UNITS

1–3 Units 1–3 test Audioscript

Speaker 1 In the future, we’ll spend less time Speaker 4 I don’t think schools will get rid of basic
memorising facts and figures at school skills like maths and reading, but I hope
and spend more time learning how to they will embrace more practical
do research and problem solve. With subjects like creating content for
most information available on the websites and building apps. By the
internet, students will be given a task to year 2040, people will be doing jobs
do, like designing an app or presenting that currently don’t exist because
a famous person, and the freedom to technology changes so quickly. Experts
do it. I think students will be asked to say that subjects like Chemical
solve real-world problems and I Engineering and Cybersecurity will be
wouldn’t be surprised if more major important, but for me, no matter what
breakthroughs in science and medicine they study, students should know how
are achieved by young people. to write basic computer code.
Speaker 2 I think the biggest change in education Speaker 5 I’m sure that by 2040 we’ll all be using
will be that it won’t stop when a student online schools or universities. It’ll be a
leaves formal education like university. cheaper way to study and I’m
Instead, there will be more focus on convinced they’ll be a lot more
lifelong learning because of how fast effective. This year, I’ve taken four free
new information keeps appearing. online courses. My CV is looking
Furthermore, we won’t be tested on impressive and I haven’t left school yet.
what we know, but on our ability to I want to start my own business and I
teach others. If we can teach think we should do away with subjects
something well, that proves that we like biology and chemistry, which are
understand it. only useful for a few people, and teach
teamwork, web design and internet
Speaker 3 I think it’s difficult to predict what
marketing instead.
education will be like in the future
because technology is advancing so
rapidly. Some people think that by
2040 all traditional schools will have
closed. I agree that more people will be
studying online, in fact they already
are, but physical schools are a
necessity because many students
struggle to work on their own. Physical
schools not only provide discipline, but
allow students to develop vital social
skills which they will need later in life.

Get Involved! B2 © Macmillan Education Limited 2021

UNITS

4–6 Units 4–6 test Audioscript

Ben Welcome to our podcast about young Ben That’s great. What about an activity to
people’s education. Today, we’ll be express needs?
talking to teacher Alison Barnes about
Alison Get the students to brainstorm
how teachers can improve young
situations where they wished they had
people’s face-to-face communication
been more confident about saying what
skills. Welcome, Alison.
they wanted. For example, when they
Alison Thank you, Ben. got a grade that was much lower than
expected. Then, get them to role-play
Ben Alison, are young people having more
the different situations in pairs.
problems communicating these days?
Afterwards, they can discuss how well
Alison Yes and no. With the rise in digital they expressed their needs and how
communication, young people are they could have improved.
more comfortable communicating with
Ben Nice. Finally, do you have any activities
a device, but they are losing the skills
to help young people to be better
to communicate without one.
listeners?
Ben I think that communicating well,
Alison Yes. A simple activity is to get each
including face to face, is good for
student to interview another student
everyone.
that they don’t usually talk to and ask
Alison Yes, studies suggest that good them to say something about
communication helps people to themselves that the interviewer doesn’t
express their needs. As a result, they know. Then, they can ask up to three
may feel more confident that they can questions to show they are listening.
face challenges without letting negative Finally, they share what they have
emotions get in the way. learnt about that person in small
Ben So how can teachers help students groups.
work on their communication skills? Ben And that last step of sharing the
Alison Well Ben, firstly, teachers must practise information forces students to really
good communication themselves. They focus when listening, otherwise they’ll
can provide a model of basic skills like have nothing to say!
keeping eye contact, knowing when to Alison Exactly!
speak and when to listen and not
Ben Thanks, Alison. Really great ideas!
speaking at an inappropriate volume.
Experts suggest that over 60% of face-
to-face communication is nonverbal.
Ben What activity could help with this?
Alison Get two students to perform a role-
play. Have a third student act as an
observer to take notes on the use of
body language, tone of voice and
whether the language is formal or
informal. Afterwards, the observer can
give feedback on what they saw and
heard. This will help students be more
sensitive to the importance of
appropriate verbal and nonverbal
communication.

Get Involved! B2 © Macmillan Education Limited 2021

UNITS

7–8 Units 7–8 test Audioscript

Leon Hi Tiffany. There’s a survey on the

Leon You’re right. I remember doing some
school website asking for ideas for
dance classes last summer. It was
extracurricular activities. Why don’t we
street dance and we used to practise in
make some suggestions?
front of a giant mirror that covered the
Tiffany Hi Leon. When you say extracurricular, whole wall. I was very nervous at first. I
do you mean activities that we do after wasn’t used to seeing myself dancing!
school? But it boosted my confidence a lot. And
dancing isn’t just about getting fit.
Leon Yes, but they could be at lunchtime,
Having to work out the order of the
too.
dance moves is good for your brain,
Tiffany Hmm, I understand. Well, I think we too!
should have a discussion club, where
Tiffany That’s so true. Um, the only other
we look at a popular topic and discuss
activity I can think of is something
it. For example, how to reduce poverty
practical like how to manage money or
or protect biodiversity.
cooking. These are things that we
Leon That sounds like a great idea. After should know but they aren’t taught
each discussion, we could post an much in school. I can make basic
article online to raise awareness of the meals with a few ingredients, but it
issue. I think your idea would really would be a struggle for me to cook a
catch on. A lot of us want to make a complicated meal from scratch. I’d
difference. have to get that done by someone else.
Tiffany Did you have any ideas for activities, Leon You’ve got a point there. So, what shall
Leon? we choose? I’d like to take up dancing
Leon I was thinking about something more again, so I’m going to suggest that.
active, like a sport. We spend too much Tiffany I’ll suggest the discussion club. I think
time sitting down or looking at screens, it’s important to think about global
so it would be great to unplug and get issues.
into a new sport like climbing or
Leon OK. Let’s do it!
canoeing. I think it’s important for
fitness and it would take our minds off
schoolwork and exams.
Tiffany I’m not so sure about those sports. The
school hasn’t got a climbing wall and
there are no rivers or lakes near here.
What about a dance class? That would
help you feel energetic and lively, but it
would be easy for the school to start
up. You’d just need a teacher and
some music. I used to do this
competitive dance called breaking. It
was so much fun and kept me in
shape.

Get Involved! B2 © Macmillan Education Limited 2021