Listening Exercises B2 – Study management

They feel that studying will benefit their employment prospects.

They are both interested in having international careers.

They both want to develop their languages skills.

Transcript

Stefania

I plan to go to Beijing for a year if I can afford it and stay with a host family while I’m there. My main goal is to improve my Chinese. I’ve been studying at college here for three years but I expect actually living there will, you know, help me a lot. When I will come back to Italy my experience and languages skills will help me get a good job, perhaps in an import-export agency.

Habib

Well, next year I intend to start business studies course at college here in Riyadh. The course is two years so I hope it’ll help me to get a good job after I graduate. That’s the main purpose in fact. But also I hope to develop contacts in international business, and English is a big part of the course so that’s another benefit.

a   F

b   F (They will not be considered if they are handed in late.)

c   T

d   F (Students must do a 15-minute oral.)

e   F (There are 23.)

f   T

Grading system

30% Final exam

20% Written assignments

10% Oral report

10% Preparedness/participation

Grades

A 90+   B 80-90   C 70-80   D 60-70   F 59 or below

a   Each written report represents 5% of the final grade. (There are four reports and together they make up 20%. Each report has ‘equal weighting’)

b   The exams are organized in two parts. A multiple choice test and the four short essay questions.

c   The oral report takes the form of a 15-minute presentation (on a topic of the student’s choice related to the main course themes), followed by a Question and Answers session also of 15 minutes.

d   Students need to attend at least 80% in order to pass. As there are 23 classes, if they miss more than four classes they will fail.

Transcript

OK, so the focus of this semester will be on the development of the EU and its enlargement. You’ll have four written assignments to do. These must be types and handed in on time or they will not be considered. They have equal weighting and make up 20% of your final grade, so take them seriously. We’ll also have a couple of exams; a mid-term exam which will count 30% towards the final grade and an end of term exam which will also count for 30%. Each exam will be in two parts, a multiple choice test and then four short essay questions. At the end of the semester you’ll also have to give an oral report, which will take the form of a 15 minute presentation on a topic of your choice related to the main course themes, followed by a Q and A session also of 15 minutes. This will comprise 10% of the final grade. The remainder will be at my discretion depending on how well prepared you are for each class, and also how much you participate in each class. Attendance is also a factor in that there are 23 classes this semester and you need to attend at least 80% in order to pass. So that means if you miss more than four classes, you fail I hope you all understand that. The grade you get is not dependent on other students in the class, so it is possible for everyone in the class to get As or to get Fs. To get an A you need above 90%, 80-90 is a B and 70-80 is a C. D is 60-70 and below that is a fail, F. Basically, if you put in the time and effort needed you will pass.

The Library closes at 5pm on Saturday. It is not open on Saturday out of term time, and there is no admittance 15 minutes before closing.

Transcript

OK, so if you’ll all follow me … Opening hours are nine to seven Monday to Friday, and nine to five on Saturday, during term time. Out of term we open from ten till one weekdays only. Oh, and if you turn up less than fifteen minutes before closing, you can’t come in.

a   articles and journals

b   rare books and manuscripts

c   main catalogue

d   special collections

a   The Reading Room and the North Wing

b   a password

c   books published before 1978 

Transcript

Over there is the Reading Room. That’s where you can access materials that can’t be taken out, so, er, articles, journals and so on. Rare books and manuscripts are in the North Wing, over there … also for reference only of course. To search for a book you’ll find our main catalogue here in the Green Room, or you can search online if you have a password and what you want was published after 1978. For any special collections you need to come in and go through the supplementary catalogues in the South Wing.

1st year students      N/A

2nd year students     N/A

3rd year students      5 books for up to 8 weeks

Academics                  10 books for up to 8 weeks

Research students   10 books for up to 8 weeks

Transcript

First and second year students can’t borrow books. Third year students can borrow a maximum of five books for up to eight weeks, and if you’re an academic or research student you can borrow ten books for up to eight weeks. All books to be taken out at Lending Services in the lobby. OK, any questions?

a   searching for a book

b   where to find a book

c   access the Internet

d   make copies

e   have the book I want

f   overdue books

g   clear away books

h   using the library

Transcript

a   How exactly do I go about searching for a book?

b   How do I know where to find a book once I have its location?

c   Can I access the Internet on my laptop?

d   Can I make copies?

e   What if the library doesn’t have the book I want?

f   What’s the charge for overdue books?

g   Do staff clear away books every evening?

h   Can I get any help on using the library?

1 c   2 e   3 h   4 d   5 b   6 a   7 f   8 g

a   True. Wi-Fi hotspots are ‘dotted around the place’.

b   True. £5 for university members, £10 for others.

c   True. You just need to ‘sign up’.

d   False. Only if it’s a journal and you need permission.

e   False. ‘You’ll soon get used to it’.

f   False. It’s called Library Services.

g   False. There are ‘virtually no exceptions’.

h   False. If you use a Retainer slip, staff won’t take it away.

Transcript

1   Yes, we have wireless hotspots dotted around the place … just look out for the Wi-Fi symbol.

2   Then you can make an InterLibrary loan and we’ll order it from somewhere that has it. It costs five pounds for members of the University and ten pounds for everyone else.

3   Sure, just ask at Library Services. We also run a Research Skills programme. It’s free, so all you have to do is sign up!

4   Yes, the copy room is on the fifth floor. If it’s a journal and you need permission, then fill out a Request form and they’ll do everything for you. It takes 24 hours.

5   Just follow the system we use. Each book is numbered with the floor and row, and has a code to show which part of the library it’s in. You’ll soon get used to it.

6   Start by looking in the main catalogue and then if it’s not there, you can go to Library Services desk and they’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

7   Twenty-five pence a day. It soon mounts up, especially if you have several books, and we make virtually no exceptions unless you have a very good excuse so you have …

8   Yes, but if you put a Retainer slip inside, you can leave books you haven’t finished with on the desk you’re using and the staff won’t clear them away.