The term ‘construction documents’ is used to define the third stage. This is when the details of how to build the project
are put together in a thorough set of plans. These consist of things like a set of drawings and a set of specifications such as
electrical diagrams. They are kept together so that a contractor has all the information needed to build the project.
The fourth stage goes by the name ‘bidding and negotiations’ stage. This is when the construction documents have been
approved and an owner gets estimates, or bids, from potential contractors.
The final stage is referred to as ‘construction administration’. This is when the project’s underway and the architect’s in
charge of clarifying the drawings for those doing the work. It can be a timeconsuming aspect of the process, with different
variables coming into play. For example, materials that were available during the construction documents stage are no
longer available, so alternatives have to be found, approved and ordered
Module 3
Track 15
You will hear an audio tour recorded for visitors to a university campus.
Hello and welcome to this audio tour of the university campus. Our tour today begins at the main gate. The gatehouse
dates back to the year 1600 and has always been the main entrance to the university site, even if in those days there were
only a few hundred students in two or three buildings.
The first building we come to on our left also dates from 1600. Today in this building you’ll find the offices of the
university registry, which handles enrolments and other administrative matters. It was originally built as the university
library, however, and fulfilled that role until 1955, when the new library was built on the other side of the river.
Now, looking to our right, we pass the university theatre. This is the place where important ceremonies like graduation
day are held, as well as concerts and other public events. This building was built in 1993 on the site of the old dining
room, which was sadly destroyed by fire. Students can now eat in the restaurant, which is situated opposite the Faculty of
Law on this side of the river.
We are now entering the university’s main teaching blocks, all of which were built in the late twentieth century. The
Faculty of Life Sciences is on our right, and opposite that we see the Faculty of Arts, whilst ahead of us, just beyond the
fountain, we can see the Faculty of Medicine.
At the fountain, we turn left, and we soon come to the main accommodation blocks on our right, where the students now
live, and we pass the university car park on our left. Which brings us finally to the back gate, where you should turn right
and walk down towards the river, where our tour ends at the boathouse.
Track 16
When you enter the exhibition, you begin in Room 1. The exhibition is divided into different rooms according to the
branch of science that it focuses on. On the first floor, the focus is on Earth Sciences and there are five rooms, each dealing
with a different aspect of this theme from rainforest ecology to polar exploration, but the focus of the first room is the
world’s oceans. There are various interactive displays, and the one on coral reefs is not to be missed.
Leaving this first room, you walk into a corridor and here you have a choice of rooms to go into next. I suggest going into
the one on the right first. This room is devoted to the world’s highest places and there is a very interesting video on the
effects of altitude on the human body.
Returning to the corridor, you should then cross into the room directly opposite. Here the emphasis is on the world’s
coldest environments, and the interactive display showing the effects of climate change and global warming on these
hostile environments is well worth a visit.
You should leave this room by the door on the far side, which will take you through to the next room. Here the displays
deal with the areas on either side of the Equator, and particularly the rainforest. Here, an exhibition of research into the
diversity of species these areas support is fascinating.
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Leaving this room, you find yourself back in the main corridor, on the other side of which is our last room on this floor.
Here we look in detail at the world’s driest places and you can see a fascinating video about how plant species have learnt
to make the most of scarce water resources in an environment without rivers and lakes.
Track 17
M:
Right, so let’s look at the guidebook. We’re on the second floor and this is staircase 1.
F:
There it is – we must be here. M: OK. So what shall we go and see first?
F:
Well, we’ve got various things on this floor – there’s a room about space exploration, a room about astronomy in
general, a room about the Big Bang theory and then one about the planet Mars. But I also want to see the
exhibitions on the next floor – so we shouldn’t take too long.
M:
OK, so where shall we start?
F:
Well, the first room to our right is the general astronomy one, so we could make a start in there.
M:
OK – and opposite that it’s the Big Bang theory.
F:
That’s right. So it would be good to take in that one afterwards. Then, there’s a room at the end that’s about
manned spaceflight. We should finish there, because there’s another staircase going up from that room.
M:
Good idea. So what’s in the rooms on either side of the corridor before you get to the room at the end?
F:
Well, two of them are closed today – like the second one on the left – but the one next to it on the same side has
got an exhibition about space exploration – maybe that’s the one to miss if we haven’t got much time.
M
OK. But the one on the opposite side of the corridor to that’s got an exhibition about the planet Mars – I wouldn’t
want to miss that. So shall we do things in that order then?
F:
Good plan.
M:
Great, let’s go.
Track 18
You will hear a conversation in which two friends are talking about a racing bicycle.
M:
Did you read about the man who built himself a bike so that he could attempt a world speed record?
F:
Really? That sounds fantastic – what did he build it from?
M:
All sorts of stuff … Look – I’ve got the picture here.
F:
Right. Oh I like the position he’s in – very aerodynamic.
M:
Yeah.
F:
The wheels are quite small.
M:
Yeah – they’re not made from recycled material. He wanted to minimise contact with the road because that
causes friction, which slows you down. So they’re not as wide as those on a normal bike.
F:
And are the tyres completely smooth as well as being very narrow?
M:
Yes, that’s right.
F:
And the pedals are really high up at the back.
M:
Yeah. His shoes are fixed into place so that he can really get some power going.
F:
What are the pedals made of? I’m sure the weight of things like that must be an issue if you need to cycle at
speed.
M:
It is – but these ones are made of a special alloy, so there’s hardly any weight in them at all.
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F:
Brilliant. And what about the other metal parts, like the frame?
M:
Well, he hasn’t gone for new material there – he’s used some pieces from other bicycles that he’d used in the
past.
F:
Oh right. And has he designed the gears specially? It looks like he’s got two chains there – one going to the pedals
and the other going to the back wheel.
M:
That’s right – that’s his adaptation, but the gears themselves are ordinary ones.
F:
What, the sort you find on a normal bike?
M:
Yeah, apparently. The only thing he doesn’t have is a saddle to sit on.
F:
Well, he’s not really sitting is he? But he is resting his stomach and shoulders on something.
M:
That’s right. But the bits he’s resting on aren’t made of particularly soft material.
F:
Really?
M:
No, he made them out of an old saucepan.
F:
Must be a bit hard!
M:
You can say that again! So what are his chances of breaking this record?
F:
Oh, I don’t really know, but by all accounts ...
Module 4
Track 20
You will hear part of a radio programme about smartphones.
Now, I know that many of you are going travelling during the long summer vacation and I’m sure that one thing you’ll
certainly take with you is your smartphone, whatever type you happen to have. Now, losing your phone is a horrible
feeling at any time, but when it’s your main link to your life back home, it can be really upsetting. What’s more, we
generally keep a lot of sensitive information on our phones – so if they fall into the wrong hands, it can lead to all sorts of
problems.
So what should you be doing to protect your phone? According to recent research, an incredible 70 per cent of people
never bother to lock the screen with a passcode – so this is the first thing you should do and it’s really easy. Less of a
surprise is the finding that if someone comes across a lost phone, they’re highly likely to go through it looking for personal
information to identify the owner, even if they don’t have criminal intent.
What’s more, leaving an unlocked phone somewhere silly opens up your personal life to whoever wants to take a look,
even if you don’t actually lose it. It’s bad enough allowing easy access to emails, notes, contact lists and personal photos –
but when it comes to shopping apps, it’s really foolish to stay logged in on your handset – you really shouldn’t do that, no
matter how secure the site claims to be. Have a browse through your apps later and take a moment to consider the impact
of a dishonest person getting hold of all that information.
So what if you do lose your phone? When you first realise it’s not in your pocket, do check that you haven’t just dropped it,
like under the seat in a car or whatever. Missing phones can also be located by sending what’s called a ‘scream’ instruction
to your device, so that it makes a loud noise wherever it is. This might help if you’ve simply forgotten where you put it in
your room – less so in the case of theft or if you’ve left it behind on a bus. But if you still can’t find it, there are apps
available to help you locate a missing phone via GPS – just search the relevant app store for something like ‘find my
phone’. But whichever option you go for, make sure you enable the app and register before you leave home.
Some of these apps also have a lock and complete data-wipe feature for use in the worst-case scenario where you don’t
get your phone back. Although you have to pay extra for this, it’s probably worth it to give you peace of mind – even
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though you’ll probably never use it. But, of course, it goes without saying that you need to have your data backed up
somewhere else if you go for this option.
Passcodes, however, can be a pain. People have been known to forget them, especially new ones, or need to keep a written
record of them somewhere for fear of forgetting them, which also compromises the security of the phone. But more
significantly, not every lost phone falls into criminal hands. And if you’ve sensibly locked yours with a passcode, how is
the kind person who comes across it by chance, and wants to return it to you, able to do that? One great solution is to stick
on a tag from a global lost-and-found service that uses QR code stickers to mark an item. This allows anyone finding your
phone to log on to a website and arrange how to get it back to you. When you register a tagged item, you provide contact
details and can even offer a reward if you like, using a credit card or PayPal account to fund it. Finders and losers are
linked up anonymously so they can organise the return of the item directly. What a great use of the QR code, and one that
gives essential peace of mind for every smart traveller.
Track 21
OK, today I’m going to be talking about your research projects because you have to submit your proposals by the end of
the month. One of the key aspects of the proposal is getting off on the right track – a hastily chosen focus might be
regretted halfway through if you discover it’s too thin to support your research or too complex for you to complete in the
time available. To avoid these sorts of issues, I’ll be going through some practical ideas and tips to help you on your way.
The first thing to think about is the topic. Obviously, your ideas should relate to your field of study. The topic you start
with should be quite wide, so that you can narrow it down as you get more ideas. Topics for science students, for example,
might include looking at a new bacteria, researching the history of electricity or looking at space exploration. It may or
may not be something you’ve already looked at closely.
After you have a topic, you’ll want to focus on the procedure that you'll follow to do the research. This should ultimately
lead to your conclusion. For example, you might be researching the history of a new experimental procedure, or you
might be researching all of an author's work – but the key thing is that the procedure is providing you with the evidence
you need to back up any claims you’re going to make in the final analysis; it shouldn’t just copy the way other people do
things and hope for the best.
In order to complete your proposal for research, you need to have a possible outcome for your research in your head. For
instance, if you’re researching vaccinations, your outcome could be to answer whether, in your opinion and from your
research, they work, whereas if you’re researching an author, you might strive to find out what his motivation was, or
what her enduring influence will be. For space exploration, your outcome might revolve on whether the space programme
is moving forward. Once you have an outcome in your sights, you'll be able to come up with the right research ideas.
Track 22
L = Lisa, G = Graeme
L:
Hi, Graeme – how’s your research project going? It’s the deadline next Tuesday, isn’t it? The twenty-first of May.
G:
I thought it was Thursday actually, Lisa – let me have a look. No, we’re both wrong, the deadline is the 21st of
May, but that’s Wednesday, not Tuesday! Anyway, how’s it going?
L:
Well, Graeme, I’m struggling a bit with notetaking strategies – you know, knowing what to make a note of and in
how much detail – like when I’m doing my background reading.
G:
It helps to be organised, certainly. When I research an item on the outline plan I’ve made for my research project,
I list the points I’d like to include on the plan itself – like stuff I already know – and leave a space for new
information I come across as I’m going through my background reading around those points. I can’t see the point
of setting up a separate file.
L:
Good idea – I’ll have to start doing that. I make a note of detailed references, like dates, people's names and
theories – stuff like that. And I write down any source and page numbers so that I can refer back to it when I
write the paper and cite the reference. I mean that is important, but it’s only worth doing if you can find those
notes again. I spend half my life searching for stuff.
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G:
I use my outline plan for annotations like that too. And I also write any questions I have about the references
there as well so that I remember to follow them up afterwards. My problem is I go too far off my main topic if I’m
not careful – get interested in the details of the stuff I read that have no relevance to my main idea.
L:
Yeah, I know what you mean. Somebody suggested doing a mind map – you know, putting a question inside a
circle in the centre of a blank page and as you branch off of the main idea, making notes in bubbles around it.
Then you should be able to connect your ideas together by drawing a straight line from one circle to another. If
you can’t, then you’ve wandered off track.
G:
It’s a nice idea, but it didn’t work for me when I tried it.
L:
Oh good, because I found the same thing. But one piece of advice I did find useful is about direct quotes. You
know, remembering to use your own words, and if you quote someone, to give them proper credit.
G:
Yeah, it’s so easy when taking notes just to copy what’s written in your source but you need to avoid using those
exact words again when you write up your paper.
L:
Well, you can use a direct quote in your research paper if you believe it's the best way to say it, but you have to
make it clear in your notes what’s a direct quote and what isn’t…
G:
… otherwise you risk forgetting and accidentally plagiarising someone's work.
L:
That’s right. But I think the real value of notetaking is that it gives you the time to learn what it is you’re
researching. Rather than just looking up information and rewriting it in your own words, it allows you to
internalise it as you read and write about the new information you’re coming across.
G:
Yeah, it’s a process that helps you when you begin writing the research paper. It comes more easily than if you
hadn't taken notes first. And if you have to do any kind of oral presentation about your research project, the
same notes come in handy then too.
L:
Right – I hadn’t thought of that – like when you have to present the stuff in a new form, you go back to your
notes. I’ll remember that.
Track 23
You will hear a conversation between a university tutor and two students about their research project on birds
called robins.
T = Tutor, F = Fiona, J = Jack
T:
So Fiona, Jack, tell me about your research with robins. How did it start, Fiona?
F:
Well, we were originally doing some simple experiments to see how birds know which way to fly when they
migrate. It’s a study involving small European birds called robins, and it’s been going on for years – with the aim
of identifying any variations in long-term patterns of behaviour.
J:
When it’s time for the birds to migrate, they start to feel what’s called migratory restlessness and they fly off
northwest in spring and fly back southeast in autumn.
F:
The strange thing was that for some reason, the birds we were studying stopped doing it. They’d become
disorientated, going in one direction one day and in the opposite direction the next. And what made it all the
more incredible was that it happened all of a sudden, didn’t it, Jack?
J:
That’s right. This wasn’t a gradual thing – it was overnight. Something was interfering with the bird’s navigation
system, but we didn’t know what.
F:
I was convinced that it was going to be something like diet, so we changed the food we gave our captive birds,
but that made no difference. Then I wondered if air pollution was the cause, so we put some birds in a protected
environment – and that made no difference either.
J:
Then we did the same with light pollution at night – all to no avail.
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F:
Then Jack came up with the idea that it might be electromagnetic noise – like radio waves. Honestly, I didn’t
think that this could make much difference, but by that time, we were willing to try almost anything to get these
birds to show their natural behaviour.
T:
And so you started screening out the electromagnetic fields using a piece of equipment called a Faraday Cage.
What did you start to see? Jack?
J:
The birds started to orient just like they were supposed to do – back to normal. I was like, ‘Really?’ That was very
unexpected, but anyway, I was happy because we could resume our normal experiments – and that's just what
we did.
F:
But it also became clear to me that if the improved orientation was really due to the screening out of the
electromagnetic noise, then that was a very important finding in its own right. So I convinced Jack that we should
start to investigate which particular frequencies were interfering with the birds.
J:
It was this that allowed us to identify mediumwave radio as the source rather than say, electricity power lines of
mobile phone communication.
T:
So, what do you think the implications of this are?
F:
Well, the birds needed to be quite near to the source – in this case the radio receiver – for the effect to be
present. Which suggests a correlation with density of human population and activity – therefore robins in urban
areas are at greater risk.
J:
Which also goes a long way to explaining why this seemed to affect our birds and not all robins in general and
why it happened suddenly. Somebody must’ve started listening to the radio nearby who hadn’t been doing so
before. It was as simple as that.
Module 5
Track 24
You will hear a college accommodation officer welcoming new students to a student residence.
Hello! Welcome to Broadfields Student Residence. Before we get on with the business of showing you to your rooms,
there are a few general points I’d like to go through.
Firstly, those of you who have visited us before will notice that there have been quite a few changes over the long
vacation, and more upgrading of the facilities is planned throughout the year.
The main entrance has been redesigned to provide better security. There’s now an electronic gate in place, for which you
will be given a security code, as well as an entry-phone system on each floor, so that you can let visitors in. Please only
give access to people you know, however, as the gate will only be staffed during office hours. You’ll find the entry phone
located in the shared kitchen in each block. These have been installed as part of the general refurbishment of the cooking
and eating areas, which now have a full oven as well as a microwave and new fridges.
Now, all of the study bedrooms are going to be redecorated over the winter break. This will mean that you need to clear
your rooms and pack up your stuff for those two weeks, I’m afraid, but there will be a room where you can leave your
stuff safely. Anyone staying with us over the break may need to change rooms while the work’s going on, but we’ll try to
limit the inconvenience. The bathrooms on each floor will be redecorated at the same time.
In the longer term, we hope to upgrade the shared laundry facilities on each floor, but a date is yet to be fixed for the
installation of new washing machines, irons and ironing boards, so apologies in the meantime if some of the equipment in
those areas is unreliable.
Secondly, a few reminders about what’s included in your rental agreement and what you have to pay extra for. Your room
will be cleaned on a weekly basis, but if you want extra cleaning – like more than once a week – this can be arranged on
payment of a supplement.
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