1
Unit 8-Conversation 1
Mark
:
Look,
there's
a
careers
fair
on
at
the
Examination
Schools. Do you want to go?
Janet
:
What happens in a careers fair?
Mark:
There
are
lots
of
different
companies
and
they
give
you information about careers .advice, that kind of thing.
Janet
:
OK, I'll come. You coming, Kate?
Kate
:
Yeah, sure. But I've already decided on my career.
Mark:
We know. You're going to be a brilliant lawyer.
Kate
:
That's the plan
鈥?/p>
I'm off to a law firm soon as I get
my degree.
Janet
:
You're so lucky. I wish I knew what I wanted to do.
Kate
:
Didn't you say something about teaching?
Janet
:
Yes,
I'm
thinking
about
it.
I'm
quite
attracted
to
teaching. But I'm not really sure yet.
Kate
:
Well, you've got lots of time. What about you, Mark?
What are your plans?
Mark
:
I'm going to row for England.
Kate
:
Seriously?
Mark
:
No. Problem is, I think if you want to be successful,
you've got to plan ahead
鈥?/p>
starting at the age of 12.
Janet
:
So we're not doing very well.
Mark
:
No.
Kate
:
So?
Mark
:
Well
...
I'm
thinking
of
going
into
business
management. It's a possibility.
Janet
:
Really?
Mark
:
Yes.
Kate
:
Hey,
let's
go
to
the
Careers
Fair.
It
might
give
you
some ideas.
Janet
:
It was very interesting, wasn't it? You were having a
long conversation with that man from the law firm.
Kate
:
Yes. They said there's a possibility of a job placement
as an intern over the summer. They're going to let me
know about it.
Janet
:
Fantastic!
Unit 8-Conversation 2
Kate
:
You
know
that
job
placement
I
told
you
about
鈥?/p>
they've asked me to go for an interview.
Janet
:
That's brilliant. When?
Kate
:
Two weeks' time ...
Interviewer
:
So what made you decide to study law, Kate?
Kate
:
A number of reasons. Law interests me a lot. I've got
a
good
brain,
a
good
memory.
And
I'd
certainly
like
to
do
some part-time work for Legal Aid. And also, I must admit,
the money's good.
Interviewer
:
Well,
those
are
good,
honest
answers.
Certainly, your CV's very good. I seem to remember that you
only want the work placement for six weeks. Is that right?
Kate
:
Yes, it is.
Interviewer
:
Why is that?
Kate
:
Well,
to
be
honest,
I'm
planning
to
go
back
to
the
States and spend time with my family.
Interviewer
:
Ah, that's understandable. Now, tell me, what
questions do you have?
Kate
:
I've
got
some
idea
but
obviously,
what
I'd
like
to
know is, what does the job involve?
Interviewer
:
Of course. Well, for the first few weeks, your
main
responsibility
would
be
to
read
files
and
summarize
them.
We'd
also
want
you
to
do
some
research
for
us.
How
does that sound? Rather boring?
Kate
:
No, not at all. I think I'd learn a lot.
Interviewer
:
Good, well ... you'll be taking your first year
exams soon, won't you?
Kate
:
Yes, in a few weeks' time.
Interviewer
:
Well, provided they're OK, I think we can say
you're in.
Kate
:
Thank you
鈥?/p>
that's wonderful!
Ka
t
e
:
Hey, guess what?
Janet
:
What?
Kate
:
They've accepted me. I start at the end of June.
Janet
:
Well done!
Unit 8-Outside view
Every
year,
millions
of
young
people
take
time
out
to
help others as volunteers. Many of them do this during a gap
year between finishing school and starting in higher education.
Volunteers learn to solve problems, work together as a team
and develop their personalities. Communities in need get help
they
couldn't
afford
to
pay
for.
In
Britain,
one
of
the
main
agencies
for
voluntary
work
is
Raleigh
International.
It
arranges for thousands of people, aged between 17 and 25, to
help out in their own country or abroad.
This
group
of
100
people
has
just
arrived
at
the
base
camp
in
Costa
Rica.
In
the
next
ten
weeks,
they
are
taking
part
in
three
different
projects.
One
of
the
projects
is
environmental,
one
community-based
and
one
an
adventure
project.
But
first,
they
have
training
for
the
conditions
they
will
encounter.
For
the
environmental
project
at
Curu,
the
volunteers
are
going
to
help
to
build
an
artificial
reef
from
recycled
materials.
This
forms
a
protective
environment
for
the
fish
to
breed
and
feed.
It
helps
the
local
economy
of
commercial
fishing
and
protects
the
natural
reefs
from
over-fishing and destruction. The community project is in one
of
the
poorest
rural
areas
in
the
world.
In
the
village
of
El
Porvenir, volunteers are going to make bricks.
They're
going
to
help
to
build
a
storehouse
for
the
important
sesame
crop.
If
they
have
more
storage,
the
villagers
will
be
able
to
make
more
money
from
selling
sesame.
V
olunteers
also
take
part
in
a
survival
activity.
Tomorrow,
this
group
is
trekking
to
the
summit
of
Costa
Rica's
highest
mountain,
Mount
Chirripo.
At
the
end
of
the
ten
weeks,
the
volunteers
are
proud
that
their
efforts
have
helped to improve the lives of the people and the environment
of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Unit 8-Listening in