Open Mind
Unit skills tests: Audioscripts
Unit 1
I: Interviewer
L: Lucy
I: I gather you’re a frequent shopper here?
L: Here and other charity shops. I get almost all
my clothes from charity shops and a significant
proportion of household stuff. Yeah, I’m a big fan
of charity shops.
I: And, if you don’t mind me asking, is that to save
money or is it for other reasons?
L: It’s mainly out of environmental concern, to be
honest. I mean I don’t have a lot of money knocking
around so I couldn’t afford to buy new all the time
even if I wanted to but, yes, first and foremost it’s out
of concern for the planet. We’re currently consuming
resources at a rate that’s completely unsustainable.
Basically, we’ve all got to stop expecting that we can
just buy new stuff all the time and we’ve got to reuse
what we already have, or, put quite simply, we’ll run
out of resources.
I: Right. But do you miss shopping in stores where
everything is laid out nicely and products are all
packaged to look so appealing?
L: Mmm … yes, I guess I do miss that shopping
experience a bit. I used to enjoy it as much as
the next person – in fact I was probably, like most
people, a bit addicted to it. But then, gradually,
I became aware of the environmental impact of all
this consumption – not to mention all the waste
that is generated with so many items in perfectly
good condition going to landfill. And I changed
my behaviour.
I: And what about the fact that you can’t shop for a
specific thing in a place like this? I mean, if I had in
mind a particular garment, I could probably find it
in three or four of the shops in town, but I would be
unlikely to find it in a charity shop, right?
L: Oh sure, charity shopping is a bit more random than
that, and that’s something you have to get used to.
But you know, there are other very valid reasons for
charity shopping, beside sustainability. There’s the
whole fast fashion thing and the fact that if you buy
an affordable new garment, you can’t guarantee
that it hasn’t been made by children in a sweatshop
somewhere. And that’s completely unacceptable,
isn’t it?
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advanced
Unit 2
J: Jamie
I: Isabel
J: I just wonder whether space exploration can really
be justified given its huge, eye-watering cost, at a
time when so much needs dealing with on Earth.
I: I know, I know. I take your point entirely. When the
basic infrastructure required for a decent standard
of living is lacking in so much of the world, sure,
why are we channelling our energy into space travel?
J: Not to mention our precious and finite resources …
I: I know, it seems all wrong. However, I suppose
I think that the spirit of discovery is really part of who
we are – it’s sort of what makes us human. You know,
we’ve mapped all the countries and the oceans and
now we’re applying our brains and our resources
to space – the final frontier. And to deny the urge
to discover is somehow to deny an essential part
of ourselves. If that makes any sense?
J: Well, yeah, I get what you mean but I still think,
to be absolutely honest, that space exploration is
a luxury that we just can’t afford.
I: Well what about the big questions, then? How did
life begin? How was our planet formed? Are we
alone in the universe? Do you not think that these
are questions worth pursuing?
J: Well, I completely understand the desire to find
answers to the ‘big questions’, as you put it. It’s
natural that we should be inquisitive about such
things. I just don’t think it’s morally justifiable to
pursue them when so much needs fixing on Earth.
I suppose for me, a better argument for space
exploration would be the practical benefits that result
from it. For example, studies of Mars have taught us
about climate change, and that’s clearly relevant.
I: Yes, absolutely, and we now have the technology
to spot dangerous asteroids, which might well be
useful at some point.
J: Sure.
I: And, speaking of climate change, what about the
fact that if things carry on the way that they’re
predicted to, our planet may no longer be habitable
in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps we should be
looking to colonise another planet in the universe?
J: Well, that scenario just seems so improbable, it’s
scarcely worth pursuing. Humankind will have
destroyed itself long before we’re able to do that!
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Open Mind
Unit 3
S: Sophie
T: Tom
S: I sometimes worry about granddad and his use
of the internet.
T: Why? He’s got good security software installed –
I checked that when I last visited. And I mean he’s
not stupid, is he? He wouldn’t divulge his bank
details to a phisher and he knows about internet
scams and so on. He’s not going to give away half
our inheritance to a complete stranger offering to
invest his fortune, now, is he?
S: No, sure, he’s a bit smarter than that. But, for
example, he does a lot of shopping online and that
bothers me a bit. I’m not sure he’s up to speed
about online security issues.
T: I think you’re worrying unnecessarily. I made a point
of asking him about his internet shopping habits a
while back when he got his first laptop. I said that
he must always make sure he was dealing with
established, reputable companies and he seemed
to take that on board.
S: Mm, but what about all those obscure book dealer
websites that he spends half his life on? Even if
they’re legitimate, how do you know their payment
systems are secure? And another thing, I bet you he
uses the same password for all his accounts. It’s a
pretty obvious one too, I seem to recall – I think it’s
his and grandma’s second name. I strongly advised
him to use different passwords but he laughed and
said he’d never keep track of them if he had more
than one.
T: Well that’s not ideal, admittedly. But on the whole,
I suspect he’s much less naïve than you think about
such matters. In fact we were discussing identity
theft last time I was there – a case in the paper
had caught his eye – and he said what a complete
nightmare it would be if someone got hold of his
bank details and ran up huge debts in his name.
So I think he’s aware of the dangers – and the
various steps that you have to take to prevent such
things happening. But listen, I’ll have a word with
him about it next weekend if that would set your
mind at ease.
S: That would be great, Tom.
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advanced
Unit 4
Studies in the use of electronic devices in the classroom
setting suggest they provide a number of benefits
to pupils for a diverse range of reasons. The primary
benefit seems to be in terms of the increased motivation
of students who use them in the class. (And motivation,
more than any other single factor, is surely critical to
the learning process.) Because of the interactive nature
of these devices, and possibly also because they
associate them with ‘fun’ activities, i.e. games, children
are more readily engaged by them than by traditional
(what used to be called ‘talk and chalk’) teaching
methods. Additionally, many pupils are motivated by
the experience of proactively searching for information
themselves, rather than relying on text books or
hand-outs from teachers. This, report teachers, makes
the job of stimulating children a lot easier while
simultaneously encouraging independent learning.
Another aspect of electronic devices which seems
beneficial to the learning environment is the variety
of ways in which information can be absorbed.
Some students learn better through reading while others
benefit from auditory input – listening, in other words.
Many younger students learn most efficiently through
performing game-like tasks. With electronic devices,
all these needs can be catered for.
One of the more surprising observations of a recent
report is that electronic devices encourage higher levels
of collaboration between students. Exactly why this
should be is not clear, though it is generally thought
to be linked to higher levels of interest in the topic in
hand, brought about by access to more stimulating
learning materials.
So what are the downsides, if any? Well, every
innovation has its disadvantage. There is the initial,
quite considerable cost of providing the equipment,
which can be off-putting to institutions that are already
struggling to keep within tight budgets that have been
set. Also to be taken into consideration is the teacher
training required, especially for older members of staff –
the so-called digital immigrants – and, occasionally,
it has to be said, a degree of reluctance from this group.
Additionally, studies have indicated that school-age
students sometimes struggle to focus on the subject
matter in hand, being distracted by all the other enticing
possibilities that the electronic device has to offer them.
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Open Mind
Unit 5
J: John
C: Charlotte
J: So, a panda in a London zoo has failed to get
pregnant again. Why is this news?
C: Because it matters. Because the survival of the
panda as a species is now entirely dependent on
breeding programmes in zoos as a result of our
destruction of their habitat. Pandas can no longer
exist in the wild because, thanks to humankind’s
actions, there is no wild. That’s why.
J: But still, is it worthwhile? Any number of creatures
on the planet are now on the brink of extinction.
Why do we ignore them and focus all our attention
on these huge, black-eyed bears? Is it just because
they’re cute and cuddly?
C: You think we should just let them die out, then?
J: Well, it’s controversial, but I think we should consider
it as an option. The whole concept of single-species
conservation seems to me wrong. Why should
pandas have special status just because humans find
them appealing? We pour huge amounts of money
into breeding programmes for these creatures that
are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity. Most of
the time it’s entirely futile. Wouldn’t that money be
better spent on, say, restoring the natural habitat of
a whole range of creatures? Surely that would be a
better use of money.
C: Personally, I think we should be doing both of those
things. But I think there’s a flaw in your argument.
We don’t try to conserve pandas at the expense
of other endangered species. We’re not diverting
funds from worthier causes by protecting the panda.
Besides, I think there are at least two very valid
reasons for conserving iconic animals like the panda
and the tiger. People – and children especially
– are drawn to them. It’s much easier to bring to
the public’s attention the very important issue of
animal extinction through the plight of the panda
than some tiny and fairly un-cute reptile or insect,
say. And the other good reason for restoring panda
populations in the wild, as well as in captivity, is that
when you re-establish the natural habitat of one of
these big creatures, you effectively provide a home
for thousands of other, smaller creatures. If you
focused simply on the smaller creatures, this just
wouldn’t happen.
J: Hmm, well I dare say you’ve researched the whole
issue more thoroughly than me. Perhaps we’ll leave
it at that …
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advanced
Unit 6
D: David
M: Maria
D: I caught the end of a programme on social robots
last night and it was really fascinating.
M: ‘Social robots’ – what are they?
D: They’re robots that imitate humans in the way that
they interact and communicate with us. They’re
currently at a fairly early stage of development but
they’re coming along. The problem is that robots
like these need to respond appropriately to what
people say and do to them, and in order to do this
successfully, they have to be able to interpret human
speech and actions accurately. It’s this part – the
interpreting of human speech and actions – that is
problematic. The technology isn’t quite there at the
moment. But the whole concept really captured my
imagination – this idea of a human substitute.
M: Mm … Perhaps I lack imagination. I just can’t
conceive of a time in which robots will be surrogates
for people. Do you really think that in fifty years’
time, our friends and flatmates will have been
replaced by these social robots?
D: Well, no, not exactly. But is it so hard to imagine
that robots will have a place in our social lives?
The programme’s presenter pointed out that many
of us already have people replacements in our
lives – our pets. You often hear it said that a dog
is a surrogate child, don’t you?
M: Well yes, but a dog at least lives and has feelings.
D: Well, yes, it certainly lives and it has basic feelings
– fear, pleasure and so on, but I think most people
would agree the range of emotions exhibited
by a dog is fairly limited compared with those
experienced by humans. But still, people claim to
form very close bonds with their dogs – you know,
they talk to them and share their secrets with them.
I think it’s probably true to say that people imagine
that their dogs are feeling and thinking a particular
way on the basis of how they look. And robots are
increasingly engineered to give the appearance
of emotions in the way that their faces and bodies
move. So I think I could at least imagine a robot
fulfilling the same function as a dog, i.e. being
a companion.
M: I think I’d be a bit suspicious of a robot companion!
It might be recording everything I was telling it!
And what if it was hacked?
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Open Mind
Unit 7
J: Jessica
O: Oliver
J: I think you’re brave going back to college after all
these years. It’s quite a change of lifestyle for you,
isn’t it?
O: It is and, for the most part, I’m loving it. The course
itself is really worthwhile and there are a few mature
students so I don’t feel quite as ancient as I’d feared!
The biggest challenge for me is managing my
finances. My grant is pretty minimal and although
I’ve found an apartment that‘s just about affordable,
money is really tight. Having spent my twenties
working in a reasonably lucrative job and not having
to worry about money, I must say, I find sticking to a
budget quite hard. It’s a bit of a shock to the system.
I suppose, by nature, I’m quite extravagant and being
careful with money doesn’t come naturally to me.
J: No, it must be hard when you’re not used to it.
On my salary, it’s just the norm. Still, there’s all sorts
of advice out there, isn’t there, for people on tight
budgets who need to stretch their money? One little
trick that my brother, who is always broke, passed
on is to find out which day your local supermarket
discounts food that’s nearing its sell-by date. All the
perishable stuff is half-price if you’re there on the
right day. That might be worth doing?
O: Yeah, I guess. Though I’m inclined to think those
sell-by dates are there for a reason. I’m a bit
reluctant to ignore them.
J: I dunno, I think the food is still edible for a couple of
days, or no one would buy it. Anyway, it’s just an idea.
O: Yeah, no, you’re right, I should explore the options
out there. It’s just that, never having had to worry
about budgeting, this is all new to me.
J: Sure.
O: It’s really just a question of cutting down on purchases
generally, whether it’s music, food or whatever.
And never, ever giving in to impulse buys, even
when they seem like the world’s best bargain! And,
of course, keeping my social life to the bare minimum.
J: Which, presumably will have a beneficial effect on
your studies!
O: Yeah, absolutely!
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advanced
Unit 8
W: Will
E: Evie
W: Just out of interest, what’s your understanding of
the term ‘installation art’?
E: Well, I think typically it refers to a construction that’s
been created for a specific place, for a particular
period of time. But I think it’s a fairly loose term
that includes pretty much any arrangement of
three-dimensional objects in a particular space.
W: So what’s the difference between an installation and
sculpture, then?
E: Well, good question. I don’t think the distinction is
always clear. An installation often incorporates other
elements, such as light and sound, and it has to do
with the space that the construction – whatever it
is – occupies. The space itself is definitely key to the
concept – it’s the effect that the construction has
on the space – the way these two elements relate
to one another, or vice versa. And it’s the overall
impact on the viewer – how he or she interprets it
and responds to it. But, I think ‘installation art’ is a
fairly broad and quite controversial phrase. It seems
to mean different things to different people and it
definitely covers quite a range of exhibits in galleries
these days.
W: So the term is fairly meaningless?
E: Well, open to interpretation, I’d say.
W: Mm… I think I’d be less inclined to go to an
exhibition of something that called itself ‘installation
art’ than an exhibition of paintings or sculpture.
E: Why’s that?
W: I don’t know. Call me old-fashioned, I mean I’ve got
a university degree – I’m not completely stupid –
but I find a lot of contemporary art in galleries just
incomprehensible. So often, modern art seems to
require so much effort on the part of the viewer.
I don’t really know who it’s aimed at. And if I’ve
made the effort to go to an exhibition, I want to
admire form and beauty. I want to see extraordinary
skill and craft on show. I don’t want to have to work
out what a pile of bricks or a light flashing on and
off is supposed to represent. Perhaps it’s just me –
maybe I’m just too lazy?
E: Well, you’re not alone, that’s for sure. For whatever
reason, a lot of people are very critical of modern
art in its various forms.
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Open Mind
Unit 9
Recent research seems to suggest that the sort of play
that parents and caregivers instinctively engage in with
babies and young children benefits their emotional
and intellectual development in ways that we could
never have guessed. It has long been established that
babies – even very young ones – imitate their parents.
But watch any adult interacting with a baby and you will
observe that this is a two-way process – the adult also
mimics the baby, clapping, for example, when the baby
claps. In experiments where one group of parents copies
the actions of their babies and one group deliberately
does not, it is found that the electrical activity in the
brains of the infants in the former group is more intense.
Quite why the baby is so stimulated to see someone
copying them, no one knows for sure. But it would seem
to indicate that babies from a very young age start
learning something about their relationship with other
people, absorbing the fact that they have an impact on
others. And, perhaps even learning something about
the joy of this connection. What all this electrical activity
definitely shows is that we should carry on mimicking
our babies!
When we sit down with a young child and play with a toy,
we know that we are doing a good thing, affording the
baby interest and pleasure. And sure enough, research
confirms that this is indeed a good thing. Experiments
have been conducted involving toys in which there
is an element of cause and effect – the bashing of a
particular button causing a light to go on, for example.
What emerges from these experiments is that the infant
with a companion who demonstrates the toy first will
grasp the connection between the action and the result
more readily than the infant who experiments with the
toy on their own. Again, the research would seem to say,
keep on playing with your baby!
Most of a baby’s cognitive development will happen
naturally, but it is increasingly clear that the baby’s parents
– or primary caregivers – play a key role in encouraging it.
Play, as they say, is the work of childhood.
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advanced
Unit 10
N: Nathan
A: Amy
N: I’ve never knowingly met a conspiracy theorist –
I’ve just read about them.
A: Really? I know a couple of people – one at work –
who are convinced that there’s truth in such stories.
N: What, about JF Kennedy and the moon landings and
that sort of thing?
A: No, I’ve never heard anyone speak about those
two particular theories. Though, believe it or not,
there are people out there who maintain that the
moon landings were a hoax. There was even a TV
programme not so long ago on a major US news
channel devoted to the claim.
N: No! Out of interest, aside from the absence of stars
in the sky, what ‘evidence’ do conspiracy theorists
come up with to prove that the landings were fake?
A: Oh, all sorts. For example, they claim that video
footage of the flag being planted in the ground by
astronauts shows the flag waving in the breeze, only,
of course, there’s no atmosphere on the moon so
there wouldn’t be any breeze.
N: Ah, and what’s the explanation for that?
A: Well, quite simply that NASA had constructed a flag
with wire in it to simulate a flag on Earth fluttering
in the breeze. They knew that on the moon it would
otherwise hang limply and, presumably, wanted it
to look more impressive in the photos. Also, as the
astronauts struggled to push the flagpole into the
surface of the moon, it would naturally cause the flag
to wave a little.
N: So there’s a perfectly rational explanation behind it.
A: Yes, of course. There’s absolutely no validity
whatsoever to any of these moon landing claims.
You mentioned the apparent lack of stars in the sky.
Again, perfectly explicable. The very intense light
from the sun bouncing off the surface of the moon
would prevent the camera from capturing the stars.
N: It’s fairly basic stuff, isn’t it? I wonder why people
believe in conspiracy theories. Why are they so
gullible? Presumably, you only have to go online
for half a minute to have these hoaxes completely
debunked?
A: Oh sure. It’s a mystery, isn’t it? There are all sorts of
studies into what makes a person inclined to believe
in these things and to be fair, you know, we’re
not told about everything that goes on. Still,
the NASA moon landings, for goodness’ sake!
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Unit 11
I: Interviewer
T: Tom Jarvis
I: We hear a lot these days about the impact of
file-sharing and streaming services on the music
industry. Very often we hear from the big record label
executives whose opinion, fairly predictably, is that
these practices are a very bad thing. My guest this
morning, Tom Jarvis, has considered the situation
from a different angle, namely that of the artist.
Good morning, Tom. I gather you have done a survey
of musicians, asking their opinions on these matters.
T: Yes, and the results might surprise you.
I: Go on then!
T: Well, first, regarding the impact of file-sharing,
which is often singled out as being primarily to blame
for the loss of revenue, there is no real consensus
among artists as to whether it is actually detrimental.
Roughly half of the artists surveyed were of the
opinion that file-sharing was eating into their profits,
but the same number actually thought it beneficial.
I: In what way beneficial?
T: Well, because file-sharing helps to get their music
out there. It effectively distributes the artists’ work.
Of course, the more the music is heard, the greater
the likelihood that a proportion of people are going
to actually buy it. File-sharing also helps with ticket
sales for concerts – an increasingly important source
of money for a lot of artists – and it assists in the sale
of merchandise – T-shirts, posters and so on.
I: And what about streaming services? From the
consumer’s point of view, they’re very reasonable –
unlimited tracks for as little as ten pounds a month.
From the artist’s perspective, presumably they don’t
pay very well?
T: Well again, opinion was divided. Roughly half of the
artists questioned were unhappy with their share of
the revenue from streaming services, but half were fine
with it because they were grateful for the promotion.
I: It’s effectively an investment for them.
T: Yes, pretty much.
I: And what about piracy? Did that come up in
your survey?
T: Yes, and again, the answer is probably not what
you’d expect. Only a small proportion – roughly
15 percent – felt that file-sharing had made their
music more vulnerable to piracy. The majority –
almost 50 percent said that it had made no difference.
I: Interesting stuff! Many thanks for that.
© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2015. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
advanced
Unit 12
O: Olivia
E: Ethan
O: Hi, Ethan! Nice to see you!
E: Hello, Olivia!
O: You’re just back from Italy, aren’t you?
E: Yes, last night – I’m exhausted!
O: It was Northern Italy, wasn’t it? Near Austria?
Did you go to see the earth pyramids?
E: No, I didn’t have time to do any sightseeing.
Sadly, business trips are often like that. Are they
worth seeing?
O: Oh they’re well worth seeing. You really missed
out there.
E: In what way?
O: Well, they’re incredibly beautiful but in a really
extraordinary way. They look quite surreal.
I’ve never seen anything like them in my life.
E: What exactly are they? Some sort of naturally
occurring stone columns, I seem to remember?
O: Yes, that’s right. I’m not sure my description will do
them justice so I’ll show you the photos on my phone
… Yes, here, look at these …They’re huge – up to
30 metres high, some of them, and quite thick at the
base but they become narrower towards the top.
E: Wow, they are amazing! And they’re natural features,
you say? Do you know how they’re formed?
O: Well, I have a rough idea. I’m no geologist but it’s
my understanding that it’s essentially an ongoing
process of erosion. They’re made of a clay-like soil
and rock mixture – moraine?
E: Moraine? What’s that?
O: Well, I gather it’s sort of soil and rock debris that got
left behind by glaciers in the Ice Age.
E: Ah, OK.
O: Anyway, it’s super-hard when dry but it melts when
it’s wet. And when it melts, it slides down into the
river and gets washed away.
E: Oh I see, and that explains their extraordinary long,
thin form? And what about the stones on top of
them? In the photos some of them have huge rocks
balanced on top.
O: Yes, I’m supposing those must be the rock element
of the moraine. Eventually the columns grow too
thin at the top to support the stones and they fall
off. When the stones go, the column is no longer
protected from the elements – the rain especially –
and the process of erosion eventually causes it to
disintegrate. And then, somehow, as one disappears,
another one is magically forming. They’re an
absolutely fascinating geological phenomenon.
E: Yes, they sound intriguing. I wish I’d seen them.
They’ve clearly left a lasting impression on you!
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