Part 3: Study Options

Part 3
Questions 21-30
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C
21 What was the Professor attending in Massachusetts and New York?
A Physics Conferences
B Physics Class
C Mechanics Conferences
22 What mark did Rangi receive for Classical Mechanics?
A C plus
B A plus
C B plus
23 Which degree has Rangi decided to abandon?
A Math and Physics
B Science
C Arts
24 What did the Professor think about the Science Faculty?
A quick response to students’ queries
B has a unclear timetable for students
C has a comprehensive website
25 benefit of Rangi’s decision is that he will
A finish his degree earlier.
B receive higher marks.
C improve his writing style.
26 The Professor thinks the claims of some lectures are
A critical.
B doubtful.
C boastful.
27 Rangi is disappointed because he
A will have to work in a bar again.
B cannot afford to study abroad.
C will not be going to Europe.
28 The Professor offers Rangi
A a part-time job in his lab.
B supervision of his master’s degree.
C help with his laser experiments.
29 In the Professor’s opinion, Rangi is
A quite likely to win a scholarship.
B not so likely to win a scholarship.
C highly likely to win a scholarship.
30 What did Rangi feel by the end of the conversation?
A thrilled but nervous
B relieved and grateful
c a little apprehensive

Key

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. B

Transcript

Speaker: Part 3: Study Options You will hear a professor talking to her student about his study options.

Professor Anderson: Come in, Rangi.

Rangi: Thank you, Professor Anderson.

Professor Anderson: I’ve been meaning to contact you, but I just

got back last night.

Rangi: Where have you been?

Professor Anderson: Conferences in Massachusetts and New York.

Rangi: For physics?

Professor Anderson: Yes.

Rangi: Great. I’m looking forward to attending conferences one day.

Professor Anderson: I imagine that won’t be so far away. I was extremely impressed with your classical mechanics exam. In fact, you were one of only two students out of 180 to get an A+.

Rangi: Wow, I really did enjoy the course.

Professor Anderson: So how can I help you?

Rangi: I’m sorry to say it’s a bit of a long story. You see, I’ve had to rethink my studies completely, and I wonder if I’m making the right decision.

Professor Anderson: You’re doing two degrees, aren’t you? Science and arts.

Rangi: I was doing two. I’ve decided to focus on science.

Rangi: It all came about because I wanted to study abroad for a year. I was thinking about Edinburgh. Firstly, I sought approval from the maths and physics departments. I wanted to take quantum mechanics and computer simulations at Edinburgh.

Professor Anderson: Those are third year courses, right?

Rangi: Yeah, so I received approval from maths and physics. The stumbling block was the higher authority, the science faculty. When I submitted my application, it was rejected.

Professor Anderson: What?

Rangi: It turns out that students who study abroad for a year can only do first or second year courses or third year courses in a subject that’s not their major.

Professor Anderson: I’ve never heard that before.

Rangi: Needless to say, the lecturers who approved my transfer hadn’t either, and nor does the regulation appear on the Science Faculty website.

Professor Anderson: That’d be right, this faculty is disorganised.

Rangi: So then I thought I’d take arts courses at Edinburgh and leave the third year maths until I came back. I quickly got approval for second year history and philosophy from the arts faculty.

Professor Anderson: When are you heading off?

Rangi: That’s just it. During this process I began to think carefully about my studies. To be honest, the arts courses I’ve done were less challenging than the science ones, so I’ve decided to drop arts.

Speaker: Before you listen to the rest of the conversation, you have 30 seconds to read questions 25 to 30.

Professor Anderson: Where do I figure in all this?

Rangi: The first week after I’d made my decision, I felt fine. Without doing the arts courses, I could finish my science degree earlier. But this week, I’ve had some doubts.

Rangi: When I started the two degrees, lecturers in the science faculty assured me that these days scientists need a rounded education, which they get if they take some arts courses. I was even told I’d learn to write and think better if I did philosophy.

Professor Anderson: I do think the claims made by some lecturers are dubious.

Rangi: Then there’s the fact that now I’m going to be stuck here next year. I was so excited about going to Europe.

Professor Anderson: It is disappointing to give that up. Still, the reason I wanted to contact you, Rangi, is that I’m looking for students to work six hours a week in my lab. It’s paid work, not highly paid, but probably better than working in a bar. Also, we’ve just bought a new laser, which you’d learn to use.

Rangi: That sounds excellent!

Professor Anderson: As to going abroad, why not do your postgraduate studies in the US? There’s some amazing physics being done in Massachusetts. If you like, I can send you the papers from the conference.

Rangi: Thanks.

Professor Anderson: Of course I’d be sad to lose you if you did go abroad but an A plus student like you has a very good chance of winning a major scholarship.

Rangi: Goodness, I’ve never even conceded that.

Professor Anderson: Personally, I think committing yourself to science is the way to go.

Rangi: Thanks, Professor Anderson. You’ve taken a load off my mind. Now I don’t have to deal with Hegel or Leibniz. I’ve plenty of time to read those conference papers.

Speaker: That is the end of part 3. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part 3.