1B

2C

3D

4D

5(the) student

6none

7(quite) well paid/ (the) pay

8do aid work

9(only) assessed

10scholarships

11rock music

12very slowly

13two/2

14politics

15mobility

16push/are pushing

17education

18creative

19Indian value system

20achieve

2128th May

22contents, references, bibliography

23(your) personal tutor

248-10 weeks

25(extra) research

26other/ previous students

27research guide

28Dissertation Research Techniques

29recall system

30feelings and opinions

31container lids

32wrong type

33sorting process

34heavily contaminated

35material recovery facility

36weighed

37tipping floor

38manual and automatic

39buying recycled products

4033.9%

SECTION 1

Student: Good afternoon. I’m considering applying to your university and would like to ask you some questions.

Woman: Of course. Take a seat. Which course were you thinking of applying for?

Student: South-east Asian Studies.

Woman: I see. Do you have a copy of the university prospectus ?

Student: Yes. I do. I downloaded it.

Woman: So, you know that it’s a four-year course, including one year living and working in the region.

Student: Yes. The A-level entrance requirement is BCC, right?

Woman: Yeah, but on average our students have 3 Bs.

Student: Are there any restrictions on the subjects that I take at A- level?

Woman: No, but we find that students studying politics, economics, history, geography or languages tend to find their first year easier. A background in at least two or three of those subjects is advantageous .

Student: I see. I’m not studying politics or languages, but I am taking the other three at A-level. Are languages an important part of the course? You see, I’m not very good at them.

Woman: Languages are not a compulsory part of the course-they are optional each year. However, because students spend a year abroad, we strongly recommend that students take one for at least a year beforehand. However, there is a language lab that students are free to use during the day regardless of the subjects they are taking.

Student: Which languages are offered?

Woman: We have five on offer – Vietnamese, Burmese, Thai, Indonesian and Tagalog. They can be taken in the first, second and fourth years. During the third year, students are expected to learn the basics of the language spoken wherever they are spending their year abroad .

Student: I see. Can I spend my year abroad in any country in the region I choose?

Woman: Yes, as long as you can satisfy your tutors that it will benefit your studies. This year most students have gone to Vietnam, Thailand, or the Philippines. Fewer have gone to Indonesia , Burma, Malaysia, Laos or Cambodia. None went to Singapore or Brunei .

Student: What do students generally do during their year abroad?

Woman: The vast majority help on aid projects, especially helping with water supply and sanitation in rural areas. Others get involved in teaching English or in business – particularly the logistics side of things. A small minority get jobs translating or checking translations . That’s quite well paid, but your language skills have to be up to scratch.

Student: Good. I was attracted by the idea of teaching English or doing aid work.

Woman: Very often, it’s possible to do both. That way you can also develop a wider range of skills.

Student: Thank you for your help. Can I just check the optional courses for year one?

Woman: The only choice in year one is a language or a project where the student creates a portfolio of background information on the countries of the region. Actually, many students do both, since they find the project contributes to their general understanding of the region and the languages are obviously useful in preparation for going abroad. However, students are only assessed on either the language or the project and are free to choose which one.

Student: Got it. And could you tell me about the scholarships that are available from the department? It says in the prospectus that there are some in addition to the ones offered by the university.

Woman: Sure. Actually, I’ve printed out a list. … Here you are.

Nothing is available for first year students, but thereafter scholarships are awarded for high overall grades and also for linguistic skills. There is a smaller discretionary award for non-academic contributions.

Student: Well, thank you very much for your help.

SECTION 2

Presenter: Welcome to our program on Indian Youth. Are young Indians different from their elders? Smarter? Lazier? Less obedient? We have invited an Indian sociologist mr. , Mr Singh, to share his views with us. Mr Singh, many Indians complained that the new generation of Indians is too westernized and has lost touch with its culture. What’s your opinion on that?

Mr. Singh: Whenever a country modernizes there is speculation that the new generation will be dramatically different from those that preceded it, in particular more Westernised. Much of that speculation is based on superficial observations regarding rock music and the like. However most studies show that new generations retain much, though not all, of the core values of their culture. Cultures change very slowly. What is changing quickly is the environment in which they live, their living standards , opportunities for advancement, and self-fulfillment . Young Indians certainly have more opportunities today.

Presenter: Where does your information come from?

Mr Singh: I have two children in their early twenties. I see their generation at close quarters. I often travel to both rural and urban places in India, and I see the young people there. The current generation has, by and large, rejected politics as a primary concern. They have grown up with a TV and a telephone either at home or in the vicinity. They have watched MTV but they still go the temple, and most of them seriously believe that God exists. Regarding the opportunities that Mr Singh mentioned, for the first time, it is acceptable in India for a kid to say that he or she wants to be an actor, a singer, a fashion designer, a writer, a cricket player as a profession without parents losing sleep. It also means that they have many choices of role model. When I look at young people around me, I see more hope than helplessness .

Presenter: Mr Singh, what is the main advantage that young people in India have?

Mr Singh: The biggest advantage the youth of India have is mobility. It is very easy for them to move about the country and follow opportunities – an edge the Chinese youth, for example, do not currently have. Also, young Indians are quickly adapting to new technologies, and English is now being more widely accepted and spoken than ever, before. India’s youth have a very unique advantage, a combination of mobility, language and knowledge of technology . Add to that a country that has an entrepreneurial spirit and a very clear intent to adapt to Western culture.

Presenter: Are there any problems, as far as you can see?

Mr Singh: I think that the biggest overall problem is with infrastructure , but as far as things that directly affect the younger generation are concerned, I think that the main problem is that parents from the growing middle class are pushing their children ever harder at academic activities. They believe this is the only way to stand out and survive in a system which is cutthroat because of the exploding population and as education becomes more and more accessible to the masses. However, many parents are granting their children more choice, particularly in the area of choosing their own careers. The youth of today are definitely more aware of the choices available to them.

Presenter: Do you think that competition is a problem?

Mr Singh: Not at all. It leads to creativity. The younger generation is more creative. Competition ensures that creativity is likely to be the best way to get ahead. Though it is largely believed that the culture-and-value-system-torch-bearing youth are losing their way, I still believe that relates to a small percentage. The combination of the Indian value system and the Western approach is a winning one and if the Indian youth can manage to achieve the right balance, global organisations will want their skills.

Presenter: Mr Singh, you sound very confident?

Mr Singh: I am. Every generation will experience change. This will be more dramatic especially in the context of development. Simply put, young Indians are more aware about the world they live in. They are more materialistic . They are consumers in the true sense. They are exposed to satellite TV, the Internet, freer access to social interaction , and mobility. They are global citizens. Adoption of styles and fashion from anywhere, particularly America, is quick. But as several surveys have shown, this openness and confidence does come with some sense of humility and purpose. I feel confident that they can dream and achieve . My generation could only dream.

SECTION 3

Professor: Welcome back to the new term, Martin and Amanda. I hope you’ve had a good break and that you’re looking forward to writing your dissertations. In this tutorial, I’d like to give you the opportunity to ask questions on writing the dissertation, such as requirements, dates and who to see when you need help. I know that it’s all available on the department website, but sometimes students just like to check or confirm information or sometimes they need a little more detail. So, is there anything you’d like to ask?

Martin: Is there a fixed hand-in date yet? On the website it said that one hadn’t been decided on yet.

Professor: I’m glad you asked that question. I just heard this morning that the deadline has been decided and it is the 28th of May. That’s a week later than we had originally planned.

Amanda: What about the word limit? The website gave a very broad range. What was it, Martin? 10,000 to 20,000 words?

Martin: I believe so, Amanda.

Professor: Well, I believe that was a typing error. It should be 10 to 12 thousand words, but feel free to write a little more if you need to. However, make sure that your dissertation is at least 10,000 words long, not including the contents, references and bibliography.

Amanda: Right. Thank you. And we can choose any topics we like, can’t we?

Professor: Any from year 3. And do remember to get your topic approved by your personal tutor – oh, that’s me, isn’t it? – before you start writing. I’d hate to have to tell you your topic was unacceptable after you’d spent a lot of time on it!

Amanda: What would you like us to show you initially, apart from the title?

Professor: Well, I’d like to see a basic bibliography first, along with an outline of your dissertation . You should get that done by the end of January – this month in other words

Martin: According to the website, the research should take eight to ten weeks, so that takes us from, well, until mid-April, basically.

Professor: Yes, you should have the research pretty much done by the time you return from the Easter break.

Martin: It seems like a reasonable amount of time, but I bet it disappears fast.

Professor: It certainly does. You’ll probably find that you need to do some extra research during the second half of April. Ideally, you’d be writing then, but very few students get all the information they need and the personal tutors almost always need to make some farther suggestions . That’s why it’s really important to get the bulk of your research done by mid-April.

Martin: I see. If we get into trouble or can see that we re going to get into trouble with our research, we should obviously contact you ASAP.

Professor: Absolutely.

Amanda: Do you think that we should look at what other students have done in the past, in order to get a better idea of what to do and what to write?

Professor: It can be helpful, but what often happens is that students rely too much on what they read, so I would only use other students’ previous students’ work as a reference.

Amanda: Got it.

Martin: I know that we have the research guide to help us – but are there any other books or sources that you would recommend , I mean, to help us with planning a dissertation and the organisation and so on?

Amanda: Yes. I wanted to ask you that too.

Professor: There are several available from the library. I wouldn’t bother buying any. My personal favorite is “Dissertations and You” by Roger Kline. Another good one is “Mastering Your Dissertation” by Helen Blondel. There’s a book about research techniques … Oh, what’s it called? It’s something simple like “Research Techniques for Dissertations”. The author is Helen Trailforth. Oh, I know! It’s called “Dissertation Research Techniques”. Very good book. There’s more than one copy of each of those inthe library. One is for reference only and you know about the recall system if a book is being borrowed by someone else and vou want it. don’t you?

Amanda and Martin: Yes.

Professor: Good. Very good. Anything else?

Amanda: Well, now that you’ve mentioned research techniques , I’ve got a question. Questionnaires. A good idea, professor?

Professor: The general consensus is that they are not very helpful, though some prominent researchers beg to differ. Clear them with me first, if you decide to go ahead and use them. You see, you need to be very careful about the questions that you ask and order of the questions. Questionnaires very often lead people towards giving certain answers rather than getting at their true feelings and opinions.

Amanda: Martin? Anything else?

Martin: No. I’m happy. Thank you, professor.

Amanda: Yes, thank you so much.

Professor: My pleasure.

SECTION 4

Have you ever wondered where your recyclables end up after they get picked up from the curb, after you’ve left them at a recycling drop-off centre or when your hauler has come to empty your recycling dumpster ? Well, this presentation will tell you.

The story begins when a resident places their materials out for recycling in a special bin, brings their recyclables to one of the recycling drop-off centres or when a business puts their used materials in their recycling dumpster. It is very important that residents and employees properly prepare their recyclables for collection. Improper preparation of materials, for example not removing container lids or including the wrong type of material causes contamination . Although some contamination is to be expected – and is removed during the sorting process at the processing facility – processors may not accept materials that are heavily contaminated and these will be disposed of.

After materials are put out for recycling, the recycling truck comes to pick them up. Recyclables brought to the drop-off centres should be placed in the appropriate bins. The large containers are emptied periodically or whenever they are full. Businesses and multi-family residences collect on the days decided by the property manager .

The trucks that collect recyclables from the curb and drop – off centres then drive the materials to a material recovery facility – or MRF . When the trucks arrive at the MRF, they are first weighed at the station to determine the weight of materials delivered to the facility. Next, the trucks proceed to the tipping floor where they dump their materials. Items are dumped in specific areas to facilitate the sorting process.

After the different materials are dumped on the tipping floor at the MRF, they are fed onto different conveyor belts according to the type of material. The materials then proceed up the different conveyor belts and are subject to both manual and automatic sorting. Individuals manually remove any large objects such as a lawn chair or garbage can, along with any contaminants . After the initial manual sort, the materials pass by a magnet that captures the metal cans, and then through an air sorter to separate the remaining materials. Once the materials are sorted, they are compressed into bales that are shipped to processors, who will then use these materials to create new products. Plastics can be recycled into items such as clothing, lumber, park benches, and playground equipment . Metal and glass containers are often recycled into new containers, and paper is recycled into new paper products, such as copy paper, toilet paper, napkins , and newspaper.

Remember to close the recycling loop: buy recycled both at home and at work, as this is the only way that recycling truly succeeds . Find out more about buying recycled products. Remember: if you’re not buying recycled, you’re not really recycling!

So, how are we doing? Let’s take a brief look at our recycling rate information. All municipalities are required to maintain a minimum recycling rate of 25% of the total municipal solid waste generated annually. We are required to annually report on recycling activities and file a report with the Department of environmental Quality or DEQ. These reports are due to the DEQ on April 30th of each year for the preceding calendar year. Based on information received to date, last year we reported a recycling rate of 33.9%, 2.8% higher than the previous year. Paper recycling was up 36% as was the recycling of bottles and cans . Our target is a recycling rate of over 50% by 2014