Yes, that was wonderful story. I was... there, was nw railway line constructed across fr western China, from place called Urunhi, through pass called the Zungarian Gate... into what is nw Kazakhstan... and I thought it would b nifty to rid n n of the first trains, of course its n extremely remote rt of the world. So I go with friend of min called George Robertson, and the two of us go out from Urunchi, crossing the desert and nw were but 150 miles west of Urunchi and its just sand dunes and nthing. And then suddenly the train stops and I look ut and theres this halt. I mean its nt station, theres n town theres just sort of wtring tower, nd so I say to the ndutr Why have we stopped? and he said Oh, wr taking n water r something like that and wll b stopped for half n hour. So I get out and stretch m legs in the blazing sun, sand dunes, camels until I go and talk to the engine driver and while Im doing so, I hear voi from the behind m, sing in pretty impeccable English: Excuse m, do you speak English? And I turn round and there is this vision of loveliness, this beautiful Chinese wmn and I said Yes, I do actually, and she said Good! in vr sort of matter of ft slightly unsmiling w.
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V Listen to the text. A meeting in the desert
She looked t her, watch and she said This train is stopping here fr another 27 minutes. v you vr read the works of Anthony Trll? And Im thinking, wait minute this is rll strange, but Yes, I like Trll lot. Good she said. Would you b willing to discuss with Me The Eustace Diamonds, particularly the character of Lady Glencora? Im thinking this is n happening, but I do my best, struggling, mn I must have read The Eustace Diamonds twenty years before. I could just about rmmbr odds and ends, so I struggle through conversation with hr and then the guard waved his green flag and blew whistle and she said Quick, quick go back otherwise youll miss your train. So I... but I said Youre beautiful. I love you, I want to live with you for the rest of m life and she said Dont b so silly! Get in the train. Give m your business card. So I didnt have n, but George had n so I sribbld m nm and the train was moving. And the last vision I have of her was hr srbbling n hr hands and knees to pick u m card while w went round the rnr and I went back into the compartment nd I said George. Iv just had the most rll strange experience... so we thn went traveling ll the vr Siberia fr the nt couple of months and I arrived back in Hong Kong and there was letter...
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V Listen to the text. Stars
the A-list stars were there. That model, Angelina, I think it was Angelina, was there with her new boyfriend. Theyve been secretly going out for months. Oh, it was glittering occasion. Stars everywhere and the crowds outside simply begging for autographs. I couldnt believe m eyes. And the dresses! I dont know how much they would have cost - fortune, I imagine. ll designer labels. The photographers were having field day, and there were reporters everywhere, falling vr each other to interview the biggest names. We didnt have the best seats; we were in the back row. We could still see everything. I was so busy star spotting that I didnt take in the plot. Youd have been the same. Im not too keen n thrillers but it must have been good because t the end the whole audience rose t its feet and clapped. Im not terribly sure what the story was about, but you rll must go t see it when its n general release. It was an amazing evening and t top it off we went t Quaglinos for supper afterwards and Sarah Jane Fox and Brad rt were t the next table. How cool is that! Sarah Jane Fox has awful skin problems. Who cares about that when youve got that much money?
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V Listen to the text. My friend Nina
I never set ut to pinch anyones bloke, let alone Ninas. The day it all started, picking u bloke was the last thing n m mind. vn I dont go ut n the ull in manky old combats and sweater thats seen better days. ll I was thinking of, n that drizzly afternoon, was finding b home. Having started off in mist-like fashion, the drizzle had moved u gear, as if it were thinking but turning into proper rain. ll this point I was just u the road from vnt Garden, with drizzled-on hair and jumper starting to smell of wet Shetland sheep. That was when I saw Nina coming ut of smart little restaurant, with bloke n her arm. If I n misquote Jane Austen here, it is truth universally acknowledged that if you are fated to bum into someone like Nina when you havent seen her for four years, you will b looking like pigs breakfast. While she will b looking like Sunday Times fashion shoot in silk and cashmere. nl but six paces away, she was talking and laughing in her silver-tinkle way to the bloke, who was holding her umbrella u to stop her getting wet. The last time Id seen her (t wedding four years back) shed had some tall, dark specimen in tow. Although everything but him was theoretically perfect, I hadnt bn particularly impressed - to m hed seemed just bit plastic, somehow. I dont quite know what it was with this n - he wasnt classically good -looking, exactly, but the spark hit me at once!
Text 7
