NARRATOR:
You will hear two students, Jane and Kieran, discussing how books should be cared for and arranged in a bookshop.
NARRATOR:
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.
NARRATOR:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
KIERAN:
You'll be leaving for your work placement in Denmark soon, won't you?
JANE:
Yes, and I'm excited.
JANE:
I've started packing my books so they can stay in storage while I'm away.
KIERAN:
I hope they survive the move without being damaged.
JANE:
My grandfather works in a bookshop and he explained the safest way to pack them.
JANE:
He said the spine needs proper support.
JANE:
Otherwise, the pages can separate from the cover.
KIERAN:
That sounds like common sense.
JANE:
He also told me to lay books flat rather than stand them on their sides.
JANE:
If they bend and remain like that for a year, restoring their original shape is difficult.
KIERAN:
Again, the reason is obvious, though plenty of people don't make the effort to protect their books.
JANE:
Grandad also wishes publishers would choose stronger paper.
KIERAN:
The acid in paper is what causes deterioration, isn't it?
JANE:
That's why older pages turn yellow.
JANE:
Several books he has given me are already showing that.
KIERAN:
Are you going to keep them?
JANE:
I probably shouldn't if they'll continue to decay, but I couldn't simply throw them away.
JANE:
They remind me of him.
KIERAN:
Even if a collector wouldn't consider them valuable, their personal meaning matters.
JANE:
Yes, I know I'd regret losing them.
KIERAN:
I was brought up to treat books carefully.
KIERAN:
It bothers me when students force paperbacks open and press so hard that the spine cracks.
JANE:
Paperbacks aren't made to last in the same way.
JANE:
Hardbacks are more robust.
KIERAN:
True, but people seem to value hardbacks less than they once did.
JANE:
Perhaps because they aren't usually treated as decorative objects.
JANE:
Many people no longer leave them visible on shelves.
KIERAN:
Which is a shame.
KIERAN:
When I visit someone and see a colourful book displayed on a table, I notice it immediately.
JANE:
A well-designed cover can be a piece of art in its own right.
KIERAN:
Taking a book off a shelf is another thing people often do badly.
JANE:
My grandfather says you should grip the whole top of the book.
JANE:
If there isn't enough space, move the neighbouring books aside so you can hold the entire cover.
KIERAN:
Did he teach you that recently?
JANE:
When I was little, he saw me tug a heavy volume out by the top of its spine.
JANE:
It dropped onto the floor and came apart.
KIERAN:
That must have made an impression.
JANE:
I can still picture it clearly.
KIERAN:
Is there anything you especially enjoy about books?
JANE:
The smell of a brand new one.
JANE:
My parents used to tease me because I would hold new books close to my face before I even started reading.
KIERAN:
Unfortunately, newly printed books can be expensive.
JANE:
We're fortunate that we can afford to buy them.
KIERAN:
Your grandfather sells second-hand copies too, doesn't he?
JANE:
They're more affordable.
JANE:
Although they don't have quite the same smell.
NARRATOR:
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.
NARRATOR:
Now listen and answer questions 26 to 30.
KIERAN:
I'd love to own a shop like your grandfather's.
KIERAN:
How is his arranged?
JANE:
It's spacious with two main floors plus an attic and it carries almost every kind of book.
KIERAN:
I imagine first editions and other rare volumes are hidden away in the attic.
JANE:
You might expect that, but he wants customers to know they're available.
JANE:
They're displayed in the shop on a high shelf where a ladder is needed to reach them.
KIERAN:
That also makes them harder to steal.
KIERAN:
What about books for children?
JANE:
He's keen to encourage young readers.
JANE:
He remembers sitting near the stairs with piles of books when he was a child.
KIERAN:
So are the children's titles kept by the stairs?
JANE:
He had a space designed especially for them on the ground floor.
JANE:
It has cushions so adults can sit there and read with toddlers.
KIERAN:
That sounds welcoming.
JANE:
There's also room for pushchairs near the entrance and a cafe for refreshments.
KIERAN:
With a shop that size, he must need storage.
JANE:
There's a storeroom at the back.
KIERAN:
Is that where he puts books nobody wants?
JANE:
He rarely discards anything.
JANE:
Unwanted books are left near the entrance so customers can take them without charge.
JANE:
The storeroom at the back is used for requested books.
JANE:
Orders from individuals and organisations are boxed there, away from the main shopping area.
KIERAN:
Did you buy your course books from him?
JANE:
He supplies several colleges.
JANE:
They used to be upstairs on the first floor.
JANE:
But after a university opened locally, he moved them down to attract students.
KIERAN:
Where are they now?
JANE:
They're within the cafe, on low shelves running around its walls.
