- I hear you have moved to a new apartment Steve. Is it true?

- Yes, it is. One of these days we'll arrange a housewarm-party. And I want you and your wife Carol to be present.

- Thank you for the Invitation. How do you like your new apartment?

- It is very comfortable. It is a three bedroom apartment with modem conveniences: electric stove and a lot of built-in cupboards.

- On what floor is it?

- Our apartment is on the tenth floor of a high-rise dwelling house. We've got two elevators which work round o'clock.

- Is it far from the centre of the city?

- Rather. It takes me about an hour to get to the centre by bus and by metro. If I drive a car, it takes me thirty minutes.

- I see. Have you bought new furniture?

- We've bought wall units, two armchairs and a new icebox. We are planning to buy two carpets and a dining set.

- Good luck!

- Thanks. Are you going to move to a new apartment?

- No, I am not. We have been living in our two-room apartment for about eight years and we don't want to move anywhere.

- Your apartment is comfortable, isn't it?

- Yes, very. My wife arranged everything very nicely and I like it very much. We don't have much furniture, but we have got everything we need.

- I am glad to hear it.

- Your name is George Scott, isn't it?

- Yes, it is. I am an electronic engineer. I live and work in New York. And what's your name?

- My name is Peter Brook. I am an editor. I live and work in San Francisco.

- You are married, aren't you?

- Oh, yes. I am married and I've got two daughters.

- What a coincidence! I've got two daughters, too: Helen and Mary. What are your daughters names?

- They are Susan and Jane. Susan is ten years old and Jane is eight. They both go to a private school. Do your daughters go to school?

- Not yet. Helen is five years old and Mary is three.

- They are at home. aren't they?

- Sure. My wife Joan doesn't work now. She runs house and looks after the children. Emily is the name of my wife. She is a designer. She adores her trade and dreams of going to her office again. But she can't for the time being.

- It's only natural. Nowadays very few women are satisfied with being housewives. My wife whose name is Nancy is a teacher of Russian. She works at a college.

- Do you have any brothers or sisters?

- Unfortunately not. I am the only child in the family. I've got a cousin who lives in Chicago. We are on friendly terms.

- I have got a sister. She is much younger than I am. She lives with our parents in Los Angeles. I've seen very little of her of late.

- Los Angeles is a beautiful city. My aunt lives there and I visit her from time to time.

- It's a long time since I went to Los Angeles.

- Too bad!

Don: Can either of you tell me who the most popular authors are today? Perhaps you can, Ronald. You see so many people in the train to and from London.

Ronald: Yes, I do, and they seem to read newspapers mostly but if it's a novel it's certainly a paperback and usually a detective story or a spy thriller. I myself prefer something with more meat in it, a travel book or a biography. for instance.

Colin: I think novels are for men. They have much more time on their hands, and they can't do without romance.

Ronald: I couldn't agree with you more. Most of the men I see on the train who are not reading newspapers are poring over the books about politics, history, or do-it-yourself manuals showing them how to make their wives a comer cupboard out of an old box or build a model railway for their sons. This sort of things gives them a purpose in life. which novel-reading certainly doesn't. If they want light entertainment they've always get TV.

Mrs. Hunt: How long have you lived here. Clare?

Mrs. Blake: Since last June... about a year.

Mrs. Hunt: Was it cold last winter?

Mrs. Blake: Yes it was, but not as cold as Geneva. December and February were much colder than January.

Mrs. Hunt: Did you have much snow?

Mrs. Blake: Yes! Of course we didn't have as much snow as you had in Geneva.

Mrs. Hunt: What about the other seasons?

Mrs. Blake: I think autumn was the most beautiful season. The days were clear and dry and it was sunny warm all the time. September and October were the nicest months but November was terrible. We had a lot of rain.

Mrs. Hunt: What was last spring like?

Mrs. Blake: It wasn't very nice. May was nicer than March and April. March was cold and April was wet.

Mrs. Hunt: What's summer like? Is it always as hot as this?

Mrs. Blake: It wasn't last year. But the summer's been marvellous this year.

Mrs. Hunt: Is August as hot as July?

Mrs. Blake: No... it's usually cooler and drier.

John: Oh. let's go and have a cup of tea, Pauline. I think we've earned a rest after all this sightseeing!

Pauline: I think that's a very good idea. Oh, John, look over there. There's a man waving. I think he's waving to you.

John: Waving? To me - ? Oh. good gracious, that's Peter Harvey. I haven't seen him for years. We were at school together.

Pauline: Well. he's coming over, and there's a girl with him. too.

John: Oh? Oh. I expect that's his wife. Yes. I remember now, someone told me he was married.

Peter: Hello, John. How are you?

John: Hello. Peter. I haven't seen you for ages.

Peter: You haven't met my wife, have you? Mary. this is my old friend, John Hicks.

Mary: How do you do, Mr Hicks? Peter has often talked about you.

John: How do you do. Mrs Harvey? Oh, Pauline, may I introduce Mr and Mrs Harvey? Miss Maxtell.

Pauline: How do you do, Mrs Harvey?

Mary: How do you do. Miss Maxtell? Happy to see you.

John: Pauline is over here on short visit, and I have been showing her round.