TRACK 65 TRANSCRIPT
Narrator
Listen to part of a lecture in a marine biology class.
Professor
Want to continue our discussion about [……………………………… ]. Specifically, today, um, I want to talk about whale [……………………………. ]—um, why whales head south for the winter. Or really why whales in the cold water of the Northern [………………………………….. ]head south for the winter.
Now, not all kinds of whales [……………………………… ], but most […………………………. ] whales do. And interestingly enough, we still don’t really know why the baleen whales migrate. We do have several [ ], however, which I’ll discuss today. Uh, can anybody name one reason why baleen whales might migrate south, to the warm […………………………………. ]water?
Male student
Uh, for food? You know, the whales move to warmer water in order to find a good area to feed. Professor
Good guess. That should be an obvious reason—after all, most animals that migrate do so for the
[………………………… ]of finding food. But, uh, that doesn’t seem to be the case with
[………………………… ] […………………………………. ]. To understand why, you need to know something
about water […………………………… ]. There are a lot of technical reasons that I’m not going to go
into right now. But let’s just say that [……………………………………………………… ]don’t rise to the
[………………………… ]of tropical water like they do in other kinds of water. [………………………………….. ]
water simply never gets cold enough. So … well, what this means, uh, is that tropical water
doesn’t have much of the [……………………………. ]that most whales feed on.
Male student
Don t understand—if there’s no plankton, how do the whales [……………………………………. ]through the
winter?
Professor
Right. How do they survive? You see, they don’t have to eat anything, because they’ve stored up
so much fat during the summer [………………………….. ] season that they can just survive off of that.
So if they don’t need to eat anything, we’re back to our [………………………………….. ]question. Why do
baleen whales migrate? Any theories? No?
Well, there’s one idea out there that a lot of people believe. In fact, uh, you could say it’s the most
popular theory we have about whale migration. Basically, the [……………………………………. ]is that for
baleen whales, migration is a kind of […………………………………. ]act. Let me explain. On one hand,
whales need to take [……………………………. ]of the summer months by eating as much food as they
can. And that’s what they can do best in the northern seas. This allows them to build up a lot of fat. But in the winter, food is [………………………………………………………….. ]even in the north, so what the whales need to
do is save […………………………… ]. And that’s what migrating south can help them do .:. Amanda,
you have a question?
Female student
Yes. Um, the […………………………….. ]theory doesn’t make [……………………………… ]to me. Maybe
whales might need to save energy during the winter, but wouldn’t moving all the way down to tropics make them lose energy?
Professor
That’s a good point, and it’s one reason why this isn’t a […………………………………. ]theory. It does cost
the whales energy to migrate, but it’s [……………………………….. ]for whales to save energy in warm
water than it is to save energy in cold water, so there might still be, you know, a good reason to move south for the winter. OK?
Now, before moving on to the next [………………………………….. ], I want to briefly discuss how the
baleen whale […………………………….. ]to navigate. It’s pretty […………………………………… ], because the
whales manage to return to the same places year after year, and have to travel over an
[…………………………………… ]area of ocean in order to do it. I mean, it’s not like whales can just look at a
map right? So exactly how do they do it?
Well, a lot of [………………………………………………. ]work still needs to be done, but we have been able to
[…………………………. ] […………………………… ]at least three ways the baleen whale navigates
without getting lost. The first is the [……………………….. ]to use Earth’s
[…………………………………….. ]field like it was a map. That sounds strange, but we know that many birds
use that method, use the magnetic field, and it’s possible that whales have the [ ]ability to do the same thing.
Another theory is that if they stay close to the [……………………………………. ], whales might be able to
find familiar [……………………………………. ]and use those as guides. But we don’t really know if a whale’s
[…………………………. ]is good enough to be able to do that, so that’s not a perfect theory.
And finally, we know that many whales make very loud sounds that can travel
[………………. ]hundreds of miles [………………………………………………………. ]. Through a process called
[ ], it’s possible that these whales hear the sounds [……………………………………………………………… ]off of
islands or other pieces of land and use those [………………………………. ]as clues to help them find their
way.
TRACK 68 TRANSCRIPT:
Narrator
Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.
Student
Hi, uh … Professor Anderson … wondering if you had a [……………………………….. ]minutes …
Professor Of course, Paula …
Student
Thanks … uh, you sent me a letter [……………………………………………. ]about doing, uh, an honors
[…………………………. ]—inviting me to come in and talk about…
Professor
Right, right, well, as your academic [ ], it’s my job to look out for your
academic interests, and based on your [………………………………………. ], and some very positive
[…………………………. ]I’ve heard from your professors, I wanted to formally invite you to
[…………………………. ] doing an honors project…
Yeah … well, thanks … uh, actually I kinda wanted to ask you … quite […………………………………….. ]—
like how much work it would probably be? I mean, I’m gonna be spending a lot of time applying to law schools next [………………………………………………………. ]and …
Professor
Well, let me tell you how it works … and then you can decide from there.
Student
OK.
Professor
Basically, the honors project is an [ ]to do … some in-depth work on a topic
you’re interested in before graduating college. You register for the class, but it doesn’t work the same way a regular class does—you find a professor who you want to work with—you ask the
professor—a sort of mentor who’s […………………………………. ]on the topic you’re interested in—the
topic you’re gonna write your […………………………….. ]thesis on …
Student
Writing a thesis? That’s part of the [………………………………… ]? Ah, like how many pages are we
talking?
Professor
Usually about 50 … but it’s a valuable experience, writing a [………………………………. ]paper.
Student
So, basically, after I register for the class, I need to ask a professor who’ll [ ]help me…
Professor
Actually, you need to do that—a professor needs to agree to [……………………………………. ]your honors
project—before you register.
Student
Oh, OK . ..
Professor
Mean, I know it sounds kinda [………………………………. ], but that’s what the professor’s there for—
to help guide you through the different steps of the [………………………………………. ]and … uh … most
stu-dents are very pleased with the experience … they’re able to [……………………………………. ]advanced
research skills, which is important; [………………………………. ]in your case, writing an honors thesis
would be a big plus …
Student
You think so?
Professor
Absolutely. Especially considering your plans, since you’re applying to law schools. It shows
[………………………… ], that you’ve done well as an [………………………………….. ]—to be allowed to do
the honors project… that you’re able to work […………………………………… ]and, of course, you would
graduate with honors …
Student
Yeah, it does sound good—it’s just, you know, I’ve never written something like that before, so Professor
Well, you choose something you’re interested in—maybe you can even expand a shorter
[………………………… ]paper from another class or …
Student
So, like, maybe … You know, I took this course from Professor […………………………………………. ]—his
course on Comparative […………………………….. ]last semester and, uh … did pretty well I wrote a
paper actually, on political parties in [………………………………….. ]and—and he seemed to like my
research. Anyway, he, uh, I got an A in the course.
Professor
Good, so it sounds like you do have a [……………………………… ]idea for a topic, and you might know
what professor you want to work with … and look, it’s still a couple weeks before [ ], maybe you should talk to Professor Connelly and then get back to me.
Student
Yeah, I will—thanks. I’ll come by again sometime next week.
Professor
That’s fine. Good luck.
TRACK 71 TRANSCRIPT:
Narrator
Listen to part of a lecture in a journalism class. The professor has been discussing newspapers. Professor
About 40 years ago, half of all Americans felt they’d be lost without a daily
[…………………………. ]. But today, only one in ten […………………………….. ]say they’d be lost without
a paper. In fact, today, half of all Americans say they don’t need a newspaper at all. And so
people in the newspaper [……………………………… ]are trying to figure out how they can get more
people reading the newspaper more often. They’re trying to crack journalism’s
[…………………………. ]for the ages: what makes people read newspapers? OK, well, let me ask
you—as a [……………………………. ]stu-dent, what do you think is the answer to this question?
Elizabeth?
Female student
Um, I would probably try to [……………………………. ]the content of the newspaper.
Professor
Better content. Hmm. You mean like [………………………………… ]editorials and articles?
Female student
Well, I mean […………………………………………. ]more interesting content, like, I would first try to find out
what readers really want to read … and then put that into the paper.
Professor
Yes, in fact, not too long ago, there was an [………………………………… ] study conducted to investigate
what [………………………….. ]people to newspapers. Uh, they found out that there’s a clear, strong
link between [………………………………………. ]with content and overall readership. Those newspapers that
[……………………………………………….. ]what the readers wanted most brought in the most readers. No big
[………………………………………. ]there, right? So, what kind of content brings in readers? The study found
that people- centered local news ranks at the top of the list… stories about
[……………………………………… ]people. For example, you could write about the experiences of those who
were […………………………………….. ]in a news story, and their friends and relatives … The vantage points
would be those of ordinary people, not of police or other [………………………………….. ]… OK? Now the
study also […………………………… ]that people want more stories about movies, TV, and weather,
and fewer stories and photos about natural [………………………………. ]and [………………………….. ]… So,
to get reader satisfaction, you need to select the right topics, and within those topics, the right news events or stories to cover. Yes, James?
Male student
It seems to me that a lot of what you just [………………………………………… ] doesn’t line up with the
[………………………… ]of good journalism. Catering to readers’ tastes may improve overall
[………………………… ]but what about the social [………………………………………. ]that newspapers have? I
mean, there are some topics that newspapers need to write about in order to serve the public
interest. Those topics may not always be fun and interesting for the […………………………………… ]reader,
but it’s still the newspaper’s [………………………………… ]to make that information available to the
public.
Professor
That’s a good point. You need a good mix of [………………. ]. You can’t just rush towards
an […………………………………… ]topic and forget about the reporting role of newspapers. There’s a danger
of going soft newspapers do have to perform their […………………………………… ]to citizens. So what
newspapers sometimes do is to combine serious [……………………………………… ]with a reader-friendly
presentation. Um, let me give you an example: When the justice department opened an
[………………………… ]on the local police—some pretty [………………………. ]stuff that could be
boring to some readers—well, one local newspaper ran a lead story on their front page, but they
also [………………………………………………………………………………………. ]the format by including small [ ]boxes that
presented in a [………………………………………. ]the highlights of the story. That way, they could report the
serious stories they needed to report, and, and still hold their […………………………………. ] attention. OK?
Uh, going back to the research on [………………………………. ]growth we were talking about… Uh, the
most [………………………….. ]step of all, the study shows, may be making the paper easier to use.
How can we make the paper “easier to use”? Well, it means stories need to include information,
such as phone numbers, times, dates, […………………………………. ], Web sites and the like, so that
readers can “go and do” things based on what they’ve read.
Female student
Professor Ellington? Um, when you said we need to make the paper “easier to use,” I thought
you were [……………………………….. ]say something about use of graphics, colors, and
[………………………… ]like that.
Professor
Well, I guess those things do help in a way, but it turned out that those […….. ]touches, uh, such as more [ ] designs, extensive use of
color, and informational [……………………………… ]matter much less than you’d expect. Surprising,
isn’t it?
Female student
Yeah, it is … Um, how about [……………………………………. ]? Does the study say anything about
improving service? I don’t think people are gonna [……………………………………… ]if the paper doesn’t
arrive, or shows up late …
Professor
Or shows up wet, which by the way, happened to me this morning. Oh, [……………………………………….. ].
Service affects readership. In fact, improving your service is much more likely to increase your
readership than making changes in your [……………………………………… ]content… Not only on-time
[…. ]in good condition, but also things like [……………………………………………………………………. ]billing,
affordability, um … Yes?
Female student
They could also, like, increase the number of sites where they sell single copies.
Professor
Certainly that’s one way to improve service.
TRACK74 TRANSCRIPT:
Narrator
Listen to part of a lecture in a geology class.
Professor
Um, beginning in the late [……………………………………….. ], geologists began to uncover some
[………………………… ]of a rather surprising kind when they looked … um … at
[………………………… ]places around the world. What they found out when they
[………………………… ]rocks from about a … the period from about [………………………………….. ] million
years ago to about [……………………………… ] million years ago, they found that… it seemed that
[………………………… ]covered the entire surface of the Earth—from pole to pole, including the
[………………………… ].
Um … how did they come to this [………………………………. ]conclusion? What was the evidence for
this? Especially when glaciers today are found only at the poles … or in the mountains.
Well, uh … basically when glaciers grow and move they leave behind a
[………………………… ]deposit consisting of primarily … of, at least on the top level, of ground up
little bits of rock … almost… they almost look like [……………………………….. ]that have been deposited
by [………………………….. ], if you’ve ever seen those. And that’s caused because, although the
glacier is ice, it is actually flowing very slowly and as it moves it [……………………………………. ]the top
layer of rock, it breaks off pieces and [……………………………………………. ]them away. So when you have
[ ]you have a distinctive pattern of these pieces of rock which are called
“[……………………………. ].”
Erratics are rocks … they’re the stones that are often carried long distances by glaciers.
So, in the [……………………………. ]and onward up through the [………………………………….. ], we keep
finding evidence for gla-ciation, no matter what the […………………………………….. ]… even in tropical
latitudes. Now, today there are glaciers in the tropics but only at very high elevations. But
[………………………… ]million years ago, apparently there were glaciers even at sea level in the
tropics.
How could this have happened?
Well, first… the growth of glaciers, uh, [……………………………………………. ], if you will, from a kind of a
positive [………………………….. ]loop called the “[……………………………. ]effect.”
With the ice-albedo effect, glaciers—’cause they’re white—reflect light and heat more … much
more than does [… ]water… or soil and rock, which are dark and
[………………………… ]heat. So, the more glaciers there are, the more heat is
[………………………… ], so the climate gets cooler, and glaciers grow even more.
However… normally, on a global scale, there is a major process that […………………………………. ]to curb
the growth of glaciers. And, that process [………………………………………………. ] carbon dioxide.
Now, we’re all familiar with the notion that carbon dioxide is what we call a
“[…………………………… ]gas.” The more carbon dioxide there is in the [ ], the
more heat the atmosphere […… ]. That’s what a greenhouse gas does. So, the
greenhouse-gas effect is kinda the opposite of the [……………………….. ] effect.
Um … now as it happens … when […………………………. ]rocks, which is a very common class of
rock, when they’re [ ]to the air and to normal weathering, they erode. Carbon
dioxide is [……………………………. ]to these [………………………………… ]rocks and binds to them, forming
calcium carbonate.
Calcium carbonate is eventually [……………………………………………………………… ]into the ocean where it
[………………………… ]to the bottom. This process, this forming of calcium carbonate, has the
effect of [……………………………………. ]the carbon dioxide out of the air and storing it at the bottom of the
ocean.
Now, follow me here. The process that’s sucking carbon dioxide out of the air, keeping the greenhouse gas levels low, cannot happen if the rock is [……………………………………………………………………. ]with ice.
So, while glaciers […………………………….. ]light and heat… cooling the Earth, they at the same time
cover rocks so there’s less calcium carbonate [………………………………. ].. . which leaves more carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. Higher levels of carbon dioxide keep the atmosphere warm … which
slows the growth of glaciers. So, it’s a […………………………………………………….. ], and the glacier growth
[……………………………… ]pretty much under control.
Now, what happened 750 million years ago to upset that balance? It seems a relatively simple explanation actually …750 million years ago … all the major continents are rocky, bare, and
pretty much lined up along the [………………………………………. ]; they hadn’t yet moved to where they are
today. So, what happened was, perhaps a slight cooling of … the very slight and
[………………………… ]cooling of the Sun—which still happens from time to time—and the Earth
starts to cool, the ice starts to [………………………………………………………. ]on the oceans … starting at the
[………………………… ].
Now, by the time the ice reaches about two-thirds of the way to the equator, it’s too late.
See … because the [………………………………. ]are the last things to be covered by glaciers, they
continue weathering … the rocks keep eroding and the carbon dioxide levels keep
[………………………… ]… So, the ice-[……………………………. ]effect from the glaciers is increasing in
strength while the […………………………………… ] continues to lose its ability to retain heat making glacier
growth [………………………….. ]. Now you have what’s called a “runaway […………………….. ].”
And for perhaps as long as [………………………………………. ] million years, possibly with some interludes,
the Earth was […………………………… from pole to pole, like a giant [……………………………… ].