9 Taking notes On this page you can practise taking notes in English. This can be important in lectures, in meetings and when you interview people. Sometimes it is important to take down the gist – the main points – and sometimes the details. • Make sure that you write every idea on a new line. • Leave out space in case you have missed something. • Develop your own shorthand (e.g.: b/c = because, sth = something, w/o = without) to write faster. • If you lose track, restart with the next passage you understand. At the Reef in a glass-bottom boat Listen to Derrick Reese – a young Australian park ranger at the Great Barrier Reef – greet his guests. What sounds different from the way people in the UK or the US speak? Pre-listening a) Work with a partner. Each of you takes the role of one of two passengers on board: • someone who works for Greenpeace • someone who is interested in Aboriginal culture b) Think about what could interest you in your role as a Greenpeace activist or someone who wants to know more about Aboriginal culture. Listening for gist a) Then listen to what Derrick tells his guests about the Reef. Take notes for your role. b) Compare your notes with your partner’s. Listening for details After the tour, the guests have a choice of two activities. a) Listen to what Derrick says about each activity. Then choose the activity that interests you the most. b) Now listen closely to the details of your activity and note them down. c) Tell a partner what he/she needs to know about your activity if he/she wants to take part. 1 c30 Fact file The Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. In 1981 it was selected as a World Heritage Site. Today it is a very well-known tourist destination. In the last three decades, however, the reef has come under threat because rising water temperatures (climate change) have had a disastrous effect on the highly sensitive wildlife. Scientists warn that the delicate ecosystem could soon collapse. In the cultural life of the Aboriginal Australians the Great Barrier Reef also plays an important role and features in many paintings, stories and songs. F 2 3 c31 4 c32 Tip If you don’t know how to write a new name, write it any way – at least you’ll know how it sounds when you reread your notes. T 116 Australia Listening skills Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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