Listening Exercises B1 – The media

Jane Martins – A maid in a large country house

Charles Danton – The son of a wealthy farmer

Helen Richards – The actress who pays Jane Martins

Peter Kite – The actor who plays Charles Danton

Kevin Hadley – The director

a   Don’t know

b   Don’t know

c   True (‘well acted throughout’)

d   False (‘gripping from beginning to end’)

e   False (‘this film should bring Hadley the fame and recognition he has deserved for such a long time’.)

f   False (‘Great for all the family’.)

Transcript

Fiona:     And now it’s time to go to Matthew Jenkins, our very own movie critic, for news of an exciting new film … Matthew?

Matthew:     Thank you, Fiona. Yes, New Beginnings is a heart-warming tale set in 18th-century England. It follows the life of Jane Martins, a maid in a large country house who falls in love with the dashing Charles Danton, the son of a wealthy farmer. The story is gripping from beginning to end and is well acted throughout by Helen Richards and Peter Kite. Thanks to the sensitive direction of Keven Hadley, the whole film blends together well, leading to a very surprising but utterly believable finale. This film should bring Hadley the recognition he has deserved for such a long time. Without doubt, it’s the must-see movie of the year. Great for all the family. Five stars.

1 cartoon   2 news   3 sport   4 crime series   5 quiz show   6 nature

1   characters, funny, animation

2   find out what’s been going on, current affairs

3   football, tennis

4   episode, murderer

5   guess the answers, win a lot of money

6   animals behaving really naturally

Transcript

(1 = Russian; 2 = German; 3 = Spanish; 4 = Australian; 6 = American)

1   It really makes me laugh. I think the characters is so funny and the animation is great too. It’s a classic.

2   It’s the only chance I get to find out what’s been going on in the world and catch up with current affairs.

3   It’s about all I watch on TV these days, actually. I mean, if it wouldn’t be for the football and the tennis, I don’t think I’d have a TV at all!

4   Oh, I love it. I don’t think I’ve messed a single episode. I try to guess who the murderer is at the beginning and I’m so good at it now, I’m almost always right!

5   I love trying to guess all the answers. It’s good when people win a lot of money, too. I like that.

6   I don’t know how they do it, but they always manage to capture the animals behaving really naturally and it’s just like you’re there yourself.

a P   b N   c P   d N   e P

b   I’m not very keen on it

c   well written, totally convincing

d   ridiculous

e   pretty funny

Transcript

(a = Chinese; c = Egyptian; d = Indian; e = Brazilian)

a   Yeah, I didn’t use to like it when it first started, but now I’m really into it.

b   No, I’m not very keen on it, really.

c   It’s very well written and everything. The acting is totally convincing.

d   The plot is so ridiculous that I can’t watch it.

e   Some of the jokes fall flat, but most are pretty funny.

Six

the economy, politics, the environment, science, sport

Transcript

Welcome to News 24. I’m Sandy Caulfield. Here are today’s headlines … A report into the state of the world’s economy predicts a downturn for European Union and North American economies, but says that China could become the dominant superpower by 2025. In other news, 15 Members of the European Parliament protest about inefficiency and waste at the EU’s headquarters in Brussels … Why eco-tourism might not be so good for the planet after all, and how scientists in Germany found a 3,000-year-old mammoth. … In tennis, new star, Bill Matson, enjoys a surprising win over world number three, and why the future of Formula 1 may be in doubt.

b   No (‘is fast catching up’)

c   By 2025

d   In the late 1970s

e   50%

f   30%

g   The programme’s Asia correspondent.

Transcript

But first, our main story. A report by experts at the Global Studies Institute predicts that China, once known as the world’s sleeping giant, is fast catching up with the major world economies and may be the dominant economic superpower as early as 2025. Since China’s economic reforms began back in the late 1970s, the country has enjoyed staggering success and commercial expansion. The report predicts Chinese companies will soon have up to 50% of the American market and 30% of the European market. Our Asia correspondent, Tim Robbins, reports from Shanghai …