Dictation 6

Food is a subject that interests me. I like food that is good and well-cooked. I dislike as much as Pedro does watery cabbage soup that looks—and tastes—like rain, and beef or mutton that is burned or not cooked enough. But when you get real English beef and million, bread and cheese, eggs and bacon, there is no food so good anywhere. I don't know any apple that has a better taste than a good English one, and no oilier cup of tea ever tastes as good to me as tea that is made in England.

I can quite believe that the soup that Pedro had at the hotel hadn't much taste; but I am sure that if Jan and Olaf had dinner in the home of any ordinary Scottish family when they were walking in Scotland, they had good soup. They will never taste better vegetable soup than they had then.

I know that coffee is not good in most English holes. But it is good in many English homes when it is made with fresh coffee by people who know how to make it.

Dictation 7 a Country-House

Many people like to live in the very center of big cities, but others prefer to live in the suburbs or even on a farm in the country. My aunt Gladys has a small farm which she bought about 10 years ago. The farm-house consists of 5 rooms, including the kitchen, the dining-room, the lounge, and a bedroom. At the side of the house there is a fruit-garden, where they grow apple-trees. The vegetable garden is even larger; it is at the hack of the house. My aunt grows many kinds of vegetables, but she is especially fond of cauliflowers and tomatoes. Behind the vegetable garden there is a field of yellow corn and not far from it there is a small river, where you can go swimming and boating. I often visit my aunt in summer.

Most people believe that life on a farm is very quiet. But it is also rather difficult. You must get up very early, feed the chickens, the cows and the sheep, water the flowers, do a lot of gardening and then work in the field. And then my aunt has to do a lot of cooking, and cleaning, and washing. And still she likes this kind of life, and so do all her children.

Dictation 8

Many new and beautiful districts are built all over the country every year. A great many people get many-roomed flats with all modern conveniences and have their house-warming.

You are welcome to meet the family of the Smirnovs. They got their comfortable and modern-looking flat with two balconies looking out on the square a week ago.

The flat consists of several rooms: a sitting-room, a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. The Smirnovs decided not to buy too much furniture.

In the district the Smirnovs live there are many shops, cinemas, theatres, schools and some institutes. The main thoroughfare looks especially impressive in the evening with its flood-lighted shop-windows and coloured lights. The Smirnovs enjoy walking along the streets of the town on their days off.

Smirnov is a kind-hearted, handsome man of middle age. He works at one of the TV repair-shops. So every time when there is something wrong with his TV-set he doesn't need to call a TV repairman as he can fix everything himself. And believe me, he is an excellent repairman.

Smirnov has two daughters. His elder daughter is a first-year student. She is well-built and fair-haired. Her group-mates and she are very diligent students eager to become experienced specialists. His younger daughter is a girl of five.

When the weather is lovely the Smirnovs get together and go out of town for a ride.

On nasty days they and their neighbours stay indoors discussing the news of the day or watching the TV programme.