NARRATOR:
You will hear two theatre students discussing a recent production and a study abroad option.
NARRATOR:
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25.
NARRATOR:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
MIA:
How is the course going?
ROB:
I can hardly believe the first term is nearly finished.
MIA:
I watched your group perform at the student theatre last night.
ROB:
Now we have to produce an in-depth report analyzing the whole project.
ROB:
I'm unsure where to begin.
ROB:
I need to explain how I developed the doctor I played.
MIA:
What gave you the initial idea?
ROB:
My grandfather was a doctor before he retired, so I based the character on him.
MIA:
Did you ask him about his work?
ROB:
He probably has many stories, but he rarely discusses his job.
ROB:
Still, he has a natural authority.
MIA:
How did you reproduce that quality?
ROB:
I imagined how he would have behaved years ago, sitting in his consulting room and listening to patients.
MIA:
Explain that process in the report.
MIA:
You should also discuss atmosphere.
MIA:
In the opening waiting room scene, we had to convey how monotonous village life was in the 1950s.
MIA:
There was a long silence before anyone spoke, and then the characters repeatedly used the same comments, such as asking whether it was cold.
ROB:
Everyone also wore gray or brown and sat in one row.
MIA:
Include all those production choices.
ROB:
I also need to analyze my role in the group and what I discovered about myself.
ROB:
I sometimes became frustrated when we couldn't agree.
MIA:
Did anybody take charge?
ROB:
I didn't mind, because she gave us precise instructions about what the production required.
ROB:
Having clear guidance made me feel more comfortable.
MIA:
Sophia also carried out some helpful research.
ROB:
She found 1950s articles describing shifts in relationships between parents and children and between the public and authority figures, such as police officers and bank managers.
MIA:
Did the group encounter practical difficulties?
ROB:
During the final rehearsal, everything worked until the last scene, when the doctor's first patient appears alone.
MIA:
The patient in the wheelchair?
ROB:
He delivers a long speech in darkness under a single spotlight.
ROB:
The light jammed and pointed at the wrong side of the stage, but we managed to repair it.
MIA:
And it worked properly during the performance.
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.
ROB:
While you're here, would you recommend the year abroad option?
MIA:
It's an excellent opportunity to spend a year studying in another country.
ROB:
I'd like to apply, but places seem very competitive.
MIA:
During your second year, you must work hard across every theater studies module.
MIA:
Only students with high marks receive places, so you need to demonstrate strong ability in the subject.
ROB:
How did you decide where to study?
MIA:
I wanted a program connected to my plans after graduation.
MIA:
I therefore chose an institution emphasizing acting rather than directing.
MIA:
You must check that its academic focus is relevant to your aims.
MIA:
About six months before departure, you email your three preferred choices to the scheme coordinator.
MIA:
A friend missed the deadline and lost her first choice, so make certain you submit everything on time.
ROB:
Don't applicants also write a personal statement?
ROB:
I'll ask final year students for help and see whether they'll share their statements.
MIA:
That's sensible, and I can show you mine.
MIA:
While you're abroad, avoid my mistake.
MIA:
I became so absorbed in the experience that I failed to organize my return for the final year.
MIA:
Stay in contact and plan your final year optional modules, or you may miss the specialisms you want.
NARRATOR:
That is the end of part three.
NARRATOR:
You now have one minute to check your answers to part three.
