Lesson 36, Part I

Ordering New Clothes

• Good morning, I should like to order a lounge suit. What have you got in the way of materials? I want something for the autumn, not too heavy and not too light.

• How do you like this pattern, sir?

• It’s much too light in colour for autumn. I’d rather have something darker, and a bit heavier.

• What about this, then?

• Yes, that’s better. How much is it?

• This is an exceptionally good quality cloth, very soft, and guaranteed pure wool. A suit of this will cost you 50 pounds.

• I’m afraid that’s really more than I wanted to pay. I should have liked something cheaper, but still, I expect it’s worth it.

• Very good, sir. If you take off your coat, I’ll take your measurements… That’s all, thank you. Can you call in tomorrow fortnight for a fitting?

• That’ll be a Wednesday, won’t it? Yes, that’ll suit me. I’ll call in between two and three.

Lesson 36, Part II

At the Dress-shop

- I should like to try on one of these dresses.

- Please come with me to the fitting-room. This is a model gown and quite the latest style.

- I like the style but I don’t care for the colour, and it’s a bit large, too.

- What about this one? We have this model in several sizes and colours: pale-green, dark-brown, black…

- Let me see the black one in my size. Yes, that’s better but isn’t the skirt rather long?

- Yes, we’ll shorten that for you an inch or two, and the waist will have to be taken in a little as well, but you can leave all that to us.

Dialogues About Families

This is a conversation between Dr. Peter Jones, a psychiatrist, and his sister Valeria, who has just returned from Oxford. Valeria enters the room and sees her brother. Peter starts the conversation.

- Valeria, you’re back! I haven’t seen you for such a long time! How’ve you been?

- Just fine. And you?

- I’ve missed you so much!

- Congratulate me, Peter! I’m a college graduate. Now I’m going to become an English teacher.

- What good ideas you always have!

- How’s your job?

- It’s fine. Imagine, Mr. Black, my old friend, is in hospital. He has lost his memory.

- What, again?

- Yes, for the third time! I’m afraid something heavy has fallen on his head. He can’t remember even his own name. Poor Mrs. Black!

- I’ve never heard that Mr. Black has a family. Please, tell me something about them!

- Well, Mr. Black has a wife and two children, a boy and a girl. Mrs. Black is a critic. That’s why she spends most of her time sitting in an armchair and reading different books. Their son John is twelve, and Mary is four years her brother’s junior, but she is much more serious than John.

- Why do you think so?

- Well, Mary is a clever girl; she likes to read and to write letters. She has a senior pen-friend in Canada, whose name is Lillian. Lily is eleven. And as for John, he plays with his toy trains all day long. So draw your conclusion!

- Oh, I see now! It must be difficult to make him study!

- It is. And I have some more news. Do you know my colleague, Henry Sandford?

- Yes, I do. He’s a very attractive person.

- Then you must know his wife, Helen. She will be twenty-seven in two weeks, and Henry has already invited me to her birthday party.

- Helen? Oh, I know her sister, Betty Smith! Has she graduated from St. Paul’s college?

- Yes, she has. Now Betty is a writer. Elizabeth Louise Smith! She is going to publish her first detective novel. I think she dreams of becoming “the second” Agatha Christie.

- I’m so eager to read this novel! And how’s Benny, their son? How old is he?

- He is four. And he has brought so many animals to the house! Now they have white mice, a hedgehog and a parrot.

- They shouldn’t have brought a hedgehog to their house as a pet! These animals do not live long, if taken to a house!

- I know it, as well as Mrs. Sandford. But it’s impossible to quarrel with Benny! Now he is eager to have a stupid, stinky rabbit! Fortunately his mother is against it.

- When you started speaking about animals, I remembered about my plans/ I’m going to Devonshire, to Mr. McDonald’s place. Do you know him?

- No, I don’t. What’s he?

- Mr. McDonald is a farmer. He has a large farm with a lot of animals. He has horses and cows, sheep, goats and swine, turkeys, hens and geese. He also has a cat and a collie, and his best friend is a funny grey donkey. So you can’t feel lonely on his farm! By the way, I’m engaged to his nephew. His name is Douglas. We met three years ago. And on Christmas Eve, when we were skating, he made a declaration of love!

- And what did he say?

- I can’t remember everything, but he said that he loved me in the morning and in the afternoon, and many other beautiful words. Douglas is so poetical.

- I’m glad you’re so happy. So, when are you going to leave?

- Douglas is waiting for me on Friday evening. I think I’ll take a train to Devonshire. So I’ll leave in two days.

- Then have a nice weekend. I’m gonna miss you, I really am.

- So am I. I wish you could go with me.

- Oh, no, I’m too busy. Have a nice weekend.

- Thank you, Peter.