Practicing on these Cambridge FCE Listening tests helps raise your score in the Cambridge English First exams. These tests are also very good to exercise English listening skills. ======= TRANSCRIPTS Interviewer: Today I have with me in the studio Sophie Doyle from the travel organisation Adventure Holidays International, and she’s going to be telling us about some exciting ideas for teenagers for the summer. Sophie, what kind of holidays do you organise? Sophie: They’re three-week trips to a variety of destinations in the country chosen, normally from late June to mid-July in the USA and the first three weeks of (9) August in the case of Australia. Trips in New Zealand are available from early September, when the weather is a little warmer, bearing in mind that our summer is their winter. The Australian holidays are currently the most popular though, probably because they’re mainly in the north of the country where it never gets really cold. Interviewer: And who goes on the Australian ones? Who looks after the people on them? Sophie: There are always four experienced leaders with (10) every group, which consists of 18 young people aged 15 or 16 at the time of the trip.This means there’s one leader for every 4 or 5 teenagers, all of whom are close to each other in age. Interviewer: Is it very expensive? What’s included in the price? Sophie: For next year, it’ll be 4,990 euro. For that you get accommodation, three meals a day, (11) all transport apart from air fares, entry fees and any equipment needed for activities. Interviewer: And what kind of accommodation is there? Tents? Sophie: No, it’s not like a summer camp. In fact there’s a whole range of places, from huts in the rainforest to motels on the desert roads, (12) boats when we’re visiting tropical islands and comfortable apartments in surfing resorts. Interviewer: So where do you actually go? Sophie: Well, for the teen it all begins when we meet you at Brisbane Airport Arrivals. We take you to a hostel on the coast and help you settle in. After a good night’s sleep, which you’ll probably need after all that travelling, (13) we’ll introduce you to your travelling companions, and what better place to do that could there be than the beach? You’ll spend all day there, swimming and surfing if you like. Then, the next morning, it’s off to Fraser Island, on the Pacific coast of Queensland. Interviewer: What are the attractions there? Sophie: Well, it has the most wonderful beaches, including one that’s 75 miles - 120 kilometres - long. It seems to go on forever! In fact, the island as a whole is in the record books as (14) the biggest one on Earth made entirely of sand. It’s a long way from being a desert island, though. It has beautiful lakes, huge forests and some fascinating wildlife. Interviewer: And where do you go next? Sophie: Inland. The next stop is in the outback; it really is a huge area where almost nobody lives. There you have the chance to see some remarkable animals including kangaroos of course, swim in a lake and then (15) spend the night Australian-style: by the campfire in a sleeping bag. After several days in the outback, it’s back to the coast, but further north, and out to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, for over a week. Interviewer: That sounds wonderful, but don’t you need to be an experienced diver? Sophie: No, because (16) we’ll arrange diving lessons if you don’t already have a certificate. That’s all included. As are wetsuits and other diving equipment for everyone, of course. Interviewer: And after that? Sophie: It’s north again, towards the north-eastern tip of Australia and into the tropical rainforest. You start with a cruise along the fast-moving river there, which cuts right through the forest. Interviewer: What do you usually see there? Sophie: Well, there are some very big fish in the water and colourful tropical birds in the trees, as well as some (17) huge crocodiles in the mud on either side. You might also have the odd giant butterfly fluttering around the boat - there are some wonderful species unique to the area. Interviewer: Do you spend quite some time in the rainforest? Sophie: Yes, most of the rest of the trip, in fact. Interviewer: And in all these remote places, how do you stay in touch with your family and friends? Sophie: Well, you can bring your mobile phone but normally we ask people to keep them switched off. Otherwise there are constant incoming calls,which interrupt everything. But (18) every few days we make sure we’re somewhere you can email people. Of course, if there’s an emergency, we’ll arrange it so you can speak to your family, but that rarely seems to happen. Interviewer: That’s good to hear. Thank you, Sophie. ====== CORRECT ANSWERS 9. August 10. 18 11. (the) air fares/airfares/flights 12. boat 13. beach 14. sand 15. campfire/(camp) fire 16. diving lessons 17. (huge) crocodiles 18. email(s)/e-mail(s)