TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION. CONVERSATIONAL TOPICS

• Excuse me, how old is your son?

• I recommend you to take this book. It enjoys great popularity among teenagers.

• What kind of books are you interested in?

• They are over there. Have you chosen any book?

• Oh, it has been on the bestseller list for more than two months.

• It can easily be explained. There is a very great demand for it, so we have about ten copies of the book. It is always available.

• Thank you. Come again. If you are interested in any book which is not available. I can let you know when it comes in or I can order it for you.

. ^

79 Read the following and make a dialogue.

Jane works at a shop selling records. One afternoon a middle-aged woman hurriedly entered the shop and asked for a record. Unfortunately she did not remember the title of the record, but she thought she could easily recognize the music if Jane played that record for her. Jane tried carefully to explain to her that it would take too much time to play all the records they had. The customer said that she had heard it in the morning over the radio and that the song was from the play about a girl who spoke English so badly at first that it was even shocking to listen to her and then she learnt to speak very well. Jane easily recognized the play and gave the customer the needed record.

80 Retell the text. Quality

I knew him from the days of my early youth, because he made my father’s boots. He and his elder brother lived and worked in a small street. There was their name of Gessler on the door of their little shop and in the window were a few pairs of boots. Those pairs were very beautiful, each pair was a work of art.

I remember my question one day: “Isn’t it very difficult to do, Mr Gessler?” and his answer, given with a smile: “The boots were made by an artist.”

179

You didn’t go to him very often - you could wear his boots for a very long time.

I liked to go to his shop. It was so pleasant and interesting, and always the same. I went in and, sitting on an old chair, waited because there was never anybody there. And then he would come down from his room without his coat. And I would say, “How do you do, Mr Gessler? Could you make me a pair of leather boots?” Without a word he would leave me and I would continue to sit on the chair. Soon he would come back, holding in his thin hand a piece of brown leather. Looking at it, he would say, “What a beautiful piece.” When I, too, had said some good words about it, he would speak again. “When do you want them?” And I would answer, “Oh! As soon as you can,” and he would say: “They’ll'be ready in a week.” Then I would say, “Thank you. Good-bye, Mr Gessler.” “Good-bye,” he would answer, still looking at the leather in his hand.

I cannot forget the day when I said to him, “Mr Gessler, that last pair of boots creaked, you know.” He looked at me for a time without answering, then said, “Send them back. I shall look at them. Some boots are bad from birth. If I can do nothing with them, I’ll give your money back to you.”

Once, once only, I came to him in a pair of boots bought at some large shop. He agreed to make me a new pair of boots without showing me any leather, and I could feel hie eyes looking at my boots.

At last he said, “Those are not my boots.”

He went down on his knees and touched the place where the left boot was not quite comfortable.

“It hurts you here,” he said. “This is how those big firms make boots for people. We love our boots, and they do not.”

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION. CONVERSATIONAL TOPICS

83 Compose your own dialogues on the following topics.

1. Discuss with your friends why you prefer to go to self-service shops.

2. Discuss with your friend why you prefer to buy ready-made clothes.

3. Make up a conversation with a salesgirl in a record shop.

4. Make up a conversation with a shop assistant in a toy shop. ¹

84 Be ready to talk on the following topics.

1. Your visit to a supermarket.

2. Describe a department store.

3. Say why you prefer to buy your things ready-made (or have them made to measure).

4. Say what it’s considered good or poor taste in dress.

5. Speak about a holiday rush in shops.