IELTS FOUNDATION 2

UNIT 3
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
A. VOCABULARY: JOBS, WORK, STUDY, COURSES, FEELINGS AND
EXPERIENCES
Exercise 1: Match the people with the descriptions of the jobs.
a chef a doctor a lawyer a manager a programmer
a soldier a teacher a vet

This person …
1. looks after people who are ill or hurt: a doctor
2. designs or builds machines, equipment or roads, etc.: an engineer
3. cooks food in a restaurant: a chef
4. protects his or her country: a soldier
5. keeps information about money that a company or person receives, pays or owes:
an accountant
6. gives people and businesses advice about the law: a lawyer
7. works in a school or college: a teacher
8. produces computer programs: a programmer
9. looks after sick animals: a vet
10. is responsible for a team of people or a project: a manager
Exercise 2: Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.
annoyed boring disappointed disgusting excited exhausted
interested surprised terrifying worrying

1. I never did anything interesting in my old job. It was really boring.

2. I was very interested to hear about Maria’s new job. It sounds fascinating.
3. My sister’s really excite about her new project at work. She can’t wait to start!
4. It’s quite worrying that so many young people are looking for jobs after they leave
university.
5. I was disappointed when they didn't invite me for a job interview, but I'm sure I'll find a
new job soon.
6. James works as an engineer building very tall buildings. His work looks absolutely
terrifying!

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7. I was really annoyed when he cancelled the meeting and he didn’t even tell me.
8. They treat their workers really badly. I think it’s disgusting.
9. I was surprised when they offered me the job. I didn't think that I'd done very well in the
interview.
10. I had to work late today and now I’m absolutely exhausted.
Exercise 3: Choose the correct prepositions to complete the text.

After I left school, I decided to go at/on/to university. I studied at/by/on university for three years. I
did a degree for/in/of marketing. It was very interesting. I learnt all about/on/over sales and
marketing. When I graduated for/from/on university, I needed to get a job. I wanted to work
as/by/for a large international company. I applied for/on/with lots of jobs, but it was difficult
because I didn’t have any experience. In the end, I got a job as/at/for a marketing assistant. It was a
bit boring, but I was very good at/from/to my job. After a few years, I was offered a job as a
marketing manager and was given an increase as/in/of salary.

Exercise 4: Match the explanations with the statements

I think it’s good – You’ve done a great job. I want to thank you for it.

I was worried, but now I’m not. I’m confident. I think it’ll be great.

I’m frightened of him/ her. It makes me unhappy.

I’m angry about them because they make my life difficult. I’m extremely angry with her.

I’m happy about them. I’m worried about it.

1. I’m grateful for your help. I want to thank you for it.
2. I’m nervous about my exam. I’m worried about it.
3. I’m pleased with my results. I’m happy about them.
4. I’m furious with my sister. I’m extremely angry with her.
5. I’m relieved that everything’s OK. I was worried, but now I’m not.
6. I’m impressed by your work. I think it’s good – you’ve done a great job.
7. I’m annoyed about the changes. I’m angry about them because they make my life difficult.
8. I’m upset about what you said. It makes me unhappy.
9. I’m positive about the future. I'm confident. I think it'll be great.
10. I’m scared of my boss. I'm frightened of him/her.

Exercise 5: Complete the text. Use the words in the box.

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college evening classes nursery school postgraduate course primary school

private lessons secondary school training courses university work placement

In my country, many very young children go to (1) nursery school , but they don’t have to go. The
first school you must go to is (2) primary school . This is for children aged five to eleven years
old. Older children go to (3) secondary school , where they have lots of homework and exams.
Here,  they study subjects like Geography, History and IT. Some children have (4)private lessons ,
for example  they might have extra English classes, which their parents pay for. Some people stop
their education after secondary school, but many continue their education by going to (5)
college . In my country, they usually study just a few subjects at college.
You can study for a degree at (6)university . You need to do this if you want to become a teacher, a
lawyer or an engineer, for example. Many university courses include a (7) work placement, where
students spend a few months in a place of work and learn some practical skills. After graduating
from university, some students stay at a university to do a (8) postgraduate course. Education
doesn’t stop when you leave school or university. Many people go to (9)evening classes which they
attend after a full day at work. You can also learn a lot at work by going on (10) training
courses. For example,  you might learn how to use new computer software or how to communicate
with customers.
B. GRAMMAR:
Exercise 1: Match the present results (present simple) with the past events (present perfect)
1. I’ve finished I have a degree.
university.
● ●
2. Andy’s found a new He now works for a bank.
job.
● ●
3. I’ve lost my school Do you think I should accept it?
bag.
● ●
4. They’ve offered me a I can relax tonight.
better job.
● ●
5. I’ve done all my Now she needs to find a job.
homework.
● ●
6. My grandparents have I can’t find it everywhere.
retired.
● ●
7. Daniel’s broken his He can’t go to school this week.
arm.
● ●
8. Helena’s left school. They don’t go to work any more.
● ●

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences. Use the past participle of the irregular verbs in brackets.

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1. He wasn’t very good when he started, but he’s become (become) a very good teacher in the
last few years.
2. Have you chosen (chose) a career yet? Do you know what you want to do when you leave
school?
3. I studied History for five years at school, but now I’ve forgotten (forget) almost everything.
4. It’s been a very useful course and you’re a great teacher – you’ve taught (teach) me a lot.
5. I’ve sent (send) emails to lots of companies asking for a job, but nobody’s offered me one
yet.
6. Have you been (be) on any training courses this year?
7. I need to write a 10,000-word essay by the end of my course, but I’ve only written (write)
2,500 words so far.
8. I studied Business at university, but I’ve learned (learn) more in my first month at work than
in three years at university.
9. Sorry I haven’t finished the presentation yet. I haven’t had (have) time.
10. OK, so now that I’ve shown (show) you what to do, it’s your turn.

Exercise 3: Read the information. Then choose the correct answers to complete the
conversation.
The words already, yet and just have slightly different meanings.
 already = before now, or before a particular time in the past
Example:
I’ve already done it.
= I did it in the past so I don’t need/plan to do it again.
 
 yet = before now or before that time
Example:
I haven’t done it  yet.
= I didn’t do it in the past so I still need/plan to do it in the future.
 
 just = a very short time ago
Example:
I’ve just done it.
= I did it very recently (e.g. in the last few minutes).

A: Hey, I’ve already/just/yet remembered. We need to hand in our essays tomorrow. Have you
started writing yours just/yet ?
B: Actually, I’ve just/yet started. I started planning it half an hour ago. But I haven’t written
anything already/just/yet . I’m still thinking about what to write. What about you?
A: I started working on it at the weekend. I’ve already/just/yet written about half of it, but there’s
still a lot of work to do.
B: Oh, that’s not so bad. And have you planned everything just/yet ?

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A: No, I haven’t planned the end already/just/yet . I mean, the first half’s good, but I don’t know
what to write for the ending. What about you?
B: I’ve just/yet told you! I started half an hour ago!
A: Oh, yes, sorry. And what about David? Has he started just/yet ?
B: Started? He’s already/just/yet finished! He wrote the whole essay last weekend!
Exercise 4: Complete the sentences. Use the words in brackets with the present perfect. Use
contractions where possible (e.g. haven’t). The first one has been done for you.

1. My sister’s just started university – it’s her first week this week. (my sister / just / start)
2. I’m really pleased. I’ve passed all my exams. (I / pass)
3. We finished our project over a month ago, but our teacher hasn’t checked it yet. (not / check /
it / yet)
4. I’ve already decided to go to evening classes to learn how to write computer programs. (I /
already / decide)
5. Don’t worry. I haven’t told anybody your exam results. (I / not / tell)
6. I think the job interview went well, but they haven’t contacted me yet, so I don’t know if I’ve
got the job or not. (they / not / contact / me / yet)
7. Why are we doing this training course again? We’ve already done it three times! (we / already /
do)
8. I’m really worried. I think I’ve failed my end-of-course test. (I / fail)
Exercise 5: Correct the questions. Use the present prefect. Use contractions where possible (e.g.
hasn’t).
1. You take all your exams yet? I’ve already finished mine.
Have you taken all your exams yet?
2. Where Lisa go? She was here a second ago. Where’s Lisa gone?
3. Anybody see my bag? I can’t find it. Has anybody seen my bag?
4. Why you not finish your report? I asked you to hand it in today.
Why haven’t you finished your report?
5. You hear the news? They’ve offered me a promotion! Have you heard the news?
6. What you do to your hair? It looks terrible! What have you done to your hair?

C. READING:

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Exercise 1: You will read a text called ‘Cities of the future’. In the text, there are some opinions
given about problems our societies may face.
Match the topics with the correct pictures.
population pollution building materials new technology traffic jam

building materials new technology pollution

population traffic jam

Exercise 2: Read the text “Cities of the future” and choose the correct answers.

CITIES OF THE FUTURE

Paragraph A

Researchers recently gave 1,000 people a questionnaire about ‘Cities of The Future’. To answer the
questions, the people had to imagine and describe what they thought our cities might look like in the
year 2050. Interestingly, a large number of people were anxious that they would become ‘dark,
dangerous places’, which had endless traffic jams and very few green spaces. This group also
predicted an increase in the level of pollution and thought people would always need to wear
facemasks in order to breathe. They also believed that it would be less safe to walk on the street as
there would be ‘more stealing’ and other criminal behavior. A smaller number thought cities might
become a lot cleaner and might be built from more interesting materials. They were also looking
forward to new technology such as flying cars and moving pavements. In general, they believed that
the cities of the future would offer a much more convenient way of living. A few people were
uncertain; for example, they thought the size of apartments might reduce as the population of the city
grew, but they also thought that public transport would become better.

Paragraph B
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What do the results from this questionnaire tell us? In a way, we shouldn’t be amazed by the
descriptions of the largest group. So many Hollywood films show cities of the future as frightening
places. Online newspapers are also responsible for spreading this same belief. Headlines such as
‘Global population rises – cities become crowded’ are becoming more frequent. Journalists rarely
discuss how future cities might be a good place to live.

Paragraph C

The facts are these: 50% of people now live in cities, even though cities only occupy 2% of the
world’s land. By 2050, it is predicted that the number of people living there will rise to 70%. Some
people are worried that villages in the countryside will become empty as everyone leaves for the city,
and so traditional ways of life will be lost. This may be true, but we have to accept changes like this
as part of human development. Rather than being negative, we should be hopeful that we can
improve people’s lives as they move to cities. The way to do this is through intelligent planning.

Paragraph D

Architects have a big role to play in our future cities. In the past, the architects who were responsible
for planning our cities often designed buildings that they were interested in; but now it is time for
them to listen carefully to what people living in cities are asking for. In many countries around the
world, people are choosing to have smaller families or to wait longer before they start a family. For
this reason, not everyone needs a large house. Smaller and cheaper houses are what they need. But
‘small’ doesn’t have to be the same as ‘ugly’ or ‘boring’. Western architects could perhaps look at
some of the architecture in Japanese cities, where very stylish houses are built on small pieces of
unused land.

Paragraph E

And what might cities of the future be made from? Engineering companies have produced some
interesting new products, for example, wood-like material made from recycled newspapers or old
drink cartons. One engineering team are even working on a project that uses mushrooms to create a
hard building material. These new materials may seem strange, but we should remember that plastic
was only invented in 1907 – at the time people thought that this  was an unusual product, but now it
is something we cannot manage without. Building a city of the future requires imagination and an
open mind.

A. Most people feel worried rather than pleased about the way that cities will develop. 
B. People imagined that no one would use their own vehicles anymore.
C. People think that crime will be the worst problem that future cities will have.
D. Some people believe that there will not be enough houses in the city for everyone.

1. What is the writer doing in Paragraph B?

A. Explaining why many people will probably prefer to live in cities in the future.
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B. Giving a reason why many people feel negative about cities of the future. 
C. Suggesting that newspapers show a more realistic view of future cities than films.

2. What point does the writer make in Paragraph C?

A. It is important to encourage some people to stay in their villages.
B. It is possible to maintain traditional village customs after moving to cities.
C. It is necessary to think in a creative way about city design. 

3. Paragraph D: In the writer’s opinion, architects who are responsible for planning cities
A. often make houses that are unattractive.
B. must make buildings based on people’s needs. 
C. should get experience by working in foreign cities.

4. Paragraph E: The writer refers to the invention of plastic to make the point that
A. we can expect building materials to be very different in the future. 
B. we must accept that good-quality materials take a long time to create.
C. we should use a variety of building materials to make our cities interesting.

Exercise 3: In an IELTS Reading text about the future, you are likely to see words and phrases
that are used to make predictions.
Match the meanings with the underlined words and phrases. Use the words in the box.

certain impossible possible probable uncertain

1. We could see more robots in people's homes by 2050. possible

2. There is a very good chance that there will be no more oil by 2050. probable
3. Driverless cars will be very popular – but not with taxi drivers! certain
4. There is no possibility of people living on Mars by 2050. impossible
5. It is not clear whether in the future people would consider going back to
uncertain
the countryside from cities.

Exercise 4: EXAM PRACTICE. Read the passage carefully and choose the correct option.
The ballpoint pen

Most of us have at least one, but how did this popular item evolve?

One morning in 1945, a crowd of 5,000 people jammed the entrance of Gimbels Department Store
in New York. The day before, Gimbels had placed a full-page advertisement in the New York
Times for a wonderful new invention, the ballpoint pen. The advertisement described the pen as
“fantastic” and “miraculous”. Although they were expensive, $12.50 each, all 10,000 pens in stock
were sold on the first day.

In fact, this “new” pen was not new at all. In 1888, John Loud, a leather manufacturer, had

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invented a pen with a reservoir of ink and a rolling ball. However, his pen was never produced,
and efforts by other people to produce a commercially successful one failed too. The main
problem was with the ink. If it was too thin, the ink leaked out of the pen. If it was too thick, it
didn’t come out of the pen at all.

Almost fifty years later, in 1935, a newspaper editor in Hungary thought he spent too much time
filling his pens with ink. He decided to invent a better kind of pen. With the help of his brother,
who was a chemist, he produced a ballpoint pen that didn’t leak when the pen wasn’t being used.
The editor was called Ladislad Biro, and it was his name that people would associate more than
any other with the ballpoint pen.
By chance, Biro met Augustine Justo, the Argentinian president. Justo was so impressed with
Biro’s invention that he invited him to set up a factory in Argentina. In 1943, the first Biro pens
were produced.
Unfortunately, they were not popular, since the pen needed to be held in a vertical position for the
ink to come out. Biro redesigned the pen with a better ball, and in 1944 the new product was on
sale throughout Argentina.

It was a North American, Milton Reynolds, who introduced the ballpoint pen to the USA. Copying
Biro’s design, he produced the version that sold so well at Gimbels. Another American, Patrick
Frawley, improved the design and in 1950 began producing a pen he called the Papermate. It was
an immediate success, and within a few years, Papermate were selling in their millions around the
world.

1. People went to Gimbels to buy a ballpoint pen because

A. they couldn’t get them anywhere else.
B. they had been told how good the pens were. 
C. they had never seen a ballpoint pen before.
D. they thought the price was good.
2. Why were early ballpoint pens not produced commercially?
A. Nobody wanted to buy one
B. It cost too much to produce them.
C. They used too much ink.
D. They didn’t work properly. 
3. Why was Ladislas Biro’s pen better than earlier models?
A. It didn’t need to be filled with ink as often.
B. It was designed by a chemist.
C. The ink stayed in the pen until it was needed. 
D. It was easier to use.

4. Biro’s first commercially-produced pen

A. was produced in a factory owned by the Argentinian president.
B. only worked if used in a certain way. 
C. was a major success.

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D. went on sale in 1944.

5. Patrick Frawley’s pen
A. was a better version of an earlier model. 
B. took time to become successful.
C. was the USA’s first commercially successful ballpoint pen.
D. was only successful in the USA.

D. SPEAKING
Exercise 1: Match each job with the correct picture.
mechanic architect pilot chef
scientist manager
professor journalist

1. mechanic 2. pilot

3. chef 4. scientist

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5. manager 6. professor

7. architect 8. journalist

Exercise 2: Read the task card and watch the video of the student doing IELTS Speaking Part
2. She makes some mistakes with verb forms. Find and correct the mistakes.

Describe a job you would like to have.  

You should say:
                 what the job is
                 what you know about that job
                 what study or training you would need to do so you can get that job
and explain why you would like to have that job.

1. I would like introduce a job which I would like to do in the future.

like to introduce
2. My dream job is be a teacher. is to be (Unit 3
3. I really like get on with children. getting Video 1)
4. A lot of my classmates be teachers now. are
5. I wanted to do this job since I started university. have wanted

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Exercise 3: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. When I finish university I want to be a scientist. (want)

2. The exam yesterday was really difficult. (be)
3. I am going to walk to work today. (go)
4. I have been a mechanic since 2014. (have)
5. I’m working on an interesting project at the moment. (work)
6. The information that my manager gave me last week was useful. (give)
7. The workers need to be careful with the new machine. It’s quite difficult to use. (need)
8. This work that we’re doing is so interesting! (do)

Exercise 4: Complete the sentences using a, an or the

1. I paid the money I was given as a present into my bank account.

2. It would be a good idea to find an architect to plan the new head office building.
3. The pilot landed the plane early because the weather was so bad.
4. A celebrity’s life is never easy.
5. My aunt works as a hairdresser.
6. The best thing about being a scientist is that you can follow your interests.
7. My favourite professor does not teach at the weekend.
8. Do you know a mechanic who could fix my car?
9. I never planned to be a chef. It just happened. 
10. My friend is a journalist and has just published an article.

Exercise 5: Read the task card. Then watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part
2 and look at the sentences she uses. Match the phrases in the box with the underlined words
which have a similar meaning.
Describe a job you would like to have.

You should say:

                  what the job is (Unit 3
                  what you know about that job Video 2)
                  what study or training you would need to do so you can get that
job
and explain why you would like to have that job.

I have always thought ... It is said that ... I’d like to talk about ...
It is necessary to to become

1. I would like to introduce a job which I would like to do in the future. I’d like to talk about ...
2. My dream job is to be a teacher. to become
3. To be a teacher, you need to train. It is necessary to
4. Some people say this is not a well-paid job. It is said that…
5. I think this job would suit me. I have always thought ...
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Exercise 6: Read the task card. Then watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part
2 and look at the sentences he uses. Add a phrase from the box to each sentence. This will help
improve the grammatical range.

Describe a job you would like to have.

You should say:
                  what the job is (Unit 3
                  what you know about that job Video 3)
                  what study or training you would need to do so you can get that
job
and explain why you would like to have that job.

Following that, I have always thought that It is said that

Most importantly, What’s more,

1. I have always thought that the job I would like to have is professor.
2. It is said that professors can usually study something that they want, ... and also study alone.
3. I would also like to teach ... because my parents are teachers. ... What’s more, I used to teach
my friends.
4. Most importantly, to be a professor I need a doctorate.
5. Following that, I’d go to another country, like England, to get a post-doctoral job.

Exercise 7: Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.
dream job. like to talk about my
1. I would like to talk about my dream job.
job would that this thought suit me.
2. I have always thought that this job would suit me.
well-paid 's 's more, job. it a
3. What’s more, it’s a well-paid job.
a teacher. you can become before necessary study 's to
4. It’s necessary to study before you can become a teacher.
importantly, have work abroad. to 'll i the opportunity
5. Most importantly I’ll have the opportunity to work abroad.
that, can countries. i live and work many in
6. Following that, I can live and work in many countries.
best in the world. job the people that it's say
7. Some people say that it’s the best job in the world.
dream to become is job teacher. a
8. My dream job is to become a teacher.
Exercise 8: You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

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Describe a job you would like to have.  

You should say:
                 what the job is
                 what you know about that job
                 what study or training you would need to do so you can get that job
and explain why you would like to have that job.

E. LISTENING
Exercise 1: The exam task in this unit is about money. This is a common topic in IELTS, so it is
a good idea to think about some vocabulary you might hear.  
Match the words in the box with the definitions.

cash trade coin financial valuable exchange payment worth

1. to give something to someone and receive something else from that person: exchange
2. a small, round piece of metal that is used as money: coin
3. relating to money or how money is managed: financial
4. having a particular value, especially in money: worth
5. an amount of money you give to someone, often for a product or service: payment
6. the activity of buying and selling products or services between people or countries: trade
7. to be worth a lot of money: valuable
8. money in the form of notes and coins, rather than a credit card: cash

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

cash coin exchange financial payments trade valuable worth

1. Historians believe that the first coin was invented over 2,800 years ago and was made of
bronze.
2. The Mona Lisa painting is believed to be worth over $780 million.
3. Fewer people carry cash nowadays as more payments are being made electronically.
4. Before money, many people used to exchange food, like fruits and vegetables, for tools. 
5. A lot of antiques, like paintings and furniture, are extremely valuable nowadays. 
6. Many students receive financial support from their families while studying at university.
7. The number of people making payments online is increasing every year.
8. In the past, as groups of people began to explore new areas, trade between different cultures
became more common.

Exercise 3: In this example of an IELTS Listening sentence completion task, you will listen to
two students talking about the topic of finance in preparation for a lecture.  
Write ONE WORD to complete each sentence. (Track 3.1)

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1. Greg and Penny agree to do some background reading on the history of money.
2. Greg says that before money, trade was very common. 
3. Greg says that in the past, bronze was probably used to make coins.
4. The book Greg and Penny should read is called ‘The Financial World’.
Exercise 4: Match the words and phrases in the box with the correct synonyms.
began to use circle were made for mostly had
the idea produce very small images

introduced : began to use

mainly: mostly
make: produce
pictures: images
round: circle
thought: had the idea
tiny: very small
were designed for: were made for
Exercise 5: Read the sentences. Choose the correct synonym for the words and phrases in bold.
1. The UK introduced the two-pound coin in 1998.
o began to use 
o created
o made
2. Before money, it was common for people to use food, such as rice, in exchange for tools.
o easy
o difficult
o normal 
3. The line graph shows the number of people who worked in finance in the years between 1990
and 2015.
o displays 
o explains
o includes
4. According to recent figures, the company was valued at £25 million in 2015.
o sold for
o offered
o worth 

5. Many countries in Europe started to produce paper money in the 17th century.

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o began to make 
o changed to
o decided to use
6. The five-yen coin, used in Japan, is round with a very small hole in the middle.
o square
o tiny 
o very big
Exercise 6: Read the information. Then read the extracts from a lecture on the history of
money and choose the five phrases that signal the introduction of a new topic.

Cues help you find the part of the recording you need to answer the questions and complete sentences,
but you also need to follow the ideas the speakers talk about.  

You can do this by listening for signaling phrases. These are phrases that a speaker can use to:  

 introduce a new point or topic (e.g. We’ll start by …, But that wasn’t the only…)
 make a point about the current topic (e.g. It should be noted that …)
 give a definition or an explanation (e.g. In other words, …). 

 Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. 

 It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organized. 
 The only problem with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones.
 Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened in
China. 
 This is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make large tools from.
 It’s something that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays.
 But that wasn’t the only big development in China. 
 What else was used instead of money in the distant past? 
Exercise 7: Listen to a lecture on the history of money. Complete the sentences. Write ONE
WORD ONLY in each gap. (Track 3.2)
1. People often exchanged vegetables for salt in prehistoric times
2. In Ancient European cultures, tools that were used for fighting were most important.
3. Around 3,000 years ago, the Chinese began to make tiny models of tools from bronze.
4. China introduced coins that were round with a square hole in the middle 2,800 years ago.
5. Coins were made mostly from silver in western Turkey.
6. King Alyattes had the idea of putting pictures of birds and snakes on coins.
Exercise 8: EXAM PRACTICE.
Listen and complete Questions 1-6. Write ONE WORD for each answer. (Track 3.3)
1. Joe’s low salary doesn’t allow him to buy many electronic goods.

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2. He’s often influenced by his friends when he buys electronic items.

3. Advertisements featuring somebody famous sometimes help him decide which product to buy.
4. Joe prefers to get new products from shops.
5. He doesn’t like waiting for a long time after ordering something.
6. He finds it hard to resist buying electronic products if they are new and unusual.

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LISTENING SCRIPT
Exercise 3. Track 3.1
Greg: Hi, Penny. How’s it going?
Penny: Not bad, thanks, Greg. But I’m glad we’re meeting up. There’s lots for us to do before next week, I
think.
Greg: You’re right. What do you want to discuss first?
Penny: Shall we start with next Friday’s lecture?
Greg: Sounds good to me, Penny.
Penny: OK. We need to do a bit of preparation for it. I mean, the tutor told us that we should do some
background reading on money, didn’t she?
Greg: Yes, but not money in general – only on its history. So starting from prehistoric times and ancient
cultures – all the way up to the 21st century.
Penny: That’s right. So we should start by looking at what people used before money was invented.
Greg: OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric times, people probably
exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no value at all today, like colorful stones.
Penny: But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them. And I’m sure they gave each other
useful things as well. Um, you know, like tools? Or food? For instance, maybe one person had a tool for
hunting, and that was worth a lot to him, and he could exchange it with another person who had some meat or
eggs or fruit.
Greg: Yes, you’re probably right. And then when they did start to use money, maybe people used bronze to
make their coins. Because it was a metal that was quite easy to use.
Penny: Maybe, yes. Now, what was the name of the book that the tutor told us to read? I remember the first
part of the title: The Financial …?
Greg: The Financial World.
Penny: Oh yes, that’s right. Shall I see if I can find a copy in the university library for us?
Greg: OK, that’d be great, then we can …

Exercise 7. Track 3.2

Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know already, in this session we’re going to
be looking at the history of money – how it started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.    

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this time, people, of course, didn’t
have money. If they could see that someone else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some
vegetables perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own – and one very common thing that
people offered was salt. It’s something that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric
times, it was very valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange it for something. 

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What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when groups of people began to explore and
come into contact with other groups, trade between different cultures became more common. For example, we
know that ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each other – tools that they’d made – that
would have been interesting to the other group. Typically, these would be tools that were designed for
hunting, but more rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools needed for fighting. These were the
most important items for trade.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened in China. At that time,
one of the metals that was common there, in China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use
and to make large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry large tools with you – just in
case you want to buy some food, for example. So, some people started to produce very small models of some
typical tools, in bronze. Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with someone else, he would use those
instead of real ones. And this was a big step forward in the history of money because – like coins and cash and
credit cards today – they had no real value themselves. The only problem with these little tools is that they
looked just like the real ones, so they were sometimes sharp … a bit dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of centuries later, around 2,800 years
ago, when the Chinese started to create something different, something that would be smaller and easier to
make and carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to each other as a kind of
payment. In other words, coins. These early Chinese coins were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square
shape cut out of the center.

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more organized. It was here –
around 2,600 years ago, in a region called Lydia – that the city began to create coins that were stronger and
would last longer and were always the same size. They were made partly of gold, but mainly of silver. And
one important person that I have to mention is the King of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought
that different coins should have different images to show that they had a different value. Again, this is a
tradition that has continued until today. We know from our research that some of the coins had images of
birds, and that others – although we don’t know whether they were worth less or more – had an image of a
snake on them. I don’t think any modern coin has the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper money and …

Exercise 8. Track 3.3

Researcher: Hello. Joe, good to see you again.
Joe: Hi, you too.
R: So how did you get on with the devices we asked you to test for us?
J: Oh, fine. Well, mostly.
R: Ok, well, well’s come back to those in a minute. First of all, I was wondering if I could ask you a few
questions about your attitude to new electrical products. This will help us with future marketing. Is that OK?
J: Sure.
R: Ok. First of all, how much do you spend on electronic items a month?
J: Hmm, let me see. I don’t earn a lot, so I don’t have much left after I’ve paid for things like rent, bills, food
and so on. Anything else is a luxury. So, I’d guess about 5%, maybe 10% of my monthly salary.

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R: All right, and what influences you in your choice of product? Say you wanted a new mobile phone; how
would you decide which one to buy?
J: Well, first I look at reviews on the Internet, you know, what other customers think about them. Then I’ll
ask my friends what they think. In fact, their opinions are probably more important than anything.
R: How much dose advertising help you choose a product?
J: I think that depends on how the product is advertised and who is advertising it.
R: For example?
J: Well, if it’s someone I respect, you know, like a famous sportsman or actor, that can certainly make a
difference. I know it shouldn’t really, but it does.
R: And where do you buy most of these products? The High Street? The Internet?
J: Most people seem to avoid shops, these days, don’t they, for things like that? They think they can get
things cheaper on the Internet.
R: Right.
J: But I find that if you say to a shop assistant that you can get a new, er, camera for example, for £100 on the
Internet, they’ll often match the price. So, that’s where I go.
R: Any other advantages?
J: Well, you get personal service and you don’t have to wait for the product to be delivered. Ordering online
means you have to wait, sometimes for ages, to get the things you’ve just bought. I hate that. I guess I’m just
very impatient.
R: OK, one final question. Do you ever see a product and think ‘I’ve absolutely got to get one of those’?
J: Oh, all the time. Especially if I’m walking past a shop and I see a new electronic item in the window,
especially if it’s unusual, you know, something I’ve never seen before. It takes a lot of willpower…

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