Question 1
As restaurant manager, I feel responsible for the quality of the food we serve. So it's up to me to check the ingredients that have been delivered overnight to make sure they are of sufficient quality, andto produce a menu for the day. The cooks arrive at about ten a.m. toprepare lunch and I'll take them through the menu. Because lunch isconcentrated over a short period of time it can get very busy and veryhot. But unlike some kitchens, we tend to divide the jobs up accordingto who likes doing what, and that includes cleaning pots and pans andclearing the place before dinner.
Question 2
It's a factual book, a chronicle of the twentieth century and it'swonderful. I mean it's terribly bitty and it's not going to give you alot of information nor be good for school work. That's what's reallynice about it. Here is a reference book which it is fun to dip in andout of. It's hardly going to help anyone write an essay and it avoidsbeing geared to any school syllabus, unlike so much of what ispublishedtoday. But for anyone who likes little details, you know, you can lookup your date of birth, for example, and see what else happenedthen,it's a very good book.
Question 3
    Man: So, there've been some dramatic events in Victoria Streetthis past week, what with Mariela deciding not to marry Jason, andStephen leaving home in the middle of a family row. Are next week'sepisodes as exciting?    Woman: Well, I can't give away the whole story, but I don't thinkyou'll be disappointed! I can tell you that Stephen's mother is forcedto tell her husband the secret she's been hiding for years, whichleads to more fireworks and a few tears. And Jason refuses to acceptMariela's decision, so you're going to hear a lot more from him, andlook out for some surprises there.
Question 4
We get people to the taxis,that's the first priority, and to thetrains. We make sure they get on early and get comfortable seats.These days many passengers have a lot of luggage and they wantassistance with it. So we provide a much needed service. We even takepeople down to the Underground or to places in the surroundingstreets. But the majority of users are airline passengers with a lotof bags and perhaps accompanied by elderly relatives, young childrenand so on. Obviously they can't manage everything on their own.
Question 5
I exercise in the form of dance. At one time,I did aerobics becauseexercise is more interesting with music, but I've since moved on toline dancing. It's less energetic, but I've three times a week. I runmy own business, work hard, and it's just a way to cut off rather thanwatch television. It's also a challenge keeping up with the new steps.I think young people sometimes take exercise too far, getover-concerned with how they look, when they'll never be able to keepit up at that sort of pace. Whereas line dancing struck me assomething I could sustain as part of my normal life.
Question 6
    Man: Well,what did you think of that, then?    Woman: Brilliant! I've never tasted anything like it! I wish nowI'd tried this place sooner. I mean, I've been walking past it foryears.    Man: Why didn't you?    Woman: Well, to be honest, I never thought I'd be able to affordit, but it's actually quite reasonable. Mind you, I think they couldhave tried a bit harder with the presentation. I think if food looksgood on the plate you automatically expect it to taste good. Yours wasokay, but I think they could have made more of an effort with mine.
Question 7
In practical terms,the place I'm in doesn't matter too much. As longas I have the necessary tools, you know, pencil and paper and, ofcourse, my keyboard. Once I'm started, I go over things again andagain -- must be very dull if anyone's listening. I change a few noteshere and there,but basically I tend to stick with an idea once I have.I guess home's the best place in a way because there I'm relaxedenough to let my imagination flow and that's what you need to do, inorder to produce a good piece...
Question 8
Well, I'm sharing with two other girls... I know,it was supposed to beme and one other person,but there's a shortage of accommodation,apparently. Anyway, the room's rather cramped. But it's great.There've been three parties so far, and it's still the first week.It's an incredibly noisy place, with doors banging and people laughingand shouting till the small hours. Yes, I suppose we'll have to getdown to work soon, though I don't know how we'll be able to, packedinto that little space -- none of us is very tidy...
Part 2
    Interviewer: Visitors to the small Devon village of Whimple mightbe forgiven for looking twice as they pass the garden of ElizabethHolmes. In the middle of the garden there stands a traditional Africanhut, a reminder of the two years Elizabeth spent in Africa as avolunteer. Elizabeth, what persuaded you to leave your secure job in atravel agent's and go to Africa?    Elizabeth: Well, I'd been feeling restless for ages. I wanted tosee the real world,not just tourist places. Then, I was at thedentist's one day, waiting to go in, and I'd read all the magazines inthe waiting room, so I started looking at a poster - it was all aboutvolunteers working in Africa.    Interviewer: And it interested you?    Elizabeth: Yes, I took down the name and address and applied. Ihad an interview locally and did some aptitude tests.Then just beforeI left for Africa, there was a training weekend in London,which theycall 'Changes' and which gives you some idea of what you're lettingyourself in for.    Interviewer: What particular skills could you offer?    Elizabeth: I had a degree in economics and I had done someteaching at one time. What they wanted to send me to Africa to do wasto train local farmers in the marketing of their produce. I flew outwith fifteen other volunteers, all going to do different things, likenursing, teaching,and so on. When we got there, we were supposed tohave a four-week course at a training centre learning something aboutthe local culture and the basics of the language - you know, greetingsand things like that. Anyway, there was a problem and it only lastedthree weeks in the end - not enough really.    Interviewer: Did it take a long time to get used to your new lifestyle?    Elizabeth: If I found it quite difficult for the first fewweeks,but after that I settled in very well. My area covered 1200square kilometres, and I had a truck for long-distance travel, but formore local trips I rode a motorbike.    Interviewer: How did you get on with the local people?    Elizabeth: Very well. The men were very polite but they tended tokeep their distance unlike the women, who were always inviting met omeals. They showed me how they wove and dyed material to make clothesfor themselves and their children. I used to get magazines sent fromEngland and we'd spend ages looking at them.    Interviewer: I expect you found it very different when youreturned to England?    Elizabeth: Yes, I certainly did. After two years of living verysimply,I found the supermarkets especially overwhelming - just theenormous choice of food. Also, the traffic disturbed me. I had to movefrom my flat in the city to a small cottage in the country just to getsome of the peace and quiet I'd become accustomed to in Africa.    Interviewer: And what are you working on at the moment?    Elizabeth: Well,I didn't want to just go back to working insomeone else'so ffice so I set up my own business, which I run fromhome. I deal in African furniture. I brought some small pieces backwith me as souvenirs and everyone loved them in Britain. However, I'mstill in touch with the organisation that sent me to Africa as avolunteer. I organse events to raise funds and give talks about myexperience to encourage other people to go.    Interviewer: Has the experience in Africa changed you at all?    Elizabeth: Oh yes,in many ways. I used to spend all my timeworking, but now I make sure I have more time for gardening - myfavourite hobby.    Interviewer: Well, I'd like to thank Elizabeth for coming intothes tudio today. If you're interested in …
Part 3
Speaker 1
Some people still think that leaders are born, not made. They say, nomatter how hard you study and how many diplomas you collect, at theend of the day, if you've got natural skills, such as a strongcharacter, that's all you'll need. I think that's nonsense. Leadershipis all about commanding respect. If a boss says to me, for example,'Look your computer skills need upgrading', I'll think 'Right thisperson has a degree in computing, I don't, so he must be right.' Butif it's the other way round, then you feel, well, maybe I should beboss!
Speaker 2
Well, the sort of leaders that I actually admire ... are not the ...top dogs in suits ... w/a degree in management and a belief thatnobody can do things as well as they can. One thing I've learned fromall my experience in different job, is that, to be a really good boss,you have to be good at encouraging the people under you to decide onimportant issues ... creating a situation in which other people canshine. Of course this does not mean the boss's job is any easier; it'sstill a challenge, but so much more rewarding for everyone.
Speaker 3
Since I left school, I've done a number of short-term office jobs, andI must say I'm beginning to realise that how important it is to havethe right sort of person directing your work. To develop all mypotential, I need to be told when I'm doing something well, and alsothe areas where I could improve ... I think the earlier you get formaland informal feedback, the better. Otherwise you develop bad habits... some of my workmates don't agree with me, when I say it's good tomeet regularly with your boss, they think I'm trying to be better thanthem.
Speaker 4
Of course we all want bosses who are knowledgeable and who bringenergy to the job, and I must say, in my opinion, most people whoreach top job positions do possess these qualities. However, whatreally matter is the ability to bring people together. Leaders oftenmistakenly encourage people to work on their own, kind of, inisolation, because they are afraid of the strengthens of groups, theythink maybe they'll criticise, or even join forces against the leader... Such leaders need to go on management courses, to look at goodexamples of leadership ...
Speaker 5
Well, in the organisation where I work, each department has a leader,a boss ... and because I've worked in six of those departments, I'vehad six different bosses! I must say there's been very little tocomplain about ... except that we are being asked to do an enormousamount of extra work and some of the bosses don't seem to be doinglong hours, like the rest of us. It is true that after work, they mayhave to attend special management courses, or meet individual membersof staff to discuss performance, but this only happens occasionally...
Part 4
    Interviewer: ... Trina, you're 15 and you've just come back fromAmerica where you've been making records. What was it like?    Trina: It was wonderful. I had the six-week school summer holidaysand, you know, went over there for a month and then started schoolagain.    Interviewer: What did your classmate at school think?    Trina: I just told close friends what I was doing in the States... And I thought, well, if the records more successful, then I'd telleveryone ...    Interviewer: And they were successful ...    Trina: Right. And my friends were very good about it. Not envious,or anything.    Interviewer: Did you like being in the USA?    Trina: Oh, yes, most of the time it was great -- the people are sofriendly.    Interviewer: Did you manage to write any songs there?    Trina: Well, yeah, I did. Most of the stuff I'd done in Englandhad been about the people closet to me -- you know, Mum, Dad, mysister. They weren't with me in the States, and although I missed themand silly things like the rain in England and fish and chips, beingsurrounded with new faces gave me lots of material for my songs.    Interviewer: Now, your home in England is a long way from London.    Trina: Yes, but about as far as you can get!    Interviewer: So, it is easy to get into the music business if youlive that far away? Don't you have to be in London or near a big cityat least?    Trina: No, no. We did play in London once but we were actuallyapproached at a local concert, so I don't think it's impossible to getnoticed anywhere. There are lots of record companies looking forbands, and they do go quite a long way from the cities to find them. Iwas lucky with my band, and there have been other bands like usthat've lucky as well, so you don't have to come from a huge city tobe discovered.    Interviewer: Now, in the USA you did a song with someone who was astar when I was your age, David Pearson, and you hadn't any idea whohe was?    Trian: No. It was embarrassing actually. But he was a reallypleasant guy. He was recording album in the same studio, and he hadthis song that he needed someone to sing with him, and he asked me,and I was only too delighted to do it!    Interviewer: But that wasn't the only famous star you worked within the States, was it?    Trina: No, there was Lance Laketoff.    Interviewer: But you had heard of him ...    Trina: Yes. He's a bit of a hero of mine, in fact.    Interviewer: And you were in his TV show series?    Trina: Yes.    Interviewer: And what was that like?    Trina: It was a really good experience. I hadn't done anythinglike that before. And they filmed us for three or four days, you know.That was the end of it. Or so I thought! But they had made badmistakes, which was such a shame. Because I had to go back to the USA!I came home to England, and then they phoned up and said they had somebad camera work, etc., and I had to fly all the way back and do itagain ...    Interviewer: Actually, in the USA your record did well. But nothere in England. Why's that?    Trina: Because you've never been able to get it over here inBritain. The record company's never had any arrangements to sell theirrecords in Britain, so it's always just been the USA, which is nice ina way.    Interviewer: Why do you say that?    Trina: Well, it's good to come home and get away from it.    Interviewer: But is it that the company don't think your stylewill appeal over here?    Trina: No, it's purely the fact they don't operate over here. Butthe company's just been sold, and the new company does operate overthere, so maybe they will release the record.    Interviewer: So where do you see your career going? Will you goback to the States?    Trina: Well, not for a while I shouldn't think, as I have anothertwo years at school here in England. I know my school friends arethinking of college but I'm not sure that's for me, even to music.Then, my agent has been trying to persuade me to do it full time, andmy parents say it's up to me, but I'm happy to wait a while beforethat happens. I can still write, after all -- in fact, one of my songsis in the America charts at the moment, but sung by someone else.    Interviewer: Well, the best of luck, Trina, and how ...