LINK LISTENING Michael: China, but the ship came via

RECORDING 1 Singapore and was there for about a

Judy: Good morning. Total Insurance. week.
Judy speaking, how may I help you? Judy: Don’t worry, all of that information
Michael: I recently shipped my will be in the documentation. Now, the
belongings from overseas back here to dates. Do you know when the ship
Australia and I took out insurance with arrived?
your company. Some items were Michael: It left on the 11th of October and
damaged during the move so I need to got to Sydney on the 28th of
make a claim. What do I have to do? November[Q3].
Judy: Okay, well first I need to get a few Judy: Okay. I need one more thing.
details about this. Can you give me your There’s a reference number. It should be
name please? in the top right-hand corner of the pink
Michael: Yes. It’s Michael Alexander . form they gave you.
Judy: Okay. And your address please? Michael: Let me have a look. I have so
Michael: My old address or my current many papers. Yes, here it is. It’s 601 ACK.
one? Judy: Thanks.
Judy: Your current one. Judy: I need to take down a few details of
Michael: It’s 24 Manly Street, Milperra the actual damage over the phone before
near Sydney. you put in a full report. Can you tell me
Judy: What was the suburb, sorry? how many items were damaged and
Michael: Milperra. M-I-L-P-E-R-R-A [Q1]. what the damage was?
Judy: Right. Now, who was the shipping Michael: Yes, well four things actually. I’ll
agent Mr Alexander? start with the big things. My TV first of all.
Michael: You mean the company we It’s a large one … very expensive.
used? Judy: Our insurance doesn’t cover
Judy: Yes, the company who packed electrical problems.
everything up at the point of origin. Michael: It isn’t an electrical problem. The
Michael: Oh, it was … er … First Class screen has a huge crack in it so it’s
Movers[Q2]. unusable.
Judy: Okay… where were the goods Judy: I see. Any idea of the price to repair
shipped from? it?
Michael: No. Well, I don’t think it can be Judy: I’m sure that will be fine. What was
repaired. It will need a new one [Q4]. the last item, Mr Alexander?
Judy: Okay. I’ll make a note of that and Michael: Well, we have a lovely set of
we’ll see what we can do. Now, what was china plates and dishes, you know, with
the second item? matching cups, saucers, the lot. They
Michael: The cabinet from the bathroom were all in the one box which must have
was damaged as well [Q5]. It’s a lovely got dropped because some plates were
cabinet, we use it to keep our towels in. broken – six actually [Q9].
Judy: And what is the extent of the Judy: And can you tell me the
damage? replacement value of these?
Michael: Well, the back and the sides Michael: Well, it’s hard to say because
seem okay but the door has a huge hole they were part of a set but they can be up
in it [Q6]. It can’t be repaired. I’m really to $10 each as it’s such a good set.
not very happy about it. Judy: Okay, so that would be around $60
Judy: And how much do you think it will altogether?
cost to replace it? Michael: Yes, that’s right [Q10].
Michael: Well, when I bought it last year I Judy: And is that all of the items?
paid $125 for it. But the one I’ve seen here Michael: Yes. So what do I have to do
in Sydney is a bit more expensive, it’s now?
$140[Q7].
Judy: Right, and what was the third item? RECORDING 2

Michael: My dining room table. It’s a Welcome to Green Vale Agricultural Park. As
you know, we have only been open a week so
lovely table from Indonesia. It must have
you are amongst our first visitors. We have
been very hot inside the container
lots of fascinating indoor and outdoor
because one leg has completely split
exhibits on our huge complex, spreading
down the middle [Q8]. The top and the
hundreds of hectares. Our remit is to give
other three look okay thank goodness.
educational opportunities to the wider
Judy: Any idea of the price to repair it? public as well as to offer research sites for a
Michael: Well, I had an estimate done on wide variety of agriculturists and other
this actually because it is a very special scientists (Q11).
table to us. They quoted us $200, which is
really pricey so I hope the insurance will Let’s start by seeing what there is to do. As

cover the total cost. you can see here on our giant wall plan, we
are now situated in the Reception block…
here. As you walk out of the main door into you can go on foot (Q16) and finally there’s
the park there is a path you can follow. If you our electric tram (Q16), powered from solar
follow this route you will immediately come cells. You find more information about this at
into the Rare Breeds section, where we keep the front entrance.
a wide variety of animals which I shall be
telling you a little more about later. Next to A good place to start on your tour is the Rare
this…moving east…is the large grazing area Breeds section. We keep goats (Q17), sheep
for the rare breeds. Then further east…in the and hens (Q17) and other kinds of poultry. We
largest section of our Park is the Forest (Q12) are also thinking of bringing in cows and
Area. South of the grazing area and in fact horses but we do not, as yet, have facilities for
just next to the Reception block is our these bigger animals. The animals are fed in
Experimental Crop Area. In the middle of the public twice a day and a short lecture given
Park…this circular area is our lake…These two on their feeding habits and nutritional needs.
small rectangular shapes here …are the Fish These are very popular with the public but of
Farms (Q13) where we rear fish for sale. To the course we mustn’t lose sight of the main
east of those is the marsh area which attracts purpose of having this section, not as such to
a great many migrant birds. In the south- preserve rare animals but to maintain the
eastern corner, beyond the marsh, is our diversity of breeds (Q18) to broaden the gene
Market Garden (Q14) area, growing pool for agricultural development. Green Vale
vegetables and flowers. changes with the seasons with different
events happening at different times of the
All these areas can be visited by the general year. May will be perhaps our most
public for almost all the year…although … spectacular month with the arrival of the
please take note of the large signs at the Canada geese and when our fruit trees will
entrance to each area which tell…which tell be in full blossom, but there are interesting
you when certain areas are being used for events on all year round ….for example John
particular controlled experiments and are Havers, our expert fly fisherman, is currently
therefore temporarily out of bounds (Q15) to giving displays (Q19) on the lake. Each of the
the public. sections has its own seasonal calendar…
please consult the summary board at the
You can see for yourself what a huge area main entrance. And the final section, as we
the park covers and a key question is always, return to the Reception blocks, is the orchard.
how can we move around? Well you have a
choice of means …all environmentally friendly Do take time to browse round our shop…
…cars are banned in the park. We have there is a wide selection of books on wildlife
bicycles (Q16) which you can hire behind the (Q20), some of them written by local authors,
Reception block…here…the healthy ones of and the history of farming, including organic
farming, something which the park will be microscopic creatures which live on them,
diversifying into the coming months. and which can seriously damage our own
home – grown bees, or could even wipe them
RECORDING 3 out.
PROFESSOR: Good morning everyone. In
today’s seminar, Grant Freeman, a biologist PROFESSOR: Well, what would happen if
who specialises in identifying insects, and Australian bees died out?
who works for the Australian Quarantine
Service, has come to talk to us about his GRANT: Well, the honey from Australian bees
current research work. Right, well, over to is of excellent quality, much better than the
you, Grant. stuff the Asian bees produce. In that,
Australia exports native Queen bees to a
GRANT: Good morning, everyone. I’m sure large number of countries because of this
that you know that the quarantine service (Q23). When the European Honey Bee was
regulates all food brought into Australia. Well, first discovered out in the bush, we found
obviously they want to protect Australia from they made really unpleasant honey and they
diseases that might come in with imported were also too big to pollinate many of our
goods, but they also want to prevent insect native flowers here in Australia.
pests from being introduced into the
country, and that's where I have a part to STUDENT 2: That must have had a
play. Anyway, my current research involves devastating effect on the natural flora. Did
trying to find a particular type of bee, the you lose any species?
Asian Honey Bee, and finding out whether
there are any of them around in various GRANT: No, we managed to get them under
states of Australia. We discovered a few of control before that happened but if Asian
them in Queensland (Q21) once and bees got in there could be other
eradicated them. Now, we’re pretty keen to consequences. We could lose a lot of money
make sure that there aren’t any more getting (Q24) because you might not be aware, but
in, particularly to New South Wales and other it’s estimated that native bees’ pollination of
states. flower and vegetable crops is worth 1.2 billion
dollars a year. So in a way they’re the farmer’s
STUDENT 1: What’s wrong with Asian Honey friend. Oh, and another thing is, if you’re
Bees? Are they so different from Australian stung by an Asian Honey Bee, it can produce
bees? an allergic reaction in some people; so they’re
much more dangerous than native bees.
GRANT: Well, in fact, they look almost the
same, but they are infested with mites (Q22) –
PROFESSOR: How will you know if Asian bees them softer. Then we pull them apart under
have entered Australia? the microscope. Everything’s all scrunched
up but we’re looking for wings so we just pull
GRANT: We’re looking at the diet of the bird them all out and straighten them. Then we
called the Rainbow Bee Eater. The Bee Eater identify them to see if we can find any Asian
doesn’t care what it eats, as long as they’re bee wings (Q29)
insects (Q25). But the interesting thing about
this is that we are able to analyse exactly PROFESSOR: And how many have you
what it eats and that’s really helpful if we’re found?
looking for introduced insects.
GRANT: So far our research shows that Asian
PROFESSOR: How come? bees have not entered Australia in any
number - it’s a good result and much more
GRANT: Because insects have their skeletons reliable than trying to find (Q30) live ones as
outside their bodies, so the Bee Eaters digest evidence of introduced insects. Well, that’s
the meat from the inside. Then they bring up fascinating! Thank you, Grant, for those
all the indigestible bits of skeletons and, of insights. I hope that you might inspire some
course, the wings in a pellet – a small ball of of our students here to conduct some similar
waste material which they cough up. experiments.

PROFESSOR: That sounds a bit unpleasant. RECORDING 4

So, how do you go about it? I’ve been doing some research into what
people in Britain think of doctors, the ones
GRANT: In the field we track down the Bee who work in general practice – the first call
Eaters and find their favourite feeding (Q26) for me medical care – and comparing this
spots, you know, the place where the birds with the situation in a couple of the
usually feed. It’s here that we can find the countries. I want to talk about the rationale
pellets. We collect them up and then back to behind what I decided to do.
the laboratory (Q27) to examine the
contents. Now I had to set up my programme of
research in there different countries so I
PROFESSOR: How do you do that? approached postgraduates in my field in
overseas departments (Q31), contacting
GRANT: The pellets are really hard, especially them by email, to organize things for men at
if they have been out in the sun for a few their end. I thought I would have trouble
days so, first of all, we treat them by adding recruiting help but in fact everyone was very
water to moisten them and (Q28) make
willing and sometimes their tutors got long-term hospital care is in fact probably
involve too. less of an issue than the media would have us
believe. However, I’ve still got quite a bit lot of
I had to give my helpers clear instructions data to look at.
about what kinds of sample population I
wanted them to use. I decided that people Certainly I will need to do more far-reaching
hat people under 18 should be excluded research than I had anticipated in order to
because most of them are students or establish if people want extra medical staff
looking for their first job, and also I decided at invested in the community, or if they want
this stage just to focus on men who were in care to revert to fewer, but larger, key
employment (Q32), and set up something medical units (Q35). The solution may well
for people who didn’t have jobs and for be something that can be easily
employed women later on as separate implemented by those responsible in local
investigation. government, with central government
support of course.
I specifically wanted to do a questionnaire,
and interviews with a focus group. With the This first stage has proved very valuable
questionnaire, rather than limiting it to one though. I was surprised by how willing most
specific point, I wanted to include as much of the subjects were to get involved in the
variety as possible (Q33). I know project – I had expected some unwillingness
questionnaire area very controlled way to do to answer questions honestly. But I was taken
things but I thought I could do taped aback and rather concerned that something I
interviews later on to counteract the effects thought I’d set up very well didn’t
of this. And the focus group may also prove necessarily seem that way to everyone in
useful in future, by targeting subjects I can my own department (Q36).
easily return to, as the participants tend to be
more involved. I thought you might also be interested in
some of the problems I encountered in
So I’m collating the results now. A the collecting my data. There were odd cases
moment it looks as if, in the UK, despite the that threw me –one of the subjects who I had
fact that newspapers continually report approached while he was out shopping in
that people are unhappy with medical care, town, decided to pull out when it came to
in fact it is mainly the third level of care, the second round (Q37). It was a shame as it
which takes place in hospitals, that they was someone who I would to have
are worried about (Q34). Government interviewed more closely.
reforms have been proposed at all levels and
although their success is not guaranteed,
And one of the first-year studentsI
interviewed wanted reassurance that no
names would be traceable from the
answers (Q38). I was so surprised, because
they think nothing of telling you about
surprised, because they think nothing of
telling you about themselves and their
opinions in seminar groups!

Then, one of the people that I work with got a

bit funny. The questions were quite personal
and one minute he said he’d do it, then the
next day he wouldn’t, and in the end he did
do it (Q39). It’s hard not to get angry in that
situation but I tried to keep focused on the
overall picture in order to stay calm.

The most bizarre case was a telephone

interview I did with a teacher at a university
in France. He answered all my questions in
great detail – but then when I asked how
much access he had to dangerous
substances he wouldn’t tell me exactly
what his work involved (Q40). It’s a real eye-
opener…