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4x Mini-lecture Practice 2

Task 4

One common way to make notes is using a linear method. You can organise your notes using headings, numbers and bullet points. Look at the examples:

Listen to a two-minute lecture on public health campaigns. Check the vocabulary before you listen. Then take notes using the linear method and try to use as many abbreviations and symbols as you can. Listen as many times as you like. If you’d like more guidance, then use the note-taking framework in the drop-down menu.

Listen and take notes in your notebook using a table or download the note-taking framework below.












Vocabulary: public health campaigns / to give up / January / to encourage / to reassess / consumption / Veganuary / to persuade / ethical / participants / vegan / a plant-based diet / permanent / desk-based workers / to urge / British Lung Foundation / the likelihood /

Copy this table into your notebook.

T4 TRANSCRIPT: Hello, this talk is on the topic of the most popular public health campaigns in the UK. At the beginning of the year, many people may decide to give up alcohol for a whole month, also known as Dry January. The idea behind the campaign is to encourage people to reassess their alcohol consumption and develop healthier drinking habits during the rest of the year. In the same month, Veganuary aims to persuade people to make more ethical food choices by asking participants to follow a vegan diet for 31 days, with the aim of a plant-based diet becoming a more permanent decision. Taking place on one day in April is On Your Feet Britain, which targets millions of desk-based workers to sit less and move more by urging them to review their current workplace habits. The long-term goal is to not only to become physically more active, but it is also hoped that motivation and concentration at work will increase. Finally, towards the end of the year, in October, is the campaign to give up smoking for a month. According to the British Lung Foundation, the likelihood of a smoker quitting increases by 20% if he/she takes part in Stoptober.

Review

  1. Compare your notes with the model notes (ANSWERS).
  2. What could you do better?

Task 5

Another common method for taking notes is to use a spider gram (mind map). This is a good way to show relationships between ideas. Look at the example:

Listen to a two-minute lecture on reasons for the decline in printed newspapers. Check the vocabulary before you listen. Then take notes using a spider gram and try to use as many abbreviations and symbols as you can. Listen as many times as you like. If you’d like more guidance, then use the note-taking framework in the drop-down menu.

Listen and take notes in your notebook using a spider gram or download the note-taking framework below.












Vocabulary: printed / to decline / to influence / a circulation / an invention / blogging / vlogging / a broadsheet / feasible / environmental impacts / reduction / Sunday editions / current lifestyles / to be attributed to / to argue / fashionable

Copy this spider gram into your notebook.

T5 TRANSCRIPT: Good morning. In today’s talk I will discuss some of the reasons why printed newspapers are on the decline. Perhaps the biggest influence on newspaper circulation has been the invention of the Internet. These days, anyone anywhere can find out what is happening around the globe with the click of a button. Blogging and vlogging websites as well as social media networks allow the news to spread much faster and further than a printed broadsheet. Another reason could be the cost. As some daily newspapers can cost as much as £3 in the UK, it seems feasible that some people would rather access the news online at no extra cost to them. The environmental impacts may have also contributed to the reduction in newspaper print, on account of the claim that hundreds of thousands of trees are required to print the Sunday editions alone. Last but not least, another possible cause could be attributed to our current lifestyles. Many people argue that they simply do not feel they have the time to sit down and read a paper cover to cover as in the past. Therefore, it could be argued that printed newspapers are simply no longer fashionable.

Review

  1. Compare your notes with the model notes (ANSWERS).
  2. What could you do better?

Task 6

Another common method for taking notes is to use a table. This is a good way to show comparison of two things. Look at the example:

Listen to a two-minute lecture on which factors influence our sleeping habits and their effects. Check the vocabulary before you listen. Then take notes using a table and try to use as many abbreviations and symbols as you can. Listen as many times as you like. If you’d like more guidance, then use the note-taking framework in the drop-down menu.

Listen and take notes in your notebook using a table or download the note-taking framework below.












Vocabulary: an influence / to suffer / sleep deprivation / a significant factor / to fight or flight/ a response / to heighten / hyped / anxiety / caffeine / a stimulant / to disrupt / endorphins / to tackle stress / to switch off / to be emitted from / a circadian rhythm / a body clock / to interfere

Copy this table into your notebook.

T6 TRANSCRIPT: Good morning. Today’s presentation is about which factors influence our sleeping habits and their effects. According to the NHS, a third of adults suffer from sleep deprivation, mainly due to four main factors. Firstly, and the most significant factor, is stress. Stress, at work or at home, happens when our fight or flight response becomes heightened in everyday situations without relaxation in between. Because of this, the body becomes more hyped and consequently, is more likely to develop anxiety and further stress. Moreover, a diet involving lots of caffeine and alcohol can affect one’s sleep, as both of these stimulants can disrupt necessary deep sleep. Furthermore, as physical activity releases endorphins, which can help to tackle stress, without it we are less likely to be able to switch off at night. The final aspect is related to technology. In these modern times, most people would not be able to live without their mobile phone. Unfortunately, the blue light filter emitted from electronic devices interferes with a person’s circadian rhythm, otherwise known as their body clock. Thus, the more time we spend looking at our phones, especially late at night, the greater the likelihood of being unable to fall asleep quickly.

Review

  1. Compare your notes with the model notes (ANSWERS).
  2. What could you do better?

Task 7

Most of the time we take notes using a variety of different methods. We may start with linear but then we may include a spider gram to show cause and effects or a table to show comparison. Look at the following example:

Listen to a two-minute lecture on the impacts of bike lanes in cities. Take notes using the linear method and a table. Check the vocabulary before you listen. Then take notes using the linear method and a table and try to use as many abbreviations and symbols as you can. Listen as many times as you like. If you’d like more guidance, then use the note-taking framework in the drop-down menu.

Listen and take notes in your notebook using the linear method and a table or download the note-taking framework below.












Vocabulary: European counterparts / to install / Netherlands / Denmark / well-established / Bristol / expenditure / flawed / to rectify / pedestrians / accidents / compromised / traffic jams / the potential / emissions / pollutants / to reduce our carbon footprint

Copy this framework structure into your notebook.

TRANSCRIPT: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture on the pros and cons of bike lanes in UK cities. Many cities in the UK have begun to follow their European counterparts by installing cycle lanes in and around major city centres. Although bike lanes in countries such as the Netherlands or Denmark have been well-established for several years, in the UK it was only approximately 10 years ago that the first one was put in place in Bristol. One possible reason for the length of time taken is the fact that installing bike lanes entails a huge amount of planning and expenditure. If the design is somehow flawed or installed incorrectly, it can be even more costly to rectify. As well as this, the design must not only consider how motor vehicles will be affected but also pedestrians. It has been reported that accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians are not unheard of. Another issue with bike lanes is the impact they have on traffic. As cycle lanes require space on at least one side of a road, space for cars and buses is therefore compromised, which could lead to further traffic jams. On the plus side, having a separate place for cyclists to ride their bikes makes it much safer for them and may even encourage others to take up cycling. Above all, cycling is a great way for tourists to explore a new city. Perhaps the biggest advantage of bike lanes is the potential to improve a city’s air quality. With fewer cars on the roads, emissions of pollutants could be cut significantly. It is hoped that bike lanes in cities is just one of many practices we can adopt in order to reduce our carbon footprint.

Review

  1. Compare your notes with the model notes (ANSWERS).
  2. What could you do better?

Listening Transcripts