How many people is he sharing the flat with at present?

Young man: When I was born, my parents were living in a house in a small village about 20 kilometres away from the capital. I was three years old when my brother was born and my parents decided we needed a larger home. So we moved into a rented flat and we lived there for fifteen months, while the new block of flats we were going to move to was being completed. I don’t think my parents liked the rented Hat because it was even smaller than our old house. We finally moved into the capital at the beginning of 1988. Our flat wasn’t really large, only 68 square metres, but there was enough room for two adults and two small boys. There were two bedrooms, a cosy living-room with a balcony, a small bathroom and a kitchen, where we used to have the family meals as well.

We lived in the same flat all the time I was at school. I only moved house again when I started university. Rents were quite expensive so I decided to move into a shared flat. Five of us rented a large flat in the city centre. I had the time of my life! I’m still living in the same town, but I’m sharing with just one person now. It’s more comfortable, and of course, there is more privacy but I often miss the big parties we used to have.

What does Christian want to become?

Why does Kate need to learn English?

What piece of advice does Christian give to his friend?

Christian: Hello, Kate! I hear you’re learning English now. Why?

Kate: Hi, Christian. Oh, yes. Two years ago I learned French, but now I need English for my future career.

Christian: You’re right. As for me, my ambition is to be a businessman and it’s impossible to become a successful businessman in Norway if you don’t know English. That’s why I’m learning English hard now and I attend special courses.

Kate: So do I. My ambition is to be a tourist manager. I’ll visit different countries and talk to different people. When you are in different countries, you can manage a lot better if you understand people and people understand you.

Christian: Right! English is an international language nowadays.

Kate: Your English sounds perfect. How long have you been learning it? Christian: Well, for about five years now.

Kate: Can you give me any advice about learning English?

Christian: Welt, you say you like travelling, right?

Kate: Yes, I’ve already been to some foreign countries but unfortunately, not to English-speaking ones.

Christian: That doesn’t matter. When you travel, try to speak English as much as possible. Practice is very important if you want to speak English well.

Kate: I agree with you. Thanks a lot for your advice!

How did Tom spend his day off?

What went wrong?

What made Tom feel frightened?

Tom: It was a beautiful sunny morning and I had the day off work. I thought it would be a good idea to visit my cousins, Paul and Bob, who had recently rented a summer cottage near the seaside. I threw a towel and a pair of swimming trunks into my bag and set off on my motorbike.

The boys were pleased to see me. “We’ve rented a speedboat to go water-skiing. Do you want to come with us?” they asked. I wasn’t sure because I had never been water-skiing before. But the boys promised to teach me how to do it. After a while I managed to stand on the skis without falling into the sea. We were having so much fun that we didn’t notice the dark clouds in the sky.

It was about six o’clock in the afternoon when Bob shouted to me: “It’s getting dark and it’s time we went back.” While they were pulling me along, the engine suddenly stopped. We tried hard to get the engine started, but we couldn’t. Then the boat slowly began to drift out to sea.

As we were sitting there wondering what to do, there was a loud crash of thunder and a flash of lightning lit up the evening sky. The sea was dark and angry and it looked as if there was going to be a storm. Paul and Bob looked worried and that made me feel frightened. Just then we saw a lifeboat approaching in the distance and we breathed a sigh of relief!

What is the flat like?

What do Anna and Carlos like and dislike about the flat?

What have they decided to do?

Estate agent: Well, here we are. Number 5 Oxford Street. After you.

Anna and Carlos: Thanks.

Estate agent: This is the hall, as you can see. There is a big mirror on the wall and a telephone over there too.

Anna: Is the telephone working?

Estate agent: Oh yes. You only pay for the calls you make. Now, through here to the left... this is the living room. There’s a television and...

Carlos: Look, Anna. What a big sofa!

Anna: It’s huge! We can have a good time here in the evening after work.

Estate agent: Oh, yes. It’s new, too. And if you go through that door in front of you, that’s the dining room... with a nice big table and six chairs... It has two windows so it’s very light in here, too. Now, on the left here is the bathroom with a washbasin and a shower.

Carlos: Hmm.

Anna: It’s a bit small.

Estate agent: Yes, but the shower and toilet are both new. And opposite... just here, we have the kitchen. And finally, this is the bedroom.

Anna: Oh yes! This is lovely. I like the big wardrobe where we can keep all our clothes and you won’t hang them over chairs!

Carlos: There’s a desk here too, so I can study and read books.

Anna: What do you think, Carlos?

Carlos: I think it’s OK. How much?

Estate agent: £550 a month, including bills.

Carlos: Hmm. £550. So, when can we move in?

What does Margaret complain about?

Why does Peter need new clothes?