Listening audioscript

1. WHY DOES THE STUDENT GO TO SEE THE ADVISOR? 
2. WHAT IS THE TOPIC OF THIS CONVERSATION? 
 
EXAMPLE 2
Page 149
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Listen to part of a lecture in an American Literature class.
(Professor) 
OK, so we’re going to look at some examples of the style of American 
literature known as the Beat Generation…and, yes, it is spelled B-E-A-T. 
To understand the unconventional, experimental style of this genre of 
writing, you should know something about post-war USA in the 1940s 
and 1950s, uh…that’s when the Beats surfaced. So, immediately 
following the end of World War II, the U.S. experienced an economic 
boom, and materialism ran rampant. That is, people had started to 
believe that buying and owning more and more things was much more 

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LPREP IBT 3 E AudioScript 
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valuable than developing themselves intellectually and spiritually. 
Uh…suburbs sprang up outside of urban areas; people chased the 
American Dream. Now some people began to feel that conventional 
literature…such as early twentieth-century Modernism, for example… 
was too carefully organized, even, well…a little too conservative. As a 
reaction to the social materialism and formality of this writing style, a 
radical group of writers at Columbia University in New York began to 
create a form that broke with tradition, tearing apart or ignoring 
conventional literary structures and utilizing a bold, expressive style that 
was filled with raw feelings and language. 
1. WHAT IS THE PROFESSOR MAINLY DISCUSSING? 
2. WHY IS THE PROFESSOR DISCUSSING THIS TOPIC? 
LISTENING EXERCISE 1 
 
PASSAGE ONE 
Page 152
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Questions 1 and 2. 
Listen to a conversation between a professor and a 
student. 
(Student) 
Professor, I have a question about taking the Engineering 120 course 
that you’ll be teaching. I already took this course once, but I didn’t do 
very well in it, and I’d like to take it over again. 
(Professor)
Why do you want to try it again?
(Student) 
Well, I understood about half of the material last time, and I think, if I 
concentrate on the rest of the material, I can do much better next time. 
(Professor)
It’s …uh…possible to repeat a course to try for a higher grade, but are 
you sure that’s the best choice? You won’t get credit for the course the 
second time you take it. 
(Student)
I know, but I still have plenty of time to make up for that, and it’s just that 
I don’t want to take Engineering 121 without understanding this course. 
(Professor)
OK, that seems sensible, but you might consider another option. You 
could enroll in 121 instead of taking 120 over again, and just take fewer 
classes for the semester. That would give you more time to review 
everything and catch yourself up. And you wouldn’t be doing all the work 
for 120 and not getting credit. 
(Student)
I’ve thought about all that, and I appreciate your advice. The thing is, I 
want to have the full semester to get a really solid handle on the 
basics,…and, um, I don’t want to have to try to cram it in…I mean, try to 
brush up on all the stuff from 120 while I’m also trying to 
understand…you know, more complicated stuff on top of it. 
(Professor)
That seems like a legitimate concern. It would be a lot of work at the 
beginning of the course. 
(Student)
Plus I would really prefer not to have the grade I got last time stay on my 
transcript. An A will look much better. 

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(Professor)
That’s certainly true. So, do you know why you weren’t able to keep up in 
the class last time?
(Student)
Uh, yeah. I took too many classes last time, and it all just ended up being 
too much. I just wasn’t able to keep up on the problem sets and when the 
exams rolled around…well, I didn’t have enough time to study. 
(Professor)
And you’re sure that won’t eventually happen again? By repeating 
classes, you’re setting yourself up for having to take extra-credit courses 
at some point so you can graduate on time. 
(Student)
Yeah, but now I have a better idea of how much I can handle. And, I’ve 
really been making a point of finding out how much work there is for each 
of my classes before I register. I think I can prevent any more unpleasant 
surprises if I do that. 
(Professor)
OK, well, you seem to have thought it through, so I’ll support your 
decision. Remember that I have office hours and so do the teaching 
assistants. So, if you’re having any trouble, make sure you come and get 
help. 
(Student)
I will for sure. 
(Professor)
OK, now, there’s a form we have to fill out that gives my permission and 
says you understand the not-for-credit issue.
(Student) 
I’ve got the form right here, and I’ve already filled out most of it. All I need 
is your signature at the bottom. 
(Professor)
That’s fine. You really do seem prepared. Give me the form, and I’ll sign 
it.