VSTEP Listening: VSTEP Collection 4 — Listening

Q.1: Hi, Ms. Cook. This is the Village Clinic calling to remind you about your appointment on Thursday at 4 o'clock. Please remember to bring your medical insurance card when you come for your appointment.

Q.2: Hello, Mr. Forrester. This is Sachiko Suzuki calling from human resources at Kitano Electronics. If you are available, we would like you to come in for an interview on Friday at 9 o'clock. Please give me a call and let me know if you can come at this time.

Q.3: Hello, this is Jenny Jones from Jones Mobile Repairs. I'm calling to give you an update on the repair of your mobile phone. Unfortunately, we will have to replace the speaker in your phone. Please call me back at 555-1947 to let me know if you want me to order a new speaker.

Q.4: Good morning, this is Maria Gray calling from Dilbert Furniture. This message is for Rebecca Rhodes. I need to speak with her about the number of desks she requested, and want to confirm her order before we ship her purchases.

Q.5: This is Julie calling from the Stylista Hair Salon. I'm trying to reach Mr. Andrews concerning the interview we scheduled for this afternoon. I'm not feeling well today, so I'm afraid I'll have to cancel our meeting. However, we are very interested in your application for our hairstylist position. I hope to be back in the office tomorrow, so please call my secretary and let her know if you are available to meet me tomorrow.

Q.6: Hello, Ms. Kim. This is Joe Wang from Romy Office Rentals. I'm calling because we won't be able to meet the delivery date. Our salesperson made a mistake and ordered a different photocopier from what you requested. If we rush, we could deliver it to you by Friday night. Can you please call and let me know if someone will be there in your office? Thanks.

Q.7: Unfortunately, I must report that domestic sales have dropped by 17 percent over the last two quarters. Although the sluggish domestic economy is a factor, the primary cause of this worrying development is increasing competition in the retail clothing sector.

Q.8: This weekend is the first outing of the in-line skating club for this season. Remember, you are not allowed to skate with the club unless you wear an approved safety helmet. You can ask Rea, the safety coordinator, if you are unsure about your gear.

Questions 9-12:

W: Hi, Professor Johnson. Can I talk to you?

M: Why, yes, Carrie.

W: Oh, great! I need some help with my essay. I'm having problems finding good information other than the things from the lessons. And I'm not very good at taking notes.

M: Hmm... OK. Let's talk about finding good information first. Books are the best. But, these days, you can look online too.

W: OK. How do I decide what websites and books to use?

M: Well, with the Internet, you type in a subject and you'll get a list of websites. With books, do a search on the library computer. It will give a list of useful books. It's very easy.

W: Wow. That is easy. OK, then what?

M: Take notes. Don't copy everything. You only need a summary of the information. With books, sometimes reading the introduction and conclusion first will help you to decide if it is useful.

W: Yeah, I've been reading a lot. And I always copy down too much.

M: Just take notes that will give you the evidence you need for your essay paragraphs. Oh, and the organization of your notes is important too. You will have to find your information again easily.

W: Right. Of course. Thanks so much for your help!

Questions 13-16:

W: Hi, Mr. Baker. Could you help me with something?

M: Sure. What can I do for you?

W: Well, I'd like to check out some library books. I have to do some research for an essay.

M: I see. Well, you've got two choices. You can either use the self-service machine, or you can take the books to the front desk.

W: Could you explain them both, please?

M: OK, sure. See that machine that looks like a computer?

W: Yeah.

M: Well, that's the self-service machine. You'll have to scan your student ID card. Wait a second; did you set up a student library account yet?

W: Yes.

M: OK, good. Anyway, then you scan the books, and the machine will print you a receipt. The receipt tells you when the books are due back.

W: Oh, that's great. I always forget when my books are due back.

M: Yeah. Just be sure to press your ID and the books on the scanner; it's sensitive sometimes.

W: OK, so what's my other checkout choice?

M: You can take your books over to the front desk, where the librarian will help you.

W: Oh, that's it? That's easy. Thanks for the help.

Questions 17-20:

W: Hello. Do you need help?

M: Hi. Yes, I'm doing research for my history essay and I'm trying to find a book, but I'm not sure where to begin.

W: No problem. Let's see... there are two ways to find books here. You can either use the computer system, or you can use the book lists.

M: How do the book lists work?

W: Well, the lists organize the books by their subjects. You're looking for a book on history. So, first you look under "History" on the list. Then you look at the title. Each book is in alphabetical order.

M: OK, I see.

W: Good. Each book has a number next to it, and those numbers tell you where to find that book.

M: I see. And did you mention something about a computer?

W: Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The computer is just as easy. Do a search for your book, and it will tell you where to find it.

M: Great! I should be able to find what I need. Thanks!

W: Oh, and remember if you want to check out any books you need to scan your ID card at the self-service machine. If you have any books due on your account, you won't be able to check out anymore.

M: OK, got it.

Questions 21-25:

All right. Today's lecture is about heat. Actually, we will talk about the ways heat moves. This is called heat transfer. Now, there are three types of heat transfer. They are called [slowly] convection..., conduction..., and... radiation. OK? OK! Convection happens when heat moves through gases and liquids. When air or water heat up, they get lighter. Then they move away from the heat. They rise. When they get cooler, they change direction. They come back down to the heat again. In convection, this repeats over and over. For example, a hot-air balloon. Fire heats the air. The hot air becomes lighter. The balloon rises up. But, as the air cools, it gets heavier. So, the balloon comes back down.

Convection is how hot-air balloons fly. Now, next is conduction. This happens when heat moves through solids. First, a solid object is put on heat. Eventually the solid object takes this heat and it gets hot. Some materials are very good at conduction. Metals, for example. This is why many cooking pans are made of metal. They heat up quickly. But don't touch them. Ouch! Conduction causes many burns. Finally, heat also moves by radiation. If you can feel heat from an object without touching it then it is radiating heat. Remember you can't see this heat. The sun, a toaster, a dryer. All these things use radiation. Have you ever warmed your hands by a fire? Even this is radiation. OK? Do we understand?

Questions 26-30:

OK. So, Impressionism was a new way of painting. It went against old art standards. It changed what was seen as good art. Before it, art was considered good if it was exact. Artists tried to reproduce what they saw on the canvas. They aimed to make the painting look just like what they could see. Impressionist painters were different. The first thing you will notice in an Impressionist painting is the use of color. These artists didn't mix colors. They put two colors side by side. They knew the eyes would blend the colors for them. The purpose was to create bright and bold colors. Movement was also important. Painters often worked outdoors. This was not normal at the time. Most painters had someone pose for them inside. But the Impressionist went outside. First, they wanted to capture life as it was happening. Their subjects were doing something. They were not posing. Blurred lines showed movement. They paid attention to lighting. Working outside allowed artists to use natural light. This is always changing. The change comes through in the painting. Different times of year are represented with the change in seasons. Impressionist Art changed art. It broke the rules. Many people did not like it for this reason. If you ask me, that's what makes it so great. And over time, many people agreed.

Questions 31-35:

W: The book Watership Down... let's talk about it today. It has sold more than 50 million copies. This book's themes are people and politics. This book looks at how people treat each other and criticizes governments. It uses a story about rabbits. A group of rabbits leave home to find a new place to live. They can't remain in their old home because it's going to be destroyed. So, they escape. After a while, the group finds a safe new home. But, they start fighting with other rabbit towns nearby. The rabbits in these towns are very different. And because of this, no one gets on. This shows how people in real life can't accept each other's differences. One group of rabbits is called Efrafa. The leader is an adult male rabbit. He controls his town. He tells everyone what to do. No child, teenager, or adult has freedom to learn or experience anything there. The other group of rabbits is the Tharn Warren. It is also very bad. Things are too easy there. Growing up in a place like that means you learn very little. Some people think that the two rabbit towns are like different kinds of governments in the world. And that no government is perfect.

M: Oh, I see! Having a really easy life is bad for you. This is like, uh, the Tharn Warren. The rabbits don't have to work to find food there. And Efrafa is a place where there is no real freedom. So it is bad too.

W: Yes, exactly. Watership Down may seem like a simple story about rabbits. But it asks real questions about how we live. This is why it is so popular.