Oxford IELTS Practice Tests Academic Listening Test 3 (Online Test)

PRESENTER: Welcome to Student Times, the programme with all the latest on what's happening at universities around the country. Today we'll be discussing disabled applicants, and the kind of support they can expect to find – or not find – at the university of their choice. With me to tell us more is Student Disability Advisor Sally Taylor. Good morning, Sally.

SALLY: Good morning, Hugh. I'd like to start by pointing out that although one in four people has some kind of disability, the proportion among students is much lower. This is partly because most students are under 25 and many people only develop their disabilities as they get older - but it's also because some universities don't do much to encourage access. It is true, though, that some have quite sticky problems when it comes to, for instance, wheelchair access - ancient buildings, cobbled streets built centuries ago, and so on. When faced with such a situation, some universities make an extra special effort to provide for students with particular disabilities, while others have specialist accommodation. In fact, all universities should have a written policy statement on students with disabilities, setting out what facilities they have, what their attitude is, and what they're prepared to do. But, having said that, only you can properly understand the challenges of any disability you have, and so, before accepting a place at a university (or even, while you're considering applying, if only to raise the universities' awareness), it's good to talk to them and find out how much they can (and will) do for you. The problem is who to talk to. Most universities and some students' unions have a disability advisor who is supposed to know what facilities they already have and will help with further arrangements if necessary or possible. However, all too often this person is a token. Sometimes it's just an extra responsibility given to a secretary. They don't know what the situation is in practice, and they don't have any real authority to change anything. So, given that for any prospective student it's best to visit a university before applying, it's an especially good idea for students with disabilities or special needs to check whether the place really does come up to scratch. In general, the university should provide personal care and assistance, and there are certain key features to look out for if you have a particular disability, including the following.

Firstly, if your mobility is impaired, check there are ramps and easy access to all buildings, not just accommodation or teaching rooms. Then, when you're inside, look for clear instructions on fire and emergency procedures for the disabled. Also make sure there are lifts that work – not the usual ones that seem to be out of order half the time – and check for suitable lavatory facilities. There is a different set of things to look for if you suffer from any kind of hearing impairment. There should be induction loops in lecture theatres, flashing sirens in all rooms, and, in accommodation, visual doorbells that light up when somebody calls round to see you. If it is your sight that is impaired, there obviously need to be Braille translators of books and documents. In all buildings, the stairs, floors, doorways and windows must have clear markings, and there also have to be special fire and emergency procedures for you. If you suffer from dyslexia, you will need a computer for general use and in exams. And, as exams may take you longer to complete, you should be allowed extra time in which to do so. This applies to work in general, too. There are of course many other possible health difficulties that you may suffer from, such as diabetes, epilepsy, or heart conditions. If this is the case, check the availability of access to appropriate treatment including medication and/or therapy. Finally, make sure that in the event of an emergency, it is clear what you – and other people who may be involved – have to do.

JULIA: So you were both on last year's Orientation Course, then. How did it go?

LIZ: I loved it. The activities were well organized, and I met people from all over the world.

MARK: Yes, it was useful.

JULIA: And you think I should sign up for this year's course?

LIZ: Yes, definitely. Apart from being fun, it really does prepare you for all the things you have to do in your first couple of weeks. In fact, one of the most useful things was chatting to people who'd already been there for a year, so-called senior students. They'd been on the Orientation Course the year before last, and recommended it to us. Oh, and there was a great atmosphere at the formal dinner, too. It was so colourful, with people in their traditional dress from Asia, Africa, South America. It was one of the high points of the whole week.

MARK: That was right at the end, of course. The first thing they did, on the Monday, was take us on a guided tour of the Students Union.

LIZ: And after that they took us round the city centre, showing us things like the bus station, the main shops ...

MARK: And the best pubs ...

LIZ: Right. So it was very worthwhile.

MARK: Yes, though maybe they could have taken us to a better night club. The music at the place we went to was lousy.

LIZ: That's a matter of taste, surely! Well anyway the next day they showed us round everything on the campus.

MARK: And believe me it was everything. We must have walked miles. I could have done with less information on every building in sight, given that I'll probably never need to go into half of them, and a bit more on places everyone's likely to use at some time or other. Like the sports block, the health centre, the bicycle and car parks ...

LIZ: Which reminds me, there was an afternoon session on how to drive in this country, which seemed to me a bit weird – you know, for a university course.

MARK: I suppose it's because there've been accidents involving students who aren't used to people driving on the left. I was there actually.

LIZ: How was it?

MARK: Well, I must say I was a bit disappointed. There were some useful driving tips, but it might have been more helpful if it had included stuff for pedestrians. How to avoid getting run over, for example.

LIZ: You didn't go to the session on 'safety', then?

MARK: No.

LIZ: Well apparently that dealt with road safety for pedestrians, along with lots of other aspects of course. I wasn't there myself, but that might be something worth going to, Julia.

JULIA: I like the sound of the whole thing. Tell me, what's the accommodation like? Do you have a room to yourself or do you have to share? What do you have to take with you?

LIZ: For the orientation course, you'll have an individual room in one of the halls of residence. That'll be a different hall from the one you're booked into for the year, but they're both on the campus so you won't have far to go.

MARK: And you won't have to take too much with you. The room will have chairs, table, wardrobe, bed, mattress, blankets, sheets and so on.

LIZ: Take a warm coat or jacket, though. It may well rain and it's unlikely to reach even twenty degrees in late September.

MARK: But it shouldn't drop below about ten, at least during the day. Which is something, I suppose!

JULIA: Right. Now I know they can't do much about the weather, but did you have the feeling that they were looking after you on the course?

LIZ: Yes, we did. There were some little touches that showed they'd thought about what it was like to be starting a course of study abroad.

JULIA: Such as?

LIZ: Well it's just a small example, but they gave us free email access to contact people at home. Thirty minutes, if I remember correctly.

MARK: Actually I think it was twenty.

LIZ: Yes, you're right. I was on for over half an hour and paid for an extra ten or fifteen minutes. Not that it was much!

JULIA: Emails don't take long to write anyway.

LIZ: No, they don't.

JULIA: So, just one more thing: the timetable. When does the course actually start and finish?

MARK: Well a lot of people get there on the Sunday, though you'd have to find a room for an extra night as the course accommodation is only booked from the Monday, when things get going.

LIZ: Then they'll keep you busy all week, until the dinner on the Friday.

JULIA: And that's it, is it?

LIZ: Yes, there's nothing after that.

MARK: Though most people stay over till Saturday, partly to recover from the party but also because they can then move straight into their permanent rooms.

JULIA: I think I'll do that. Well, thanks a lot for all your advice. I'm sure I'll enjoy the course.

LIZ: I wish I could go on this year's, too!

LECTURER: Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to this short talk on the subject of fireworks. Now, fireworks, as I'm sure many of you know, were invented in China, though there has long been disagreement as to exactly when, or even in which century. The consensus nowadays, though, is that it was in the sixth, as there is considerable evidence of war rockets being made then. We also know that fireworks were in use by the seventh century in Arabia, where they were called 'Chinese Arrows', reflecting their military potential. It then took a long time for them to spread to Europe: in fact it wasn't until the twelve hundreds that fireworks made their appearance there.

The basic ingredients of fireworks have changed little to this day. Their explosive capacity comes mainly from black powder, also known as gunpowder, which is produced from a mixture of charcoal, sulphur and potassium nitrate. A modern aerial firework – the kind used nowadays in big public displays, not the small rocket type that you might remember from your childhood – is normally made in the form of a shell, often a sphere about the size of a peach. Inside the shell are a number of stars surrounded by black powder, and running through the centre of the round shell is a charge that makes the firework explode when it reaches the desired altitude. This is known as the bursting charge. When this explodes, it ignites the outside of the stars, which begin to burn with bright showers of sparks. Since the explosion throws the stars in all directions, you get the huge sphere of sparkling light that is so familiar at firework displays. A shell of this kind is launched from a 75 millimetre-diameter mortar, which in some ways resembles the type used by the military. The mortar is a steel or – increasingly, for safety reasons – shatterproof plastic pipe. This is likely to be 500 millimetres long and sealed at one end. The other end is aimed at the sky and at the bottom of the pipe, below the shell, is placed a cylinder containing black powder. This has a long fuse which projects out of the tube. When this is lit, it quickly burns down to the lifting charge, which explodes to launch the shell. In so doing, it also lights the shell's fuse. The shell's fuse burns while the shell rises to its correct altitude, and then ignites the bursting charge so it explodes. More complicated shells are divided into sections and burst in two or three phases. Shells like this are called multibreak shells. They may contain stars of different colours and compositions to create softer or brighter light, more or less sparks, etc. Some shells contain explosives designed to crackle in the sky, or whistles that explode outwards with the stars. The sections of a multibreak shell are ignited by different fuses and the bursting of one section ignites the next. The shells must be assembled in such a way that each section explodes in sequence to produce a distinct separate effect. The pattern that an aerial shell paints in the sky depends on the arrangement of stars inside the shell. For example, if the stars are equally spaced in a circle, with black powder inside the circle, you will see an aerial display of smaller star explosions equally spaced in a circle. To create a specific figure in the sky, for instance a heart shape, you create an outline of the figure in stars inside the shell. You then place explosive charges inside those stars to blow them outward into the shape of a large heart. Each charge has to be ignited at exactly the right time or the whole thing is spoiled. Many other shapes have particular names, like the Willow. This is formed by stars that fall in the shape of willow tree branches spreading a little to the side and then downwards. The high charcoal composition of the stars makes them long-burning, so they may even stay visible until they hit the ground. The Ring Shell is fairly basic. It is produced by stars exploding outwards to produce a symmetrical ring of coloured lights. More complex is the pattern created by the Palm, which contains large comets, or charges in the shape of a solid cylinder. These travel outwards, explode and then curve downwards like the limbs of a palm tree. The Serpentine, the last one for now, is different again. When this one bursts, it sends small tubes of incendiaries scattering outwards in random paths, which may culminate in exploding stars. It can be quite spectacular.