Speaking Topics-8/14

Audio Track 1.2.3

Part of a Syllabus from a Film Studies Course

I would like to remind students that one of the requirements for the course is that you watch the films on the course viewing list before attending class. There are 15 films you need to watch this semester, and all of the films are readily available in the college library. Some of them are also publicly available at video outlets in town. You are also reminded that you will be expected to contribute to the discussion on the films in class. If you haven’t seen the films before class, you will not be able to participate in the discussion. So please remember to watch the films before your attend the class.

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Student A: Have you seen this week’s movie, Lily?

Student B: No, not yet.

Student A: Oh, well, Professor Stanley is not going to be pleased with you!

Student B: Why?

Student A: Haven’t you seen his announcement about watching the movies before you come to class?

Student B: No, what does it say?

Student A: It says you’re supposed to watch all the movies before you come to the class so that you can participate in the discussions.

Student B: Oh, well, that’s not easy for me. I’m so busy that I don’t have time to watch very movie on the list.

Student A: Yes, but I think it’s a good idea. If you’ve seen the movie before the class then you can take part in the discussions. Sometimes the discussions are really boring because not enough people have seen the movie.

Student B: Yes, but sometimes the movies are difficult to get hold of because they only have a few copies in the library, and I can’t afford to rent movies from the video shop all the time.

Student A: Well, why don’t we arrange to watch them together?

Student B: OK, that’s a good idea. So what’s the movie for the next class?

Student A: Interview with a Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan.

Student B: Oh, that’s OK. I’ve already seen it. So you think I can come the the class?

Student A: I guess you can!

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Q1. The woman expresses her opinion about the film studies syllabus requirement. What is her opinion and why does she hold it? (30 seconds for preparation, 60 seconds for answering)

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Friend: So what time should we pick you up on Friday? Can you be ready by noon or do you need another hour or so?

Student: I really wanted to spend the weekend with my family, and the ride with you would have made it even more fun, but …

Friend: You mean you aren’t going?

Student: I can’t I’m not doing too well in my economics class, and I have a lecture Friday afternoon. I don’t think I should miss it.

Friend: Well, why don’t you borrow the notes from someone? Isn’t your roommate in that class?

Student: Yeah, he is. But I’ve already asked to borrow his notes once this semester. He didn’t seem to mind though.

Friend: Well, there you are. Unless you want to go to class on Thursday. I’m fairly sure that Dr. Collins teaches the same class Thursday night.

Student: Really? She probably wouldn’t mind if I sat in on the Thursday class, but I wonder if she’ll give the same lecture. You know, maybe they’re one week behind or one week ahead of us.

Friend: I suppose that’s possible, but it would be easy enough to find our. You could just tell her that you’d like to attend the Thursday session this week because you need to go out of town. Then you can ride home with us. If there’s a problem, you can still borrow your roommate’s notes on Sunday when we get back.

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Q2. Describe the man’s problem and the two suggestions that his friend makes abut how to handle it. What do you think the man should do, and why? (20 seconds for preparation, 60 seconds for answering)

Taxation

Taxation is how the state raises money from its citizens to pay for the services the state offers to its citizens, and to pay for the costs of government. There are three main types of taxation. The first is personal income tax, which is tax charged on the money which people earn from their jobs. Another kind of tax is corporate tax, which is a tax paid by businesses and corporations on the profits they make each year. Then there is value added tax, or sales tax, which is a tax paid by someone buying goods or services. This kind of tax is usually a percentage of the total cost of the purchased goods or services.

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Let’s look at the history of personal income tax in more detail. It was first introduced in England in the year 1798 to raise money for the costs of the war against France. Tax was charged on incomes above 60 pounds a year and was paid twice a year. Originally it was only a temporary tax, and was abolished at the end of the war. All tax records were burned when the war ended, but only after copies had been secretly made. The tax was reintroduced in the year 1842 to help pay the government’s debts. For most of the 19^th century, most of the population of England didn’t pay any income tax, as the tax was only paid by the rich. However, in the 20^th century, at the end of the Second World War, when the number of people earning incomes started to rise, the income tax threshold was lowered, which meant that more people were paying the tax, and that more money was being collected. This was done to help pay for the costs of the war. In 1944 the government introduced the modern income tax system, called the PAYE system, that’s P-A-Y-E, or Pay As You Earn, in which tax is deducted from monthly salaries by the employer. Interestingly enough, in the UK personal income tax is still a temporary tax, it ends every year on April 5^th, and the government has to pass a new law every year to reintroduce it again. Let’s now look at the background of the VAT…

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Q3. How does the information in the listening passage add to the information in the reading passage? (30 seconds for preparation, 60 seconds for answering)