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AUDIO SCRIPT sympathy for any of the characters and found the story
MID-COURSE ASSESSMENT uninteresting even though it was a true story. The film has
nothing to recommend it. As for Tom Hanks, I thought he
did a reasonable job in a generally poor movie.
MCA1 RECORDING 1
1 MCA2 RECORDING 2
I thought it was a real roller-coaster of a film and (F = Fiona; J = Jack)
surpassed all my expectations. It was an action movie F: Today I’m talking to professional big wave surfer,
with intelligence is how I’d describe it. I was on the Jack Griffith. Hello, Jack.
edge of my seat all the way through – the tension was J: Hi, Fiona.
incredible. I think I enjoyed it even more because I hadn’t F: Now, this is really an extreme sport, isn’t it? Not
initially realised that it was based on a true story. Tom many people are capable of big wave surfing, are
Hanks was amazing – this is probably one of his best they?
films ever and the characters of the Somali pirates were J: No, that’s true.
also well portrayed. I thought that I’d hate the pirates, but F: Could you tell the listeners what big wave surfing is
the film actually made me feel quite sorry for them and and how it’s different from regular surfing?
I began to understand why they did it. In fact, I did find J: There are a few special places around the world
myself having a kind of grudging respect for these four where the waves are regularly higher than six metres.
men who’d been forced into taking over this enormous Anything over 6.2 metres is classified as a big wave.
ship. That’s not to say that it’s ever acceptable, but I did They’re very dangerous to surf and only experienced
have some sympathy for them. It also gave me an insight surfers would ever consider tackling them.
into the reasons why these people become pirates and the F: How did you get into surfing?
global problems there are. In fact, it got me interested in J: When we were kids, our parents used to take us in
learning more about that part of East Africa. their camper van to Newquay in Cornwall every
2 weekend, all year round. They loved surfing, so
Of course, I’d followed the true story of Captain Phillips it was natural that my sister and I learned to surf
and his hijack by Somali pirates in the news as it when we were very young.
happened in 2009, so I was interested to see what it F: Did you always want to be a professional surfer?
was like. I’d heard all the hype about the movie and J: No, I never knew that was possible. I was happy to
was expecting great things, but it didn’t live up to my surf at weekends and holidays, but then, one day, I
expectations, unfortunately. To be honest, I’d have liked was watching a contest in Cornwall and I thought, ‘I
to have got to know the four pirates better through the could do that’. So I entered the next one and actually
film. I thought their characters could’ve been fleshed out won it. That started me on the competition circuit.
more so that they seemed more like real people rather F: How long did it take you to get into big wave
than caricatures. I know that the film tried to educate surfing?
us about the poverty and the warlords who force them J: Four years on the professional circuit first. Then I
to do these things, but it was still very superficial and met a big wave surfer and he invited me to Nazare,
I couldn’t feel sympathy for them in any way. The film in Portugal, to try it for myself. I watched him
itself had a lot of suspense, but I think that knowing the for a while and it was the scariest thing I’d ever
outcome already rather spoilt that suspense for me. I seen. The waves were about 17 metres high, but I
found myself watching the film as a passive and critical couldn’t wait to try it for myself. I knew that many
observer rather than a willing participant in the film- people had lost their lives surfing the big waves, but
maker’s story. Nevertheless, it’s worth going to see. that fear just fired up my adrenaline. The first time I
3 was towed out to the wave I couldn’t believe how
big it was and I was convinced I’d never be able
I don’t know what all the fuss is about, to tell you the
to ride it. In fact, I was terrified. But I did it. But I
truth. I know it’s based on a true story, but how can
don’t think I’d have gone ahead with it had I had
four poor fishermen take over a huge freighter and
any idea of the toll this kind of surfing has on your
hold America to ransom? Really! There must’ve been
body. I really had to struggle to stay on as the board
a lot of fiction added to the story to try to make it more
was pulled this way and that by the power of the
compelling! To me, it was a very average film, which
water. You really need super strength to stay on and
was too serious and quite tedious. I don’t understand all
ride it out. I was black and blue by the end of it and
these people who said it was nerve racking and exciting.
every muscle screamed at me.
I wasn’t expecting much and it certainly lived up to my
F: But it didn’t stop you?
preconceptions. And to make matters worse, the shaky
J: No, it’s like an addiction. Once you start, you can’t
camera work on the ocean made me feel quite seasick
stop looking for that even bigger wave.
at times as the whole cinema seemed to be moving like
F: You need special boards, don’t you?
the boat. A very uncomfortable experience! I had little

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J: Yes, we have special towboards, or ‘guns’, as and others loved it as it started to be built amongst much
they’re sometimes called. They’re usually longer older buildings. I think it provides a wonderful landmark
than the normal board, but most of them are custom for visitors and residents alike, although I’m not sure
made for each rider and the wave. But, even more that it’s achieved exactly what the architect intended.
importantly, before you head off to a big wave, Or look at the Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer, who
you’ve got to prepare yourself thoroughly. revolutionised the shape of our cities. In fact, his series of
F: In what way? civic buildings designed for Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, in
J: Well, you’ve got to study the currents and the the 1950s, are now part of a World Heritage site. I love
ocean bed, and watch how the waves come in. the abstract forms and curved shapes he used and, in
If you get wiped out, the pressure of the water that way, I think he’s very similar to Antoni Gaudi, who
on top of you, combined with the currents and also preferred more organic natural forms in his designs.
what’s on the floor of the ocean, can destroy you. He’s famous for saying that he wasn’t attracted to straight
The more you know, the better chance you have angles and lines because they are created by man and
of coming away from a fall. Also, sometimes you not nature.
have to jump off your board to avoid a wipeout. 3
That’s a skill in itself. You need to jump away Modern architecture? Hmm, I don’t really know much
from the board and at the same time protect your about architecture, but I know what I like. I hate those
head. You’ve also got to keep your eyes open large concrete blocks of the 60s and 70s. I want a building
underwater, checking for dangerous obstacles, to look beautiful, to be welcoming and different from
especially in this type of surfing. those around it. I don’t believe that people want to live
F: Thanks, Jack, for that insight into your life and this in or be surrounded by bleak, grey structures with little
exciting extreme sport. light and no colour. For example, I like that tall building
in London – the Shard, is it? It’s different and it stands out
END OF COURSE ASSESSMENT from the rest of the buildings. I’ve also been to Barcelona
and loved the quirky Gaudi buildings which suddenly
jump out at you with their colourful facades and strange
ECA1 RECORDING 1 gravity defying shapes. Some modern housing estates
1 really depress me as all the houses look the same. I wish
I don’t think we should judge modern architecture in the the architects could make them more interesting. In fact, I
same way as we do classical buildings. Often classical think we should all be allowed to participate in the design
structures caused as much controversy when they were of our own houses, workplaces and so on. Too often
built as our new buildings do today. You can’t really decisions are taken by too few people and we get stuck
judge the value of architecture until you can look back with a building which the locals hate.
on it over time. What we once thought of as being ugly
in the extreme becomes an iconic building of its time ECA2 RECORDING 2
50 years later. Also, people’s perception of beauty can (E = Ellie; J = Jules)
change over time. Architecture isn’t just about how a
structure looks, but how it works for the people who E: Welcome to global business news. This evening
are using it. We should try to look at what the modern we’re going to be talking about roses. ‘The flower
architect is trying to achieve with the design: the use of of love, she’s like an English rose,’ people say.
new materials, energy-saving components, space-saving Well, you may not know it, but most of the cut
innovations and so on. However, modern designs using roses you buy from supermarkets will have been
eco materials are not always successful. For example, our grown in Kenya, East Africa. I’ve got with me Jules
new town hall is the ugliest building I’ve ever seen. It’s a Richards, whose company has been buying from
cube of glass which looks grey and miserable the whole there for the past 20 years. Jules, why do you buy
time. The designers said that the glass was part of the your roses from there?
energy-saving ideas for the building and all the materials J: Well, Ellie, although most people would like to
are eco-friendly. I think most of us would have preferred a think that their roses come from England, we can’t
mud hut with a grass roof than this monstrosity. produce locally in the quantities and at the price our
2 customers expect. The valley around Lake Naivasha
in Kenya has the ideal climate conditions, with a
What is modern architecture? Do we mean something daytime temperature of between 22 and 30 degrees
designed in our lifetime, within the last 20 or 50 years? Celsius and cool nights rarely going below six
Taking the buildings that have appeared in my lifetime, degrees, so there are no problems with unexpected
I think there’ve been some amazing structures, but also frosts, which could kill the plants. Kenya’s right on
some monstrous ones. Take the Shard, for instance, that the equator, so roses can be grown all year round.
spectacular building in London. A lot of people hated it You aren’t restrained by different seasons.

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E: Is the flower industry a recent development in

Kenya’s history?
J: Actually, no. It was developed during colonial
times, when Kenya was a British colony and it
had to contribute to the budget for running East
Africa. After independence at the end of 1963,
the economic horizons really opened up and
they started to export cut flowers to Europe. In the
1970s the business took a turn for the better and
these imports started to increase substantially.
E: I believe it’s one of the biggest money-spinners for
the country now?
J: That’s right. It’s the third largest revenue earner
for the country after tourism and tea, so it’s very
important to the Kenyan economy and provides
a lot of jobs for people who wouldn’t have any
otherwise. In fact, I think about 25,000 workers
are involved in picking roses for Valentine’s Day
as we speak.
E: My goodness, I had no idea it was that big! Now,
one of the biggest problems with cut flowers is
getting them to market quickly enough because
they can wilt really fast and Kenya’s about 4,000
miles away, isn’t it?
J: Yes, it is. It’s all very slick and well-organised.
The infrastructure in place in the country makes
it possible for the truckloads of flowers to arrive
at Nairobi Airport within a couple of hours or so,
where they’re then taken through a purpose-built
terminal straight onto planes bound for various
destinations. The flowers cut today will be in your
supermarkets in two days, still as fresh as the day
they were cut.
E: Now, there was, a few years back, a lot of debate
in the newspapers about the poor working
conditions of people in developing countries
working for global industries. What’s it like in
Kenya’s flower industry?
J: Well, generally speaking, the workers are very
well looked after and the company has built new
towns, providing everything the workers need,
including schools and hospitals. The environment
is also being better protected than ever before
as we have dramatically reduced the use of
chemicals over the last ten years, and have planted
trees in order to replace those we cut down to
provide the growing areas for the flowers.
E: So, when we buy roses in this country, we can
be sure that the environment has not been over-
exploited.
J: Pretty much so …

New Language Leader Upper Intermediate Audio Script © Pearson Education Ltd. 2014 3