BÀI TẬP LUYỆN NGHE TIẾNG ANH THỤ ĐỘNG

IELTS – PART 1
(Study with me – I’m Mary)

EXERCISE 1
Amber: Hello William. This is Amber - you said to phone if I wanted to
get more information about the job agency you mentioned. Is now a
good time?
William: Oh, hi Amber. Yes. Fine. So the agency I was talking about is
called Bankside - they're based in Docklands - I can tell you the address
now - 497 Eastside.
Amber: OK, thanks. So is there anyone in particular I should speak to
there?
William: The agent I always deal with is called Becky Jamieson.
Amber: Let me write that down - Becky ...
William: Jamieson J - A - M - I - E - S - O - N.
Amber: Do you have her direct line?
William: Yes, it's in my contacts somewhere - right, here we are: 078
double 6, 510 triple 3. I wouldn't call her until the afternoon if I were
you - she's always really busy in the morning trying to fill last - minute
vacancies. She's really helpful and friendly so I'm sure it would be worth
getting in touch with her for an informal chat.
Amber: It's mainly clerical and admin jobs they deal with, isn't it?
William: That's right. I know you're hoping to find a full - time job in
the media eventually - but Becky mostly recruits temporary staff for the
finance sector - which will look good on your CV- and generally pays
better too.
Amber: Yeah - I'm just a bit worried because I don't have much office
experience.
William: I wouldn't worry. They'll probably start you as a receptionist,
or something like that. So what's important for that kind of job isn't so
much having business skills or knowing lots of different computer
systems - it's communication that really matters - so you'd be fine there.
And you'll pick up office skills really quickly on the job. It's not that
complicated.
Amber: OK good. So how long do people generally need temporary
staff for? It would be great if I could get something lasting at least a
month.
William: That shouldn't be too difficult. But you're more likely to be
offered something for a week at first, which might get extended. It's
unusual to be sent somewhere for just a day or two.
Amber: Right. I've heard the pay isn't too bad- better than working in a
shop or a restaurant.
William: Oh yes - definitely. The hourly rate is about £10, 11 if you're
lucky.
Amber: That's pretty good. I was only expecting to get eight or nine
pounds an hour.
William: Do you want me to tell you anything about the registration
process?
Amber: Yes, please. I know you have to have an interview.
William: The interview usually takes about an hour and you should
arrange that about a week in advance.
Amber: I suppose I should dress smartly if it's for office work- I can
probably borrow a suit from Mum.
William: Good idea. It's better to look too smart than too casual.
Amber: Will I need to bring copies of my exam certificates or anything
like that?
William: No- they don't need to see those, I don't think.
Amber: What about my passport?
William: Oh yes they will ask to see that.
Amber: OK.
William: I wouldn't get stressed about the interview though. It's just a
chance for them to build a relationship with you - so they can try and
match you to a job which you'll like. So there are questions about
personality that they always ask candidates - fairly basic ones. And they
probably won't ask anything too difficult like what your plans are for the
future.
Amber: Hope not.
William: Anyway, there are lots of benefits to using an agency - for
example, the interview will be useful because they'll give you feedback
on your performance so you can improve next time.
Amber: And they'll have access to jobs which aren't advertised.
William: Exactly - most temporary jobs aren't advertised.
Amber: And I expect finding a temporary job this way takes a lot less
time - it's much easier than ringing up individual companies.
William: Yes, indeed. Well I think ...

EXERCISE 2
Tim: Good morning. You're through to the tourist information office,
Tim speaking. How can I help you?
Jean: Oh hello. Could you give me some information about next
month's festival, please? My family and I will be staying in the town that
week.
Tim: Of course. Well it starts with a concert on the afternoon of the
17th.
Jean: Oh I heard about that. The orchestra and singers come from the
USA, don't they?
Tim: They're from Canada. They're very popular over there. They're
going to perform a number of well - known pieces that will appeal to
children as well as adults.
Jean: That sounds good. My whole family are interested in music.
Tim: The next day, the 18th, there's a performance by a ballet company
called Eustatis.
Jean: Sorry?
Tim: The name is spelt E - U - S - T - A - T - I - S. They appeared in
last year's festival, and went down very well. Again, their programme is
designed for all ages.
Jean: Good, I expect we'll go that. I hope there's going to be a play
during the festival, a comedy, ideally.
Tim: You're in luck! On the 19th and 20th a local amateur group are
performing one written by a member of the group. It's called Jemima.
That'll be on in the town hail. They've already performed it two or three
times. I haven't seen it myself, but the review in the local paper was very
good.
Jean: And is it suitable for children?
Tim: Yes, in fact it's aimed more at children than at adults, so both
performances are in the afternoon.
Jean: And what about dance? Will there be any performances?
Tim: Yes, also on the 20th, but in the evening. A professional company
is putting on a show of modern pieces, with electronic music by young
composers.
Jean: Uh - huh.
Tim: The show is about how people communicate, or fail to
communicate, with each other, so it's got the rather strange name, Chat.
Jean: I suppose that's because that's something we do both face to face
and online.
Tim: That's right.
Tim: Now there are also some workshops and other activities. They'll all
take place at least once every day, so everyone who wants to take part
will have a chance.
Jean: Good. We're particularly interested in cookery - you don't happen
to have a cookery workshop, do you?
Tim: We certainly do. It's going to focus on how to make food part of a
healthy lifestyle, and it'll show that even sweet things like cakes can
contain much less sugar than they usually do.
Jean: That might be worth going to. We're trying to encourage our
children to cook.
Tim: Another workshop is just for children, and that's on creating
posters to reflect the history of the town. The aim is to make children
aware of how both the town and people's lives have changed over the
centuries. The results will be exhibited in the community centre. Then
the other workshop is in toy - making, and that's for adults only.
Jean: Oh, why's that?
Tim: Because it involves carpentry- participants will be making toys out
of wood, so there'll be a lot of sharp chisels and other tools around.
Jean: It makes sense to keep children away from it.
Tim: Exactly. Now let me tell you about some of the outdoor activities.
There'll be supervised wild swimming ...
Jean: Wild swimming? What's that?
Tim: It just means swimming in natural waters, rather than a swimming
pool.
Jean: Oh OK. In a lake, for instance.
Tim: Yes, there's a beautiful one just outside the town, and that'll be the
venue for the swimming. There'll be lifeguards on duty, so it's suitable
for all ages. And finally, there'll be a walk in some nearby woods every
day. The leader is an expert on insects. He'll show some that live in the
woods, and how important they are for the environment. So there are
going to be all sorts of different things to do during the festival.
Jean: There certainly are.
Tim: If you'd like to read about how the preparations for the festival are
going, the festival organiser is keeping a blog. Just search online for the
festival website, and you'll find it.
Jean: Well, thank you very much for all the information.
Tim: You're welcome. Goodbye.
Jean: Goodbye.

EXERCISE 3
Sally: Good morning. Thanks for coming in to see us here at the agency,
Joe. I'm one of the agency representatives, and my name's Sally Baker.
Joe: Hi Sally. I think we spoke on the phone, didn't we?
Sally: That's right, we did. So thank you for sending in your CV. We've
had quite a careful look at it and I think we have two jobs that might be
suitable for you.
Joe: OK.
Sally: The first one is in a company based in North London. They're
looking for an administrative assistant.
Joe: OK. What sort of company is it?
Sally: They're called Home Solutions and they design and make
furniture.
Joe: Oh, I don't know much about that, but it sounds interesting.
Sally: Yes, well as I said, they want someone in their office, and looking
at your past experience it does look as if you fit quite a few of the
requirements. So on your CV it appears you've done some data entry?
Joe: Yes.
Sally: So that's one skill they want. Then they expect the person they
appoint to attend meetings and take notes there....
Joe: OK. I've done that before, yes.
Sally: And you'd need to be able to cope with general admin.
Joe: Filing, and keeping records and so on? That should be OK. And in
my last job I also had to manage the diary.
Sally: Excellent. That's something they want here too. I'd suggest you
add it to your CV - I don't think you mentioned that, did you?
Joe: No.
Sally: So as far as the requirements go, they want good computer skills,
of course, and they particularly mention spreadsheets.
Joe: That should be fine.
Sally: And interpersonal skills - which would be something they'd check
with your references.
Joe: I think that should be OK, yes.
Sally: Then they mention that they want someone who is careful and
takes care with details - just looking at your CV, I'd say you're probably
alright there.
Joe: I think so, yes. Do they want any special experience?
Sally: I think they wanted some experience of teleconferencing.
Joe: I've got three years' experience of that.
Sally: Let's see, yes, good. In fact they're only asking for at least one
year, so that's great. So is that something that might interest you?
Joe: It is, yes. The only thing is, you said they were in North London so
it would be quite a long commute for me.
Sally: OK.
Sally: So the second position might suit you better as far as the location
goes; that's for a warehouse assistant and that's in South London.
Joe: Yes, that would be a lot closer.
Sally: And you've worked in a warehouse before, haven't you?
Joe: Yes.
Sally: So as far as the responsibilities for this position go, they want
someone who can manage the stock, obviously, and also deliveries.
Joe: That should be OK. You've got to keep track of stuff, but I've
always been quite good with numbers.
Sally: Good, that's their first requirement. And they want someone who's
computer literate, which we know you are.
Joe: Sure.
Sally: Then they mention organisational skills. They want someone
who's well organised.
Joe: Yes, I think I am.
Sally: And tidy?
Joe: Yes, they go together really, don't they?
Sally: Sure. Then the usual stuff; they want someone who can
communicate well both orally and in writing.
Joe: OK. And for the last warehouse job I had, one of the things I
enjoyed most was part of a team. I found that was really essential for the
job.
Sally: Excellent. Yes, they do mention that they want someone who's
used to that, yes. Now when you were working in a warehouse last time,
what sorts of items were you dealing with?
Joe: It was mostly bathroom and kitchen equipment, sinks and stoves
and fridges.
Sally: So you're OK moving heavy things?
Joe: Sure. I'm quite strong, and I've had the training.
Sally: Good. Now as far as experience goes, they mention they want
someone with a licence, and that you have experience of driving in
London - so you can cope with the traffic and so on.
Joe: Yes, no problem.
Sally: And you’ve got experience of warehouse work ... and the final
thing they mention is customer service. I think looking at your CV
you're OK there.
Joe: Right. So what about pay? Can you tell me a bit more about that,
please…
EXERCISE 4
Man: Hello. Do you mind if I ask you some questions about your
journey today? We're doing a customer satisfaction survey.
Sophie: Yes. OK. I've got about ten minutes before my train home
leaves. I'm on a day trip.
Man: Great. Thank you. So first of all, could you tell me your name?
Sophie: It's Sophie Bird.
Man: Thank you. And would you mind telling me what you do?
Sophie: I'm a journalist.
Man: Oh really? That must be interesting.
Sophie: Yes. It is.
Man: So was the reason for your visit here today work?
Sophie: Actually, it's my day off. I came here to do some shopping.
Man: Oh right.
Sophie: But I do sometimes come here for work.
Man: OK. Now I'd like to ask some questions about your journey today,
if that's OK.
Sophie: Yes. No problem.
Man: Right, so can you tell me which station you're travelling back to?
Sophie: Staunfirth, where I live.
Man: Can I just check the spelling? S - T - A - U - N - F - I - R - T - H?
Sophie: That's right.
Man: And you travelled from there this morning?
Sophie: Yes.
Man: OK, good. Next, can I ask what kind of ticket you bought? I
assume it wasn't a season ticket, as you don't travel every day.
Sophie: That's right. No, I just got a normal return ticket. I don't have a
rail card so I didn't get any discount. I keep meaning to get one because
it's a lot cheaper.
Man: Yes - you'd have saved 20% on your ticket today. So you paid the
full price for your ticket?
Sophie: I paid £23.70.
Man: OK. Do you think that's good value for money?
Sophie: Not really. I think it's too much for a journey that only takes 45
minutes.
Man: Yes, that's one of the main complaints we get. So, you didn't buy
your ticket in advance?
Sophie: No. I know it's cheaper if you buy a week in advance but I
didn't know I was coming then.
Man: I know. You can't always plan ahead. So, did you buy it this
morning?
Sophie: No, it was yesterday.
Man: Right. And do you usually buy your tickets at the station?
Sophie: Well, I do usually but the ticket office closes early and I hate
using ticket machines. I think ticket offices should be open for longer
hours. There's always a queue for the machines and they're often out of
order.
Man: A lot of customers are saying the same thing.
Sophie: So to answer your question ... I got an e-ticket online.
Man: OK. Thank you. Now I'd like to ask you about your satisfaction
with your journey. So what would you say you were most satisfied with
today?
Sophie: Well, I like the wifi on the train. It's improved a lot. It makes it
easier for me to work if I want to.
Man: That's the first time today anyone's mentioned that. It's good to get
some positive feedback on that.
Sophie: Mmm.
Man: And, is there anything you weren't satisfied with?
Sophie: Well, normally, the trains run on time and are pretty reliable but
today there was a delay; the train was about 15 minutes behind schedule.
Man: OK. I'll put that down. Now I'd also like to ask about the facilities
at this station. You've probably noticed that the whole station's been
upgraded. What are you most satisfied with?
Sophie: I think the best thing is that they've improved the amount of
information about train times etc. that's given to passengers - it's much
clearer - before there was only one board and I couldn't always see it
properly - which was frustrating.
Man: That's good. And is there anything you're not satisfied with?
Sophie: Let's see ... I think things have generally improved a lot. The
trains are much more modern and I like the new café. But one thing is
that there aren't enough places to sit down, especially on the platforms.
Man: OK- so I'll put ‘seating’ down, shall I, as the thing you're least
satisfied with?
Sophie: Yes. OK.
Man: Can I ask your opinion about some of the other facilities? We'd
like feedback on whether people are satisfied, dissatisfied or neither
satisfied nor dissatisfied.
Sophie: OK.
Man: What about the parking at the station?
Sophie: Well to be honest, I don't really have an opinion as I never use
it.
Man: So, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied for that then.
Sophie: Yes, I suppose so…
Man: OK, and what about…?

EXERCISE 5
Sarah: Hello. Children's Engineering Workshops.
Father: Oh hello. I wanted some information about the workshops in
the school holidays.
Sarah: Sure.
Father: I have two daughters who are interested. The younger one's
Lydia, she's four - do you take children as young as that?
Sarah: Yes, our Tiny Engineers workshop is for four to five - year -
olds.
Father: What sorts of activities do they do?
Sarah: All sorts. For example, they work together to design a special
cover that goes round an egg, so that when it's inside they can drop it
from a height and it doesn't break. Well, sometimes it does break but
that's part of the fun!
Father: Right. And Lydia loves building things. Is there any opportunity
for her to do that?
Sarah: Well, they have a competition to see who can make the highest
tower. You'd be amazed how high they can go.
Father: Right.
Sarah: But they're learning all the time as well as having fun. For
example, one thing they do is to design and build a car that's attached to
a balloon, and the force of the air in that actually powers the car and
makes it move along. They go really fast too.
Father: OK, well, all this sounds perfect.
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Father: Now Carly, that's my older daughter, has just had her seventh
birthday, so presumably she'd be in a different group?
Sarah: Yes, she'd be in the Junior Engineers. That's for children from
six to eight.
Father: And do they do the same sorts of activities?
Sarah: Some are the same, but a bit more advanced. So they work out
how to build model vehicles, things like cars and trucks, but also how to
construct animals using the same sorts of material and technique, and
then they learn how they can program them and make them move.
Father: So they learn a bit of coding?
Sarah: They do. They pick it up really quickly. We're there to help if
they need it, but It they learn from one another too.
Father: Right. And do they have competitions too?
Sarah: Yes, with the Junior Engineers, it's to use recycled materials
like card and wood to build a bridge, and the longest one gets a prize.
Father: That sounds fun. I wouldn't mind doing that myself!
Sarah: Then they have something a bit different, which is to think up an
idea for a five - minute movie and then film it, using special animation
software. You'd be amazed what they come up with.
Father: And of course, that's something they can put on their phone and
take home to show all their friends.
Sarah: Exactly. And then they also build a robot in the shape of a
human, and they decorate it and program it so that it can move its arms
and legs.
Father: Perfect. So, is it the same price as the Tiny Engineers?
Sarah: It's just a bit more: £50 for the five weeks.
Father: And are the classes on a Monday, too?
Sarah: They used to be, but we found it didn't give our staff enough
time to clear up after the first workshop, so we moved them to
Wednesdays. The classes are held in the morning from ten to eleven.
Father: OK. That's better for me actually. And what about the location?
Where exactly are the workshops held?
Sarah: They're in building 10A- there's a big sign on the door, you can't
miss it, and that's in Fradstone Industrial Estate.
Father: Sorry?
Sarah: Fradstone - that's F - R - A - D - S - T - O - N - E.
Father: And that's in Grasford, isn't it?
Sarah: Yes, up past the station.
Father: And will I have any parking problems there?
Sarah: No, there's always plenty available. So would you like to enrol
Lydia and Carly now?
Father: OK.
Sarah: So can I have your full name ...

EXERCISE 6
Employee: Hello, Picturerep. Can I help you?
Woman: Oh, hi. I saw your advertisement about copying pictures to
disk and I'd like a bit more information about what you do.
Employee: Sure. What would you like to know?
Woman: Well, I've got a box full of old family photos that's been up in
the attic for years, some of them must be 50 or 60 years old, and I'd like
to get them converted to digital format.
Employee: Sure, we can do that for you.
Woman: Right. And what about size? The photos are all sorts of sizes -
are there any restrictions?
Employee: Well the maximum size of photo we can do with our normal
service is 30 centimetres. And each picture must be at least 4
centimetres, that's the minimum we can cope with.
Woman: That should be fine. And some of them are in a frame - should
I take them out before I send them?
Employee: Yes please, we can't copy them otherwise. And also the
photos must all be separate, they mustn't be stuck into an album.
Woman: OK, that's not a problem. So can you give me an idea of how
much this will cost? I've got about 360 photos I think.
Employee: We charge £195 for 300 to 400 photos for the basic service.
Woman: OK. And does that include the disk?
Employee: Yes, one disk - but you can get extra ones for £5 each.
Woman: That's good. So do I need to pay when I send you the photos?
Employee: No, we won't need anything until we've actually copied the
pictures. Then we'll let you know how much it is, and once we've
received the payment, we'll send the parcel off to you.
Woman: Right.
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Employee: Is there anything else you’d like to ask about our services?
Woman: Yes. I’ve roughly sorted out the photos into groups, according
to what they’re about – so can you keep them in those groups when you
copy them?
Employee: Sure. We'll save each group in a different folder on the disk
and if you like, you can suggest a name for each folder.
Woman: So I could have one called 'Grandparents' for instance?
Employee: Exactly.
Woman: And do you do anything besides scan the photos? Like, can
you make any improvements?
Employee: Yes, in the standard service each photo is checked, and we
can sometimes touch up colour a bit, or improve the contrast - that can
make a big difference.
Woman: OK. And some of the photos are actually quite fragile - they
won't get damaged in the process, will they?
Employee: No, if any look particularly fragile, we'd do them by hand.
We do realise how precious these old photos can be.
Woman: Sure.
Employee: And another thing is we can make changes to a photo if you
want - so if you want to remove an object from a photo, or maybe alter
the background, we can do that.
Woman: Really? I might be interested in that. I'll have a look through
the photos and see. Oh, and talking of fixing photos - I've got a few that
aren't properly in focus. Can you do anything to make that better?
Employee: No, I'm afraid that's one thing we can't do.
Woman: OK.
Employee: Any other information I can give you?
Woman: Er ... oh, how long will it all take?
Employee: We aim to get the copying done in ten days.
Woman: Fine. Right, well I'll get the photos packed up in a box and
post them off to you.
Employee: Right. If you've got a strong cardboard box, that's best.
We've found that plastic ones sometimes break in the post.
Woman: OK. Right, thanks for your help. Bye.
Employee: Bye.

EXERCISE 7
Jake: Hello, Junior Cycle camp, Jake speaking.
Woman: Hi. I'm calling for some information about the cycle camp -
I'm thinking of sending my son.
Jake: Great. Well, it's held every weekday morning over the summer
vacation and we focus on basic cycling skills and safety. We have eight
levels for children from three years upwards. How old's your son?
Woman: Charlie? He's seven. He can ride a bike, but he needs a little
more training before he's safe to go on the road.
Jake: He'd probably be best in Level 5. They start off practising on the
site here, and we aim to get them riding on the road, but first they're
taken to ride in the park, away from the traffic.
Woman: Right. And can you tell me a bit about the instructors?
Jake: Well, all our staff wear different coloured shirts. So, we have
three supervisors, and they have red shirts. They support the instructors,
and they also stand in for me if I’m not around. Then the instructors
themselves are in blue shirts, and one of these is responsible for each
class.
Woman: ОК.
Jake: In order to be accepted, all our instructors have to submit a
reference from someone who's seen them work with children - like if
they've worked as a babysitter, for example. Then they have to complete
our training course, including how to do lesson plans, and generally care
for the well-being of the kids in their class. They do a great job, I have to
say.
Woman: Right. And tell me a bit about the classes. What size will
Charlie's class be?
Jake: We have a limit of eight children in each class, so their instructor
really gets to know them well. They're out riding most of the time but
they have quiet times too, where their instructor might tell them a story
that's got something to do with cycling, or get them to play a game
together. It's a lot of fun.
Woman: It must be. Now, what happens if there's rain? Do the classes
still run? Jake: Oh yes. We don't let that put us off - we just put on our
waterproofs and keep cycling
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Woman: And is there anything special Charlie should bring along with
him?
Jake: Well, maybe some spare clothes, especially if the weather's not so
good. And a snack for break time.
Woman: How about a drink?
Jake: No, we'll provide that. And make sure he has shoes, not sandals.
Woman: Sure. And just at present Charlie has to take medication every
few hours, so I'll make sure he has that.
Jake: Absolutely. Just give us details of when he has to take it and we'll
make sure he does.
Woman: Thanks.
Jake: Now, there are a few things you should know about Day 1 of the
camp. The classes normally start at 9.30 every morning, but on Day 1
you should aim to get Charlie here by 9.20. The finishing time will be
12.30 as usual. We need the additional time because there are a few
extra things to do. The most important is that we have a very careful
check to make sure that every child's helmet fits properly. If it doesn't
fit, we'll try to adjust it, or we'll find him another one-but he must wear it
all the time he's on the bike.
Woman: Of course
Jake: Then after that, all the instructors will be waiting to meet their
classes, and they'll meet up in the tent - you can't miss it. And each
instructor will take their class away and get started
Woman: OK. Well that all sounds good. Now can you tell me how
much the camp costs a week?
Jake: One hundred ninety-nine dollars. We've managed to keep the
price more or less the same as last year - it was one hundred ninety then.
But the places are filling up quite quickly.
Woman: Right. OK, well I'd like to book for...
EXERCISE 8
Shirley: Hello?
Tom: Oh hello. I was hoping to speak to Jack Fitzgerald about renting a
cottage. Shirley: I’m his wife, Shirley, and we own the cottages
together, so I’m sure I can help you.
Tom: Great. My name's Tom. Some friends of ours rented Granary
Cottage from you last year, and they thought it was great. So my wife
and I are hoping to come in May for a week.
Shirley: What date did you have in mind?
Tom: The week beginning the 14th, if possible.
Shirley: I'll just check ... I'm sorry, Tom, it's already booked that week.
It's free the week beginning the 28th, though, for seven nights. In fact,
that's the only time you could have it in May.
Tom: Oh. Well, we could manage that, I think. We'd just need to change
a couple of things. How much would it cost?
Shirley: That's the beginning of high season, so it'd be £550 for the
week.
Tom: Ah. That's a bit more than we wanted to pay, I'm afraid. We've
budgeted up to £500 for accommodation.
Shirley: Well, we've just finished converting another building into a
cottage, which we're calling Chervil Cottage.
Tom: Sorry? What was that again?
Shirley: Chervil. C-H-E-R-V for Victor I-L.
Tom: Oh, that's a herb, isn't it?
Shirley: That's right. It grows fairly wild around here. You could have
that for the week you want for £480.
Tom: OK. So could you tell me something about it, please?
Shirley: Of course. The building was built as a garage. It's a little
smaller than Granary Cottage.
Tom: So that must sleep two people, as well?
Shirley: That's right. There's a double bedroom.
Tom: Does it have a garden?
Shirley: Yes, you get to it from the living room through French doors,
and we provide two deckchairs. We hope to build a patio in the near
future, but I wouldn't like to guarantee it'll be finished by May.
Tom: ОК.
Shirley: The front door opens onto the old farmyard, and parking isn't a
problem - there's plenty of room at the front for that. There are some
trees and potted plants there.
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Tom: What about facilities in the cottage? It has standard things like a
cooker and fridge, I presume.
Shirley: In the kitchen area there’s a fridge–freezer and we’re just put in
an electric cooker.
Tom: Is there a washing machine?
Shirley: Yes. There’s also a TV in the living room, which plays DVDs
too. The bathroom is too small for a bath, so there’s a shower instead. I
think a lot of people prefer that nowadays, anyway.
Tom: It's more environmentally friendly, isn't it? Unless you spend half
the day in it!
Shirley: Exactly.
Tom: What about heating? It sometimes gets quite cool at that time of
year. Shirley: There's central heating, and if you want to light a fire,
there's a stove. We can provide all the wood you need for it. It smells so
much nicer than coal, and it makes the room very cosy - we've got one in
our own house.
Tom: That sounds very pleasant. Perhaps we should come in the winter,
to make the most of it!
Shirley: Yes, we find we don't want to go out when we've got the fire
burning.
There are some attractive views from the cottage, which I haven't
mentioned. There's a famous stone bridge - it's one of the oldest in the
region, and you can see it from the living room. It isn't far away. The
bedroom window looks in the opposite direction, and has a lovely view
of the hills and the monument at the top. Tom: Well, that all sounds
perfect. I'd like to book it, please. Would you want a deposit?
Shirley: Yes, we ask for thirty percent to secure your booking, so that'll
be, um, £144.
Tom: And when would you like the rest of the money?
Shirley: You're coming in May, so the last day of March, please.
Tom: Fine.
Shirley: Excellent. Could I just take your details ...