IELTS Modest · Cuối khoá · Listening: Student Transport and Green Roofs

Daniel: Hi Maya. Have you had a chance to look at the survey results for our transport project?

Maya: Yes, I went through them last night. We got 214 replies in the end, which is far more than we expected.

Daniel: That’s great. I thought we’d only get about a hundred. So what’s the most common way that students travel to the campus?

Maya: Well, I assumed it would be the bus, but actually walking came first. About 38 per cent of students walk, and the bus was second with 30 per cent. Cycling was quite a long way behind.

Daniel: Interesting. I suppose a lot of students live in the halls near the university.

Maya: That’s right. Most of the walkers live in the halls, less than fifteen minutes away from their lectures.

Daniel: Did we have any problems with the questionnaire?

Maya: One, yes. The question about distance confused people. Some wrote the distance in kilometres and others wrote the time it takes them, so we can’t really use those answers.

Daniel: That’s a pity. We should mention that in the presentation as a limitation. So, what did people say about each type of transport?

Maya: Let’s start with the bus. I expected people to complain about the price, but because of the student travel card, most people think it’s cheap. The main complaint was that the buses are often late, especially in the morning.

Daniel: That matches my experience. What about cycling?

Maya: Cyclists generally liked it, but most of their comments were about safety. They said the hill road is dangerous when it’s wet or icy, so a lot of them stop cycling in winter.

Daniel: And people who drive?

Maya: Not many students drive, but those who do said it costs too much. The parking fees on campus went up last year, and petrol is expensive too.

Daniel: What about the electric scooters? I see lots of students using them in town.

Maya: They’re popular in town, but the university doesn’t allow them on campus, so students have to leave them at the main gate. A few people were quite angry about that.

Daniel: And walking? I guess the only complaint is that it’s slow.

Maya: Surprisingly, no one said that. The walkers mostly said it helps them stay fit, and some said it’s a good way to wake up before lectures.

Daniel: OK. So what should we do next? Do another survey?

Maya: I don’t think we have time for that. I’d like to interview the university’s transport manager, so we can ask about plans for a new bus route. I’ll email her today.

Daniel: Good idea. I’ll start making the charts for the presentation, then. Let’s meet again on Friday to put everything together.

Maya: Friday’s fine for me. See you then.

Lecturer: Good morning. In today’s lecture on the urban environment, I’m going to talk about green roofs. A green roof is simply a roof that is partly or completely covered with plants. Some of the earliest examples were built hundreds of years ago, but modern green roofs only became popular in the last few decades. They’re becoming more common in cities around the world, so let’s look at the different types, their benefits, and some of the challenges.

There are two main types of green roof. The first is called an extensive roof. It has a very thin layer of soil, usually less than fifteen centimetres, and it’s planted with low-growing plants like moss. These roofs are light and don’t need much care. The second type is an intensive roof. This has much deeper soil, so it can support bushes and even small trees. Some intensive roofs are used as gardens or parks. However, they need a lot more maintenance, such as regular watering and cutting.

So why are cities interested in green roofs? First of all, they help with rainwater. In a normal city, rain runs off hard surfaces very quickly and goes into the drains. During heavy storms, the drains can’t cope, and this leads to flooding. A green roof can hold a large amount of water and release it slowly, which reduces this risk.

Secondly, green roofs keep buildings cooler in summer. The plants and soil stop the roof from getting hot, so the rooms below stay cooler and people don’t need to use so much air-conditioning. In winter, the soil also acts as a layer of insulation and keeps heat inside.

Another benefit is for wildlife. Green roofs provide a habitat for birds and insects, especially bees, which have lost many of their natural homes in cities. And finally, a green roof can actually make the roof itself last longer, because the waterproof material underneath is protected from sunlight and from big changes in temperature.

Now, what about the problems? The main one is weight. Wet soil is very heavy, so older buildings may need to be strengthened before a green roof can be added. This can be expensive. In general, a green roof can cost roughly double the price of an ordinary roof to install, although it usually saves money on energy in the long term.

To finish, let me give you one example. A medium-sized city in northern Europe introduced a rule ten years ago that all new public buildings, such as schools and libraries, must have a green roof. Since then, the city has added more than two hundred thousand square metres of green roofs, and the number of flooded streets after heavy rain has fallen noticeably.

In the next lecture, we’ll look at another way of making cities greener: vertical gardens on walls.