Audio Scripts 9

Listening: A Lecture about ethics

Track 3.21 C. Listening for Main Ideas and Page 167
D. Identifying opinions
Professor: The ethics of seal hunting: “Should the Inuit people of North America be allowed to
hunt seals?” It’s an important question, and in recent years, the European Union made it illegal to
trade seal products. So in Europe, you can’t buy or sell seal skins, or seal oil, or anything made
from seals.
Now, you probably don’t wear seal-skin clothing or use a lot of seal oil, right? And the law is
popular with most people in Europe. Why? Because they see pictures of cute baby seals, and then
they see pictures of the seal hunt. People kill the seals with a gun, or in the more old-fashioned
way, by hitting them on the head. The pictures show the red blood on the ice, and for many
people, it’s disgusting. They think it’s their responsibility to stop the seal hunt. Yes? You have a
question?
Student 1: Yes, I’ve seen those pictures—and the videos, too. They’re really difficult to watch!
I’m not surprised that Europeans want to stop seal hunting! I think it’s awful!
Professor: It does look bad, but the Inuit people have a different opinion. They depend on
animals for food. After all, not many plants can grow in the cold climates of Alaska and parts of
Canada, so people there can’t raise crops such as rice or wheat. Therefore, the Inuit people have a
special relationship with animals. They say they value the animals and have a lot of respect for
them, and with seals, they know how to kill the animals quickly. They compare it to Europeans
and other people killing animals such as chickens or cattle for food. Of course, a lot of us don’t
see those animals being killed, so maybe that’s why it doesn’t upset us.
Student 2: So in other words, the Inuit people say it’s fine for them to kill animals because
people in other parts of the world kill animals, too. Personally, I don’t agree. I’m a vegan, so I
don’t eat meat or any other animal products. I think all of us share the responsibility for taking
care of animals—making sure nobody treats animals badly.
Professor: That’s a very important idea. And this law in the European Union is an effort to treat
seals better, but the Inuit are in North America. How does the law in the European Union affect
North American hunters? Many of the people in those upsetting pictures and videos are not Inuit
people. They hunt seals for their own reasons. But within the Inuit community, seal skins are a
source of income. The seal meat is usually eaten at home, and in the past, they sold the skins—
mostly to Europe. So for the Inuit people, the law has serious financial results. Are there any
questions?
Student 3: I’m wondering what’s ahead for the Inuit people— you know, what will their future
be like? I mean, they can’t control the laws in Europe, right?
Professor: That’s true. However, the Inuit people are trying to change the law. They think that
they should be able to sell seal products wherever possible, including Europe, because their
lifestyle and way of making a living dates back hundreds if not thousands of years. To them, the
Inuit seal hunt is different from other seal hunts. Other questions?
Listening: A Conversation about a Town in Zimbabwe
Track 3.25 B. Listening for Main Ideas and Page 176
C. Listening for Details
Jack: It’s been a long time, Dakarai! Tell us—how is life in Kariba Town?
Dakarai: Life is pretty good, Jack! The town is growing fast.
Jack: Yeah? That makes sense. I imagine people go there because there’s such interesting
wildlife and beautiful scenery.
Dakarai: Yes, and there are jobs. That’s a big attraction, too. Most of the jobs are in tourism and
fishing.
Jasmine: Sure—there must be a lot of fish in Lake Kariba.
Dakarai: That’s right, Jasmine—a lot of fish, and it’s a great place to go boating, so tourists love
that. And as you said, tourists want to see the wildlife—elephants, leopards, baboons—a lot of
different animals live there. Of course, that’s also one of the problems in Kariba.
Jasmine: Why is it a problem?
Dakarai: It’s similar to many other places, especially other places in Africa. There’s a conflict
between people and nature, right? People want to grow crops—animals want to eat the crops.
People want to move onto the animals’ land—the animals sometimes attack people.
Jack: Does that happen in Kariba? Are the animals aggressive? Dakarai: Actually, animal attacks
are not common. Most people in Kariba don’t walk around at night, so they avoid any problems.
Jasmine: You don’t go out at night?
Dakarai: Most of the time, no. In Kariba, daytime is for people, and nighttime is for animals.
Animals can do whatever they want at night. Elephants might walk around outside your house,
and leopards could walk down the main street.
Jasmine: Really? I can’t imagine an elephant outside my house— not here in Athens!
Jack: She’s right. There aren’t a lot of wild animals in this part of Greece.
Dakarai: Well, Athens is a very old city, but there was no Kariba Town before the 1950s. The
land around Kariba belonged to the animals.
Jasmine: And then they built the dam.
Dakarai: Yes, that’s right. Then they built the dam to create the lake. You know, when the water
behind the dam began to rise, people had to save a lot of animals. They went in boats to get them.
Can you imagine? It’s not easy to get wild baboons and zebras into a boat!
Jack: Wow! It’s amazing that people did that! Jasmine: So, how are the animals doing now?
Dakarai: Not very well, I’m afraid. There’s a wildlife reserve near the lake, but it’s a limited
area, and a lot of people hunt the animals even though it’s illegal.
Jasmine: That’s awful! Why are they doing that?
Dakarai: Well, sometimes they’re afraid. They think the animals might attack them. Most of the
time, though, the people are hunting for food. A lot of people in Kariba Town are poor, and
hunting is a way to feed their families.
Jack: That’s a difficult situation.
Dakarai: It is a problem. People require food to eat, of course, but the animal reserve is worth a
lot to Zimbabwe. The wild animals are an important part of nature and of Africa, and they bring
tourists into the country as well.
Jasmine: Tourists . . . and money from tourism.
Dakarai: That’s right. Well, I should get going. I’m giving a talk in 20 minutes.
Jack: OK. It was great to see you again!
Jasmine: Yes, it really was, and good luck with your talk!
Dakarai: Thanks, it was good to see both of you, too.