Listening

2

Exercise 1

Listen to the interview with Matt about his life at school and what he

expects to do after school

Interviewer: This morning we are going to interview some of the students of theGreen Hill High School to understand what their expectations are for the future.

What’s your name?

Matt: Matt Deloney

Interviewer: Which class do you attend?

Matt: The last one

Interviewer: How old are you?

Matt: Eighteen

Interviewer: What is your favourite subject?

Matt: I like studying. I like History, Geography and Art, but my favourite one is

English Literature.

Interviewer: Do you study much at home?

Matt: Not so much. Teachers make us study above all at school because we leave at

4 p.m. and they know we can’t always stay at home to study.

Interviewer: Do you do any sport at school?

Matt: Yes, I do. I play football four days a week.

Interviewer: Which extra-school activities do you do?

Matt: I’m an actor in the school theatre company and I play guitar in the school

orchestra

Interviewer: What are you going to do after leaving High School?

Matt: I’d like to go to Cambridge and study Medicine and then join an international

no-profit association to work in poor and war areas.

Interviewer: Why would you choose this career?

Matt: I had a very serious health problem and I was saved thanks to a doctor who

never gave up and encouraged me to fight and have courage. That’s what I want to do

for others.

Interviewer: Thank you Matt. Good luck with everything.

Listening

3

Now complete the chart

NAME OF THE SCHOOL ________________________________

NAME OF THE STUDENT ________________________________

AGE ________________________________

FAVOURITE SUBJECT ________________________________

SPORT ________________________________

EXTRA ACTIVITIES ________________________________

STUDIES AT UNIVERSITY ________________________________

WORK AS ______________ IN AN _________________________________________ IN

____________________ BECAUSE __________________________________________.

Listening

4

Exercise 2

Listen to the passage on astrology and complete the chart

Astrology has very ancient origins. All ancient peoples paid great attention to the

observation of signs from the sky. The word “astrology” means “study of the stars”

and astrologers in general study the influence of stars and planets on people’s lives. In

fact, they believe that the position of stars and planets at the moment of one’s birth can

determine personality and future life.

There are twelve zodiac signs, which are strictly related to the date and hour of

birth. These signs are grouped under the four natural elements: Fire, Water, Air and

Earth.

Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are Fire signs; Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are Water

signs; Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are in the Air group and Gemini, Libra and

Aquarius are in the Earth group. Each group has its own characteristics: Fire signs are

exciting and creative, Water signs emotional and intuitive, Air signs are methodical

and stable, Earth signs are friendly and intellectual.

People have very different opinions on astrology: there are some who believe

blindly in the horoscope and organise their lives according to what the horoscope says;

there are some who think it’s all nonsense and they do not even read it or know what

their star sign is. There are some others who are just curious to see what the horoscope

says but they think it’s just invention and some others who decide to believe only what

they like. And you, what do you believe?

Astrology means _________________. __________ study the influence of ____________

stars and planets on people’s lives. According to astrology, the position of stars and

planets influence ____________________. Zodiac signs are ___ divided in _____________.

The four natural elements are: 1.________. 2. ________. 3. ________. 4. ________.

FIRE SIGNS: ____________ ____________ ____________

WATER SIGNS: ____________ ____________ ____________

AIR SIGNS: ____________ ____________ ____________

EARTH SIGNS: ____________ ____________ ____________

Fire signs are ___________________. Water signs are ___________________.

Air signs are ___________________. Earth signs are ___________________.

What people think of astrology?

1.________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________ 4. ________________

Listening

5

Exercise 3

Listen to the passage on New York and write the missing information

New York is the biggest and most famous city in the United States and it is

populated by about eight million people from various ethnic groups. People in New

York speak about 800 languages and half of them have foreign origins.

New York is also called “The Big Apple” and “the city that never sleeps”. Its first

inhabitants were Native Americans living on the island of “Manhatin”. The first Europeans

to settle there were the Dutch, who called it New Amsterdam; it became New York after

the arrival of British colonisers who gave it the name in honour of the Duke of York.

New York has five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and

Queens. There are also lots of districts, among which the most famous are Little Italy

and Chinatown. Central Park is the largest park of the city and it’s the heart of New York.

The climate is very cold in winter, often with temperatures below zero, while in

summer it’s hot and humid.

The symbol of New York is the Statue of Liberty, donated by France in the 19

th

century. Another symbol of the city was the World Trade Centre, with its Twin Towers.

They were destroyed by a terrorist attack on September 11

th

, 2001. Now, in their place

there is a memorial for the victims called Ground Zero.

NUMBER OF INHABITANTS ________________________________

LANGUAGES SPOKEN ________________________________

TWO OTHER NAMES 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

FIRST INHABITANTS ________________________________

FIRST EUROPEANS ________________________________

THE FIVE BOROUGHS OF NEW YORK 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

5. ______________________________

TWO FAMOUS DISTRICTS 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

CLIMATE IN WINTER: ____________________

IN SUMMER: ___________________

SYMBOL ________________________________

DATE OF THE DESTRUCTION

OF THE TWIN TOWERS ________________________________

NAME OF THE MEMORIAL ________________________________

Listening

6

Exercise 4

Listen to the passage on Ian Fleming and James Bond and complete

with the missing information

“My name’s Bond, James Bond” is probably one of the most famous and well-

known sentences in the history of cinema. A spy for the British secret services, his

character was invented by the British writer Ian Fleming in 1953, with his first novel,

Casino Royale, followed by many others written between 1953 and 1966. Ian Fleming

was born on May 28

th

, 1908 in a rich family; his father was a member of the British

Parliament. Ian worked as a journalist and during the Second World War he worked in

British Naval Intelligence, where he learnt lots of things about secret agents. After

Casino Royale, he wrote eleven more novels and nine short stories about James Bond.

Fleming died on August 12

th

1964.

The character of James Bond has been interpreted by many actors: the first was

Sean Connery, the present one is Daniel Craig and between them there have been

many other famous actors like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.

James Bond’s code is 007; the prefix 00 refers to the two spies he kills in his first

adventure. Other characteristics are the so many high-tech weapons and devices he

uses in his films and the famous Bond girls, incredibly beautiful girls, having various

roles in his stories: some are just victims, some are allies, some are villains. They can

either have a real role in the story or just be gorgeous characters to accompany James

Bond.

IAN FLEMING JAMES BOND

Date of birth First apparition

Date of death Year

Father’s job Three actors

interpreting James

Bond

______________

______________

______________

First job His code

Job during WWII Two

characteristics

______________

______________

Number of novels

Number of

short stories

Listening

7

Exercise 5

Melanie and Claire are talking about what they like or dislike. Listen to

the dialogue and write the missing information

Claire: Hi Melanie.

Melanie: Hello Claire. I phoned you yesterday in the afternoon. Your mother told meyou were out. Where did you go?Claire: I went out with Patty, my brother’s girlfriend. She wanted to buy some clothes

and we went to the shopping centre. And you? What did you do yesterday?

Melanie: Oh ... I watched some old episodes of “Game of Thrones”. You know, I lovewatching TV series.Claire: I don’t like lying on the sofa doing nothing.

Melanie: But you like listening to music! Isn’t it the same thing?Claire: Oh no! When I listen to music I also dance or cook or do something else. I

hate writing instead.

Melanie: Oh my God! Cooking is not my favourite hobby; well, in reality I hate it!Claire: Really? I love cooking! Cakes, above all. I don’t even mind cooking first and

second courses.

Melanie: I prefer more relaxing hobbies, instead.Claire: For example?

Melanie:Well, I also love reading. And writing short detective stories. And I like surfingthe net or talking with friends. I really hate doing housework! And I don’t like doing sport.Claire: Oh ... I like being active instead. I like jogging and tennis and I really love

riding my bike.

Melanie: Well, I don’t mind walking with a friend but I prefer sedentary activities.Claire:We have completely different tastes. How can we be best friends?

Melanie: Because we complete each other!

MELANIE CLAIRE

Yesterday afternoon

1. _________________ 1. _________________

Loves 2. _________________ 2. _________________

3. _________________ 3. _________________

1. _________________ 1. _________________

Likes 2. _________________ 2. _________________

3. _________________

Doesn’t mind 1. _________________ 1. _________________

Doesn’t like 1. _________________ 1. _________________

1. _________________ 1. _________________

Hates 2. _________________

Listening

8

Exercise 6

Listen to Jack while he is interviewed by his headmaster about bullying

another boy

Headmaster: Good morning Jack. Take a seat.

Jack: Good morning Sir.

Headmaster:Well Jack. Someone has told me that you didn’t behave in the right way

yesterday.

Jack: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Headmaster: Do you know Mark Davies?

Jack: Er ... I don’t know.

Headmaster: Ok Jack. You certainly know Mark Davies because in the videos, I saw

you and two of your friends talking to him. And your manners were not exactly

friendly. What were you talking about?

Jack: Er ... I don’t remember.

Headmaster: Jack, I’m a very patient person but you are really defying me. I already

know what happened with all the details, but I want to hear your version.

Jack:Well, Sir. I’ll tell you everything. I was with George Billings and Todd King. Wewere going to the toilet and Mark was in front of the door. So we asked him to moveand let us pass. That’s all.

Headmaster: Jack, do you really think I’m stupid?

Jack: No, Sir! Absolutely not!

Headmaster: Well Jack. Mark came to me completely soaked and told me that

Billings, King and you had obliged him to give you his money. When he gave you

only three pounds, you decided to make him taste the toilet water, didn’t you?

Jack: It wasn’t my idea! I didn’t want to.

Headmaster: So, why did you join the party in this action?

Jack: Er ... to be accepted. They are cool, everybody loves them ...

Headmaster: Bullying is a horrible way to get accepted, you know? You’re not a bad

boy and I don’t want you to lose the right way. Billings and King will have a severe

punishment but you will work for the school security for a month in order to

understand the mistake you made.

Listening

9

BULLIED BOY ________________________________

BULLYING BOYS ________________________________

JACK’S FIRST VERSION ________________________________

WHAT DID THEY WANT FROM MARK? ________________________________

WHAT DID THEY DO TO MARK? ________________________________

JACK JOINED THE PARTY BECAUSE ________________________________

JACK’S PUNISHMENT ________________________________

Listening

10

Exercise 7

Listen to Sam telling about his period at school being bullied by some

older students and write the missing information

Good morning students. I’m Samuel Bloom, I’m a policeman and this morning

I’m here to tell you something about bullying.

Bullying is a very common problem among teenagers and it can happen to anyone.

There are many ways to bully other schoolmates: girls usually exclude people from

groups, start rumours, call names, publish embarrassing photos or write lies on social

networks, while boys often use physical bullying hitting, kicking, damaging things or

threatening.

Bullies usually attack weak people because they are different for their size or

name, for their religion or the colour of their skin. Their victims often do not report

the fact and remain isolated, losing self-confidence. They usually suffer from

loneliness, depression, eating disorders, anxiety and suicide.

When I was eleven I was myself the victim of bullying by an older student,

Terence O’ Brian. He waited for me on the steps of the school every day; if I wanted

to pass I had to pay him. Once I refused, so he took my money by force. Some other

days he met me in the toilet and asked me to undress, taking my shirt or slip as

trophies. If I refused to undress, he beat me. He then published some embarrassing

photos and statements on Facebook so that every student laughed at me when they met

me at school. One day I had had enough but, instead of reporting him, I tried to kill

myself and I was saved by a policeman who helped me to explain what was

happening. My parents took me to a psychologist and it took me almost five years to

understand that I was the victim and it was not my fault.

I became a policeman to help other students like you to fight bullying as soon as

possible.

Listening

11

SAM’S JOB ________________________________

HE IS IN A ________________________________

TO SPEAK ABOUT ________________________________

GIRLS’ WAYS OF BULLYING 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

5. ______________________________

BOYS’ WAYS OF BULLYING 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

CONSEQUENCES OF BULLYING 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

5. ______________________________

HE WAS BULLIED AT THE AGE OF... ________________________________

THE NAME OF THE BOY BULLYING HIM ________________________________

SAVED BY ________________________________

HE THOUGHT IT WAS... ________________________________

Listening

12

Exercise 8

Listen to the passage about Orwell’s 1984 and its connection with cur-

rent technology then complete with the missing information

Imagine you are at home and you are continually watched while you live your life.

No, it’s not a well-known reality show but it’s what happens to Winston Smith, the

main character of 1984, a novel written by George Orwell and published in 1949. The

novel is divided into three parts: the first one presents Winston Smith as the last man

with dignity in a world without privacy. The second part tells his love for Julia and the

temporary happiness brought by their forbidden relationship. The third and last part

shows Winston’s imprisonment, torture and brainwashing and the loss of his

intellectual and human dignity.

In this world the supreme power is held by Big Brother, who is constantly

watching everybody. The role of technology is then a negative one and the sentence

“Big Brother is watching you” takes the tone of a terrible threat. Cameras have a

fundamental role in controlling society, preventing crimes, notify police about

suspicious behaviour.

But that situation is not very far from nowadays reality. The 20

th

century made

technological progress the most advanced; internet, satellites, radio communications,

GPS technology all contribute to the vast network of surveillance in which the various

governments always know where you go, what you see, what you like or dislike, what

you buy, how much you spend ...

Apps, programmes and websites ask to sign their terms of use in order to utilise

them; when you accept, the software is allowed to use all your information to tailor

services and offers. Facebook can use the camera and the microphone of your computer

whenever it likes because, even if you don’t know you gave it your permission at the

time of your registration. Google can locate you and tell you where you’ve been the all

day if you enable “location”. The same your smartphone and GPS device do. Traffic

cameras are everywhere and they can follow and track anyone’s journey. If the present

is so terrifying, what will the future be?

Listening

13

NAME OF THE NOVEL ________________________________

YEAR OF THE PUBLICATION ________________________________

MAIN CHARACTER ________________________________

THEME OF THE FIRST PART ________________________________

THEME OF THE SECOND PART ________________________________

THEME OF THE THIRD PART ________________________________

ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY ________________________________

FUNDAMENTAL SENTENCE ________________________________

COMPONENTS OF THE NETWORK 1. ______________________________

OF SURVEILLANCE 2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

APPS, PROGRAMMES AND WEBSITES USE ________________________________

FACEBOOK CAN USE YOUR 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

GOOGLE CAN ________________________________

TRAFFIC CAMERAS CAN ________________________________

Listening

14

Exercise 9

Listen to Robert speaking about his travels and complete the chart

I’m Robert Stantson, I’m 39 and I made my hobby become my job. I’ve always

loved travelling since I was a child and went abroad with my parents. I was 8; we visited

the castles of the Loire Valley in France and I was so fascinated by art and natural beauty

that I decided to travel and see as much as possible during my whole life.

After leaving high school I decided to find a job in a travel agency. I searched for

a long time until I found a newly open one which gave me the job.

At first I only had contacts with hotels and customers in the agency, then my boss

asked me to go to Germany and try the services of a new hotel that had sent us an

advertising booklet. My first travel for the agency was then to Berlin. I stayed in a

four-star hotel near the Brandenburg Gate on half-board and I visited the remains of

the Berlin Wall destroyed in 1989.

After Berlin I went to Spain and I stayed in a three-star hotel in Barcelona, at La

Rambla, the famous street, full of tourists and places to stay. Obviously, I couldn’t

miss a visit to the famous Sagrada Familia.

Next I went to Naples, Italy, where stayed in a five-star hotel next to the sea in Via

Partenope, from where I could even see the Vesuvius. During my stay there, I visited

the Archaeological Museum, the Sansevero Chapel and the Church of Santa Chiara. I

had to choose because there were so many places to see and so little time.

Then I went farther: Russia, China, Singapore, Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar,

Brazil, Mexico, Canada, even Australia.

I love my job! The best thing of all is I’m paid for what I like most!

Listening

15

NAME _________________________ AGE ___________________________

FIRST TRAVEL AS A CHILD Where:___________________________ at age:____

TRAVELS FOR THE AGENCY:

1. Where:______________ Hotel:______________ Place visited:_________________

2. Where:______________ Hotel:______________ Place visited:_________________

3. Where:______________ Hotel:______________ Place visited:_________________

OTHER PLACES (put in order from 1 to 10)

___ Brazil ___ South Africa

___ Australia ___ Russia

___ Kenya ___ Mexico

___ Canada ___ Singapore

___ Madagascar ___ China

THE BEST THING OF THIS JOB ________________________________

Listening

16

Exercise 10

Listen to Gerard, a volcanologist, speaking about the eruption of Mount

Vesuvius and write the missing information

On August 24

th

, 79 A.D. Mount Vesuvius erupted and the eruption covered the

whole cities of Pompeii, Ercolano and Oplontis. It lasted three days, from August 24

th

to 26

th

, and Pompeii was completely buried under seven metres of materials, which

preserved it for about 2000 years and gave the world one of the greatest archaeological

sites on Earth.

On that night, there was a great cloud of ashes, stones, lapilli among terrifying

roars and fire blazes. Most inhabitants, seeing the first symptoms of the catastrophe,

decided to flee by boat, but some decided to remain.

Mount Vesuvius is commonly called “a dormant volcano”, that means that, even if

it has not erupted for many years, there is still some activity inside it and future

eruptions are possible. Mount Vesuvius in fact erupted also in 1906, 1929 and 1944,

its last eruption, when, with a flow of lava, it destroyed the cities of Massa and S.

Sebastiano but fortunately killed no one. Mount Vesuvius is a “grey volcano”, because

of the erupted materials, that is to say essentially ashes and gases, while the emission

of lava is of secondary importance.

Now, people can visit the National Park of Mount Vesuvius, opened in 1995 to

preserve all local plants and animals: there are in fact 906 kinds of plants and 220

species of animals. Besides, there are over 230 different minerals.

A very important institution on Mount Vesuvius is the Vesuvius Observatory,

dedicated to volcanological and geophysical research and the monitoring of active

Italian volcanoes. It is the most ancient volcano observatory in the world, created by

king Ferdinand II of Bourbons in the 19th century. It was built two km from the crater.

There you can also visit the Museum, with an incredible collection of rocks and

minerals and a collection of XIX-century scientific instruments and ancient

photographs on seismology and on the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius.

Listening

17

ERUPTION OF MOUT VESUVIUS

DATE:________________

CITIES DESTROYED

1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________

DURATION OF THE ERUPTION: _____ DAYS

MATERIALS EXPELLED

1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________

CHARACTERISTICS OF MOUNT VESUVIUS

TYPE OF VOLCANO ________________________________

ERUPTIONS IN THE XX CENTURY

1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

NATIONAL PARK NUMBERS

YEAR OF BIRTH ________________________________

NUMBER OF PLANTS ________________________________

SPECIES OF ANIMALS ________________________________

NUMBER OF MINERALS ________________________________

MOUNT VESUVIUS OBSERVATORY

ITS OBJECTIVES 1. ________________________ 2. ________________________

CREATED IN THE ______ CENTURY BY KING ______________________________

COLLECTIONS IN THE MUSEUM

1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________

Listening

18

Exercise 11

Listen to Charles speaking about cats and their habits

Good evening my dear friends and welcome to a new episode of “A Cat’s Life”.

This evening we’re going to speak of cats’ habits. Whoever has a cat, has certainly

noticed some typical behaviours. Let’s see them together.

The first one is choosing high places to stay. Well, if your cat prefers to sit in

elevated places you have to know that he chooses such places because his instinct

makes him keep an eye on the surrounding situation and keep the place under control

and from above it is easier to see if any predator or enemy is coming to attack.

Have you ever received a parcel or package and your cat decided to make it his

favourite place? Well, it’s normal. Cats love boxes for three fundamental reasons: first

of all, they feel protected, then they consider them a refuge where they can flee if

attacked and finally boxes keep the cold away and, you know, cats prefer warm places.

What are the conditions of your sofas, carpets and curtains? I’m sure they’re in the

worst possible condition. Do you know why? Cats need to keep their nails sharp;

when they were predators, it was necessary for their survival. Nowadays they keep

scratching their nails to stretch their muscles and as an anti-stress exercise.

Cats are amiable creatures and have a sense of family. They often bring humans

some gifts consisting in small dead animals or insects. Show them your gratitude: it’s

their way of saying they care about you. They just imitate what their mothers did to

feed them sharing their prey and food with you.

Did you need your laptop? Sorry, I’m using it! Cats love laptops and keyboards.

Have you ever noticed them lying there as soon as you leave it unattended? They seem

to wait for you to go away to take possession of it. Cats love warm places, as we said

before, and laptops are usually warm, even if they are closed. They even like to sleep

on them and it’s really a pity to make them go away when we need to work.

What does it mean when your cat purrs? Purring is very common in cats and it’s

positive both for cats and for humans. Its frequency is between 25 and 150 Hertz, a

frequency that allows damaged tissues, bones and muscles regenerate. But why do

cats purr? They usually do so to attract your attention or to tell you they’re happy. We

don’t exactly know yet. Certainly, what we know is that our cats are incredible and

funny creatures, and in turn, can be either fantastic predators or sweet pets loving

cuddles.

Listening

19

NAME OF THE PROGRAMME ________________________________

THEME OS THIS EVENING ________________________________

CATS CHOOSE HIGH PLACES ________________________________

CATS LOVE BOXES BECAUSE 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

CATS SCRATCH BECAUSE 1. IN THE PAST:

______________________________

2. NOWADAYS:

______________________________

CATS BRING YOU GIFTS TO SHOW ________________________________

CATS LOVE LAPTOPS BECAUSE ________________________________

CATS PURR 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

Listening

20

Exercise 12

Listen to Matt while he’s explaining his homework on the birth of inter-

net and complete the chart

I chose to do my research on the birth of internet because I think it is the most

incredible invention of the 20

th

century, which changed people’s lives.

The origins of internet date back to 1969, when the US Department of Defence

organised a network, called ARPANET, to connect computers to share information

and data even in the case of an armed attack during the Cold War between Russia and

United States. ARPANET connected four Universities: the University of California,

the Stanford Research Institute, the University of Santa Barbara and the University of

Utah. Then, in the Seventies, many other centres and universities asked for access and

the network started to grow, but it was only in the Eighties that the World Wide Web

was born, thanks to the creation of HTML to share textual and non-textual data.

Mosaic was the first programme to surf the web, born in 1993, followed by Netscape

and Explorer. It was in this period that internet started to leave universities and to

spread all over the world. In many houses there was a computer which, to be

connected to the World Wide Web, had to use a modem using the telephone line; data

transmission was 56 Kb/s (now an ADSL line can be up to 20 Mb/s). In the Nineties

the first search engines were born: Yahoo!, Lycos, Altavista and Google, among the

most famous.

Nowadays, internet is fundamental in everyone’s daily life to search for

information, or places, to book flights, trains and hotels, to do school research, to

share photos and opinions, to buy books, furniture, shoes, clothes, electrical devices

and whatever you like, phone and see distant friends.

Internet has been able to connect people from all over the world for the most

various reasons at the strangest hours of day and night and to share and communicate

with one another through a screen, comfortably sitting on the sofa.

Listening

21

REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS RESEARCH ________________________________

YEAR OF ORIGINS OF INTERNET ________________________________

FIRST NAME OF THE NETWORK ________________________________

UNIVERSITIES CONNECTED

1. University of __________________ 2. _______________ Research Institute

3. University of __________________ 4. University of __________________

THE WWW IS BORN IN THE _____________ WITH THE CREATION OF ___________

FIRST PROGRAMME TO SURF THE WEB ________________________________

THE OTHER TWO ARE 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

CONNECTION THROUGH ________________________________

DATA TRANSMISSION AT ________________________________

INTERNET IS FUNDAMENTAL TO (put a cross near the right answers)

c Search information c Read

c Write c Phone

c Book flight and hotels c Cook

c Buy things c Find a doctor

c Help people c Share photos

Listening

22

Exercise 13

Listen to the passage on the history of the Titanic and write the missing

information

They called it unsinkable because nothing could sink it. It left Southampton on

April 10

th

1912, on its first voyage to New York City. There were over 2200 people

aboard, including first-class, second-class, third-class passengers and the crew. The

Titanic had a telephone system, electric lights in all rooms, four lifts, a heated

swimming pool, a gym, two libraries and two barber shops.

The ship was believed unsinkable because it had a system of 16 watertight

compartments with doors which could be closed from the bridge so that water could

be contained even if the hull was broken. For this reason, there were only 20 lifeboats.

On the evening of April 14

th

the Titanic entered an area full of icebergs and

Captain Edward Smith decided to set the speed of the ship at 22 knots. At about 11.40

p.m., 400 nautical miles south of Newfoundland, First Officer William Murdoch saw

an iceberg approaching and ordered a distancing manoeuvre but it was too late.

The ship hit the iceberg and five of its watertight compartments were damaged, so

its fate was the final sinking. Lifeboats were few and some were launched below

capacity. Only 700 people, out of the original 2200, survived.

During the night, due to the sinking of the bow, the Titanic broke in two; hundreds

of passengers and crew went into the icy water. Almost all of them died from exposure

to ice-cold water. Distress signals had been sent after the collision with the iceberg,

but the ship Carpathia, which had heard it, was too far and, in spite of its immediate

decision of going to the Titanic, it only arrived at about 3.30 a.m. of April 15

th

, more

than an hour after the sinking. It picked up all the survivors and took them to New

York.

It was only in 1985 that, thanks to the progress of technology, it was possible to

send an underwater device called Argo, equipped with a camera that transmitted the

images to a monitor. The ship was divided into two pieces: the bow was well

recognisable, while the rear part was seriously damaged.

In 1997, James Cameron decided to direct his blockbuster “Titanic” with Leonardo

Di Caprio and Kate Winslet.

Listening

23

NICKNAME OF THE TITANIC ________________________________

FROM __________________________ TO __________________________

PEOPLE ABOARD ________________________________

SERVICES ABOARD

c Chinese restaurant c Telephone system

c Barber shops c Supermarket

c Heated swimming pool c Four lifts

c Hairdresser c Libraries

c Gym c Bookshop

CONSIDER UNSINKABLE BECAUSE

c It was huge

c It was well built

c It had 16 watertight separated compartments

c Its captain was the best

NUMBER OF LIFEBOATS ________________________________

NAME OF THE CAPTAIN ________________________________

SPEED AT THE TIME OF COLLISION ___ knots

COMPARTMENTS DAMAGED BY COLLISION ________________________________

SURVIVORS ________________________________

TIME OF ARRIVAL OF CARPATHIA ________________________________

YEAR OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE WRECK ________________________________

NAME OF THE DEVICE USED ________________________________

FILM BY JAMEWS CAMERON ________________________________

YEAR OF THE FILM ________________________________

MAIN ACTORS 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

Listening

24

Exercise 14

Listen to what happened when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and

complete the chart with the missing information

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most damaging hurricanes in the history of the

United States. Hurricanes are very strong storms with winds even faster than 120 km/h.

They start over the sea and become quickly stronger and stronger and when they arrive

on land they can cause serious damage because of their rain, floods and winds.

Hurricane Katrina formed in the Caribbean Sea on August 23

rd

, 2005 and it

seemed to be only a tropical storm; two days later it had acquired so much strength

that it was officially named a hurricane. It hit Florida, killing nine people, then, on

August 29

th

, it arrived in the Gulf of Mexico. By then, it was a category 5 hurricane.

New Orleans is just above the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi river flows through

it; besides, in the north there is a big lake, Lake Pontchartrain. Both the river and the lake

are on a higher ground than the city. To protect New Orleans from possible floods, people

built high banks to contain water. But Katrina was too violent and the banks were not

strong enough to resist it. When they broke, the city was submerged by water.

Even if people knew about and expected the hurricane, the government had

suggested escaping, but without giving them the means to do so. Many citizens hadn’t

a car or money to leave and many others were too old or weak to travel. About

100,000 people couldn’t leave their homes; water and food started to run out and

people began to steal from shops. About 25,000 people were living in the Superdome

Stadium. After a week, the government finally sent food and water and police and the

army to patrol the city. The hurricane disappeared on August 31

st

.

At least 1300 people died during the hurricane and there are still people missing.

About 150,000 people are still living somewhere else and they will probably never go

back to New Orleans.

SPEED OF HURRICANES ________________________________

STARTING POINT OF HURRICANES ________________________________

DATE OF FORMATION OF KATRINA ________________________________

PLACE OF FORMATION OF KATRINA ________________________________

PEOPLE DEAD IN FLORIDA ________________________________

ARRIVAL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ________________________________

RIVER IN NEW ORLEANS ________________________________

LAKE IN NEW ORLEANS ________________________________

SOME PEOPLE DIDN’T LEAVE BECAUSE

1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________ 4. ________________

PEOPLE NOT LEAVING HOME ________________________________

PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SUPERDOME ________________________________

DATE OF DISAPPEARANCE OF KATRINA ________________________________

PEOPLE DEAD IN NEW ORLEANS ________________________________

PEOPLE LIVING SOMEWHERE ELSE ________________________________

Listening

25

Exercise 15

Listen to Jack presenting his family and write the missing information in

the family tree

Hi, I want to introduce you to my big family. My name’s Jack and I’m 13. I’ve got

a brother and a sister. My brother Tony is 21 and my sister Joan is 17. They’re very

nice to me, even if they sometimes prefer staying on their own. My father’s name is

Joe; he’s got only one brother, Paul, who is 43, like my father. In fact they are twins

and they are both lawyers. Auntie Cathy is Uncle Paul’s wife. They have two children,

Danny and Karen, who are my favourite cousins; Danny is 14 and Karen is 16. We’re

together very often. My father’s parents are Rosie and Frank. They usually come and

visit us on Friday afternoon.

My other grandparents are Mike and Emma, my mother’s parents. They don’t

come very often because they live in another city. My mum’s name is Jenny; she is 42

and she’s a teacher at the local high school. She’s got a sister, Auntie Meg, and a

brother, Uncle Charlie. Auntie Meg is married to Uncle Bob and they have an only

child, Matt, who is 3. Uncle Charlie, instead, is not married because he’s a Catholic

priest. He’s very nice and everybody in his parish loves him.

I was forgetting: we’ve also got a black cat, Tom, who is 4, a small dog, Chico,

who is 2 and a soft rabbit, Baby, who is 1.

That’s my marvellous family. I love them all.

Jack is _____ years old Tony is _____ years old

Joan is _____ years old Jenny is _____ years old

Joe’s job: _____ Jenny’s job: _____

Uncle Charlie’s job: _____ Cat: name: _____ age:_____

Dog: name: _____ age:_____ Rabbit: name: _____ age:_____

Listening

26

Exercise 16

Listen to Theo talking about his bad day and write the missing information

Everybody can have a bad day, but I won the record this morning. I had to wake

up at 6.30 a.m. but the alarm clock didn’t work. At 7.30 I was still in bed and I had to

call the office to say I would be late. Yesterday I forgot to buy some milk, so I couldn’t

have breakfast this morning. When I turned the tap on to have a shower, I realised the

water was icy, so I just washed my face and got dressed.

I went out and it was raining, so I came back home to get an umbrella. When I

arrived at my car, one of the tyres was flat ... I put everything in the car and I started

to change the tyre. Obviously, in the end I was completely wet, so I went back home

again to dry my hair and change my clothes.

I went out to the car again and finally left. On the way, I found a car accident and

consequently a lot of traffic. The police and the ambulance blocked the road and we

remained in the street completely still for almost an hour. In the meantime, my mobile

had rung at least seven times and my colleagues thought I was telling lies, so

incredible was my story.

When I finally started to drive again it was mid-morning and I arrived at the office

at about midday. My boss looked at me for what seemed a very very long time, then

he ordered me into his room. I thought he was going to scold me but he proposed a

new project instead. We had a long meeting to assess details and when it was over, the

canteen was closing: I would eat nothing for lunch.

When I left my office it was still raining and it was windy. When I opened my

umbrella, it broke immediately. I was wet again. My flat is on the sixth floor and the

lift was broken, so I had to run up the stairs. I had left the window of my bedroom

open and it was flooded. I undressed and I went to bed in spite of everything. I think

I’ll be sick for the next three days and I won’t go to work.

THEO’S DISADVENTURES (put in order from 1 to 12)

___ The water is icy ___ The tyre is flat

___ He can’t have breakfast ___ He eats nothing for lunch

___ The alarm clock doesn’t work ___ The umbrella breaks

___ It’s raining ___ He’s completely wet

___ He finds a car accident ___ The lift is broken

___ The bedroom is flooded ___ He’s believed a liar

CONSEQUENCES

1. The alarm clock doesn’t work so ______________

2. The tyre is flat so ______________

3. There’s a car accident so ______________

4. The canteen was closing so ______________

5. It is windy so ______________

6. The lift is broken so ______________

Listening

27

Exercise 17

Listen to the passage on the character of Sherlock Holmes and complete

the chart

Today we’re going to talk about a particular detective, an internationally famous

private investigator called Sherlock Holmes.

He smokes a pipe and plays the violin and a few details are sufficient to make him

understand who committed a crime. He lives at 221B Baker Street, London.

Nowadays, his house is a museum dedicated to him where thousands of fans go and

visit his belongings. He appears for the first time in Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in

Scarlet, published in 1887, the same in which he meets for the first time Dr. John

Watson, who will be the narrator of all his adventures.

This novel, however, had little success while the second one, The Sign of the Four,

published in 1890, was an incredible success. In 1892 and 1894 he published two

collections of short stories: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memories of

Sherlock Holmes. In this collection, in the story The Final Problem, Conan Doyle,

exasperated by the success of his creation, decided to make Holmes die while fighting

his archenemy Professor Moriarty. His fans rebelled so much that Doyle was obliged

to make Holmes come back in 1902 in his most famous novel, The Hound of the

Baskervilles. Holmes doesn’t believe in paranormal activities or the irrational and his

motto is: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however

improbable, must be the truth”.

Many actors have interpreted the character of Sherlock Holmes, from Basil

Rathbone and Peter Cushing to the more recent Johnny Lee Miller, Benedict

Cumberbatch and, above all, Robert Downey Jr.

Rathbone was chosen in 1938 to act in The Hound of the Baskervilles and played

Holmes in eleven films until 1946. Cushing was Holmes in 1959, for The Hound of

the Baskervilles too. He was so good that he played Holmes in a BBC TV series in the

Sixties and a TV film in 1984.

Miller, instead, is a new modern version of Sherlock Holmes. The American CBS

broadcast in 2012 the TV series “Elementary” where Holmes is a drug-addicted

investigator and Watson is a young woman, a previous doctor, and they are both in

search of redemption.

Another TV series, produced by the BBC, in 2010, sees Benedict Cumberbatch

playing Holmes. The series is called “Sherlock” and is set in contemporary London.

Holmes is a NERD and a hyperactive sociopathic.

Robert Downey Jr. is the strangest Holmes up to now. Even if his two films are set

in Victorian London, however the character is particularly different from the

traditional one: he is ironic, humorous and he doesn’t disdain physical struggle.

e

Listening

28

DOYLE’S WORKS

1887: ______________________________________

1890: ______________________________________

1892: ______________________________________

1894: ______________________________________

1902: ______________________________________

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Address: ______________________________________

Smokes: ______________________________________

Plays: ______________________________________

Narrator: ______________________________________

Archenemy: ______________________________________

His motto: “When you have eliminated the _______________whatever remains, however _______________, must be the ______

BASIL RATHBONE

First film in: ______________________________________

Title of the film: ______________________________________

Number of films: ______________________________________

Last film in: ______________________________________

PETER CUSHING

First film in: ______________________________________

Title of the film: ______________________________________

BBS series in: ______________________________________

Another film in: ______________________________________

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

BBC series in: ______________________________________

Title of the series: ______________________________________

Holmes is: ______________________________________

Set in: ______________________________________

Listening

29

JOHNNY LEE MILLER

CBS series in: ______________________________________

Title of the series: ______________________________________

Holmes is: ______________________________________

Watson is: ______________________________________

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

Films set in: ______________________________________

Three characteristics: 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

Listening

30

Exercise 18

Listen to Josh and Louis who are talking about their plans for the

Christmas holidays and write the missing information

Josh: So Louis, here we are. Would you like a pint of beer?

Louis: Yes, please. Let’s talk about the Christmas holidays. They’re quite near.

Josh: Yeah, I know. I’ve got some projects, but nothing certain.

Louis: Ok, let’s see them together.

Josh: This is the project of a wonderful travel to Vienna, Austria. A marvellous week

on the snow, in a typical Christmas atmosphere.

Louis: Mmmm ... how much is it?

Josh:Well, not so much. Consider it’s Christmas time ... flight and full-board stay for

one person for one week is 500 pounds.

Louis: Oh my God ...! I can’t spend so much money for a week on the snow ...

Josh: It’s a four-star hotel.

Louis: Well ... something less expensive?

Josh: Five days in a three-star hotel in Paris, from December 26th to December 30th.

420 Euros.

Louis: That’s much better.

Josh: Otherwise we can remain in Britain and go to the Scottish Highlands by

motorbike. That would be more fun and cheaper. We can stay in a three-star hotel on

the mountains and enjoy wildlife and snow.

Louis: And how much would it cost?

Josh: Well, a half-board stay would cost 25 pounds a day in a double room. You just

have to add the cost of petrol and the lunch.

Louis: I bet you already have an estimate, don't you?

Josh: Yeah, of course I have. More or less 300 pounds a week.

Louis: Mmmm ... I LIKE IT!!!

Josh: Me too. Cheers!!

Louis: Cheers

Listening

31

FIRST PROJECT

PLACE: ______________________________________

TIME: ______________________________________

COST: ______________________________________

PROVIDES: 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

HOTEL: _________ STARS

SECOND PROJECT

PLACE: ______________________________________

TIME: ______________________________________

COST: ______________________________________

HOTEL: _________ STARS

THIRD PROJECT

PLACE: ______________________________________

TYPE OF VOYAGE: _____________________________________

COST: ______________________________________

HOTEL: _________ STARS

Listening

32

Exercise 19

Listen to Dr. Woods explaining to some students the basis of nutrition

and giving some advice and complete with the missing information

Well, good morning dear students. I’m Dr. Woods and I’m a nutritionist. It is very

important at your age to have a perfectly balanced diet in order to prevent future

disease. That’s why I’m here today. I want to give you some advice on food, drinks

and, in general, what to eat and what to avoid.

What I’ve just drawn on the blackboard is called the Healthy Diet Pyramid. The

pyramid is a guide to what you should eat every day, week or month. It shows the four

major groups of food: carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products,

oils and fats. All these foods are fundamental for a balanced diet but you must be

careful about the frequency and the amounts.

At the top of the pyramid we find oils and fats, but also sugar and salt; it’s better

to use them rarely because they provide many calories and little nutrition intake. The

second step from above is represented by meat and dairy products. Then we find fruit

and vegetables and, at the base of the pyramid, there are carbohydrates.

The meat group is made of red meat, poultry, fish and eggs; they provide most of

the proteins and vitamins we need. Eggs must be eaten only twice a week because they

are rich in cholesterol which, if too abundant, can cause cardiovascular diseases.

As to dairy products, like milk, yoghurt and cheese, they’ve got large amounts of

fats and so they’re not good for obese people but they do contain a high amount of

calcium, which is essential for children and teens, and many other nutrients like

proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Fruit provides large amounts of vitamins A and C and sodium. Vegetables are

fundamental too for their amount of minerals and vitamins. Eat three servings a day

of fruit and up to five servings of vegetables a day.

Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes and cereals in general are all carbohydrates. They are a

great source of vitamins, fibres and minerals and they provide you with the necessary

energy. You can eat from five to ten servings of carbohydrates a day, better if

wholegrain products.

TYPE OF DOCTOR DR WOODS IS _______________________________

REASON FOR BEING IN THE SCHOOL _______________________________

DEFINITION OF THE HEALTHY

DIET PYRAMID _______________________________

FOUR MAJOR FOOD GROUPS 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

4. _____________________________

Listening

33

MEAT GROUP INCLUDES 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

4. _____________________________

DAIRY PRODUCTS INCLUDES 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

DAIRY PRODUCTS PROVIDE 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

FRUIT PROVIDE 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

CARBOHYDRATES INCLUDE 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

4. _____________________________

5. _____________________________

Listening

34

Exercise 20

Listen to Patrick at the police station, giving details on a robbery he

witnessed and then complete with the missing information

Policeman: Ok Mr Bowman. You can sit here. Tell me what you saw.

Patrick: Well, I was at home. It was about midnight and I was watching my favouriteTV series, “Sherlock”. I heard a very loud noise outside and I got up from the sofaand went to the window. I saw three men trying to get into the shop. Their van wasparked in front of the shop with the doors open.

Policeman: Did you see their faces?

Patrick: It was dark and the street was badly lit. I just saw they were white and twoof them had short blond hair. The other one had long dark hair. He also wore glasses.

Policeman: Do you remember how were they dressed?

Patrick: Well, they were wearing jeans and dark T-shirts ... They looked black orprobably blue ... I’m not so sure of the colour.

Policeman: Had they got any distinctive mark?

Patrick: Oh yeah. One of them had a huge tattoo on his left arm. I couldn’t see whatit was but it seemed a big woman's face. Another was wearing a dark baseball capwith a colourful image on it.

Policeman: Did you see what they took?

Patrick: Seven huge televisions, about twenty laptops, a lot of mobiles, headphones,tablets, digital cameras, about twenty Playstations and twenty X-boxes, GPSnavigators.

Policeman: How long did it take?

Patrick: About two hours.

Policeman: And did you watch for the whole time?

Patrick: Oh yeah. I suffer from insomnia and so I often remain awake during the firsthours of the night.

Policeman:Why didn’t you call the police immediately?

Patrick: Well, I was enjoying the situation and I knew you would arrive soon. And inaddition I needed a video for the documentary.

Policeman: Video? Did you record everything?

Patrick: Oh yeah. Of course.

Policeman: But ... why didn’t you tell me before??

Patrick: You didn’t ask ...

Listening

35

PATRICK’S SURNAME ________________________________

TIME ________________________________

TV SERIES HE’S WATCHING ________________________________

PEOPLE HE SEES ________________________________

CAR USED ________________________________

PARTICULAR MARKS 1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

WHAT THEY TAKE

c Seven television c Three fridges

c Twenty keyboards c Fifty books

c Twenty laptops c Fifteen chairs

c A lot of mobiles c Headphones

c Monitors c Digital cameras

c Twenty Playstations c Coffee machines

c Twenty x-boxes c GPS navigators

TIME SPENT FOR THE ROBBERY ________________________________

WHY HE IS AWAKE ________________________________

WHAT HE RECORDS ________________________________

WHY ________________________________

DIDN’T SAY BEFORE BECAUSE ________________________________