.
C What a sad life.
A Indeed. But anyway, you don’t need to worry
about them. Like I said, you can change the
settings. And, let me tell you another story, about
a friend of mine … Cassie. While she was traveling
around Asia, there was a big flood in an area near
where she was staying. She hadn’t told anybody
where she was going, so everybody back home
was really worried about her. But she posted a
message on social media to say that she was safe
and well. After her family saw that message, they
were able to relax a little bit.
C Well now, you’re going to Asia next month.
A Exactly! Don’t you want to have a way to keep in
touch with me easily and know where I am?
C Yes, that would be very nice, actually. OK, I’m
Audio Scripts
convinced. Can you help me get set up on social
media?
A No problem. OK, first, your name … Claire. Family
name …
A And we’re done. Congratulations, grandma, you
have your very first social media account.
C I’ll admit, this is quite exciting. OK, who can I send
a message to?
A Before we do that, let me just tell you a couple of
basic rules of netiquette.
C Netiquette?
A Yeah, Internet etiquette. Netiquette. It just means
how you should behave online. Now I’m sure you
wouldn’t ever be rude to anyone …
C Certainly not.
A But you should be careful when you put a photo
on the site. Some people don’t like to have their
pictures online, so you should check with them first.
C Got it.
A And don’t write anything that is personal.
Sometimes people forget that the conversation
can be seen by almost anyone. If you have
anything personal to say, make sure you write it
in a private message.
C I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Now then, how
do I connect with you? I want to make sure we are
connected in case anything happens to you while
you’re traveling in Asia.
A It’s simple—just type in my name here …
UNIT 11
LISTENING  page 66
MS= Mrs Simmonds ​Y=Yann ​J=Julia ​M=Magnus ​
S=Simon
MS OK class, settle down. Thank you. Now then, as
you all know, at the end of this year you’ll have
your final exams. For these exams, it’s important
for you to use your knowledge, of course. But
also, the exams will test your ability to analyze
data, think deeply, and process information in
different ways. For example, thinking about cause
and effect. You remember that, right? Causes—or
actions—that lead to effects—or results—which
lead to other effects, and so on. For example, if I
work hard, I'll ... Yann?
Y You’ll get a better job, Ms. Simmonds.
MS Haha, if only. OK, fine. And if I get a better job …
Julia?
J You’ll earn more money.
M And if you earn more money, you’ll buy a bigger
house.
MS Thank you, Magnus. Good, you get the point.
So, today, I want to take this a bit further. Let’s
imagine a hypothetical situation, which means
a situation that isn’t real. And, let’s consider the
possible effects of that situation. Everybody,
what would happen if the sun stopped rising?
What would be the effects if the sun disappeared
tomorrow?
Y You mean like in parts of Scandinavia in winter?
MS Yes, Yann, but I’m talking about around the world,
all the time.
M Everybody would get cold.
MS Yes, Magnus, that’s a start. What else?
J Plants would stop growing.
MS Yes, Julia, and what would be the effects of that?
J There wouldn’t be enough food—any food—for
people on Earth. I guess everybody would die.
Y No, scientists would make artificial food to save
humanity.
J But Yann, if everybody ate artificial food, we’d all
be really unhealthy. And doesn’t the sun give us
vitamin D? If the sun disappeared, we wouldn’t
have enough vitamin D.
MS And so on, and so on. OK, good, you get the idea.
Now, let’s try another hypothetical. What if …
rockets hadn’t been created?
J Rockets—like space rockets?
MS OK, sure.
Y We wouldn’t have landed on the moon.
MS That’s right, Yann, we wouldn’t have. Anything
else?
M We wouldn’t have sent any satellites into orbit
around Earth.
MS Good, Magnus. Now, develop that idea.
M We wouldn’t have invented GPS. Oh man, I love
GPS, seeing where I am on my phone all the time.
MS Keep going … Julia?
J Not just GPS—we wouldn’t have started mobile
technology. We would’ve only had regular
landlines. So, no smartphones, no GPS, no
Internet. Wait, maybe we would have invented
the Internet … would we? Well, life certainly would
have been much simpler than it is today.
MS I agree. Yes, Simon, you want to add something?
S Everybody is talking about space, but if we hadn’t
invented rocket technology, we also wouldn’t
have designed huge planes to carry millions of
people around the world. Transportation and
mobility would have been very different.
MS Excellent—now you’re really starting to think.
This way of thinking is just what you’ll need to do
well in your exams next year. Let’s do some more
“what ifs,” but now I want you to come up with
the situations …

UNIT 12
LISTENING  page 72
J=Juan E= Elaine K=Kota
J Hello. Thank you for downloading the last in the
current series of Work’s for Me, the podcast all
about 21st-century employment. I’m your host,
Juan Diaz, and for our final show we have two of
our regular guests, Elaine and Kota …
E/K Hello.
J … and they’re going to be sharing their stories
of some of the best and worst job experiences
they’ve ever had. Elaine, perhaps you could begin.
What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
E OK, it was after my first year of college, and I
needed some work for the summer. I saw an ad
in the newspaper that said they were looking for
people for summer work. The ad said you had to
be personable, enthusiastic, and a team player. I
thought, “That’s me!”
J But what was the job?
E Well, that’s the thing—I didn’t actually know.
The ad just asked if you wanted to have a great
summer experience, earn good money, and
whether or not you had the qualities they were
searching for.
J So, you contacted them?
E I did, and it turned out the job was a leader at a
summer camp.
J Sounds fun. Tell us more about that.
E Well, every summer there are camps all over the
country for kids who have a long vacation from
school. They’re often held in the woods, near
lakes—you know, in the heart of nature.
J Sure. And what was your role?
E Basically, I was responsible for organizing the
kids’ outdoor activities—going out on the lake
in a canoe, climbing trees … safely, making a
campfire, that kind of thing. I also had to organize
meals, and probably the biggest responsibility
was checking that all of the kids were OK—not too
homesick, not getting bullied, and so on.
J It sounds awesome!
E It really was.
J Great. Now Kota, do you have any similar stories?
K Sadly not. Wow, I’m so jealous of you, Elaine. I
had a lot of part-time jobs when I was a college
student, and I mostly had bad experiences.
J Well, let’s hear about one of them. Tell us your
worst experience.
Audio Scripts
K OK, so the worst one was a small restaurant I
worked for. The boss was actually really nice to
me at first; he said I had done a great job at the
end of each shift, he told me I was organized and
personable, so I really liked it in the beginning.
One day, though, the boss asked me if I could
come in an hour early. I said that it was no
problem, but when I got there he told me that he
couldn’t pay me for the extra work because he
hadn’t budgeted for it.
J What? No budget? So basically, he said he
wouldn’t pay you because he hadn’t organized
the money? You had to work one hour for free?
K Right. But I was young, I thought this was normal.
It started happening more and more. Then,
one day, I broke a plate—just a cheap plate; it
probably cost less than a dollar. My boss looked
sad. He apologized to me, and said that he would
have to take away one hour of my pay to cover
the plate.
J What?
K Yup. When I refused, he suddenly got really
angry and started shouting. He told me he didn’t
want somebody like me working for him. I said I
would leave that day, and I asked how much I had
earned that month. He said that he wouldn’t pay
me anything, and that I just had to leave.
J Wow. Did you go to the police?
K No—I just walked away. Like I said, I was young
and I didn’t really know what to do. But, I did
learn from it; for example, it taught me to be
more cautious when taking part-time jobs after
that. So, in a way, I think it was kind of a positive
experience.
J OK, that’s good to hear. Well, two very different,
but very interesting experiences. Thanks both of
you for sharing.
E/K Thank you.