Топик: Occurring with a writer, who write books about Australian animals

- Ooo, Sam – what brings you here? Hello, haven’t seen you for ages.

- Hi, Dan. Glad to meet you too! I think the last time I saw you was at school, when we had an evening with our class.

- Yes, you are right… Many years have passed since then. I’ve heard that your family left Estonia for Australia.

- We went there at once after I finished a school. But how do you know that?

- It doesn’t matter! Tell me, how are you doing.

- I’m fine. You know…

- And how is it there in Australia?

- Every person that I’ve met ask me the same question.

- It is because not every one has been to Australia.

- You know Australia is an unique country. First, because its nature strikes with its view. Wild animals are everywhere. Big extraordinary species of birds and animals. A kangaroo, a duckbill, an emu, anteater and koala, eucalyptus and wild dog – dingo, and a huge buffalo: these animals are the only ones it once on the Earth (planet). Huge deserts… the Great Sand and the Victoria, the Gibson desert… and the temperature is higher than 30 degrees above zero.

- Really?! It is very hot. As I know the hottest summer temperature in Estonia is nearly 29 above zero.

- Don’t compare?! Australia is sometimes called “the upside down world”. Can you guess why?

- Hmm… Let me think!

- Don’t try, - because the continent lies in the Southern Hemisphere, where winter comes in July and summer begins in December.

- And what people do during the Christmas holidays?

- To your surprise they often sunbathe on the beach or swim and surf in the ocean.

- From my point of view, if I’ve been a geograph I’d called Australia the hottest place in the hole World.

- If it is you’d became a bad geograph. But if you said that this continent is the hottest place in the Southern Hemisphere you’d been absolutely right as the summer temperature in Egypt (Africa) is nearly 45 degrees above zero.

- You called me fool, however I know something about Australia at all…

- And for example? (laughing)

- …Tasmania. Let’s talk about Tasmania. To the best of my geography knowledge, Tasmania is the island state which one of the few places in Australia that have enough rain all year. The island is Australia’s leading producer of pears and berries of different kinds. Potatoes are also grown in some areas. And Tasmania is sometimes called the orange isle because it produces most of Australian oranges.

- Ha ha ha…

- What are you laughing at? (angry)

- Don’t become angry. Relax. You are wrong about producing oranges. The main product is apples and the isle is sometimes called the apple isle. But don’t make our talk become a quarrel.

- OK.

- Better, - if you can, of course - , show me the town which I haven’t seen for many years.

Collecting Coins and Sports

- Hi, Dan, nice to meet you (haven’t seen you for ages). Are you busy today? How about playing table tennis at 5 o’clock? There is a new club near our town castle.

- That’s a good idea. I’ve heard about your interest in sports, especially – in tennis. But why did you choose this kind of sport as a hobby? From my point of view playing tennis doesn’t involve much knowledge.