At the Library: Sources and a Study Room
B1 Foundation Library & Research
Instructions: skim the question stems, then press play and listen once, taking notes. Answer all 4 questions, check your score and error analysis — and only then open the study pack (transcript, vocabulary, paraphrases, model notes).
📦 Show transcript & study pack — only after you have answered
Full transcript
Student: Excuse me, I'm hoping you can help me. I'm writing a paper on how social media affects teenagers' sleep, and I need at least three academic sources. So far I've only found blog posts.
Librarian: Sure, let's fix that. Blogs are fine for background, but your professor will want peer-reviewed articles. Come over here — I'll show you the journal database.
Student: Okay. What do I type in?
Librarian: Start with the keywords "social media" and "adolescent sleep." Use the filter to show only articles from the last five years — sleep research changes fast. See? Forty-two results already.
Student: Wow. Can I read these at home, or do I have to stay here?
Librarian: You can download the PDFs anywhere — just log in with your student ID. If a full text isn't available, we can request it from another university library, free — usually two or three days.
Student: That's great. One more thing — is there a quiet room I can book? My roommate's having friends over all weekend.
Librarian: There is — the group study rooms on the third floor. Reserve online, up to two weeks ahead. They hold four people, and you can book a maximum of three hours a day.
Student: Perfect. I'll reserve one for Saturday afternoon.
Librarian: Good plan. And take this handout — it shows how to cite the articles in your paper. Professors notice citations.
Difficult vocabulary
| peer-reviewed | checked and approved by other experts before publication; the standard for academic quality |
| database | an organized collection of information stored on a computer that you can search |
| keyword | a word or phrase you type into a search system to find relevant results |
| cite | to mention a source formally in your writing, giving credit to its author |
| reserve | to arrange for something to be kept for your use at a particular time |
Important phrases
- hoping you can help me — a polite way to open a request for assistance
- fine for background — acceptable for general understanding, but not strong enough as main evidence
- Professors notice citations — a gentle warning that referencing is graded and should be done carefully
Paraphrases — what you heard vs what it means
| You heard | It means |
|---|---|
| sleep research changes fast | new findings appear quickly, so older studies may be out of date |
| we can request it from another university library, free | the library can borrow the article from elsewhere at no cost to you |
| you can book a maximum of three hours a day | the longest reservation allowed per day is three hours |
Note-taking analysis — model notes
Compare with your own notes: did you catch the main claim, the arrows (cause/effect), the contrasts and the compressed examples?