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TPO 25
Conversation 1
Listen to a conversation between a student and his academic advisor.
Academic Advisor
Hi Mark, what can I do for you?
Student
I’m just filling out this approval for graduation form for the Dean’s office and … I don’t know, I hope I will be able to graduate next semester.
Academic Advisor
Well, as long as you’ve met the departmental requirements and you submit the form on time, you shouldn’t have any problem. Make sure you include all the classes you will have taken for your degree in finance and the electives too.
Student
Yeah, but as I look over the form, I got confused because the way, uh, they’ve changed the requirements, so, now I’m not sure I’ll qualify to graduate next semester. I know I would’ve before, under the old requirements.
Academic Advisor
Well, when the business department changed the curriculum to include more courses in international business to dwell, because of the increasing globalization of business, we made sure that students would finish to their second year, that is those who were in their third or fourth year wouldn’t be affected. The new rules only apply to students in their first or second year.
Student
Oh, that’s good to know. Uh, the departments are hiring new faculty too, I heard, to teach some of the new courses? But, I want to…
Academic Advisor
Yes, one new faculty member has been hired. She’ll be teaching International Banking as a matter of fact.
Student
Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask about, International Banking. I took International Banking 1, but I never took International Banking 2. It used to be that the second semester of International Banking was an elective, but now it says it’s a required class.
Academic Advisor
Yes, but that’s one of the recent changes, so…
Student
Oh, oh, okay. Oh, and I am planning to take a management course next semester but I don’t know if it’s, if it will count toward my major.
Academic Advisor
What’s the course?
Student
Organizational behavior.
Academic Advisor
Yes, that’ll count toward your major, that’s a difficult class you know, but well worth it. So it looks like you’ll have all the required classes you need, you should be just fine. Uh, I assume you’ve taken a seminar?
Student
Yeah, I took the marketing seminar.
Academic Advisor
Ok, you’re looking good. Just to be on the safe side, why don’t you talk to someone in the Dean’s office before you give them the form?
Student
Ok, so should I just explain to them that even though one of these classes got changed from an elective to a required class I don’t have to take it?
Academic Advisor
Yes, you’ve met the requirements for graduation, and if there’s something I need to do, if, if I need to write a letter or whatever, just let me know.
Student
Ok, thanks. I’ll let you know if I need that letter.
【Lecture 1】
Listen to a part of a lecture in a conservation biology class
When consequence of global warming is extinction, there is compelling evidence that global warming will be a significant driver of many plant and animal extinctions in this century. So we are considering vatious strategies to help some threaten species survive this unprecedented, this warming trend which, as you know, is caused mainly by green houses gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels. The most radical strategy being debated among conservation biologists is
Assisted migration.
Assisted migration means picking up members of the species or members of a group of interdependent species and physically moving or translocating them. Translocating threatened species to a cooler place to higher latitudes or higher elevations for example.
Now migrations are natural survival strategy. Over the past of million years, colder glacial periods have alternated with warmer inter-glacial periods. And so in response to this gradual climatic swings, some species have shifted their ranges hundreds of kilometres. So perhaps you are wondering why not let nature take its course now. Well we can't. The main problem is today’s fragmented habitats. During previous inter-glacial periods, When glaciers were treated they left behind open land in their wakes. Today human development has paved much of the natural world. Ecosystems are fragmented, housing developments, highways, and cities were placed or sliced through forests and prairies . There are few corders left for species to migrate through without help.
So conservationists are trying to save as many species as possible. Now, assisted migration could become a viable part of our rescue strategy, but there are a number of uncertainties and risks. Without more research we can't predict if assisted migration will work for any given species. A translocated species could die out from like a food for example. At the other extreme, we might successfully translocate the species but within five or ten years, that species could proliferate and become an invasive species. Like a non-native plant that chokes out native plants by hoggin the nutrients in the soil. Translocated animals can become invasive too. It happened in Australia. The cane toad was introduced back in 1935 to control an insect pest that was destroying Australia sugar cane plantations. But the cane toad itself became a pest and it destroyed much of the wild life on that continent. Also, many species are interdependent, intimately connected to one another. Like animals that eat a certain plant and that plant relys on a certain fungus to help it get nutrients from soil. And on a certain insect for pollination, we probably have to translocate entire networks of species. And it’s hard to know where to draw the line. And in addition to all that it’s not even cleared that the assisted migration or any migration for that matter will help at least for some species. Earth was already at one of its warm inter-glacial periods when we started burning fossil fuels
And in the 21st century, global temperatures are expected to rise two to six degrees. That rate of heatings far greater than during the last glacial retreat some twelve thousand years ago. Whether to use the assisted migration? this debate is mostly within the biology community right now. But the altimate decision makers, in United States at least, will be the government agencies that manage natural resources. Assisted migration really needs this level of oversight and soon currently there is no public policy on using assisted migration to help species survive climate change. People aren’t even required to see permits to move plants or invertebrate animals around as long as they are not classified as pests.
In one case a group of conservationists has already take it upon itself to try on their own to save the endangered tree, the Florida torreya tree through assisted migration.
There is only about a thousand individual Florida torreyas left and global warming is expected to significantly reduce or eliminate this tree’s habitat. So this conservation group wants to translocate seedlings, Florida torreyas seedlings, 500 kilometres north, in order to expand the species’ range. The group believes that its effort is justified but I and many other biologists will be watching very closely how this maverick group makes out because, like I said there could be unintended consequences
【Lecture 2】
Listen to part of a lecture in a music history class
Professor
So, I just finish reviewing your papers on the influence of nationalism of composers' music. And initially, I was surprised that none of you chose to write about Bella Bartok. That isn't until I remembered that we haven't had a chance to discuss him in the class yet. He was wonder and ground-breaking composer. Bella Bartok was a Hungarian whose life stretched from the late 19th century to the middle of 20th century. But he was not a fan of the romantic style of music that was popular in his homeland during his youth.
Female student
Wait, Hungary wasn't a country in 1900, was it?
Professor
You're right, I should've been clear. B was born in Austria Hungary, a nation that broke apart when he was 40 years old. Actually the town where he was born is presently part of
Romania. The political history of that region is complex. Suffice to say Bartok is generally known has a Hungarian composer. So, during Bartok's youth, the music played in the concert halls of the Austria Hungary was dominated by romantic pieces by mostly German composers. We discussed the romantic style last week. These pieces were long and lyrical. They were meant to have a sort of grandure about them. And in the early 1900 composers worked in the romantic style were most popular in AH. But Bartok, he was part of the musical community that was trying to change this. And it let him to, well, the first thing ... was to led him travel, he looked to the countryside for the music of the farmers and the people who lived in the small towns. And their music, well, you can say he discovered the music that was popular in those areas.
Male student
What do you mean?
Professor
Well, all the music we've been talking about the past few weeks it really was all in the cities. That's where the composers and the orchestras were. Out in remote areas of the countryside in rural locations, music was more traditional. The same song was enjoyed by previous generations. Bartok went out, he travelled to a significant portion of eastern Europe actually. He roamed the countryside and listened to the music /// in the small towns and all sorts of celebrations. He attended weddings, dances and religious ceremony where he heard a very different sort of music from the romantic stuff being played in the concert halls in the cities. The music he heard is what we were considered folk music.
Male student
And any of those same songs played in the concert halls?
Professor
No. At first, he went around to document the folk music. He really wanted to make sure that folk songs were written down before they disappeared. In fact, Bartok did start out a trip thinking himself as a composer. He was an ethnomusicologist, and he studied the traditional music of the region. But it turns out that what were later had but notable influence on the European music on the whole, was the way Bartok used the elements he heard in folk songs in his own compositions. He adopted a number of elements from what he heard, like unusual rhythms and he liked to use Gelli Sandor as his home mark, which you probably got from listening to Croatian folk music. Gelli Sandor is, well, I've got a recording of Bartok here. Let's wait until the music is fresh in our minds. Suzi, do you have something you want to ask first?
Female student
Yeah. Before, you mentioned nationalism, and ...
Professor
Ah, right! Yes. When Bartok kept new pieces performed, their folk music routes made them instantly popular. It happened to be a time of strong nationalism in Austria, Hungary. So his composition came just at the right time. It became very successful there. Particularly, when Bartok's ballet The Wooden Prince opened, it was a great excitement for music that included musical elements from local folk songs, and music reflected the region's musical traditions. However, as popular as Bartok was in his homeland, he did not get much international recognition during his lifetime.
Conversation 2
Listen to a conversation between a student and his biology professor.
Student
Well, you know, I’m reading the papers about whales, and the path they travel as they swim through the ocean, their migration patterns.
Professor
Yes, I remember.
Student
Well, I was thinking about it, and I realized I don’t understand how they hold their breaths under water. It’s a little crazy for me to be writing a paper about migration patterns without actually knowing how they stay underwater for so long.
Professor
Did you do any research to find out how they do it?
Student
Yeah, I did. I searched on the Internet, and there was a lot of information about whales, their habitats, the way they communicate, you know, their songs. But if there was anything about whales and how they hold their breaths, I missed it. I’ve got a bunch of books. Actually, I’ve got so much information, it’s a little overwhelming.
Professor
I’m surprised that there is nothing about it in any of those books.
Student
Well, to be honest, I’ve only skimmed them so far. I’m still working on finding sources.
Professor
Ok, I know I encourage everyone in class to look at a substantial number of sources, but I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. Looking at a number of sources gives you a good knowledge base, but students only have a limited amount of time to work on each paper. I don’t expect you to read a dozen of books on whales for this assignment. Focus on just a few.
Student
Ok, thanks.
Professor
You know, since you’re already here, I can give you a quick summary of how whales hold their breaths underwater. It’s just a matter of certain adaptations in their anatomies, specifically in their circulatory system.
Student
So, the blood flow was what makes the difference?
Professor
Yes, and in a couple of ways. First, blood makes up a larger share of whale’s weight than any other mammals.
Student
So they can store more oxygen because they have more blood?
Professor
Yes, but that’s only part of it. They also have a greater capacity than land animals to store oxygen in their blood.
Student
So how does having more oxygen in their blood help them stay underwater longer?
Professor
It’s the way the whale’s blood carries oxygen to the rest of its body. Whales carefully conserve their oxygen when underwater in a couple of ways. When a whale dives, its metabolic weight drops, causing its heart beat to slow down. And the blood flows to its muscles and some of its none-vital organs, like its kidneys, is also cut off. Whales muscles and none-vital organs are able to function without oxygen for an extended period of time.
Student
I see, well, now I can concentrate on my topic.
【Lecture 3】
Listen to part of lecture in history class, the professor has been discussing Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Egyptian hieroglyphs are the ancient Egyptian writings, found in ancient Egyptian on walls, monuments, and on the inside and outside of the temples. Hieroglyphic writing ended abruptly about 1600 years ago, and it mystified the most brilliant minds in the study of the Egyptian artifacts and archeology for many many centuries. Finally, the possibility of deciphering hieroglyphs came about with the discovery in 1799 of the Rosetta stone.
The Rosetta stone is arguably the most famous archeology artifact ever discovered. It contains the same exact text written in three different alphabets: Greek, demotic and hieroglyphic. But we didn’t even know at first, that the three texts on the Rosetta stone contain the same information. And two of the three alphabets are ancient Egyptian scripts that stop being used, the hieroglyphic and the demotic. The demotic script found on the Rosetta stone, um …well, demotic was not as elaborate as the hieroglyphic writing. It was used for Mundey matters or like administrator documents. These ancient Egyptian scripts were replaced by Coptic script, but eventually the Arabic language replaced the Coptic, and this cut off the linguistic link between ancient and modern Egypt. Now the Rosetta stone was remarkable, because as I said, honored with the same text in three different alphabets: Greek, demotic and hieroglyphs. The soon was centrally the dictionary that the scholars needed to interpret the meaning of hieroglyphs, and it took a uniquely equipped researcher to finally decipher and understand what was written on the stone.
Thomas Yang, an English scholar, was the first to seriously attempt to decide for the symbols on the Rosetta stone. He suspected rightly, that the hieroglyphs were phonetic symbols, that they represented sounds rather than pictures. Until then, all scholars assumed that the hieroglyphs were pictographs, that they symbolize objects or concepts. Thomas Yang focused his attention on one set of hieroglyphs that he thought would probably spell out a single word, the name of a king or queen. He guessed that the symbols represented the name of the earlier Egyptian ruler Ptolemy, since Ptolemy was also written in Greek on the stone and was indeed a Greek name. And Yang, did actually prove that these hieroglyphs represented sounds rather than whole words. Strangely though, he gave into the dominant thesis of the day that hieroglyphs were pictographs. He actually dismissed his own finding, as an anomaly, because the Ptolemy dynasty was Greek, not Egyptian. In other words, he figured it was an exception to the rule. It was phonetic because it was Greek not Egyptian. How else could an Egyptian to pick a Greek name other than spell it out? And that brings us to the hero of our story, Jean-François Champollion.
Champollion built on Yang’s work, showing that different hieroglyphs spell the name of the kings or queens like Alexander or Cleopatra. But his critics noticed that this was still not traditional Egyptian names, he hasn’t done anything more than Yang has been able to do. So he couldn’t disprove the dominant theory. Then, in 1822, Champollion was shown a set of hieroglyphs that contain traditional Egyptian names. The first two of the symbols were unknown, but Champollion knew that the repeated hieroglyphs to the far right symbolized an ‘s ’sound. He then drew on his linguistic knowledge to arrive at the solution to the problem. You see, unlike the any of other scholars who have tried to crack the code, Champollion happened to be fluent in Coptic. He wondered and this was the real breakthrough. If the Coptic was the language that symbolized by the hieroglyphs on Rosetta stone, and if so, then perhaps that first this shape symbol might represent the sound. And the Coptic word for sound is ‘ra’ . See where this was it headed, so if the symbol were Coptic, the first symbol would be ‘ra’. And then, an unknown symbol followed by a double‘s’ sound, was this Champollion wondered the name “Ramses”. He was eventually able to confirm that it was. So, he had figured it out. Hieroglyphs were mainly phonetic, they represent sounds not pictures, and the underlined language was Coptic. A lot of work remained, but Champollion had cracked the code.
【Lecture 4】
Listen to part of a lecture in an animal behavior class
Professor
Alright, I hope you all had a chance to finish the assigned readings about animal play, because I want to spend some time discussing the different viewpoints presented in those articles. Let’s start with the play-as-preparation hypothesis. Jerry, can you explain that?
Jerry
yeah, play-as-preparation hypothesis, young animals play in order to get really good at certain specific things they’ll need to do when they are adults. Things like chasing, pouncing, climbing, in other words, they play in order to practice survival skills, like movements used in hunting and fighting. That hypothesis makes a lot of sense, like, maybe the most sense of all the theories we read about.
Professor
And, what leads you to that conclusion?
Jerry
Well, like wolves, the young pups, they fight a lot and bite, you know, not to hurt each other, but, just seems obvious why those wolf pups play like that, give them practice with skills that’ll make them better hunters or fighters as adults.
Female student
Oh, I don’t know about that. I mean, some of the things the young animal does while playing are totally different from the things they will do as an adult. There was a really good example in second article. I can’t remember what it‘s called exactly… uh…self…
Professor
Self-handicapping?
Female student
RIGHT! Self-handicapping, like during the fake fight…uh… a play fight, if one of the animals is winning, the winning animal might just stop and give up its advantage.
Professor
Yes, and often a shift to a submissive posture, too. Of course self-handicapping hardly ever happens in a real fight, because in a real fight, well, the point is to win. So this self-handicapping is important to take this into account before deciding to go with that first explanation, and in fact, there really isn’t much in the way of solid experimental evidence to support the play-as-preparation hypothesis.
Female student
What about the other one, the flexibility hypothesis?
Professor
Ah, yes. Let’s talk about that. As you say, play is much more than just pretend fighting or practicing other adult behaviors. Apparently, it also contributes to the development of a brain that’s flexible. A brain that’s quickly able to get a handle on unfamiliar situations. This notion, the flexibility hypothesis, well, many of my colleagues find it quite persuasive.
Female student
So like, with kids, a little kid might play a game with a friend, and then they might raise each other across the field, so, they are switching from one type of play to another, there’s a lot of variety? I mean, they are learning to response to whatever happens?
Professor
Well, that’s the general idea. But let’s hold off on talking about human behaviors from now. OK, according to the flexibility hypothesis, yes, the diversity, the variety in play can lead to a broader behavioral vocabulary.
Jerry
A broader behavioral vocabulary? Can you explain what that means?
Professor
Well, sometimes play results in an animal doing something it would not normally do, that can lead to the animal learning to adapt, to come up with new behaviors that can help it cope with major problems later on, like staying safe or finding food.
Female student
Yeah, and there was that brain study you had us read about, too.
Professor
Oh, the one on how play affects development within the brain?
Female student
Right, that’s it. About the animals raised in an environment where they did not get opportunities to play?
Professor
Yes, wasn’t the conclusion interesting? That play literally stimulates growth creates connections within the brain? We need to do further studies, but…
Jerry
Excuse me. Can we go back to play fighting for a minute? I’m wondering, can the flexibility hypothesis really explain that?
Professor
Play fighting? Actually that’s something that flexibility hypothesis explains very well. Since play fighting includes variations in speed and intensity, and quick raw reversals involved with self-handicapping, and animal that’s play-fighting is constantly responding to changes. So it’s learning to be flexible.
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