Аудирование в формате ЕГЭ – Вариант 1

Speaker A: We’ve had our dog, Fido, for two years now. My parents asked me which animal I’d like, and I said a dog. A dog was a good choice for us because we’ve got a big house and a fenced-in garden where he can play, and we all take turns walking him. Dogs need space and exercise. People who’ve got a small flat and not a lot of free time to spend with their pet should probably get a fish instead!

Speaker B: Our cats, Leo, Tabs and Boo, certainly keep us entertained round the house. They love to play and sleep and they certainly perk up at mealtimes. But they have their own characters. Leo is super friendly and loves to sit on your lap. Tabs always runs away when you try to pick her up. And Boo is unpredictable – sometimes he loves you, and sometimes he doesn’t! I guess they’re like people in a way – no two are alike!

Speaker С: I love having an aquarium. I’ve got two fish in it now. They don’t really have personalities, you know, although they get excited when I toss flakes of food in their tank. I started off with just one fish, then after six months, I decided it would be fun to get a second one, and they seem very happy together. They’re easy to look after – just give them some food and watch them swim!

Speaker D: We’ve got a really cool parrot named Polly. Polly’s a great character, and she talks! What better pet could you have, right? Sadly, though, Polly wasn’t feeling well a few weeks ago. She stopped eating and wasn’t talking so much. Everyone who owns a pet must look after it, so we had to take her to a vet, who prescribed some medicine. She’s much improved now and back to her usual chatty self!

Speaker E: Our local pet shop has got lots of different pets – rabbits and hamsters, birds and fish. I’m always tempted to buy another pet, but I know I mustn’t! But every time I go there, I pick up something for my dog, Gus. He loves having a new toy to chew on or chase round the house. I think about myself, you know. I love video games, but I can’t play the same one over and over again!

Speaker F: When we were thinking of getting a pet, we had to consider where we would get one. The pet shop near my house has lots to choose from. But I get so sad when I think about all those animals that are out on the streets. So my parents and I decided that we would visit the city shelter and rescue a pet from there. And that’s how we got our dog Chester, who’s more than happy to live with us!

Jason: Vicky, are you going to Helens fancy dress party on Saturday? You have to come, if only to see my outfit. I’m going as a gorilla rugby player!

Vicky: That’ll be hilarious, Jason! I wasn’t sure if I was going to come, but I think you’ve helped me make up my mind. But I don’t know what to wear. I was thinking maybe a princess, but that seems a bit boring.

Jason: No, that sounds great. If you came as a princess, you would wear loads of jewellery and a huge crown, right?

Vicky: Hmm, I’m not keen on that idea, really. Where would I get all those things? I don’t want to spend a thousand pounds on an outfit.

Jason: That’s a good point. Well, what about a celebrity? Maybe you could come as Lady Gaga. That should be easy to do, shouldn’t it? Just copy one of her looks.

Vicky: No, I can’t do that. Lisa’s already going as Gaga. Besides, I think I’m way too tall to be her. She’d only come up to my chin if she were standing in front of me!

Jason: What about a mermaid? You know, dress up like a fish! I think you’d look really good in that kind of outfit, and it can’t be that expensive, can it?

Vicky: That sounds interesting, but how would I get round the party without falling over? It would be quite difficult to walk!

Jason: Hmm, maybe you could wear a long green skirt and ask your mum to sew a fish tail on the bottom.

Vicky: How creative! I’ve also got a funky green blouse and I can put some fake seashells all over it. I think we’re getting somewhere with this idea! Of course, I’ve got an exam in three days, so I can’t spend all my time making a mermaid costume.

Jason: Hopefully it won’t take too long to make.
The party’s this weekend and today’s Monday. That’s plenty of time, don’t you think?

Vicky: Well, my exams in maths, which I’m terrible at. I think I’ll have to wait until it’s over before I can do this costume. But at least I’ve got the idea.

Jason: Well, good luck in your exam, and with the costume!

Vicky: Thanks. See you at the party Jason!

Presenter: Hi everyone and welcome to our programme, Awesome Job! Today we have John Stone with us to talk about his work in ecotourism. John, welcome to the show.

Speaker: Thanks for having me.

Presenter: Tell us some things about your job and what your company does.

Speaker: I work as a tour guide for a company called Go Green Tourism. We specialise in tours to unique habitats with rich biodiversity. We organise very small tours, for maybe 20 people or less, so that the environment remains protected, and our destinations are mainly tropical regions in South America and most recently South-East Asia. We travel to our destination and stay at a local village near the habitat, which is where we eat and sleep. Then we go on a guided walking tour of a rainforest and we educate our travelling companions about the different flora and fauna of the area.

Presenter: So you have to be well-trained in plant and animal sciences to give one of these tours, yes?

Speaker: That’s right. Typically the tour guides have a degree in biology or botany, or a master’s in forest conservation, something like that. My specific educational background is in zoo management, but I saw an advert for this job and decided I wanted to give it a try. I’ve learned a great deal more about the natural environment through this work, which I’m happy about.

Presenter: Is ecotourism safe for the environment, in your opinion?

Speaker: We do our very best to ensure that any place we visit is left virtually untouched. Our ecotravellers must attend a seminar before we embark on our journey in order to learn the dos and don’ts of the trip. People who sign up for these tours are quite conscious of the environment to begin with.

Presenter: Does your company participate in environment protection programmes?

Speaker: I’m glad you asked that, because yes, we do. Part of our profits go to awareness programmes aimed at educating people about the rainforests and their value as a resource. Most people don’t realise that without rainforests, we wouldn’t be able to survive.

Presenter: There is also the problem of rainforests being cut down, isn’t there?

Speaker: Yes, we also provide funds for organisations that fight illegal logging and land clearing in Brazil. These organisations work with the Brazilian government and although it’s a continuous battle, they have made progress in recent years in protecting land.

Presenter: That’s good to know. What sorts of things do people get to see in the rainforests, besides plants and animals of course?

Speaker: Oh, many things. We visit dazzling waterfalls, and pristine lakes and rivers. We also visit the native peoples who live in or near the rainforests – the ones who are welcoming to visitors anyway! So there is also a cultural exchange that takes place between the ecotravellers and the locals. I’ve even picked up a few words of the locals’ languages, which is really cool. Of course, I’m a long way off being fluent!

Presenter: And do you just visit rainforests?

Speaker: Well, the company is only about eight years old, so the focus has been rainforest regions mainly in Brazil, but as I said before, we do visit South-East Asia, which we started doing a couple of years ago. But I’m excited to say that we are planning to expand our operations to regions in Africa, such as the Serengeti and Madagascar. Business has been booming for ecotourism, so hopefully that trend will continue, for us and for other environmentally-conscious organisations…