剑桥英语

Im really sorry:Ted: Oh, Im really sorry. Are you OK?Ana: Im fine. But Im not very good at this.Ted: Neither am I. Say, are you from South America?Ana: Yes, I am originally. I was born in Argentina.Ted :Did you grow up there?Ana:Yes,I did,but my family moved here eight years ago when I was in high school.Ted :And where did you learn to rollarblade?Ana:Here in the park.This is only my second time.Ted :Well,its my first time.Can you give me some lessons?Ana:Sure.Just follow me.Ted :By the way,my name is Ted.Ana:And Im Ana.Nice to meet you.Hey,hey!that was funTed:Hey,hey!that was fun.Thank you for the lesson!Ana:No problem.So,tell me a little about yourself.What do you do?Ted:I work in a travel agency.Ana:Really! What do you do there?Ted:Im in charge of their computers.Ana:Oh,so youre a computer specialist.Ted:Well, sort of.Yeah,I guess so.Ana:Thats great.Then maybe you can give me some help with a computer course Im taking.Ted:Oh,sure.But only if you promise to give me some more rollarblading lessons.Ana:Its a deal!Interviewer:Where are you from originally,Yu Hong?Yu Hong:Im from China.from near Shanghai.Interviewer:And when did you move here?Yu Hong:I came here after I graduated from college.That was in 1992.Interviewer:And what do you do now?Yu Hong:Im a transportation engineer.Interviewer:I see.So you re an immigrant to the United States.Yu Hong:Yes,thats right.Interviewer:What are some of difficulties of being an immigrant in the U.S.?Yu Hong:Oh,thats not an easy question to answer.There are so many things,really.I guess one of the biggest difficulties is that I dont have any relatives here.I mean, I have a lot of friends,but thats not the same thing.In China,on the holidays or the weekend,we visit relatives.It isnt the same here.Interviewer:And what do you miss the most from home?Yu Hong:Oh, thats easy:my moms soup!She makes great soup.I really miss my mothers cooking.Interviewer:Where are you from,Ajay?Ajay:Im from India.Interviewer:And when did you move to the U.S.?Ajay:It was in 1991Interviewer:Are you studying here at the moment?Ajay:Not now.I came here as a student and graduated two yeas ago.Im woking as a computer technician.Interviewer: Uh-huh.And what was it like when you first came here?Was it difficult?Ajay: Yeah,it was at times.The main difficulty I had was with the educational system.Things are very different here.Teaching methods,everything is very different from what I was used to in India.Interviewer: And what do you miss the most from India?Ajay: To tell you the truth,after youre here for a while,you dont miss anything very much.But I guess the weather and my family are the things I miss.And the quality of life.The quality of life is much nicer back home,frankly speaking.A: Hey! Are these pictures of you when you were a kid?B: Yeah! Thats me in front of my uncles beach house. When I was a kid, we used to spend two weeks every summer. A: Wow, I bet that was fun!B: Yeah. We always had a great time. Every day we used to get up early and walk along the beach. I have a great shell collection. In fact, I think its still up in the attic!A: Hey, I used to collect shells, too, when I was a kid. But my parents threw them out!A: You know what I remember most about growing up?B: What?A: Visiting my grandparents house you know, on holidays and stuff. They lived way out in the country, and my granddad had a horse named Blackie. He taught me how to ride. I just love that horse-and she loved me, too! I used to really enjoy spending time at my grandparents house. And every time I came back, Blackie remembered me.B: Ah, memories!A: Why is there never a bus when you want one?B: Good question. There arent enough buses on this route.A: Sometimes I feel like writing a letter to the paper.B: Good idea. You should say that we need more subway lines, too.A: Yeah. There should be more public transportation in genral.B: And fewer cars! Theres too much traffic.A: Say, is that our bus coming?B: Yes, it is. But look. Its full!A: Oh, no! Lets go and get a cup of coffee. We can talk about this letter Im going to write.A: So you are really going to write a letter to the paper?B: Sure. Im going to say something about the buses. Theyre too old. We need more modern buses nice air-conditioned ones.B: And they need to put more buses on the road.A: Right. And there are too many cars downtown, and there isnt enough parking.B: Thats for sure. Its impossible to find a parking space downtown these days.A: I think they should ban private cars downtown between nine and five.B: Oh, you mean they shouldnt allow any cars except taxis and buses during the regular workday. Hmm that sounds like a really good idea.Quite a number of things have been done to help solve traffic problems in Singapore. For example, motorists must buy a special pass if they want to drive into the downtown business district. They can go into the business district only if they have the pass displayed on their windshield.Another thing Singapore has done is to make it more difficult to buy cars. People have to apply for a certificate if they want to buy a car. And the number of certificates is limited. Not everyone can get one.There is also a high tax on cars, so it costs three or four times as much to buy a car in Singapore as it does in, say, the United States or Canada.The other thing Singapore has done is to build an excellent pubic transportation system. Their subway system is one of the best in the world. And there is also a very good taxi and bus system.A: Excuse me. Could you tell me where the bank is?B: Theres one upstairs, across from the duty-free shop.A: Oh, thanks. Do you know what time it opens?B: It should be open now. It opens at 8:00A.M.A: Good. And can you tell me how often the buses leave for the city?B: You need to check at the transportation counter. Its right down the hall.A: OK. And just one more thing. Do you know where the nearest restroom is?B: Right behind you, maam. See that sign?A: Oh. Thanks a lot.A: Excuse me. Its me again. Im sorry. I need some more information-if you dont mind.B: Not at all.A: Thanks. Do you know how much a taxi costs to the city?B: Well, it depends on the traffic, of course. But it usually costs about forty dollars.A: Forty dollars? I guess Ill take the bus. That means I have almost an hour till the next one. Where could I find an inexpensive restaurant in the airport? Maybe a fast-food place?B: Go upstairs and turn right. Youll see the snack bar on your left.A: Thanks very much. Have a nice day.B: You,too.A: What do you think?B: Well, it has just as many bedroom as the last apartment. And the living room is huge.C: But the bedroom are too small. And there isnt enough closet space for my clothes.A: And its not as cheap as the last apartment we saw.B: But that apartment was dark and dingy. And it was in a dangerous neighborhood.A: Lets see if the real estate agent has something else to show us.A: Well, how do you like this space, then?C: Oh, its much better than that other one. The thing I like best is the bedrooms. They are too huge!B: Yes, they are nice and big.C: And there are two bathrooms! I could have my own bathroom!B: Yes, I guess you could.C: The only problem is the color of the living room. I really dont like those dark green walls.A: Oh, Im sure we can change the color if we want to.A: Creative Rentals. Good morning.B: Hello. Im calling about the apartment you have for rent.A: Yes. What can I tell you about it?B: Where is it, exactly?A: Its on King Street, just off the freeway.B: Oh, near the freeway. Can you hear the traffic?A: Yes, Im afraid you do hear some. But the apartment has lots of space. It has three bedrooms and a very large living roomB: I see. And is it in a new building?A: Well, the building is about fifty years old.B: Uh-huh. Well, Ill think about it.A: OK. Thanks for calling.B: Thank you. ByeA: Hello？B: Hello. Is the apartment youre advertising still available?A: Yes, it is.B: Can you tell me a little about it?A: Well, its a perfect apartment for one person. Its one room with a kitchen at one end.B: I see. And is it far away from the subway?A: Theres a subway station just down the street. Actually, the apartment is located right downtown, so you step out of the building and there are stores and restaurants everywhere. But its on a high floor, so you dont hear any street or traffic noise.B: It sounds like just the kind of place Im looking for. Id like to come see it, please.A: Sure. Let me give you the address.A: Town and City Rentals. How can I help you?B: Hi, Ummis that apartment you advertised still available?A: Yes, it is.B: Oh, good. Ummlisten. I, cant pay too much, so the low price youre asking is, is really good for me.A: Great.B: How big is it?A: Its two rooms, plus the kitchen and bathroom.B: Well, is it a safe place to live?A: Well, I can tell you Ive lived here for five years and I never heard about anybody having a problem. B: Oh, thats good. Uhlets see. Oh, yeah. Does the apartment have a lot of windows?A: Windows? Yes, there are plenty of windows. But unfortunately, there isnt much light, really. See, theres another building right next to ours.B: Oh, thats Ok. Im never around in the day anyway. Do you think its all right if I come and look at it?A: Anytime. When do you want to see it?A: So where are you working now, Terry?B: Oh, Im still at the bank. I dont like it, though.A: Thats too bad. Why not?B: Well, its boring, and it doesnt pay very well.A: I know what you mean. I dont like my job either. I wish I could find a better job.B: Actually, I dont want to work at all anymore. I wish I had a lot of money so I could retire now.A: Hmm, how old are you, Terry?B: Uh, twenty-six.