Listening Activity No. 1

A: Mr. Wang, would you like some tea?
B: Yes, please.
A: Here you are.
B: Thanks. Oh, it tastes different from Chinese tea.
A: Do you like it?
B: Yes. It’s not too bad. How do you make English-style tea?
A: Ifs easy. Put some water in a kettle and boil the water. Then you should warm the pot.
B: Warm the pot? How do you do this?
A: Just by putting a little hot water into the teapot and swilling it round—you know, to make the very best tea, the water must be as hot as possible.
B: Uh-huh, so what do you do then?
A: So then, you put some tea into the teapot, about two to three teaspoons, and then you pour the boiling water over the tea.
B: And then is it ready to drink?
A: No, you should let the tea stand for a few minutes to let it brew properly—it has to be quite strong—and then pour a little milk into a cup.
B: Some milk?
A: Yes, if you like tea with milk, which most English people do. Pour the tea into the cup and it’s ready to drink, or if you want to add some sugar to the tea, maybe one or two teaspoons. B: That’s it?
A: Yes, that’s it.
B: I may give it a go next time, then.

Listening Activity No. 2

(Jack is staying with his sister Mary in England. He wants to have a shower but he doesn’t know how to use it. So he phones Mary.)
Mary: 563721, EBC Company-
jack: Good morning. Can I speak to Mary? It’s her brother here.
Mary: Oh, hi, Jack. This is Mary. When did you come? I thought you were coming this afternoon.
Jack: Yes. Well, I planned to. But my friend bought a ticket for this morning instead, so… Mary: I see. Well, I’m sorry I’m very busy now so I can’t really leave. Well, you can have a rest
and take a shower…
Jack: That’s just it. I’m going to take a shower but I don’t know how to use your hot water tank. Mary: Oh, OK. .. well. ..，don’t plug in the electricity—the hot water tank, until you’re absolutely sure you’ve filled it with water.
Jack: Don’t plug in the hot water tank? Sorry?
Mary: Don’t plug it into the mains.
Jack: Oh.
Mary: Yep?
Jack: I see…before it’s full of water…Oh. I’m with you.
Mary: Um.. . because at the moment, er. . . it5s drained off for the winter, you see.
Jack: I get you. Yeh.
Mary: Now the tank. .. it’s got two taps underneath it.
Jack: Yes.
Mary: One’s red. One’s black.
Jack: Right.
Mary: You are all right?
Jack: Uhuh.
Mary: Now here. .. you’ve got to. .. you’ve got to close the red one first.
Jack: Close the red first, yes.
Mary: That’s the drainage tap.
Jack: Yeah.
Mary: Then you’ve got to open the black one. •.
Jack: Open the black one. –
Mary: . . . which is the supply tap…
Jack: Yes. . . um, well, yes. . . open the black one, right.
Mary: And it’ll take about five minutes probably to fill up.
Jack: Umhmn. •.
Mary: And then you can plug it into the mains.
Jack: Good. And then I get. . . ?
Mary: And. . . about half an hour later you should have some hot water with any luck.
Jack: About a half hour?
Mary: Um.
Jack: Fine…so I’ve got electricity and water.
Mary: Yes.
Jack: Great… well. . . {laughs) sounds like…
Mary: You should be all right.
Jack: OK. Thanks. See you soon.

Listening Activity No. 3

Police are searching for a man who is wanted for questioning about a string of burglaries in the London area. In the incidents, a man tied a woman in her own house in the early hours of the morning and escaped with goods valued at around five thousand pounds. They included items of jewellery, a stereo, a video recorder and a colour TV set. The woman managed to free herself unhurt after the man fled. She described the man as follows.
He is about thirty years old and of medium build. He has a long angular face and a pointed nose. He has a small moustache and short black hair. His eyes are small and he wears glasses. He also has a faint scar on his left cheek.
Til repeat that description. A man of medium build with a long angular face, a pointed nose and small eyes. He has a small moustache, short black hair and he was wearing glasses. He has a faint scar on his left cheek. As I said, please contact your nearest police station if you think you can offer any assistance.

Listening Activity No. 4

Last night, a man broke into a factory in the Leeds area and got away with cash of around six thousand pounds. He is about forty years old and very short, about 155 cm. He is almost completely bald and has got a little hair at the sides above each ear. But he does have a big brown beard. He was later seen driving away from the scene in an old blue Escort car. Police warn that this man could be armed and therefore dangerous. If anyone has any information as to his whereabouts, please contact your nearest police station.
Til repeat that description. A man about forty years old, 155 cm tall, almost bald with a little hair above each ear. He has a big brown beard. If anyone sees him, please contact your nearest police station.

Listening Activity No. 5

A: Hello, 2345786.
B: Hello. Could I speak to Jim Schaefer, please?
A: Speaking.
B: Oh, hi, Jim. This is Kathy. Fm sorry to bother you so late. I just want to ask you a little favour. A: Oh, sure. Fd like to help out, just anything you want.
B: Look. My sister Diana is coming to visit our campus. We5re supposed to meet at the front of the main building at 9:00 am tomorrow.
A: Yes.
B: Unfortunately, I forgot that I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning so I can’t go and meet her. Could you possibly meet her for me?
A: Yes, I could, but Fve never seen your sister before.
B: Well, she is sort of average height and quite slim. She’s twenty-one years old with short curly hair and she has an attractive face and usually looks pretty cheerful. Ifs easy to recognise her. She usually wears a jumper and trousers with flat shoes.
A: OK. Let me write that down. . . average height and slim. . . about twenty-one years old, with short curly hair and an attractive face. She will probably be wearing a jumper and trousers. Is that right?
B: Yes.
A: OK. I think I should be able to recognise her.
B: Thank you very much.

Listening Activity No. 6

Woman: Officer, officer-officer: Yes, ma’am.
Woman: Somebody just took my purse. My money, my credit cards and everything’s gone. Officer: All right, just calm down a minute. . . OK. Now, what did the person look like?
Woman: He was kind of tall and thin.
Officer: About how tall?
Woman: Around 1.70, something like that.
Officer: Around 1.70, and how old was he?
Woman: Fm not sure. Oh. . . he was fairly young. . . er in his teens, I think. . . seventeen or eighteen.
Officer: And what colour was his hair?
Woman: Blond, and it was long and frizzy.
Officer: Eyes?
Woman: I don’t know. It all happened so fast.
Officer: Yes, of course. What was he wearing?
Woman: He was wearing old jeans and a T-shirt, and boots. Oh, yes, he was wearing glasses. Officer: Fine, and now tell me about your purse. What did it look like?
Woman: Well, it was red and it had a shoulder strap.
Officer: What was it made of?
Woman: Leather.
Officer: OK. Now I’ll need your name and address.

Listening Activity No. 7

A: Clifton Police Station. Can I help you?
B: Yes. It’s about my daughter, Mary. She went to school this morning and she hasn’t arrived yet, and it’s 11 o’clock.
A: Just a moment, Mrs…？
B: Mrs. Joe Smith, 34 Bath Road.
A: Thank you. Now Mrs. Smith, what exactly is the matter?
B: Well, Mary left home this morning at about 9:00. Then her teacher telephoned me about an hour ago and asked if Mary was ill. I said, “No. Why?” and then she said…
A: I see. Now, let’s have a few details. How old is Mary?
B: She is six.
A: And what does she look like?
B: Well, she is slim and has long dark hair tied in a pigtail with a ribbon in it.
A: Yes, slim, long dark hair tied in a pigtail with a ribbon in it. And what colour is the ribbon?
B: It’s pink.
A: Pink, OK. What does she wear?
B: She is wearing a white short-sleeved blouse and a pink and white striped skirt, long stockings and black shoes.
A: Just a minute, let me write them down. A white short-sleeved blouse and a pink and white striped skirt, with long socks and black shoes. Is that right?
B: Yes, exactly.
A: All right，Mrs. Smith, we’ll help you find out your daughter. We’ll give you a call as soon as we get the information about your daughter.
B: Thank you very much.

Listening Activity No. 8

A: Uh, excuse me. Pm looking for a bank. Is there one around here?
B: A bank? Let’s see now. Oh, OK, the road we’re in now is the Broadway, so you need to go down this street to the intersection, turn left and go one block until you come to Beach Road, turn right onto Beach Road and then it’s on the right side of the street, just past the Chemist’s. You can’t miss it.
A: I see. Down to the intersection, turn left, go to the end of the block, and then turn right.
B: That’s it.
A: Thanks a lot.
B: You’re welcome.

Listening Activity No. 9

A: Excuse me. Could you tell me where the university library is, please?
B: The university library? Oh, yes. Well, when you leave the bus station, you should turn right. And if you walk a little way down the road, you’ll come to a crossroads. Turn right here, and about …
A: Er…what’s the name of the street?
B: Oh, ifs First Avenue. So you walk along this street, and about two hundred yards further down, there’s another crossroads, and this time you turn left into Hill Road.
A: So that’s right at the first crossroads and left at the second?
Uhuh. .. then as you walk up Hill Road, you’ll see the post office on your left, and next to it a large supermarket. The library’s just across the road from it, on your right.
A: OK, Hill Road, opposite the supermarket.
B: Ifs a fairly distinctive building, easy to spot, next to a big hotel.
A: That’s great. Opposite the supermarket and next to the big hotel. Actually, I could do with finding a good bookshop. Are there any nearby?
B: Hmm. . . there are a couple, one on Second Avenue and another on First. I think the one on First Avenue is probably the best.
A: How do I get there?
B: Well, instead of turning left up Hill Road at the second crossroads, just carry straight on. You’ll see a pub on the comer. Then it’s not the next building, but the one after that.
A: So it’s pretty near the library, then?
B: Yeah. The one on Second Avenue is nearer actually, but, as I said, this one’s bigger.
A: Wonderful. Oh, hang on. Before I go to the bookshop, I should get some money first. Is there a Lloyds Bank in town?
B: Er. . . Lloyds Bank? Yes. . . now. . . ifs. . . well, if you go straight across the first crossroads when coming out of the bus station, you’ll eventually get to a junction with Second Avenue. And I think Lloyds is on the comer there, opposite a small hairdresser’s.
A: OK. I think I can remember all those directions. Thank you ever so much. You’ve been very kind.
B: Not at all. I hope you find all the places OK.

Listening Activity No. 10

1. You’ve just come out of the bus station. Turn right and walk to the junction of Elm Avenue and Hanover Road. Turn left and walk up Hanover Road. Cross Woodlawn Lane, and continue up Hanover Road, you will see a big building on your right. What is the building on your left?

2.You’ve just come out of the bus station. Turn right and walk to the junction of Elm Avenue and Hanover Road. Turn left and walk up Hanover Road. Pass the Bank of Asia on your left and a small park just opposite. Cross Woodlawn Lane. Keep straight on until you see the zebra crossing, turn right, walk along Street Lane till the end of this road. What is the building on your right?

3.You’ve just come out of the bus station. Turn left. Walk straight on. Take the first turning on the right. Go along the Street Lane. Take the second turning on the left. What is the building on your right?

Listening Activity No. 11

1.(Mr. Smith has just come out of the station and is asking the driver the way.)

Smith: Excuse me. Could you tell me where the bookshop is?
Driver: When you leave the station, turn left, then cross Station Road at the junction, and walk up North Street. Take the first turning on the right, and the bookshop is the first building on the right.
Smith: Thank you.

2.(Miss Actin has just come out of the station and is asking the driver where a coffee bar is.)

Actin: Excuse me. Could you tell me where the coffee bar is?
Driver: Go straight along Station Road, pass the zebra crossing until you reach a crossroads with Market Street. The coffee bar is facing you on the right comer.
Actin: Thank you very much.

3.(Miss Abby has just come out of the station and wants to do some shopping.)
Abby: Excuse me. Can you tell me where the nearest chemist’s is?
Driver: A chemist’s? Oh, yes. There’s one on West Street. When you leave the station, turn left, and go along North Street until you get to some traffic lights. Take the right turning there, and walk straight on until just before a left hand turning called South Street. The chemist’s is on the left, on the comer of these two streets.
Abby: Thank you very much.

4.(Mr. Robert Smith wants to find a hotel.)
Robert: Excuse me. Could you tell me where I can find a hotel?
Driver: A hotel? Yes, there is one on the corner of West Street and Market Street next to the bookshop.
Robert: The comer of West Street and Market Street, next to the bookshop. Is that right?
Driver: Yes, that’s right.
Robert: Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Driver: Goodbye and have a nice day.

5.(Mary and Jack want to visit the art museum. They don’t know where it is.)
Mary: Excuse me. Could you tell us where the art museum is?
Driver: Yes. It’s on Market Street, opposite the hotel.
Mary: Thank you very much.
Driver: That’s OK.

Listening Activity No. 12

Conversation 1
A: Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get to the post office from here?
B: The post office? Let me think for a minute. The post office, ah, yes. It’s on Victoria Road. Go straight along High Street until you get to the park, turn right at this junction into Church Road and then take the second turning on your left. That’s Victoria Road. The post office is in the middle of the block on your left, opposite the church.
Conversation 2
A: Excuse me. I’m trying to find the bank. Do you know where it is?
B: The bank? Let me see now. We are on Lake Street so you go down this road until you come to Victoria Road. Turn left, and the bank is on your right. It takes up the whole block between Lake Street and Church Road. You can’t miss it.
Conversation 3
A: Excuse me please. Could you tell me how to get to Windsor Hotel?
B: Yes. I think it5s on Oxford Road. When you come out of the church, turn left and walk to the junction with Church Road, where you turn right. Go up Church Road, pass the coffee shop on your left and Windsor Hotel is on your right, just pass the coffee shop.
Conversation 4
A: Excuse me. Fm trying to find a Chinese restaurant. Do you know where it is?
B: A Chinese restaurant? Yes, there is one on High Street. When you come out of the church, go straight up Church Road until you reach High Street, turn left, and ifs the second building on your right.
A: I see. Thank you very much.
B: You’re welcome.
Conversation 5
A: Excuse me. Could you tell me if there’s a newsagent’s somewhere around here?
B: Er. . . yeah. Now then, if when you come out of the park, you go straight on Church Road, you’ll come to a crossroads. Turn right here and there’s a newsagent’s on your right, at the end of that road, on the comer of Lake Street.
A: Thanks a lot.
Conversation 6
A: Excuse me. I’m looking for a grocer’s shop. Is there one nearby?
B: Yeah. So, just walk along Victoria Road, you will see a coffee shop on your left and turn left at the junction into Church Road. Carry on down this road, past another crossroads, you will see a building on the right, pass the building on your right, the grocer’s shop is standing at the comer of Church Road and High Street, opposite the park.
A: At the comer of Church Road and High Street, opposite the park. That’s great. Thanks a lot.

Listening Activity No. 13

Allan: Hello, Janet. Pm glad to see you back. Did you have a nice holiday?
Janet: Yes, it wasn’t bad.
Allan: What did you do? Tell me all about it.
Janet: All right, if you’re really that interested. We arrived at our hotel at five o’clock on Saturday afternoon and didn’t really do anything much until the next morning, when my father hired a small family car and we all went to Safari Park, which is not far from London. It was a very interesting park full of lovely wild animals. We motored through the monkey’s compound first and that was an experience. They climbed all over our car and we had a wonderful view of the monkeys. Then we continued into the lions’ compartment and we had to lock ourselves in, because the lion’s could come very close.
Allan: Yeah, it must have been terrifying. Did they come to you?
Janet: Oh, no. We saw them sleeping under trees, quite far away from us. We were unlucky and didn’t see them clearly. Anyway, we had a good time there.
Allan: Oh, it sounds interesting—it is the kind of park I like.
Janet: On Monday we all went off to Oxford and spent a whole day there. On the way to Oxford we stopped at Stonehenge.
Allan: Stonehenge. It reminds me of my own experience when I was a student at Oxford.
Janet: Oh, yeah.
Allan: I thought it would be rather a romantic thing to do a drive in the early hours of the morning and watch the sun rise behind the stone. So…
Janet: That was a good idea. Did you do it?
Allan: Yes. I went there with some of my classmates. When we got there, it was still dark. It was very cold and wet. We stayed in the car and waited for the sun to come up.
Janet: Well, did you see it?
Allan: No. When it began to get a little bit light, we couldn’t see anything at all because there was so much fog around.
Janet: Oh, no, Fm sorry to hear that. But it was a beautiful day when we got there. We took lots of photographs there.
Allan: You were lucky. Well, did you do any sightseeing in London?
Janet: Yes. The next two days we stayed in London. On Tuesday we joined a sightseeing tour run by London Regional Transport, an excellent introduction to all London’s principal sights. We visited Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and about 11:30 we were at Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guard there.
Allan: Yes. The changing of the guard always takes place at 11:30 at Buckingham Palace from May to July every day. During winter it is on alternate days.
Janet: We also went to the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Anyway, we were pretty
tired so we went to bed very early. The next day we went to Greenwich by boat from Westminster Pier.
Allan: Oh, it sounds wonderful. A unique way of seeing some of London’s most famous landmarks is to take a trip on one of the passenger boats which follow the river Thames through the heart of London.
Janet: Yes, that is my favourite part of the holiday, just relaxing. And the day after that we went shopping for presents and souvenirs. Fve brought some really lovely things back. You should see some of them. And then in the evening we went to the cinema and saw a really great film.
Allan: What was it?
Janet: It was called Star Wars. It was really exciting. You5!! have to go and see it.
Allan: Oh, yes. I’ve heard it’s good. I should go. Well, I’m thinking of going to London for my next holiday actually.
Janet: Oh, you should. And then the last day, Friday, unfortunately it rained all day, so we stayed in the hotel. But we had quite a good time playing table tennis. Then the next morning we got up pretty early and left the hotel at ten, to give us plenty of time to get back.
Allan: Yeah, it’s a long journey. You must have been tired.
Janet: Yes, we were, but then we had Sunday to recover before I started work again.

Listening Activity No. 14

A: Hello, Mary. Did you go to the university for registration yesterday?
B: Yes. That day was a bit hectic. I was really tired.
A: Why, what happened?
B: Oh, I went to the West Building to register first, then on the way to the library to apply for my library card. I had to go to the South Building to see my tutor there. After the library, I had to go to the Student Union’s Office to book a ticket for the Oxford trip next week.
A: Yes, you did a lot of things.
B: Yes, but that wasn’t the end of it. I was pretty tired after all that. Anyway I went to the bar for lunch and I met Kathy there.
A: Kathy? Is it the girl you were talking about before?
B: Yes, she is my old schoolmate. She studies computing at my university. She now lives in the YMCA very close to the bar. She wanted to show me the computer centre, but it was closed. So she took me to the shopping centre in Ealing Broadway instead. We came back at 6:00 pm.
A: No wonder you were looking so tired.

Listening Activity No. 15

Over half a million children under five are taken to hospital each year after an accident at home. Tragically, about two hundred die. Most of these accidents need never have happened.
Think how your adult-size home looks through a young child’s eyes. Think how quickly your child is growing and. changing. “Out of reach” may be much higher than it was not long ago. So think ahead, their safety is in your hands.
Things look different from where children are. They can see lots of things to grab hold of or poke into: pan handles, the lead on the kettle, a hot drink, or the iron. If they grab something hot, it could burn or scald them. Even a cupful is dangerous.
When they’re moving around, they don’t always look ahead. They don’t see: panes of glass in doors and screens, things left on the floor, like toys, or spills in the kitchen, drawers or cupboard doors left open.
They can trip and fall over things, fall through panes of glass, or bump into things which stick out. Children like to explore and soon learn to open things. They can find lots of things you thought were hidden away, like in a kitchen cupboard or under the stairs. They can find: medicines and household cleaners一all these can harm them, matches, lighters, knives, and other sharp tools, plastic bags and things they could choke on like peanuts.
Children don’t know which things are dangerous. For instance, they can’t tell the difference between lemonade and turps. As children grow and explore they see new things they want to reach and play with. They can: climb the stairs on their own but then they don’t know how to get down again safely; climb on a chair to reach a window, then they could fall out of it; climb inside things, like cupboards and freezers; reach switches and knobs and turn them on and off. They could be anywhere. If you can’t hear them playing, please go and look for them.
Keeping a constant eye on them as they move around is very difficult. You can’t be everywhere at once, and anyway it’s important for them to leam about the world around them. But you can help keep them safe by planning ahead and making the right arrangements. You can: store all medicines and household chemicals out of reach of children; make sure they are not left lying around; make it more difficult for them to touch or grab hot things, for instance, turn pan handles away from the front of the cooker; use a short or curly lead on an electric kettle. Make sure all fires and heaters are guarded; use barriers on stairs and in doorway until they have learned to move around safely; fit safety glass at low level; make sure things are not left around on the floor or the stairs—this is safer for you as well as for them. Teach them about safety. Show them how to do things safely, like going up and down the stairs. Tell them about how hot things could hurt them.

Listening Activity No. 16

Well, my room is L-shaped. There’s a round dining table and four chairs opposite the kitchen door. So I can look out onto the garden when I eat. My record-player is in the comer, between the kitchen door and the small window. There are bookcases on both sides of the fireplace, and a rectangular coffee table in front of the fire. My bed is against the long wall, under the large window. I use it as a sofa during the day, so there are some big, striped cushions on it. Opposite the bed, against the kitchen wall, there’s a desk, and between the bed and the desk there’s a large armchair. I like sitting and reading in front of the fire with my feet up on the coffee table. In the empty space in front of the door, there’s an oval carpet on the floor. And the piano’s against the wall between the door and my bed.

Listening Activity No. 17

Richard: Good morning. 5723490.
Sally: Good morning, Richard. This is Sally.
Richard: Hello, Sally. How are you?
Sally: Fine, thanks. Listen, are you free this weekend?
Richard: Yes. Why?
Sally: You know, Fve just bought a new house in the countryside.
Richard: Oh, have you? Congratulations.
Sally: Thank you. I would like to invite you to have dinner with my family this weekend. Richard: That’s very kind of you. I’d love to. You’d better tell me how to get there. Where is your new house?
Sally: In Greenwich. How will you be coming?
Richard: By car, of course.
Sally: All right. So you’ll be coming from Andover. You need to take the road to Grand Town… Richard: Take the road. . . yeh. Hang on a moment, hang on a minute…
Sally: From Grand Town…
Richard: ’Cause I’m. .. I’m writing this down, ’cause I. .. Grand Town, that’s Gra. . •
Sally: That’s G-R-A-N-D, T-O-W-N. That’s right. Now, you’ll approach the village from the north.
Richard: Coming from the north. Uhuh.
Sally: The house is about two miles outside the village, by the way.
Richard: House is two. . . Uhuh.
Sally: Mmhmm. So now you get. .. you…you come into the centre of the village and you’ll arrive at the main square…
Richard: Come into centre…
Sally: On the far side…
Richard: Yeh, I. . . I can’t get lost there, can I?
Sally: No, you can’t miss it.
Richard: Mm.
Sally:…far side of the square you’ll see the Town Hall, “Le Mairie”…
Richard: Far side. . . hang on, far side. . . see Town Hall…
Sally: Right.
Richard: Yah.
Sally: Now, you need to go past the Town Hall, leaving it on your left…
Richard: Past. . . leave it on my left. . . yeh.
Sally: And cross the bridge over the river…
Richard: Bridge …over… river. OK.
Sally: Now, the thing I, when you get across the bridge…
Richard: Mm.
Sally: There’s a junction but there aren^ any signposts.
Richard: Oh, that’s helpful.
Sally: Well. . . you know how it is. So you turn right…
Richard: I cross the bridge. . . hang on. There’s a junction. . . yeh. . . and then I have to go right at the junction?
Sally: That’s right. You turn right immediately after the bridge.
Richard: Mmhmm.
Sally: And. . . basically you keep on that road. The road bears round to the left…
Richard: Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad…yeh.
Sally: First of all…um… after about half a mile, there’s a chateau on your right Richard: Is that your place?
Sally: Mm. .. ’fraid not. Couldn’t afford it.
Richard: Chateau. . . on. . . on the right, yehm?
Sally: And there’s a road going off opposite that…but ignore that road.
Richard: Oh?
Sally: Keep straight on. . . you keep straight on right.
Richard: Yeh.
Sally: Past the chateau.
Richard: Keep straight on…yes?
Sally: The next thing you come to is a farm at a place called Villac…
Richard: Farm. . . and then. . . Villac. Thafs V-I-L-L. . . ?
Sally: A-C.
Richard: A-C?
Sally: That’s it.
Richard: Uhuh?
Sally: And just after that the valley narrows and the road comes much closer to the river. Richard: Yes.
Sally: So you run along the river…
Richard: Uhuh.
Sally: For a little. . . few hundred metres really. The house is in the next group of buildings. Richard: Ah.
Sally: You’ve got a mill… opposite the house.
Richard: Ah. . . it sounds beautiful.
Sally: Well. . . ifs got. . . er. . . I think. .. I think you’ll like it when you get there.
Richard: So… hang on a minute, the mill is opposite …
Sally: Yeh, you’ve got the river on your right.
Richard: Yeh.
Sally: You come to the mill. . . which is on your right and three…
Richard: Yes?
Sally: Three houses on the left opposite the mill. . . and the house is the middle one.
Richard: House is the middle. . . one. OK.
Sally: Right? So do you think you’ll find it?
Richard: Well. . . well, with my sense of direction Fm not sure, but now. . . I. . . think Fve got everything down.
Sally: Fine. I’m sure you will. Dinner will start at six.
Richard: Do I need to bring something?
Sally: No, just bring yourself.
Richard: OK. I’ll be there by six.
Sally: Goodbye.

Listening Activity No. 18

Conversation 1
A: Can I help you, madam?
B: Yes. Could I have a second class return ticket to Nottingham to arrive by ten? A: That is forty-one pounds, please.
B: Here you are. Could you tell me which train I could take?
A: Let me see. It is 7:00 now, Friday. Yes, you can take the 7:30 train to get there. B: Thank you very much.
Conversation 2
A: Excuse me, Sir.
B: Yes, madam. What can I do for you?
A: Could you tell me the time of trains to Nottingham, please?
B: What sort of time do you want to go?
A: You see, I would like to go to Nottingham to visit my daughter. She will meet me at the station at 6:30 this Saturday. Which train should I take?
B: Take the 16:30 train and you will get there at 18:24. Is that all right?
A: That’s fine. Thanks a lot. Oh, by the way, how much does a weekend return ticket to London cost, please?
B: It costs forty-one pounds.
A: Thank you.
Conversation 3
A: Excuse me, Sir.
B: Yes, madam. May I help you?
A: Could you tell me which trains I can take if I buy a saver ticket to Nottingham?
B: Let me see. Oh, yes, you can take any train except 7:30 and 8:30 morning trains, and any trains after 17:30. Generally speaking, a saver ticket can be used on most trains except on a few peak-hour trains. Here is a timetable. You can check it by yourself.
A: Lovely. That will be very helpful.
Conversation 4
A: May I help you, young lady?
B: Yes. I have to get to Nottingham by 10:30 this Saturday morning. Could you tell me which train I should take to get there on time?
A: The 8:30 train will do.
B: I see. Could you tell me which platform the train leaves from?
A: Platform 4.
B: Thank you.
Conversation 5
A: Can I help you, madam?
B: Yes. I would like to get to Nottingham on Friday by seven o’clock. Which train should I take? A: The 17:05 train.
B: How much for a return saver ticket to Nottingham?
A: Twenty pounds, but I am afraid you can’t use a saver ticket on that train.
B: Can’t I? How much is standard fare?
A: Forty-one pounds, please.
B: Well, I think I should take standard fare. Here is forty-five.
A: Thanks. Here is your ticket and change.
B: Thank you very much.

Listening Activity No. 19

London can really boast about its variety of parks. London parks are spectacular and truly amazing. You can never imagine a city such as London to have so much green and open space. In every part of London you can find at least one park. Considering the sheer numbers of London parks, we will concentrate on the most popular ones.

Hyde Park—This is the most prominent and famous London park. This park has been the best London location from which you can reach the main shopping areas. Being 360 acres in size it can take some time to cross it over. In summer time there is an option of renting a small boat and gently paddling in the lake, having a refreshing drink or maybe fishing in certain allocated places. You will need a licence for fishing so please purchase one before you come here. If you are into roller-skating, this is the place for you. At the Speakers Comer you are free to scream at the whole wide world or have a normal debate with strangers about topics that interest you.

The second London park that visitors regularly see is Green Park. This is the place where on Saturdays and Sundays you can hardly move due to huge numbers of people standing outside the Buckingham Palace gates. Maybe while you are at the gates, you will have a chance to see people attempting to access the Palace driving a car through the gates or just landing with a parachute like it happened before. The Buckingham Palace was built in 1703 and bought by King George III sixty years later. It became a permanent residence of Kings and Queens after King George IV commissioned remodeling in 1824. It was “updated” twice more for needs of the court and their families. If you can see the Royal flag flying over the east front, you know that Her Majesty the Queen is inside. The interior of the Palace is open to the visiting public during August and September.

Regents’ Park —Situated in northwest London, this park can offer you a variety of fun and leisure. Inside the park is a boating lake where you can rent a boat and take pictures of birds nesting on an island found in the middle of the lake. If you are an avid lover of beautifully cultivated flowers, you will have a memorable experience. With plenty of chairs and benches around, you could just sit and watch the time pass you by.

Kew Gardens—Kew Gardens is a legend among the parks. To see botanical wonders from around the globe you have to come here. They store thousands of seeds in vaults to make sure that we do not lose another plant species. You really have to go there and see it with your own eyes.

Listening Activity No. 20

The Barbican Centre is the most popular attraction in London. In 2010 almost 40,000 people visited the Barbican Centre although this number dropped slowly during the following year. In 2011, the number of visitors was a little over 35,000. It then increased suddenly in 2012. In this year some restaurants were opened, offering food from a variety of different countries, resulting in a sharp rise from 35,000 to almost 50,000 until 2013.

The museums in London are some of the best in the world and, with the exception of special exhibits, are free to the public. The number of visitors to the museums was about 25,000. This was better than the number to Madame Tussauds, which was only 15,000 in 2010. It then decreased steadily until 2011. That was about 18,000. In 2012, a building extension was opened and the number of visitors to the museums began to level off at 17,000 visitors each year.

Madame Tussauds is the world’s oldest wax museum and it contains wax models of famous
people. There are galleries such as Hollywood Stars, World Leaders, The Royal Family, Sports Stars, The Culture Zone and The History of London. You will stay face-to-face with some of your favourite and the world’s most famous celebrities.

The least popular attraction was Madame Tussauds. In 2010 the number dropped slowly from 15,000 to less than 12,000. But in 2011 ticket price was going down, so the number of visitors increased suddenly from 12,000 to 25,000. It then leveled off since then. There is a slight rise every year.