Part 3: Resetting the Timeline
Questions 21 and 22
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Which TWO groups is the exhibition mainly intended for?
A history undergraduates
B local school students
C university staff
D prospective students
E members of the public
Questions 23 and 24
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Why do Maya and Leon decide to focus on the Industrial Revolution?
A It links well with the university archives.
B It influenced modern working life.
C It is currently popular in schools.
D It allows them to include visual materials.
E It connects to the local area.
Questions 25–30
What theme do Maya and Leon choose for each section of the exhibition?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–H, next to Questions 25–30.
Topics
A urban growth
B working conditions
C transport
D education
E medical advances
F political reform
G housing
H technology
Sections
25 Early factories
26 Railways
27 Public health
28 City expansion
29 Child labour
30 Trade unions
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two students discussing a history exhibition for Open Week.
Leon: The deadline for the Open Week history exhibition is approaching fast.
Maya: Yes, we need to finalize the details. Let’s start with the audience. Who is this exhibition actually for?
Leon: I assumed it was aimed at history undergraduates like us.
Maya: I thought so too, but Professor Grant wants to reach beyond our department.
Leon: Because of Open Week?
Maya: Exactly. A significant portion will be high school leavers actively considering submitting an application to study here next year.
Leon: We definitely need to impress those potential future applicants. What about university staff?
Maya: They might drop by occasionally, but aren’t the primary focus.
Leon: And school groups?
Maya: It’s not tailored for structured field trips. The content is too dense for children.
Leon: So, we’re primarily aiming at those thinking of enrolling, alongside regular people from the local community who just want to see what we do.
Maya: Yes, those are the two primary demographic groups.
Leon: About the historical period. We’ve narrowed it down to the Industrial Revolution.
Maya: There is a mountain of primary source material in the university archives.
Leon: True, but archival convenience isn’t why I chose it.
Maya: What was the deciding factor?
Leon: What fascinates me is how that era fundamentally dictated the way we all earn a living today. The factory system and fixed shifts started there, shaping contemporary employment practices.
Maya: That makes sense. It’s a very relatable topic.
Leon: Additionally, our city underwent a dramatic physical transformation then.
Maya: Right. The population here almost doubled in fifty years.
Leon: Exactly. There’s a strong geographic and historical tie to this specific surrounding region. That local connection makes the exhibition more engaging.
Maya: Let’s decide on the themes for each section.
Leon: Starting with Early Factories. We could focus on technological developments, like steam engines.
Maya: I believe we should focus entirely on the daily reality for the employees on the shop floor, the incredibly dangerous machinery they operated, and the shockingly low wages they took home.
Leon: I agree. The human cost is compelling. It draws people in more than machines. For Railways, I suppose that will clearly be about how people and freight were moved across the country.
Maya: Definitely. We can showcase how networks revolutionized the physical movement of raw materials and passengers from one region to another.
Leon: Right. What about Public Health? It might seem disconnected from factories.
Maya: Well, it links to major breakthroughs in treating diseases. We can demonstrate how doctors discovered new ways to prevent outbreaks, improving healthcare significantly.
Leon: I agree. Next is City Expansion. Should we focus on town hall architecture or how they constructed housing for the workers?
Maya: No, rather than looking at the buildings themselves or the new housing projects, the core issue is the demographic explosion. It obviously relates directly to the massive shift of populations into metropolitan centres. So, let’s highlight that urban growth.
Leon: Yes, we must illustrate the massive migration from rural villages into densely packed streets. Now, the tricky topic of Child Labour. We could treat that as an extension of the factory floor.
Maya: It fits there naturally.
Leon: That was my initial thought as well.
Maya: But upon reflection, I think it’s better to connect it to the classroom. The exploitation of youngsters eventually sparked a public outcry, which directly led to the passing of the first compulsory schooling laws.
Leon: Focusing on that transition to academic instruction shows positive long-term social change. Finally, the Trade Unions section.
Maya: The focus there should strictly be on changes to government legislation. We can display pamphlets showing how ordinary workers campaigned for new legal protections and representation in parliament.
Leon: Perfect. That balances social, economic, and political themes beautifully. I think we have a solid plan.
