Listening: interview Banker

You will hear an interview with Mahnoor Ali, a young woman who runs a bakery in Karachi. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Mahnoor, you opened your bakery at just twenty-two. How did it start?Mahnoor: Honestly, by accident. I was studying accounting, and I baked cakes for friends' birthdays as a hobby. Then a friend posted a photo of one of my cakes online, and suddenly strangers were messaging me with orders. Within six months I was baking more than I was studying!Interviewer: What was the hardest part of starting a business?Mahnoor: People expect me to say money, but my family lent me enough to rent a small kitchen. Finding good staff wasn't easy either, but the real challenge was time. I was getting up at four every morning and finishing at ten at night. I didn't see my friends for months.Interviewer: What's your best-selling product?Mahnoor: Everyone assumes it's the chocolate cake, because that's what made me famous. But actually it's our cardamom biscuits. Office workers buy them by the box to have with their tea.Interviewer: And what's next for you?Mahnoor: I've been asked to open a second shop in Lahore, but I'm not ready for that. Instead, I want to start baking classes for teenagers on Saturday mornings. I think everyone should know how to bake bread.

1. (a) How did Mahnoor's business begin?A She sold cakes to her classmates.B A friend shared a picture of her cake online.C She studied baking at college. [1]
2. (b) What was the biggest difficulty when she started?A having enough timeB getting enough moneyC finding staff [1]
3. (c) What does Mahnoor plan to do next?A open a shop in LahoreB teach baking to teenagersC sell more chocolate cakes [1]

You will hear an interview with Asad Mir, a wildlife photographer who photographs snow leopards in northern Pakistan. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Asad, snow leopards are famously hard to see. How long did it take you to photograph one?Asad: Three winters! I spent weeks in the mountains of Chitral and saw footprints and droppings, but never the animal. The first time I actually saw one, it was across a valley, too far away for a good photo.Interviewer: So how did you finally get your pictures?Asad: Local herders helped me most. They know exactly which paths the leopards use. I also set up camera traps – cameras that take a photo automatically when an animal walks past. Most of my best pictures come from those, not from me holding the camera.Interviewer: Aren't the herders angry with snow leopards for killing their goats?Asad: They used to be. But now there's an insurance scheme: if a leopard kills an animal, the family receives money. So herders are much less likely to harm the leopards.Interviewer: What do you most want people to feel when they see your photos?Asad: Not just that the animals are beautiful. I want them to realise that leopards and people can share the mountains.

1. (a) What happened the first time Asad saw a snow leopard?A It was too far away to photograph well.B It ran away when it heard him.C He took his best photograph. [1]
2. (b) Where do most of Asad's best photos come from?A photos he took himselfB photos taken by herdersC camera traps [1]
3. (c) Why are herders less likely to harm snow leopards now?A They keep their goats indoors.B They earn money from tourists.C They are paid if a leopard kills an animal. [1]

You will hear an interview with Danish, a sixteen-year-old who created a mobile phone app. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Danish, tell us about your app.Danish: It's called 'Bus Buddy'. It shows people in my city where the minibuses are and when the next one will arrive. My grandmother used to wait at the bus stop for ages in the heat, and I wanted to help her.Interviewer: How did you learn to make an app?Danish: My school doesn't teach programming, and I couldn't afford a course. So I watched free videos online every evening for about a year. My older sister helped me with the design, because she's much better at art than I am.Interviewer: How many people use it?Danish: About eight thousand now. I expected maybe a hundred – mostly my family!Interviewer: What have you learned from the experience?Danish: That things always go wrong! The first version crashed every time it rained, because the signal was weaker. But the users sent me really helpful messages, and that's how I fixed it.

1. (a) Why did Danish create the app?A for a school competitionB to earn moneyC to help his grandmother [1]
2. (b) How did Danish learn programming?A from free online videosB at schoolC on a paid course [1]
3. (c) How did Danish solve the problem with the first version?A His sister redesigned it.B Users sent him helpful messages.C He bought a better phone. [1]

You will hear an interview with Shaista, one of the first women to drive a rickshaw in her city. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Shaista, why did you decide to drive a rickshaw?Shaista: After my husband became ill, I needed to support my three children. I tried sewing at home, but it didn't pay enough. My brother is a rickshaw driver, and he taught me to drive his on Sunday mornings when the roads were empty.Interviewer: How did people react?Shaista: Some men laughed at first and said I would crash. But most of my passengers are women and girls, and they're delighted. Many parents prefer me to take their daughters to school because they feel it's safer.Interviewer: What's the most difficult thing about the job?Shaista: The heat in summer is tiring, and the traffic is terrible, but the worst thing is finding a place to rest. There are very few places in the city where a woman driver can stop, have a cup of tea and use a clean bathroom.Interviewer: What would you say to other women?Shaista: If you need to work, don't let anyone tell you that a job is only for men.

1. (a) Who taught Shaista to drive a rickshaw?A her husbandB a driving schoolC her brother [1]
2. (b) Why do many parents choose Shaista to drive their daughters?A They feel it is safer.B She charges less.C She drives very fast. [1]
3. (c) What does Shaista find most difficult?A the heavy trafficB the summer heatC finding somewhere to rest [1]

You will hear an interview with Zeeshan, who works at a bird sanctuary on a lake. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Zeeshan, what does your job involve?Zeeshan: I count the birds that visit the lake, especially the ones that fly here from Siberia every winter. I also repair the paths and hides where visitors watch the birds, and I give talks to school groups.Interviewer: Which part of the job do you enjoy most?Zeeshan: Counting birds at sunrise is magical, but I'd have to say the school visits. When a child sees a flamingo through binoculars for the first time, their face lights up.Interviewer: Have the numbers of birds changed?Zeeshan: Some species are coming in smaller numbers, mainly because hunters still shoot them on their journey, even though it's illegal. But ducks have increased since the lake was cleaned up two years ago.Interviewer: What's the best time to visit?Zeeshan: Between December and February, early in the morning. Bring warm clothes and, if you can, binoculars. Please don't bring bread to feed the birds – it isn't good for them.

1. (a) Which part of his job does Zeeshan enjoy most?A counting birdsB talking to schoolchildrenC repairing paths [1]
2. (b) Why are some species coming in smaller numbers?A The lake is polluted.B They are shot by hunters.C There is not enough food. [1]
3. (c) What does Zeeshan ask visitors NOT to do?A feed the birds breadB come early in the morningC bring binoculars [1]

You will hear an interview with Grace Wanjiru, a long-distance runner from Kenya. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Grace, you've just won your first international marathon. How do you feel?Grace: Tired! But very happy. I didn't expect to win. My aim was simply to finish in under two hours and thirty minutes, and I was surprised when I was leading at the halfway point.Interviewer: Where do you train?Grace: In my home town, which is more than two thousand metres above sea level. Training at high altitude is hard, because there's less oxygen in the air, but it makes running at sea level feel easier.Interviewer: Who has helped you most in your career?Grace: My coach is excellent, and my training group pushes me every day. But really it's my mother. She sold vegetables at the market to buy my first pair of running shoes.Interviewer: What's your next goal?Grace: Everyone asks about the Olympics, and of course I'd love to go. But first I want to open a training camp for girls in my village.

1. (a) What was Grace's aim in the marathon?A to win the raceB to finish within a certain timeC to lead at halfway [1]
2. (b) Who does Grace say has helped her most?A her motherB her training groupC her coach [1]
3. (c) What does Grace want to do first?A compete in the OlympicsB open a training camp for girlsC run another marathon [1]

You will hear an interview with Mrs Rubina Javed, a school librarian who started a reading project. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Mrs Javed, what is the 'Reading Buddies' project?Mrs Javed: Older students, from Class 9, spend twenty minutes twice a week reading with younger children from Class 3. They choose books together and talk about the stories.Interviewer: Why did you start it?Mrs Javed: I noticed that many younger children could read the words but didn't understand the stories. Teachers didn't have time to read with every child individually, so I thought the older students could help.Interviewer: Has it worked?Mrs Javed: Yes! Reading scores in Class 3 have gone up. But what surprised me most was the effect on the older students. Several of them told me they had stopped reading for fun, and this project made them start again.Interviewer: Were there any problems?Mrs Javed: At first we didn't have enough books at the right level, so I asked parents to donate books, and they gave us over five hundred.

1. (a) Why did Mrs Javed start the project?A Older students wanted to become teachers.B The library had too many books.C Younger children did not understand what they read. [1]
2. (b) What surprised Mrs Javed most?A Parents gave so many books.B Older students began reading for pleasure again.C Reading scores went up. [1]
3. (c) How did she solve the problem with books?A Students wrote their own books.B She bought new books.C Parents donated books. [1]

You will hear an interview with Kashif, a puppeteer who performs traditional puppet shows. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Kashif, how long have you been a puppeteer?Kashif: Since I was a child. My grandfather performed with string puppets at village fairs, and I used to carry his boxes. He let me work my first puppet when I was ten.Interviewer: How do you make your puppets?Kashif: The heads are carved from light wood, and the clothes are sewn by my wife from old wedding fabrics. Each puppet takes about a week. The hardest part is attaching the strings so that the movements look natural.Interviewer: Do children today still enjoy puppet shows?Kashif: More than you'd think! They watch cartoons on phones all day, but they've never seen a puppet dance right in front of them. They shout and laugh. Adults enjoy it too, because it reminds them of their childhood.Interviewer: What are your plans?Kashif: I'm writing new stories about modern topics, like saving water, so that schools will invite us more often.

1. (a) How did Kashif become a puppeteer?A His wife taught him.B He studied it at school.C He learned from his grandfather. [1]
2. (b) What does Kashif find hardest when making a puppet?A attaching the stringsB sewing the clothesC carving the head [1]
3. (c) Why is Kashif writing new stories?A Children are bored of old stories.B He wants schools to invite him more.C His grandfather asked him to. [1]

You will hear an interview with Imran, a firefighter with the emergency service. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Imran, what made you want to be a firefighter?Imran: When I was twelve, there was a fire in our street. I watched the firefighters carry an old lady out of a burning house, and I decided right then that I wanted to do that job.Interviewer: What kind of calls do you get most?Imran: People imagine we spend all our time at big fires, but most calls are actually road accidents. We cut people out of damaged cars. In summer we also get lots of calls about fires in rubbish heaps.Interviewer: What's the most important quality for a firefighter?Imran: Being strong and fit is necessary, of course, and you mustn't panic. But I think the most important thing is teamwork. You must trust the people around you completely.Interviewer: Any advice for families?Imran: Never leave cooking unattended, and check your gas cylinders for leaks regularly.

1. (a) When did Imran decide to become a firefighter?A after watching a rescue as a childB after finishing schoolC after a road accident [1]
2. (b) What kind of call does Imran's team receive most?A house firesB road accidentsC rubbish fires [1]
3. (c) What does Imran think is the most important quality for a firefighter?A teamworkB staying calmC fitness [1]

You will hear an interview with Nida Hassan, who presents the weather forecast on television. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Nida, did you always want to work on television?Nida: Not at all! I studied physics and then meteorology, the science of weather. I was working at the weather office, preparing forecasts, when the TV station asked for someone to present them. I was terrified at first.Interviewer: How is a forecast prepared?Nida: We use information from satellites, weather balloons and stations all over the country. Computers turn this into predictions, but forecasters still check them, because the computer can make mistakes, especially in the mountains.Interviewer: What's the hardest weather to predict?Nida: Thunderstorms. They can form very quickly over a small area, so one town gets heavy rain and the next stays dry.Interviewer: Do people complain when you're wrong?Nida: Of course! But the forecast for the next day is right about nine times out of ten now – much better than when I started.

1. (a) What was Nida doing before she worked on television?A preparing forecasts at the weather officeB teaching physicsC studying journalism [1]
2. (b) Why do forecasters check the computer's predictions?A Viewers ask them to.B Satellites sometimes stop working.C The computer can make mistakes. [1]
3. (c) Why are thunderstorms hard to predict?A They happen mostly at night.B They form quickly over small areas.C They only happen in the mountains. [1]

You will hear an interview with Ustad Ghulam Hussain, a craftsman who makes glazed tiles in Sindh. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Ustad sahib, your family has made tiles for generations. When did you start?Ghulam Hussain: I was eight. In those days children learned by watching. My father never explained anything; he simply expected me to copy him. I made many mistakes, and he made me start again each time.Interviewer: What makes your tiles special?Ghulam Hussain: The blue colour. We make it from minerals, using a recipe that my family has kept secret for more than a century. Many people think it's the patterns that matter most, but anyone can copy a pattern. The colour is what customers recognise.Interviewer: Is the craft in danger?Ghulam Hussain: Factory-made tiles are cheaper, so fewer people buy handmade ones for their homes. Our main customers now are architects restoring old buildings, and some hotels. The real danger is that young people don't want to learn, because it takes years before you earn a good living.Interviewer: Are you teaching anyone?Ghulam Hussain: Two of my grandsons, and – for the first time in our family – my granddaughter. She is the most patient of all.

1. (a) How did Ghulam Hussain learn his craft?A He attended a training school.B His father explained each step carefully.C He copied his father and started again whenever he made a mistake. [1]
2. (b) According to Ghulam Hussain, what makes his tiles special?A the patternsB the colourC the low price [1]
3. (c) What does he see as the greatest danger to the craft?A cheaper factory tilesB a lack of customers among architectsC young people not wanting to learn [1]
4. (d) What does he say about his granddaughter?A She has started her own business.B She designs new patterns.C She is the most patient learner. [1]

You will hear an interview with Dr Sameer Khan, the director of a planetarium. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Dr Khan, what exactly is a planetarium?Dr Khan: It's a theatre with a dome-shaped ceiling. We project images of the night sky onto the dome, so visitors feel as if they're lying under the stars. We can show the sky from any place on earth, and even from the past or future.Interviewer: Who are your visitors?Dr Khan: Mainly school groups during the week. At weekends it's families. What's interesting is that adults often ask more questions than the children!Interviewer: Has technology changed planetariums?Dr Khan: Enormously. When I started, we used a huge mechanical projector with hundreds of tiny lenses. Now it's all digital, so we can fly visitors to Mars or inside a storm on Jupiter. Some people say the old shows were more beautiful, and I partly agree, but the digital shows are far more flexible.Interviewer: What's your most popular show?Dr Khan: We expected the show about black holes to be the favourite. In fact, it's one about how ancient travellers used the stars to find their way across deserts and oceans.

1. (a) What does Dr Khan find interesting about visitors?A Families prefer weekday visits.B Adults often ask more questions than children.C Children ask the most questions. [1]
2. (b) What is Dr Khan's opinion of digital shows?A They are more flexible than the old shows.B They are less popular than the old shows.C They are more beautiful than the old shows. [1]
3. (c) Which is the most popular show?A a trip to MarsB a show about navigating by the starsC a show about black holes [1]

You will hear an interview with Tomás Ruiz, a cook on a research ship in the Southern Ocean. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Tomás, what's it like cooking on a ship?Tomás: Challenging! When the waves are big, the whole kitchen moves. Every pot has to be fixed to the cooker with metal rails, and I never fill a pan more than half full.Interviewer: How do you plan the food for a long trip?Tomás: We're at sea for up to two months, with forty scientists and crew. I order everything before we leave. Fresh vegetables only last about three weeks, so after that it's frozen and tinned food. The thing people miss most isn't fruit, surprisingly – it's fresh milk.Interviewer: Is food important for the people on board?Tomás: Absolutely. The work is hard and the weather is grey for weeks. A good meal is the highlight of the day. On Sundays I cook something special, and on birthdays I always bake a cake, even in a storm.Interviewer: Do you ever get seasick?Tomás: I did on my first voyage. Now, after twelve years, never.

1. (a) Why does Tomás never fill a pan more than half full?A because the cooker is smallB because the ship movesC to save food [1]
2. (b) What do people on the ship miss most?A fresh vegetablesB fresh milkC fruit [1]
3. (c) What does Tomás say about his first voyage?A He cooked a birthday cake in a storm.B He ran out of food.C He was seasick. [1]

You will hear an interview with Farida Noor, who translates children's books from English into Urdu. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Farida, is translating children's books easier than translating books for adults?Farida: Many people think so, because the sentences are shorter. But it's often harder. Children's books are full of jokes, rhymes and word games, and these rarely work in another language. I sometimes spend a whole day on a single rhyme.Interviewer: Do you ever change the stories?Farida: I try not to change the plot. But I sometimes change small details, like food. If a character eats something Pakistani children have never heard of, I might change it to something familiar, so that the reader isn't confused.Interviewer: How do you know if a translation is good?Farida: I read it aloud to my nephews. If they get bored, I know something is wrong. Children are very honest critics – much more honest than editors!Interviewer: Why is this work important?Farida: Many children in Pakistan learn to read in Urdu first. If they can enjoy the same stories as children elsewhere, reading becomes a pleasure, not just schoolwork.

1. (a) According to Farida, why can children's books be hard to translate?A Jokes and rhymes rarely work in another language.B The sentences are very long.C The plots are complicated. [1]
2. (b) What does Farida sometimes change?A small details such as foodB the endingC the plot [1]
3. (c) How does Farida test her translations?A She reads them aloud to children.B She compares them with other translations.C She sends them to editors. [1]

You will hear an interview with Major (retired) Saad Rehman, a helicopter pilot who carries out mountain rescues. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Major Rehman, what's the most difficult part of a mountain rescue?Saad: The altitude. Above about six thousand metres, the air is so thin that the helicopter's blades have very little to push against. We have to remove every unnecessary item, even seats, to make the machine lighter.Interviewer: Who do you usually rescue?Saad: Climbers who are injured or suffering from altitude sickness. But not always foreign climbers – we often rescue local porters, and sometimes villagers trapped by floods or landslides.Interviewer: Do you ever have to say no?Saad: Sadly, yes. Weather decides everything. If clouds cover the mountain or the wind is too strong, flying would put the crew in danger too. Waiting is the hardest part of the job, knowing someone is up there.Interviewer: What advice would you give to climbers?Saad: Turn back early. Most of the people we rescue kept going when their bodies were telling them to stop.

1. (a) Why does the crew remove items from the helicopter at high altitude?A to make room for injured climbersB to make the helicopter lighterC to save fuel [1]
2. (b) What does Saad find hardest about his job?A waiting when it is too dangerous to flyB rescuing local villagersC flying in thin air [1]
3. (c) What is Saad's advice to climbers?A Hire local porters.B Turn back early.C Check the weather forecast. [1]

You will hear an interview with Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, a food scientist who works on mangoes. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Dr Siddiqa, what problem are you trying to solve?Dr Siddiqa: Pakistan grows some of the best mangoes in the world, but a large share of the harvest is wasted before it reaches customers. Mangoes ripen quickly, and they're easily bruised on bumpy roads.Interviewer: What have you discovered?Dr Siddiqa: We've tested a natural coating made from plant wax. It slows down ripening, so the fruit stays firm for an extra week. Better packaging helps too – we use boxes with separate spaces for each mango, so they don't knock against each other.Interviewer: Why does an extra week matter so much?Dr Siddiqa: Because it means mangoes can be sent to other countries by sea instead of by air. Sea transport is much cheaper, so more farmers can afford to export.Interviewer: Are farmers using the coating?Dr Siddiqa: A few large farms are. Small farmers are interested, but they worry about the cost, so we're trying to make it cheaper.

1. (a) Why is much of the mango harvest wasted?A Customers prefer imported fruit.B There are not enough workers to pick them.C The mangoes ripen quickly and bruise easily. [1]
2. (b) What is the main advantage of keeping mangoes firm for an extra week?A They taste sweeter.B They can be sent abroad by sea.C They can be sold at a higher price in Pakistan. [1]
3. (c) Why are small farmers not yet using the coating?A They do not believe it works.B They do not grow enough mangoes.C They are worried about the cost. [1]

You will hear an interview with Sana Yousuf, who teaches Pakistan Sign Language. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Sana, how did you become a sign language teacher?Sana: My younger brother was born deaf. When I was small, our family communicated with him using simple gestures we invented ourselves. It was only when he started at a special school that we all learned proper sign language.Interviewer: Who comes to your classes?Sana: Mostly parents of deaf children, but also teachers, doctors and shop workers. Recently a bank sent all its customer service staff.Interviewer: What do beginners find most difficult?Sana: People expect the hand shapes to be hard, but they learn those quite quickly. What's harder is facial expression. In sign language, your face shows whether something is a question, or how strongly you feel. Many learners are shy about using their faces.Interviewer: What would you like to change?Sana: I'd like every school to teach some basic signs, so that deaf children can talk to their classmates during break.

1. (a) How did Sana's family communicate with her brother at first?A by writing notesB using proper sign languageC using gestures they invented [1]
2. (b) According to Sana, what do beginners find most difficult?A remembering vocabularyB using facial expressionsC learning hand shapes [1]
3. (c) What would Sana like schools to do?A teach all pupils some basic signsB employ more deaf teachersC send teachers to her classes [1]

You will hear an interview with Bilal Ahmed, an architect who designs earthquake-resistant houses. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Bilal, why did you become interested in earthquake-safe buildings?Bilal: I was a student in 2005 when the earthquake struck northern Pakistan. I volunteered in the affected area and saw that many deaths happened because heavy concrete roofs collapsed onto people.Interviewer: What makes a building safe in an earthquake?Bilal: It must be able to bend a little without breaking. Surprisingly, some traditional buildings did very well, because they used wooden frames filled with stone. Wood is flexible. My designs use that old idea, combined with modern materials.Interviewer: Are safe houses more expensive?Bilal: Slightly, maybe ten per cent more. But the real problem isn't cost, it's knowledge. Many builders in villages have never been trained, so we run free courses for them.Interviewer: What's your biggest achievement?Bilal: Last year, a moderate earthquake hit a valley where we had built two hundred homes. Not one of them was seriously damaged.

1. (a) What did Bilal notice in 2005?A Many deaths were caused by heavy roofs collapsing.B Wooden houses burned down.C There were not enough doctors. [1]
2. (b) Why did some traditional buildings survive well?A They were built on rock.B Their wooden frames were flexible.C They had concrete roofs. [1]
3. (c) According to Bilal, what is the main obstacle to building safer houses?A the costB builders' lack of trainingC a lack of materials [1]

You will hear an interview with Katie Moss, who rowed alone across the Atlantic Ocean. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Katie, you spent seventy-two days alone in a small boat. What was the hardest part?Katie: Everyone expects me to say the storms or the loneliness. The storms were frightening, and I did feel lonely sometimes, but the hardest thing was sleep. I could only sleep for about ninety minutes at a time, because I had to keep checking the boat's direction.Interviewer: What did you eat?Katie: Mostly dried food that I mixed with seawater after it had been through a machine that removes the salt. By the end I never wanted to see another packet of dried pasta!Interviewer: Did anything surprise you?Katie: The wildlife. A group of dolphins swam beside me for two whole days. And I found plastic rubbish floating in the middle of the ocean, thousands of kilometres from land. That was shocking.Interviewer: Would you do it again?Katie: Not alone. Next time I'd like to row with a team, so that I can share the experience.

1. (a) What does Katie say was the hardest part of the journey?A feeling lonelyB not getting enough sleepC the storms [1]
2. (b) What shocked Katie?A finding plastic in the middle of the oceanB running out of foodC seeing dolphins [1]
3. (c) What does Katie plan to do in future?A row with a teamB row alone againC stop rowing [1]

You will hear an interview with Hamza Malik, who composes music for video games. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Hamza, how is writing music for games different from writing music for films?Hamza: In a film, you know exactly what will happen and when. In a game, the player decides. So the music has to change depending on what the player does – it might become faster in a battle and calmer when they're exploring.Interviewer: How did you get into this work?Hamza: I studied classical piano, but I was always playing games. I started by making music for small games made by friends, without being paid. One of those games became popular, and a big company contacted me.Interviewer: Do you use traditional instruments?Hamza: Yes, in my last game I used the rubab and the dhol, recorded by musicians in Peshawar. Players from all over the world wrote to ask what those sounds were.Interviewer: Any advice for young composers?Hamza: Don't wait for permission. Make something, share it and keep learning.

1. (a) How is game music different from film music, according to Hamza?A It must change according to what the player does.B It uses only electronic instruments.C It is always faster. [1]
2. (b) How did Hamza get his first professional job?A He won a competition.B A game he worked on for friends became popular.C He studied music at university. [1]
3. (c) What happened after Hamza used traditional instruments?A The game was not popular.B Musicians from Peshawar complained.C Players asked about the sounds. [1]

You will hear an interview with Dr Lucia Bianchi, a volcanologist who studies active volcanoes. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Dr Bianchi, what first attracted you to volcanoes?Dr Bianchi: People assume it was the excitement – the red lava and so on. And yes, that's spectacular. But I was really drawn to the idea of prediction. My grandparents lost their farm in an eruption that no one saw coming, and I grew up wondering whether it could have been predicted.Interviewer: And can eruptions be predicted?Dr Bianchi: Better than before, though not perfectly. We measure small earthquakes under the volcano, changes in the gases coming out of it and tiny changes in the shape of the ground, which can swell as molten rock rises. No single sign is reliable on its own. It's when several change together that we get worried.Interviewer: Is it dangerous work?Dr Bianchi: It can be, but most of my time is spent in an office analysing data. The danger isn't really the lava, which usually moves slowly enough to walk away from. Clouds of hot gas and ash are far more deadly.Interviewer: What's the hardest part of your job?Dr Bianchi: Deciding when to advise people to leave their homes. If we warn too early and nothing happens, people stop trusting us next time.

1. (a) What was the main reason Dr Bianchi became interested in volcanoes?A a wish to know whether eruptions can be predictedB the excitement of seeing lavaC her grandparents worked as scientists [1]
2. (b) What does she say about the signs that an eruption may happen?A Small earthquakes are the most reliable sign.B Changes in the ground are impossible to measure.C Several signs changing together are most worrying. [1]
3. (c) Why does Dr Bianchi find it hard to advise people to leave their homes?A Lava moves too quickly to escape.B There are not enough safe places to go.C People may not trust future warnings if nothing happens. [1]

You will hear an interview with Dr Uzma Baig, a scientist who studies the Indus river dolphin. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Dr Baig, what makes the Indus river dolphin unusual?Dr Baig: It lives only in the Indus River system, and it's almost blind. The river water is so muddy that eyesight is of little use, so it finds its way and catches fish using echolocation – it sends out clicks and listens to the echoes.Interviewer: Are its numbers increasing or falling?Dr Baig: The good news is that they've risen in recent decades, thanks to protection and to fishermen who now help rather than harm them. But I wouldn't say the dolphin is safe. Its range is much smaller than it once was.Interviewer: What's the biggest threat today?Dr Baig: Many people say pollution, and that is a concern. But the most serious problem is the barrages – the dams built across the river for irrigation. They split the dolphins into separate groups, and in the dry season, some sections hold so little water that dolphins become trapped in canals.Interviewer: What happens then?Dr Baig: We have a rescue team. Local people phone us, and we catch the dolphins in nets and carry them back to the main river. Last year we rescued over twenty.

1. (a) Why does the Indus river dolphin use echolocation?A Its eyesight is useless in the muddy water.B It hunts only at night.C It lives in very deep water. [1]
2. (b) What is Dr Baig's view of the dolphin's situation?A It is now completely safe.B Numbers have improved, but it is not yet safe.C Numbers are falling quickly. [1]
3. (c) What does Dr Baig consider the most serious threat?A pollutionB fishermenC barrages across the river [1]

You will hear an interview with Professor Nadeem Akhtar, an archaeologist who has worked at Mohenjo-daro. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Professor Akhtar, what still amazes you about Mohenjo-daro?Professor Akhtar: The planning. More than four thousand years ago, the city had straight streets, covered drains and houses with their own bathrooms. Many people focus on the Great Bath, which is impressive, but for me the drains are the real achievement – they tell us that the rulers cared about public health.Interviewer: What don't we know about the city?Professor Akhtar: A great deal. We can't read the writing of the Indus people. We have thousands of short inscriptions on small stone seals, but no long texts, and nothing like a dictionary. So we don't know what language they spoke or what they called their city.Interviewer: Is the site in danger?Professor Akhtar: Very much. The bricks are being damaged by salt rising from the ground water. When the water evaporates, salt crystals grow inside the bricks and break them apart. Tourists can cause damage too, by climbing on the walls, but salt is a far bigger threat.Interviewer: Should more of the city be dug up?Professor Akhtar: I'd say no, at least for now. Buried parts are protected. Once they're exposed, they start to decay. Better to look after what we've already uncovered.

1. (a) What does Professor Akhtar consider the city's greatest achievement?A the drainsB the Great BathC the writing on seals [1]
2. (b) Why can't scholars read the Indus writing?A The seals are too small to see.B All the inscriptions have been destroyed.C There are no long texts or anything like a dictionary. [1]
3. (c) What is his opinion about digging up more of the city?A It should wait, because buried parts are protected.B It should be done as soon as possible.C It should be done only by tourists' guides. [1]

You will hear an interview with Dr Rehana Qazi, a neuroscientist who studies memory. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Dr Qazi, many students believe they have a bad memory. Is that true?Dr Qazi: Usually not. Most people who say that simply use poor methods. Reading notes again and again feels productive, but it's one of the least effective ways to learn. Testing yourself is far better, even if you get answers wrong.Interviewer: Why does testing work?Dr Qazi: Every time you try to recall something, you strengthen the connections in your brain that hold that memory. Getting it wrong and then checking also helps, because the correction sticks.Interviewer: What about sleep?Dr Qazi: It's essential. During deep sleep, the brain replays what you learned during the day and moves it into long-term storage. Students who stay up all night before an exam may remember a bit for the next morning, but they'll forget most of it within days.Interviewer: Do memory games on phones help?Dr Qazi: They make you better at that particular game. There's little evidence they improve memory in general. Physical exercise, surprisingly, has a much clearer effect.

1. (a) What does Dr Qazi say about students who think they have a bad memory?A They should read their notes more often.B They are usually right.C They are usually using poor learning methods. [1]
2. (b) According to Dr Qazi, what happens when students stay up all night before an exam?A They forget most of what they learned within days.B They remember nothing the next morning.C Their memory improves in the long term. [1]
3. (c) What is her opinion of memory games on phones?A They mainly improve skill at that game.B They improve memory in general.C They are more useful than exercise. [1]

You will hear an interview with Chef Omar Farooq, whose restaurant aims to waste no food. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Chef Farooq, your restaurant claims to produce almost no food waste. How?Omar: It starts with the menu. We change it every day depending on what the farmers bring. If they have too many aubergines, aubergines appear in three dishes. Restaurants that print a fixed menu end up throwing away ingredients nobody orders.Interviewer: What about parts of vegetables people usually throw away?Omar: We use almost everything. Carrot tops become a green sauce, and stale bread is made into a pudding. Customers are often suspicious at first, but they rarely leave anything on their plates.Interviewer: Isn't this more expensive?Omar: The opposite. We buy less, and the farmers sell us vegetables that are slightly misshapen at a lower price. The real cost is in training. My cooks need much more skill than in a normal kitchen, because they have to invent dishes every morning.Interviewer: Can families learn from this?Omar: Definitely. Plan meals before shopping, and look in the fridge before you buy anything. Most household waste happens because people buy food they already have.

1. (a) Why does the restaurant change its menu every day?A Customers get bored easily.B It uses whatever ingredients the farmers have.C The chef likes to experiment. [1]
2. (b) What does Omar say about the cost of running his restaurant?A Food costs more because it is organic.B Misshapen vegetables are more expensive.C Training the cooks is the main expense. [1]
3. (c) According to Omar, what causes most food waste at home?A cooking too muchB buying food people already haveC throwing away vegetable tops [1]

You will hear an interview with Faisal Baloch, a former professional footballer who now coaches children in Lyari, Karachi. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Faisal, you played professionally for years. Why come back to Lyari?Faisal: Lyari gave me football. As a boy, I played barefoot in the streets with a ball made of plastic bags. I always promised myself that if I succeeded, I'd come back and give other children the chances I didn't have.Interviewer: What does your academy offer?Faisal: Free coaching four evenings a week, boots and kit. But football is only part of it. Every session starts with half an hour of homework, and nobody plays unless they've done it.Interviewer: Some people say that's too strict.Faisal: Maybe. But only a tiny number of these boys and girls will become professional players. The others need an education. I'm not trying to produce stars; I want to produce good citizens.Interviewer: What has been your proudest moment?Faisal: People expect me to mention our team winning the city championship last year, and I was proud. But my proudest moment was when one of our first players came back as a qualified coach to work with us.

1. (a) Why did Faisal return to Lyari?A He could not find work elsewhere.B He had promised himself he would help children there.C He wanted to play for a local team. [1]
2. (b) Why does Faisal insist on homework before football?A It helps the children play better.B Parents demanded it.C Most of the children will not become professional players. [1]
3. (c) What was Faisal's proudest moment?A his own first professional matchB winning the city championshipC a former player returning as a coach [1]

You will hear an interview with Lina Haddad, a perfume maker. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Lina, how many scents can a perfume maker recognise?Lina: A trained 'nose', as we're called, can identify around two thousand. It took me about seven years of daily practice. It's like learning a language – you start with simple words and gradually build up.Interviewer: Where do the ingredients come from?Lina: Some are natural – roses from Turkey, jasmine from India, sandalwood from Australia. But many perfumes today also use ingredients made in laboratories. People often think natural is always better, but that's not true. Some natural ingredients cause allergies, and some come from endangered plants.Interviewer: How do you create a new perfume?Lina: I often begin with a memory. My best-known perfume was inspired by the smell of rain on dry earth in my grandmother's village. It took two years and more than three hundred versions before I was satisfied.Interviewer: Do you wear perfume yourself?Lina: Never at work. It would confuse my sense of smell. At weekends, though, I wear one I made for my wedding.

1. (a) What does Lina compare learning to identify scents to?A learning musicB learning to cookC learning a language [1]
2. (b) What is Lina's view of natural ingredients?A They should never be used.B They are not always better than laboratory ones.C They are always better than laboratory ones. [1]
3. (c) Why does Lina not wear perfume at work?A It would confuse her sense of smell.B It is too expensive.C Customers might not like it. [1]

You will hear an interview with Maryam Shah, a city planner who designed new cycle lanes. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Maryam, when your city introduced cycle lanes, many drivers were angry. Did that surprise you?Maryam: Not really. People always resist change that affects their daily routine. What surprised me was who complained most. I expected car drivers, but actually the strongest objections came from shopkeepers, who were worried that customers wouldn't be able to park outside.Interviewer: And were they right?Maryam: The opposite happened. After a year, most shops on streets with cycle lanes had more customers, because people cycling or walking stop more often than people driving past.Interviewer: Have many people started cycling?Maryam: Numbers have tripled, but from a low starting point. The biggest change has been among women and older people, who didn't feel safe cycling in traffic before.Interviewer: What would you do differently?Maryam: I'd spend more time talking to residents before building anything. We had the right plan, but we explained it badly, and that created unnecessary opposition.

1. (a) What surprised Maryam about the complaints?A Drivers complained more than expected.B Nobody complained at all.C Shopkeepers objected most strongly. [1]
2. (b) What happened to shops on streets with cycle lanes?A Customers could not park.B Most had more customers.C Many closed down. [1]
3. (c) What does Maryam regret?A choosing the wrong streetsB not explaining the plan well to residentsC building the cycle lanes too quickly [1]

You will hear an interview with Jawad Hussain, a filmmaker who made a documentary about the Ravi River. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Jawad, why did you choose the Ravi for your film?Jawad: I grew up in Lahore hearing my father's stories about swimming in the Ravi as a boy. When I finally went to see it properly, I found in many places a narrow, polluted channel. I wanted to understand what had happened.Interviewer: What did you discover?Jawad: Several things. Much of the river's water is now taken upstream, and untreated waste from homes and factories flows into it. But the film isn't only about problems. I met farmers who still depend on the river and young volunteers cleaning the banks every weekend.Interviewer: Was filming difficult?Jawad: Physically, yes – the smell in some places was awful. But the hardest thing was getting officials to speak on camera. Many agreed and then cancelled at the last minute.Interviewer: What do you hope viewers will do?Jawad: I don't want them to feel hopeless. I want them to see that rivers can recover, as some rivers in Europe have, if people demand it.

1. (a) What made Jawad want to make the film?A A request from a television channelB His father's memories of the riverC A newspaper article about pollution [1]
2. (b) What was the most difficult part of filming?A persuading officials to be interviewedB finding volunteersC the bad smell [1]
3. (c) What effect does Jawad hope the film will have?A Viewers will see that rivers can recover.B Viewers will visit European rivers.C Viewers will feel the river cannot be saved. [1]

You will hear an interview with Engineer Zara Ahmed, who works on the undersea cables that carry the internet. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C.Transcript (read it aloud, or read it silently)Interviewer: Zara, most people think the internet travels through satellites. Is that right?Zara: It's a common belief, but almost all international internet traffic actually travels through cables on the sea floor. Satellites are useful for remote places, but cables carry far more data, far more cheaply.Interviewer: How big are these cables?Zara: In deep water, surprisingly small – about the width of a garden hose. Near the coast, where they can be damaged by ships' anchors or fishing nets, they're thicker and protected with steel wire, and often buried under the sea bed.Interviewer: What's the most common cause of damage?Zara: People sometimes joke about sharks biting cables, and it has happened, but it's very rare. Most damage is caused by fishing and anchors. Earthquakes under the sea can also break several cables at once.Interviewer: How are cables repaired?Zara: A special ship lifts the broken ends to the surface with a hook. Engineers join the fibres on board, which can take days, and then lower the cable back down.

1. (a) According to Zara, how does most international internet traffic travel?A by radio towersB through cables on the sea floorC by satellite [1]
2. (b) Why are cables thicker near the coast?A They are more likely to be damaged there.B The water is colder there.C They carry more data there. [1]
3. (c) What is the most common cause of damage to cables?A sharksB fishing and anchorsC earthquakes [1]