Conversation 1
Two work colleagues are waiting to catch a train to take them to a meeting in Guangzhou.
A: What did the station announcer just say? I didn’t hear it all clearly.
B: The ten o’clock train is delayed by three quarters of an hour. That’s the one we wanted to catch. Just our luck! Now we’re going to be late for the meeting.
A: We could forget the train and take the bus. Shall we do that?
B: We may as well wait now we’re at the station. I’ll phone the office and tell them we are going to be delayed. The ten o’clock train would have got us there just in time.
A: We can go and get a coffee. I’ll show you my notes for the meeting while we're waiting.
B: Fine. There’s a coffee shop over there. It’s five to ten now. We’ve got fifty minutes.
A: I’ll buy you a coffee. Let’s go.
Conversation 2
Two friends are waiting for a train to take them to the airport.
A: I hope the train isn’t late.
B: Stop worrying! We’ve got plenty of time. Our flight isn’t until four o’clock and it isn’t even twelve yet.
A: But we’ve got to check in. Sometimes there can be loads of people at the desks.
B: I told you I’d checked us on the website in this morning before I left home. I’ve even printed out our boarding passes.
A: So we don’t have to go to check-in?
B: We have to take our luggage to the fast bag drop. That will only take us two minutes.
A: I usually take a taxi to get to the airport. It’s much more reliable.
B: The train journey only takes twenty minutes and it’s fine. I’ve taken the train to the airport at least half a dozen times and never had a problem. And it’s much cheaper than a taxi.
A: We can have lunch when we’ve dropped off our bags. I didn’t have any breakfast. I was too excited to eat. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.
B: They’ll feed us on the plane so we must only have a snack. Oh... what’s this announcement going to say? Listen...
A: I knew it. The train’s delayed!
B: Only by ten minutes. Stop worrying. We’ll get there on time.
Conversation 3
Laura and her mum are waiting at the station for Grandma’s train to arrive.
Laura: What time did you say the train arrives?
Mum: It’s eleven now. The board says it will be five minutes late. It’s supposed to arrive at eleven twenty.
Laura: I hope she hasn’t brought tons of luggage. You know what Gran’s like. She likes to bring the kitchen sink with her.
Mum: She’s only staying with us for a week so she’ll only have one suitcase.
Laura: I don’t think so! Just as long as she’s brought me a present!
Mum: I told her on the phone not to bring any of us anything. She spends too much on you anyway. She sent you that fat cheque for Christmas, so don’t expect anything else.
Laura: Where are we taking her for dinner tonight?
Mum: Dad’s booked a table at that new Italian place in town. A colleague went last week and said it was excellent.
Laura: That sounds great. Are we going to take her out on her birthday?
Mum: I should think so. But don’t say anything. You know Gran doesn’t like birthdays now she’s over sixty. Oh no... the train’s delayed another twenty minutes.
Laura: I told you we shouldn’t have come so early. Let’s go and have a coffee instead of just standing here. But you’ll have to pay. I haven’t brought any money with me!