I’ll Take You on a Little Tour

Mr Branson, you wanted to see me?

Oh... Margaret, yeah, thanks for coming down. This is Michelle Duhamel... er... Margaret Brown.

Hello Michelle.

Pleased to meet you.

You'll be working with her.

Ah.

Margaret, ah... what I'd like you to do is to show Michelle around the offices, just so that she can get an idea where everything is. Is that OK?

Of course. Er... yes, I'll take her on a little tour, shall I? Yeah, good idea. I'll see you later this afternoon, Michelle. Let's say... at 3 o'clock. OK? Bye bye now.

All right, Michelle, let's go out into the corridor.

The trouble is I've noticed not all the doors have got names on them, so it's all a bit confusing.

Well, I think the best thing is if we go back to Recep­tion and then I'll take you round the offices on this floor.

Michelle:OK, that's a good idea...

(Some minutes later)

Margaret: ...well here we are... er... back at the main entrance.

So let's go through Reception into the main corridor.

Michelle: Margaret:

Michelle: Margaret:

OK?

Hm, hm.

Right opposite us is the Post Room, you see?

Yes.

Then if we go up the corridor... we come to Mr Gra-

ber's office.

— 180 —

— 181 —

Michelle: Aha.

Margaret: He's the General Manager. His secretary is Mrs San-

tini. And we just passed the Personnel Manager's office on the right, that's where we started from.

Michelle: What was all that noise coming from the room be-

tween Reception and the Personnel Manager's sec­retary's office?

Margaret: Aha, yes. That's the Photocopying Room. And that room on the right is the Accounts Manager's office. And the other door on the right is Bookkeeping. On the left is our Typing Pool — as you can hear.

Michelle: Er... what's through the glass doors at the end?

Margaret: Ah, that's the Canteen.

Michelle: Er... just one more thing...um...where's the ladies?

Margaret: Oh, I'm sorry, yes of course. The toilets are right opposite the Photocopying Room.

Michelle: Aha, fine.

Margaret: OK, here's the lift. Shall we go up to our floor?

A. Study and practise the conversation.

B. Talk about your place of work. This may include actually showing someone physically around the office or premises. Furthermore, peo­- ple in business may often be called upon to describe to outsiders or friends what their company does; they may even be expected to talk about what their company has done in the past and about the contem-­ porary developments of a firm.

Listening

A Lecture of Uncle Theo

My uncle Theo is a grey-haired man whose thoughts were always on learning and nothing else. Once he applied for a post in Camford University. It was a very good post and there were hundreds of candidates who applied for it, and about fifteen, including Theo, were asked to come to Camford. There is only one hotel in Camford, and this was so full that they had to put the candidates two in a room. The man who shared the room with Theo was a fellow called Adams with a loud voice

— 182 —

and a laugh that you could hear all over the hotel. But he was a clever fellow all the same.

Well, the Dean and the committee interviewed all the candidates and as a result of this interview, the number was reduced to two, Uncle Theo and Adams. The committee could not decide which of the two to take, so they decided to make their final choice after each candidate gave a public lecture in the college lecture-room. The lecture was to be given in three days' time.

For three days Uncle Theo never left his room. He worked day and night at that lecture almost without eating or sleeping. Adams didn't seem to do any preparations at all. He asked Theo how he was getting on with his lecture and then told him how he had spent the evening.

The day of the lecture came. And then Theo discovered, to his hor­ror, that the typewritten copy of his speech had disappeared. The Dean said he would call on the candidates in alphabetical order, Adams first. Theo watched Adams calmly take his stolen speech out of his pocket and read it to the professors who gathered to hear it. He read it well. Now it was Theo's turn. But what could he do? He could only repeat the lecture, word for word in a low, dull voice.

The Dean and the committee went out to decide who the successful candidate was, but everyone was sure what their decision would be. Then they came back. 'Gentlemen,' the Dean said, 'the candidate we have chosen is — Mr Theo.' The audience were completely taken by surprise and the Dean continued. T think I ought to tell you how we arrived at that decision. We were greatly impressed by the lecture of Mr Adams. But you will remember, Mr Adams read his lecture to us. When Mr Theo's turn came, he repeated that speech, word for word, from memory, though of course, he had never seen a line of it before. Now a fine memory is absolutely necessary for this post. That is why we decid­ed that Mr Theo was exactly the man we wanted.'

A. Questions.

1. What post did Uncle Theo once apply for? 2. Were there many candi­dates for that post? 3. Who were the most successful candidates? 4. How did the committee decide to make their final choice? 5. Who did Theo share his room with? 6. How did they prepare for the lecture? 7. What happened on the day of the lecture? 8. Why did the committee choose Uncle Theo for that post?

— 183 —

A Dog

(after M. Twain)

A few days ago I met General Miles at my friend's house. General Miles was a very nice man and we became friends quickly.

'Did you live in Washington in 1887?' asked me the general. 'Yes, I did', I answered. 'Why didn't we meet then?' said the general. 'General', I said, 'you forget that you were already a great general then, and I was a poor young writer whom nobody knew and whose books nobody read.'

'You do not remember me,' I thought, 'but we met once in Washing­ton at that time.'

I remember it very well. I was poor at that time. Once I needed three dollars. I don't remember why I needed those 3 dollars but I remember well that I needed the money by the evening. I did not know where to go and how to get those 3 dollars. For an hour I was walking along the streets of Washington and was very tired. At last I came to a big hotel. T shall go and have a rest,' I thought.

I went into the hall of the hotel and sat down on a sofa. I was sitting when a beautiful dog ran into the hall. The dog was very nice and I began to play with it.

I was playing with the dog when a man came into the hall. He wore a beautiful uniform and I thought: 'That is General Miles.' I knew him by the pictures in the newspapers.

'Oh, what a beautiful dog! Is it yours?' I did not have time to answer when he said, 'Do you want to sell it?' When I heard those words I thought about the 3 dollars which I wanted to get.

'Well, ...I... I think...'

'That is good,' said the general, 'how much do you want for it?'

'3 dollars,' I answered at once.

'Three dollars?' he asked, 'but that is very little. I can give you 5 dollars for it'

'Oh, no, I want only 3 dollars.' 'Well, it is your dog. If you want 3 dollars for it, I shall be glad to buy your dog.'

General Miles paid me 3 dollars, took the dog and went to his room.

A few minutes later an old man came into the hall. He looked round the hall. I saw he was looking for something. 'Are you looking for a dog, sir?' I asked. 'Oh, yes! Did you see it?' said the man. 'I saw a man who took it. I'll be glad to help you to find it but it will take some of my time...' 'I am ready to pay for your time,' cried the man. 'How much do

you want for it?' '3 dollars,' I answered. 'Three dollars?' said the man. 'But it is a very good dog. I can pay you 10 dollars.' 'No, sir, I want only 3 dollars,' I said. Then I went to General Miles' room. I gave back his money saying that the dog wasn't mine and I must return it to its master. The general was very angry.

When I brought the dog back, its master was very happy and he paid me three dollars with joy. I was happy too because I had the money and 1 felt I had earned it.

A. Questions.

1. Who did the writer meet at his friend's house? 2. What did the general ask him? 3. Had Mark Twain met the general before? 4. Where and when did they first meet? 5. How did Mark Twain earn the money he needed?

Reading

Jennifer’s Career

This is Jennifer Bradbury. In this unit she describes some of her earliest memories and other things that happened to her when she was young.

1.

I think my first memories start when I was about three or perhaps four years old. I remember falling from a tree and breaking my arm. I think I was playing in the garden of the big, old house we lived in. It was in a suburb of London. I can also remember starting school when I was five. There was a little boy called Thomas in the same class. He used to pull my hair when the teacher wasn't looking. One day I hit him over the head with a book and he began to cry. The teacher was very very angry with me. I remember him saying, 'Little girls don't do things like that!' But Thomas never pulled my hair again.

□ What are some of Jennifer's earliest memories?

2.

Even though I didn't have any brothers or sisters, I had a happy child­hood. I don't remember feeling lonely or anything like that. I had a lot of friends. But I had to leave them all when I was eight. My father worked

-_ 184 —

— 185 —

for a big international company and they sent him to Chicago, in the United States. Naturally my mother and I went with him. At first I didn't like Chicago at all.

The winters were terribly cold and the children at school there laughed at my 'funny accent'. But after a while I got used to my new life and began to enjoy it very much.

□ Why did Jennifer have to leave her friends?

3.

We stayed in Chicago for six years. Then the company sent my father back to London and I had to get used to living in England all over again. I also had to think about what I wanted to do later. I remember a teacher asking us once what our ambitions were. I was sixteen at the time. Most of the other girls in the class said they wanted to get married as soon as possible or to get jobs as secretaries. I don't remember exactly what I said. But one thing was clear to me even then. I didn't intend to be a housewife or a mother. And I certainly didn't want to spend the rest of my life behind a typewriter, either. I wanted some kind of career, but I didn't really know what it was.

At the age of eighteen I left school and took a job for the summer in a Tourist Information office. It was hardly a career. But something hap­pened there which changed my life.

□ In what way was Jennifer different from most of the other girls in her class?

When Jennifer was eighteen, she took a job for the summer in a Tourist Information office. Something very important happened to her there.

1.

It was the first time I had ever worked, so I was glad to have the experi­ence. The job consisted mostly of dealing with letters, phone calls and tourists who came into the office. There was a young man called Howard who worked there, too. He was about a year older than I was. I think he was rather shy. I often saw him looking at me. When I looked back at him, he used to go red in the face. One day he asked me if I liked musi­cals. When I said I did, he told me he had two tickets for one and that he hoped I would go with him. I think I said I wanted to study that evening or something. But then he looked very sad and I felt sorry for him. Fi­nally I said I would go with him after all.

□ Do you think Howard liked Jennifer very much? Give reasons for your answer.

2.

After that, I went out with Howard several times. He was very kind and generous, and in a way I was rather fond of him, but that was all. Unfor­tunately, his feelings for me were much deeper than that. One evening he suddenly told me he loved me and that he hoped we would get mar­ried. At first I was so surprised that I just didn't know what to say. I didn't want to hurt him, so I finally told him that marriage was out of the question for me until I finished university. Later I realised that this was a mistake and that I should have told him the truth.

□ What was 'the truth'?

3.

Howard obviously hadn't understood what I was trying to say. He seemed to think we were almost engaged. Then, one day, a well-dressed Amer­ican came into the office and asked for a list of good hotels. We started talking and he told me he was a professional photographer. He also said that he was looking for new faces. When he mentioned his name, I rea­lised I had heard it before. He was Adam Sutherland and his photo­graphs were used in all sorts of advertisements and in some very famous magazines. He said I had a fine face and that he would like to take a few pictures of me. Then he invited me to lunch later in the week.

□ Who was this 'well-dressed' American and why did he invite Jen-­ nifer to lunch?

4.

After he left, I saw Howard looking at me. He had been there all the time and had heard everything. 'You're not really meeting that fellow for lunch, are you?' he asked. I could see that he was very jealous. I told him I wasn't sure. But I was really very eager to see Sutherland again. In fact, I could hardly wait! Somehow I knew it was a wonderful opportu­nity and I just couldn't afford to miss it.

□ What do you think this 'wonderful opportunity' was?

Jennifer Bradbury is now a successful businesswoman in her thirties. She was recently interviewed for a magazine article about her earlier career as a model.

— 186 —

— 187 —

1.

□ Who was Murray King? What happened to him?

Five years ago, Jennifer Bradbury was a famous model at the top of her profession. Her face was used to sell everything, from beauty soap to fast sports cars. Ten years before that she had been 'discovered' by the fash­ion photographer, Adam Sutherland. She was working in a Tourist Infor­mation office in London at the time. One day, Sutherland came in and saw her. He immediately realised she had exactly the kind of face he was look­ing for. A few days later he photographed her in a rose garden and called the series of pictures English Roses. They were a great hit when they were later published in an American magazine. Other photographers saw the pictures and wanted to use Jennifer as well. 'I was amazed at how much I could earn and started modelling full-time,' she says.

□ How and why did Jennifer become a model?

2.

But Jennifer soon discovered that a model's life is not all wine and roses. Often, after a late party or a hard day's work, she had to get out of bed feeling, as she puts it, 'like death warmed up'. But she still had to look as fresh and beautiful as a morning flower. However, she admits there were some advantages, too. T travelled a lot, and saw all sorts of places I would never have seen otherwise. I worked in Rome, Frankfurt, New York, Paris and even Tokyo. But there wasn't much time for sightseeing. And after a while I got tired of looking into a camera and smiling all the time!'

□ What did she like about being a model? What did she dislike?

3.

About five years ago Jennifer gave up her career for a number of re sons. 'First of all,' as she says, T wanted to finish while I was still at t' top, and after the age of thirty there is a lot less work for a model. Se- condly, I just wasn't enjoying the work very much any more.' A third reason was undoubtedly her bad experience with her agent, Murray King. Almost all models work through an agent. The agent finds work for them and the money they earn is usually paid to the agent first. 'I had always trusted Murray. I realise now that was foolish of me. I didn't know that he was a big gambler and that he owed a lot of people a great deal of money. One day he disappeared. His body was later found in the river. When he disappeared, he still hadn't paid me over £2,000. After that, I decided I had had enough of being a model and that it was time to do something else.'

— 188

This is part of another magazine article about Jennifer Bradbury.

1.

More and more women today can be found in the top positions in busi­ness and industry. An example of this trend is Jennifer Bradbury. After a very successful career as a model, she became a clothes designer. Then, with money she had saved and borrowed, she bought part of a small company that manufactured sportswear and became one of its directors. As she says, it was then that 'the real battle began'. The other directors often asked her opinion about the design and the colour of the compa­ny's products, but they refused to believe she understood anything about the 'hard side of business'. Jennifer gives an example.

'The company sold its sportswear only through small, specialist shops. I was sure we would never increase our sales unless we sold through big department stores and even supermarkets. The other two directors didn't like the idea at all, at first. They were afraid we would lose some of our traditional customers if we did what I wanted. I think part of the trouble was they didn't take the idea very seriously simply because it came from a woman!'

□ What exactly was Jennifer's idea?

2.

But Jennifer and her ideas are certainly taken very seriously now. Under her leadership, the company has increased its sales and the number of customers. It also manufactures a much wider variety of sportsclothes, many of them designed by Jennifer herself. One of the other two co-directors has resigned. She has far fewer problems with the one who remains. But there are still many things that annoy her about being a woman in business. 'For example, I don't really like it when men com­pliment me about my clothes or appearance, especially at business meet­ings. Perhaps this sounds strange. But I know those same men wouldn't like it if their secretaries or another woman told them they liked their haircuts or the suits they were wearing, or the colour of their socks! In this respect, women still aren't treated as equals!'

□ What kind of things doesn 't Jennifer want to hear at business meet­-ings?

— 189 —

3.

Jennifer Bradbury says she has found great satisfaction in business. But what about some of the other things in life that are still very important to many women? Things like marriage and children. Does she regret not having time for these things? Jennifer thought about the question for a moment and then answered very calmly. 'I'm the sort of person who is happy in a serious relationship. But I don't like the idea of being tied down, and I've never really wanted children.'

□ What are some of the things Jennifer hasn't had time for in her life?

Self Check

1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. Dear Peter,

You by any chance (know) where Bob is? I (like) to find out because I just (hear) of a job that exactly (suit) him, but if he (not apply) fairly soon of course he (not get) it.

I last (see) him about a month ago, when he just (leave) his job with the film company. He (say) he (go) to France for a holiday and (prom­ise) to send me a postcard with his French address as soon as he (find) a place to stay. But I (hear) nothing since then and (not know) even whether he (go) to France or not.

If you (know) his address I (be) very grateful if you (phone) me. I (try) to phone you several times but your phone (not seem) to be working.

Yours, Jack

2. Here are sentences about twenty-one people travelling to work on the London Underground. Just write the verbs in brackets in the correct form, using the other words given and putting in prepositions where necessary.

Peter objects (start) work at 9.00 and wants to start at 9.30. Mary doesn't approve (the new typist take) such long tea breaks. Jane wishes her boss wouldn't insist (she not eat) sandwiches in the office. John's thinking, 'I hope they'll have repaired my car by the time I get home this evening. I've got no wish (travel) on the underground again tomorrow.' Ann's angrily thinking about the man next to her who's smoking a pipe,' Some

— 190 —

people seem to take a delight (spoil) the comfort of other people.' Chris has just received his telephone bill, 'It's far too high. I've got a good mind (not pay) it.' Mr Martin is standing because he offered his seat to a lady; he takes pride (be) a gentleman. Mrs Bell is having difficulty (read) her newspaper because she forgot her glasses. Barry's going to work in spite (have) a very bad cold. Sam sitting next to Barry, is wor­ried (catch) his cold. Philip sometimes looks up and then carries (read) his newspaper. Simon is good (do) crosswords and usually finishes the one in his paper before he gets off. Jack can't stand the underground and is thinking (go) to work by bus. Denis, who owes his bank£500, thinks, 'There's no point (worry) about it.' Kate's wondering whether she can afford (buy) some expensive perfume or not. Mr Carter is looking for­ward (his daughter get) married next week. Jenny isn't used (travel) on the underground and feels a bit ill. Mr Combes doesn't believe (be) late and always gets to work very early. Martha is very pleased because her boyfriend has invited her (go) to the opera. Ron's eating sweets because he resolved at the beginning of the year (give up) smoking. Larry's pleased because he ran for the train and just managed (get on).

3. Here's a little story of someone who decided to work on an oil rig.

Martin decided to get a job on an oil rig in the North Sea. He was fed up with working in a factory and wanted to try something completely dif­ferent. He wasn't married, so there were no family problems. A month later he was working on a rig. It was hard, often dangerous work, and he had to be careful to make sure that he didn't injure himself. The men were careful and there were no accidents. In the evening there was plen­ty to do to stop the men getting bored. Martin usually watched films or read. The food was top-class. No one ever complained about the food. The rooms were top-class too. The oil company had made sure that the men would be comfortable, and that was why they worked so well.

Three weeks later Martin finished his first period of work. The system was simple, three weeks' work, followed by three weeks' holiday. Three weeks on the rig was long enough. The men didn't get too tired that way. As Martin got into the helicopter to fly back to Scotland he decided that he felt satisfied with things and that life wasn't boring any more.

Now imagine that a few months later Martin is describing what hap­pened. For each of the spaces in Martin's description below, write a few words in the past conditional.

— 191 —

'I was bored with factory work. If I hadn't been bored I (1), but I'd had enough. Of course, if I'd been married (2), but luckily I wasn't. When I started I found it was hard work. If (3) I would have injured myself. But we were all very careful. If we hadn't been careful, (4). It was nice relaxing in the evenings. We had plenty to do. If we (5) plenty to do, we (6). I usually watched cowboy films, or read. The food was marvellous. I've never eaten so well. If it (7) top-class, of course, (8). You can't do a full day's work if the food's not good. They knew how to look after us. The oil company knew that if (9) we (10). That three-weeks-on three-weeks-off is a good system. If (11) we would have got too tired. Any­way, I'm glad I changed jobs. Life would have been boring ifl (12), and I (13) as satisfied as I did when I got into that helicopter. I enjoyed that feeling.'

Laid Off

TOPIC: JOBS AND WORK

Finding a Job in Britain

There are more part-time jobs in Britain than in any other European country. Ninety per cent of part-time jobs are done by women. A part-time worker is paid less per hour than a full-time worker.

In 1994, for the first time in history, more women than men had jobs. Over 200.000 part-time jobs were created in 1993 and most of them went to women. At the same time, 100. 000 full-time jobs disappeared in Britain and it was mostly men who lost their jobs.

Many women with children take part-time jobs. Some of these women may want to work full-time, but cannot do so because it is difficult for them to find someone to look after their children. In Britain there are very few nurseries for young children. Partners often have to look after the children while women work part-time in the early morning or in the evening. It is more difficult for single mothers to take on even part-time work be­cause they must earn enough to pay someone to look after their children.

There are now fewer jobs for unskilled people in Britain. In 1977, 88 per cent of men without qualifications had jobs; in 1991, only 67 per cent of men without qualifications had jobs. If there is any unskilled work, it is offered to women because, despite laws for equal pay, wom­en are still paid less than men.

People in Britain who are unemployed sign on every two weeks and claim their Unemployment Benefit. When people say that they are 'on the dole', it means that they are receiving Unemployment Benefit.

Some people cannot claim this money, even though they do not go out to work: single parents, for example. Instead of receiving Unem­ployment Benefit, they receive Income Support. People on Income Sup­port receive less money than those on Unemployment Benefit. Between 1991 and 1994, the number of people receiving Income Support rose from 4,1 million to 5,6 million, or ten per cent of all Britons. Many experts know that people on Unemployment Benefit or Income Support do not have enough money to live on.

Jack and Betty Williams are going through some difficult times. They were both laid off from their jobs last month. As the days go by, they're becoming more and more concerned about their futures, since he hasn't been able to find another job yet, and neither has she.

The layoffs weren't a surprise to Jack and Betty. After all, Jack's company hadn't been doing very well for a long time, and neither had Betty's. However, Jack had never expected both of them to be laid off at the same time, and Betty hadn't either. Ever since they have been laid off, Jack and Betty have been trying to find new jobs. Unfortunately, she hasn't been very successful, and he hasn't either.

The main reason they're having trouble finding work is that there simply aren't many jobs available now. He can't find anything in the want ads, and neither can she. She hasn't heard about any job openings, and he hasn't either. His friends haven't been able to help at all, and neither have hers.

Another reason they're having trouble finding work is that they don't seem to have the right kind of skills and training. He doesn't know any­thing about computers, and she doesn't either. She can't type very well, and neither can he. He hasn't had any special vocational training, and she hasn't either.

A third reason they are having trouble finding work is that there are certain jobs they prefer not to take. He doesn't like working at night, and neither does she. She isn't willing to work on the weekends, and neither is he. He doesn't want to commute very far to work, and she doesn't either.

Despite all their problems, Jack and Betty aren't completely dis­couraged. She doesn't have a very pessimistic outlook on life, and nei­ther does he. They're both hopeful that things will get better soon.

A. Answer True, False, or Maybe (it the answer isn 't in the story).

1. Jack quit his job last month. 2. Jack and Betty had been working for the same company. 3. Some of their friends have been laid off, too. 4. Typing skills are important in certain jobs. 5. Jack and Betty will find jobs soon.

Roger the Gardener

D'you know the best thing that ever happened to me? D'you know what it was? It was when I lost my last job. Yes, really! I never liked it —

— 452 —

— 453

hated it in fact — stuck in an office all day with computers and a tele­phone. Now my hobby is my full-time job! I start work very early, er... in summer I usually leave home about 5.30 in the morning, but in winter not until about 8.00. I have a small van, and I carry all my tools and equipment in that. It's autumn now so I m tidying the gardens — I'm picking up leaves and pulling up old summer flowers. Oh, and I'm plant­ing bulbs as well. I'm planting lots of daffodils and tulips. Every season is so different, and I love them all. I just love working outside in the open air after all those years in a stuffy office. I never noticed the sea­sons there!

After work I always go home and relax in a hot bath. I have a flat in London but most of my work is outside of London, in the suburbs. I'm not married but I live with my girlfriend, Fiona. I usually cook our evening meal because she gets home from work after me. She's a graphic de­signer and earns a lot of money, much more than me! She earns more but I think I enjoy my work more.

At weekends we often drive into the country and go to antique shops and antique sales. I collect old radios, you see. We don't have a televi­sion! Can you believe it? Everybody has one these days but we don't! Yes, er ..., er ... I collect old radios and Fiona collects old cookery books. We take our dog, we have a lovely dog, and we like taking her onlong walks. I've just bought two 1930s radios and I'm cleaning them and mending them. All my radios work, you know! I never play any sports. Is this unusual?

I think there is only one problem with my job. It's seasonal, so I don't earn much in the autumn and winter, so er... I'm not earning much at the moment. I earn most money in spring and summer. But it's OK, I earn enough, not enough to eat out often in expensive restaurants or go to shows, but enough for my dog and my hobby. I'm a very happy man!

TOPIC: CITY. SIGHTSEEING

Sheila and Bob Talking About New York

I = Interviewer В = Bob S = Sheila

I: How long did you live in the States?

B: We were there for two years, in New York.

I: And did you enjoy it?

S: Oh, tremendously. We had a wonderful time.

B: Yeah, what we liked best was that we could work and yet still lead a normal life. I mean, the shops are open till ten o'clock.

I: All shops?

S: Yes, everything. Food shops, chemists...

B: There's even a huge department store called Gimbles on 86th Street that was open till nine o'clock.

S: And some supermarkets are open twenty-four hours a day. Most shops don't open as early as in England, well, they don't open until about erm ... 10 or 11 in the morning.

B: Yes, that's right.

S: Because they all work much later. And everything's open on Sundays.

B: And the holidays, the public holidays are much shorter than here, and in the States only the banks are shut. Everything else stays open, so it makes life much easier. You could do what you liked when you liked.

I: I see, erm ... Do you think New York is as cosmopolitan as London?

S: Oh, yes, but it's not as mixed. Nationalities stay in their own areas; like there's the Russian section...

B: ... the German section. We were in German Town, York Town, which is called German Town. And there was a row of German shops, all German-speaking.

S: I think the major difference was the height of the place. Everything was up. We lived on the twenty-ninth floor.

B: Yes, and I worked on the sixty-third floor.

S: Yes, but I like heights. And of course everything is faster. And the people are much ruder.

I: Oh! In what ways?

B: Well, pushing in the street, fights about getting on the bus. People don't queue like they do in England. And of course the taxi drivers! New York taxi drivers must be the rudest in the world! Americans themselves are really friendly but the taxi drivers never speak. And they don't seem to know where anything is. I asked one of them to take me to the Guggenheim Museum once and he was really angry with me because he'd never heard of it!

I: He angry with you? Are all American taxi drivers like that?

S: Oh, yes. Well, in New York, anyway. Not so much in other places. When we went to California it was very different.

— 454 — — 455 —

1