21 What problem does Mia mention about some sample emails?
A They include unnecessary information
B They are too informal
C They are too short
22 What does Jason say about language in reminder emails?
A It should be very formal
B It should be simple and quick to read
C It should include technical vocabulary
23 What extra item does Mia suggest including?
A A deadline
B A logo
C A longer explanation
24 Which technique does Mia think is especially useful for general readers?
A Simplifying vocabulary
B Adding more examples
C Using longer sentences
25 How do they divide the work?
A Mia edits payment notices; Jason edits appointment reminders
B Mia edits appointment reminders; Jason edits payment notices
C They edit all emails together
26 What does the lecturer require in the report?
A Customer survey results
B Justification for every change
C Printed copies of the emails
Questions 27–30
Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
They will get 27 …………………… from other students.
The presentation time limit is 28 …………………… minutes.
They plan to show a short 29 …………………… from each email.
At the end they will give an 30 …………………… of the methods.
Keys
21 A
22 B
23 A
24 A
25 B
26 B
27 feedback
28 10 / ten
29 extract
30 evaluation
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two students discussing an assignment on editing reminder emails.
JASON: Hi Mia, have you started the assignment about editing reminder emails for customers?
MIA: Yes, I read the guidelines. We have to analyse the samples first, then rewrite them to improve clarity.
JASON: And we have to explain our choices, not just submit a new version.
MIA: Exactly. The lecturer said emails should be clear but also polite, especially when asking customers to take action.
JASON: I noticed many of the samples sounded too direct. Some almost seem rude.
MIA: And some include extra details that are not needed, so readers might completely miss the main point.
JASON: So our first task is identifying problems. A lot use very long sentences, which makes the message confusing.
MIA: Also, the main request appears too late. It should come near the beginning, with supporting details after that.
JASON: What about the language level? Some sound far too formal for an everyday customer.
MIA: Yes, they use complicated expressions. The lecturer mentioned we should avoid advanced vocabulary.
JASON: Exactly, it should be simple and quick to read. That matters because people often glance at them on a mobile phone while busy.
MIA: We also need careful word choice. Instead of stating customers absolutely must do something, we can use softer phrases.
JASON: That definitely keeps the overall tone friendly and professional.
MIA: Another significant issue is structure. Some samples do not follow a logical progression at all.
JASON: A clear template would help solve that, a subject line, an explanation, and a specific action for the reader.
MIA: And probably a strict date to reply by, so customers know precisely when they need to act.
JASON: The assignment also asks us to compare different editing strategies.
MIA: Yes. One method is shortening sentences, and another is removing complex technical terms.
JASON: Which of those do you think is going to be the most useful approach?
MIA: Focusing on basic, everyday words is extremely beneficial for a general audience. It reduces cognitive effort and increases the chance they will act.
JASON: We should also think about formatting, like spacing or bullet points, to make instructions stand out.
MIA: Agreed. How should we actually divide the work?
JASON: We could analyse the sample emails separately first, then meet to discuss.
MIA: That sounds efficient. I can take charge of reviewing the appointment reminders, and you can focus on the payment notices.
JASON: Great. Then we can make sure the style remains completely consistent.
MIA: How much explanation do we actually need to include in the final report?
JASON: The lecturer said we must provide a solid rationale for any modifications we make, explaining how our edits improve clarity.
MIA: So we should link our choices directly to the principles we learned in class.
JASON: Right. Now, moving on to the final stages of the project. Should we try to collect some opinions from other students before submitting?
MIA: Yes. If other people read our revised emails, they can give us valuable feedback on whether the messages are easy to understand.
JASON: Good idea. We can record those comments and mention them briefly.
MIA: I am slightly concerned about the presentation itself. We only have ten minutes to speak.
JASON: Then we need a clear sequence, problems first, strategies second, and our improved versions last.
MIA: We could just show a short extract from each email on the screen and highlight the exact changes.
JASON: Perfect. And right at the end we can offer our own evaluation of which methods worked best.
MIA: OK, let us start analysing those samples this afternoon.
JASON: Good plan. I will bring my notes along to the study session.
