• Unit 3 - Track 1.1

• Unit 3 - Track 1.2

• Unit 3 - Track 1.3

• Unit 3 - Track 2

• Unit 3 - Track 3.1

• Unit 3 - Track 3.2

• Unit 3 - Track 3.3

• Unit 3 - Track 3.4

• Unit 3 - Track 3.5

• Unit 3 - Track 4.1

• Unit 3 - Track 4.2

• Unit 3 - Track 4.3

• Unit 3 - Track 4.4

• Unit 3 - Track 4.5

• Unit 3 - Track 4.6

• Unit 3 - Track 5

• Unit 3 - Track 6.1

• Unit 3 - Track 6.2

• Unit 3 - Track 7

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 3 Track 7

  An Ontario resident ordered some fast food on Friday, but instead of getting a bag of hot chicken, he got a bag of cold, hard cash. Richard Coleman, a 3rd-year law student at the University of Toronto, pulled up to the drive-thru window of the popular Charlie’s Chicken restaurant on Broadway and ordered a chicken burger and French fries to go. At the first stoplight on his way home, Coleman reached inside the take-out bag for his chicken burger and pulled out a bundle of cash instead.

  Close

• Unit 3 - Track 8

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 3 Track 8

  An Ontario resident ordered some fast food on Friday, but instead of getting a bag of hot chicken, he got a bag of cold, hard cash. Richard Coleman, a 3rd-year law student at the University of Toronto, pulled up to the drive-thru window of the popular Charlie’s Chicken restaurant on Broadway and ordered a chicken burger and French fries to go. At the first stoplight on his way home, Coleman reached inside the take-out bag for his chicken burger and pulled out a bundle of cash instead.

  “I couldn’t believe it!” said Coleman. “I immediately pulled over to the side of the road because I was afraid I’d get into an accident.” The money, which totaled over two thousand dollars, was the restaurant’s deposit from the previous day. Ralph Black, the owner of Charlie’s Chicken, had put the money in a paper take-out bag because he had run out of plastic bank deposit bags. While he was on the phone, a drive-thru cashier unknowingly gave the bag to Coleman, thinking it was his take-out order.

  “I was tempted to keep the money,” Coleman admitted, “but I knew that the best thing to do was to return it.” Black told reporters, “I was quite surprised. I think most people would have kept the money—especially when you consider how expensive law school is! Coleman is going to make a very honest lawyer.

  Close

• Unit 3 - Track 9

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 3 Track 9

  A 91-year-old woman from B.C. issued a public statement after a bank teller discovered questionable charges from her bank account.

  The bank issued a statement after a clerk discovered suspicious charges against the account of Mary Bryce, a 91-year-old woman from B.C. When her husband went to a long-term care facility, Mary had to assume responsibility for managing her own finances.

  It turned out she had been paying a bill of $20 to an unknown payee every month for 4 years without being aware of it.

  The charging company is registered in the US and offers its customers discount coupons for airline tickets, hotels, and electronics in exchange for the monthly fee. Mary suspects that her husband might have been contacted over the phone years ago and convinced to sign up for the service.

  The bank put a temporary stop on the payments the moment it was requested. However, seniors remain highly susceptible to financial scams due to lack of up-to-date knowledge.

  To help protect their most vulnerable customers, the Canadian Bankers Association launched a new financial literacy program last month. Free workshops educate older citizens on financial abuse, fraud, and cash management during retirement. Mary Bryce already took the course and found it extremely informative and practical.

  Close

• Unit 3 - Track 10

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 3 Track 10

  Earlier today, a security guard thwarted a kidnapping attempt by providing police with information that led to the rescue of a young girl. As Monica LeBlanc was monitoring the security cameras at Mason’s Department Store, she noticed a man behaving erratically in one of the aisles. She found it a little unusual, so followed the man to the parking lot where he got into a rental car and drove away. LeBlanc took down the license plate details as a precaution, and returned to work, thinking nothing more of it. Two hours later, police put out an amber alert that a seven-year-old girl had been abducted. The kidnapper’s description matched that of the man LeBlanc had seen earlier. LeBlanc called the police and provided the license plate information. Within the hour, police apprehended the man as he was speeding out of the city. Fortunately, the little girl was unharmed. Police say that without LeBlanc’s quick response and key information, the kidnapper might have gotten away. Authorities are now trying to determine the motive for the crime. It is confirmed that the man is the estranged biological father of the child.

  Close

• Unit 3 - Track 11

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 3 Track 11

  Now on the news: winter with a vengeance! Halifax experienced its first snowfall this year on November 19, but no one was ready. The result was chaos during the morning commute. Nova Scotia is subject to black ice, an almost invisible slippery covering on roads. Forming just before daybreak, it causes treacherous conditions at the busiest time when countless commuters are heading into the city. On November 19, not only was the black ice waiting for unprepared motorists, but a quick blizzard reduced visibility to near zero and intensified the hazardous conditions.

  Motorist Alan Cameron said that it was like driving on a skating rink. Stuck for more than two hours, most of that time at a standstill, he was terrified that someone would smash into him. He was disgusted that the city hadn’t salted the roads during the night. City spokesperson Samantha Park asserted that the city is always prepared for snow emergencies. At least 30 salt trucks were on the roads early that morning, but the blizzard caused havoc so quickly that the salt trucks couldn’t move through the stalled traffic.

  Close

• Unit 4 - Track 1.1

  Track 1.1 - 1.4 Transcripts

  ×

  Unit 4 Track 1.1 - 1.4

  Track 1.1:

  Wow, I can’t believe I passed that test!

  Track 1.2:

  All these dishes sound so delicious, I can barely make up my mind.

  Track 1.3:

  I’m so tired . . . I’ve worked every day in the last three weeks.

  Track 1.4:

  I would prefer it if you stop sending me advertisements in the mail.

  Close

• Unit 4 - Track 1.2

• Unit 4 - Track 1.3

• Unit 4 - Track 1.4

• Unit 4 - Track 2.1

  Track 2.1 - 2.5 Transcripts

  ×

  Unit 4 Track 2.1 - 2.5

  ---

  1. Track 2.1: We have to go there?
  2. Track 2.2: You have to see it.
  3. Track 2.3: How bad is it?
  4. Track 2.4: How much is it?
  5. Track 2.5: Do you want salad or a wrap?

  ---

  Close

• Unit 4 - Track 2.2

• Unit 4 - Track 2.3

• Unit 4 - Track 2.4

• Unit 4 - Track 2.5

• Unit 4 Video 1.1

  Transcript

  Video 1.1 Transcript:

  WALTER:

  I don’t mind. She always covers for me if I’m out for a few extra minutes. She even swapped vacation days with me. Besides, I like to give my wife a call when I’m on break these days.

• Unit 4 Video 1.2

  Transcript

  Video 1.2 Transcript:

  DANA:

  This is a perfect example of why we need longer breaks. 15 minutes isn’t even time to go to the washroom or get a drink of water. I mean, we work hard and make this company a lot of money.

• Unit 4 Video 1.3

  Transcript

  Video 1.3 Transcript:

  JAI:	The purpose of a coffee break is to come back to work refreshed. I don’t think management would like what you two are doing!

• Unit 4 Video 1.4

  Transcript

  Video 1.4 Transcript:

  DANA:

  Maybe we should say something to management. I mean, we’re here slaving away on our low pay while the company makes a profit. So what if we need a little extra time coming back from our break to make the company even more money?

• Unit 4 Video 1.5

  Transcript

  Video 1.5 Transcript:

  JAI:	Also, I heard the manager and the assistant manager talking . . . They’re thinking that they should be monitoring the staff to look for where they could make cuts.

• Unit 4 Video 2

  Transcript

  ANGELA:	Did you two hear the news about the upcoming conference? The North American Insurance Conference in Florida?
  RONALDO:	Yeah. The company has made our room bookings and flight reservations and everything. It's only three weeks away.
  ANGELA:	Well, I just heard that it’s been postponed because a larger conference needs more space that same weekend. There was some sort of computer glitch at the hotel and they messed up the bookings. So we’re out.
  RONALDO:	That’s crazy! There must be over a thousand people attending the Insurance Conference, and everyone would have made their bookings already. What a mess!
  JED:	Well that’s a pain [disappointedly]. I was going to go a day early because I’m giving a workshop on the first day. I wanted to be sure I was relaxed and absolutely ready to present.
  RONALDO:	I arranged to take the whole family to the hotel for a full week, starting Easter weekend. That’s just two weeks away! We were looking forward to a beautiful warm Easter there, instead of this cold snowy weather.
  ANGELA:	Since our company has paid for our flights and room bookings, they’ll have to change the reservations. I don’t know what you can do about your extra arrangements. Maybe call the hotel and the airline?
  RONALDO:	First we need to find out when the conference is rescheduled for, and where, so we can make new plans. I rescheduled my clients for those two work days that we had to be at the conference. Now I’ll have to reschedule other appointments with clients. What a mess!
  JED:	[upset] Why are we just hearing about this now? Why don’t we have more details? Three weeks isn’t enough time to make such major changes. [hopeful] Hey, maybe the conference will be cancelled this year. That would be great.
  RONALDO:	Or maybe it should be optional for us this year. It isn’t like the conference is full of stimulating new ideas that help you do better work. Most of it will be boring, except your workshop, Jed.
  JED:	It would be good to get accurate information from management about this situation. We need to act quickly.
  ANGELA:	I think we’ll all get an email shortly, and that there will be an emergency meeting this afternoon to tell us the details. I just happened to learn about this because I was near the director’s office this morning when she heard about it. She was not a happy camper, I can tell you!

Unit 4 Video 1

• Unit 5 - Track 1

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 5 Track 1

  . . . reputation as a reasonably law-abiding society, one has to ask: why do so many people knowingly break internet law? Chief of Police Andrew Smith claims that the maximum penalty of $5,000 does little to deter, and he argues not only for increased fines but also for time in prison. Theft is theft, he says.

  However, legal philosopher Susan Bennett believes that foreseeable consequences are not the only motivating factor. She suggests that many people consider illegal downloading to be a victimless crime. Of course, this disregards the members of the music and film industries who depend on the income provided by royalties. Anticipating the response that movie stars and musicians already have enough money and won’t notice if a few of us don’t pay for their intellectual property, Bennett says that's irrelevant: we can't make something legal when the victims are rich, but illegal when they're not.

  Bennett talks about another common justification: that illegal downloading provides free promotion for the aforementioned artists. This may be, but a good outcome does not justify an illegal action.

  People who download legally do so through legitimate streaming companies that have paid for the rights to distribute TV programs and movies. But as lawyer Ethan Miller points out, these companies were built on the backs of internet pirates. They take our basic desire for immediate entertainment and allow us to circumvent the risk of potential fines and lawsuits. So it’s no wonder that these companies enjoy several billions of dollars in annual revenues.

  Close

• Unit 5 - Track 2.1

  Track 2.1 - 2.8 Transcripts

  ×

  Unit 5 Track 2.1 - 2.8

  ---

  Track 2.1: The marketing board said that ticket sales have increased over the last 3 years.

  Track 2.2: The city transit authority suggests that adding more buses would relieve commuter delays.

  Track 2.3: Jackson argues that solar and geothermal power are the way of the future.

  Track 2.4: Mrs. Whu stated that the new swimming complex would open next week.

  Track 2.5: Most people who were surveyed believe that more should be done to reduce car pollution.

  Track 2.6: Conservation activist Jodie Perez thinks that people should make sure to turn off all their lights before leaving for work each day.

  Track 2.7: In Mayor Cho’s opinion, more bike lanes should be implemented on city streets.

  Track 2.8: Dr. Murray says that the Pacific West Coast is home to a number of diverse marine species.

  ---

  Close

• Unit 5 - Track 2.2

• Unit 5 - Track 2.3

• Unit 5 - Track 2.4

• Unit 5 - Track 2.5

• Unit 5 - Track 2.6

• Unit 5 - Track 2.7

• Unit 5 - Track 2.8

• Unit 5 - Track 3

  Transcript

  ×

  Unit 5 Track 3

  Rebecca Hogue is a Saskatchewan wheat farmer. Her income dropped by 30 percent this year despite great weather and a bumper crop. What went wrong? Hogue blames changes in the Canadian Wheat Board.

  In past decades, this former federal agency controlled the supply and hence the price of wheat. It determined to whom, how much, and for what price farmers could sell this crop. Selling a pre-determined quota of wheat exclusively to the marketing board, farmers were guaranteed a reasonable price, even when world wheat market prices were low. But the federal government recently made the Wheat Board a private corporation. With wheat supply regulation a thing of the past, wheat farmers now compete on the open market. However, cheese, milk, beef, pork, poultry, and eggs continue to be regulated by approximately eighty government-run marketing boards, some federal, some provincial, some both.

  Mackenzie Institute researcher Vince Levin says these government-run farm marketing boards drive up food prices to an artificially high level. Canadians pay twice what people in other countries pay for dairy products of the same quality, according to Levin. This is tough on restaurants needing to minimize food supply costs to be profitable. But what’s needed is not just lower food prices; Canadians want a wider range of products, too, says Levin. In his view, agricultural marketing boards also make it hard for new farmers to start up and enter the market. For Levin, the only way forward is an immediate halt to government-led price fixing.

  Not so fast, warns business journalist Eric Molinsky, who notes that free-market agriculture means farmers can and do go bankrupt. Resulting government farm bail-outs are expensive for governments and taxpayers alike. That’s a fiscal risk that governments have to factor in to any deregulation scenario, says Molinsky. He adds that shutting down or selling off Canada’s eighty-odd farm marketing boards could take decades to achieve. However, with a gradual approach, any resulting price fluctuations could be gradual enough to maintain market stability.

  Begging to differ is Rebecca Hogue. Her family wheat farm has struggled since deregulation. As a consumer, she’s not anxious to see other Canadian agricultural marketing boards privatized. Hogue thinks that forcing Canadian farmers to compete with major players on the international open market discourages family farms, especially ones producing specialty crops or livestock varieties that otherwise can’t fetch premium prices. Hogue says deregulation also encourages an increase in factory farms based on standardized products and economy of scale. This means more pesticides, more antibiotics, and more genetically modified organisms, bred to produce maximum yield per acre or pound.

  Close

• Unit 5 - Track 4

  Transcript

  ×

  Test Practice Listening Part 6

  Computer technology has been influencing education since the 1960s. Although initially used for cataloguing and other clerical purposes, such technology now affects almost every aspect of education. The advent of laptops and mobile devices, along with the development of software programs to be used in course delivery, has transformed the classroom.

  Professor Tim Diamonti notes that instructors no longer need to prepare and carry around photocopies of course materials; students can now access such material through a shared-access website – all they need is an internet connection. This digitized material can be presented in a variety of visual and oral formats, suitable for any type of learner.

  Furthermore, Diamonti notes, computers can even act as tutors, delivering individualized instruction, complete with supplemental instructions and exercise, as needed. Diamonti adds that instead of having to wait for the small window of time provided by the professor’s office hours, students can now contact their professors at any time, via email or other message formats.

  However, educational psychologists are concerned about the long-term effects of this technology. Eye strain and increased sedentary habits are the least of their concerns. Students need not take notes anymore because they can access the recorded lecture later, but taking notes is an important part of the process of understanding and internalizing information. Focus levels and attention spans may be decreasing due to the multiple stimuli that are characteristic of the internet environment. Interpersonal skills may also be suffering as students meet each other in person less often.

  My own work at the university has been most affected by the significant reduction in physical space that is needed. No longer must our libraries be crammed with stacks full of physical books. With the exception of art history and a few other disciplines, my staff have found that electronic databases, electronic journals, and electronic books satisfy students’ needs. In fact, students have access to more knowledge than ever before because of digitalization. Researchers, in particular, value e-journals not only for their portability and ease of storage, but also for the text search features. Furthermore, many libraries now feature large reading and meeting rooms, equipped with projection screens and video-conferencing capacities. The former enable maps, blueprints, and other such materials to be displayed in extraordinary detail for simultaneous viewing by multiple people. The latter enable research partners to be in different rooms, different cities, and even different time zones.

  Close

• Unit 7 - Track 1

• Unit 7 - Track 2.1

• Unit 7 - Track 2.2

• Unit 7 - Track 2.3

• Unit 8 - Track 1

• Unit 8 - Track 2

• Unit 8 - Track 3

• Unit 8 - Track 4

• Unit 8 - Track 5

• Unit 8 - Track 6.1

• Unit 8 - Track 6.2

• Unit 8 - Track 6.3

• Unit 9 - Track 1

• Unit 9 - Track 2.1

• Unit 9 - Track 2.2

• Unit 9 - Track 2.3

Unit 9 Image 1

Unit 9 Image 2

Unit 9 Image 3

• Unit 10 - Track 1

• Unit 10 - Track 2.1

• Unit 10 - Track 2.2

• Unit 10 - Track 2.3

Unit 10 Image 1

Unit 10 Image 2

Unit 10 Image 3

Unit 10 Image 4

• Unit 11 - Track 1

• Unit 11 - Track 2

• Unit 11 - Track 3.1

• Unit 11 - Track 3.2

• Unit 11 - Track 3.3

Unit 11 Image 1

Unit 11 Image 2

Unit 11 Image 3

Unit 11 Image 4

• Unit 12 - Track 1

• Unit 12 - Track 2

• Unit 12 - Track 3.1

• Unit 12 - Track 3.2

• Unit 12 - Track 3.3

• Unit 13 - Track 1

• Unit 13 - Track 2.1

• Unit 13 - Track 2.2

• Unit 13 - Track 2.3

• Unit 14 - Track 1

  Track 1 - 2 Transcripts

  ×

  Activity 2

  Unit 14 - Track 1 Response 1 (CELPIP Levels 4-5)

  
  Um, ok. Um, my GPS doesn’t work and, uh, I call my friend, um, and I describe, um, I am here. I see a cornerstore, and the cornerstore has vegetable and fruits, and I see, yeah. I am in the outside the city street. I saw the sign “Fresh Fruits,” and I saw another building in front of the corner store, um, with red roof, and, uh, I—

  
  

  Unit 14 - Track 2 Response 2 (CELPIP Levels 10-12)

  
  Hi Sam, how are you? Yes, I’m on my way. I think, but, there’s just a small problem. It looks like I’m lost. Yeah, I’m using, I tried using my GPS actually, but it didn’t work. This thing didn’t seem to recognize the address—it’s a stupid thing anyway. I’m just driving into an area where there’s a big banner that says “Fresh Fruits” on my left-hand side. It looks like there’s a corner store that basically sell fresh produce like fruit and vegetables. There’s a red car parking. It looks like a farm, like rural area. I understand you live outside of town, but looks like a place where farmers would live. There’s another place that looks like a diner or a restaurant. There are a few people here. If you can just give me a landmark or something, I can stop by and ask one of, some of the vendors, the people selling the fruit and the vegetables. There’s an ice cream vendor—does this place have ice cream? Probably. I know I will try to do my best to ask—

  
  

  

  Close

• Unit 14 - Track 2

• Unit 14 - Track 3

• Unit 14 - Track 4

• Unit 14 - Track 5

• Unit 14 - Track 6

• Unit 14 - Track 7.1

• Unit 14 - Track 7.2

• Unit 14 - Track 7.3

Unit 14 Image 1

Unit 14 Image 2

Unit 14 Image 3