DOCTOR SANDFORD’S FAMILY

 

Doctor Sandford's family is not very large. There are five of them. The five members of his family are: his mother, his sister- in-law, his son Benny, his wife Helen and himself. Helen has no parents.

Old Mrs. Sandford is fifty-eight. Helen is twenty-six. Doctor Sandford is thirty. Benny is an only child and there are no boys or girls in the family for him to play with.

ABOUT BENNY'S COUSINS

"Granny, have I any cousins?"

"Yes Benny! You have two."

"Whose children are they? How old are they? Are they boys or girls?"

"Not so many questions at once, please, Benny! Your cousins are: a five-year-old boy, Georgie, and a four-year-old girl, May. They are your Aunt Emily's children. They are in Canada now with their parents: your Aunt Emily, my daughter, and her husband, Mr. Thomas Brown."

"In Canada? What's Canada, granny? Where is it?"

"Canada is a far-away country. It is in the North of America."

"In the North of America? Where is it? Is it as far as London?"

"Oh, no Benny! It's much farther." "But, granny..."

"Come along, my dearest. It's just the time for your midday milk."

 

OUR ENGLISH LESSON

 

Teacher: Good morning, all! Sit down please!I expect no oneis away?

Monitor: Nobody is. Allare present. Oh, sorry, Ann is not here.

T e а с h e r:What's up? Is she ill?

Monitor: It's flu with a hightemperature.

Teacher:That's too bad. Well now. Let's begin. We'll check our homework. Mike, will you take yourexercise-bookand come to the board?

Mike:Shall I write the words intranscription?

Teacher: Do. And you, Helen, readText 7, will you? The others shouldwrite down the mistakes if she has any. Do you follow me? Will you read a littlelouder, please.That'll do. Any mistakesnoticed?

Julia: I believe there's somepalatalization in the nouns "family" and "Benny".

Teacher:That's it. Please, Helen,pronounce the words. Now it's correct. You must work more.Pronunciation is your weak point, I'm afraid.

Helen: Shall I read the text again for the next time?

Teacher: Yes.Have another try and make your reading moredistinct. Now everybody look at the board!

Mike: Shall I read the exercise?

Teacher: Of course. (Mike reads). Is everything correct, Pete?

Pete: I think it is.

Teacher: Thank you, Mike. Clean the board, please, and go to your seat. (To the monitor). Have we got theheadphones?

Monitor: Here they are.

Teacher: Fine. Let's listen to the new text. Open your books at page 81. Will you pleaseswitch on thetape-recorder?Thank you.

 

Going to the St George's Hotel

 

Characters: 1. Traveler (T)

2. Taxi Driver (D)

T: Driver, take me to the St George's Hotel, please. These are my cases.

D: St George's? That's in Westminster — near Caxton Hall, Hop in then, miss. Shan't be long. ... Here we are, miss. St George's Hotel.

T: Thank you, driver. What do I owe you?

D: Eighty pence miss. You go ahead — I'll bring your lug­gage. There you are, miss. Thanks. That's the Recep­tion Office — right in front of you.

 

Going to Waterloo Station

 

Characters: Same as above.

T: Do you think you can get me to Waterloo by a quarter to ten?

D: We should be O.K., sir, if the lights are with us. ... Here we are, sir. Waterloo Station. You've still got twelve minutes to spare. A pound and fifty pence, please.

T: Thank you, driver. Here you are. You can keep the change.

 

Going to Leicester Square

 

Characters: Same as above.

T: Leicester Square. I have to be there at nine fifteen. It's urgent.

D: I think we can make it, if we get a move on. ... Here we are, madam. Leicester Square. Two pounds seventy pence.

T: Thank you. Let's call it three pounds.

D: Thanks, madam.

 

Going to Liverpool Street Station

 

Characters: Same as above.

T: Liverpool Street, please. I want to catch the 8.15 to Nor­wich.

D: We'll be all right, if there are no hold-ups, sir. ... This is just it, sir. Just one pound, please.

T: Thank you.

 

Asking the Way to the British Museum

 

Characters: Same as above.

T: Excuse me, but I'm trying to find the British Museum.

P: First left, second right. You can't miss it.

T: Is it too far to walk?

P: No, it's only a couple of hundred yards.

T: Thanks very much.

P: That's all right.

 

Going to Westminster Bridge

 

Characters: 1. Traveller (T)

2. Bus Conductor (C)

T: Does this bus go to Westminster Bridge?

C: No, you'll have to get off at Marble Arch, and take a U2.

T: Could you tell me where to get off?

C: It's four stops after this one.

 

Going to Oxford Street

 

Characters: Same as above.

C: Fares, please.

T: Am I OK for Oxford Street?

C: Yes, but you can go only as far as Wellington Road. Get off there, and take а 113 (one one three).

T: How much further is it?

C: It's the next stop but one.

T: Thank you.

 

At the Bus Stop

Characters: 1. Traveller (T)

2. Resident (R)

R: Have you been waiting here long?

T: Yes, I have. It's not a very good service, is it?

R: It certainly isn't. Although it never used to be like this; it used to be quite good.

T: Did it really? Have you used this route for a long time, then?

R: Yes, I've been travelling to Town by bus at this time every morning for the last five or six years. I don't think I've seen you here before, though.

T: No, I don't suppose you have. I've only been here less than a week.

R: I see. Do you like it here?

T: Well, I don't know the place very well yet, but I like what I've seen so far.