Your school is playing host to four foreign exchange students. Tina is from Australia, Patti from Canada, Conor from Ireland and Bobby from New Zealand. Today the four guests have come into your English lesson to introduce themselves.
Tina: Hi, I’m Tina Barriston. Let me spell my surname because it’s a bit unusual. May I write it on the board? Cool. Thanks. B-A-R-R-I-S-T-O-N. I live in the town of Parramatta near Sydney in New South Wales. I’ll write that on the board as well. P-A-R-R-A-M-A-T-T-A. I’m fifteen years old and my birthday’s November 12, if any of you want to send me a card. I was born in 95. I have two younger brothers, Morris and Clive. I’m very sporty and I’m in the New South Wales Girls’ Under 18s soccer team. I live to play soccer. I’d like to be professional one day, if I’m good enough. I don’t have any time to do anything else except go to school and practise football. This is my second visit to Hong Kong. My uncle used to work in a bank here about five years ago and we visited him for a holiday once. I’m really pleased to be back.
Patti: Hello. My name is Patti Rotherey. That’s R-O-T-H-E-R-Y and I live in Eastern Canada. My hometown is Lunenberg. That’s L-U-N-E-N-B-U-R-G. It’s quite a cold place and we get lots of snow in winter. I was born on May 7th, 1995 and I come from quite a big family. I have two elder brothers who go to university and two younger sisters who go to the same school as me. I spend all my spare time playing the piano. I’ve just passed an exam that’s the equivalent to a grade 8 certificate. My parents and my music teacher think I’m good enough to play the piano professionally, but I don’t know if I want to. My best subject at school is biology. I think I’d like to be a doctor.
Conor: Hi. I’m Conor Murphy and I come from Ireland. Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland. There are thousands of Murphys. That’s M-U-R-P-H-Y, if you’re wondering how to spell it. I have two sisters, one older than me and one younger. I’m sixteen on Thursday, September 22nd. I live in the town of Tipperary in the south of Ireland. I think I’d better write that on the board. T-I-P-P-E-R-A-R-Y. Tipperary. There is a lot of beautiful countryside around where I live. It’s a great tourist area for people who like unspoiled nature. I belong to a hiking club and I spend a lot of time in spring and summer out hiking. I love nature and would like to be a country park warden when I leave school.
Bobby: Hello. I’m Bobby Winstanley. Winstanley, that’s quite a mouthful. W-I-N-S-T-A-N-L-E-Y. I live in the city of Blenheim at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. That’s B-L-E-N-H-E-I-M. Blenheim. I think it’s originally a German place name. I’m an only child, but I don’t miss not having brothers or sisters because I’ve got some brilliant friends. I was born on August 6th, 1996. When you’re an only child, your friends become your family. My favourite subject at school is art and design. I love to draw. I prefer sketching places to taking photos. I’ve brought my sketchbook with me to Hong Kong and I’ve already got some cool drawings of your great buildings. My favourite is the Bank of China Tower. I could sit and draw that all day. I most certainly want to be a graphic designer when I leave school.