Narrator Listen to a part of a conversation between a student and a professor

[Student] Excuse me, Professor Carter. May I speak to you for a minute?
[Professor] Sure. Come in.
[Student] I’m Jenniffer. I’m taking your course in Population Studies.
[Professor] Right. Well, Jenniffer, how can I help you?
[Student] I’m... having a bit of trouble with the second assignment, and it’s due in twelve days.
[Professor] What sort of trouble are you having? Is the assignment question a problem?
[Student] Well, it’s not about the question itself. I’m having been having... trouble getting hold of the books. I’ve been to the library several times, and all the books are out.
[Professor] Sounds like you should have started borrowing books a bit earlier.
[Student] Well, I had a really big assignment due in for another course, and I’ve been spending all my time on that, and I thought...
[Professor] You might get an extension of time to finish your assignment for me?
[Student] If that’s possible, but I don’t know...
[Professor] Well, yes, it is possible, but extensions are normally given only for medical or compassionate reasons, otherwise it’s really a question of organizing your study, and we don’t like giving extensions to students who simply didn’t plan their work properly. What did you get for your first assignment?
[Student] I got eighty-seven per cent.
[Professor] Mmm, yes, you did very well indeed, so obviously you can produce good work.
[Student] I don’t think I’ll need too much extra time, as long as I can get a hold of some of the important references.
[Professor] Well, since you did so well in your first assignment, I’m prepared to give you an extra two weeks for this one, so that’ll mean you’ll need to submit it about a month from now.
[Student] Thank you.
[Professor] Now, what about the reading materials? Have you checked out the journal articles in the list?
[Student] Umm, no, not yet, there were about twenty of them, and I wasn’t sure which ones would be most useful or important.
[Professor] Well, they’re all useful, but I don’t expect anyone to read them all, because a number of them deal with the same issues. Let me give you some suggestions. The article by Anderson and Hawker is really worth reading.
[Student] Right, I’ll read that one.
[Professor] You should also read the article by Jackson, but just look at the part on the research methodology, how they did it.
[Student] OK... Jackson, got that...
[Professor] And if you have time, the one by Roberts says very relevant things, although it’s not essential.
[Student]  So, OK, if it’s useful, I’ll try and read that one...
[Professor] Now, the one by Morris. I wouldn’t bother with that at this stage, if I were you.
[Student] OK, I won’t bother with Morris. Oh, now, someone told me the article by Cooper is important.
[Professor] Well, yes, in a way, but just look at the last part, where he discusses the research results. And lastly, there’s Forster--I can’t think why I included that one. It’s not bad and could be of some help, but not that much. OK. Do you have any more questions?
[Student] No, thank you very much. Professor Carter.
[Professor] You are welcome.
Narrator  Now get ready to answer some questions. You may use your notes to help you answer.
1.  Why does the student want to talk with the professor?
2.  Based one the student’s statements, why has she not started the assignment?
3.  What are the reasonable excuses for extensions?
4.  In the conversation, the professor gives the student some suggestions about the journal articles. Whose articles must be read and whose articles can be read in part. Check the correct box for each person.
Narrator Listen again to a part of the conversation. Then answer the question.
[Student] Well, it’s not about the question itself. I’m having been having... trouble getting hold of the books. I’ve been to the library several times, and all the books are out.
[Professor] Sounds like you should have started borrowing books a bit earlier.
5.  Why does the professor say thisΩ?
Narrator Listen again to a part of the conversation. Then answer the question.
[Professor] Well, yes, in a way, but just look at the last part, where he discusses the research results. And lastly, there’s Forster--I can’t think why I included that one. It’s not bad and could be of some help, but not that much.