Part 1
Part 1
You will hear a man phoning a company that digitises old books and documents.
First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 3.
[Pause]
Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 3.
Staff: Good morning, Digital Archives, Sarah speaking.
Client: Oh, hello. I’m calling because I found your website. I have a collection of old journals and notebooks belonging to my grandfather, and I’d like to have them scanned and saved digitally.
Staff: Certainly. That’s exactly what we do.
Client: Great. They are quite old, dating back to the 1940s. Are there any restrictions on the condition of the books you accept?
Staff: Generally, we can handle most things. However, for the safety of our equipment and other clients' items, we cannot accept any books that have mould on them. It spreads too easily.
Client: Ah, I see. I’ve checked them and they seem dry and clean, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Staff: Good.
Client: Do I need to do anything to prepare them? Some of them have things tucked inside the pages.
Staff: Yes, that is important. Please go through them and remove any loose items. We often find old tickets or even pressed flowers between the pages. If these go through the scanner, they can cause a serious paper jam.
Client: Understood. I’ll make sure they are completely empty. And regarding payment, do I pay the full amount now?
Staff: Not immediately. However, we do require a deposit before we start the work.
Client: That’s fair enough. How much is that?
Staff: For a standard collection like yours, it’s a flat fee of £65. You can pay that over the phone once we receive the box.
Client: OK, fine.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 4 to 10.
[Pause]
Now listen and answer questions 4 to 10.
Staff: Is there anything specific you’d like to know about how we process the files?
Client: Yes. The journals cover a long period of his life. Can you organize the digital files in a specific way?
Staff: Of course. We can sort them however you like. By year, by subject...
Client: Actually, I’d like them grouped by decade. So, the 1940s in one folder, the 50s in another, and so on.
Staff: That’s easy enough. We will create separate folders on the USB drive for you. And how would you like the individual files named?
Client: Could you use the author's surname? His name was Arthur Treves. That’s T-R-E-V-E-S.
Staff: T-R-E-V-E-S. Yes, we can certainly use that for the filenames.
Client: Excellent. Also, the pages are quite yellowed with age. Do you just scan them exactly as they are?
Staff: We do a standard scan, but we also use software to enhance the image. We can easily remove dark marks or stains from the background to make the text much clearer.
Client: That would be amazing. Some of them are a bit messy. And because they are so old, the bindings are very fragile. I’m worried that opening them flat might break the spine.
Staff: Don’t worry. For fragile items, we absolutely do not use the automatic feeder. We scan them by hand. It takes a little longer, but it ensures they aren't damaged.
Client: That’s a relief.
Staff: We can also alter the appearance if you like. For example, we can crop the images to remove the ragged edges of the paper, so it looks like a perfectly neat page.
Client: Yes, please do that. It will look much tidier.
Staff: Is there anything else?
Client: Well, his writing is quite difficult to read in places. Do you offer a transcription service?
Staff: We can transcribe typed text, but I’m afraid we can't decipher handwriting. It’s just too prone to errors.
Client: I understand. I’ll have to do that part myself.
Staff: Right, so if you are happy to proceed, please send them to us.
Client: I will. How should I pack them?
Staff: We recommend wrapping each book in bubble wrap before putting them in a sturdy cardboard box. It protects the corners during transit.
Client: Perfect. I’ll get that sorted today. Thanks for your help.
Staff: You’re welcome. Bye.
That is the end of Part 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers to Part 1.