CET-6 Listening Long Conversation: Changing a Dissertation Topic

Conversation Two.

Professor Hart, do you have a minute? It's about my dissertation.

Of course, Mia. Come in and sit down.

I think I need to change my topic completely.

Completely? You're already two months into it.

What's gone wrong?

I wanted to study how phones affect teenagers' sleep.

But three schools have now refused to let me survey their students.

Without them, I only have about forty people.

That's not enough for any real conclusions.

I understand. But starting again now would be a big risk.

Have you thought about narrowing the question instead?

Forty people is too few for a survey,

but it's plenty for detailed interviews.

You could ask them to keep a sleep diary for two weeks,

and then talk to each of them about their habits.

So I'd go deeper instead of wider?

Exactly. And all the reading you've done is still useful.

That's a relief! I thought I'd wasted two months.

Send me a one-page plan by Friday, and we'll check it together.

Questions five to eight are based on the conversation you have just heard.

Question five. Why does the woman want to change her topic?

Question six. What does the professor think about starting again?

Question seven. What does the professor suggest she do?

Question eight. What must the woman do by Friday?

Thank you, Professor. I feel so much better.

Good research is often just a smaller question, asked well.