[originaltext]M: Hi, Professor. I was hoping I could have a moment of your time

M: Hi, Professor. I was hoping I could have a moment of your time if you’ re not too busy. [5] I’ m having some problems getting started on my dissertation and I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to begin.
W: Sure. I have quite a few students though. So can you remind me what your topic is?
M: The general topic I chose is aesthetics, but that’ s as far as I’ ve got. I don’ t really know where to go from there.
W: [6] Yeah, that’ s much too large a topic. You really need to narrow it down in order to make it more accessible. Otherwise you’ 11 be writing a book.
M: Exactly. That’ s what I wanted to ask you about. I was hoping it would be possible for me to change topics. [7] I’ m really more interested in nature than beauty.
W: [8] I’ m afraid you have to adhere to the assigned topic. Still, if you’ re interested in nature, then that certainly can be worked into your dissertation. We’ ve talked about Hume before in class. Right?
M: Oh yeah, he’ s the philosopher who wrote about where our ideas of beauty come from.
W: Exactly. I suggest you go to the library and get a copy of his biography. Start from there, but remember to stick to the parameters of the assignment. This paper is a large part of your cumulative grade. So make sure to follow the instructions. If you take a look at his biography, you can get a good idea of how his life experiences manifest themselves in his theories of beauty, specifically the way he looked towards nature as the origin of what we find beautiful.
M: Great. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Professor. I’ll let you get back to class now.
W: If there’ s anything else you need, please come to see me in my office any time.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. What is the man’s problem?
6. What does the professor think of the man’ s topic?
7. What is the man really more interested in?
8. What does the professor say the man has to do?