Collins IELTS 1 Listening Test 1
4 parts · 40 questions · 30 minutes
Reporting a stolen mobile phone
Questions 1–5
Complete the details in the form below. Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
z-Mobile Services Incident Report Sheet
| Example | Answer |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CN2 1EB |
| Mobile phone number | 07890 (1) ………………………… 570 |
| Name | (2) ………………………… Green |
| Crime Reference Number | CZ- (3) ………………………… -5 |
| _____ Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number | Not known |
| Time, date of theft | 1–2pm, 16 (5) ………………………… |
Questions 6–10
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
6. The caller's phone was stolen
A when he went to the toilet.
B from the table.
C from his pocket.
7. The caller will have to pay a charge
A for a new phone.
B if his phone is stolen again.
C in 12 months' time.
8. The delivery address is
A 34 Solent Gardens.
B 34 Solent House.
C 34 Solent Grove.
9. The caller's IMEI number
A can be found on the side of the phone battery.
B is made up of 15 digits.
C cannot be found.
10. The operator
A transfers the caller to a colleague.
B will ring the caller back the next day.
C asks the caller to ring back.
Talk Back on Radio Western
Questions 11–13
Choose THREE letters, A–F.
11. Which THREE things did the presenter say he enjoyed about his holiday?
A the food
B the weather
C the nightlife
D the journey
E the people he met
F His children had a good time.
12. Which THREE things did the presenter say he enjoyed about his holiday?
A the food
B the weather
C the nightlife
D the journey
E the people he met
F His children had a good time.
13. Which THREE things did the presenter say he enjoyed about his holiday?
A the food
B the weather
C the nightlife
D the journey
E the people he met
F His children had a good time.
Questions 14–16
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Which THREE radio shows does the presenter recommend Sally listen to?
• (14) …………………………
• (15) …………………………
• (16) …………………………
Questions 17–18
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
17. What does John object to?
A the time of day the programmes are on
B the lack of time guests have to answer questions
C the interviewers' questions
18. How does John think the problem could be solved?
A have further live radio shows
B put the radio shows on at different times
C extend the show on the internet
Questions 19–20
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
19. Which TWO things does Clive want to hear more of on the radio station?
A younger guests
B music for older people
C consumer issues for older people
D older presenters
E health problems faced by older people
20. Which TWO things does Clive want to hear more of on the radio station?
A younger guests
B music for older people
C consumer issues for older people
D older presenters
E health problems faced by older people
Planning a group presentation
Questions 21–25
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
PRESENTATION INFORMATION
Day: (21) …………………………
Subject: (22) …………………………
Length: (23) …………………………
Technical equipment needed: (24) …………………………
Location: (25) …………………………
Questions 26–30
Which person is responsible for the following tasks? Write the correct letter, A, B or C, next to questions 26–30. NB You may use any letter more than once.
Group members
A Simon
B Kelly
C Fiona
26. introduce and end the talk
27. talk about the historical perspective
28. talk about the contemporary situation
29. book the technical equipment
30. build the presentation
Time management at university
Questions 31–37
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
31. The speaker thinks
A a university is a similar experience to school or college.
B students need more tutor support at university.
C a lot of students have difficulties at university.
32. Which chart, A, B or C, shows the degree of poor time management skills amongst male and female students?
A Chart A
B Chart B
C Chart C
33. The speaker thinks it's important that
A the academic planner is kept safe somewhere.
B the academic planner is put somewhere it can be seen easily.
C students remember to collect their academic planner.
34. When filling in the academic planner students should
A ignore non-academic occasions.
B try to keep visits home to a minimum.
C add all important academic and non-academic dates.
35. Initially, the academic planner will
A give the wrong impression about the amount of work there is.
B show some days are busier than others.
C give a clear idea of busy periods.
36. According to the tutor, students should organise their studies
A so that they have time for coffee breaks.
B so that they don't miss any seminars or lectures.
C as if it were a normal working day.
37. The tutor makes the point that
A cookery students do well when writing essays.
B cooking and essay writing share certain characteristics.
C cooking is a complicated process.
Questions 38–40
Choose THREE letters, A–G.
38. Which THREE things does the tutor recommend?
A When planning self-study, note the time you should spend studying.
B Break tasks down into individual stages.
C Avoid working in the evenings.
D Put time aside for favourite TV programmes.
E Do household tasks at regular times.
F Avoid the library if your friends are there.
G Study in the library.
39. Which THREE things does the tutor recommend?
A When planning self-study, note the time you should spend studying.
B Break tasks down into individual stages.
C Avoid working in the evenings.
D Put time aside for favourite TV programmes.
E Do household tasks at regular times.
F Avoid the library if your friends are there.
G Study in the library.
40. Which THREE things does the tutor recommend?
A When planning self-study, note the time you should spend studying.
B Break tasks down into individual stages.
C Avoid working in the evenings.
D Put time aside for favourite TV programmes.
E Do household tasks at regular times.
F Avoid the library if your friends are there.
G Study in the library.
Answers
1. 623
2. Tomas
3. 17624
4. International
5. August
6. from the table.
7. if his phone is stolen again.
8. 34 Solent Gardens.
9. is made up of 15 digits.
10. transfers the caller to a colleague.
11. the food
12. the people he met
13. His children had a good time.
14. classical music show
15. international folk music
16. History of Jazz
17. the lack of time guests have to answer questions
18. extend the show on the internet
19. music for older people
20. consumer issues for older people
21. Wednesday
22. women in education
23. half an hour
24. projector and laptop
25. seminar room
26. C
27. B
28. A
29. B
30. A
31. a lot of students have difficulties at university.
32. Chart A
33. the academic planner is put somewhere it can be seen easily.
34. add all important academic and non-academic dates.
35. give the wrong impression about the amount of work there is.
36. as if it were a normal working day.
37. cooking and essay writing share certain characteristics.
38. Break tasks down into individual stages.
39. Put time aside for favourite TV programmes.
40. Do household tasks at regular times.
Explanations
- 1. 623
- The caller dictates his number in three chunks and the operator repeats each one back: '07890 ... 623 ... 570', then confirms the whole number as 07890 623570. The missing middle chunk is therefore 623.Common trap: Chunked-number trap – the number arrives in pieces with pauses and repetitions, so it is easy to write the last chunk (570, already printed) into the gap instead of the middle one.
- 2. Tomas
- The caller gives his name as Tomas Green and then spells the first name, explicitly correcting the operator's assumption that it is spelt with an 'h'. The surname Green is already printed, so the answer is the first name, Tomas.Common trap: Spelling trap – the operator offers the common spelling 'Thomas' first; the caller rejects it, so writing Thomas loses the mark.
- 3. 17624
- The crime reference number is dictated as 'CZ – 17624 – 5' and then read back in full by the operator. CZ and 5 are already printed on the form, so the missing middle element is 17624.Common trap: Chunked-number trap – the word 'dash' separates three elements; the final '5' is easy to write into the gap even though it is already printed after it.
- 4. International
- The caller does not know what IMEI stands for, and the operator expands the abbreviation: 'It's the International Mobile Equipment Identity number.' The form already prints 'Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number', so the missing first word is International.Common trap: Abbreviation-expansion trap – the answer is a single word inside a long technical name that is said quickly and only once.
- 5. August
- The caller says the theft happened 'between 1 and 2 o'clock yesterday' and the operator converts this into the full record: '1 to 2pm on 16th August.' The time and the date 16 are printed, so the missing item is the month, August.Common trap: Speaker-shift trap – the caller supplies only a vague 'yesterday'; the month comes from the operator's confirmation a moment later.
- 6. from the table.
- The caller had the phone with him at the table and checked it there, 'But when I came to leave it wasn't on the table.' He explicitly denies leaving the table, and the pocket he mentions is the thief's, not his own.Common trap: Distractor-word trap – both wrong options ('toilet', 'pocket') are said aloud, one in a question the caller rejects and one about the thief.
- 7. if his phone is stolen again.
- The Care Plan means there is no charge for this replacement, but the operator warns 'if it happens again within the next three months you may have to pay a fee' – i.e. a charge only if the phone is stolen a second time.Common trap: Number-distractor trap – '12-month' and 'three months' are both heard; 12 months belongs to the plan, and the condition is repetition of the theft, not the passing of time.
- 8. 34 Solent Gardens.
- The operator reads the address back for confirmation – 'Is it 34 Solent Gardens?' – and the caller confirms with 'That's it.'Common trap: Address-confirmation trap – an Australian address is discussed and rejected in between, so the listener must wait for the final confirmed UK address.
- 9. is made up of 15 digits.
- The operator explains: 'the IMEI number is a 15-digit number that you can see underneath the phone's battery' – so it has 15 digits, and it is under (not on the side of) the battery.Common trap: Near-paraphrase trap – 'underneath' is deliberately close to 'on the side of', and the caller's 'No, sorry' makes 'cannot be found' tempting.
- 10. transfers the caller to a colleague.
- The operator says she will put the caller through to a colleague who traces IMEI numbers, and the call ends with 'Just putting you through to my colleague now ...'Common trap: Distractor-word trap – 'next-day' is heard earlier in the delivery discussion and can be mis-attached to a call back.
- 11. the food
- The presenter names three good things about the holiday: the food ('absolutely delicious'), the local people ('the locals we spoke to were really friendly' = the people he met) and his children's enjoyment ('the kids loved it'). The weather was 'an absolute washout' and the flight home was 'long, rather boring', so those are negatives, and nightlife is never mentioned.Common trap: Positive/negative trap – the weather and the journey are both mentioned but framed negatively, so listening for topic words rather than for the speaker's attitude produces two wrong letters.
- 12. the people he met
- The presenter names three good things about the holiday: the food ('absolutely delicious'), the local people ('the locals we spoke to were really friendly' = the people he met) and his children's enjoyment ('the kids loved it'). The weather was 'an absolute washout' and the flight home was 'long, rather boring', so those are negatives, and nightlife is never mentioned.Common trap: Positive/negative trap – the weather and the journey are both mentioned but framed negatively, so listening for topic words rather than for the speaker's attitude produces two wrong letters.
- 13. His children had a good time.
- The presenter names three good things about the holiday: the food ('absolutely delicious'), the local people ('the locals we spoke to were really friendly' = the people he met) and his children's enjoyment ('the kids loved it'). The weather was 'an absolute washout' and the flight home was 'long, rather boring', so those are negatives, and nightlife is never mentioned.Common trap: Positive/negative trap – the weather and the journey are both mentioned but framed negatively, so listening for topic words rather than for the speaker's attitude produces two wrong letters.
- 14. classical music show
- Reassuring Sally that the evening music shows are safe, the presenter lists what is coming: 'We've got a brand new classical music show coming soon.' That is the first of the three recommended shows.Common trap: Word-limit trap – 'brand new' is an adjective describing the show, not part of its name; including it breaks the three-word limit.
- 15. international folk music
- The second show named is Chris Greene's return – 'his show on international folk music'. The show is identified by its subject, international folk music.Common trap: Name-versus-subject trap – the presenter's name (Chris Greene) is easy to write instead of the show's subject.
- 16. History of Jazz
- The third recommendation is 'Carol Whittaker's History of Jazz every Friday night'. The show's title is History of Jazz.Common trap: Word-limit trap – the presenter's name and the broadcast slot surround the title; only the three-word title fits the limit.
- 17. the lack of time guests have to answer questions
- John's complaint is that guests 'run out of time before they have the chance to finish the interview' and that 'many questions go unanswered' as programmes end – that is a lack of time for guests to answer.Common trap: Partial-overlap trap – 'questions' appears in the passage and in option C, but the problem is the time available, not the interviewers' questions.
- 18. extend the show on the internet
- John proposes 'some kind of after-show online channel where the guest can continue answering listeners' questions', which the presenter agrees would work well 'on our website' – i.e. extending the show online.Common trap: Keyword-echo trap – 'live show' is heard in the presenter's response and can be mis-taken for John's proposal.
- 19. music for older people
- Clive asks for two things: 'music shows aimed at the older generation' (music for older people) and 'more on problems facing the over-50s in our consumer affairs shows' (consumer issues for older people). He complains about the 30-somethings focus, but never asks for younger guests, older presenters or health coverage.Common trap: Over-generalisation trap – 'problems facing the over-50s' sounds like it could cover health, and 'Presenters' invites option D; both are anchored to consumer affairs and topic choice, not to health or presenter age.
- 20. consumer issues for older people
- Clive asks for two things: 'music shows aimed at the older generation' (music for older people) and 'more on problems facing the over-50s in our consumer affairs shows' (consumer issues for older people). He complains about the 30-somethings focus, but never asks for younger guests, older presenters or health coverage.Common trap: Over-generalisation trap – 'problems facing the over-50s' sounds like it could cover health, and 'Presenters' invites option D; both are anchored to consumer affairs and topic choice, not to health or presenter age.
- 21. Wednesday
- Simon thinks the presentation is on Thursday, but Kelly corrects him: 'it's next Wednesday' – Thursday is the other group's day and theirs is 'the day before'.Common trap: Correction trap – the wrong day (Thursday) is said aloud twice and belongs to another group; the answer is the day Kelly confirms.
- 22. women in education
- Simon checks the topic – 'We're definitely doing it on women in education, aren't we?' – and Kelly confirms 'Yes, that's right.' Women in politics was only an earlier idea.Common trap: Rejected-alternative trap – 'women in politics' is mentioned in the same sentence but explicitly dropped.
- 23. half an hour
- Kelly reports the instruction on length: 'They said to keep it to about half an hour.'Common trap: Word-limit trap – the answer must be written as the three words spoken; 'about' is a hedge and is not part of it.
- 24. projector and laptop
- Simon names the equipment they must arrange: 'One thing we do need to sort out is a projector and laptop.' Kelly later repeats the same pair as 'the laptop and projector'.Common trap: Software-versus-hardware trap – PowerPoint is named in the next breath but is not technical equipment to be booked.
- 25. seminar room
- Kelly assumes the lecture theatre; Simon corrects her: 'the lecture theatre was booked. We're in the seminar room.'Common trap: Correction trap – 'lecture theatre' is said twice before the real room is given.
- 26. C
- Kelly proposes that Fiona frames the talk: 'let's ask Fiona to start the talk off and bring it to a close. She can take on the introduction and conclusion.'Common trap: Absent-speaker trap – Fiona has not arrived yet, so her tasks are assigned in the third person and are easy to attach to whoever is speaking.
- 27. B
- Kelly takes the past: 'why don't I take the bit on the past and you talk about the situation for women as it is now?' – 'I' is Kelly, so the historical section is hers.Common trap: Pronoun trap – 'I' and 'you' in one sentence split the past and the present between the two speakers; mixing them up loses both marks.
- 28. A
- In the same sentence Kelly gives the present-day section to Simon – 'you talk about the situation for women as it is now' – and Simon accepts with 'Okay.'Common trap: Pronoun trap – the confirmation is only Simon's one-word 'Okay', so the assignment must be tracked through 'I' and 'you'.
- 29. B
- Kelly volunteers: 'Before I forget, I can sort out the laptop and projector' – she is going to technical services anyway.Common trap: Earlier-mention trap – Simon is the one who raises the equipment issue, but Kelly is the one who takes the job on.
- 30. A
- Kelly asks who is good with computers and invites Simon to do it – 'Do you fancy having a go?' – and Simon accepts: 'I don't mind.' He also says he will add the images to the presentation.Common trap: Shared-task trap – everyone hunts for images, but only Simon builds the slides.
- 31. a lot of students have difficulties at university.
- Mark says university is 'different ... from school or college' and that although some adapt naturally, 'in our experience, many students find this new regime a challenge' – i.e. a lot of students have difficulties.Common trap: Negation trap – 'school or college' and the idea of being watched over are both said, but one is reversed and the other is about student responsibility rather than tutor support.
- 32. Chart A
- Mark's research shows 65% of male students and 55% of female students have poor time management skills – males higher than females. Only Chart A has the male bar at about 65 and the female bar at about 55.Common trap: Figure-mapping trap – both percentages are said in one sentence; attaching 65% to females (or hearing 'a majority' as 'equal') gives B or C.
- 33. the academic planner is put somewhere it can be seen easily.
- Mark says 'don't hide it away in a drawer somewhere. Give it pride of place somewhere like on the bedroom wall so you'll have daily reminders' – the planner must be visible.Common trap: Negative-instruction trap – the 'kept safe' idea is said, but inside a prohibition.
- 34. add all important academic and non-academic dates.
- After listing academic dates, Mark adds: 'Those important non-academic occasions shouldn't be ignored either. Trips back home for family celebrations need to be factored in.'Common trap: Double-negative trap – the word 'ignored' appears in the passage inside a negative, matching the wording of wrong option A, and the trips home that illustrate the rule invite option B.
- 35. give the wrong impression about the amount of work there is.
- Mark warns that the first impression – 'how much time you have on your hands' – 'is very misleading indeed', because the planner does not show the self-study that has to be done.Common trap: Timing trap – 'busy periods' is discussed much later as something students must predict for themselves, not as something the planner shows at first.
- 36. as if it were a normal working day.
- Mark's instruction is explicit: 'structure your days on a 9-5 basis as if you were a full-time employee' – that is, like a normal working day.Common trap: Keyword-echo trap – 'cafe' and 'seminars or lectures' both appear in the sentence before the answer.
- 37. cooking and essay writing share certain characteristics.
- The cooking analogy is about preparation: researching, buying and chopping come long before the cooking itself, and 'It's the same with that essay you have to write' – both need careful planning built in beforehand.Common trap: Analogy trap – the long description of cooking makes option C sound right, but the point of the analogy is the comparison with essay writing.
- 38. Break tasks down into individual stages.
- Three recommendations are made: be task-orientated so that preparation is broken 'down into individual, achievable steps' (B); note the times you won't want to work, including 'evenings when your favourite programmes are on TV' (D); and give household jobs 'a fixed time each week' (E). Timing your study ('research 10 a.m.–11 a.m.') is given as an example of what NOT to do, evenings are suggested as extra work time, and the library is offered only as a possibility.Common trap: Recommendation-versus-mention trap – timing your study, working evenings and using the library are all spoken about, but as a rejected method, a question, and a tentative suggestion respectively.
- 39. Put time aside for favourite TV programmes.
- Three recommendations are made: be task-orientated so that preparation is broken 'down into individual, achievable steps' (B); note the times you won't want to work, including 'evenings when your favourite programmes are on TV' (D); and give household jobs 'a fixed time each week' (E). Timing your study ('research 10 a.m.–11 a.m.') is given as an example of what NOT to do, evenings are suggested as extra work time, and the library is offered only as a possibility.Common trap: Recommendation-versus-mention trap – timing your study, working evenings and using the library are all spoken about, but as a rejected method, a question, and a tentative suggestion respectively.
- 40. Do household tasks at regular times.
- Three recommendations are made: be task-orientated so that preparation is broken 'down into individual, achievable steps' (B); note the times you won't want to work, including 'evenings when your favourite programmes are on TV' (D); and give household jobs 'a fixed time each week' (E). Timing your study ('research 10 a.m.–11 a.m.') is given as an example of what NOT to do, evenings are suggested as extra work time, and the library is offered only as a possibility.Common trap: Recommendation-versus-mention trap – timing your study, working evenings and using the library are all spoken about, but as a rejected method, a question, and a tentative suggestion respectively.
Audio transcripts
Part 1 — Reporting a stolen mobile phone
Operator: Good morning, z-Mobile Services. This is Tess speaking. How can I help? Caller: I want to report a stolen mobile phone. Operator: Could you confirm your postcode please sir? Caller: It's CN2 1EB. Operator: Thanks. And your house number? Caller: 34. Operator: Okay. Can you give me the telephone number of the phone that was stolen? Caller: Yes, it's ... wait a minute ... it's 07890 ... Operator: 07890 ... Caller: 623 ... Operator: 623 ... Caller: 570. Operator: 570. Okay. So, it's 07890 623570. Caller: Yes, that's right. Operator: Can you just confirm your name? Caller: Yes, it's Tomas Green. Operator: Is that Thomas spelt T-H-O-M-A-S? Caller: No, there's no 'h'. It's just Tomas. T-O-M-A-S. Operator: Okay. So you said your phone was stolen? Caller: That's right. I reported it to the police this morning. Operator: That's good. I'll need to take down your crime reference number. Caller: I've got it here. It's CZ ... Operator: CZ ... Caller: Dash 17624 ... Operator: 17624 ... Caller: Dash 5. Operator: 5. Thank you. Let me run through that again. CZ dash 17624 dash 5. Caller: That's it. Operator: Just a few more details. Can I have your IMEI number? Caller: Oh, what's that? Operator: It's the International Mobile Equipment Identity number. It's a Caller: Sorry, I don't have it. Operator: Not to worry - we'll deal with that in a moment. I just need to have the date and time your mobile was stolen. Caller: That's easy. Between 1 and 2 o'clock yesterday. Operator: That's 1 to 2pm on 16th August. Thank you. Now, I just need a few details of the incident if you wouldn't mind. Caller: Sure. I was in the Bangs Coffee Bar in the city centre. I definitely had my phone with me when I sat down. In fact I remember checking to see if I had any text messages. But when I came to leave it wasn't on the table. Operator: Did you leave the phone unattended at any time, perhaps to go to the toilet? Caller: No, that's the funny thing. Like I told the police, it was very busy in there because it was lunchtime and all the tables and chairs were pushed really close together. There were a couple of other people at my table. Someone must have leaned across when I wasn't looking and slipped my phone into their pocket. Operator: Oh dear. Caller: I know. It's such a pain. I suppose I'll have to pay for a replacement? Operator: Fortunately you're covered by our 12-month Care Plan so there won't be a charge for replacing it this time. But I have to tell you if it happens again within the next three months you may have to pay a fee. Caller: Fair enough. How soon can you send me a new one? Operator: We've got two options. You can get it sent by courier for next-day delivery for a small fee or we can send it in the standard post free of charge. You should allow about five days for it to arrive. Caller: That's a bit difficult. I'm going back to Australia the day after tomorrow to see my parents for a month. Any chance you could send it to their address? Operator: No, I'm sorry. We can only send replacements to UK addresses. Caller: In that case I'd better have next-day delivery then. Operator: Okay, so just to confirm the delivery address ... Is it 34 Solent Gardens? Caller: That's it. Operator: The final thing we need to do is to put a block on your phone. Caller: You mean to stop the thief from using it? I was wondering about that. Operator: What I need to do is put your IMEI number into the Central Register, which will essentially prevent anyone else from making calls from your phone. Now the IMEI number is a 15-digit number that you can see underneath the phone's battery. Do you have a record of it? Caller: No, sorry. Is there any other way to find the number? Operator: Yes. We usually trace it from a call you've recently made. In a moment I'll put you through to my colleague who deals with that. By the time you've finished with him your mobile will no longer operate. Caller: Good. Operator: And with your new phone I'll also send you a Crime Prevention leaflet, which will give you some tips on how to protect your phone from being stolen again. Caller: Thanks, you've been really helpful. Operator: Don't mention it. Just putting you through to my colleague now ...
Part 2 — Talk Back on Radio Western
Hi, you're listening to Marc Ambrose and I'll be with you through to midday on Talk Back, the show where you tell us what you think about Radio Western. I'm sure you've all heard we have a new boss here at Radio Western and she's very keen to get your feedback. Well, you've certainly taken her invitation seriously. We'll be dipping into the postbag for your feedback in just a moment and speaking to a surprise guest or two later in the show. I must start by saying a big 'thank you' to Tony Marsons - judging by your letters, he did a great job of covering the show last week whilst I was away. Thanks Tony, if you're listening. And thanks for all the emails asking about my holiday. I had a long, rather boring flight home late last night but I must say I had a wonderful time. The food was absolutely delicious and the locals we spoke to were really friendly. Shame about the weather, which was an absolute washout, but you can't have everything I suppose. And the kids loved it, so everyone was happy. Anyway, on to the first of your letters ... Sally from Liverpool is very concerned about the consequences of the cutbacks we've been experiencing here at Radio Western, in particular whether some of our late-night music shows could be facing the axe. 'We're force-fed a great deal of pop music throughout the day,' writes Sally, 'and some of your listeners look forward to the more niche musical genres you cover in the evening. Are these in danger when you rearrange the schedule?' Not at all Sally. In fact look out for one or two exciting new shows over the coming weeks. We've got a brand new classical music show coming soon and the return of the ever-popular Chris Greene with his show on international folk music. And of course there's Carol Whittaker's History of Jazz every Friday night. Hopefully this will put your mind at rest, Sally. John from Leicester writes in to point out that many of our guests on Talk Back and other shows seem to run out of time before they have the chance to finish the interview. 'It happens again and again,' writes John. 'As the programmes draw to a close guests get rushed and many questions go unanswered. Why don't you offer some kind of after-show online channel where the guest can continue answering listeners' questions?' I think that's a great idea John. And as you go on to say, if it were recorded, people who don't get the chance to hear the live show could catch up later. We'll certainly pass this one up to management, I'm sure a service like this would go down really well on our website. Now Clive has a question that will be of interest to all us over-50s fans of Radio Western. Clive wants to know why we don't feature more issues related to this age group and cater more to this group's taste in music. As Clive explains, 'As a regular listener I'm concerned about your age profiling. Presenters seem intent on covering topics that appeal very much to the 30-somethings, which is great for them, but what about people of other ages?' Clive would like to see music shows aimed at the older generation and more on problems facing the over-50s in our consumer affairs shows. Well Clive, we'd certainly hate to think you're feeling excluded from our schedule. What about other listeners? Do you think we're getting it about right or is there room for improvement?
Part 3 — Planning a group presentation
Simon: Hi Kelly. How are you? Kelly: Fine thanks. Do you still have time to talk about our presentation? Simon: Yeah, for sure. We need to get going on this, don't we? Kelly: Well, it's next Wednesday, so yes. Simon: I thought it was Thursday. Kelly: No that's the other group. We're doing ours the day before. I've just seen Fiona. She's going to be a bit late so shall we just get started? Simon: Yes, fine. We're definitely doing it on women in education, aren't we? I know we talked about women in politics but are we going for education? Kelly: Yes, that's right. Now it's not too long is it, the presentation? They said to keep it to about half an hour. Maybe we can sort out who's doing what today. Simon: Yes, good idea. One thing we do need to sort out is a projector and laptop. We're going to use PowerPoint or something like that for the talk, aren't we? Kelly: Yes. They said we could book a projector and laptop from technical services if we needed them. Because it's not in the lecture theatre, is it? I know there's already one set up in there but ... Simon: No, the lecture theatre was booked. We're in the seminar room. Kelly: Okay. So what's the next step? We need to work out who's doing what, don't we? Simon: Well, we all know the subject, seeing as our last essay was on this topic. Kelly: Yes, but we can't just stand up and ramble on; it'll need to be structured. I've got an idea. Fiona's essay was brilliant, wasn't it? Why don't we base the talk on that? We can always add bits here and there if we think it needs padding out anywhere. Simon: That's a good idea. Shall we ask her to get a copy of it for both of us? Kelly: Yes, I'm sure she won't mind. We can always let everyone know at the start of the presentation that it's Fiona's work. But we don't want to just read it out. That'll be really boring. It's probably best to make notes from it so that we can improvise a bit on the day. Simon: Why don't we break the essay down into sections and the three of us can each take on one section. We can all make notes on our own part and add to it where we think it needs it. That way we can try to make it our own. Kelly: Yes, I like it. So let's ask Fiona to start the talk off and bring it to a close. She can take on the introduction and conclusion. I know she divided the essay into the situation for woman in the past and then compared it to how things are now. So why don't I take the bit on the past and you talk about the situation for women as it is now? Simon: Okay. If we give ourselves till the weekend to work on it we can get together on Saturday to see how it's looking. Now what about the presentation itself? Someone will need to build that and find images. We don't just want to fill each slide with a load of text, do we? Kelly: No we don't. Before I forget, I can sort out the laptop and projector. I've got to go down to technical services to get them to have a look at my laptop. They reckon they can get it to run a bit faster. But the presentation ... who's good with computers? Do you fancy having a go? Simon: I don't mind. But I'll wait until we've met up on Saturday just to make sure we've all got our notes. Kelly: We'll need images, won't we? Shall we all search for our own to fit our section of the talk? Simon: Yes, and then if you and Fiona email them to me I'll add them to the presentation. Kelly: Right, that was easy wasn't it? And look, here comes Fiona. Let's ask her about her essay.
Part 4 — Time management at university
Tanya: Hi everyone. Today Mark has come in to talk to you about time management strategies. If you remember, in the introductory session I told you the difference it can make to your studies so this is an incredibly important session. Thanks Mark. Mark: Hello. Yes, I'm Mark. I lecture over in the Business School but I have a bit of a reputation for being rather evangelical about time management and I'm often invited in to other courses to talk about it. So here I am! You've now come to the end of your first week at university and you've probably noticed how different it is from school or college. For some people this step up comes very naturally but, in our experience, many students find this new regime a challenge. People aren't watching over you anywhere near as much and you're expected to be far more responsible for your own learning. Research I've carried out shows that 65% of male students have poor time management skills. It's not quite so high for females but still a majority of 55% would benefit from developing these skills. Students who don't will see their grades and general progress suffer as deadlines are missed or work gets rushed, with a decline in the quality of work as a result. In a nutshell, you need to be aware of the big picture, to know what's coming down the line at any given time and what needs prioritising. Start by creating that big picture, using our yearly academic planner. And don't hide it away in a drawer somewhere. Give it pride of place somewhere like on the bedroom wall so you'll have daily reminders of what's approaching. During this first week you'll have been given seminar and lecture times, essay deadlines, exams dates and so on. Add these dates to your planner and add any new deadlines such as seminar presentations or tutorial dates as you get them. Those important non-academic occasions shouldn't be ignored either. Trips back home for family celebrations need to be factored in. Looking at your planner, the first thing that will strike you is how much time you have on your hands. Just a few seminars here and there, a couple of lectures on Tuesday and Thursday. Easy, you think. But this is very misleading indeed. Your planner only looks empty because it doesn't show all that essential self-study you'll need to do. And as there's no-one else structuring this time for you you'll need to manage this yourself. You don't want to waste those hours between lectures or seminars in the cafe. Use this time to read through your lecture notes, prepare for the next seminar or do some research for that next assignment. Essentially, structure your days on a 9-5 basis as if you were a full-time employee and start to calculate how you're going to fill those gaps efficiently. Start by considering how you're going to meet all these deadlines. If there are any cooks amongst you you'll know that putting a nice meal on the table requires more than just ... well, cooking. You need to research the ingredients, buy them, chop, slice, mix and so on. Cooking itself is a long way into the process. It's the same with that essay you have to write or that presentation you might have to make. They need careful planning beforehand and that time needs to be built into your preparation. Start prioritising what needs doing and when. Download our monthly and weekly planners to help you map it all out. And here's an important point: when you're planning what to do, be task-orientated rather than time-orientated and set achievable goals. 'Finding images for a presentation' for example, is measurable. Simply writing 'research 10 a.m.- 11 a.m.' isn't. This task-orientated approach will be immensely helpful, forcing you to break your preparation down into individual, achievable steps. Try to assess when busy periods are likely to occur such as the week leading up to an assignment deadline. Are there any evenings during the week you could put aside for extra work? And, just as importantly, make a note of any times you won't want to be working. You'll need time for you, sessions in the gym, evenings when your favourite programmes are on TV. Don't forget to schedule in time for non-academic activities like going shopping or doing the laundry. It's best to have a fixed time each week for jobs like these so they don't interfere with your academic work. Finally, decide where you're going to do your self-study. Will you be distracted by the TV, the Internet or friends if you stay in your room? Perhaps the library will be a better place. Anywhere that encourages you to prevaricate should be avoided at all costs. Starting with the big picture and then working towards individual goals will leave you feeling in control rather than being pulled here and there, firefighting as the next deadline looms ...
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