OET Listening Transcripts

Melons 6

Occupational English test listening test. This test has three parts. In each part, you’ll hear a number of different extracts. At the start of each extract, you’ll hear this sound. You’ll have time to read the questions before you hear each extract. And you’ll hear each extract once only. Complete your answers as you listen. At the end of the test, you’ll have two minutes to check your answers part. In this part of the test, you’ll hear two different extracts. In each extract, a health professional is talking to a patient. For questions one to 24, complete the notes with information you hear. Now look at the notes for extract one.

Extract One.

Questions one to twelve, you hear a neurologist talking to a patient called Vincent Chung. For questions one to twelve, complete the notes with a word or short phrase. You now have 30 seconds to look at the notes.

Now, Vincent, I’ve got your referral notes from your GP, but I wonder if you could tell me in your own words how this all started, what treatment you’ve had, how that’s gone, and anything else you think I should know.

Thank you, doctor. Yes, well, it all started about three months ago. I was just washing one morning and everything was completely normal, when suddenly I felt a pain go right across my face for no apparent reason.

Then after that, the attacks came quite often. If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s like a searing pain and it usually hits the right side of my face. Like I said, it goes right across it. But it’s my cheek, teeth and my jaw that seem to take the brunt of it. It’s a horrible feeling, too. It feels like an electric shock. I have to say. It leaves me feeling quite shaken.

And have you noticed any patterns or triggers? Is there anything that seems to bring this on?

Well, like I told you, the first time it happened, I was washing my face. But. But now I notice that brushing my teeth and shaving also bring it on. It seems to be anything to do with touching my face. I mean, even the wind can cause a sudden attack of pain. And also just using my face or mouth can bring one on, too. So, I mean, like, just eating and drinking can cause one or smiling at something suddenly or for a long time. Basically, anything fun, pleasurable or necessary seems to cause me horrendous pain. And do you think that the conditions developed or changed in any way since your first attack? Oh, they’re definitely happening more often. And not only that, it feels like they’re affecting my whole face.

At the beginning, the attacks probably only lasted about, what, 30 seconds or so, but nowadays, I find myself dealing with the really painful part of the attack for a few minutes at a time, and it’s actually getting severe now, I used to be able to cope with the pain by clenching my fist or talking myself through it or whatever, but I can’t now. And I see here that your GP prescribed you some medication. Has that helped at all? Well, I expect you can see on my notes what I’m on.

My doctor was reluctant to give me anticonvulsants at first because apparently there are one or two that can cause serious reactions. Yes, but he found one that carried a very low risk. So I was on that for a time.

Anyway, after a while, they started to lose their effect. So then he put me on antispasmodics. That’s what I’m on now.

I don’t know if it’s relevant, but I also take supplements. Cod liver oil and vitamin D.

Okay. How are the antispasmodics working out for you?

Well, I have to admit that when I take them, the pain is a bit more bearable. But they do affect me in other ways. I mean, I’m drowsy all the time. I can hardly keep my eyes open. And just trying to follow a conversation or remember what it is I’m supposed to be doing has become a challenge. It really doesn’t take much to make me confused. I mean, it’s embarrassing. So to avoid people thinking I’ve completely lost it or whatever, I’ve ended up staying at home a lot of the time. Now, that’s something I’ve never done. And I think it’s that more than the pain, which has led to some very strange mood swings. I mean, that’s not really like me, doctor. I see.

Well, from what you’ve been saying, it sounds like we need to book you in for some tests and explore the possibility.

Extract two questions, 13 to 24.

You hear a pulmonologist talking to a patient called Pam Herbert.

For questions 13 to 24, complete the notes with a word or short phrase. You now have 30 seconds to look at the notes. Now, Pam, I see you’ve been referred to me by your GP and I’ve got your notes here.

But perhaps we could start by you telling me, in your own words, about the symptoms you’ve been having, any treatment you’ve had, how that’s gone, and anything else you feel I should know. Well, to be honest, I’ve just been feeling absolutely terrible. I’ve got this awful cough that just won’t go away, no matter what I do.

And I keep coughing up all this stuff. It’s sort of brown, it looks horrible. And the cough’s much worse at night.

So of course that’s been interfering with my sleep. So I’m what you would probably call fatigued all the time. I feel like I have to try to get through every day rather than live it.

It doesn’t help that, weirdly. I’m just not hungry at the moment either. I’m really off my food and that’s led to me losing weight, which is probably a good thing, but it’s not helping with my energy levels.

Are you otherwise? Well, I mean, have you noticed any other changes in your health? Well, one quite big thing is that I’m finding it difficult to walk very far. I can manage short distances, but if it’s going to take longer than ten minutes, you can forget it. And then just a few little aches and pains.

But they can be annoying. I’ve noticed that my ribcage feels really painful when I’ve been laughing. It’s agony.

And recently I’ve been getting this sort of feeling down my right arm. It’s like a tingling feeling, I suppose I can’t use my arm at all when it’s like that. And how long would you say that all this has been going on? Oh, quite a few months.

It all started when I had flu back in January. So about nine months ago, I suppose that quickly turned into glandular fever and I was ill for a good six weeks with that. I don’t even feel like I’ve fully recovered now and then.

I’ve had one or two quite nasty chest infections lately and they’ve been difficult to shift. Well, that’s certainly something we can look into. I see you’re a smoker.

How long have you smoked, Pam? Well, in total, I was working this out with my husband the other day. It’s about 35 years. I know that sounds bad, but it hasn’t been constant.

I have quit quite a few times and it’s just that I always go back to it. I’ve always suffered from insomnia, on and off anyway. And giving up always makes that so bad.

It means I can’t function properly because I’m so sleep deprived. One of the reasons I’d like to give up cigarettes forever, though, is to get my sense of smell back. You know, that went about ten years ago.

It’s amazing how much you miss it. I mean, I didn’t realize how much pleasure it gave me. It affects so many different aspects of your life.

And as far as current medication is concerned. Well, for about ten years now, I’ve been taking a statin. Oh, I don’t remember what it’s called.

Don’t worry. And I’m still using my salbutamol inhaler. I take that everywhere I go.

I find I get out of breath so easily and I do tend to panic. And I’m still on the antidepressants I was prescribed a year ago. They seem to be working really well, so I don’t want to change anything.

There. It’s all good. Apart from the obvious worry and inconvenience with this cough and everything.

And any allergies. Well, I never drink milk. It makes me throw up.

And years ago, my GP diagnosed an intolerance, which came as quite a relief. And I don’t know if it counts as an allergy, but hay fever always makes me really miserable. I literally can’t go outside.

I just stay indoors with the windows shut and take my medicine.

It that is the end of part A. Now look at part B.

Part b.

In this part of the test, youll hear six different extracts. In each extract, youll hear people talking in a different health care setting. For questions 25 30, choose the answer a, B or c, which fits best according to what you hear. You will have time to read each question before you listen. Complete your answers as you listen.

Now look at question 25.

Question 25, you hear a nurse talking to a patient who is about to have a mammogram. Now read the question.

So, have you had a mammogram before? No, I haven’t. And I do have a few questions, actually. Like what about the radiation? Do I need to worry about the dose? Is it likely to be harmful in any way? No, it’s very low.

In fact, it’s similar to the amount you’d receive if you took a long haul flight. Oh, yes, that reminds me, when will I hear? Because I’m away in New Zealand for a month from next Wednesday and I’d like to know as soon as possible. It’ll take about two weeks, but if you’re concerned, we can give you a number to call.

Oh, thanks. That’ll be a real help, actually. Then for me, the big question is, is it going to hurt? I’ve been hearing gruesome stories from friends and my anxiety levels are going through the roof.

Okay, I understand. Perhaps you could tell me exactly what you’ve heard.

Question 26.

You hear a doctor talking to a patient about a blood pressure monitor. Now read the question.

It’s like a normal blood pressure monitor, but it’s mobile.

You wear it on a belt around your waist and it’s attached to a cuff on your arm. Then you just go about your usual day to day activities and it takes your blood pressure at regular intervals. It’s more accurate because we can avoid what’s called a white coat syndrome.

It beeps first, usually every 30 minutes or so. When that happens, you should sit down. If you can hold your arms still and keep the cuff level with your heart.

Do I have to wear it at night? Yes, you do. You could put it under your pillow. It needs to stay on for 24 hours, though.

You dont have to wear the belt. What about showering and stuff? Well, I was about to say you should avoid that, im afraid I see.

Question 27.

You hear a dentist and her assistant talking about a problem with some sterilising equipment. Now read the question.

Oh, no. It looks like the autoclave is playing up again. The temperature is only 117. That’s four degrees lower than I set it for.

Yeah, I noticed that yesterday. It was at 119 and I just couldn’t get it to go any higher. Shall I have a look in the instruction manual and see if I can sort it out? Well, that might invalidate the warranty.

Could you find out whether the one next door’s working properly? I expect it’s because the hard water around here’s caused a build up of scale and that’s affected its efficiency. Perhaps you could ask reception to get the company to come out as soon as possible. If they can’t come tomorrow, we’ll have to wait until Wednesday and make sure everyone knows it’s out of order.

If you could send a quick group email, that’d be great. That’s the second time this has happened and it’s still under guarantee.

Question 28

You hear a GP talking to a patient with hay fever. Now read the question.

How can I help you today? I need something to help me manage my hay fever this summer.

It’s already become unbearable. I don’t want to have to stay indoors when all my mates are out enjoying the good weather. We’re all off camping next weekend and I’d hate to miss out on that.

What’s bothering you in particular? Perhaps I can give you something to make you more comfortable. Well, I keep getting this horrible headache thing. It’s like at the top of my nose and it’s really getting me down, to be honest.

Then there are the watery eyes. I mean, I can feel them puffing up as soon as I leave the house. They’re so itchy, red and painful and look awful.

I’ve got a summer job working at music festivals, so there’s no escaping. I’m literally in fields all day, every day. Is there something you can give me?

Question 29.

You hear two nurses doing a patient handover at the change of shift. Now read the question. So, in bed six, we have 83 year old mister beard.

Okay? He was admitted this morning and he’s been diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia of the right lung. He’s quite poorly at the moment, but stable. He’s lactose intolerant.

So can you talk to the kitchen and organize something suitable for him? Okay. Otherwise, he has no known allergies. He’s been for a chest x ray, but we’re still waiting for the results to come through.

We may need to do a ct scan, too, but we’ll have to wait to see what the x ray results reveal before we can arrange that. Right. His sats were at 57, so he’s on two liters via a nasal cannula, and that’s to be reviewed after two days, so not until tomorrow morning.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, he had a fever of 39.4, so he’s also on antibiotics via iv, which he’s not very happy about.

Question 30.

You hear a hospital manager briefing newly recruited staff about patient safety. Now read the question.

Within the information team, we provide a set of standard and custom made reports to suit the needs of staff and patients. Our aim is to provide information into the patient’s journey, from their arrival in the emergency department to their discharge from outpatients. One of my responsibilities is to ensure that the information we provide is clear, easy to understand and straightforward to use, so that we can look at areas of concern, things that are common across departments, and reassure ourselves that we are delivering quality care when things go wrong. We are able to provide information from the system to enable the staff responsible to review the situation, understand and learn what needs to be changed to avoid future events.

This is the end of part B. Now look at Part C.

Part C.

In this part of the test, youll hear two different extracts. In each extract, youll hear health professionals talking about aspects of their work. For questions 31 42, choose the answer a, B or C, which fits best according to what you hear. Complete your answers as you listen.

Now look at extract one.

Extract one, questions 31 36.

You will hear an interview with a midwife called Christina Morello, who is talking about the time she spent working as a volunteer in South Sudan. You now have 90 seconds to read questions 31 36.

Today we’re talking to Christina Morello who’s recently returned from South Sudan, where she was working as a volunteer midwife in a field hospital. Christina, could you tell us why you wanted to go and how you felt? Well, I first arrived at the decision because I was dead set on making a difference to people who had nobody to turn to in desperate time.

And to be honest, from a selfish point of view, I naively thought it would be an adventure. I was just worried that the charities wouldn’t need midwives. You always hear about the huge demand for nurses and my experience lies in delivering babies.

My parents, on the other hand, were terrified. They understood the risks better than me and realized that I could be working in very dangerous settings and that I hadn’t properly prepared myself. They also warned me about homesickness and being away from my family for so long, something I hadn’t really considered until they brought it up.

So was your role in Sudan very different to the one you’d been doing in the UK before you left? Very much so. The role entailed a huge variety of tasks and they were all demanding in different ways. I helped set up maternity departments and trained local midwives in rural health centres.

That was incredibly rewarding. Watching my knowledge and expertise being passed on to other midwives and seeing them help the women in very remote areas who would otherwise have no access to maternity services felt so satisfying, like I was really making a difference. But what really shocked me was the sheer volume of deliveries I was dealing with.

It was astonishing. There seemed to be a never ending stream and a lot of them were complicated. I regularly worked 36 hours shifts.

You mentioned that a lot of the deliveries were difficult. Could you expand on that for us? Yes. Deliveries that I used to see as complicated back home became almost routine for me.

I saw breech deliveries, twins, ectopic pregnancies, eclampsia, preeclampsia and face presentations on a daily basis. And not only that, but all of these extremely dangerous situations have to be dealt with using very little medication and you’re sharing your kit with a team of people who are also working under extreme pressure. There’s a desperate lack of funding for clinical equipment, which is why our work is so important.

People don’t use contraception and they have huge families. The more children a mother has, the more complicated the delivery. In South Sudan, up to 13 children isn’t uncommon and that often leads to difficult and dangerous births.

Could you tell us about a patient who made a particular impression on you? I remember when one patient, let’s call her Margaret, came to the hospital in labor with twinsd. When we examined her, it became apparent that she needed an urgent caesarean section. This was impossible as there was already one being performed and we simply didn’t have the staff or equipment to handle two simultaneously or to do a turnaround in time.

We had to work quickly together, overcome any language barriers, and really cooperate with each other to make sure that the necessary equipment was sterilized and available as soon as possible. I think Margaret’s case really demonstrates how teamwork is everything out there. Eventually, the babies were both born naturally safe and well.

That was one of the happy endings. It must have been quite a culture shock for you. What was most difficult for you to get used to? I was in what’s called a medium risk placement, which meant that fairly strict rules applied, and that took some getting used to.

We weren’t allowed to leave the hospital complex after nightfall, which was strange but not too much of a problem as I was usually only fit to have dinner and fall into bed anyway. The worst thing was constantly feeling dirty and uncomfortable. There was no break from the heat and humidity, and we only had bucket showers and unlimited water supply.

Oh, the bugs didn’t help matters, they really added to the discomfort. And everybody always had something or other to complain or worry about a sting, a bite, an itch or a rash. So what qualities would you say are the most valuable for anyone who is thinking of volunteering? Obviously, you can’t apply unless you have all the qualifications, experience and skills that they’re asking for.

That’s a given, right? Language skills are a huge bonus. If you’ve even the most basic grasp of the local language, it’ll get you out of all sorts of tricky situations. But what you really need is the ability to cope with the unexpected and be up for anything.

When you’re working in such extreme conditions, your team’s the only thing that keeps you going. So if you put up obstacles, you’ll cause more problems than you solve it. Now look at extract two.

Extract two. Questions 37 to 42.

You hear a GP called Doctor Edward Symes giving a presentation about how the condition called myalgic encephalomyelitis affects young people. You now have 90 seconds to read questions 37 to 42.

My name’s doctor Edward Symes and I’ve come to talk to you today about a complex illness called myalgic encephalomitis, usually referred to as me and its effect on teenagers and adolescents. Me is a chronic neurological condition that affects many body systems, causing a variety of different symptoms, almost always including pain, feeling generally unwell and sleep disturbance.

I had been working as a GP for about 20 years when my own daughter was 14 or 15, and one of her friends, lets call her Emma, was diagnosed with me. Shed taken weeks off school and none of her friends really knew what the problem was, other than that she was tired and not very well. The problem had started with a nasty bout of flu that she never fully recovered from.

As time went on, Emmas friends seemed to abandon her one by one as it became clear that even the shortest or most moderate forms of mental or physical exertion were worsened her malaise and exhaustion. She ended up being excluded from almost every social activity as she just couldnt cope with any exertion. The impact of this on her physical and mental health troubled me as there seemed to be very little understanding and tolerance for her condition and she was falling behind academically as well as socially.

It was a chance meeting that resulted in me deciding to specialize in me. One day I bumped into Emmas mom at the local pharmacy and we ended up talking for almost an hour. She was clearly desperate for someone to talk to.

It was having a huge effect on the family. Shed had to give up her job in order to take care of Emma, as her anxiety was made much worse by being at work when her daughter was sick and alone at home. Its well documented that me is a physical disease and theres no evidence whatsoever to suggest that its psychological.

But theres so much misinformation and theres no therapy or cure. Emmas friends had apparently spoken about her skipping school or getting out of things that she didnt want to do. There seemed to be a general feeling that she should toughen up and get on with school life as they had to.

As a result, poor Emmas confidence had hit rock bottom. She felt that people saw her as lazy or attention seeking. Thats when I decided to turn my attention to researching the illness.

Somebody whos so ill shouldnt have to worry about proving it to everybody. Another extremely unhelpful aspect of the illness is that its so difficult to diagnose. What we really need is a valid laboratory test we can use.

At the moment, we just have to go through the patients medical history, analyze their symptoms, and try to exclude other illnesses. Sadly, this often means that many young patients suffer the illness for years before theyre diagnosed, which is a shame because an earlier diagnosis helps to reduce the impact through support and intervention. Another issue is that me can be tricky to identify in younger patients as they dont always report symptoms accurately.

The seriousness of the condition can be hard for them to judge, as they may think that feeling exhausted or ill is normal and have learned to pace themselves and simply take part in fewer activities than they would if they were well. A reliable blood test would avoid all of these problems and might mean that the illness finally gets the attention it deserves. Perhaps the most challenging thing about having me is the fact that its so erratic you just dont know how youll be feeling at any given point in the future, which makes planning difficult.

This often results in sufferers missing school and key social events. Feeling left out at a time when you’re trying to establish your identity can trigger confusion and depression. And let’s not forget that they do all of this on top of having to cope with debilitating medical symptoms.

That’s why I really want to emphasize that teenage sufferers require a lot of support and understanding from their families, for example help with managing their social lives and visitors because it can be difficult to keep friendships going. Another important point is that they shouldnt be put under too much academic stress, made to help out a lot at home, or keep up with physical exercise. A lot of parents think they should soldier on, but thats often the worst thing they can do.

Trying to battle through is likely to lead to a total crash and a prolonged recovery. Sadly, there is no intervention or therapy for me, but that doesnt mean that as health professionals we cant help our patients to manage the symptoms and improve their quality of life. We need to be willing to try several and work out what makes the symptoms worse, what makes them better, and help the patient achieve a balance in their life so they can improve their daily function at such an important time.

Because the symptoms vary from patient to patient, there isnt one single method that can be used. Patients want and need a GP who at least validates the illness and acknowledges its effects. They also appreciate as providing ongoing support and regularly reviewing and monitoring progress.

We should be giving appropriate documentation and information to the family and school so that our patients are more likely to be believed. The patients themselves need to be involved in the process and adapt to life with the illness by respecting their physical limits and allowing themselves adequate rest. Before I go, I want to briefly mention one controversial method of treatment that is sometimes prescribed and that’s cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.

Whilst its been helpful for some pediatric patients, the effects on teenagers are modest at best. Claims that it can cure the illness are not supported by any follow up studies. The theory behind it is that the patient is so frightened of the illness thats usually brought on by exercise that it worsens their health.

CBT can be used as a way of getting back into exercise. However, the illness cannot be worsened by attitudes and this theory goes against current understanding of the disease. It has led to patients being blamed for their failure to recover and even worse, it frequently leads to severe relapses, as it usually insists on some form of exercise.

On a final relatively positive note, I should say that the majority of severely affected adolescents make a full recovery and most others improve sufficiently to lead near full lives.