NARRATOR:
You will hear two students, Annie and Jack, discussing a presentation about refrigeration.
NARRATOR:
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.
NARRATOR:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.
ANNIE:
Before we work out the structure of our refrigeration presentation, shall we compare the information we've found so far?
JACK:
Sure, although to be honest, I haven't managed to research very much yet.
ANNIE:
Neither have I, but I did read a useful piece about ice houses.
ANNIE:
I'd already come across examples from the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, so I knew they were generally placed underground or in a shaded spot, often near a lake that froze in winter.
ANNIE:
People cut the ice into blocks and put them inside.
ANNIE:
What was new to me was that straw or sawdust acted as insulation, allowing the ice to remain frozen for several months.
ANNIE:
The Romans had their own form of refrigeration as well.
ANNIE:
They dug deep pits and brought in snow from mountain areas, even though those mountains were quite far away.
ANNIE:
The snow went into the pits and ice developed underneath it.
ANNIE:
Afterwards, both products were sold.
ANNIE:
Ice was more expensive than snow, so I imagine it was mainly rich people who could buy it.
JACK:
I found something on present-day household refrigerators.
JACK:
Apparently, they used several kinds of technology, but the technical explanations were beyond me.
ANNIE:
It also makes you think about where old fridges end up once owners replace them.
JACK:
Are you thinking of the environmental damage caused by the gases inside them?
ANNIE:
There are organizations that can recover most parts without causing harm, but some owners still abandon unwanted fridges in rural areas.
JACK:
Unfortunately, preventing that is difficult.
JACK:
Altogether, about three million are thrown away in the UK each year.
ANNIE:
That figure is surprising, given that refrigerators rarely stop working.
JACK:
Here, a domestic fridge is used for around 11 years on average, and many continue for 20 years or longer.
JACK:
If you spread the purchase price over that length of time, it costs relatively little compared with several other home appliances.
ANNIE:
Manufacturers probably persuade customers to pay extra by offering different finishes and styles.
ANNIE:
When my parents bought their first one, I doubt there was much choice.
JACK:
No, the market has certainly changed.
NARRATOR:
Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
NARRATOR:
Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.
JACK:
Let's list the subjects our presentation should cover, and decide who will investigate each one in more detail.
JACK:
We can meet again afterwards to organize the final presentation.
ANNIE:
We could begin with the value of refrigeration and the different products that now need cold storage.
ANNIE:
It's obviously used for more than food and beverages.
JACK:
Yes, flowers and medicines need refrigeration as well.
ANNIE:
And computer equipment.
ANNIE:
I'm happy to research that, unless you'd rather take it.
JACK:
We should also cover the influence of refrigeration on health.
JACK:
Some substances used during the 19th century were dangerous, while there have also been major advantages, such as reliable supplies of fresh food.
JACK:
Would you like that topic?
ANNIE:
Honestly, it doesn't appeal to me very much.
JACK:
It doesn't appeal to me either.
JACK:
Whenever the discussion becomes chemical, I stop taking it in.
ANNIE:
I'll take it as a favor, but you'll owe me one.
ANNIE:
Next, what about the consequences for food producers?
ANNIE:
For example, farmers in lower-income countries who can now send their produce to wealthier markets?
ANNIE:
Perhaps that could be yours.
JACK:
I think it could be quite interesting.
ANNIE:
We should also examine the way refrigeration has enabled some entire cities to develop.
ANNIE:
Las Vegas is an obvious case.
ANNIE:
A city in a desert couldn't function without it.
JACK:
I briefly checked an economics book in the library that includes a chapter on that issue.
JACK:
I can tell you its title if you want to handle this section.
ANNIE:
I usually find economics text hard work.
JACK:
I'll deal with that one.
ANNIE:
Transport is another area.
ANNIE:
The difference made by refrigerated lorries.
ANNIE:
I wouldn't mind researching that.
JACK:
Remember rail transport, too.
JACK:
I read that refrigerated railway wagons were carrying milk and butter in the United States as early as the 1840s.
ANNIE:
I hadn't considered trains.
JACK:
Should domestic refrigerators have a section of their own?
JACK:
They're familiar to practically everyone.
ANNIE:
Why don't we divide that topic?
ANNIE:
You can study refrigerators from the 19th and 20th centuries.
ANNIE:
I'll look at current models and the ways producers make their products stand out from rival brands.
JACK:
Yes, that arrangement works for me.
NARRATOR:
That is the end of part three.
NARRATOR:
You now have one minute to check your answers to part three.
