Part 3

You will now hear a conversation between four students: Lynn, Thomas, Sophie and David. They are talking about one of their tutors, Marlena.

 First you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.

(pause the recording for 30 seconds)

Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.

L= Lynn, T= Thomas, S= Sophie, D= David.

L: Thomas, let’s not go to the lab. Let’s just stay here in the student lounge and drink tea and review the chapter.

T: You know we can’t do that. We’ve a responsibility to turn up and make sure our tutor has understood the week’s lectures. If we don’t go, no one will ever even realize she’s got the theories all muddled up!

S: Oh really?

L: Sophie, it’s awful! Marlena just opens her mouth and I’m confused. Really, she…

T: Marlena’s our tutor.

S: Yeah, I gathered that…

L: You lot have got no manners; I was in the middle of saying something! … She’ll say things that make no sense whatsoever, and I’m thinking I’ve misunderstood something, and I’m looking around the room and everyone has these looks on their faces of…

T: Disbelief and merriment!

L: Maybe you do, Thomas, but we’re not all geniuses. Really, I’ll be so worried that I’ve got it all wrong, then people start asking questions, and by and by we figure out that she’s mixed something up.

S:  That’s too bad. It’s not a good situation at all.

D: But surely you’re exaggerating a bit, Lynn…

L: No, it’s awful! I don’t know how she got through her undergraduate studies, much less got accepted as a postgrad here. You’d think our professor would have some idea about her abilities.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.

(Pause the recording for 30 seconds)

Now listen and answer questions 26-30.

D: Marlena’s an unusual name. Is she English?

L: She’s Spanish, David. She’s got a really strong accent…

T: Really that’s a lot of the problem, I think. I don’t think she’s thick; she just doesn’t communicate very well. I’m not sure she understands us completely, especially when someone’s joking around. And we do tease her a bit, I must admit.

S: What a nightmare! I’d hate to have you in my class if I was a tutor, Tom!

T: As long as you’re clever Sophie, you’d have nothing to worry about…

S: But you’ve just said she’s not thick!

D: I think I’ve met her, actually; I think we had a class together, maybe last year. She was really shy and quiet. Hardly spoke the whole term. But she was always smiley and friendly. She seemed nice, actually, and I think she got one of the highest marks in the class. Maybe you’ve all picked on her so much that she’s so nervous that she can’t think clearly. Ever think of that?

L: But we don’t need to baby-sit; we need help! It’s a difficult subject! S: Has anyone ever gone up and asked her for help individually?

T: Yes, actually, I have. I couldn’t understand one of the formulas in the first chapter – the theory about why it worked just made no sense to me, so I went and asked her about it and she cleared it right up. She was very helpful. She’s not thick; I already said that.

S: She’s just so much fun to torment, right?

T: Yep, that’s it!

S: Lynn, if you are having trouble with something why don’t you make an appointment to meet with her individually and see if she can help you that way? Maybe you’d see a different side of her. I reckon she just hates getting up in front of the class and I can hardly blame her.

L: Yes, I could try that I suppose.

D: Guys, the tutors aren’t old academics who’ve been teaching for thirty years; they’re just like us, two years down the road, if we’re clever enough to continue with our education. I know I’d be mortified to get up in front of you lot, and I don’t think I’ll feel that differently in a couple of years’ time. You know, we’re far more experienced as students than they are as teachers.

T: You’re right, David. Really, it’s more like one of our mates is trying to help us out, but you know, our mates aren’t so frightened of us!

S: Yeah, but you aren’t so horrible to your mates, are you?

That is the end of Part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

(Pause the recording for 30 seconds)

Now turn to Part four.