Unit 2

DIALOGUE I

A Trip to Huangshan

A: You visited Huangshan during your summer vacation, I heard. How was the trip?
B: Oh, it was great! You ought to go there some day if you haven't been there already.
A: I certainly will one of these days when I have a chance. I've heard so much about it. What do you think is the best time to go to Huangshan?
B: Well, it's very crowded there in summer. You know, summer is always a busy tourist season for resorts like mountains and beaches. And it's too cold to go there in winter, so I wouldn't suggest the winter season, either. Besides, we can't afford the time when school is in session. So I would say the best time for college students to visit Huangshan is the first few days of the summer break when people haven't started doing anything yet.
A: I see. How long does the whole the whole trip take, including the time on the road?
B: It all depends, really. If you go there by train, four days should be enough. You can also take a bus, which takes a longer time and is less comfortable, but as a trade-off, you'll be able to enjoy lots of country scenes and perhaps you'll save some money, too. Besides, the coach will take you directly to the foot of the mountain, or, if you like, midway up the mountain.
A: I'll go by bus, then. But how long does it take from Shanghai?
B: A one-way bus ride takes about twelve hours.
A: Wow, twelve hours on the road!
B: And on narrow winding roads when you're almost there.
A: Does the bus stop for a rest on the way?
B: Oh, yes, of course. Although there's a john at the back of the coach, it stops every three or four hours for you to relax and stretch yourself, and take meals.
A: That sounds good. If I can afford the time, I think I'll take the bus. Incidentally, I heard that Huangshan is famous for its clouds, pine trees and rocks. Could you tell me when is the best time to see the clouds and where I can find the famous pine trees and the unique rock formations?
B: Well, as soon as you've made up your mind, I'll tell you what to look for and where to see them.
A: Do you think I should go by myself, or take a package tour with a travel agency.
B: I can't say which is better. They each have advantages and disadvantages. Anyway, the most important of all is that you must go and see for yourself.
A: Thank you very much for all the information. You know, I'm beginning to think about the trip very seriously.


DIALOGUE II

Dialogue:
Map of Newtown

A stranger standing at point x stops someone and asks him the way to the station.
A: Excuse me.
B: Yes.
A: Could you tell me how to get to the railway station, please?
B: The railway station? Let me think... yes, take the third turning on the right and it's opposite the park.
A: The third turning on the right. I see... is it far?
B: No, not really, only a few minutes.
A: Oh, good, thank you very much.
B: Not at all.

READING I

Leaving Home

When I told my mother, she looked at me as if I had slapped her face.
"What? Live in London?" she said.
"I just feel it's time I saw a little more of the world. After all, mum, I'm twenty-two!"
Just then, my father came downstairs, looking relaxed as he always did after his Sunday afternoon nap. I had chosen the moment carefully.
"Clive wants to leave home. He doesn't want to live with us any more," she told him in a trembling voice. My father's expression changed.
"What? You aren't serious, are you, son?" he asked. He sat down at the table opposite me.
Perhaps my parents wouldn't have reacted this way if they hadn't spent all their lives in a small village in Wales. And perhaps my mother in particular wouldn't have been so possessive if her only other child hadn't died as a baby. I tried to explain to them that the bank I worked for had offered me a chance to take a job in their head office. But I didn't dare tell them I had already accepted the job.
"London's a long way away. We'll hardly see you any more," my father said.
"I can come back at weekends, dad."
He shook his head, looking more and more like someone who had just been given a few months to live by his doctor.
"I don't know, son. I don't know."
He shook his head again and then got up and walked out into the garden.
My mother and I sat there at the table. In the silence, I could hear the old clock ticking away in the hall. There were tears in my mother's eyes. I know she was going to put pressure on me to give up the idea, and I wondered if I could stand up to it. I even began to wonder if it was wrong of me to want to leave my family, the village and the people I had known all my life to live among the English in their cold, strange capital.
She put her hand over mine.
"Your father hasn't been well lately. Neither have I. You know that. But we won't stand in your way if it's what you really want," she said.