New+Concept+English+Book+II (一)

Lesson 1 | A private conversation
   Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I
did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were
talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned round. I looked at
the man and the woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In the end, I could not
bear it. I turned round again. 'I can't hear a word!' I said angrily.
   'It's none of your business,' the young man said rudely. 'This is a private conversation!'

Lesson 2 | Breakfast or lunch?
   It was Sunday. I never get up early on Sundays. I sometimes stay in bed until
lunchtime. Last Sunday I got up very late. I looked out of the window. It was dark outside.
'What a day!' I thought. 'It's raining again.' Just then, the telephone rang. It was my aunt
Lucy. 'I've just arrived by train,' she said. 'I'm coming to see you.'
   'But I'm still having breakfast,' I said.
   'What are you doing?' she asked.
   'I'm having breakfast,' I repeated.
   'Dear me,' she said. 'Do you always get up so late? It's one o'clock!'

Lesson 3 | Please send me a card
   Postcards always spoil my holidays. Last summer, I went to Italy. I visited museums
and sat in public gardens. A friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian. Then he lent
me a book. I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word. Everyday I thought about
postcards. My holidays passed quickly, but I did not send cards to my friends. On the last
day I made a big decision. I got up early and bought thirty-seven cards. I spent the whole
day in my room, but I did not write a single card!

Lesson 4 | An exciting trip
   I have just received a letter from my brother, Tim. He is in Australia. He has been there
for six months. Tim is an engineer. He is working for a big firm and he has already visited
a great number of different places in Australia. He has just bought an Australian car and
has gone to Alice Springs, a small town in the centre of Australia. He will soon visit
Darwin. From there, he will fly to Perth. My brother has never been abroad before, so he
is finding this trip very exciting.

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Lesson 5 | No wrong numbers
   Mr. James Scott has a garage in Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in
Pinhurst. Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr. Scott cannot get a telephone
for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons. Yesterday, a pigeon carried the
first message from Pinhurst to Silbury. The bird covered the distance in three minutes.
Up to now, Mr. Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and other urgent
messages from one garage to the other. In this way, he has begun his own private
'telephone' service.