Mr Vasiljev: Good afternoon, Mr Blake.
Mr Blake: I’d like to bring to your attention that Flight 903 by which the Polish Delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Shipping is due to get to London is delayed. We’ve just had a message that owing to a dense fog all aircraft bound for London has been diverted to Amsterdam.
Mr Vasiljev: Thank you very much for letting us know. I wonder if you would be so kind as to give us a ring when you are sure of the time the plane will be arriving.
Mr Blake: Yes, don’t you worry. I’ll certainly do that. Good-bye.
Mr Vasiljev: Good-bye.
6. Making a Call from a Call-box
A gentleman enters a telephone call-box in a hurry, takes off the receiver and dials the number of trunk-call service at the exchange.
Operator: Trunk service. Number, please?
G.: Victoria 2904. I say, operator, will you hurry it up for me as I have to catch a train in a few minutes.
O.: Unless your number is engaged, I can put you through almost at once. Drop your coin, please, and press button A as soon as your number answers.
(The gentleman drops a coin and presently hears a high-pitched sound at the other end, the engaged signal.)
O.: I’m sorry, sir, your number is engaged. Will you press button В to get your money back? I suggest you try again in a minute or two.
G.: All right.
(After a while he rings the exchange once more.)
O.: Trunk service.
G: Will you try Victoria 2904 once more for me, please?
O.: Drop your coin, please. I have got your number! Hold the line, please.
G. (hears a voice): Are you there?
Voice (at the other end): This is Mr Jones’ house, 24 Strethem Road.
G: Oh, it’s you, Mary. Will you fetch Mrs Jones as quickly as you can.
Mrs Jones: Is that you, George, dear? How are you? So happy to hear your voice again! When will you be home again?
G.: I can’t hear you, dear. Your voice is ever so faint. There’s some background noise interfering.
O.: Can you hear your number all right?
G: No, I cannot, operator. Will you try and clear the line for me, please?
O.: Hold a minute, please. I think that’s better now.
G.: Are you there? Is that you, Lucy, dear? I say, can you hear me?
Mrs Jones: Yes, dear, I can.
G.: I’m arriving at Victoria at 5.40 this afternoon. Will you come to meet me there?
Mrs Jones: Certainly, dear.
O.: Your time is up. If you want to speak on drop another six-pence, please.
G: All right, dear, so long.
EXERCISES
I. Read these dialogues and reproduce them as close to the text as possible.
