THE children are Ben, aged twelve, and little Stella, who is four. Their parents are Andiv and Marion. AN other adult is Leslie, who's Andrew's brother. He is twenty-four. They live in THE Newcastle,A large city in THE north-east of England.On weekday mornings everyone gets up early; Andrew Barton works for A company, which manufactures THE computers. He leaves at seven o'click. He likes to avoid .THE rush hour, he says. Marion suspects that really I likes to avoid A breakfast with THE children, who are very noisy.Ben catches THE school bus at eight-fifteen. Leslie is at.THE university, studying physics. He lives away from THE home during term-time, so he avoidsA noise, too.Stella doesn't go to A school yet, of course. Next year, she will start at nursery school where Ben used to go. Her mother is looking forward to this as it will mean that she can go back to .THE work. Before her marriage, she lived in London, where she worked for A National Gallery, in THE Trafalgar Square. She is hoping to find THE same sort of iob in THE Newcastle.2.Tina wants to buy a car. She has come to see Brian, who is trying to sell his. T: So, you don't say much in your advertisement. Is this AN old car? B: Four years old. Come and have THE look at it. T: Were you A first owner? B: No. I got it two years ago. T: Have you driven it.A lot? B: Well. 1 drive to my office in THE city centre five days A week, but I don't use it much at weekends. T: I see. Now, THE thing is, I'm A doctor I've just started work at A hospital in Hills Road. I'm on call A lot of the time and I have to find THE car which is really reliable THE car I used to have was always breaking down and giving me THE problems. B: Oh, this one's very good. It may not be A fastest car around, but it always gets there eventually. And it's gotnew set of A. tyres. T: Right. It's good to know that. Can I go for THE test drive? B: Hm, actually, that's not possible right now. T: Why not? B: Well, basically. I'm afraid it won't start. You see,A battery is flat.
