Outcomes Advanced Audio script

Page 34 Unit 4 Track 11

1
A: I don’t know about you, but personally I’m in favour of limiting the salaries of people like
bankers and executives.
B: Yeah? Really? How would you do that, though?
A: I don’t know. I’m sure it’s not without problems, but something’s got to be done.
Honestly, I just think some of these salaries are obscene – especially when there are people in
the same company who you know are earning peanuts.
B: Mmm, yeah. I do know what you mean.
A: And it just distorts everything else because if they’re earning that much, it encourages
other people to ask for more, and it all just pushes up prices.
B: Mmm, restricting salaries may be OK in principle, but in practice? I mean, even if they do
manage to introduce this new law, it’s basically going to be unworkable, isn’t it?
A: I don’t see why. We have a minimum wage so why not a maximum one? The bottom line
is that as long as there’s the official desire to make it work, then it’ll work.
B: Maybe, I guess. So how would this maximum amount be decided? And what would you
include in pay? Supposing they were given a boat, or whatever, instead of money?
A: Well, they’d just declare it as part of their income in the normal way, no? And it could be,
say, ten times the lowest wage.
B: Only ten? I’m sure they’d be able to find ways round it. And you don’t think it’d
discourage people from doing those jobs?
A: Some, maybe, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. I mean, maybe they’d think about doing
other jobs that are more useful. Anyway, I thought you said it was a good idea in theory.
B: I did. I’m just playing devil’s advocate. But, as I said, I do have major doubts about how
it’d work.
A: Well, personally, I think the benefits far outweigh the difficulties.

2
C: Did you hear about this proposal to bid to hold the Olympics here?
D: Yeah. You don’t sound too happy about it.
C: No, absolutely not! I’m totally opposed to it. It’s a complete waste of money. Aren’t you
against it?
D: I’m not really sure where I stand on it, to be honest. Won’t the Games make a lot of
money if we get them?
C: No! They always talk about them leaving a good legacy and boosting the economy, but
it’s all rubbish.
D: Really? I can’t pass judgement. I don’t know enough about it.
C: Have a look on the Internet. I mean, take Montreal, for example. The Olympics were held
there way back in 1976 and the city then took another 30 years to clear off the debt the whole
thing created!
D: Seriously?
C: I’m telling you! It’s lucky we don’t have a hope in hell, so they’ll only waste the money
on the bid. Imagine if we actually won it, though! It’d be a recipe for disaster. It’d probably
bankrupt us!