C1 Listening Practice Test 2

Henry: Thanks for making time, David. I'll be candid. When we spoke in June, I understood the new website would be live by the end of October. Now I'm hearing it might be December. David: I appreciate your frankness, Henry, and I won't dress it up. What's happened is that the booking system you wanted has turned out to be considerably more involved than we'd estimated. Connecting it to your existing timetable software is the sticking point. Henry: But surely that was in the original specification? David: The booking system was, yes. What wasn't mentioned was that the timetable software only exports its data in an outdated format, and that's where the extra weeks come from. Henry: I see. And what's it going to cost me? David: Nothing beyond the original quote. That's our oversight, so we'll absorb it. What I'd propose instead is to launch the site on the thirty-first as planned, with a simple contact form for enquiries, and to switch on the booking system once it's ready, probably by mid-December. Henry: Hmm. A form isn't ideal. Half my students book on impulse after seeing the course page. David: Understood. In that case, we could add a clear banner saying that online booking is opening soon, plus a phone number in a prominent place. Henry: That's tolerable, provided you put it in writing, and the December date is a firm commitment rather than a hope. David: I'll send both this afternoon.

Ben: Right, so the committee has finally signed off on the lantern evening, which is brilliant, but they've asked us to move it from the park to the school playground. Grace: Seriously? The whole point was to have the lanterns reflected in the pond. Ben: I know, I know. Apparently, the council is worried that people will leave bits of lantern floating in the water afterwards. Jack: Hang on. I'm not sure the playground is such a bad thing. It's got proper lighting for the stalls, and there are toilets, which, let's face it, matters when you've got fifty families turning up. Grace: That's all very well, but it'll feel like a school fete rather than a festival. Jack: Not if we string the lanterns right across the yard. Picture it from above: hundreds of little lights criss-crossing overhead. It might even be more dramatic than the pond. Grace: Okay, I'll concede that. But I'd like the lantern parade to finish at the pond, even if the main event is in the playground. Ben: That's possible. It's only a five-minute walk. We'd need a few more helpers to guide people, though. Jack: I'll ask the scout group. They'll jump at it. Ben: So, the playground, the parade finishing by the pond, and Saturday the fourteenth stays as it is. Grace, can you do the posters? Grace: Only if somebody else sorts out the food stalls. I can't take on everything. Jack: Leave the stalls to me.

Good morning, everyone. Before we get to the weekly figures, I want to say a few words about the move to shared desks, because I know there's been a fair amount of speculation in the corridors. First, what's not changing: nobody is losing their job, and nobody's salary is affected. What is changing is that, from the first of March, the third floor will switch to a shared-desk arrangement. Colleagues who are in the office three days a week or fewer will book a desk through the app, while those who are in four or five days will keep their current seats. I'd like to stress that this decision wasn't made lightly, nor was it primarily about cost. The survey in the spring showed that nearly half of you rarely used your desks on Mondays and Fridays, and the space is wanted for quiet rooms, which came top of your wish list. I recognise that some of you will find the change unsettling. To that end, we'll hold two drop-in sessions next week, one on Tuesday afternoon and one on Thursday morning, and Isla from facilities will be there to demonstrate the app. I'd ask you to come with questions and, if possible, a little patience, because we're unlikely to get everything right first time.