NARRATOR:
You will hear two students discussing a lecture and several resources about ocean biodiversity.
NARRATOR:
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.
NARRATOR:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.
PHIL:
The talk by yesterday's visiting lecturer was worthwhile, wasn't it?
LUCY:
I found out a great deal about biodiversity in the oceans.
LUCY:
I'd already read around the subject and last year I wrote an assignment on some related problems.
LUCY:
What I particularly appreciated, though, was her emphasis on threats that may develop over the longer term.
PHIL:
Yes, she covered matters that received very little public attention at present, but could become extremely significant in future.
PHIL:
That made a strong impression on me as well.
PHIL:
The ending wasn't especially optimistic, since many of those difficulties don't seem to have a straightforward answer.
LUCY:
True, although she did identify areas where changes in policy might help safeguard marine habitats and coastlines.
PHIL:
Hmm, but those proposals only concerned action within individual countries.
PHIL:
Her illustrations came from across the world, and that global perspective showed me how extensive the dangers to ocean biodiversity really are.
PHIL:
The research program she described sounded remarkable too.
PHIL:
It can't be common to bring such a large number of experts into one project.
LUCY:
And their areas of expertise were so varied.
LUCY:
It must have been a fascinating group to join.
LUCY:
I recognized the names of two researchers who had taken part in earlier work, warning about pollution in the oceans.
PHIL:
That issue is much more widely recognized now, though, isn't it?
PHIL:
The researchers were also based in countries all over the world.
PHIL:
Still, international teams are probably less unusual these days because people can collaborate online.
LUCY:
I was glad she didn't overwhelm us with statistics.
LUCY:
The figures were available, but she concentrated on the broader conclusions that could be drawn from them.
PHIL:
I was especially interested in the advances in equipment for monitoring sea creatures, as well as the robots she mentioned.
LUCY:
Yes, particularly her explanation of how robotic devices can help scientists examine risks to biodiversity.
NARRATOR:
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
NARRATOR:
Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.
PHIL:
Since we're both here, shall we go through the resources we need to assess for tomorrow's seminar?
PHIL:
I've reviewed all of them, although I had to do it rather quickly.
LUCY:
What was your view of the article about invasive lionfish, the one arguing that their range was spreading across the Mediterranean?
PHIL:
The author repeatedly described the serious environmental harm they might cause, and that may well be accurate.
PHIL:
The trouble was that there was hardly any supporting material showing why we should accept the claim.
LUCY:
Yes, I noticed that, too.
PHIL:
I also put on the documentary about microplastics.
PHIL:
I only watched the beginning because I discovered it had been produced a decade earlier and decided not to continue.
LUCY:
I finished it, but I agree that its age was obvious.
LUCY:
At the time it was made, hardly anyone knew about microplastics.
LUCY:
Now the subject and its risks are familiar to almost everybody.
PHIL:
What about the podcast dealing with pollution in the oceans?
LUCY:
I listened to it, but I learned nothing from it.
LUCY:
Nearly everything the presenter said was completely expected.
PHIL:
I had the same reaction.
PHIL:
It listed pesticides, plastic, and similar pollutants, then simply said they were harmful.
PHIL:
That is new information for anyone.
PHIL:
Did you manage the book about coastal ecosystems?
LUCY:
The one written by John Harper?
LUCY:
Initially I found the level of detail difficult, especially the sections on offshore wind farms and fish farming.
LUCY:
By the end, though, I understood the main problems far more clearly.
PHIL:
It summarized those issues very effectively, and the diagrams made the explanations easier to follow.
LUCY:
I couldn't cope with the article about metal toxicity.
LUCY:
The discussion of metals from industrial emissions reacting in seawater was much too advanced for me, and I'm still confused by it.
PHIL:
I stopped after the opening section because I simply couldn't follow the argument.
LUCY:
The podcast about floating cities at sea was engaging, but I thought it gave only one side of the case.
PHIL:
It concentrated on the advantages for people and left out the possible environmental consequences.
LUCY:
Anyway, shall we decide how to present our evaluation?
NARRATOR:
That is the end of part three.
NARRATOR:
You now have one minute to check your answers to part three.
