Track 21

Track 21.

Topic 1: Modern art

Speaker 1: I don’t really have much of an opinion about it.

As far as I’m concerned, if it appeals to someone, that’s fine.

If it doesn’t then why should anyone complain about that?

Personally, I like some of it, but I’m not really bothered.

I can take it or leave it.

Speaker 2: Well, from what I can see, you have a lot of people looking at it and talking nonsense about how good it is.

Then you also have people with too much money and too little sense who are prepared to waste their money on this stuff.

It’s ridiculous!

There’s no comparison with the great art of the past few centuries.

Speaker 3: Oh, I think not enough people appreciate it.

They look at it and think, well, my kid could do that.

They think that something from the eighteenth or nineteenth century is true art and they don’t understand that art develops and changes over time.

These artists today are just as skilled and creative as those in the past and they should be appreciated for what they do.

Topic 2: Combating climate change.

Speaker 1: It’s so important that we tackle this issue head-on. We can’t let it go on any longer without taking action.

All the science shows that it’s going to get out of control if we fail to act.

The government should be supporting renewable forms of energy and we really need to reduce our dependence on oil and gas.

I just wish other people could see that!

Speaker 2: There’s so much nonsense spoken about it.

Really, I can’t understand why people get so upset about it.

They quote all kinds of studies, but they don’t amount to anything real.

If you ask me, the climate is getting colder, at least in this country.

Look at the amount of snow we had last winter!

They just want to scare people for no reason.

Speaker 3: I’m not really convinced either way, actually.

I mean, there are arguments on both sides, but I think it’s still too early to tell.

Yes, we can see that the weather in different parts of the world is becoming more extreme, but if you ask the climate experts, they never say that it’s definitely climate change and just say they need more time to be sure.

So that’s where I am at the moment.