ANNOUNCER:Section 1, you will hear a telephone conversation between a travel consultant and a customer.First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 4.You will see that there is an example which has been done for you.On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.

RECEPTIONIST:Good afternoon, Dreamtime Travel.How can I help you?

CUSTOMER:Oh, hello. I'm interested in the holidays you offer along the coast near here.

RECEPTIONIST:Yes, we operate several tours up the coast.Where in particular did you want to go?

CUSTOMER:Well, I like the sound of the holiday that mentioned whales.Was it whale watching?

RECEPTIONIST:Oh, that's our whale watch experience, it's very popular.And it's based in a lovely little town with nice beaches.

ANNOUNCER:The holiday is called Whale Watch experience.So Whale Watch experience has been written on the form.Now we shall begin.You should answer the questions as you listen, because you will not hear the recording a second time.Listen carefully, and answer questions 1 to 4.

RECEPTIONIST:Good afternoon, Dreamtime Travel.How can I help you?

CUSTOMER:Oh, hello. I'm interested in the holidays you offer along the coast near here.

RECEPTIONIST:Yes, we operate several tours up the coast.Where in particular did you want to go?

CUSTOMER:Well, I like the sound of the holiday that mentioned whales.Was it whale watching?

RECEPTIONIST:Oh, that's our whale watch experience.It's very popular.And it's based in a lovely little town with nice beaches.

CUSTOMER:Oh, right.And how long does it last?

RECEPTIONIST:It's 2 days, that includes 4 hours travel time each way from here.

CUSTOMER:Good, I don't want to be away any longer than that.So is that by coach?

RECEPTIONIST:Actually it's by minibus.We like to keep those tours small and personal, so we don't take a whole coach load of people. In fact, we only take up to 15 people on this tour, although we do run it with just 12 or 13.

CUSTOMER:Oh, right.So do you run these tours often?

RECEPTIONIST:Well, it depends on the time of year.Of course, in peak times like the summer holidays, we do them every weekend, but at the moment, it's usually once a month at most.

CUSTOMER:And when is the next one going?

RECEPTIONIST:Hmm. Let me see.Uh. There's one in three weeks' time, which is April the 18th, and we don't have another one until June the second.

CUSTOMER:All right.Um. And is April a good time to go?

RECEPTIONIST:Pretty good, though the really good time is later in the year.I have to say though that the whale sighting is only one of the many things offered.

CUSTOMER:Really?

RECEPTIONIST:Yes, the hotel itself where you stay has great facilities.It's called the Pallisades.

CUSTOMER:Uh. The Paris what?

RECEPTIONIST:No, it's actually the Pallisades.PALLISADES.It's right on the main beach there.

CUSTOMER:Oh, I see.

RECEPTIONIST:All of the rooms have nice views, and the food is really good there too.

CUSTOMER:Oh, right.

ANNOUNCER:Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 5 to 10.Now listen and answer questions 5 to 10.

CUSTOMER:And what about the other things?Um. You know that are included in the price?

RECEPTIONIST:Oh, there are lots of things.But if you don't want to do the whale watch cruise, your guide will take anyone who is interested either on a bush walk.Through the national park near the hotel, and there's no extra charge for that, or on a fishing trip.That's an extra $12 I think.And there's also a reptile park in town, that costs more or less the same.

CUSTOMER:No, I think I'd prefer whales to snakes.

RECEPTIONIST:Yeah, and if you just want to relax, you're free to sit by the hotel pool or go down the beach.Oh, and they also have tennis courts at the hotel, but you have to pay for those by the hour.But there are table tennis tables downstairs, and they are part of the accommodation package, just speak to your guide.

CUSTOMER:Well, that sounds good.Um. So how much is the basic tour price?

RECEPTIONIST:At this time of year, it's usually around $300 but let me check.Um. Oh, it's actually $280.

CUSTOMER:And the next tour, are there any places on that one?

RECEPTIONIST:How many people is it for?

CUSTOMER:There are two of us.

RECEPTIONIST:Yes, that should be fine.Uh. Can I just mention that we require all bookings to be made at least 14 days before you travel to avoid cancellations of tours?And if you cancel within 7 days of departure, you will have to pay 50% of your total booking.

CUSTOMER:OK.

RECEPTIONIST:And you also need to pay a 20% deposit,at the time of booking.

CUSTOMER:Can I pay that by credit card?

RECEPTIONIST:Yes, you can.

CUSTOMER:All right, uh, what I'll do is I'll talk to my partner and get back to you.

RECEPTIONIST:Fine.So I'll make a provisional booking, shall I?2 for the whale Watch experience.Uh. Let me issue you with a customer reference number for when you call back.Do you have a pen?

CUSTOMER:Yes.

RECEPTIONIST:OK, it's 3 9 7 4 5 T, that's T for tango.When you call back, ask to speak to the tour manager.That's me, Tracy.

CUSTOMER:Fine, I will.

ANNOUNCER:That is the end of section 1.You now have half a minute to check your answers.

ANNOUNCER:Section 2, you will hear a radio program giving parents advice about buying cots for their babies to sleep in.First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 17.Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 17.

SPEAKER:Hello, and welcome to today's Buyer Beware program, where we give you some tips on how to spend your money wisely.Now, in today's show, we're looking at beds for children and babies.Let's start by looking at baby cots.That's for children of up to 3 years old.We tested three different cots, all in the budget price range, and as usual, we will feature the good points, the problems, and our verdict.The first cot we looked at was by Baby Safe, and it had several good points to recommend it.Our testers liked the fact that it had four wheels, so it was easy to move around.The only slight problems with this cot were that it had no brakes, but they didn't think that mattered too much.At first, they were a bit concerned about the side bar, because they felt babies could trap their fingers in it.But our testers felt that this was unlikely to happen, so they've given this one a verdict of satisfactory.The next cot was by Choice Cots, and this time our testers were pleased to find a cot which is simple to put together, unlike others we looked at.On the minus side, our testers did not like the fact that the side of the cot did not drop down, making it difficult to pick up Newborn babies.However, the real problem with this cot was the space between the bars; our testers found they were too wide, and a baby could easily trap his head.We felt this was a real safety hazard, and so we've labeled this one dangerous.I'm afraid.

ANNOUNCER:Before you hear the rest of the program, you have some time to look at questions 18 to 20.Now listen and answer questions 18 to 20.

SPEAKER:And finally, better news for the Mother's Choice cot.This cot was slightly different in that although the side bar did not drop down, the base could be raised or lowered into two different positions, making it safe as well as convenient.The negatives for this one were quite minor.The only niggle everyone had was the fact that it has no wheels, and the only other problem anyone could find was that there were pictures.Which were simply stuck on and so could easily become detached.The makers have now promised to discontinue this practice; as this cot will then be safe in every way, we have made the Mother's Choice cot our best buy.Congratulations, Mother's Choice!So what features should you look for in a baby's cot?Well, obviously safety is a very important factor, as well as comfort and convenience.We recommend that if you are buying a cot.Do make sure that any metal present is not rusted or bent in any way.You should ensure your cot has only rounded or smooth edging without any sharp edges.This is especially important for wooden cots, and now onto beds for toddlers.

ANNOUNCER:That is the end of section 2.You now have half a minute to check your answers.

ANNOUNCER:Section 3, you will hear a conversation between a student Andrew and a student advisor Monica about a diploma course.First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

ANDREW:Excuse me, I was told to come here for advice about management diploma courses.

MONICA:You've certainly come to the right place.Hi, my name is Monica.

ANDREW:Hmm. Nice to meet you.My name is Andrew, Andrew Harris.

MONICA:So, Andrew, have you seen our diploma course prospectus yet?

ANDREW:Yes, I've already looked at it.In fact, I thought the information on course content was really useful.But I'm afraid I'm a bit confused by all the different ways you can do the course: full-time intensive, part-time, and so on.

MONICA:Well, let's see if I can help.I think each course type has its advantages and disadvantages, so it really depends on you, your own study habits, and your financial circumstances of course.Are you working at the moment?

ANDREW:Yes, I've been working in the administration section of the local hospital for the last 3 years.And before that, I worked in the office of a computer engineering company for two years.So I've got about 5 years of relevant work experience, and what I'm hoping to focus on is personnel management.

MONICA:I see.And are you planning to leave your current job to study, or are you thinking about just taking a year off?

ANDREW:I want to know what my options are really.I don't want to quit my job or anything, and my employers are keen for me to get some more qualifications, but obviously, it would be better if I could do a course without taking too much time away from work.

MONICA:Right.So you don't really want to do the full-time course then?

ANDREW:No, not really.It's also a question of finances, you see, my office have agreed to pay the cost of the course itself, but I would have to take unpaid leave if I want to study full-time, and, well, I don't think I could afford to support myself with no salary for a whole year.

MONICA:Hmm, OK.Well, you have two other possibilities.You could either do the part-time course.That would be over two years, and you wouldn't have to take any time off work, or you could do what we call a modular course.You could do that in 18 months if you wanted, or longer.It's quite flexible, and it would be up to you.

ANDREW:Hmm, uh, so what does the part-time course involve?

MONICA:For that, you would join an evening class and have a lecture twice a week.Then you'd have to attend a seminar or discussion workshop one weekend a month.

ANDREW:W- what kind of coursework would I have to do?

MONICA:Well it's a mixture.You'd be expected to write an essay each month, which counts towards your final assessment.You have a case study to do by the end of the course, which might involve doing a survey or something like that, and also you need to hand in a short report every four weeks.

ANDREW:So that's quite a lot of work then, on top of working every day.It sounds like a lot of studying, and really tiring.

MONICA:Yep, you certainly wouldn't have much free time.

ANNOUNCER:Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.

ANDREW:Uh. What about the modular course?What would I have to do for that?

MONICA:Well, that's where you get the opportunity to study full-time for short periods.That way you can cover a lot of coursework, and attend lectures and seminars during the day.And each module lasts for one term, say about 12 weeks at a time.There are obvious advantages in this, the main one being that you can study in a much more intensive way, which suits some people much better.

ANDREW:And how many of these 'modules' would I have to do to get the diploma?

MONICA:The current program is two modules - and then you have to choose a topic to work in more depth - but you can base that on your job, and so you don't need to be away from the office, and how long it takes is up to you.The important thing is that you don't have to study and work. You can focus on one thing at a time.

ANDREW:Yes, I can see that.Uh. It certainly sounds attractive, it would be more expensive though.I mean I'd have to support myself without pay for each module.

MONICA:Hmm. That's true, so that might be a problem for you.Look, why don't you talk this over with your employers and...

ANNOUNCER:That is the end of section 3.You now have half a minute to check your answers.

ANNOUNCER:Section 4, you will hear part of a lecture given by an economist about North American women's attitude to money and saving.First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.Now listen carefully, and answer questions 31 to 40.

SPEAKER:OK, so we've been looking at the attitudes of various social and cultural groups towards the management of their personal finances, how important they feel it is to save money.And what they save their money for.One aspect that we haven't yet considered is gender.So if we consider gender issues, we're basically asking whether men and women have different attitudes toward saving money.And whether they save money for different things.Back in 1928, the British writer George Bernard Shaw wrote in his Intelligent Women's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism, that a man is supposed to understand politics, economics and finance.And is therefore unwilling to accept essential instruction.He also said, a woman having fewer pretensions is far more willing to learn.Now, though these days, people might question a lot of the assumptions contained in those statements, recent research does suggest that there are some quite fundamental differences between men and women.In their attitudes to economic matters.Let's look at what men and women actually save for.Research studies of women in North America have found that women are far more likely to save for their children's education, and they are also more likely to save up in order to buy a house one day.The same studies have found that men on the other hand tend to save for a car, which by the way takes a surprisingly large amount of the household budget in North America.But the other main priority for men when saving money is their retirement.When they're earning, they're far more likely to put money aside for their old age than women are.Now, this is rather disturbing, because in fact the need for women to save for their old age is far greater than for men.Let's consider this for a moment.To start with, it is a fact that throughout the world, women are likely to live many years longer than men, so they need money to support them during this time.Since women are likely to be the ones left without a partner in old age, they may therefore have to pay for nursing care, because they don't have a spouse to look after them.Furthermore, the high divorce rates in North America are creating a poverty cycle for women.It is the divorced women who will most often have to look after the children.And thus, they need more money to look after not just themselves, but others.So what can be done about this situation?The population in North America is likely to contain an increasing number of elderly women.The research indicates that at present for women, it takes a crisis to make them think about their future financial situation.But of course, this is the very worst time for anyone to make important decisions.Women today need to look ahead, think ahead, not wait until they're under pressure.Even women in their early 20s need to think about pensions.For example, and with increasing numbers of women in professional positions, there are signs that this is beginning to happen.Then research also suggests that women avoid dealing effectively with their economic situation because of a lack of confidence.The best way for them to overcome this is by getting themselves properly informed, so they are less dependent on other people's advice.A number of initiatives have been set up to help them do this.This College, for example, is one of the educational institutions which offers night classes in Money Management, and increasing numbers of women are enrolling on such courses.Here, they can be given advice on different ways of saving.Many women are unwilling to invest in stocks and shares for instance, but these can be extremely profitable.It is usually advised that at least 70% of a person's savings should be in low-risk investments, but for the rest, financial advisors often advise taking some well-informed risks.Initiatives such as this can give women the economic skills and knowledge they need for a comfortable, independent retirement.The increasing proportion of elderly women in the population is likely to have other economic consequences.

ANNOUNCER:That is the end of Section 4.You now have half a minute to check your answers.