CAE (Advanced Exam) Listening Test 6

Part 2: Learning the sport of surfing

7 national park
8 (the/a) period
9 tight
10 arm(s)
11 gloves
12 plastic
13 (their/the) knees
14 hair(-)dryer

You’ll hear a man called Carl Pitman, giving a group of tourists practical advice about learning the
sport of surfing.
For questions 7–14, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. In the exam, you have 45 seconds to look at Part 2.

Hi, I’ve come along to tell you about surfing here on the island; something I know many of you want
to learn. Now, you can learn to surf anywhere that waves break on a swimmable shoreline. On this
island, most of the local population lives around the north coast. We often see waves on it but you
rarely see surfers there. The National Park, on the other hand, has miles of sandy shoreline with
plenty of elbow room for beginners to develop their surfing skills. I’d say that was your best choice
of venue.
Now, surfers need waves, and waves are generated by wind moving across water. The further the
wind drags across the water, called fetch, the more powerful the waves, which then spread out and
fall into groups we call sets. The distance between waves is measured in seconds and we call that
the period. We see just the very top of waves. Most of the energy goes deep into the ocean.
The ocean here’s not warm, so surfers wear wetsuits most of the time. These keep you warm by
trapping a thin layer of water against your body, which your body heats. A new suit should almost
feel too tight. If the fit of your suit is too loose, then it will hold more water. If you start shivering
uncontrollably, then this may be the problem, and you should go in and get warm.
New materials will stretch out and conform to your body. Make sure you have lots of length in the
legs, and that you have no folds of material under your arms. It’s also important to check that it fits
well over your lower back.
Rinse your suit thoroughly every time you use it. Use a mild detergent or a wetsuit-specific soap in
warm water to wash your suit, and especially your boots and gloves regularly. Hot water is not
recommended for wetsuits.
And keep your suit on a wide plastic hanger. Metal hangers, especially wire ones, will create
creases that will be the first wear-out points on your suit, and wooden hangers aren’t much better.
Creases decrease lifespan. Do not store your suit in direct sunlight. It will lose elasticity and
become stiff and brittle before its time.
Now, the other thing you’ll need is a surfboard. Don't go out and buy a new one straightaway. The
surfboard you use as an accomplished surfer will be far too fragile to take you through the learning
process. The main problem is when beginners hit the board with their knees and put great dents in
them, but they also tend to lean surfboards against cars and walls where they can fall over or bump
into pointy things when carrying them. So I’d say always borrow your friend's board to learn on, or
maybe rent one.
Your board will need waxing. Surfers use wax to help them stay on their boards, whereas skaters
and snowboarders use it to make their boards slide. If you want to clean old wax off, leave your
board in the sun for a while or, better still, use a hair dryer and then use a wax comb or plastic
scraper. A citrus-based cleaner on a cloth will clean up the rest.
Now, before I go on to ...