Transcript for test 13

Section 1

Elena: Hello.

Jan: Hello. Can I speak to Elena please.

Elena: This is Elena speaking.

Jan: Hi. My name is Jan. I'm calling about the car that was advertised on the notice board in the
student union building. Is it still for sale?

Elena: Yes it is.

Jan: Your ad says it's a 1985 Celica, in good condition.

Elena: It's old but it has been well looked after. My family has had the car for ten years. I'm just
the third owner and my mother had it before me, so we know its history. We've got all the
receipts and records. It's had regular maintenance and the brakes were done last year. It runs
really well, but looks its age.

Jan: Why are you selling it, by the way?

Elena: Well, I'm going overseas next month to study. I'll be away for at least 2 years so I have
to sell it. Unfortunately, It's been a good car.

Jan: You want $1500? Is that right?

Elena: I was asking $2000 but since I need to sell it quickly, I've reduced the price. Would you
like to come and take it for a drive? I don't live far from the university.

Jan: Yes I'd like to have a look. What time would suit you?

Elena: Any time this evening is fine.

Jan: Well I finish classes at 6 o'clock. How about straight after that? Say 6:30?

Elena: Great! I'll give you directions. When you leave the main gate of the university, turn left
on South Road and keep going until you get to the Grand Cinema. Take the first right. That's
Princess St. I'm at number 88, on the right.

Jan: So it's 80 Princess St.?

Elena: No it's 88 Princess St. and the suburb is Parkwood. You'll see the car parked in front. It's
the red one with the 'for sale’ sign on it.

Jan: OK. Thanks, Elena. I'll see you later.

Elena: Bye.

Jan: Hi Sam!

Sam: Hey Jan! What's happening?

Jan: I’m glad I ran into you. I've decided I have to get a car.

Sam: You're going to buy a car? Do you really need one? I’d probably still be driving except that
my car broke down last year. Instead of getting another one, I just moved closer to the university
and went back to riding a bike - better for the environment, better for my health and I save a lot
of money.

Jan: Did it really cost that much?

Sam: Well when you think of registration, insurance, rising petrol costs, parking, plus
maintenance and repairs, it adds up.

Jan: I know it's going to be expensive but I really need my own transportation. It takes a half an
hour by bus each way to university as it is. But now I'm working at night in the city.. There's no
way I want to hang around waiting for a bus late at night, then walk 3 blocks home alone.

Sam: Hey, I think you've got a point there. So what kind of car are you looking at?

Jan: It's an 85 Celica, same kind as I used to have. The owner's asking $1500.

Sam: That's pretty old. How many kilometres has it done?

Jan: You know, I forgot to ask. I'll have to check tonight when I go to see it. Would you be able
to come with me to have a look? At about 6:30?

Sam: Sure I'll come, but I don't know a lot about cars. I do know one thing, though. I wouldn't
buy an old car without having a mechanic look at it first.

Jan: That's a good idea but won't it cost a lot?

Sam: Not really. You can get a check done though the Automobile Association for $80 and it
comes with a report on the condition of the car. It can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Jan: I'll keep that in mind. So we have to get to Parkwood at 6:30. Do you want to take the bus?
It goes straight down South road every fifteen minutes. Or maybe we could walk. I don't think it
is that far.

Sam: Actually I could borrow my room mate's motorbike for an hour or so. He's working all
evening in the library.

Jan: Do you think he'd mind?

Sam: No way. He owes me a favour or two.

Jan: OK. Great! See you at six, outside the Student Centre.

Section 2

Guide: Hello everyone. Glad to see so many happy faces on this wild and windy day. Are you all
ready to go looking for whales? I'm Tony and our other guide today is Dale. We'll be using these
two rubber boats you see here and our trip today will take 3 hours. In a few minutes, we'll be
heading into part of the largest temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. I'll show you our
route on the map here. This is where we are now. We’ll be leaving the sheltered bay and
heading out across the mouth of the bay toward the open water. As you know, last night there
were strong winds in the area so we can't go out into the ocean as we had planned. Near the
mouth, the water will be quite rough. That's where we are most likely to spot orcas or killer
whales as they are also called.

After crossing the mouth of the bay we'll enter the calmer shallower waters. This is where you
look for grey whales. Then we will continue up this narrow inlet close to the shore. You will have
a great view of giant fir and cedar trees that have never been logged. Here is the place to watch
for wildlife. You are likely to see bears along the shore and eagles in the sky overhead. Right at
the back of the inlet, here, are the hot springs where we will be stopping for an hour. You can
have a soothing soak in bubbling hot water before the return trip.

I'll tell you a little bit about the whales now because with the noise of the wind and the engine
you won't be able to hear much out there. As we head out in the boat, we will probably see
dolphins first. They are grey coloured and quite small - 1-2 metres long. They will swim right
beside the boat, racing along and sometimes jumping out of the water just ahead of us. They
swim very fast and they are playful and curious. 'They're really fun to watch.

The next ones we'll see are orcas or killer whales, which are actually members of the dolphin
family. They are 7-8 metres long, very fast and they have sharp teeth. Some stay in these
waters all year round. We identify them by the distinctive black and white colour. They feed
mainly on salmon in these waters, but the orcas diet can include seabirds, seals, dolphins and
other mammals. They can be fierce hunters and this is why they are called killer whales. We
should start watching for them as soon as we get out towards open water. We're likely to spot
the orcas from a considerable distance. Watch for the black and white marking and mist
spouting from the blow holes on top of their heads. Just outside the inlet is where we will
probably see grey whales. The greys are migratory. They pass through here twice a year,
moving from far in the north where they feed, to the warm southern waters where they breed.
You're very lucky today because several have been reported in the area.

Unlike the orcas, greys are solitary, except when you see a mother with a calf. The grey whales
are much longer and heavier than the orcas - 14 metres long and weighing up to 30 tonnes. The
grey whales are filter feeders, gathering tiny ghost shrimp from the sand at the bottom. We
recognize greys from their tail fins, because each one is different. Once we find the whales, we’ll
come up as close as we can safely. We are allowed to approach the whales no closer than 50
meters but that feels pretty close when you are in the presence of animals this big. You'll see
mist coming out of the blowholes when they breathe out and you'll hear a loud hiss. If we are
downwind, we might even be able to smell them. A strong fishy smell.

Now for just a few words of caution. It will be quite bouncy out there, especially in the front of
the boat. If you want a smoother ride, stay in the middle of the boat, close to the engine. Hold
onto the ropes and keep an eye on any big waves. Be alert so you don't get thrown out of the
boat. In case of an emergency, you are all wearing survival suits. They'll keep you warm and dry
in or out of the water. They are bright orange for visibility. The water temperature is around 8
degrees. Without these suits you would only last a few minutes in this cold water. With these
suits your survival time is increased dramatically. They will keep you upright in the water even if
you can't swim. But we don't expect anybody to end up in the water so don't worry. Now, are
there any questions?

Student: I'm afraid of getting sea sick.

Guide: Right, I was just coming to that. If you think you might get seasick, take one of these
patches and put it on your arm. at the wrist, like this. It works on pressure points of the body and
will relieve seasickness without the drowsiness u can get from pills. Are there any other
questions? Alright then, let's start loading up the boats. We leave in 5 minutes.

Section 3

Penny: Hi. Haven't seen you two in ages. What have you been up to?

Louis: Hi Penny. Ray is really excited. He has just been 5h for "Travel Documentary. He could
be off travelling around the world for 3 months.

Penny: 'Travel Documentary'. What's that?

Louis: You've never heard of it? Don't you watch TV?

Penny: Well actually no, hardly ever. Especially since I’ve started working on my thesis. I don't
have time to breathe, let alone watch TV. So what's this all about, Ray?

Ray: Well, actually it's a competition run by Public TV. It involves my two great loves, travel and
film making.

Penny: Is it that program where people are sent around the world making documentary videos?
I have heard of it. Fantastic! So you've been chosen?

Ray: Not yet. I'm one of 34 selected for an interview next week so I made it through the first cut.

Louis: Yeah, there were over 200 applicants from around the country. Pretty amazing heh?

Ray: Well I’ve been lucky so far.

Penny: What's the next stage?

Ray: Thirteen are chosen from the interview to do a 4 week training course in documentary film-
making. Then, the 8 finalists get sent off with a video camera to travel around the world.

Penny: Sounds incredible!. What's the catch?

Ray:The catch is that every 2 weeks you have to send in a 10 minute video from a different part
of the world. It's broadcast on TV along with the work of three of the other competitors and
judged by a panel of experts and the TV audience. So you're under a lot of pressure.

Penny: Wow, I guess so. You mean, you're on television every two weeks?

Ray: Yep that's right. But first I have to be selected.

Louis: Do you have to have any film-making experience to apply?

Ray: Some background in photography or video-making helps but you're not supposed to be an
expert. In fact you can't apply if you have already worked in film-making. We all get the same 4
week course. So we start with the same skills.

Penny: Can you go anywhere in the world you want?

Ray: Each competitor makes up his or her own travel clans and has to get them approved.

Louis: Have you talked with anyone else who has done it?

Ray: As a matter of fact just last week I met Sarah Price, a girl from here who did it last year.
Louis: What did she have to say about it?

Ray: She said it was the most amazing experience of her life but it was really tough at times.

Louis: I think you'd have to be really brave to take off like that alone with so much responsibility.
It's not like going on a holiday, is it?

Ray: No. Two weeks in a country, often where you can't speak the language to find a story, film
it, organise all the editing. Then you're off to a completely different part of the world to start all
over again. Pretty exhausting, but exciting too!

Penny: What a way to see the world!

Louis: What about Sarah Price? Did she have any bad experiences?

Ray: She said the worst part was when she got some mysterious fever in Mongolia and thought
she might have to be sent home. Fortunately it got better but she said it was scary to feel really
ill when you're alone so far away.

Penny: So what made you want to apply?

Ray: When I saw the program on TV a while ago, I thought, this is for me. I've always wanted to
travel but needed to work for a year before I could even think about it. Then, a new series
started up. I thought now's my chance.

Louis: Don't you think you'll be lonely?

Ray: I don't think I'll have time to be homesick. I'm more worried about having too much to do
and not enough time to get things organised.

Penny: So we might be watching you on television in the next few months.

Ray: I hope so. If I'm lucky!

Louis: When will you know for sure?

Ray: They choose the final eight in march, a month later you’re on your way.

Louis: So do you have to pay anything?

Ray: Nothing. It's all paid for - course, camera, flights, accommodation and in-country travel,
The budget is pretty tight though. No extras.
Penny: I sure hope you get it. Then I'll be finding time to watch at least one program on
television every week.

Section 4

Our talk today in this history of technology series is about a feat of anti-engineering from the late
19th and early 20th century that is still very much with us today and that is linked with the history
of the typewriter. It's the QWERTY keyboard. What, you might ask, is QWERTY? Well, have a
look at the nearest typewriter or computer keyboard. If you look at the top row, you will see that
“QWERTY” are the first 6 letters. Did you ever think, when you were learning to type, about why
the letters on the keyboard are distributed the way they are? Here's the story. It all has to do
with the history of the typewriter. Typewriters existed since the early 1700's, but the first
commercially practical system came into being in 1873. The typewriter is one of America's
greatest unsung inventions. While the telephone, automobile and airplane spread up
communications and transportation, the typewriter did the same thing for the written word. But
few people paid much attention, possibly because they were too busy reading what the
typewriter had written about all the other inventions. The first typewriters had the keys laid out in
alphabetical order, but this system had problems. Some keys that tended to be typed together
were physically close. This made the typebars hit each other and get stuck. Typewriters in 1873
jammed or got stuck at the keys next to each other were hit in quick succession. To solve this
problem, in 1878, the QWERTY keyboard was developed, spacing frequent letters away from
each other, and therefore reducing the number of jams It was not specifically designed to slow
down typists, as is generally believed, but the keyboard did create a built-in inefficiency for
typists. The most common keys are scattered all over the keyboard rows, many on the left side.
Right-handed people have to use their left hand, which is the weaker hand.

Typewriter technology improved, doing away with the original rationale for the QWERTY
distribution, but the keyboard remained. In spite of its inefficiency, it is the keyboard we all use
today.

Already, back in 1932, there was a solution to the problem. Efficiency expert August Dvorak
came up with a new keyboard layout. His home row consisted of AOEUIDHTNS- which includes
all of the vowels as well as the most commonly used letters. On this keyboard, over three
thousand words can be typed using only the home row. In fact 70% of all the work can be done
on the home row, 22% on the row above, and 8% on the row below. The QWERTY keyboard
allows only about fifty words to be typed without reaching for other rows. In addition, on
Dvorak's keyboard, the right hand handles 56% of the workload and the left handles 44%, just
about the opposite of the division on the QWERTY keyboard. This is an advantage for most
right handers. The Dvorak keyboard increased accuracy in typing by almost 50 percent and
speed by 15 to 20 percent. How much labour did this Dvorak layout save? In one study, a group
of typists was evaluated in the use of both keyboards. Those using the Dvorak keyboard moved
their fingers just about one mile on an average day, while those who used the QWERTY
keyboard moved their fingers an average of twelve to twenty miles.
 The superiority of the Dvorak keyboard was clearly established. However, it has never been
adopted as the keyboard of choice. Why? First of all, bad luck and bad timing on the part of the
Dvorak team. First there was the Depression, not a good time for introducing change. But the
main factor that worked against the Dvorak system was habit. People were used to the
QWERTY keyboard. Computers today could easily switch the arrangement of letters to the
Dvorak layout, but it seems that because of habit, the QWERTY layout remains dominant.
People felt comfortable with the keyboard they learned on. So it was the established patterns of
hundreds of millions of typists, manufacturers, typing teachers and typewriter salespeople that
have crushed all moves toward keyboard efficiency for over 70 years. It looks like, QWERTY
keyboard may be with us for a long time yet.