TEXT 1.Looking for Something Pretty.

Salesgirl: Good morning, madam. Can I help you at all?Annabel: Well, I’m looking for a dress. Something to wear at the theatre. Something pretty.Salesgirl: Certainly, madam. Do you know what size you are?Annabel: Well, I was 18 but I’ve lost a lot of weight since Christmas. I’ve been on a diet of bananas and milk.Salesgirl: Bananas and milk! That doesn’t sound very slimming. Would it be a good idea if I took your measurements?Annabel: I feel about a size 14. And look! That’s just what I wanted. That pink and primrose chiffon.Salesgirl: I hate to tell you, madam, but you are still size 18. Don’t you think something a little more tailored?

TEXT 2.A Horrible Accident.

Helen: Hello, Ellen.Ellen: Hello, Helen. Have you heard? There’s been a horrible accident.Helen: Oh dear! What’s happened?Ellen: Hilda Higgins’ husband has had an accident on his horse.Helen: How awful! Is he injured?Ellen: Yes. An ambulance has taken him to hospital.Helen: How did it happen?Ellen: He was hit by an express train. It was on a crossing just behind his house.Helen: How terrible!Ellen: He’s having an important operation in hospital now. Poor Hilda! She’s unhappy!Helen: Perhaps he’ll be all right.Ellen: I hope so.

TEXT 3.

William: My name is William.Tony: How do you do? I’m Anthony Horn. Everybody calls me Tony.William: I’m glad to meet you, Tony. Where are you going?Tony: I’m going home. I hope to get some letters there. Do you want to come along with me?William: Yes, I’m not busy today. Today’s Saturday.Tony: Yes, today’s holiday. Do you get many letters, William?William: No, I don’t. I only get two letters a week. Well, I get more. I get two or three letters every day. But I write a lot of letters every day too.Tony: To your girl-friends?William: Yes, mostly to girl-friends. But they don’t always answer my letters. Some do, but many don’t. Tony: Now what about you, William? William: I write mostly to my parents.Tony: What are they?William: My father is an engineer and my mother is a dentist.Tony: Is your family large or small?William: It’s large. My sister Grace is a schoolgirl, and my brothers Steve and James are little boys.Tony: How old is your sister?William: She is eight.

Tony: Is she pretty?William: I think so.

TEXT 4.

Bill: Bob, tell me about your new girl-friend. What kind of girl is she?Bob: Oh, she is a lovely girl. She’s gentle, bright, and friendly with other people.Bill: What’s her name?Bob: LizBill: What does she do?Bob: She is a student. She’s studying law at a college.Bill: Is she tall?Bob: No she isn’t, she is short.Bill: Is she noisy or quiet?Bob: She is quiet but cheerful.Bill: Is she pale or rosy?Bob: She is pale.Bill: What colour is her hair?Bob: It’s dark.Bill: What are her interests?Bob: She’s very athletic and she likes dancing, especially modern.Bill: Bob, are you in love with Liz?Bill: I think so, but I’m not sure.Bill: I see.

TEXT 5.What Time Does the Plane Leave?

Robert: What’s the time?Emily: Ten past two, dear.Robert: When does the plane leave?Emily: Not until a quarter to four.Robert: Why did we get here so early?Emily: Because you said we must allow plenty of time for traffic jams and accidents.Robert: Where’s my briefcase?Emily: It’s there, dear, between your feet.Robert: Emily! Where are you going?Emily: I’m going to ask that gentleman what they were announcing over the loudspeaker.Robert: Which gentleman?Emily: That man over there with all the packages.Robert: Who is he?Emily: I don’t know. But he looked as though he was listening to the announcement… Yes, I was afraid so. The plane is delayed. It won’t be leaving till five.Robert: How did he manage to hear it if we didn’t?Emily: Because he was listening. You were talking too much to me.Robert: What do you mean, I was talking too much?Emily: Oh dear! Never mind.Robert: What time is it now, Emily?

TEXT 6.Were you at home last night?

Sergeant: Good evening, Sir. Mr Holmes?Holmes: Good evening, officer. Yes, that’s right – John Holmes. Won’t you come in?

Sergeant: Thank you. May I ask you a few questions?Holmes: Yes, of course. Won’t you sit down?Sergeant: Thank you. It’s about last night. Were you at home, Mr Holmes?Holmes: Yes, Sergeant, I was, actually. I wasn’t feeling very well.Sergeant: Were you alone?Holmes: Er, yes. My wife had gone to the cinema with a friend.Sergeant: Did you go out at all?Holmes: No, I stayed in all evening – that is, except for a few minutes when I popped out to post a letter.Sergeant: Do you remember what time this was?Holmes: Yes, it was about – um – half past eight.Sergeant: Well, then, thank you, Mr Holmes.Holmes: Was glad to help you, officer. Good buy.

TEXT 7.I’ve won a prize!

Michael: Jennifer! Guess what! I’ve won a prize!Jennifer: A prize? What sort of prize?Michael: A super prize. Dinner for two at Maxime’s!Jennifer: You are clever! What was the prize for? I mean, what did you do to win a dinner for two at Maxime’s?Michael: Well, you’re not to laugh – I went in for a competition at the Adult Education Centre – a cooking contest.Jennifer: You won a prize in a cooking contest! I’ve got to laugh! Michael, you can’t even boil an egg!Michael: I can boil an egg. I can scramble one, too. Most deliciously. Of course, I’m not a Cordon Bleu cook, like you…Jennifer: Well, why haven’t I ever won a cooking competition?Michael: Probably because you never go in for competitions. I’m glad you didn’t go in for this one. You might have won, and then you would have had to invite me to dinner at Maxime’s.

TEXT 8.The Cuckoo Clock.

Mrs Cook: Would you like some cream in your coffee, Mrs Clark?Mrs Clark: No thank you. But I’d like a little milk.Mrs Cook: Would you like some chocolate cakes?Mrs Clark: Thank you.Mrs Cook: Take two. Here’s a cake fork, and here’s a…Mrs Clark: Excuse me, Mrs Cook. But what’s that next to your bookshelf? Is it a clock?Mrs Cook: Yes. It’s an American cuckoo clock.Mrs Clark: Is it plastic?Mrs Cook: Oh no, Mrs Clark. It’s a very expensive clock. It’s an electric clock.Mrs Clark: Well, it’s exactly six o’clock now, and it’s very quiet. Doesn’t it say “cuckoo”?Mrs Cook: Of course, Mrs Clark. Look!Clock: Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!Mrs Clark: How exciting! What a clever clock!Clock: Cuckoo!

TEXT 9.A Damaged Telephone.

Daisy: Dunstone 238-8282.Donald: Hello, Daisy. This is Donald.Daisy: Oh hello, darling.Donald: What did you do yesterday, Daisy? You forgot our date, didn’t you?Daisy: Well it rained yesterday, Donald, and I have a bad cold, so I decided to stay at home.Donald: Did you? I telephoned twenty times and nobody answered.Daisy: Oh, the telephone was damaged. They repaired it today.Donald: What did David do yesterday? Did he and Dotty go dancing?Daisy: No, they stayed at home and played cards with the children.Donald: And what did you do? Did you play cards too?Daisy: No, Sidney and I listened to the radio and studied. What did you do yesterday Donald?Donald: I’ve just told you, Daisy. I tried to phone you twenty times!

TEXT 10.Waiting for Templetons.

Tessa: What time did you tell Templetones to get here, Martin?Martin: Any time between 10 and12.Tessa : But it’s after two! They are terribly late!Martin: Why didn’t you contact United Transport as I told you?Tessa: Peter Thomson said that Templetones were better.Martin: Tessa! Peter Thomson’s a director of Templetones. Oh! blast it! I’ve torn my trousers on the radiator.Tessa: Oh, Martin, do take care!.. Hadn’t we better telephone?Martin: I’ve tried. The telephone’s not connected yet.Tessa: And the water’s still cut off. We can’t just wait here all afternoon in an empty flat with no water and no telephone.Martin: How uninviting an empty flat is.Tessa: And it seems tiny, too, now doesn’t it?Martin: I’m tempted to take a taxi straight into town and stay the night in a hotel.Tessa: How extravagant! But what a delightful thought!

TEXT 11.What a Boring Book You’re Reading!

Jonathan: What are you doing, Elizabeth?Elizabeth: What am I doing? I’m reading. What does it look like as though I’m doing?Jonathan: What are you reading?Elizabeth: A book, silly. What do you think? You can see I’m reading a book.Jonathan: I wish I could have a look at it. Do you think I could have a look at it, Elizabeth? Elizabeth, is it an interesting book?Elizabeth: Yes, a very interesting book. But an adult book. Ok, come and have a look at it and then go away and leave me alone.Jonathan: But what an awful book! It looks as boring as anything. How can you look at a book like that? What does it say?Elizabeth: Jonathan! You’re an awfully boring and annoying little boy! Go away!

TEXT 12.George Churchill

Jerry: Just outside this village there’s a very dangerous bridge.John: Yes. Charles told me two jeeps crashed on it in January. What happened?Jerry: Well, George Churchill was the driver of the larger jeep, and he was driving very dangerously. He’d been drinking gin.John: George Churchill! Do I know George Churchill?Jerry: Yes. That ginger-haired chap. He’s the manager of the travel-agency in Chester.John: Oh, yes. I remember George. He’s always telling jokes. Well, was anybody injured?Jerry: Oh, yes. The other jeep went over the edge of the bridge and two children and another passenger were badly injured.John: Were both the jeeps damaged?Jerry: Oh, yes.John: And what happened to George?Jerry: George? He’s telling jokes in jail now, I suppose.

TEXT 13.A Special Washing Machine.

Mrs Marsh: Does this shop sell washing machines?Mr Shaw: Yes. This is the newest washing machine, madam.Mrs Marsh: Is it Swedish?Mr Shaw: No. madam, it’s English.Mrs Marsh: Please show me how it washes.Mr Shaw: Shall I give you a demonstration? Here are some sheets and shirts. You put them in the machine. You shut the door. And push this button.Mrs Marsh: The machine shouldn’t shake like that. Should it?Mr Shaw: Washing machines always shake, madam. It’s finished now.Mrs Marsh: But the sheets have shrunk and so have the shirts.Mr Shaw: Do you wish to buy this machine, madam?Mrs Marsh: I’m no sure.

TEXT 14.Noisy Neighbours.

Mr Pring: (angrily) Bang! Bang! What are the Kings doing at seven o’clock on Sunday morning?Mrs Pring: Well, Mr King is singing.Mr Pring: Yes, but what’s the banging noise?Mrs Pring (looking out of the window) He’s standing on a ladder and banging some nails into the wall with a hammer. Now he’s hanging some strong string on the nails.Mr Pring: And what is Mrs King doing?Mrs Pring She is bringing somethink pink for Mr King to drink. Now she’s putting it under the ladder, and … Ohh!Mr Pring: What’s happened?Mrs Pring The ladder is falling!Mr Pring: What’s Mr King doing? Mrs Pring He’s hanging from the string. He’s holding the string in his fingers and he’s shouting to Mrs King.Mr Pring: And is she helping him?Mrs Pring No. She’s running to our house. Now she’s ringing the bell.Mr Pring: I’m not going to answer. I’m sleeping.

TEXT 15.An Expensive Holiday.

Eddie: Hello, Ellen! Hello, Ben! Hello, Jenny!Ben: Hello, Eddie! Have a cigarette.Eddie: Thanks, Ben.Ellen: Help yourself to whiskey!Jenny: It’s on the shelf.Ben: How did you spend your holiday, Eddie?Eddie: I went to America with a friend.Everybody: Well!Ellen: We’re jealous.Ben: Was it expensive?Eddie: Yes. Very. I’ve spent everything.Jenny: Haven’t you any money left?Eddie: Yes, Jenny, ten pence.